I suspect this is because residents and councillors are unsure how to report a fault, or whose responsibility it is.

We can all assist by reporting faulty lights to Essential Energy or council. I am sure we can all assist in minimising the problem.

On Saturday, July 28 Orange will be hosting the 2018 Regional Tourism Awards at The Greenhouse of Orange at Orange Ex-Services’ Club. There are seven finalists from our area alone, which is further acknowledgement of our region’s growing tourism industry.

On Wednesday, August 1 the 2018 sports awards will take place at Orange Civic Theatre, starting at 6.30pm. All are welcome to attend what is always a proud evening for our city.

Congratulations to Orange Legacy which has just celebrated 70 years of service to our community. This group of unheralded volunteers provide welcome and needed support to widowers and their children.

The street art in Post Office Lane certainly brightens up the space. This was funded by the State government. Given the positive reaction to the mural to date, council is only too happy to hear of any positive proposals.

Great to see the enthusiasm again of Rachael Brooking and her band of volunteers who are planning to again run the redhead day at Wade Park to promote awareness of Huntington’s Disease.

Last year’s attempt to break the record for the number of redheads in one place fell short but proved to be a fantastic family event. This year’s edition will be bigger and better, with a double-decker red bus, singers, and an array of activities for the whole family. The date is Saturday,  September 29.

This Saturday Orange Emus Rugby Union club – in conjunction with Bryan Robertson and his brothers – are organising a rugby day to raise funds for cancer patients in Orange. There will be a ‘legends’ game at 3pm, followed by the Central West first grade fixture kicking off at 5pm. Congratulations to the Robertson boys and Emus for their hard work.

A lot has been said of late about the recognised need for an upgrade in many of our sporting facilities. First off, may I congratulate and thank clubs like Waratahs, Orange City Rugby Union, and Orange Emus Rugby Union as examples of organisations which are run completely by volunteers, who oversee maintenance of the grounds, renovations, meeting-changing regulations and so on.

Imagine the situation if we did not have the work being done by groups such as these.

No doubt there is a need to improve amenities at much-used facilities like Sir Jack Brabham Park, the Orange Hockey Centre, the netball complex inside and outside of Sir Neville Howse Stadium, and numerous others.

Council is always seeking funding for a myriad of projects – including sporting facilities – and it becomes a matter of trying to prioritise the community’s expectations with a limited budget.

Personally, I would just love to see an immediate windfall of say $20 million to put into our recreational and sporting facilities. It would be an interesting debate then to see what are the priorities.

But rest assured we will be following up every possibility to obtain funding, and welcome all substantive comment and ideas.