Riawena cricket oval funding, waste charges, bus zones and airport numbers. Here are some highlights from last night's council meeting.
Funding for Spring Hill cricket ground transferred to Riawena
Last night's meeting decided to transfer the $100,000 in Council funding that was originally to be spent installing a picket fence on the sportsground at Spring Hill to the Riawena cricket oval in Orange.
The meeting heard that since the funding was allocated in the current budget, the Spring Hill community had been awarded a NSW government grant to install a new fence.
Riawena Oval.
The Riawena cricket oval in Kooronga Ave in West Orange is the ground most used for cricket after Wade Park. It's also used as a dog leash-free area and community recreation space.
Council to provide feed-back on IPART waste peg proposal
Orange City Council will write a submission opposing plans by IPART to establish a new bench-marking system on waste charges.
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal of NSW (IPART) is currently reviewing domestic waste management charges levied by NSW local councils and seeking feed-back on a proposal to introduce a new bench-marking system. The benchmark waste peg is intended to give guidance to ratepayers and councils on how much the cost of providing waste services should change year-to-year.
The proposal is that councils whose charges increased more than the benchmark waste peg would have to explain why, to be outlined in an annual report.
A report to last night's meeting argued that due to the wide variety of waste services provided by councils, a benchmarking 'peg' system would disadvantage councils, such as Orange, which provide more services including organic collections, compost production and waste baling.
Extension of hours for bus zones
The operating hours of thirteen bus stops and bus zones around Orange will be extended, as part of the Transport for NSW initiative to upgrade public transport around Orange.
Last night's Council meeting approved proposals for the bus zones around the CBD and near some high schools to operate from 6.15am to 8.15pm, instead of the current times from 6.40am to 7.40pm.
The extra hours and the introduction of several new routes around Orange will increase the number of services using those zones from 270 to 423 services a day.
While the high school zones currently operate in two time slots at the start and end of the school day, the changes mean the sites will be full-time bus zones without a gap during the day.
When new Transport for NSW bus routes begin operation, town buses will be using the zones during the day.
Air-passenger numbers gradually return to pre-COVID levels
Activity at the Orange Regional Airport is steadily returning to levels before the pandemic.
Activity at the Orange Regional Airport is returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Passenger numbers over the last quarter are increasing, according to a report to the night's council meeting:
- 2,126 passengers in November 2021 compared with 2,065 in November 2020
- 4,443 passengers in December 2021 compared with 2,714 in December 2020
- 3,179 passengers in January 2021 compared with 1,571 in January 2021
Air Link has recently increased its flight numbers.
Planning meeting decisions
Last night's meeting deferred a Development Application (DA) for a location in Anson St.
The proposal to demolish a backyard garage and construct a new garage and two storey studio was recommended for refusal by council planning staff.
According to a report to the meeting the proposal would have "adverse impacts on the significance of the heritage conservation area" as well as an "adverse impact on residential amenity caused by visual bulk encroachment."
Twenty DAs worth $2.9 million, approved under delegation by the CEO since the last Council meeting, were reported to last night's meeting.
Among the approvals was a $323,000 proposal from the Orange Local Aboriginal Lands Council for a mixed-use development at 120 Byng St (former police station) for office premises, community facility, takeaway food and drink premises.
IN BRIEF:
Last night's meeting voted to support a suggestion from Cr Steven Petersen to invite Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, to visit Orange for a community event.
