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Watching water cascading over the top of the upgraded Suma Park Dam wall was "fantastic" and "satisfying" for the brains behind the project.

Entura Specialist Dams Engineer Paul Southcott designed the one metre upgrade and was present for the official opening last week.

He said it was fantastic to watch the water flow over the top of the wall and rush towards the stilling basin in the manner he intended.

“I really love the new stillway and I enjoyed seeing it… working as we designed it to,” he said.

“It’s really satisfying.”

“The stillway is designed to dissipate the energy of the water as it falls down.”

Part of the design process involved the team creating a computer model of Suma Park Dam.

A “water load” or pressure was applied to the 3D design allowing engineers to measure the stress points in the concrete wall.

So when it came to the real thing they knew which points were weaker than others.

“The dam wall actually deflects,” Mr Southcott said.

“Solid concrete... will deflect as the water load changes, the deflections are very small and the computer models can show you that deflection as well.”

Precast parapet wall slabs were designed and built away from the dam wall and then brought in and placed on top of the existing dam wall in order to increase the height.

A wheeled crane was used to place one piece and secure it, then it would drive along that piece to place the next piece, 87 times until all of the concrete slabs were secured.

“I think it’s innovative, we haven’t used this design exactly before,” he said.

The $18 million, one metre wall upgrade was officially opened on Friday by Mayor John Davis and Duty MLC Sarah Mitchell and Mr Southcott said he was grateful he played a part in securing Orange’s water supply.

“It’s a fantastic feeling to see the results of all your hard work at the office come to fruition and something that the community gets a great resource out of.

“That’s what I find fascinating about my job that’s why I do it.”

OVERFLOW: Orange City Councillor Russell Turner with Duty MLC Sarah Mitchell and Orange Mayor John Davis watch water cascading over the top of the Suma Park Dam wall.

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Track the progress of the Suma Park upgrade:

http://www.orange.nsw.gov.au/site/index.cfm?display=551454

People work hard and don’t get paid but the rewards are priceless for thousands of volunteers signed up to the NSW government’s Timebanking system.

Minister for Ageing, Disability Services and Multiculturalism, John Ajaka, was in Orange on Friday to announce $15,000 in funding to set up the time-based, bartering system locally.

Timebanking allows people to receive a credit for each hour of volunteering they give to someone else. They can then exchange that credit for support from someone else.

“Timebanking is a perfect example of the so-called ‘volunteer sharing economy’.

“The more you give, the more you get,” Mr Ajaka said.

“All over the state, timebanking is enriching people’s lives, boosting volunteerism and making our communities stronger.”

Orange Mayor John Davis welcomed the funding and said it would enrich the community’s strong culture of volunteering.

“Everywhere you go in Orange there are people volunteering from Meals on Wheels, to the Migrant Support volunteers, to people at the Orange Botanic Gardens who are there to show people around,” Cr Davis said.

“Time banking is a wonderful idea.

“For example, if I go and mow someone’s lawn for an hour or so, I might bank that hour and get someone else to come and teach me a musical instrument for an hour.”

Volunteer Isvariya Mathi said she thought the system sounded positive for people in the community, who like her, were new to the region.

“I came new to this country from Sri Lanka and I started volunteering so I can learn from people and meet people,” she said.

“You can always learn something from someone so the more people who are in contact with others, the better.”

She said she thought it would be a good system for people who had found it hard to get paid work because they could volunteer their talents and ask for services in return.

For information on how to participate in time banking go to www.timebanking.com.au.

It’s expected to be sometime before the local timebanking scheme is operating in Orange.

VOLUNTEERS: (left) Orange City Council's Migrant Support Officer Anni Gallagher with Orange Mayor John Davis thanks the volunteers who greeted Minister Ajaka last week.

WORK NEEDED: Council has advertised for four new temporary staff members ahead of this road building season.

EXPANSION: A map of the site of the proposed expansion of the North Orange shops.

