News

Spring Creek Dam and Gosling Creek Dam were overflowing after Orange was drenched with a record breaking amount of rain.

The city is now bracing for up to 15 cms of snow following a cold snap expected to come through tomorrow (Friday June 24).

Cabonne Council have closed Mount Canobolas this afternoon ahead of the sheep graziers warning issued by the Bureau of Meteorology.

By 9am today (Thursday June 23) Orange recorded 234.6 mm of rain and there is more predicted for later in the week.

The previous record stood at 178.6 mm in 1998.

According to Weatherzone, this weekend’s minimum temperatures will reach -2 degrees on Saturday and -4 degrees on Sunday with maximum temperatures of 5 and 6 degrees respectively.

The deluge meant there were several road closures across the region and there is potential for further closures tomorrow between Orange and Oberon.

Check in with Orange City Council's Facebook page regularly for updates.

OVERFLOW: Spring Creek Dam was at 100 per cent after the deluge.

UPDATE; Wednesday afternoon:

Most roads that were closed earlier today have now opened.

However large snowfalls are expected on Friday night with the potential to force staff to close roads.

The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting the heaviest falls between Orange and Oberon.

SOME ROAD CLOSURES ARE IN FORCE DUE TO HEAVY RAIN OVER NIGHT :

(As of 8.30am 22.6.2016 .. Will be updated.,

Cadia Rd closed between Forest and Orchard Rds – detours in place

Huntley Road closed – from the Ash St/rail crossing to Airport closed (detour to the airport via Forest Road)

Bloomfield Road closed at a low crossing

Bargwanna Road closed at a crossing

Forest Road closed – can get to Cadia via Orchard Rd

Ophir Road closed at 4^th crossing –

Couple of trees down…

Tree down in Pinnacle Rd

Tree down in Shiralee Rd

This month is Orange’s wettest June on record and while the rain is welcome, it is wreaking havoc with the roads.

According to Weatherzone meteorologist, Jacob Cronje, Orange has experienced 160.2 mms of rain this month, 87 mms above the average and the weather does not appear to be drying up in the foreseeable future.

“Most of that rain fell within a couple of days,” he said.

The deluge has meant large potholes have appeared in Orange roads.

Orange City council road crews are out in force attending to potholes based on a priority basis.

Crews are concentrating on making safe some of the more serious situations as best they can with cold mix asphalt or appropriate signs.

Rain hampers crews ability to make lasting repairs to the roads and with the forecast for the rest of the week looking similar to how it started, road repairs will be limited.

Residents are encouraged to report pot holes by calling 1300 650 511 or by visiting the Council website and following its Report It links http://www.orange.nsw.gov.au/reportit

The roads that are being targeted today and tomorrow (June 21 and 22) are:

• Racecourse Road
• Canobolas Road
• Pinnacle Road
• Huntley Road
• Winter Street
• Ash Street (not rail crossing)
• Cadia Road

The next targets include:

• Cargo Road
• Ploughmans Lane
• Ophir Road
• Clergate Road
• Whileys Road
• Forest Road
• Burrendong Way

ROAD REPAIR: Orange City Council crews work hard to fill potholes in Forest Road.

Orange mayor John Davis has welcomed the NSW Government announcement of funding to build a new bridge over the railway line in Forest Road.

“The NSW Government announcement of $1.25 million matches the earlier announcement of funding from the Australian government.”

“This $2.5 million project will be a major boost to a key north-south transport link for Orange residents,” Cr John David said.

“At the moment due to the tight bend on the existing bridge if two heavy vehicles meet they cannot pass.”

“Cr Davis said the new bridge will be re-aligned to make it simpler for heavy transport to use the bridge.”

The project is now in its final design stages and negotiations are continuing with John Holland Rail over the details of the project.

“It’s expected work would begin early in the new year,” Cr David said.

The bridge works is part of a $4.3 million package for three projects in the central west region, announced by NSW parliamentary secretary Sarah Mitchell.

The funding is from round two of the Fixing Country Roads initiative, which is aimed at removing freight pinch points in regional NSW.

The remaining projects include upgrades to Middle Trundle Road in the Parkes Shire and an upgrade to the route between the Newell Highway and a grain handling facility at Wirrinya.

Ms Mitchell said the upgrade will open up a new Higher Mass Limit capable road train route and provide a more direct route for producers accessing rail to port, with distance savings of up to 37km per trip.

