RESIDENTS have 28 days to decide whether to appeal the domestic violence crisis centre in the NSW Land and Environment Court after a group of five Orange councillors failed to overturn it at Tuesday night's meeting.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Ploughmans Hill group is still considering its legal options after several speakers on the night flagged their intention to pursue the matter further.
Meanwhile, Housing Plus has turned its attention to ensuring the facility opens by the end of the year.
Councillor Glenn Taylor urged his Orange City Council colleagues to accept the rescission motion, saying the key players were in the room.
"[Court action] could delay the process for many, many months, or we could sit down tomorrow morning and get a solution straightaway," he said.
I have never ever seen objectors bring forward a compromise and we as a council don't make the objectors and the developer sit down and talk about the compromise.
- Councillor Jeff Whitton
Councillor Jeff Whitton warned the court would only consider the planning aspects, not the community's desire for a facility.
"I have never ever seen objectors bring forward a compromise and we as a council don't make the objectors and the developer sit down and talk about the compromise," he said.
Councillors Taylor and Whitton were joined by Scott Munro, Kevin Duffy and Sam Romano to support the rescission motion, but mayor Reg Kidd and councillors Russell Turner, Stephen Nugent, Joanne McRae, Mario Previtera and Tony Mileto voted against it.
A subsequent vote to reverse the purchase of a piece of land opposite The Orchard on Ploughmans Lane for a roundabout also failed.
Cr Turner said the issue had been on the agenda for many years and the purchase would enable the council to make the intersection of the Escort Way, Ploughmans Lane and the Northern Distributor safer.
DO YOU WANT MORE ORANGE NEWS?
Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...