New sports precinct proposal

The community consultation held as part of the DA assessment has now concluded. 

• Online community information session answers questions (Video)

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  Around forty local residents joined in a community information session held Monday 27 September, to provide information and answer questions about the Sports Precinct DA which is currently on exhibition.

  Due to COVID restrictions, the session was held online using the ZOOM platform.

  The session included presentations from senior Orange City Council staff:

  Director of Planning and Development, Mark Hodges

  Director of Cultural, Recreation and Community Services, Scott Maunder.

  The session also provided the opportunity for residents to ask questions.

  A recording of the event can be played here.

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Council asks for community comment on next stage of sports precinct

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  The community is being encouraged by Orange City Council to comment on the next stage of the proposed new sports precinct and parklands along Sir Jack Brabham Park as part of the latest Development Application (DA) that was today placed on public exhibition.

  The new DA includes the design of the precinct’s new landscape master plan, prepared by landscape architects Taylor Brammer and outlines plans for earthworks along with the planting and removal of trees across the site.

  The latest DA also includes an independent traffic study into the impact of the proposed new sports precinct. It finds nearby roads have the capacity to handle traffic generated by the project.

  Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said the community will have several opportunities to find out more about the DA and have their say.

  “For the first time, the community can see a plan showing the location of the stadium and the specialist athletics track. Following community feedback, we have worked hard to include parkland features to create a sports precinct in a parklike setting,” Cr Kidd said.

  The DA provides an overarching concept for the sporting facility, which sets out key design parameters for how the site will be developed.

  The DA seeks ‘concept’ approval for the entire complex at this stage as well as specific approval for the next stage of development.

  If the concept is approved by the WRPP, future development applications for components such as the stadium will have to align with the concept plan moving forward.

  Orange City Council’s Sport & Recreation Committee chair, Cr Jason Hamling said plans for a face-to-face community forum will go online.

  “When there’s a lot of community interest in a proposal, there’s usually a face-to-face community forum,” Cr Jason Hamling said. “That can’t happen during a lockdown, but we’ll be doing our best by using the Zoom platform to give people the chance to be as an informed as possible.”

  Community feedback will form part of the proposal to the NSW Heritage Council for consideration. It will then be considered by Orange City Council, before Western Regional Planning Panel makes the final decision on the DA. That process is expected to take between two and three months.

  You can join the online zoom public forum at 5.30pm on Monday 27 September at

  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81491861366?pwd=TXJqWG5NNzVGenJBbE5WczFBbEpHQT09

  The meeting ID is Meeting ID: 814 9186 1366 and the Passcode: 440049.

  The community can also lodge formal submissions in writing to Council or send an email by 5pm, Wednesday, 13 October 2021.

  You can download the Development Application documents from this page.

• New traffic study finds local roads can handle sports precinct

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  An independent traffic study into the impact of the Orange Regional Sports Precinct and parklands has found nearby roads have the capacity to handle traffic generated by the project.

  The traffic study, prepared by consultants Premise, was lodged as part of the latest Development Application (DA) for the proposed new precinct. The latest DA lodged with Orange City Council also includes the design of the precinct’s new landscape master plan, prepared by landscape architects Taylor Brammer and outlines plans for tree removal and earthworks.

  Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said he was pleased to see the results of the traffic study.

  “It was expected that an important community facility attracting hundreds of families every weekend would have an impact on local traffic,” Cr Reg Kidd said. “I’m pleased to see the facts are on the table, which show local roads have the capacity to deal with the extra cars.”

  The traffic study looked at current volumes using the road, and even after projecting for expected growth through to 2028, found there is enough capacity to handle the traffic generated by the sports precinct. The assessment is based on the current road network, which will be improved prior to the opening of the precinct through the expansion of the Southern Feeder Road, which will provide new access points to the precinct.

  “This analysis comes from traffic experts and it’s important to have that considered as part of the DA. It’s important too that there will be enough car parking spaces to manage demand on a typical weekend,” Cr Kidd said.

  Designs for the $25 million precinct include five new car parks with 1019 parking spaces and a bus drop off zone at the football stadium. The study estimates 716 cars would use the car parks when all eight fields are in use on a typical Saturday.

  The DA also recommends a special event traffic management plan would be needed when hosting one-off major sporting events.

  Orange City Council’s Sport & Recreation Committee chair, Cr Jason Hamling said there will be an opportunity for the community to comment on this latest stage of works when the DA goes on public exhibition for 28 days.

  “While the community has been discussing this proposal for many months, it’s important that residents and community groups keep asking questions,” Cr Hamling said. “While planning authorities won’t be considering the details of the grandstand design or the location of the athletics track in this DA, the big-picture proposal of what’s planned is clearly there to be seen.”

  Community feed-back will be included in the proposal when it’s sent to the NSW Heritage Council for consideration. It will then be considered by Orange City Council, before it’s sent to the Western Regional Planning Panel who will make the final decision on this DA. That process is expected to take between two and three months.

  The traffic report supports the initial Council assessment on the suitability of the site.