“The NSW Government is investing historic levels of funding to build better infrastructure right across NSW, and it’s great to see local communities in the Orange electorate benefitting from programs like Fixing Country Roads,” Ms Mitchell said.

“260 million tonnes of freight are moved across regional NSW each year – improving the way we do this is vital to supporting continued growth across the state.

BRIDGING; The new bridge on Forest Road will make travel safer and easier for large vehicles like this bus.

The official opening of the Orange Regional Airport has been welcomed as a sign of a growing regional economy.

The $21 million expansion of the Orange Airport means the region is prepared for next mining boom, according to Cadia Valley Operations General Manager Tony McPaul.

The expanded runway means large jets with full loads, commonly used by the mining industry, can now take off from the Spring Hill site.

At the (17 June) official opening of the expansion, Mr McPaul said the project, which was paid for by all three levels of government and Newcrest Mining, would benefit the community for years to come.

“Orange City Council, I give them credit for always having the vision and the foresight to think well into the future,” Tony McPaul said.

About five years ago CVO was flying people in and out of Western Australia using F-100 aeroplanes but because of the length of runway, the planes could not take off with a full load of passengers.

He said the plane could only manage 70 of the 100 people possible so the company approached the council to extend the runway.

“I remember speaking to the guys at Orange City Council and … they said let’s do it,” Mr McPaul said.

The official opening acknowledged the wider project including lengthening the runway by 438 metres, expanded taxiways, new access roads, new runway lighting and the new terminal.

Deputy Mayor of Orange Cr Chris Gryllis said the project’s longer runway, upgraded taxiways and a larger aircraft parking area increase the efficiency of larger aircraft using the airport.

“In the last couple of weeks a Boeing 717 has flown into Orange for the first time carrying mining industry workers,” Cr Chris Gryllis said.

“The new longer runway mean a plane like this can now take off with a full load of fuel and make the flight to the Northern Territory without a stop.”

“Infrastructure like this, links us with Australia’s mining industry, as well as delivering benefits for tourists and residents alike.”

The Australian Government contributed $4.9 million, the NSW Government contributed $1.3 million, Newcrest Mining contributed $3 million and Orange City Council contributed $11.87 million to the project.

OPEN: Former Member for Orange Andrew Gee, Cadia Valley Operations General Manager Tony McPaul and Orange Deputy Mayor Chris Gryllis cut the ribbon at the official opening of the Orange Regional Airport.

SPORTS: Thousands of people gathered in Wade Park t watch the NRL.

Wander through a forest of organza fabric : home to birds, sea creatures and insects at the Orange Regional Gallery.

Visitors to the gallery can literally walk through the latest exhibition, becoming immersed in the dozens of works strung up through gallery 2.

The compilation called Murmuration was created by former Orange artist Jenny Cuthbert and will be launched by Orange artist Victor Gordon on Friday night.

Orange City Council’s Services Policy Committee Chair Cr Ron Gander it’s likely to be a new experience for many visitors to the gallery.

“Traditionally a visit to a gallery means looking at art that’s been a hung on a wall,” Cr Gander said.

“With this show, the art is arranged so that a visitor can walk amongst the pictures. And because the artist has used transparent organza fabric instead of canvass, a viewer can see through the paintings.”

“Aspects like this will alter how people interact with the images and the stories they convey,“Cr Gander said.

“It is terrific to see an artist who was raised in Orange returning to the region with such a rich body of work”, he said.

Gallery Director Lisa Loader said the paintings have been produced over the past 18 months and depict mostly natural history subjects.

“Jenny’s gouache (a technique using water-colour paints and gum) paintings on organza fabric are very delicate works,” Ms Loader said.

“Her art-installation-based approach to the display of these works will allow visitors to navigate their own path and develop their own associations between the works. I anticipate the exhibition will generate a lot of interest in the community,” she said

Ms Cuthbert said she was nervous about exhibiting in her former home town but her concerns were quickly forgotten once she saw the works hung from the ceiling.

“Until the lights went on I was nervous but it looks more amazing than I could have imagined,” she said.

The exhibition will be launched Friday (June 17) at 6pm.

MURMURATION: Gallery staff take pride in setting up for the latest exhibition to open on Friday.

It started with a sledgehammer and a chainsaw and took 14 months of blood, sweat and tears to complete.

But soon this sculpture made by a local artist from locally sourced materials will call the Civic Square home.

