A DEVELOPED Orange Aerodrome Industrial and Technology Park could deliver more than 2000 jobs in the next three decades, but a Spring Hill community group says water catchment concerns still haven’t been addressed in the rezoning proposal.
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The draft masterplan, published on the NSW Department of Planning and Environment’s website, promotes an end to “business as usual” by including a meeting venue in the first stage of development as well as parks, waterways and cycleways.
Industrial land would be zoned within the airport’s existing noise impact zone, allowing 24-hour, seven-day operations while the business zones and green buffers would separate heavier industry from the airport’s neighbours.
Huntley Road would be upgraded to B-double standard to accommodate traffic and land would be set aside for a future rail siding to connect with Parkes in the event inland rail was built between Melbourne and Brisbane.
According to a RedeConsult report, the site would generate 2044 jobs during a 27-year period, based on current industrial activity in Orange.
However, the department identified problems with mapping because Orange City Council estimated 160 hectares of employment land, while the department estimated 210 hectares.
A report from the department also said while the council identified low industrial land supplies in Orange, it did not consider industrial land in Cabonne and Blayney and asked the council to consult with its neighbours.
In a report prepared by RW Corkery and Co, the council maintained interruptions to groundwater would be avoided because construction excavations would not reach the water table, sewage would be transported offsite, stormwater runoff would be treated and conditions would be imposed on businesses to stop possible contamination.
But Spring Hill and Surrounding Districts Consultative Committee spokeswoman Sally Playfair was still concerned about the water catchment’s welfare.
“The whole area is a drinking water catchment - they’ve only referred to the Spring Hill water supply bores,” she said.
“They’re doing the green zones hoping it will mitigate the issues but it won’t.”
Aerodrome committee chair and deputy mayor Chris Gryllis said he had faith in staff to fix any mistakes in the submission, but the possibilities were enormous.
“We don’t want to do something we will regret - there is a long way to go yet by any stretch of the imagination,” he said.
“This will accommodate work opportunities for the next 30-40 years.”
danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au
