At Tuesday’s mayoral election, where councillors also voted on who should chair the council’s policy committees, Cr Duffy moved for a review of the committees in order to form an economic development committee.

Despite word from mayor John Davis about expected announcements in the coming months for job-creating projects, Cr Duffy said a committee would demonstrate something was being done.

“We should be seen doing our share of the effort to create jobs in Orange,” he said.

Cr Duffy said the council had experienced previous success in launching projects and still had the planetarium, work on Wade Park and the showground, and the rectangular sporting field to come.

“People can be very critical of McDonald’s [in north Orange], but they forget it’s providing 100-and-something jobs - there’s more jobs in Orange every time a building goes up,” he said.

The council already has the environment and economic development policy committee, but while it includes committees for environmental sustainability, companion animals, sister cities, Tidy Towns and the Orange Botanic Gardens, and previously included a working party on economic cluster groups, it does not feature a committee for economic development in Orange.

A report will be brought back to the council in two months.

danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au