At the Council meeting on Tuesday 16 June, discussions included the retail development at 86 Summer Street and the Draft IP&R and Budget.
Here are some key decisions.
Retail development – 86 Summer St
Councillors voted to approve the $5.4 million redevelopment at 86 Summer Street. Part of the old building will be removed, but the historic front will stay and be fixed up, with three new shops built behind it. After visiting the site, Council asked for changes, and the developer agreed to keep important street trees, make sure a 12.5m delivery truck can still get into the loading area, and plant more trees along the sides of the building.
Indoor Playground
Councillors have noted the cost of refurbishing the Redmond Place Air Hangar so it can be used as an indoor playground. The estimated renovation cost is $950,100, and approving this work would affect the 2026/27 financial year budget. The proposed works cover basic building upgrades needed to make the space suitable for an indoor playground, but do not include the actual playground fit‑out – that would be paid for by the tenant. Any upgrades made now would also make the building more flexible for other future uses. The expenditure was considered in the budget deliberation later in the meeting. The funds were not included in the budget so work on the hangar will not proceed at this time.
Orange Active Transport Strategy and Implementation Plan
Council has voted to put the Orange Active Transport Strategy and Implementation Plan on exhibition for at least 28 days. The plan lays out Council’s commitment to create more opportunities to walk and ride in Orange over the next 30 years.
Orange Open Space and Recreation Strategy and Implementation Plan
The Orange Open Space and Recreation Strategy and Implementation Plan will be placed on exhibition for at least 28 days. This sets out the 30-year direction for planning, maintaining and delivering a network of open space and recreation facilities across Orange and guides how we care for, enhance and provide new spaces and facilities to meet the needs of our community.
Draft IP&R and Budget
Council has voted on a number of items separately when looking to adopt the 2026/2027 Budget and IP&R documents. Council made the following decisions:
Redmond Place Air Hangar renovation
Councillors passed an amendment to not include the proposed $950,000 renovation of the Redmond Place Air Hangar for an indoor playground in the 2026/27 Budget. Instead, staff are to provide a report before the next quarterly review outlining options for building a storage facility at the Orange Showground.
Adoption of 2026/27 Budget Expenditure and 2026/27 IP&R Documents
Council approved the spending for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, which includes $107,721,348 in General Fund operating costs, $ 20,391,316 for Water and $ 4,878,674 for Sewer. Capital works total $36,009,989 for the General Fund, $ 26,081,827 for Water and $ 15,999,135 for Sewer. Altogether, the budget for all funds comes to $ 221,082,289 for the year.
The draft documents were placed on public exhibition during which three submissions were received. The Delivery Program 2025-2029 and the Operational Plan 2026/2027 show the wide range of services Orange City Council provides to the community These plans cover everything from everyday activities like planting trees through to major, long term projects that will benefit the city for decades. The Operational Plan for 2026/2027 delivers a responsible budget. It continues major projects, completes some already underway, and maintains current service levels. Around these plans is a framework to make sure we can meet the needs and ambitions of the community.
Adoption of 2026/27 Rates
Council approved the rates for the 2026/27 financial year. This includes how much people will be charged and how those charges are worked out for each type of property. The amounts for each category are shown in the table below. Rates are based on land values set on 1 July 2024, along with any updated valuation information provided since then. These rates apply to all rateable land in the Orange Local Government Area.
