Up to 10 people will be able to speak in a public forum before the fate of about 250 trees at Bloomfield is decided.
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Orange City Council has decided to hold a single-issue extraordinary meeting at 7pm on Monday, June 28 to decide whether to knock down the trees to make way for work to start on its $25 million sports precinct.
Mayor Reg Kidd said up to five people would be able to speak for, and up to five against, the removal of the trees.
[It] will only be deciding on the removal of trees in two areas
- Orange City Council statement
He said people wanting to address the meeting needed to register with the council.
The Heritage Council of NSW ruled earlier this month it approved the removal of trees in the vicinity of the construction work.
A council statement said that would only affect about 250 of the 513 trees proposed to be removed from the area.
"As a result, Monday's meeting will only be deciding on the removal of trees in two areas at either end of the site, in the immediate area of the main football stadium and the athletics track," it said.
The stadium fronts Forest Road while the athletics track is on the Huntley Road side of the former golf course land.
"The Heritage Council has asked for a landscape master plan to be provided for the rest of the site before it considers the removal of other trees.
"It's expected Orange City Council would consider another DA to remove trees on the rest of the site later in the year, after the Heritage Council has considered the matter."
Cr Kidd said if the tree removal was supported at next Monday's meeting, work would start to remove the trees within weeks.
The council has received about 170 submissions from the public about the tree removal plan. However, the public exhibition period has now ended meaning no more submissions can be accepted.
Cr Kidd said any petitions still being collated in the community therefore could not be used as part of council's determination.
He said he was aware of one petition being collated by sports groups in favour of the project which had many signatures.
Meanwhile, another petition opposed to the development of the Bloomfield site, has gained about 1500 signatures.
Cr Kidd said he encouraged people who instead wanted to address council on the subject to register for the public forum.
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