30 January 2018

The Orange community turned out to watch as the Queen's Baton Relay journeyed through local streets on its way to the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April.

Community events on the grass roof of the Regional Museum and at the Anzac Park sports centre drew good numbers.

Orange is set to erupt into Commonwealth Games fanfare on Tuesday as the Queen's Baton Relay passes through the city.

There will be jumping castles, face-painting, games and family-friendly entertainment to mark the historical occasion.

Since the Queen's Baton left Buckingham Palace in London in March last year, it has journeyed through Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania before arriving in Australia. The baton arrives in Orange on the morning of Tuesday 30 January on its way to the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast on April 4.

Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said there were plenty of opportunities to see the baton, take photos and spur on the baton bearers as they carry the baton from Orange High School, Calare Public School through to the Sir Neville Howse Indoor Sports stadium in Byng Street.

"I'd encourage everyone who is available to line the streets and cheer our 18 baton bearers on as they represent the central west in the international relay," Cr Kidd said.

"The best vantage points are in Robertson Park, on the Museum roof, at the Anzac Park stadium (PCYC), or of course Summer Street as it passes through.

"We're incredibly lucky to have been chosen to host the baton. The last time we had the honour was in 2006. So, rally your friends or colleagues and hopefully you're able to get down to the main street between about 10am and about 10.40am join in the community spirit. The runners come down summer street from 10.34am to 10.42am)

"Put on your Aussie memorabilia, or indeed the colours of any country participating in the Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast and be part of history."

Residents can attend two community events involving the baton, the first, on the Orange Regional Museum (at about 10.48am) is the official welcome from Mayor Reg Kidd as well as Member for Orange Phil Donato and Member for Calare Andrew Gee.

Cr Kidd encouraged people to then jump in the car and head to the second community event, which was a bit more relaxed.

The second community event, at the ANZAC Park sports stadium will involve a free concert by and stand-up show by comedian Sean Murphy (staring at 9.30am), a barbecue, jumping castles, face painting and craft while families await the arrival of the 900 metre long baton convoy at about 11.19am.

Once it pulls up, there will be plenty of opportunities to take photos.

19 January 2018

Australia Day in Orange has always been one of the highlights on the city's event calendar and the 2018 celebrations are no exception, according to Orange Mayor Reg Kidd.

Cr Kidd said he was looking forward to welcoming 24 new citizens from India, Britain, Nepal, Zimbabwe, South Africa and New Zealand.

"The Australia Day celebration in Cook Park has always been one of my favourite events in the Orange community," Cr Kidd said.

"It's wonderful we can welcome so many new people who want to make Orange their home, who want to be part of our community and who want to publicly do so.

"This year we had a large number of strong candidates for the NSW Citizen of the Year awards and I think that reflects the nature of our city.

"Our city is one of givers. Our city is built on the kind deeds of so many of our community members and it's great we can thank them for all their hard work in this way."

The celebrations will start at 8am with a breakfast barbecue cooked by Orange Canobolas Lions Club Catering Van, Rotary Club of Orange, Quota and CWA.

The breakfast includes a bacon and egg roll, a juice or coffee or tea as well as apples and will be served until about 9.30am.

Children's amusement rides, face painting, petting zoo and the Gold Seekers Orienteering maze begins at 8am and will continue until about 1pm. Rides cost $3 each or $10 for an unlimited pass for the day.

There will also be a competition for best dressed, a vintage car display, dozens of market stalls and a $1 monster raffle with a range of prizes donated by local businesses.

Cr Kidd said there had been some concern among the community regrading the Flying Foxes roosting in the Cook Park trees.

"I can assure everyone that concern is unwarranted," Cr Kidd said.

"The Australia Day celebrations will go ahead as normal, as they have every other year and we'll co-exist with the Flying Foxes.

"They're roosting in a couple of the trees towards the Kite Street side of the park and we'll be holding our celebrations towards the Summer Street side."

The program for the day is as follows:

8:20am PERFORMANCE BY ORANGE MALE VOICE CHOIR

8:40am PERFORMANCE BY CANOBOLAS HIGHLAND PIPE BAND

9:00am OFFICIAL CEREMONY

Mr Neil Gill, Master of Ceremonies

WELCOME TO COUNTRY

Mr Jamie Newman

FLAG RAISING CEREMONY

Conducted by 2nd Orange Scouts

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

Orange Male Voice Choir

PRESENTATION OF STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHY AND CWD COLOURING IN COMPETITION PRIZES

Proudly brought to you by the Central Western Daily and the Australia Day Community Committee

9.30am WELCOME TO AUSTRALIA DAY 2018

Mayor of Orange, Cr Reg Kidd

Member for Orange. Philip Donato, MP

Chair of Australia Day Committee, Ms Katherine Tollner

OFFICIAL ADDRESS BY AUSTRALIA DAY AMBASSADOR

Ms. Annabelle Williams OAM – Paralympic Gold medallist and Legal Counsel for the Australian Olympic Committee

10.00am CITIZENSHIP CEREMONY.

