Orange's CBD transformation off to a positive start

Federal Member for Calare, Andrew Gee has announced that Orange City Council has been successful for a $100,000 Australian Government grant through the Building Better Regions Fund – Community Investment stream.

Mr Gee said the $100,000 grant will go towards the first step of the Orange CBD Revitalisation Program – a $400,000 project to develop a design strategy.

“The CBD Revitalisation Program is all about meeting the needs of Orange and the region into the future,” Mr Gee said.

“The funding will go towards an initial design strategy, which will include consultation with key stakeholders such as local businesses, data collection to map the region’s drawing area for shoppers to prompt targeted marketing, as well as design concepts from urban planners.

“What we’re doing is taking the first steps on a very important project. I think the public is going to be very excited about the CBD revitalisation.”

Orange City Council wants to make the CBD the best in regional Australia and has allocated $30 million for a two year transformation.

Orange Deputy Mayor Cr Joanne McRae has welcomed support for the project from the Australian Government.

“It’s important for the Council to be working in partnership with the Australian Government to begin a project that’s going to make so much difference long-term to the region,” Cr Joanne McRae said.

“With a task as big as transforming Orange’s CBD, it’s a sign of how complex and multi-layered this idea is, that $400,000 will be spent on the initial design strategy.

“The urban design strategy will deliver a blueprint for many future years of development in the CBD, not merely a one-off face-lift. We want to make sure we have a sound initial design to ensure we meet the brief - to deliver an outstanding CBD for our city - a city of the future.”

Orange City Council will soon ask the community what it wants to see as part of the the transformation.

This is a long term plan and not limited to parking, access and seating, rather the transformation is about all aspects of the central business district from green space to outdoor dining and recreation.