Rotary volunteers upgrade lake walking path

Weeks of work by volunteers from the Orange North Rotary Club has paid off with the completion of a new raised boardwalk near Lake Canobolas.

The new boardwalk, on a walking path linking the Lake with the end of Woods Lane, was built by club members with material supplied by Orange City Council.

Orange City Council’s Environmental Sustainability Committee chair, Cr Neil Jones, said it was a fantastic effort by the club members.

“It’s a tremendous story of partnership between the council and community volunteers,” Cr Neil Jones said.

“The council has limited resources but when those resources are combined with the efforts of volunteers from groups like Rotary, so much can be achieved.”

The new timber boardwalk replaces an earlier metal structure that was starting to look worse for wear.

This path crosses an area of swampy meadow that could be easily damaged by the number of walkers and bike riders who are regularly using this path Cr Jones said.

“The path is part of a longer walking and bike trail which runs all the way from Orange through back-lanes like Canobolas Rd, Mount Pleasant Lane and Woods Lane, through to the Lake.

”Orange North Rotary club members estimate it took around 200 man-hours to finish the job," Cr Jones said.

“We’re a community minded club, and that’s what service clubs do,” club member Jon Rae said. “A number of other clubs around Orange do a great job raising money. We’re more of a hands-on club that like to work on projects.”

Meanwhile another piece of equipment at the lake is getting a new lease on life.

After decades of love and enjoyment the flying fox at Lake Canobolas will be replaced.

The equipment has been out of order since late last year but will be upgraded with a metal frame and cable at a cost of $19,000 including installation.

Orange City Council's manager of Corporate and Community Relations, Nick Redmond, said the wooden structure has been in place for around fifteen to twenty years, but it had started to show its age.

"It’s fantastic that a piece of community play equipment has been getting so much use, it started to wear out," he said.

"A routine inspection late last year revealed it was ready to be replaced and so the decision was taken to close it at that point, rather than risk a possible injury ."

"I’m sure the children of Orange will be very much looking forward to trying out the new equipment."

RAISED PATH: Red-shirted Orange North Rotary club members were on-hand to celebrate the completion of a new boardwalk near Lake Canobolas. (l. to r. rear) John Rae, Brant Weily, David Provost (front) Ian Sawtell, John McKenzie, Orange City Council’s Natural Resources Coordinator Roger Smith and Cr Neil Jones.