Wagga Wagga’s beach on the edge of the Murrumbidgee River has long made top 10 lists for best beaches across Australia. Now, it looks like towns in the Western Plains are striving for a piece of the prize. 

The business case for Real Country - a tourism collaboration between Gilgandra, Coonamble and Warrumbungle shires - has been released, with Gilgandra and Coonamble budgeting for a ‘town beach activation area’, capitalising on the sandy banks of the Castlereagh River the two towns share. 

All three councils plan on using the shared river as a ‘tourism beacon’, each in slightly different ways to shift the towns from being ‘pitstops’ to ‘destinations’.

“The strategy envisions transforming the river into a journey of discovery, featuring curated experiences that narrate the story of the land,” the Real Country Strategic Plan reveals. 

The idea to create a precinct closer to the water has grown in popularity, with Muswellbrook unveiling their own Hunter Beach last year, as well as Penrith’s patrolled beach that opened late last year. 

The proposal includes making a bigger feature of Coonamble's Warrena Weir, as well as a beach at the end of Tooloon Street. (Supplied)

Swimming and sand isn’t always a necessity, with Hunter Beach focusing on activities near the water, rather than in it, including volleyball and barbecues.

In Gilgandra, Mayor Doug Batten said a beach area could offer the community better river access, even if it weren’t for swimming. 

“It would be good for kayaking and paddling, we’ve got a town pool basically across the road (for swimming),” Cr Batten said. 

Cr Batten said that a place for unwinding near the water could be the feature that tips tourists to stay one more night in these towns.

“There’s really an opportunity for someone to stay busy (in Gilgandra) for four or five hours, and that’s without experiencing what the retail life has to offer.”

In Coonamble, the ‘Town Beach Precinct’ is aimed at creating physical and cultural links across the river, and allowing visitors to engage with the health of the river through a First Nations lens.

Coonamble’s Warrena weir has also been identified as another waterfront recreational area, with plans for an RV camping area, floating pontoons, bush tucker, accommodation and swimming area.

In the Warrumbungles, while building river access in towns and villages is also a priority, a highly demanded rail trail for bike riders could also be on the cards, as well as an outdoor amphitheatre for performances and community gatherings. 

While the ideas proposed in Real Country could bring dramatic development and opportunity for each town, Cr Batten said that without public input, it won’t go any further. 

“We need to actually fund what the project recommends. The only funds we actually have were for the planning process.”

“We’ve got no money to go any further.”

Local feedback on the projects will be used to apply for funding from the NSW Government.