THE former home of the Ettamogah wildlife sanctuary site has been sold to a Queensland investor for more than $400,000, almost three years after the attraction shut its doors.
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A sale was confirmed in recent days, with an undisclosed buyer proposing to build a transport hub and earthmoving depot on the 12-hectare site.
Albury Council had attempted to sell the former sanctuary site at auction in September 2013, but the property was passed in after a final bid of $380,000.
The net proceeds of the sale will be used in future developments at Wonga Wetlands, with the former sanctuary’s founder Heidi Peck to also be recognised for her contribution in protecting wildlife.
Ms Peck passed on the sanctuary’s title to the Friends of Ettamogah group before it was transferred at no cost to the council in 1995.
Agents Robert Stevens and Elders handled the sale on behalf of the council.
“It obviously created a lot of interest,” Mr Stevens said.
“But by the same token, most of the interest was associated with a use that wasn’t compliant to the current zoning.
“It would have been superb for an agricultural or horse interest, but as a business park we had to find someone else.
“The zoning is encou- raging employment, warehousing and distribution and trucking facilities.
“It is going to be significant for Albury in the future.”
The former sanctuary is located within the council’s Nexus industrial hub, and a $2 million agricultural equipment warehousing and distribution centre will soon be built nearby.
Bourgault is relocating its east coast operations from Parkes to Albury on a site to the north of the former sanctuary.
The council is halfway towards attracting funding to upgrade the nearby Davey Road interchange, with the federal government committing $7 million to the project.
The money will go towards the construction of two south-facing ramps and two roundabouts at the intersection of Davey Road and Hume Freeway.
Once completed, the council is expecting large scale investment at the Nexus industrial hub and the already established and privately operated Ettamogah rail hub.
