Orange Council, in its task of designating the residential future of the Orange area, has the obligation of ensuring vision, and the adequate protection of the valuable assets the area has.
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Whilst a great deal of protection of our lands and waterways are protected by regulatory guidance it is at the local level that implementation of the legislated policies are manipulated.
The area around Spring Terrace, Spring Hill, and Springside has some of the most valuable designated Biophysical Strategic Agricultural Land simply because of its strong ability to produce agricultural products.
As such, the obligation is to ensure the protection of this agricultural land so those who produce the foods we rely on are able to continue to utilise their land productively.
The area also has the most pristine groundwater water supply which is close to the soil surface and is, therefore, very prone to degradation through intensive residential or industrial development.
Water is the most precious thing we have and any form of intensive residential development in the area would inevitably lead to pollution, and irreparable damage to these valuable waterways.
While it is acknowledged that human nature would be very aware of the financial potential of pursuing residential opportunities within the proposed Spring Terrace and Spring Hill areas, the opportunity is on the Council to take a stand by choosing to protect its waterways and agricultural land for the future, and designate residential occupancy elsewhere in the Orange area that is not so sensitive to vulnerability.
Susannah Playfair
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