Orange City Council’s draft budget has set aside $4,152,000 in the 2017-18 budget for water infrastructure and $2,071,000 for sewer infrastructure.

Spring Hill and Surrounds Community Consultative Committee spokeswoman Anne Salter was concerned given the NSW Department of Planning (DoP) was yet to decide whether to rezone 114 hectares of primary production and environmental management land within the water catchment to a mix of industrial and business. 

“Especially considering that the entire proposal goes against all the planning strategies including the recent [draft] Central West and Orana Regional Plan,” she said.

Ms Salter attended a hearing for the parliamentary inquiry into rural and regional water supply last week, although the group did not present on the project.

“It’s clear land identified as strategic agricultural land with naturally-available water … should be preserved to reduce the demand on water,” she said.

The council is yet to report back to councillors on public feedback from January.

If councillors give the project the go-ahead, the DoP will have the final say on the plan.

It has been in talks, subject to a confidentiality agreement, with an interested party looking to create 650 jobs. 

Council spokesman Nick Redmond said any amounts in the budget were a statement of intentions and priorities, and the funding in question would ensure the project was equipped like any other business park in Orange.

“The council has a clear, and well-argued proposal,” he said.

“The council believes this project is important for its potential economic benefits and jobs creations. If it is approved, it would make no sense to wait another 12 or 18 months for the next budget cycle to deliver funding for it.”

Mr Redmond said the proposal could not proceed before all necessary community consultation and government approvals had been obtained.