Challenges facing Orange City Council in 2023

Residents forked out about $50 million for rates during 2022. In return more than four-billion litres of sewage was processed, 160,000 bins were collected, about 3000 tonnes of waste was recycled, 109 public parks were maintained, dozens of roads and footpaths were repaired, and construction of several major projects commenced.

Council began work on the Lords Place overhaul, broke ground for the new Sports Precinct, installed its first six golden 'spheres', rolled out major infrastructure upgrades, created new off-leash park areas, and purchased the town's first ever giant Christmas tree.

Progress was made on the proposed Mount Canobolas bike track, Adventure Playground rebuild, construction of the conservatorium and planetarium, and expansion of the Ophir Car Park. Council staff are also exploring the possibility of building social housing on Woodward Street.

Negotiations to host major sport events including the Big Bash and NRL began, The Voice to Parliament and dual-naming for Mount Canobolas were endorsed, a disability action plan for Orange was greenlit, and unique police powers aimed at curbing youth crime were renewed under the Parental Responsibility Act.

Almost 600 development applications were processed, including: A major retail and residential complex at the site of the old Kurim Shops, mining laboratory expansion on Leewood Drive, and vast commercial estate at Astill Drive. A private helipad was also given the go-ahead.

The CWD asked Councillors what achievements they were most proud of during the term so far, and the challenges they expect to take centre stage in 2023. Responses are attached in full at the bottom of this page.

Goals flagged for the next 12 months included improving roads, ensuring water security, responding to housing affordability challenges, enacting measures to protect the Orange environment, refining council's communication strategies, and securing funds for ongoing projects including the spots precinct.

Orange City Council spent $103.243 million on its day-to-day operations throughout the most recent 12-month reporting period (covering 1 July, 2021 to 30 June, 2022).

Wages for its 637 staff - and other employee expenses such as superannuation - accounted for almost half that, at $43,994,000. Turnover fell from 25 per cent to 18 per cent.

Orange's 11 elected councillors were paid about $24,000, while the Mayor banked $61,000. CEO David Waddell's salary package totalled $315,173.

Councillor expenses totalled $92,000, comprising: $43,890 for office equipment, $6547 for phone calls, $13,162 attending conferences and seminars, $36,134 for training and skill development, and $121 for child care.

Residents raked out about $50 million in rates. Total ongoing revenue - excluding grants for specific projects - totalled $129.59 million for the year, with service charges accounting for a significant portion.

Popular community groups and events received $101,245 in subsidies via council's donations, grants, and sponsorship programs. Beneficiaries included the Eight-Day Games, National Field Days, Pinnacle Dragon Boat Club, Orange District Girl Guides, and Glenroi Heights Public School.

Big projects attracted the spotlight, but much of council's grunt work comprised routine responsibilities including rubbish collection, sewerage management, park maintenance, pet registrations, graffiti cleaning, road upkeep, urban planning, and infrastructure operation.

About 166,000 household bins - landfill, recycling, and green waste - were collected over the period. Bulky waste - including 687 mattresses - was removed from 7604 homes.

A multi-million dollar infrastructure upgrade commenced at the Orange City Council Wastewater Treatment plant within the Narrambla Industrial Precinct on Phillip Street to increase capacity for predicted population growth of almost 50 per cent by 2060.

Council responded to 299 sewage blockages, 205 sewage overflow complaints, and 10 odour complaints between July, 2021 and August, 2022.

At least 34 sites - including the museum, art gallery, and civic centre - were cleared of graffiti by staff at an estimated cost of about $8130.

Road damage caused by relentless rainfall required about 137 tonnes of cold-mix asphalt to be laid by hand between July and October alone. A figure for the full year is not available.

Resealing was carried out at Anson Street, Roselawn Drive, Margaret Street, Matthews Street, William Street, Pisesly Street, Franklin Road, Gardiner Road, Dalton Street, Hill Street, Icely Road, McLauchlan Street, and Pinnacle Road.

Footpaths were repaired on Byng Street, Kite Street, Clinton Street, Summer Street, Hill Street, March Street, and Peisley Street. New footpaths were installed in March Steer, Forbes Road, Burrendong Way, Park St, Anson Street, Prince Street, Moulder Street, Ploughmans Lane Cycle Path.

About 570 development applications were processed, with a median completion time of 47 days. Planning certificates totalled 1653, and 207 construction certificates were processed with a median time of 35 days.

"This is slightly above the agreed ... however the improvement in processing times occurred in the last half of the reporting period due to the improved quality applications being lodged," the 2022 annual review said.

Mayor Jason Hamling, Deputy Mayor Gerald Power, and Councillors Kevin Duffy, Jack Evans, Glenn Floyd, Tammy Greenhalgh, Frances Kinghorne, Melanie Mcdonell, David Mallard, Tony Mileto, Steven Peterson, And Jeff Whitton were asked:

Which achievements have you been most proud of during the term so far, and what challenges do you expect Orange City Council to face in 2023?

All answers in full below. New responses will be added to this story as they become available.

It's been interesting to ponder the last 12 months, from a councillor perspective and it's been challenging to measure success.

