Newcrest Orange Challenge to benefit city, road closures considered at council meeting

And City of Orange Traffic Committee chair Cr Russell Turner says the move is "nothing we can't handle".

The hugely popular Newcrest Orange Challenge is set to attract around 1500 riders and their families for a series of races around the region's roads on the weekend of March 21-22.

The proposed closures and traffic arrangements - which impact parts of Lords Place, Byng Street, Summer Street, McNamara Lane and Peisley Street at different points - have been approved by the City of Orange Traffic Committee and will be recommended for adoption at next week's Council meeting.

Cr Turner believes hosting such an event, and the economic value such a large scale race holds, will outweigh the short term inconvenience.

The 2020 race will be the fifth year Orange has been the hub for the challenge.

"When these key roads close, there will be an impact for local businesses and residents," Cr Russell Turner said.

"There will be a lot more people in town and there will be benefits for business as these people visit local hotels, cafes, restaurants and our wide range of retail outlets.

"There will also be potential problems, but nothing we can't handle.

"If business operators know about the proposed closures ahead of time, they can assess the impacts for their individual business and plan for those changes. People driving around town can plan to use alternative routes."

Cr Turner said an event like this will be a real shot in the arm for businesses doing it tough as a result of the drought.

He said the road closures also lead into some of the design elements for council's 'Future City' proposal.

"Our Future City proposals are also floating the idea of more pedestrian spaces in the centre of Orange," he added.

"We've had a taste of these options at the latest night markets when a block of Byng Street was closed. Events like this will let us see what it's like to have a block of Summer Street and Lords Place closed temporarily for a special event."

Some of the proposed road closures will be in place throughout the weekend while others will only happen on Saturday or Sunday.

During this period the Lords Place taxi rank will switch to the opposite (western) side of Lords Place.

There will also be a series of rolling closures along side-streets in Moulder St, Coronation Drive and Cargo Road between 6.30am and 9am as the riders leave Orange, and along side-streets in Anson St between 11am and 4pm and the riders re-enter Orange at the end of the races.

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