Due to a procedural oversight in the Orange City Council agendas that were distributed in the public gallery area of the Council chamber at the meeting on Tuesday September 20 the meeting did not proceed to deal with items listed for the closed session.

While closed items were listed on the Council website they should also have been published in the agendas made available to the public in the gallery.

As they were not the matters were deferred.

Due to the matters being urgent in nature dealing with tenders and contracts an extraordinary meeting will be held at 7pm on Thursday 22 September.

The following matters will be considered by this extraordinary closed meeting:

• Tender for Design and Construction of Community Recycling Centre Ophir Road Resource Recovery Centre

Reason for Confidentiality:

This item is classified CONFIDENTIAL under the provisions of Section 10A(2) of the Local Government Act 1993, which permits the meeting to be closed to the public for business relating to (c) information that would, if disclosed, confer a commercial advantage on a person with whom the Council is conducting (or proposes to conduct) business.

• Tourism strategy and services delivery

​ Reason for Confidentiality:

This item is classified CONFIDENTIAL under the provisions of Section 10A(2) of the Local Government Act 1993, which permits the meeting to be closed to the public for business relating to (d)i commercial information of a confidential nature that would, if disclosed prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied it.

• Multimedia - Orange Regional Museum

Reason for Confidentiality:

This item is classified CONFIDENTIAL under the provisions of Section 10A(2) of the Local Government Act 1993, which permits the meeting to be closed to the public for business relating to (c) information that would, if disclosed, confer a commercial advantage on a person with whom the Council is conducting (or proposes to conduct) business.

As with all closed meetings the community is given an opportunity to make representations on why they may believe matters should not be dealt with in a closed meeting and that will be the case with the extraordinary meeting.

The resolutions of closed meetings are made public.

EXTRAORDINARY: An extraordinary Council meeting will be held on Thursday.

ADVENTURE: Yarrawong Children's Centre staff member Madison Sutherland asks Orange City Council sign writer Troy Robins about his experience with the TAFE Western Outbound Mobility Program.

September’s Mayoral Youth of the Month, Hayden Innes, could barely contain his excitement when he met Orange Mayor John Davis, but Cr Davis says it was he who was honoured to meet the 11-year-old.

Like many boys his age, Hayden could be out spending his pocket money buying the latest gadget or computer game, instead he spends his own money and uses his time to cheer up residents of Cherrywood Grove Specialist Aged Care.

Cr Davis said he was sure Hayden did not expect gratitude or thanks for his actions but Cr Davis said Hayden sure deserved acknowledgment.

“I am more than impressed to meet you young man,” Cr Davis said.

“What you have done is tremendous and I hope you continue to do so and I hope others are inspired to do so after hearing about you.

“You don’t do it for the thanks but it is always nice for somebody to say thank you, so on behalf of the Orange community, I say thank you.”

Last year, Hayden asked his mother to store half of his pocket money each week so he could save up to buy Christmas presents for people in the aged care home who might not have friends and family close by.

He now visits the home regularly and hands out gifts such beauty packs, socks and beanies on days when residents might feel particularly lonely, such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Easter.

“I’m pretty excited,” Hayden said, as he was presented with his certificate and gift voucher by Cr Davis.

“I’m happy that he’s noticed what I’ve done.”

Hayden said he hoped that others might take note of his deeds and visit one of the many other aged care facilities around the city bearing gifts and a friendly smile.

The Mayoral Youth of the Month award is designed to highlight good deeds and accomplishments of young people in the City of Orange who sometimes go unnoticed in the community.

The award is aimed at recognising and celebrating young people who have and are currently making significant contributions, particularly in the areas of education, community work, sport, culture, the arts and the environment.

To nominate a person for Mayoral Youth of the Month contact Orange City Council’s Youth Development Officer Katrina Hausia at khausia@orange.nsw.gov.au

YOUTH OF THE MONTH: Orange Public School student Hayden Innes received the Mayoral Youth of the Month Award surrounded by his family, Anora Robinson, Jody Robinson, Lee Stinson and Orange Mayor John Davis.