Gunnedah's newest childcare centre could spell the end of the town's Lutheran Church.
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Lutheran leader Anne Riordan - who is chairperson, secretary, and treasurer for the Gunnedah Trinity Lutheran Church - said the institution plans to sell the last church land for the proposed new early childhood centre.
With no land, barely any parishioners and no energy to start again, they would then wind up the town's church.
The church held their last service a few years ago, she said.
"Pastor Harmon took the final service I think. It would have been three of four years ago now," she said.
Last month Brisbane developer Australian Childcare Solutions (ACS) submitted plans to Gunnedah Shire Council for a new 94-child centre on the old Lutheran church site at 79 Stock Road.
ACS Director Darren Jonsson said the town has an enormous shortage of childcare places.
There are 750 Gunnedah kids from zero to four years old, but just 223 existing childcare places in the town.
The $2.5 million new institution would also have the benefit of being built "very close" to Gunnedah South Public School, he said.
"We and our tenant believe there is limited vacancy and strong demand for new childcare," he said.
"Our research and discussions with council and local business and stakeholders is that a lack of new state-of-the-art childcare is a factor for the employment growth and retention in the region."
If given the green light by council, the institution could open as soon as 2022 and would be operated by Imagine Childcare.
Ms Riordan said the church would wind up as soon as the land was sold, if the new centre wins approval.
"Until we officially shut the congregation, we still own the land," she said.
"There's just nobody left here to look after anything."
A 10-unit retirement village has already been built on the church site.