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  • Dog owners reminded to secure pets after latest attacks

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    September 11, 2017

    Three more incidents involving dogs over the weekend in Orange have again put the spotlight on the need for dog owners to make sure they are keeping their pets in a securely enclosed yard.

    Over the weekend Orange City Council’s dog rangers were called out to deal with three incidents.

    In two cases dogs were reported for chasing livestock on local farms nearby town.

    A bull mastiff retriever cross was seen chasing cattle and a kelpie was reported at a different location for chasing sheep.

    In both cases the ranger was able to catch the dog and the owners will be looking at control orders and fines.

    Orange City Council Manager Corporate and Community Relations Nick Redmond said it was lucky that in these two cases none of the livestock were injured.

    "In terms of the law, what happened is an incident that is still punishable by control orders and fines," he said.

    "In the latest incident, a dog escaped from its yard at a suburban address, then rushed at and bit a young boy riding his scooter.

    "When the boy jumped from his bike and ran away, the dog bit him again.

    "The dog involved has been surrendered by its owner and will be euthanased.

    "These incidents, in the wake of the serious attack at Canobolas High points to the need for owners to make sure their dogs are securely locked in a yard at all times, or tied up so that they can’t escape.

    "It’s a tragedy for all involved when an incident like this happens, and a family pet has to be put down or a child suffers from a bite.

    Our focus has always got to be on community safety, to make sure a dog is always under control."


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  • Council rangers respond to dog attack on livestock at high school.

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    Wednesday September 6

    UPDATE AT 4PM: The two dogs responsible for the attack on livestock at Canobolas Rural Technology High School have been surrendered to council.

    ******************************************************************************************************************************

    2pm: Orange City council rangers have located the owner of two dogs implicated in an attack on livestock on Tuesday morning.

    Orange City Council rangers were called, by Orange police, to Canobolas Rural Technology High School at about 7.45am yesterday (September 5) after reports two dogs had attacked livestock.

    The numbers have not yet been finalised but looks like up to 15 sheep, two alpacas and two goats were killed or have since been put down.

    Council rangers acted quickly and as a result the team was able to locate the dogs’ owner.

    One dog has been secured within the property while police and council rangers are investigating the location of the second.

    Rangers will continue to monitor the property to ensure the owner is complying with control orders.

    The owner is facing thousands of dollars in fines and possible court action.

    The owner is being urged to surrender the dogs.

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  • Workshops booked but registrations still open for family history conference

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    With only 3 weeks to go until the 2017 NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies Conference workshops are fully booked but registrations are still open.

    The Orange cultural precinct is hosting one of the biggest events in the industry on September 22 to 24 when more than 300 family history enthusiasts are expected to converge on the city for a series of presentations, workshops and exhibitions.

    Orange City Library is hosting the three day conference with events held in the library, Orange Civic Theatre, Orange Regional Museum and Orange Regional Gallery.

    Orange City Council’s Director of Community Recreation and Cultural Services Scott Maunder said the conference was a great example of how the entire cultural precinct was being used to its full advantage.
    “We have excellent facilities in the library, theatre, gallery and museum and it’s great they’re all in the same location,” Mr Maunder said.

    “This conference is fantastic for the whole city as 300 delegates fill up accommodation rooms, eat at restaurants and cafes and shop in the CBD.

    “Orange City Library has done a great job in convincing the conference organisers to host the event in Orange for the first time and we certainly hope it’ll be the first of many.”

    Central West Libraries Manager Jan Richards said family history groups from across the country would be treated to a program of professional speakers that would explore the many ways of relating stories to ancestors.

    “I am excited this year’s conference will be held in Orange because I am a very keen family historian,” Ms Richards said.

    “We’re delighted to present a wide ranging program with experts in the fields of telling, recording and preserving your family history.”

    “Highlights include the keynote address by William McInnes, exploring the stories of gaolbird ancestors, using food to tell the family story and dating family portraits using fashion.”

    A Family History Fair, open to all, will be held on Friday 22nd September from 9am – 4pm at Orange City Library.

    The Fair includes displays by family history societies from across the country as well as companies, which supply services to family history enthusiasts.

    For more information and the registration form, please go to the website https://yourfamilystoryinorange.wordpress.com/

    HISTORY: The Orange Family History group is looking forward to the start of the 2017 NSW & ACT Association of Family History Societies Conference.

