The Gunning Showground Bushland Park will be officially opened on Sunday 22 June. Over the past two years, Gunning District Landcare and local volunteers have transformed this precious but underutilised bushland area into a public park that will provide year-round enjoyment for the community and offer an opportunity to connect with the natural environment.
Wendy Tuckerman MP, Member for Goulburn said: “This is a grassroots project in the best sense of the word – Landcare is a wonderful community-based organisation that is managing and protecting our local natural resources. l am excited to see how Landcare has transformed the land into a bushland park. In conserving our environment they are also building a cohesive community space”.
The Gunning Showground Bushland Park preserves a small remnant of Box Gum Grassy Woodland. Such woodlands are relatively rare – especially close to the centre of towns – and offer vital habitat to a number of unique Australian animals. Dr John Storey, Chair of Gunning District Landcare, said he was excited to see this piece of bushland become accessible to the public.
“Nature enthusiasts have recently observed two endangered species using the park – a Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) and a Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper (Keyacris scurra). We believe that there are many other rare and important species that call this area home.”
Covering an area of five acres, the new park is conveniently located in a corner of the showground, just a short walk from the centre of Gunning and only 200 metres from Gunning Public School. Features include an open space with a yarning circle, wheelchair-accessible seating, and a network of paths. Interpretive signs highlighting some of the local fauna and flora are dotted along the paths. To minimise the visual impact of the new paths and reduce ongoing maintenance, local decomposed granite has been laid over a Geohex grid. Continuing this theme, large sandstone blocks define the yarning circle. Seating is chosen to complement existing street furniture in Gunning, while providing easy disabled access at one end of each bench.
“This is a wonderful new facility for the Gunning community, for the environment and for the wildlife and fauna that make their home here”, said Upper Lachlan Shire Council Mayor, Paul Culhane. “We are very grateful to the NSW government for their support and to the local Gunning community for bringing this project to fruition.”
The creation of the park was made possible by a grant of almost $250,000 from the NSW government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund, with additional funding from the Gunning Lions Club, Acciona Energia, Transgrid, and federal government Queen’s Jubilee and Volunteer grants.
WENDY TUCKERMAN 