Council welcomes hospital road funding

Orange City Council has welcomed the NSW Government announcement of a $2.1 million funding contribution towards the upgrade of Forest Rd outside the new Orange hospital.

The project will see the upgrade of 1400 metres of Forest Rd from the Southern Feeder Rd intersection, alongside Sir Jack Brabham Park to the entrance of the new hospital.

As well as an upgrade of the road, the $3.1 million project is expected to include street lighting and the construction of bays of parking alongside Jack Brabham sports fields. A further $1 million will be added to the project from a combination of council funds and developer contributions.

FUNDING: Cr Glenn Taylor, Mayor John Davis and Member for Orange Phil Donato, welcome NSW Government funding to upgrade Forest Rd.

The details of the upgrade will now be prepared for the multi-million dollar project to go out to tender. While initial work on drainage could begin earlier, it’s expected road work would not begin before October-November road building season.

The project will include :

• 1400 metres of two lane road, sealed with hot mix asphalt
• Kerb and gutter on both sides of the road (2,833 metres)
• 884 metres of storm water pipes
• 8 street lights
• Traffic lights at entrance to hospital. Intersection designed with capability for entrance into new private hospital
• A double-sided parking bay alongside the sporting fields with 120 marked parking spaces

Orange Mayor John Davis said the project was a great example of tiers of government working together.

“Orange City Council is already in the midst of a $15 million upgrade of local roads, and while most of that money will come from ratepayers, it’s great that the NSW government is recognizing that roads around pieces of key facilities like the health service is the sort of infrastructure they can be supporting,” Cr John Davis said.

Orange City Council Infrastructure Committee chair, Cr Glenn Taylor, said the new road will be good for the people of Orange.

“Since the hospital was built, this road has taken much more than its fair share of regional traffic,” Cr Glenn Taylor said. “The people of Orange have been very patient with the poor condition of this key road, and they’ll be very pleased that the funding has now emerged.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW, Sarah Mitchell, welcomed the funding, saying the upgrade would deliver significant benefits for the local community.

“This dilapidated road provides a direct route to the Cadia Valley Mine and is also the access point for the Orange Health Service” Mrs Mitchell said.

“With this funding, no longer will ambulances carrying patients to the emergency department have to worry about the poor condition of their access road”.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional Development John Barilaro said the Government had determined the funding following recommendations from Infrastructure NSW and an independent panel’s review of 67 initial expressions of interest.