Budget 2017

The 2017/18 draft budget includes a proposal to close a gap in Orange’s award-winning stormwater harvesting scheme.

Of all the waterways that feed into the stormwater harvesting scheme, only Blackmans Swamp doesn’t have its own wetland.

Orange Mayor John Davis OAM said Orange residents will be pleased that the stormwater scheme is expanding.

WATER VIEWS : Mayor John Davis believes the new wetland won Blackmans Swamp Creek will be just as popular as the wetland in Ploughmans Valley.

"The wetlands have a crucial role in taking the water that comes from suburban areas during a storm, and cleaning it up by letting it move slowly through an area with lots of plants that’s exposed to lots of sunlight," Cr John Davis said. "Wetlands like this have been built in Ploughmans Valley, Somerset and the Brooklands areas."

"In the residential areas around the Brooklands and Somerset wetlands, it's been good to see how nearby residents have swapped their old colourbond back fences with a wire fence they can see through or they've removed the fence altogether. People love to look out over these constructed wetlands.

The $1 million allocation ($200K next year and $800K in 2019/20) will see work get underway on a new wetland closer to the stormwater storage ponds.

"After the creek leaves town and is boosted by occasional flows from the eastern Orange stormwater channels, the water would reach the wetland where it could accessed and pumped to the storage ponds.

"Currently there’s only a small weir that allows for pumping only after heavy storms. The new wetland will even out the peaks as well as deliver cleaner water," Cr Davis said.

There’s also an amount of $350K over two years for some rehabilitation to the banks of the creek.

These funds will let rural sections of the creek be stabilised and fenced to keep livestock away.

The historic 'Blowes Conservatory in Cook Park will be upgraded as a part of draft 2017/18 budget.

There’s an amount of $120,000 in the budget for the next financial year. The budget is currently on exhibition for community comment, and the Orange community has another two weeks to have their say on any aspect of the budget.

Orange's City Council's Parks, Gardens & Waterways Committee chair, Cr Reg Kidd, said it's important the proposed upgrade goes ahead.

"This funding will let some necessary work be done on the buildings windows and woodwork, as well as necessary re-wiring to allow for a lighting upgrade," Cr Reg Kidd said. "Some potential problems are starting to emerge with the brick walls and we’ll be looking closely at what needs to be done there to protect the building."

"The conservatory is an important element of the park’s history and any work that’s done will be planned and executed in full consultation with heritage consultants."

The conservatory dates from 1934 when it was donated to the people of Orange by a mayor of the time Mr A.W. Blowes.

"It was donated so that Tuberous Begonias could be grown," Cr Reg KIdd said. "The staff of Cook park continue to have an important role in maintaining the plants and putting on this tremendous display every year."

UPGRADE : Cr Reg Kidd and Cook Park team member Louise Aujard are looking forward to the upgrade of the historic Blowes Conservatory.

The proposed budget gives a higher priority for new paths and footpath maintenance.

Council is proposing to spend $320,000 in the financial year starting 1 July and $350,000 to be spent in each of the next three years after that.

Orange City Council has a detailed Assets Management system that routinely checks the quality of each asset such as roads and footpaths. The system assigns a 1 to 10 rating to each section of footpath which helps determine where that location should come on the priority list for work.

The state of the footpath is one of a number of factors which also includes how much the path is used. For example, a footpath in Summer street that’s in better condition might take a higher priority for work than a poorer quality path which rarely gets used.

Footpaths which have been raised during the budget process by councillors such as the path outside Anson Street school are high on the list of work. The priority list for renovating footpaths and building paths in new locations will be assembled once the budget has been finalised in June.

Now’s the time for any resident to have their say about any aspect of the budget, including requests for particular locations for new paths or upgrades.

Comments on the budget can be left online.

Have your say and your comments will be presented to councillors before they vote on the final budget.

Many elements of the budget rely on grant funding therefore, if the funding is not awarded to Orange City Council, these projects may not go ahead this financial year.

On the income side, the proposed budget would see rates rise by the NSW Government’s rate-pegging limit of 1.5%.

For the average residential rate-payer, total rates(including water, sewer and waste)would increase by about $40 taking the average residential rate notice to $2,282.

Rates are budgeted to produce $43 million income during the year.

Most other council fees and charges are expected to increase by 1.5%. Fees and charges are expected to contribute $33 million to the council’s budget.

Income from government grants is budgeted to reach $43 million during the year.

Contributions from developers are budgeted to contribute $4.3 million.

Have your say on the draft 2017 budget by clicking here and participating in this short survey.

Orange City Council’s draft budget proposes to spend about $18 million on roads, bridges, footpaths and cycle ways during the next financial year.

Priority projects include a full rehabilitation and upgrade of Forest Road, from the Southern Feeder Road to Orange Health Service, an upgrade of Cargo Road, from Ploughman’s Lane to Whitton Place as well as an upgrade of Leeds Parade, from Margaret Street to the Northern Distributor Road.

The next stage of the Southern Feeder Road is also planned to go ahead with an allocation of $5.7 million.

The budget includes about $8 million worth of work that has been brought forward so the projects can be completed more quickly.

On top of the roads program, there is $320,000 put aside for footpath repair as well as the construction of new footpaths such as along the Escort Way.

The budget also proposes to spend an additional $1 million on footpaths over the next four years.

These likelihood of completion of these projects and the funding allocated for each project depends on a range of circumstances subject to change throughout the year, such as the availability of grant funding, availability of contractors, tenders and the weather.

As well as the 'big-ticket items', the proposed 2016/17 budget includes a range of smaller projects will be important for the community.

These projects include :

• Max Stewart Oval training lights - $97,000
• Wade Park lighting upgrade - $140,000
• Orange Botanic Gardens eastern entry boardwalk - $22,000
• Refurbishment of the Orange Aquatic Centre changerooms - $102,000
• Blowes Conservatory restoration in Cook Park - $120,000
• Orange Civic Theatre upgrade including lighting - $150,000
• Sewer upgrade at Lake Canobolas - $150,000
• A southern link cycleway - $290,000
• Bus shelter upgrades - $72,000
• Pedestrian crossing lighting - $30,000

Orange City Council has allocated $2 million in the coming budget for the first regional Cricket Centre of Excellence.

About $750,000 of the $2 million is coming out of council’s general funds with the rest promised by the state government and Cricket NSW.

The Centre of Excellence will be the new base for the existing Cricket NSW development staff.

The project includes two multi-purpose courts for indoor cricket, suitable for netball and futsal, four adjoining high-performance cricket lanes, change rooms, facilities for those with a disability, office space, a kiosk and a multi-purpose room with a viewing area looking over Wade Park.

You can have your say on any element of the budget by clicking here.

Orange City Council plans to redevelop the Scout Camp near Lake Canobolas to create a hostel style, flexible accommodation precinct.

The $1.8 million project is dependent on government funding, which has not yet been awarded, and the entire project spans about three years.

Council plans to upgrade and expand the existing dormitories as well as build and renovate existing ablutions blocks.

Orange does not currently have hostel style accommodation and students would be the main target users of this site.

The Orange Scouts will continue to use the site.

UPGRADE: The exciting Scout Camp hall.