10.30am PRESENTATION OF THE NSW LOCAL CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS:

Community Group of the Year

Community Event of the Year

Local Legend

Business Philanthropy

Young Citizen of the Year

Citizen of the Year

11.00am COLOUR CITY DANCE WORKS PERFORMANCE

MEET THE AMBASSADOR

Ms. Annabelle Williams OAM

11:30am DESI AUSSIES OF ORANGE DANCE PERFORMANCE

BEST DRESSED COMPETITION

AUSTRALIA DAY RAFFLE

Drawn by Australia Day Ambassador, Ms. Annabelle Williams.

12:00pm PERFORMANCE BY CITY OF ORANGE BRASS BAND

PERFORMANCE BY EAST ORANGE PHYSICAL CULTURE CLUB

19 January 2017

Final preparations are under way for the stopover by the Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) in Orange.

Since it left Buckingham Palace in London in March last year, the baton has journeyed through Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania before arriving in Australia on Christmas Eve. The baton arrives in Orange on the morning of Tuesday 30 January on its way to the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast on April 4.

In the NSW central west, the baton comes to Orange from West Wyalong, Forbes and Parkes the day before it reaches Orange. After spending the morning in Orange the baton travels on to Wellington before spending the night in Dubbo.

READY TO RUN: Baton bearer Dr David Howe and Orange mayor Reg Kidd are looking forward to the 30 January event. Details of road closures have now been released.

One of the local baton bearers, Dr David Howe is looking forward to taking a turn carrying the baton.

"I remember at the 2000 Olympics and seeing all the torch runners and thinking what an honour it would be to do something like this," David Howe said. "Now having this come through Orange and having an opportunity to be involved, I'm very proud."

Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said there’ll be many opportunities for local residents to see the baton convoy pass by on Tuesday 30 January.

“The baton will make two school visits at Calare Public and Orange High, before community events at the Civic Square and the Anzac Park sports centre,” Cr Reg Kidd said. “The easiest places to see the baton convoy passing will be as it journeys along Byng Street and in Summer Street, and in Robertson Park. We’re expecting hundreds of people will turn out to line the streets.

“As well as the person carrying the baton, the whole convoy is around nine hundred (900) metres long, and for that reason there will be some road closures. We’re asking people to plan ahead and be patient with the impact of these closures.

“It will be like Anzac Day. As the baton convoy travels through Byng Street and Summer St, to keep people safe, traffic will be closed off in each of those streets and access from cross streets will be closed.

“The timing of each road closure is being released today along with route maps and it’s all available online. It’s important that anyone who plans to be driving in these areas on that morning, checks out these details and plans ahead. Businesses in Summer Street should also look closely to see when the main street will be closed to traffic and plan ahead. Look at the route of the convoy and avoid those areas if you can.”

Electronic message boards will be in place advising drivers of the street closures and suggesting detours.

The key closure will be both lanes of Summer St which will be closed from Woodward St to William St from 9.55 am.

As the convoy passes, it’s expected Summer St will be progressively opened to westbound traffic starting from around 11 am.

Convoy time-table

This table shows the location and time-table of the QBR convoy.

Street closures

Streets will be closed from around 15 minutes before the convoy arrives and will be re-opened progressively once the convoy has left each location. The times in this table are provided to assist local residents to plan, but should be taken as an approximate guide. There may be unexpected delays.

There are a number of cross streets between Summer St and Byng St, where there will be traffic control barriers at both ends of the block. During the closure (approx 20 mins between 9.55 and 10.15) in these locations (Hamer, Sampson & Clinton Streets) residents will be able to leave that block by crossing Summer St.

12 January 2018

A new bike ramp on a local rail overpass pedestrian bridge is helping local cyclists turn an obstacle into an easy thoroughfare.

Cr Stephen Nugent said the new ramp is the latest step in a long-term strategy by Orange City Council, aimed at making Orange a more bike-friendly city.

"The Council’s Active Travel Plan has involved programs in schools, mapping, signage, paths, boardwalks, on-road markings and bike racks installed throughout the city," Stephen Nugent said. "And it's all with the aim of encouraging more people to ride or walk to school or work."

"During some community consultations about how cyclists are moving about the city, it became clear that locations like the pedestrian bridge over the railway line were a potential obstacle for riders.

"Having to carry a bike up and over the bridge could be a barrier for some cyclists and one of the aims of the Active Travel Plan is to remove barriers to people choosing ‘active travel’ options."

The ramps are a simple metal angle fixed to the side of the steps, powder-coated safety yellow so they are highly visible.

Bike riders simply wheel their bike at an angle into the ramp, and the push their bike up and over the bridge. The design aimed to keep the ramp as small and simple as possible to have minimal impact on the bridge appearance and use.

The project cost approximately $5,000. This work is happening in partnership with the NSW Government, through the RMS, under the ‘Cycling Towns’ program.

Because the new feature was being attached to a rail bridge, the project needed to be approved by Transport for NSW and state Heritage authorities.

The original timber posts on the western end of the bridge were restored as part of the work.

RAMP : Orange cyclist Hayley Barrett tries out the new ramp, built on the rail pedestrian bridge next to the railway station.

NIGHT WORK: Work begins on the NDR between Clergate Road and Anson Street.