Community prepares for Tidy Towns judges

For several weeks, bands of environmentally conscious volunteers have been weeding, watering, spraying and picking up litter in preparation for Wednesday’s visit.

Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said people were rolling up their sleeves to give Orange the best chance at taking out the national award.

“We’re getting stuck in, not just on how the town looks but we’ve been researching, meeting, helping and getting involved with the city’s community groups because it’s not just about appearance.

“We’re being judged on environmental sustainability, environmental education, community action and wellbeing, waste management, heritage and culture as well as our young achievers.”

Orange City Council’s Tidy Towns Committee Chair Kevin Duffy said the itinerary for the assessor’s visit on Wednesday February 28, was extensive and designed to showcase a range of different projects within the city.

“The assessor will be given a tour of Orange looking at the Ophir Road Resource Recovery Centre, a fantastic glass house designed and built by Kinross year 5 students from plastic bottles, the Orange Base Hospital Wayfinders, a nesting island and nesting boxes at Gosling Creek, the Orange Regional Museum, the Emmaville Cottage, Suma Park Dam to discuss the city’s water security strategies, the Bowen Community Technology Centre, the Council depot and Wentworth Golf Club solar energy program and finally the constructed wetlands,” Cr Duffy said.

“So as you can see it’s a full-on itinerary which looks at a range of projects, both council and community run.

“It would be a wonderful coup for the city if we won this national award.

“It’s a national acknowledgment for our community and its commitment to our environment.”

Following on from Orange’s win in the state version of the awards, the second win in three years, Orange will compete with five other towns and cities to take out the National Awards being held in Barmera, South Australia, April 5 and 6.

A win would see Orange judged as the most sustainable regional city in Australia.

Orange is competing with the Northern Territory’s Aputula, South Australia’s Kimba, Tasmania’s Smithton, Victoria’s Beechworth and Western Australia’s Kalgoorlie.