PLANS are progressing to develop a nature trail in the heart of the Dandaragan town site on a plot of land previously earmarked for development.
Resident Joan Cook has joined other interested locals to preserve one of the last stands of redgums and native bushland in the town centre and create a nature walk that she hopes will be a natural asset for the town.
The trail is in the early planning stages at the moment but it is envisaged that the trail will have its main entrance near the south edge of the school and meander for about two kilometres through the bush, with an alternative access bringing walkers back out to the main road.
The idea for the trail came about after Mrs Cook visited a similar but larger walk trail in Port Augusta in South Australia, which she said was fantastic.
“We’re in the heart of wildflower country and yet Dandaragan really doesn’t have anywhere for people to stop and enjoy them,” she said.
“It would be great if we could do something like the trail we saw in South Australia just not quite as big.”
Mrs Cook said though the area had been earmarked for future development there had been good support for changing that plan, with plenty of other, less pristine land available elsewhere for development.
“The area we have in mind has been subject to fire control over the years and as a result of the burn-offs a range of non-native grasses have started to take over,” she said.
“As part of the nature trail project we would like to start re-vegetating the area with native plants.”
In the future it is hoped they can provide a picnic area along the way with seating built from natural materials in a way that blends in with the surrounding bush.
A recent meeting was held to put at ease the minds of landholders whose properties will back onto the trail.
“I think we managed to resolve their concerns about the trail,” Mrs Cook said.
“It will be set a fair way off their boundaries and we’ll plant lots of screening trees and shrubs so that there will be no privacy issues for them.
“The trail would probably provide more privacy for them than they would have if the land had been sold as residential lots and I think it would also be a great asset to have something like that on their back doorstep.”
Another meeting is scheduled this week to further develop the nature trail plan and investigate some possible funding options.