A proposal that Mid-Western Regional Council support Glen Willow as a potential site for a paintball facility has met united opposition from Mudgee sporting groups.
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Cr Alex Karavas put forward the proposal “that council support the construction of a paintball facility at Glen Willow” as a notice of motion to Wednesday’s meeting.
Cr Karavas told council that his intention was not that council establish the facility, but that it should give support to any private developer who might wish to start a paintball business at Glen Willow.
Cr Karavas, who stood for council on a platform of providing recreational opportunities for young people, said 2500 people had signed an online petition calling for a paintball facility in the region.
But speakers from the Mudgee Sports Council, Mudgee Wolves Football Club, Mudgee Netball Association and Mudgee Touch Association made their feelings clear at the open day ahead of the council meeting.
Mudgee Wolves FC president Peter Mitchell said Glen Willow had been developed as a regional sporting facility and to allow a commercial venture such as paintball there would jeopardise the sporting atmosphere and tourism potential of the precinct.
“Council has stage 2 and 3 plans in place for Glen Willow and sporting organisations have applied for grants on the basis of that,” he said.
Mudgee District Netball Association president Liz O’Brien said rather than directing funds towards a paintball facility which might be used mainly by visitors, council should invest in facilities for local people such as walking and cycle tracks and upgrading playgrounds and skate parks.
Resident Phil Blackman told council that noise from a paintball facility would affect neighbours and people using the off-leash dog walking area.
Council agreed that Glen Willow was not a suitable site for paintball, and after extended discussion, voted against an amendment that council give support in principle to any person wishing to establish a paintball facility in the Mid-Western Region, within the guidelines of council’s economic development policy.
The amendment was opposed by Cr Peter Shelley, who pointed out that any proposal for paintball on private land could be dealt with through council’s existing processes and that a paintball facility already exists in the Bylong Valley.
The original notice of motion was also lost.