Wander through the leafy streets of Picton and take in the stunning heritage buildings set against a background of scenic landscapes. Picton attracts nature lovers, history enthusiasts, and anyone wishing to leave Sydney’s noise behind. Even with its peaceful atmosphere, residents have had to overcome a series of natural hazards.

Picton is a cosy rural town in the Wollondilly Shire. It sits in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. This area often faces bushfires during hot, dry weather. The 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires were especially severe. Residents faced evacuation with the threat of flames close to their homes. Smoke haze also affected the air quality. The community has felt long-term physical and mental health impacts over the years.

A lifeline for the community

The Picton Rangers Soccer Club Inc received $2.1 million through the Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program.  

The grant was used to upgrade the Wollondilly Emergency Services and Regional Sporting Hub (WESRS). This facility not only meets the growing interest in sporting and community groups, it will also rapidly convert to a regional emergency services coordination site to aid emergency services during disaster events. 

Coordination and Planning Officer, Bronwyn Papandrea, attended the official opening. "It was great to see this new facility full of families. The new upgrade not only allows support to the community whilst playing and enjoying sport in the best of times, but also provides a place to support the community in potentially the worst of times.  

The field was used as a staging area, base camp and Helipad during the 19/20 bushfires where it was quickly realised they didn't have sufficient facilities to accommodate such a large amount of volunteer personnel should it be needed again in the future. This is a great example of lessons learned, and needs identified following disasters.” said Bronwyn.  

A score for Wollondilly Shire

Notable features of the upgraded facility include:  

• an emergency medical room fitted with a defibrillator for community use;
• a semi-commercial kitchen;
• an outdoor catering area with barbecues;
• A coordination room that doubles as a boardroom for sporting organisations;
• an undercover area with seating to provide a shelter and rest area;
• storage for both emergency services and local sports clubs; and
• removable fencing to clear fields during emergencies. 

The new sports and emergency services facilities are now being enjoyed by the people of Picton. The upgrades aim to build resilience and strengthen community spirit as residents come together in recovery efforts.