After the story in the Central Western Daily on Saturday about a planning proposal to rezone land north of the existing centre, allowing it to expand, some residents voiced their support for development in north Orange on social media.

David Shields said the noisy minority was raising infrastructure concerns and development would be positive for employment and growth, while Ana Hernando said she would welcome a service station and a post office.

Councillor Scott Munro, who also operates a butchery business within the existing complex, said people had been asking for a post office.

“I’ve got a letter from a lady begging to put a post office in because she’s not computer literate and uses snail mail, and there’s so many people who do,” he said. 

Go Vita manager Sally Dunstall said greater variety in the shops on offer would increase business for existing tenants.

“At the moment, people do their groceries and pick up the paper, but if there was a Reject Shop or a hairdresser, it would increase the traffic for the whole of this area,” she said.

McCormack Barber principal Peter McCormack, who also operates from the centre, said a large department store was among the features tenants asked about.

“Definitely a post office and whether it’s a Target or a Kmart - they’re the probably the two things that come to mind,” he said.

“They buy what they need, but it’s not shopping where people browse - it would be great to even out the make-up of the centre, whether it’s clothes or toys.”

He said the turnover the centre had generated in two years was unprecedented.

“The centre managers I’ve spoken to said they’ve never seen a centre as successful as the one in north Orange and they own centres from Queensland to Victoria,” he said.

With residents asking for better infrastructure before any development took place on the site in the event of a rezoning, Orange City Council corporate and community relations manager Nick Redmond said timing for the improvements would depend on the council accessing additional funding sources. 

“Orange City Council is developing plans to improve road links in the area, including a new road between Telopea Way and William Maker Drive,” he said.

“Improvements to assist traffic flow in Farrell Road are also on the drawing board.”

The councillors have yet to consider the rezoning proposal, however Mr Redmond said its impact on traffic movements would be assessed.

danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au