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  • Election candidates advised on poster rules

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    1 September 2017

    Orange City Council has provided information to candidates in the upcoming council election about where they can display their advertising posters.

    The same NSW Government regulations which cover candidate posters during state elections also apply to local council elections.

    The Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act of 1912 prohibits posters from being placed on any crown or community-owned land, which includes trees on road verges, alongside highways, on council buildings or other structures or in parks.

    The posters can be displayed on private property with the permission of the owner.

    During the last state election, council received a number of complaints about posters. Council rangers removed posters and a letter was written to candidates encouraging them to comply with regulations.

    In the lead-up to this election, Orange City Council has received a number of complaints regarding campaign posters being placed in public areas, and being attached to trees and power poles. As a result, council is providing information to all candidates via the email address they supplied to the Electoral Commission about the legal obligations for displaying posters at election time.



    _________________________________________________________________

    MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE REGULATIONS :


    Parliamentary Electorates and Elections Act 1912 No 41

    151B Exhibition of posters

    (2A) A person shall not post up, or permit or cause to be posted up, a poster:

    (a) on or within any premises occupied or used by, or under the control or management of:

    (i) the Crown, any instrumentality or agency of the Crown, or any statutory body representing the Crown or any other body prescribed by the regulations as a statutory body representing the Crown, or

    (ii) any local authority, or

    (b) in the case of premises which have no one in occupation, on or within those premises, unless that person has obtained:

    (i) in the case of premises owned by one person alone, the permission in writing of that person, or

    (ii) in the case of premises owned by two or more persons, whether as joint tenants or as tenants in common or otherwise, the permission in writing of at least one of those persons.

    It is noted that the definition of ‘premises’ under this Act includes “any structure, building, vehicle or vessel or any place, whether built on or not, and any part thereof”.

    Electoral signs on public roads and/or private land (i.e. land not Council or Crown land) do not require Development Consent, providing they meet the exempt development standards set out in the SEPP below, AND have the consent of the landowner:

    State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008

    2.83 General requirements

    (1) To be exempt development under this code, development specified in this Division must:

    (a) have the consent in writing of the owner of the land on which the sign is to be located and, if the sign or part of the sign projects over adjoining land, the consent of the owner of the adjoining land, and

    (b) be approved under section 138 of the Roads Act 1993, if the sign or part of the sign projects over a public road, including a footway.

    Subdivision 13 Election signs

    2.107 Development standards

    The standards specified for that development are that the development must:

    (a) not be more than 0.8m2 in area, and

    (b) if on the site of a heritage item or draft heritage item—not be attached to a building, and

    (c) be displayed by or on behalf of a candidate at an election referred to in clause 2.106 or the party (if any) of any such candidate, and

    (d) be displayed in accordance with any relevant requirements of the Act under which the election is held, and

    (e) be displayed only during the following periods:

    (i) 5 weeks immediately preceding the day on which the election is held,

    (ii) the day on which the election is held,

    (iii) 1 week immediately following the day on which the election is held.

    The NSW Electoral Commission also sets out the additional guidance (http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/candidates_and_parties/electoral_material/posters):

    - Posters are not to be exhibited on or in unoccupied premises, unless permission has first been obtained from the owner.

    - It is also unlawful to attach posters to telegraph poles without the written consent of the appropriate electricity provider.


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  • Talk shines light on changing role of factory

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    In 70 years the face of Orange has changed significantly and much of that change can be attributed to the old Electrolux factory.

    From making ammunition for the war effort to decades later employing more than 2000 people to make fridges.

    Weapons and Whitegoods author, Elizabeth Edwards will delve into the life and times of those who first crossed the gates when the building was a small arms factory in 1941 to the last Electrolux employee who walked out of the main gates in 2016, at the Orange Regional Museum on Saturday.

    “Many people know much of the story of Electrolux but Ms Edwards will detail what a significant contribution the factory, and its employees had in shaping the city of Orange,” Museum manager Alison Russell said.

    “The face of Orange would look very different if hundreds of migrant had not flocked here in 1949 to work at the Emmco factory.

    “With a short fall in housing in the city, Factory management decided to house the migrants in tents or in boarding houses.

    “A Commonwealth Hostel located next to the factory was opened in 1952 and provided a temporary home for employees for a number of years.