Friends of the Orange Regional Gallery vice president, Michael Priest, said the group had been fundraising for years to acquire public art for Orange, and once they laid eyes on Duo by Senden Blackwood they knew they had to have it.

“We wanted something local and this piece will just add to the civic square immeasurably,” Mr Priest said.

Mr Blackwood created Duo with the intent it would be shared and enjoyed as public art should, and encouraged people to touch it, take photos with it and even sit inside the “loveseat”.

“When the gallery staff came out and checked the piece out, we then went and checked out where the piece was going to go, and my skin just prickled,” Mr Blackwood said.

“Like it was perfect”

It started out as an eight tonne block of granite, sourced from Eugowra, and after some “violent and dangerous” early work, Mr Blackwood sculpted it down to two tonnes of “weight and weightlessness … to create harmony through contrast”.

The piece costs $80,000 and the Friends, coupled with the fundraising efforts of the Orange Regional Arts Foundation are about $20,000 short of their fundraising target.

But the two groups are positive the goal will be reached.

Duo is expected to be installed in September ahead of the Orange Regional Museum opening.

Orange City Council’s Services Policy Committee Chair Cr Ron Gander said the acquisition will mark the 30^th Anniversary of Orange Regional Gallery.

“Orange already has a fantastic collection of public sculpture and it will be very exciting to have a new piece of public art in Civic Square. This cultural precinct is becoming an increasingly popular hub for the community, and this piece will add to the area’s appeal,” Cr Ron Gander said.

To donate to the fundraising efforts contact Orange Regional Gallery on 6393 8136.

SCULPTED: Friends of the Orange Regional Gallery vice president Michael Priest with artist Senden Blackwood at Mr Blackwood's Springside home.

It’s villainous to miss out on this year’s Reader and Writers Festival.

With investigative journalist Caroline Overington as the keynote speaker, anyone interested in psychological thrillers should not miss out.

Overington is a two time winner of the Walkley Award for Investigative Journalism, and she is a past winner of the Sir Keith Murdoch Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Blake Dawson Prize, and the Davitt Prize.

She has written 11 books including this year’s thriller, The One Who Got Away, an unsettling psychological thriller for fans of Girl on a Train and Gone Girl.

Central West Libraries manager Jan Richards said “we are very pleased to welcome the Orange Regional Arts Foundation onboard as this year’s sponsor.”

“And we are also absolutely thrilled to have a high calibre writer such as Caroline Overington giving the keynote address at the Festival.”

“This year’s theme is Villain Attraction – a look at our obsession with villains in storytelling.”

“We will have a great line up of writers exploring this topic and lots of stimulating discussion,” Jan said.

The festival gets under way at the Hotel Canobolas on Saturday 9 July 10am to 5pm.

A feature of the event will be a writing workshop held on Sunday 10 July by local author and editor Kim Kelly about how to write engaging characters.

Tickets to the festival will be $60 and available from Orange City Library. The writing workshop tickets will be $35.

After a twelve month restoration project in Sydney, the historic James Dalton fountain has returned to its pride of place in the centre of Cook Park.

The fountain, given to the community of Orange by local businessman James Dalton in 1891, was sent to Sydney in May last year for a major refurbishment.

A number of the water jets were blocked and the definition of the cast iron fountain had begun to be blurred by many layers of paint.

Orange City Council’s Manager of Corporate and Community Relations Nick Redmond said the Sydney firm, International Conservation Services, "has done a terrific job" sand-blasting the old paint away.

"They’ve given the fountain a brilliant new sheen, and revealed the intricate detail of the original casting," he said.

"The internal plumbing has also been completely re-built. This fountain has been a landmark in Cook Park for more than a century and the $80,000 it’s cost for this work to be done has been well worth it."

The restored fountain was trucked to the site and was gently lifted by crane into position on the original pedestal, next to the rotunda in Cook Park.

In the coming days, there’ll be some further restoration to the pedestal to ease future access. The fountain pool will also be re-painted.

A representative from ICS was there with council staff as the new fountain was connected and tested for the first time.

"They were delighted to see water shooting from the rose at the top of the fountain as well as from the other jets," Mr Redmond said.

"We’ll be waiting on some clear skies before the painting can happen.

"An exhibition on the life of James Dalton is being prepared for the later in the year, which will go on-show in the Blowes conservatory."

JOB WELL DONE: Overseeing the re-installation of the Dalton Fountain in Cook Park today (6 June) are Nick Flood, (International Conservation Services) with Doug Richards and Conor Cullinane from Bondi Stone