People have been invited to a public forum to discuss plans for the proposed $25 million sporting precinct at Jack Brabham Park.
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The forum will be held at Orange City Council Chambers at 5.30pm on Tuesday, January 19.
The development application to remove the trees, on the northern end abutting Sir Jack Brabham Park, is on exhibition for community comment until February 5.
Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said the development application to be discussed was focused on plans to remove the trees and the site selection, it was not a development application for the entire sporting precinct deign.
"Due to the size of the $25 million dollar development, which includes a new grandstand, a marquee field, eight new sporting fields and a specialist athletics track planning approval for the project is being handled progressively in stages," Cr Kidd said.
"I'd like to make it clear the sports precinct would not be built in older-growth areas alongside the hospital, but in a former cleared area that was planted during the 1980s with Radiata pine to mark out the fairways of a golf course.
"Essentially we're hoping to trade one sporting facility, a golf course, with another."
The report of an independent environmental consultant is part of the DA. The consultant's assessment of the 28-hectare site alongside the Jack Brabham sporting fields, between Forest Road and Huntley Road, has found the site contains approximately 1,028 trees and shrubs (794 trees and 234 shrubs).
Mayor Kidd is hoping the community forum will help provide clarity on the project.
"There had been a lot of misunderstanding about the project, mostly concern about its location, but I'm pleased to hear that many people in the community have taken time to look at the development application and have taken time to consider their views on the matter," he said.
"This community forum is designed to answer any further questions the community has.
"Most of the criticism I've heard so far is from people worried about the loss of trees in an area alongside the hospital. But that's not where the sports precinct will be built.
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"Maps in the DA, which is now available for people to look at, make it clear we're proposing the new grandstand and new sporting fields are built alongside Jack Brabham Park. We have no plans for any development in the area alongside the hospital.
"The proposed new sports precinct is nowhere near the designed landscaped grounds of Bloomfield hospital. This area was not part of Bloomfield Hospital. In fact it's several hundred metres from the hospital, and basically is not in view of the hospital.
"The trees to be removed will be harvested by a manufacturer and turned into goods for resale. Anything which can't be harvested will be mulched and used in gardens around the city."
The development application can be viewed online through Orange City Council's website.
Residents who would like to attend the community forum should RSVP to rmeacham@orange.nsw.gov.au by 5pm on January 18.
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