The Orange Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Orange City Council is backing plans for a laser show to see in the new year, in a switch from the fireworks of past years. There'll also be a new venue with celebrations planned for Wade Park. Also this week:  a PhD researcher is climbing trees in a council reserve to uncover the secret lives of a vulnerable species of parrot. an internally-recognised librarian retires after...

Send us Fan Mail After a lot of talk and planning, Orange City Council's Future City project to upgrade the CBD, will see the first shovels will be in the ground in the coming week. The start of work highlights the importance of keeping Orange's retail sector in touch with plans to try to avoid potential short-term disruption. This week there's been face-to-face meetings with shop-k...

Send us Fan Mail The introduction of 40km in the main street is only a small piece of the puzzle within Council’s Future City plan, with another exciting change planned for Anson Street. And we hear from Acting CEO Scott Maunder for a wrap of the week.

Send us Fan Mail Following a funding announcement this week plans build a new rail bridge out at Forest Road are back on track, but things are little different this time. And the amount of water in Orange’s dams continued to grow. 

Send us Fan Mail What’s the one landmark that the three neighbouring council areas of Blayney, Cabonne and Orange have in common? It's one item on the list for more co-operation projects as a new alliances gets under way. And, tree crews are launching their annual battle against an invasive beetle that's damaging Orange's Elm trees. 

Send us Fan Mail The recent completion of a new rail overpass bridge put the focus back on a huge project called the Southern Feeder Road. This week’s Council meeting gave the go-ahead for a future stage to happen. And also, Orange City Council hosted its first 'COVID-safe' citizenship ceremony in quite a while.

Send us Fan Mail Orange City Council is building more footpaths than ever, but how to decide which neighbourhoods get new footpaths first? Also, a simple object in a museum evokes strong memories and a rich discussion.

Send us Fan Mail Titled Inherit: old and new histories , Orange Regional Museum’s new long-term exhibition showcases the history of the region. Inherit brings together both familiar and less well-known stories from across the Central West, exploring our region's big events as well as the lives and experiences of everyday people, using more than 100 museum objects to tell these stories. It&apo...

Send us Fan Mail After years of planning and community consultation, a 3-year timetable to upgrade Orange's central shopping area is taking shape. Also this week, predictions that Orange's water storage level would reach the 50 per-cent mark are now reality. We hear from the man who modeled those those predictions months ago.

Send us Fan Mail There's been debate in Orange about the city gradually easing water restrictions, after storage levels in local dams reached the next trigger-point of forty per-cent. Also this week, should Orange's suburbs continue to grow out into surrounding farmland.

Send us Fan Mail There's been a lot of community discussion about the planned new sports precinct on the Bloomfield ste, but now comes news of another sports project on the drawing board.   Also in this program, find out a pilot scheme to install smart water meters across Orange.

Send us Fan Mail During the COVID pandemic, there's many times community members have called for the Council to deliver their choice of solution. But what happens when that call is up to another tier of government? Also today, an indoor pool is about to re-open and a new housing strategy sparks a lot of community interest.

Send us Fan Mail Steady rain,which has boosted moisture levels in the soil, is leading to good run-off into Orange's water storage dams. We check-in with members of the water team to find out which sources of water are making the most difference.

Send us Fan Mail How does Orange City Council make the most of the opportunity when no less than three state government ministers visit Orange in the one week? And why the new sports precinct is going to make a difference for generations to come.

Send us Fan Mail Because Australians can't travel overseas, many are choosing a trip to the regions. Orange's accommodation and restaurant options are being heavily booked in the coming months, and numbers through the door at the local Visitors Centre are through the roof.

Send us Fan Mail Another milestone has been reached towards plans to build a $20 million conservatorium/planetarium in Orange with the lodging the development application (DA) for the project. FInd out why the planetarium and a 250-seat concert hall will be among the best in Australia.

Send us Fan Mail Orange City Council has launched a new 'Retail Recovery' campaign that's aimed at helping stores in Orange come back from the impact of the pandemic. Council Economic Development Committee chair, Cr Tony Mileto, outlines how residents can win a $50 gift card to spend locally. And we hear how shoppers are now browsing more in a local local bookstore.

Send us Fan Mail Orange City Council has just adopted its new budget for the coming financial year, a budget that aims to boosts the local economy with a series of major infrastructure projects. Design work has already begun on one of the projects, a new wetland to expand Orange's pioneering stormwater harvesting scheme.

Send us Fan Mail Orange's Heritage plan from 2012 is being updated. In this episode, why it's happening now, and how residents applying for a DA to restore their heritage home can get free advice from a a heritge architect.

Send us Fan Mail While the focus has been on the COVID-19 pandemic, Orange residents have been steadily doing their bit to response another crisis: the drought. Orange City Council's Technical Services Director Ian Greenham believes the pipeline is making a big difference to turning around Orange's water outlook.

Send us Fan Mail Did you know Orange has no less than three new motels proposed to be built? Find out more from Orange City Council's Development Service Director Mark Hodges. And hear how bricks and bluestone from a building due to be demolished will be used in the new motel.

Send us Fan Mail A wide-ranging 'Future City' plan with more than a hundred individual projects is to set to be discussed by this week's Orange City Council meeting.

Send us Fan Mail Orange City Council will bring community and business leaders together to streamline the recovery from the economic impact of the pandemic. Mayor Reg Kidd wants to hear the ideas from the community.

Send us Fan Mail Orange City Council's draft annual budget is out for community comment.   Council Finance Committee chair, Cr Jeff Whitton, explains why it's worth having the council's first deficit-budget for years to help the local economy recover.

Send us Fan Mail Some of Orange City Council's best-kept secrets are about the range of community services it delivers. Whether it's child care, aged care, youth work or support for people with disability, Council staff and volunteers are helping local residents every day. Community Services Manager Louise Geaghan explains why this work is even more important during the COVD-19 crisis.