Architects Dig Deep
for Opal Centre

courtesy of ABC Central West

Monday, 9 January 2006. 10:41 (AEDT)   

The Lightning Ridge Opal and Fossil Centre in central western NSW will be built underground.

Architects have drawn up the first plans for the tourism attraction that will showcase opals and the history of the mining town.

Project manager Jenny Brammall expects a development application will be submitted to Walgett Shire Council this year.

"The reason for putting it into the ground is partly not to spoil the look of that really weird lunar landscape that's so characteristic of Lightning Ridge, but the main thing is it will be sheltered and protected by the mass of the earth so it will be insulated and we're not going to have huge air-conditioning bills like a lot of outback museums and centres do," she said.

The museum has already been flooded with donations of opalised fossils.

Ms Brammal says construction could be under way in 18 months.

"The main thing we have to do of course is raise an awful lot of money, we don't know exactly how much, but we're estimating in the range of $5-8 million, so that's a big hurdle, but we're working with a number of government departments and private supporters and the more they see of the project the more excited they get and the more they want to be involved with it," she said.