What has happened to our council, particularly the engineering and city presentation sections that were, in the past, very well run divisions?
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As a ratepayer I am absolutely disgusted that despite paying thousands of dollars in rates per year it seems the council is incapable of providing me with a smooth road to drive on. Even though potholes are being patched – many times for the second and often for the third or fourth time – the finished surface is just as rough as before the so-called repair has been carried out.
Also, why spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on stupid intersection modifications, such as Kite and Sampson streets, that make them harder to negotiate and, in my humble opinion, very questionable as to being any safer for pedestrians.
Speaking of pedestrians, have council management taken a walk on footpaths in the older section of Orange lately, as many are in a very poor state.
Does council check on work carried out by contractors before paying them? Whoever painted the white lines in Moulder Street did not paint in a double white line just east of Sampson Street.
In regards to questionable management, take Moulder Park as an example. The only regular maintenance that is carried out is the mowing that is done by a contractor. The park benches are long overdue for a coat of paint and at least one has a broken seat.
If we look at the public toilet in Newman Park, it would be fair to say this toilet is in drastic need of a face-lift, as it is disgusting and in need of some management by someone who cares.
It is all well and good to be spending serious money out at the likes of Gosling Creek, but not at the expense of these facilities in the main areas of our city.
These parks, especially Moulder and Cook, need to be regularly patrolled by rangers, especially weekends and around 10am as regularly dogs are let off leads.
At Moulder Park I regularly see people allowing their dogs off leads to chase ducks and other water fowl in Blackmans Swamp. How are ducks expected to raise ducklings in this environment?
Signage at this location is in need of upgrading and proper maintenance and the creek itself is being choked with water weeds that urgently need removal. For council staff to say that these weeds are a natural part of this ecosystem is simply ludicrous and they need removal or at least a drastic reduction in number to enable wildlife to move freely along the creek and for people to be able to enjoy watching them.
Cumbungi is taking over the creek and will spread downstream if not dealt with. Council management, in the past, regularly removed this weed.
I have reported incidents such as a dog chasing ducks and a man wading in the duck pond with a fishing rod in Cook Park on a Sunday and am told by the after-hours answering service there is nothing that can be done until Monday.
So we just leave the dog to chase the ducks until Monday?
What a stupid after-hours system, and it is the same at any other park or with any other problem that is not considered urgent enough, such as a water main break.
I believe serious changes need to be made at council, be it to staff and management, who are responsible for these serious failures, or to the operating system currently in place.
We must have a system in place that will respond to urgent matters. It does not matter at what time of day or night they occur, or if on a Sunday or public holiday.
Stop wasting money on purchases in the development area, such as the Williams shed that was an icon in Orange and could have been used for numerous things. There’s nothing being done with the site on the corner of Summer and Woodward Streets.
When it comes to comparison with Bathurst look at how welcoming it is, with a rest park with maps and toilets at both main entrances to their city.
All things considered it seems we have reached the stage where serious changes need to be made at council’s management level.
Come on, councillors, let's see some urgent action, otherwise I guess we will need to elect some new blood onto council at the coming election who, hopefully, will have the intestinal fortitude to get these matters attended to.
Yours sincerely,
Max Gregory
RED CROSS SAYS THANKS
RED Cross would like to thank all in the Orange community for joining the many thousands of Australians in March who kindly supported Red Cross Calling.
Orange Red Cross collected on two days and achieved $300.
This helps support the everyday work of Red Cross from daily phone calls to check on the well-being and safety of people living alone; breakfasts for school kids and supporting families trying to rebuild after fires or floods.
Currently Red Cross is assisting people after Cyclone Debbie.
Red Cross will be in the City Plaza on Red Cross Day, Friday, May 5 to provide information on Red Cross activities and invite new members.
For further donations, please call 1800 811 700.