WORK upgrading the Moulder Parklands will slow somewhat in the next 12 months following Orange City Council’s decision to produce a “holistic approach” to the future of the city’s parks and gardens.
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Orange City Council director of community recreation and cultural services Scott Maunder said council would come up with a plan that would incorporate green space across the city, with play grounds the main focus.
For Moulder Park, Elephant Park and Pilcher Park, the three areas making up the Moulder Parklands, improvements to the existing velodrome and brand new cricket nets have both been completed in the last 12 months.
“We needed to do the velodrome and the nets were another necessary upgrade,” Mr Maunder said.
“There’s a youth centre slated for the next 12 months and we’ve still got a body of work we’re looking at at the PCYC site.
“We’re looking at play space, playgrounds, what we’ve got and what we need going into the future, and that’s including a lot of the existing space we have in Orange.
“Some of the master plans we have at the moment are from the mid-2000s, so we need to come up with a holistic approach and develop that over the next six months.”
Councillor Neil Jones said moving forward successfully would hinge on maximising the potential of the space for its users.
“I think there’s the recognition now that the precinct is an important recreational area and council is certainly in the process of implementing a staged development of the area,” Cr Jones said.
“The exercise stations are in place and there’s plans for more outdoor activity areas for children.”
A youth centre, fitness area, new bicycle track and an upgraded skate park were sketched as part of Moulder Parklands’ future, while other plans include a full upgrade to the velodrome, a new criterium track and a bike education track.
Orange Ratepayers Association representative Bev Alexander-Fisher said in general the Moulder Parklands presented the city with a good green area, but more bins were needed to preserve that essence.
“I’ve asked for more bins in the past,” she said.
“People just don’t have any respect.
“They walk along and just drop their litter.
“I haven’t seen any trolleys in a long time and parks and gardens do a good job maintaining the area, I’d just like to see a couple more bins.”