My goal was to have a more diverse and representative group, which we have, and to have a bit more sense & coherence in the chamber debates. I also think that has happened.

The big goals, however, haven't really been achieved yet. There are so many constraints on local government, especially financial and bureaucratic ones. Our roads are still terrible, we don't have any immediately available solutions for the affordable housing problem and the question of water security is still there.

There are things in the pipeline but it's all frustratingly slow.

For me, the biggest issue is limited effectiveness in communication between council and the public. We do have communications officers but I'm not sure that their full range of talents and skills are being utilised. For example, we all know the roads are falling apart and we all know that it's because we've had so much rain but we've failed to adequately explain what we can actually do about it and what the time frames are. We have some great social media commentary on some issues but not every person engages in this way - this particular demographic is still a valuable part of our community and they deserve adequate attempts at communication.

I'd like to see Orange have an on-demand bulky goods pickup (no extra charges) as many other councils do, instead of the set one that makes our city look like a rubbish tip for a month each February.

I'd also like us to make a few changes to the way we invest and borrow money to minimise costs and maximise returns - I do ask about this at every relevant meeting. I sometimes wonder if, as a group - staff and councillors, we forget that it's not our money - it belongs to the people of Orange.

I mentioned that I think having a more diverse Council is a good thing and not in a tokenistic way. I've found that I've improved in listening to alternative viewpoints and trying to understand why others hold those views, leading to more insight into why I hold my particular views. That's been a valuable lesson.

Overall, I really like the group and its range, and I think we can work well together. Now that we newer councillors have a bit more of an idea what's going on and how to navigate the system, we can hopefully get some more initiatives completed over the next 12 months.

I'm proud that we've started tackling the big social, economic and environmental challenges, with a Community Strategic Plan that acknowledges social disadvantage and the housing crisis.

I'm pleased that Council has started looking at doing what we can to deliver social and affordable housing and to address the housing affordability pressures affecting our community, and that Council has been taking strong action on climate including moving toward 100 per cent renewables in 2023.

[This year] we need to do more on policy and action to lead the community in dealing with both climate change and the housing crisis.

Council will also be reviewing the city's Development Control Plan and we need to ensure future development will provide sustainable and liveable neighbourhoods while protecting the natural environment and green space.

Council can also do more to take on social challenges causing harm in our community, working with other levels of government and community organisations to prevent domestic violence and promote community safety.

It's been a very enjoyable first year. It's been a privilege to serve the community. I Learned so much and gained new skills and confidence.

Achievements that stand out include my ongoing work in the Mental Health space with the Mr Perfect BBQs and getting a devoted Mental Health page on the council webpage, Helping save the bird aviary in Cook Park, ongoing support of the youth hub and their goals, and my continued support of the MTB Track on Mt Canobolas.

Some of the big issues in 2023 will be continuing to support the sports precinct and source additional funding, development of water storage alternatives and further development of existing infrastructure, continued support of the Lords Place redevelopment and Ophir Carpark development, road funding and affordable housing.

I look forward to working with councillors and staff to keep moving Orange forward and I will continue to be open and transparent.

It's been an exciting term with lots of learning, making it through is a good achievement itself. Really happy with the progress Councillor McDonell and I have made with the Lucknow committee, securing funding for a food bath adjacent to the highway. I'm looking forward to seeing work start on this.

I've enjoyed working with council staff and councillors on the sleepbus working group. We have engaged with community organisations in this area and received good feedback. The end result may be different to the original plan, but we are continuing to work to tackle a challenging problem in our community. The staff have been fantastic.

We've had discussions about maintaining the agriculture Pavilion at the Showground. We've been able to find some funds to do a structural report and the resulting works. I am excited about the future of this building.

Overseeing the infrastructure policy committee meeting has been of great benefit, understanding how different parts of the city work. I look forward to continuing in this role.

I've been working on a project at the airport potentially attracting a new route, working with my colleagues in the business chamber network. I can't say too much on this but the potential outcome is exciting. Watch this space. We have a great facility out there and the staff are doing fantastic work.

Cr Greenhalgh and I have been investigating options for the future of the function centre. We endeavour to keep pushing this forward to get substation investment.

Once the basic structural work to the ag pavilion is complete I'd like to investigate options that will turn it into a multipurpose venue for our community to use comfortably all year round. Maybe for small functions? Think Cowra's fantastic asset at their showground.

At its core these three areas are about making our existing, long standing assets work for us and investing in their growth.

One thing I am happy about personally is having my idea for information on council expenditure to be included on rates notices being approved by council. I think this will give ratepayers a better idea of where the money goes, and be a good starting point for debates on if we should share out the money differently.

Water security and infrastructure is a crucial responsibility of council. I would like 2023 to end with a clear plan about what we want and how council plans to make it happen.

Council has had significant external funds promised for pothole repair and road maintenance. The year looks like a drier year than last year. This money and window of opportunity needs to be managed wisely by Council to improve our road infrastructure.

The state election is coming up. I mentioned this last year to little success, but it is not too late to create a list of priorities that council wants from state government. We should seek comments from all candidates before the election as to whether they support these priorities and how they would try to achieve them if elected.

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