Tuesday’s Council meeting had a busy agenda. It was the last before the Council moves into ‘caretaker’ mode in the lead-up to the December 4 local government election.
As part of the celebrations marking 75 years since Orange became a city, the meeting was held in the former Town Hall at the corner of Anson and Byng Streets.
Report card for latest Bulky Waste pickup
Around 38% of Orange residents took up the opportunity of the latest Bulky Waste pick-up in February this year, according to a report on the event presented to Tuesday’s Council meeting.
BULKY WASTE: A report to Council detailed how many residents used the bulky waste collection.
While all ratepayers had around $11 added to their annual rates bill for the event, only 6,334 of Orange’s 16,682 households and businesses, used the bulky waste pick-up.
The report showed a wide variety between different neighbourhoods of Orange, when it came to the numbers of households that used the bulky waste pick-up.
On average 633 households used the bulky waste in each of the ten collection areas of Orange. The largest proportion of households that used the bulky waste were in the strip of blocks between Anson and Peisley Streets (1,266 households), in Glenroi (1368 collections) and in part of East Orange (930 locations).
The report also looked at the results of an alternative to the bulky waste pick-ups. The report showed that almost 1,200 free vouchers were collected from the Civic Centre to take waste free of charge to the Resource Recovery Centre. However just over half the vouchers (674) were actually used to take waste to the centre.
The report recommended the Council consider the future of the bulky waste pick-up during the 2022/23 budget discussions. The event is already set to happen this financial year, in March next year.
Council funding for clothing market on exhibition for comment
Tuesday’s meeting voted to put a $5,000 grant to run a pre-loved fashion market day, on exhibition for community comment.
The meeting voted to put the grant to accommodation booking agency Book Orange $5,000 for the Pre Loved Market Day event on public exhibition for community comment for 28 days.
The proposal is for Book Orange to organise an event which will ‘invite women to clear out and renew their family wardrobes and to share their love of fashion in a sustainable way.’ The event will also be a fundraiser for Orange’s Domestic Violence Centre ‘The Orchard’.
Support for new Safe & Secure Water Strategy
The meeting gave the go ahead to begin to develop a new ‘Safe and Secure Water Strategy’ to guide the future management of central west water resources.
The meeting agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Orange City Council, Cabonne Council and Central Tablelands Water. A report earlier this year found there was potential for more integration and cooperation in the management of water infrastructure by the three separate agencies.
The NSW Government (DPIE Water) will fund 75% of the cost of developing the strategy, with the remaining 25% to be funded by the three participating organisations. The cost of developing the strategy, which will involve the appointment of expert consultants has been estimated to be within the range of $400,000 and $600,000.
Work begins to design possible new Telopea Way roundabout
Tuesday’s meeting has taken the first steps towards a possible new roundabout at the intersection of the northern bypass and Telopea Way in North Orange.
Earlier this year, Council decided to ‘investigate the feasibility, viability, costs and funding options for the construction of a roundabout to replace the current traffic lights on the corner of the Northern Distributor Road and Telopea Way’.
The meeting considered a number of design options for the project. The report noted that the current traffic lighted intersection is ‘often a source of contention with the public’.
The report rates the 2nd of four design options as the most efficient for traffic movement. Preliminary investigation says the project would require land significant acquisitions and the loss of parking spaces in the current Woolworths and McDonalds car parks.
The cost of the preferred design is estimated to be between $7 and $10 million.
While designs have been prepared, the project is currently not on a priority list for future funding. The designs are also happening against the backdrop of the NSW Government looking at options to take over ownership of the bypass at some point in the future.
Plans for new tree park noted
Preliminary planning has begun for a new park on the site, near the northern bypass, first acquired for a sports precinct.
Tuesday’s meeting noted that consultants have produced concept plans for the eastern side of the block for:
- replanting of the site with endemic native tree species
- areas to display trees that grow in the Central Tablelands climate which could be combination of Australian natives and exotics.
- recreational elements such as picnicking, cross country walking and running trails, orienteering and mountain bike loops.
Planning decisions
- The Planning & Development Committee gave approval for a development application to convert a former secondary dwelling (granny flat) at 98 Dalton Street to a dual occupancy. Each dwelling will have separate and independent access arrangements, and outdoor space. The changes would also mean a subdivision of the current single block into two lots (452 square metres and 239 square metres).