    “The migrants then made Orange their home, opened restaurants serving food from their home country, many opened small businesses or applied their skills in other way and really changed the course of Orange, its CBD and its economy.”

    Currently on display at Orange Regional Museum is a 1956 Westinghouse refrigerator and the last fridge off the factory line in Orange in 2016.

    There is no question that manufacturing and Electrolux were a large source of employment in Orange but by the time the factory had closed, health, retail and education had long ago taken the lead on the list of employment sectors.

    This lecture will delve into the varying contributions generations of factory employees made to the community.

    The 2pm lecture on Saturday is a free event but bookings are advised, call 6393 8444 or go to https://electroluxlecture.eventbrite.com.au


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  • New campaign reveals why a metre matters

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    Drivers are being reminded to keep one metre away from cyclists when overtaking on roads around Orange.

    Orange is the first local government area in the state to be the focus of the ‘A METRE MATTERS’ awareness campaign funded by Transport for NSW and the RMS.


    Orange City Council’s Works Depot Manager Wayne Gailey said two local buses will now carry the road safety message.

    “Orange has a growing number of residents who are choosing to make the daily commute by bicycle and through the ‘Cycle Towns’ program, the council has been working with the RMS and Transport for NSW to make Orange more attractive for people to choose to walk or ride as part of their daily commute,” Wayne Gailey said.
    “Campaigns like this are about encouraging drivers to share the road.”

    “The slogan that A METRE MATTERS is an easy reference point to the road rules both for drivers and cyclists. It means that drivers should make sure there is at least a metre between their car and a cyclist when they overtake.”

    “It also a reminder of the road rules for when a car overtakes a cyclist. When it is safe and there is no oncoming traffic, a car is allowed to move over the centre lane to pass a bike, and at all times they must keep one metre away.”

    The advertising artwork on the backs of buses is provided by Transport for NSW, with particular support from the RMS, and is being implemented by Orange City Council through the Cycle Towns program, with funding from the RMS.

    Similar strategies are also in place in the ACT, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia.

    "When driving a car it’s important to remember we’re in control of around 1200 to 2000 kilograms of metal,” Wayne Gailey said.

    “When we’re driving at 50 kms/hr that means the car is a large object travelling at 14 metres per second. That’s enough momentum to kill or injure a cyclist in an instant.”

    “Keeping at least metre away is a crucial benchmark for drivers.”

    Orange City Council’s Cycling Committee chair Steve Martin said while cyclists must also share the responsibility for riding safely on the roads, it’s up to drivers to keep a safe distance.

    “Every cyclist can tell of incidents when a car has come too close to be safe,” Steve Martin said.

    “The NSW Government changed the roads rules in March last year (2016) making it clear that when the speed limit is under 60 km/hr, a car has to stay one metre away when passing a cyclist.”

    “When the speed limit is more than 60 km/hour , the required distance is 1.5 metres.”


    Drivers caught not allowing the minimum distance when passing a bicycle rider face a $330 fine and a penalty of two demerit points.

    Nationally, the ‘A METRE MATTERS’ campaign has been supported by the Amy Gillett Foundation
    The Amy Gillett Foundation was established in 2005 following the death of Amy Gillett, killed by a driver in 2005 while cycling in Germany with the Australian women’s cycling team.

    Orange Buslines Manager Tim Smith said his company welcomed the opportunity to be involved in a campaign to make Orange’s roads safer.

    “It’s an important message and we’re pleased to be a part of this campaign,” Tim Smith said.

    “As our city grows, the number of cars and bikes is also increasing, and that means we need to find ways to share the roads safely and courteously.”

    METRE MATTERS: Cyclist Steve Martin with Orange Highway Patrol Senior Constable Alison Hodge and Orange City Council Works Depot Manager Wayne Gailey.

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  • Council to demolish old Kurim shops

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    Thursday, August 17 2017.

    Orange City Council will go ahead with an order to demolish the old Kurim shops in Kurim Ave, Glenroi.

    Council will proceed with the order after all options to work with the owner of the property have been exhausted.

    Tenders will be called in the coming weeks for companies to demolish the property and a development application will be lodged.

    The cost of the demolition, will be passed onto the owner of the property.

    It’s anticipated it will be several months before work begins.


    Orange City Council's Corporate and Community Relations Manager Nick Redmond said it had been a long running and difficult situation.

