ORANGE City Council will turn to its neighbours on future options for industrial land for the region after withdrawing a rezoning proposal near Orange Airport.
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Applause filled the full chamber on Tuesday night as councillors held a parliamentary-style division, defeating the proposal eight councillors to three.
Councillor Scott Munro put forward the rescission motion to reverse the previous council’s decision to rezone 114 hectares of primary production and environmental management land from being rezoned to light industrial and business park in June.
“Over the last five years as a councillor, this council has purchased land out at the airport – the understanding to me was it was needed for a buffer zone only,” Cr Munro said.
“If I had been told this, that it would be industrial, I would never have supported the purchase of that land.”
Cr Munro said he had member for Orange Phil Donato and most of the council election’s 88 candidates opposed the rezoning.
“Please listen to the people, listen to common sense, don’t risk our economy or the environment,” he said.
“There is no business plan, there is no contractual agreement with anyone to do with the airport precinct – there is no interest at all that absolutely must go to the airport.”
Councillor Stephen Nugent believed it was time to start again, saying three of the council’s six aims in its Local Environmental Plan did not complement the proposal and proceeding lessened the likelihood of the former Electrolux site and the saleyards being redeveloped.
“In my view, it doesn’t implement the principles of ecologically sustainable development, it doesn’t conserve and enhance water resources on which Orange depends and it doesn’t manage rural land as an environmental resource,” he said.
“We’ve seen repeated examples of where developments are approved, then rules aren’t followed and we have issues with contamination.”
Councillor Russell Turner opposed the rescission motion, pointing out the extension of the runway met little opposition despite taking up agricultural land.
“The land we have purchased in total is barely one viable farm,” he said.
He said land opposite Wentworth Golf Club, Shiralee, Westlea and Orange High School were all former orchards and dairy farms.
“Should they have not gone ahead?” he said.
Cr Turner said much of Orange was on the water table and he believed it could be protected, with the NSW Department of Primary Industries satisfied with ground water monitoring and reticulating water and sewerage.
Councillor Glenn Taylor put forward an amendment to suspend the proposal for more reports to come back.
“If we knock this, we’re essentially saying we’re closed for business,” he said.
“We haven’t contaminated water yet.”
However, councillors withdrew it completely.
Mayor Reg Kidd said it needed to be put to bed.
“I haven’t been knocked down in a rush by people or businesses saying if this doesn’t go ahead, we’ll all be ruined, nobody,” he said.
Councillor Kevin Duffy moved to review the Blayney Cabonne Orange sub-regional strategy and seek state government funding to complete it.