Designing a custom fire abatement system to help protect one of Australia's most significant botanical collections from future bushfires.
Following the devastating 2019 Mount Gospers Bushfires, which destroyed almost one-third of the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden's living collection, the need for a purpose-built fire protection system became critical. The existing fire abatement infrastructure had failed during the bushfire event, highlighting the importance of a more resilient, intelligent solution.
Working closely with the Botanic Garden team and Christie Civil, MATelec Australia designed and manufactured a custom fire pump control system tailored specifically to the site's unique operational requirements. The solution enables operators to remotely activate pumps, control sprinkler zones, and support firefighting efforts while incorporating multiple layers of redundancy to ensure dependable operation when it matters most.
Today, the system provides confidence that one of Australia's most significant conservation sites – and the rare plant species it protects – has a robust, reliable first line of defence against future bushfire events.
After the 2019 Mount Gospers Bushfires, the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden required a fire protection system capable of performing under the most extreme conditions. The new system needed to protect nationally significant plant collections—including the iconic Wollemi Pine—while remaining operational during power failures, communication outages, lightning events and bushfire emergencies. It also needed to be simple enough for multiple users, from garden staff to emergency services, to operate confidently during a crisis.
“If a fire was to come through now and affect our Wollemi plantings, it would drastically reduce our ability to grow new and genetically diverse seed which we need for the future and repopulation in the wild and it would also set back a lot of our research for decades to come.”
MATelec Australia engineered a fully customised industrial fire pump control system designed specifically for the Botanic Garden's unique environment. The solution enables remote activation of pumps and sprinkler zones, allowing operators to respond quickly as bushfires approach while supporting on-site firefighting efforts. Multiple layers of resilience—including battery backup, surge protection and redundant control strategies—ensure dependable operation during emergency conditions. Combined with Australian-based engineering, local manufacturing and rapid technical support, the system provides lasting confidence that this nationally significant site is protected by infrastructure designed to perform when it matters most.
“Reliability is absolute key. We needed an industrial solution that would perform in extreme conditions – not an off-the-shelf irrigation system. That's exactly what MATelec delivered.”
Our Engineered Solutions service transforms complex requirements into custom-built control and automation systems. From initial consultation and design through engineering, manufacturing, testing, and commissioning, we follow a proven end-to-end process to deliver solutions tailored to your exact needs.
