New footpath will connect Texas campground to CBD

A new footpath will soon connect the popular Dumaresq free campground to the Texas CBD, the Mayor of the Goondiwindi region the Honourable Cr Lawrence Springborg AM announced the project during his visit to the town today.

The walkway will join the existing town footpath at the Texas Historical Museum and run down Flemming Street, towards the Dumaresq River rest area. The pathway will primarily be gravel and Council is working with local community groups to finalise the construction details.

Council has secured $100,000 from the Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program Grant towards the project.

Peter Worthy is President of Texas Queensland, Inc. (TQI). He said the group had strongly supported the construction of the new footpath and that it would encourage visitors to walk into town and support local tourism operators and other businesses.

“This has been a big win for us,” Mr Worthy said. “TQI has lobbied for some time for this project and I think it will be a real benefit to the town. Camping has already proved so popular at the Dumaresq site, and it’s such a pleasant walk into town from there.

“We really hope that the new walkway will encourage those campers to stroll into town and explore some of the wonderful local shops and businesses we have here in Texas,” he said.

Texas is recognised as an ‘RV Friendly Town™’ by the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA). Towns must meet a list of strict criteria to gain and keep their accreditation, including the provision of short–term low–cost overnight parking for self-contained recreational vehicles within a reasonable distance to the CBD.

The Dumaresq River rest area is a free overnight campground with plenty of riverfront grassy sites. The site is a popular local fishing spot.

Speaking in Texas today, Cr Springborg said the footpath would be an asset for the town’s growing tourism industry, and further demonstrated Council’s support of the region’s visitor economy.

“I’m extremely pleased to be able to announce this project today as I know both Council and the community have invested significantly into growing the tourism sector in Texas in recent years,” Cr Springborg said.

“We have already seen how the Dumaresq campground in particular is increasingly becoming the location of choice for campers and domestic overnight visitors,” the Mayor said. “Council is doing everything it can to support domestic tourism in the Goondiwindi region, and to encourage visitors to stay an extra night and explore what our local towns have to offer.

“The LCRI grant is providing a tremendous opportunity to invest in a vital piece of community infrastructure that will hopefully support the tourism sector in Texas for decades to come,” the Mayor said.

Council will engage local contractors during the work and use a local supplier for the concrete.