The biggest thing in my involvement with council is my decision to "take a break" after nearly 32 years as a councillor and several years as elected mayor and the honour of being Orange's first popularly elected mayor.
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This year we are celebrating two key milestones for our city. Firstly, 75 years since we were declared a city and shortly after it's also 175 years since we were proclaimed with the name of Orange.
The next council term will be less than three years and in that time we will see federal elections (next year) and then state elections the year after.
A good time to have a break, the past four years have been absolutely full-time for me,and we now have a new CEO,and a majority of new directors heading up the important key areas of council.
Council also has an external risk and audit committee to enhance council's accountability and transparency. I was amazed to see that the government has awarded the contract for rural and remote mental health to a company called Grand Pacific Health that is located at Wollongong.
I have not got the full details yet but I can say Orange City Council supported the Centre of Rural and Remote Health (RAMP) being centred at Bloomfield and know the excellent service it has provided throughout NSW.
Orange also co-hosted the Mental Health forum in Orange earlier in the year with the minister Bron Taylor and has hosted the Commissioner for Mental Health.
We want to know why the contract has gone to Wollongong, what effect does that have on the centre located here in Orange (with the presence of four universities, a state-of-the-art public hospital, two private hospitals, a large cohort of health practitioners, a new medical school and not forgetting Bloomfield Hospital that was set up for mental health.
I will certainly pursue answers to why and what effect that has on the excellent service and administration out of Orange.
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This Friday I will be attending state parliament to meet with several ministers on a range of projects and issues. I must thank local MLC Sam Farraway for organising this as it is very difficult to see parliamentarians in the last sitting weeks of the year.
Yesterday I launched a mile-running event that our federal member has obtained funding for Orange to conduct. I am sure all the "running groups" in Orange will be looking forward to this event and it does enforce the need for an all-weather athletic stadium requirement for Orange.
I am amazed by the mis-information being promulgated in relation to Mount Canobolas. Firstly there has hardly been a whisper on the two million dollars that Cabonne and Orange councils had part in securing for NPWS for urgently required structural maintenance and enhancement. Both Kevin Beattie and I met with minister Kean as an overseeing working group and we met with senior NPWS staff on progress. Yes there is a proposal to look at the possibility of mountain biking but that has to go through some very rigorous environmental and cultural investigations by recognised experts. It must be emphasised that this is to help in preservation of significant flora, fauna and any cultural artefacts or sites, which I am sure everybody wants.
Let us find out what does exist, how we can all work together to preserve what may exist, and how the mountain can be managed better for future generations.
I am sure the greater majority of the Orange community do not want 'green politics' being a major driver in local decisions and sustainable growth and wellbeing of our community.
Perhaps there are local council elections pending?
I do know, however, that invasion by weeds and vertebrate pests is having a very detrimental effect to what exists at Mount Canobolas and there is a need for ongoing resources (financial and staff) to maintain and enhance the mountain.
As for lack of consultation, once again I find this offensive as staff are not trying to hide or push any agenda, but individuals or groups who do not agree use the old lemon "lack of consultation".
It is also demeaning folk to indicate that they are not conservationist or environmentalists and do not "know or care".
You do not have to be a member of the Greens or a specific lobby group to care about your environment, its enhancement or its place in our sustainable growth.
The restrictions in place for COVID-19 have been further lifted but can I encourage folk to be sensible, observe the rules that do apply and to test at the first sign of any symptoms.
Also, perhaps consider in future the use of the rapid antigen tests (I know my family will be).
Orange is very busy at present with lots of visitors. I had a wonderful weekend with family members here to visit my mother-in-law, who they have not been able to see for many months.
It was great. We will have to learn to live with COVID, so there is a need to be vigilant and supportive of each other and our community.
I thank personally everyone who has been involved in seeing Orange "lead by example", Some exciting things are happening in Orange between now and Christmas which I will expand on in my next column.
