Gunnedah koala park candidate in prime location
Sweeping views, vegetation and room for expansion are some of the perks of where Gunnedah Shire Council hopes to build the new koala park.
At Wednesday's meeting, councillors will vote on going ahead with a design based on the facility being located on the Oxley Highway south-west of Gunnedah.
It would be located at a former quarry and unused sections of Balcary Park, pending consultation with users.
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The council would design, construct and lease the park and has entered a non-binding agreement with CaPTA Group to negotiate running it.
The group's proposal includes a koala hospital and educational centre, wildlife sanctuary area, eucalypt plantation, resident animals, accommodation, restaurant and function area, and mini golf course.
Future stages may include a ropes course and zip lining and Indigenous history education and showcase area.
Construction would start in 2020 and the facility would open the next year.
The current entry point for the potential koala park site on the Oxley Highway south-west of Gunnedah is marked by a red x. The site neighbours the Go Kart track on the left and Balcary Park (not pictured).
The council has estimated about $6.6 million in costs if the facility is constructed parallel to Balcary Park on the outskirts of Gunnedah.
The council-owned block of land is about 50 acres and is known as "Farmers and Graziers". The neighboring block used by Gunnedah Motorcycle Racing Club is also owned by the council and is a similar size.
In the business papers, corporate and community services director Colin Formann wrote that pre-existing vegetation was a mix of established and mature koala tree species and scrubland.
There were also "good cleared and pre-levelled areas of land as a result of historical quarry operations that will reduce the cost of earthworks required for the development".
The site on the Oxley Highway overlooks mountain ranges.
While the location is close to town, Mr Formann wrote that there could still be some challenges.
They could include moving traffic out and back onto the highway, water services, noise from Balcary Park, and landscaping because there are large amounts of rock on the site.
The disused quarry and historical deposits would also need to be cleaned up.
The council considered the Soil Conservation Site on Kamilaroi Road for the park, but its inquiries to the state government about providing sections of this site for the development "has not been positively received", Mr Formann wrote.
The memorandum of understanding between CaPTA and the council agrees on the broad terms of the future arrangement and sets the platform for developing the park concept and negotiating a long-term operating lease.