All water restrictions in Orange should be lifted immediately to give residents a break, a councillor has claimed.
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Cr Scott Munro is calling for the restrictions, currently at Level 2, to be lifted.
He said local gardens needed renewal after years of drought and 10 months of tough Level 5 restrictions.
"We're on Level 2. What's that mean, it's odds and evens. Let's open it up," he said.
"[You] can't keep pushing your thumb down on the public for water use."
Cr Munro said water storage levels were increasing and there were forecasts of continuing rain through spring.
He said Orange residents had shown they were responsible with limiting water use and he believed that would continue.
"Why don't we give them a break. Don't be silly with the water. People aren't suddenly going to change dramatically. Treat it with respect," he said.
Cr Munro said the situation could be reviewed in December and possibly again in March to ensure Orange's water levels were being maintained.
He said he would introduce a notice of motion calling for the removal of restrictions at council's meeting next week.
However, the mayor Cr Reg Kidd, said Level 2 restrictions should be retained.
Cr Kidd said Level 2 allowed for most forms of watering every second day on an odds and evens basis according to residential house numbers.
"They are just minimal restrictions," he said.
Cr Kidd said the city's appearance was not suffering due to water restrictions.
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"We've still got beautiful gardens. I can't see it interfering with any businesses," he said.
Cr Kidd said there was no need for people to be watering lawns or washing concrete and hard surfaces.
Currently people can water, on the odds and evens basis, their lawns and gardens with watering systems, non-fixed sprinklers, hand held hoses, microsprays, drip systems and soaker hoses between 6am-9am and 6pm-9pm.
Filling pools and washing cars with a bucket and hose-rinse in set hours is also allowed.
The combined storage level of Suma Park and Spring Creek dams is at 62.71 per cent, which is the highest since May 2018.
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