The Morpeth Business Association wants to utilise the old bowling club site on Edward Street as an eco tourism park complete with an interpretive centre to showcase the village’s colonial history.

“We know there’s a need for a tourist park not just in Maitland but for the Lower Hunter,” Morpeth tourist operator and association member Trevor Richards said. “Maitland City Council has identified the need on numerous occasions for at least the past decade.”

The Morpeth Business Association has approached the site’s owner Beresfield Bowling Club and will ­develop a business proposal for staged development over seven years.

While Beresfield Bowling Club has had numerous approaches to use the land a tourist park is one of the few land uses council is able to consider for the site.

The interpretive centre would delve into Morpeth’s diverse history, as the colony’s second major port, through the introduction of rail and economic development with a focus on the likes of Arnott’s bakery.

Longreach and Bendigo are popular examples of the interpretive centre-concept to which grey nomads have flocked.

Such projects are eligible for government funding where it demonstrates tourism benefit.

Destination NSW alone has provided grants worth up to $500,000 for similar proposals on the NSW south coast.

“We have to make a sound proposal because that’s not the sort of money that’s handed out lightly,” Mr Richards said.

“It will need support from Maitland MP Robyn Parker, Paterson MP Bob Baldwin and the council.”

The proposal must first and foremost demonstrate the eco park would double overnight visitation to Morpeth and for that reason Mr Richards said people can rest assured it won’t cater to permanent tenants.

“Just calling it a caravan park won’t do because we’re all in agreement we don’t want long-term tenants,” he said.

“They [Destination NSW] are looking to maximise the benefit of every dollar.”

The Morpeth Bowling Club has sat vacant for more than a year.

The proposal could involve a partnership between the Morpeth Business Association and Beresfield Bowling Club or outright purchase of the two-hectare site subject to further discussions and details of the final proposal. The Beresfield Bowling Club board would need to sign off on any deal.

Industry analyst IBISWorld has predicted the recreational vehicle industry will be worth more than $2.6 billion by 2016-2017.

It has also been reported there was a 257 per cent increase in caravan registrations between 1995 and 2005.