PROJECTS like the redevelopment of the Woolworths car park should be benefiting from land transactions, according to one of Orange’s councillors.
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After Orange City Council opted to sell a 15-hectare site including the former Highlands Paceway for $2.45 million last week, councillor Neil Jones voiced his concern the entire amount would go back into the land development reserve fund.
“People will argue as to whether or not council should be in the business of acquiring properties, but there’s some valid arguments for council to acquire land that could be difficult to control if it’s sold into the hands of a developer because when council chooses to sell the site, they can put caveats on it that might not be able to happen otherwise,” he said.
“My issue is about getting the balance – when do you strike a balance between putting all the money into the land reserve fund or when do you take some of that money for other necessary infrastructure, particularly if a profit is made on some of the transactions?”
Cr Jones said footpaths, cycleways and even the Woolworths car park redevelopment would be worthy recipients of the money, particularly where rates income and government grants fell short.
The council released a concept plan in 2012 detailing a $35 million eight-storey shopping centre, office and apartment complex, including three levels of parking to boost the number of spaces from 300 to 620.
”It’s an amazing concept, but the reality is the developers haven’t responded to that,” Cr Jones said.
“At what point does council bite the bullet on redevelopment works that will make it a larger, more user-friendly site?”
Council spokesman Nick Redmond said two thirds of the paceway site was purchased three years ago for the purpose of a tourist park.
He said councillors had the power to divert funds via a resolution.
Cr Jones said it had appeared during discussions the land development fund was the only option because there were no other possibilities flagged in the report.
“There’s an understanding that’s been the process for some time that that’s where the money went, but if [redirecting is] possible, then I applaud that,” he said.
He will ask for a report from staff on the amount of money in the fund, transactions in the past 10 years and expenditure on community projects.