Six Orange councillors have voted to overturn an earlier decision to knock back the Occidental Hotel’s application to extend trading hours in the new upstairs bar.

Mayor John Davis told Thursday’s council meeting he supported the rescission motion to give the hotel a 12 month trial for the new 3am trading hours despite finding the CBD “frightening” when he and councillor Glenn Taylor accompanied an Orange police officer on a late night patrol one Saturday night in August.

“It was frightening and it was a quiet night .. . but we can’t genuinely say another facility will make it more frightening,” he said.

While Cr Davis told the Central Western Daily he didn’t see anything violent during the patrol, he was “surprised and disappointed” by some aspects including the large groups of people walking between venues creating a frightening atmosphere for police and individuals.

The hotel will now have to lodge an application with the Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing (OLGR) before they can serve alcohol in the upstairs venue.

The new late night venue will exacerbate the existing problem with alcohol related crime in Orange, according to Canobolas Local Area Command, Superintendent David Driver.

Councillor Chris Gryllis, who was behind the move to allow the hotel to trade until 3am, said council should push for more police officers for the community to combat rising alcohol fuelled incidents and other crime.

Cr Davis agreed.

But Superintendent Driver said the police were “not the local security for the alcohol industry”.

“My job is to do the best job I can with the officers I have but no command would knock back more officers.”

Councillors Chris Gryllis, Sam Romano, Reg Kidd, Jason Hamling, Fiona Rossiter and John Davis voted for the recission motion.

While councillors Glenn Taylor, Neil Jones, Gavin Priestley, Peter Hetherington, and Jeff Whitton voted against the motion.

clare.colley@ruralpress.com