Last night's Council meeting made decisions to support a domestic violence campaign, extending the route of the Bathurst Bullet and a approving a number of DAs.
Council to support community awareness campaign against gender-based violence
Orange City Council will support an international community awareness campaign against gender-based violence.
Last night's meeting voted to support a motion from Cr David Mallard to participate in the '16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence' campaign from 25 November to 10 December this year.
The motion means that staff will develop communications, events and/or programs and identify opportunities to partner with other services and organisations in this campaign.
According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics, Orange had the 12th highest rate in the state of domestic violence related assaults in 2022 compared to other council areas.
Council to support effort to extend Bathurst Bullet
Orange City Council has decided to continue to lobby for the Bathurst Bullet train, that currently ends its run in Bathurst, to be extended to Orange.
Last night's meeting voted in favour of a motion from the Council's Employment & Economic Development Committee to lobby the state government for the train to begin its daily run to Sydney in Orange.
The suggestion from the Orange Rail Action also asked for staged fast rail track upgrades to reduce travel time from Sydney to Orange and Dubbo.
Record passenger numbers at airport
Orange Regional Airport has recorded its highest ever monthly passenger numbers.
A report to last night's meeting showed that 9,023 passengers flew through the airport in March this year, higher than the previous record of 8,607 reached in November last year. Currently three airlines are regularly flying to Orange (Regional Express, Link Airways and QantasLink).
Planning matters
A number of matters were decided during the Planning & Development Committee.
- Last night the Council decided to Support a proposal to re-zone an area formerly set aside for a park in the Shiralee area to instead become a residential area. The meeting heard the area was originally set aside as a park because of the potential risk from a nearby large dam. Since then, the dam has been drained, lessening the risk. The site could be big enough for 8 residential lots.
- Last night's meeting took the next steps that would allow a car wash business to be built on a site in Hanrahan place (next to a service station near the Leeds parade /northern bypass roundabout). The meeting heard the proposed changes to the DA for the site, had received no submissions from the community while it was on public exhibition.
- Last night's meeting approved a DA to allow a secondary dwelling (granny flat) to be built on a block at Trooper Place in Clifton Grove.
- Last night's meeting decided to support a DA for a proposed new apartment block at 103 Prince St (western end of the former base hospital site) when it goes to the Joint Regional Planning Panel for assessment.
Donations to community groups
Last night's meeting decided to:
- donate $2,500 to Orange Regional Malayalee Association for the conduct of a Onam festival in August or September in Orange for the local the Southern Indian community.
- donate $1,000 to 'Kids for Wings' which provides transport for children during medical treatment.
