All three Orange City councillors who have called for a rescission motion on council's approval of the Turner Crescent childcare centre won't be present for the debate on Tuesday night.
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An extraordinary meeting to hear the debate was announced last Wednesday after council deferred the motion at the previous night's meeting.
Councillor Kevin Duffy told the Central Western Daily he could not attend due to family reasons, Cr Glenn Taylor said he was unavailable due to health reasons while Cr Jeff Whitton said he could not attend due to "late notice and work" commitments.
It will now require other councillors to move the notice of rescission. The debate will also lack the motion's key supporters.
Cr Duffy said the debate on the childcare centre should have been held at the next council meeting on October 22.
Cr Taylor said he was "absolutely livid" about the situation.
However, Orange mayor Reg Kidd said the extraordinary meeting was called on "staff and legal advice. It's up to councillors to attend [meetings]. When you are elected you know what the commitments are," he said.
Local resident Graeme Scott said some residents could also not attend because they were away in the school holidays.
He said they had understood the debate had been deferred to October 22.
"The only councillors for it will be away," he said.
Mr Scott said he would speak at the meeting and residents were trying to organise other speakers.
He said they wanted access to the childcare centre from Molong Road instead of Turner Crescent.
The motion was deferred last week to seek clarification after a resident told council Regional Roads minister Paul Toole had indicated to him he might be able to raise the access issue with Roads and Maritime Services.
However, Mr Toole has subsequently sent a letter to council saying the issue was a council matter.
"I indicated [to the resident] that if Orange City Council wanted [the RMS] to look at a different of access then that may happen if they were asked, but this was no guarantee that would get approval onto another road," he said.
"Having spoken to Roads and Maritime Services it would seem unlikely for this to change. [The RMS] have indicated their position has not changed.
"Therefore this development application is a matter for [OCC] to consider."
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David Fitzsimons
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
I am a senior journalist at the Central Western Daily concentrating on council, government and real estate issues. Before moving to Orange I filled senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and the Daily Mirror in Sydney. They included being an editor, news editor, chief of staff and reporter.
