March 11, 2018
The Googa Outdoor Education Facility at 571 Nukku Road, Googa Creek has been given approval to expand by Toowoomba Regional Council.
The approval, which was given last week, will see a number of new buildings, a multi-purpose hall, dormitories, amenities, staff accommodation, a chapel and other sheds placed on the site.
The majority of the new buildings are being relocated from the now-closed Concordia Lutheran College outdoor facility near Chinchilla, according to documents lodged with the Council.
The Googa facility is jointly owned and run by the Good Shepherd Lutheran College, Noosa, Grace Lutheran Primary School at Clontarf and Grace Lutheran College at Rothwell.
It is expected the new facility will also cater for students from Concordia Lutheran College, as well as other Lutheran schools around the state.
Googa offers Year 10 students a four week outdoor education program where they are removed from the distractions of modern life and get a taste of hands-on farm living.
It has laying hens along with cattle and sheep; an avocado plantation; a vegetable garden; and an accredited dairy.
The centre is a former Blackbutt Range forestry camp and is located nine kilometres west of Blackbutt.
It has a lease over six hectares of land adjacent to a further 120 hectares owned and managed by Googa.
The centre also has access to large areas of State Forests and private land for hiking and camping.
The facility currently has six dormitories consisting of three cabins with a kitchen and a cookhouse in each.
Each cabin sleeps four, accommodating a total of twelve per dormitory.
Other facilities currently on the property include a high ropes course, a pamper pole, a dingaling, a multi-purpose hall and maintenance workshops.
