A small step.

On Tuesday Orange mayor John Davis and NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism, Major Events and Sports Stuart Ayres announced $25,000 from the state government’s Community Building Partnerships fund would be matched by Orange City Council this financial year for outdoor courts and games at the site.

Council would spend a further $25,000 in the 2017-18 financial year to complete the project, which will include a futsal field, a basketball court, permanent table tennis facilities and fencing on the old netball courts along the Anson Street side of the park.

Mr Barrett – the firm favourite to retain Andrew Gee’s vacated State seat – confirmed signing off on the application would be one of his first orders of business if he’s successful in the November 12 Orange byelection.

While $75,000 being spent will undoubtedly make some difference to the largely unused site the question has to be asked: will a couple of sport courts and some fences really breath life into one of Orange’s most conspicuous white elephants?

Since 2009, when the Orange Netball Association took its competitions to the state-of-the-art courts at Sir Neville Howse Stadium, council has floated several possible uses for the space.

BMX tracks, youth centres, fitness areas, climbing walls and car parks have all been discussed. 

But aside from the outstanding and well-used skate park at the south-east corner of the block, all of these ideas have been discarded.

Perhaps that’s because none of them have been on a scale grand enough for such a centrally-located and potential-rich piece of land.

It’s worth noting Moulder Park is the same distance from the Central Business District as the former base hospital site, the redevelopment of which has created heated debate in both council chambers and public forums.

Changing that eyesore from its current state into a modern residential development in the coming years will cost tens of millions of dollars.

If that’s the case, surely the netball courts’ redevelopment into a useful space – one we can all use and be proud of – is worth more than $75,000?