Bastick Cottage integral part of Orange's Cook Park upgrade: Cr David Mallard

Produced by Orange-based Adaptive Architects, the report, which lays out the future direction for one of Orange's most popular landmarks, is now in the hands of Orange City Council's Parks Trees and Waterways Community Committee.

Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee Chair Cr David Mallard said the plan would be carefully considered before steps are taken toward seeking funding for stages of the plan.

"They basically provided a whole bunch of visions and options for things we could do to make the park even better," Cr Mallard said.

"That includes accessibility upgrades, so making the park and the buildings and everything [in it], places that everybody can come and enjoy, I think that's really important."

Cook Park was recently listed as an item on the State Heritage Register, and is described in the report as the finest example of a Victorian era urban park in regional NSW.

However the report identifies areas where improvements are needed, and not just for upkeep.

"They've got restoration work in there that needs doing, gates, fencing, the rotunda and so on ... and talking about ways that you could transform parts of the park and that includes bringing the experience of the Cottage and that area, the propagation rooms, back to more like it used to be by moving some of the buildings away from there," Cr Mallard said.

Protecting the 1887 Bastick Cottage brickwork with drainage work and removing a garden is part of the plan as is better recognising the importance of the space around the quaint little building.

The report puts forward a concept plan for a courtyard between the cottage and propagating house, a tea room respecting the character of the cottage and removing the surrounding council work shed and the toilet block.

Conserving the 1905 propagation building and making its interior visible to patrons in the adjacent courtyard is also suggested.

"And also opening up the western side of the park a bit, they've talking about removing or relocating the aviary and opening the path so you have the access lines going that way," Cr Mallard said.

"And then the idea of maybe having something down near the pond, the idea of potentially a mobile coffee shop to try to make it a more attractive place and more enjoyable for residents and visitors as well."

Cook Park's Blowes Conservatory, the Fernery and the duck pond have all recently been upgraded.

"It's already a wonderful park and the report makes clear it's probably the best example of this type of park in regional NSW so it's pretty special.

"But what the report's giving us is a range of options for things we could do to improve it.

"Certainly we're not going to plough in and do all those things straight away.

"I absolutely think that accessibility upgrades are important and obviously Cr Peterson had a motion relating to that and I've had feedback from community members around that as well," Cr Mallard said, referring to Cr Steve Peterson's request council consider providing gaps in the metal edging to grass areas, which make it difficult for wheelchair or pram access.

"It's not just about the paths and edges but the sunken garden, accessibility to the toilets, the cottage, everything. Those sorts of upgrades definitely make it more inclusive for residents and more attractive for visitors.

"They're all ideas that we can look at, we can see what the community thinks and the Parks, Trees and Waterways Community Committee will be able to talk about it but then we've obviously got to look at what we can fund.

"The consultation now, is what are the priorities for the first things to do to improve the park."

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