    “This has been an ongoing saga of about ten years and council understands the community’s frustration that it has taken so long to resolve” Mr Redmond said.

    “This is a very serious decision the council has taken and it is certainly not taken lightly. It's been a thorough process.

    “There are many checks and balances to go through before this kind of action can be taken and it is certainly appropriate that all of the options are considered before a demolition order is given.

    “This building has been abandoned for a decade. It is falling apart, it is a safety hazard and the residents have had enough.”


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  • Elm Leaf Beetles get the tree-tment

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    Wednesday August 16.

    Orange City Council’s tree crew has begun its counter-attack on the city’s Elm Leaf Beetle population.

    An infestation of Elm Leaf Beetles last Summer, left the city’s Elm trees with skeletonized leaves or defoliated tree canopies.

    The beetles won’t kill Elm trees but repeated, long-term leaf damage can have a significant impact on a tree’s health.



    Orange City Council’s City Presentation Manager Nigel Hobden said now was the ideal time to begin treatments using insecticides in a bid to prepare the trees ahead of the warmer months.

    “We’re using two different methods to control the Elm Beetles depending on the size and age of the tree ; inserting tablets into the soil or making injections into the tree trunk,” Mr Hobden said.

    “You might have noticed that bitumen has been removed around the base of some street trees over the last few months. In younger, smaller street Elms we’ve been digging several pesticide tablets into the ground around the roots of the trees.

    “The tablets will dissolve over time, the tree roots will absorb the insecticide and carry it to the tree’s leaves. This week’s rain will help dissolve the tablets.

    The beetles will hatch in the warmer months, travel to the top of the tree, eat the leaves and be affected by the insecticides. Mr Hobden said the tablets did not impact on the health of the tree nor the nearby biodiversity in the soil.

    However, older, larger trees needed to be treated differently using injections straight into the trunk of the tree.

    “We’ll be injecting the older and larger trees with insecticides in the coming weeks as the trees start to bud. The sap will take the pesticides up the tree and into the leaves in a similar way to how the tablets work.

    “For this reason, we’re asking the community not to place the adhesive tape around street trees at this time of the year. It’s important the beetles can reach the top of the tree to eat the leaves in order to ingest the insecticides. For that reason, residents can expect to see leaf damage again this year, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

    Mr Hobden said residents could treat any Elm trees on their own private property using store bought tablets around the trees’ base, but larger trees would need an injection into the trunk.

    The tape can be effective in trees that have not had insecticides used on them and people are welcome to use tape on their own trees in their backyards.

    “It’s important residents seek advice from a qualified arborist to understand what treatment is best for each tree,” Mr Hobden said.

    BACKGROUND INFORMATION :
    The life cycle of the Elm Leaf Beetle (ELB) has the adults emerging from hibernation under the ground about October and they lay eggs in November.

    Both the adult beetles and larvae feed on the leaves; the adults producing a ‘shot hole’ like appearance to the leaves and the larvae skeletonizing the leaf tissue.

    Using an insecticide that is transported to the leaves and is then ingested by the beetles and larvae, will assist with controlling the ELB population and reducing the overall damage to the tree.

    When a larger tree is injected, the insecticide, will be transported via the sapwood up the tree and into the leaves in a similar way to how the tablets work.

    Banding trees with adhesive tape is effective when the larvae are moving down the trunk to pupate in the ground, as such banding can assist in a life cycle interruption and is generally performed in late December and January when the larvae crawl down the trunk.

    COUNTER-ATTACK: Orange City Council's tree crew members John Clark and Dean Sutherland bury insecticide tablets near Elms in Byng Street.

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  • The history is on the walls

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    August 14, 2017

    An expedition 145 years ago to seek fortune in the central west was the beginning of one of the most famous photographic collections in the country.

    And now copies of the renowned Holtermann Collection, of photographs taken in Orange in the early 1870s, are displayed on the walls of the Orange Regional Museum.


    Orange Regional Museum Manager Alison Russell said the eight images featured, show Orange nearly 145 years ago with its early buildings and infrastructure.

    “It’s interesting to note the bustle about the town and the growth post the gold rush and then comparing those photos with how Orange looks today,” Ms Russell said.

    In 1872 wealthy German, philanthropist Bernhardt Otto Holtermann arrived near Orange to seek his fortune on the goldfields, and fortune and fame soon followed.

