Orange City Council is asking the Orange community how they would like to see the Bloomfield Health Precinct developed through an online survey that is open until February 2024.
Orange City Council has engaged consultants EY to prepare a business case to explore ways to unlock the precinct for future development, with a focus on protecting the heritage setting.
The Business Case Project is funded by the NSW Government’s Regional NSW Business Case and Strategy Development Fund.
SITE: Community consultation has begun, part of the development of a business case to guide the future of the Bloomfield health campus.
Orange City Council Planning and Development Committee Chair Cr Jeff Whitton said it was an important site in terms of open space and cultural heritage but would also be a critical element in how health services and other essential community facilities and infrastructure were delivered in the future.
“We want to get some thoughts from the community on what parts of the precinct should be retained, what bits might you be happy to let go and what opportunities would you welcome,” Cr Whitton said.
The Bloomfield Health Precinct is bordered by the Bloomfield Sports and Parklands Precinct to the north, Huntley Road to the east, Bloomfield Road to the south, and Forest Road to the west. The area includes the Orange Health Service, Bloomfield mental health facility, Centre
for Rural & Remote Mental Health, universities, Ronald McDonald House, Western Care Lodge and the southern nine holes of the former golf course.
The development of the business case will consider land use, public space, infrastructure heritage, the environment, building repurposing and economic development opportunities.
The aim is to create a landscape that supports a thriving, innovative and connected Precinct.
Orange Economic Development Community Committee Chair Cr Tony Mileto said it was a complex project dealing with open space, heritage buildings and landscapes, critical services, multiple landowners and users and is home to one of the main engines that drives the Orange region’s economy.
“Health is the major driver and the biggest employer in the Orange economy, and we need to make sure we are ready for new opportunities in the future. This an important precinct. We want to get the balance right between opportunity and locking it away,” Cr Mileto said
In addition to the broader community Council is working with landholders and engaging with key stakeholder to gather information around their current and future needs and to gather feedback into development options for the business case.
The intended outcomes of the business case are:
- To remove barriers to prospective development while protecting the future of the heritage setting
- To co-design a business case that sets out a common vision for future land use
- To craft a sustainable future for the Precinct
The Your Say Orange site on the Bloomfield Health Precinct is open until February 2024.
