In particular, the people who have given their time running the caravan and before that the stall in Post Office Lane that has raised thousands of dollars for people in need and helped and supplied equipment that have saved many lives.

What gives you the right to start telling Orange what we should have? People have moved to Orange to get away from all that is suggested in his letter.

Orange must have some very appealing social, living and climate conditions that have enticed some highly skilled medical professionals and others from all over the world, so why change?

Mr Dodds: Orange has done quite well over a long period adapting to the changes required to remain vibrant from gold to agriculture, manufacturing to mining, and now we are the medical centre of the Central West with a vibrant tourism industry.

We already have the newest and largest medical centre in the region. A large apartment block under construction, a large tourist accommodation block approved in the CBD, a boutique motel under construction, and a large medical precinct about to start.

In your letter you made out I had no vision. My comments were based on love of Orange. I have worked for the past 35 years on volunteer committees. My work as a building inspector took me from Lithgow to Broken Hill. I have travelled most of Australia and overseas so I feel that I have a balanced view of what the city may need.

I feel I can make suggestions on the proposed Dalton Building development applications without bias. You may have noticed that I only suggested that objection to the proposal after people read the development application, no forcing my opinion.

If Mr Dodds had followed the saga of the purchase and redevelopment of the old Dalton Building he would realise that the developers had not been open in their intentions in regard to the building.

The original development application, if carried out, would have raised the standard of Post Office Lane and have it suitable for Orange's long winters.

No, Mr Dodds, you do not have to completely change the heart of a city to have it progress through time.

It may have its lean times but usually these times are overcome.