    On 19 October 1872 at Hill End, NSW, Mr. Holtermann found the world’s largest specimen of reef gold. Weighing 630 pounds (153 kg) the find turned Holtermann in to a celebrity overnight.

    He met photographers Beaufoy Merlin and Charless Bayliss and after asking them to photograph him with his find, the three teamed up to travel the country.

    The trio travelled NSW and Victoria for years to create “Holtermann’s ‘Great International Travelling Exposition”

    The collection contains 3,500 glass plate negatives and is held in the State Library of NSW.

    Arguably the most famous picture in the collection is a 10 metre panorama of the Sydney harbour, which won a bronze award at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876 and a silver medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle Internationale in 1878.

    The majority of Merlin, Bayliss and Holtermann's accomplishments remained hidden for over 80 years and were stored in a garden shed, owned by one of Holtermann’s relatives.

    A year later the cache of 3500 glass plate negatives in cedar boxes and lacquered tins were donated to the Mitchell Library at the State Library of NSW, this collection became known as the Holtermann Collection.

    Ms Russell said the images displayed from the Holtermann Collection were taken in Orange by Merlin and Bayliss from 1872 to 1875.

    “The images show glimpses of a prosperous town growing in size due the gold rush and the increasing
    value of agricultural land in the region,” she said.

    “Photographs show the site for Robertson Park, still a swamp before it was planted with deciduous trees
    and Summer Street, as it was during the 1870s, featuring the Dalton Bros store and its competitor Nelson Bros just across the road.

    “The stores’ namesakes James Dalton and Benjamin Nelson were both significant figures in the
    development of the town. The original Post Office and hospital have long since been replaced by modern buildings but their appearance in this collection is a testament to the thriving Victorian community in Orange during the late 1800s.”

    Using the Holtermann Trail brochure, available at the Visitors information Centre and museum, visitors can go to the locations in Orange where the photographs were taken 145 years ago.

    Installation: Pictures of Orange from the famous Holtermann collection are being installed

    Holtermann Trail: A map showing the location where the eight images were taken about 145 years ago.

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  • How votes are counted in the September 9 election

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    11 August 2017

    Orange Council election draws closer

    Preparations are well under way for next month’s local council elections in Orange on September 9.

    Nominations for candidates closed on August 8, and the draw to determine the order of candidates on the ballot papers has been held.

    On election-day there will be two separate ballot papers: one to elect the mayor, and one to elect the remaining eleven council members.

    The ballot papers show :

    10 candidates are standing for the mayoral election

    88 candidates are standing for the election to fill the remaining eleven places on the council

    The list of candidates can be found from links on this page.

    https://candidates.elections.nsw.gov.au/

    This publication is a brief summary of the key points about local government council elections.

    http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/182845/LG453B_Instructions_for_Voting_English.pdf

    How are the votes counted:

    The two ballot papers are counted separately, and the results are determined according to two different voting systems.

    The mayoral election uses the Optional Preferential system. This means people must place a ’1’ next to name of their preferred candidate. They then have the option of placing further numbers in other squares.

    This animation was prepared by the NSW Electoral Commission to explain how the Optional Preferential system is used for the NSW Legislative Assembly election. The same animation provides a general explanation of how votes are counted in the mayoral election. (Click on the Flash Player icon to start the animation)

    http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/about_elections/community_education_resources/animations/how_votes_are_counted_for_the_nsw_legislative_assembly

    The general council election uses the Proportional Representation system. This means that voters can choose to vote ‘above the line’ or ‘below the line’.

    To vote for a group, vote ABOVE the thick line:

    You must put a number 1 next to your first choice.

    If you want, you can choose more groups, starting with the number 2.

    OR

    To vote for individual candidates, vote BELOW the thick line:

    You must show choices for at least half the number of councillors to be elected.

    If you want you can show more choices.

    This animation was prepared by the Electoral Commission to explain the Proportional Representation system used for the NSW Legislative Council election. The same animation provides a general explanation of how votes are counted in the council election. (Click on the Flash Player icon to start the animation) http://www.elections.nsw.gov.au/about_elections/community_education_resources/animations/animation_how_votes_are_counted_for_the_nsw_legislative_council

    The Electoral Commission makes these guidelines available for candidates and groups who are preparing their how-to-vote guides.

    http://www.votensw.info/political_participants/guide_to_preparing_electoral_material


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