Councillors decided at Tuesday night’s council meeting to authorise the Oberon Visitor Information Centre to seek sponsorship from Oberon businesses to build a patch for noodling, which is where people can fossick for precious stones, on the southern side of the centre.

Jennifer Youman from the Visitor Information Centre said that in recent years visitor inquiries about fossicking at the centre have increased from 536 in 2006 to over 1000 in 2008.

Jennifer said that because not all of Oberon’s fossicking sites are accessible by two wheel drive vehicles, and the fact that visitors have to travel a considerable distance out of town to fossick, visitors often miss out on the experience.

Jennifer said in addition to this, visitors often do not have experience with fossicking.

“Unless you know what you are doing, it is daunting having to go 24 kilometres out town to Sapphire Bend, the closest fossicking site, to fossick on your own,” she said.

Jennifer said that often visitors arrive in Oberon in the afternoon after visiting places such as Jenolan Caves and want an activity close by to do with their children over a short period of time, and therefore the noodling patch is ideal as it is accessible and close by.

“It would allow first-time fossickers to have access to kits and knowledge of practical techniques, before heading out on their own,” she said.

Jennifer said that the Centre already has its own Willoughby, which is a contraption for fossicking for precious stones without getting wet and dirty hands.

Jennifer said that it could also be a school holiday activity for children, and that the centre has already had inquiries about coaches coming to visit and participate in noodling.

Visitors would contribute a gold coin donation to participate in noodling, which can enable the centre to keep up the supply of sapphires and zircons to the noodling patch.

The centre will now be seeking sponsorship from local businesses to provide materials and labour for constructing the noodling patch.