![The proposed service centre and caravan park is slated for 127-141 Lochrey Road in Gunnedah. Picture by Gareth Gardner The proposed service centre and caravan park is slated for 127-141 Lochrey Road in Gunnedah. Picture by Gareth Gardner](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/150521478/bf5b0fda-a1b0-4cb2-8dab-a568bd1ab598.jpg/r0_179_5044_3015_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A PARCEL of land deemed unsuitable for agriculture could be the perfect location for a new highway service centre and caravan park.
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A rest and recovery location for freight drivers and short-term accommodation options for tourists are all part of the plans for a development just outside of Gunnedah.
The land, located at the intersection of Oxley Highway and Kamilaroi Highway, has previously been reserved for agriculture.
But the developer, Charlie One Pty Ltd, has called for Gunnedah Shire Council to permit the project and expand the definition of the sites permitted land uses.
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In a submission to council, the developer said with the site "severed" by the Oxley Highway it was better suited to development rather than "extensive agriculture".
"However, these characteristics, dual highway frontage and proximity to urban land within Gunnedah makes this site viable for the proposed land uses," the submission said.
Councillors voted unanimously to expand the permitted land uses of the site and submit the planning proposal to the Department of Planning and Environment for a gateway determination.
![Plans for the proposed highway service centre and caravan park. Plans for the proposed highway service centre and caravan park.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/150521478/89cf1298-13c5-48f8-b3e1-12e3bf14d4f4.jpg/r0_0_1359_657_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A gateway determination is a checkpoint for a planning proposal to review strategic and site-specific merit and whether the proposal should proceed to public exhibition and further studies which are to be undertaken.
If the plans are given the green light, a formal development application will be prepared by the developer and placed on public exhibition.
The current plans propose the service centre and caravan park will be a "complimentary" addition to the town centre, support tourism and increase overnight stays.
The developer said the proposed service centre, which is located 2.7 kilometres from the CBD, will not "detract" from the town centre as the "primary area" for servicing the community.
"The proposal may also have a beneficial result in keeping heavy vehicles from entering the centre of town, improving road safety," the report said.
Once completed it is proposed the service centre and caravan park will create employment for both skilled and unskilled workers.
The proposed development comes after construction started on a $23 million koala sanctuary on the Oxley Highway, which is slated to be a tourist hotspot.
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