Gunnedah girl Haylee Murrell and St Mary's College agriculture teacher have both told the NVI that an agriculture college would benefit the shire.

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Miss Murrell said "it would be amazing" to have such a facility in Gunnedah; she recently had to move to away to study rural science, at the University of New England.

"The biggest pain in the butt was to move to Armidale to study it," Miss Murrell said.

"Gunnedah is such an agriculturally diverse area, so it would be perfect [and] people wouldn't have to travel to Uni."

Independent candidate Mark Rodda posed the idea at this year's Meet the Candidate event, and said it could "keep the agricultural industry alive".

St Mary's College agriculture teacher Lachlan James said "any education development in the region is beneficial".

"There's larger employment opportunities in agriculture and the district," Mr James said.

"It's not competing against any agriculture colleges locally either."

​Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce's Michael Broekman recently told the NVI it would be more beneficial to have agriculture courses at the already existing Gunnedah TAFE.

Miss Murrell said this would be an "awesome" last resort option but it would be more beneficial having a new building.

"If it was strictly an agriculture college you would have the students staying [in Gunnedah], but other students from surrounding areas moving there too," she said.

Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey said he would be "really keen to hear more about it".

"Gunnedah is a very strong agriculture community, so I like the concept," Councillor Chaffey said.

No plans yet have been made to further the idea.

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