It is the end of an era after closure of the ‘tech paddock’ in the Gunnedah Showground precinct.
The vacant land adjacent Hunter Street and Gunnedah TAFE was closed to showground user groups on Wednesday. The land will instead be used for school-based agricultural purposes.
The Gunnedah Times understands the Department of Education has owned the land for many years but leased the area to Gunnedah Shire Council and was subsequently sub-leased by user groups. Gunnedah Show Society, Riding for the Disabled Gunnedah, Gunnedah Pony Club and Namoi Horse Association are among the organisations affected.
Gunnedah Show Society spokeswoman Charlotte Hoddle said the tech paddock closure was a huge loss for the organisation – especially in terms of parking availability.
She said the area is often full of cars, trucks and stock floats during show time. Such is the demand, vehicle parking often overflows into neighbouring Hunter Street.
Ms Hoddle said not only is the show society losing access to the land, Gunnedah Shire Council has no contingency for extra parking in its proposed masterplan for the showground.
“I feel let down by council,” Ms Hoddle said.
“There is nothing to make up for what we’ve lost.”
For another user group, Namoi Horse Association, Ms Hoddle said it’s “basically the end”.
Unable to afford relocation costs to the showground, the organisation has been forced to sell all its dressage equipment and site office.
Also disappointed with loss of the tech paddock is Riding for the Disabled, Gunnedah.
“We’re devastated really,” Gunnedah RDA whip Kate Wilson said.
According to the RDA, the area has been used for carriage driving for wheelchair and other clients since 1997.
“We use the tech paddock to drive the carriage around because there is no other safe area,” Ms Wilson said.
She said other locations around the stables are unsuitable because of the large turning circle required for the carriage.
RDA president Richard White said the group knew access to tech paddock was never a certainty, describing its loss more as an “inconvenience than anything”.
Gunnedah Pony Club president Bernie Martin said the unavailability of the land will change how the organisation operates, forcing a relocation of activities into different areas of the showground.
The pony club recently celebrated its 70th birthday and Mr Martin said the tech paddock has “always been used” for pony club events.
But he sympathised with its planned future use by the Department of Education as an agriculture facility.
“It has been a fantastic space to use,” Mr Martin said.
“It has been a great, safe area to use for things like marshalling. But we’re an agricultural town, and pushing that in our schools, in our town, is important too.”
The committee president also acknowledged the draft showground masterplan, which although is only a design concept at this stage, includes a new “covered indoor riding area” which could be used by the pony club in the future.
“That would compensate for the loss of the (tech paddock) dressage area,” he said.
“What’s really going to be missed is the big open space for marshalling and warm-up.”
A NSW Department of Education spokesperson confirmed to the Gunnedah Times the land is being acquired for school-based agricultural purposes.
“We are in the process of acquiring a vacant lot on Hunter Street, adjacent to Gunnedah High School, to provide onsite agricultural facilities,” the spokesperson said.
“This will enhance the onsite facilities for Gunnedah High School to provide continuity of learning for students, and remove the need to transport students and teachers offsite for each lesson.”
The department highlighted that its use will provide benefits for students with disabilities, supporting an inclusive and enriching educational experience.
The department also added that it considers community use of school facilities applications when the asset is not required by the school or department.
Gunnedah Shire Council was contacted by for comment about its arrangements with user groups.
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