Northern Development- Shopping Centre

During my time as a Councillor I have been required to make important decisions along with 11 other fellow Councillors. On the 17th September we were faced with a decision to choose one of the 3 remaining sites as a preferred shopping centre located in the north of Orange. Remembering when this was first put to us some time back I stated along with Cr Stevenson that I would only support a Green Gate type complex because I believed if it was any bigger then it would jeopardize the Central Business District.

I did not support the request for site 1 made to me by some of the people in the Orange community and these are my reasons why:

1. When the submission first went on display we received approximately 70 letters with most of those from concerned citizens about the close proximity of the Adventure Playground to the shopping complex. I took this information on board and noted after consultation with Council staff that site 3 (Coles) was 375m away as apposed to 320m to the site 1 (Woolworths). This is my first reason for supporting site 3.

2. I spoke with community people and some community groups who believed that site 3 shopping complex would be placed on the top side of the area closer to the Botanical Gardens near Hill st. After a site inspection which I have spoken about previously we found and saw with the flag placed in site, that the building was in fact on the lower side. It did not impact any more than the houses nearby on the view to Mount Canobolas. After gaining a better understanding from the site inspection I could find no reason to regress from the recommendation in the Ingham's report with site 3 as the preferred site.

3. Site 1 map that was given to us as Councillors had in clear print a 2.992 ha of land adjacent to the proposed concept plan listed as Community uses/Future Retail. Remembering that I said in the beginning that I would not support anything bigger than a Green Gate store I could not support this site as there will always be the opportunity in the future for someone to do just that and further develop this shopping area. I couldn't put my name to this as I feel in the future the South will be developed with the new Hospital and no doubt there will be some form of a Green Gate shopping area required. If these two shopping areas were to become to big then I believe it will impact the Central Business District which could become a ghost town.

4. Environmentally I had a concern about the green area with well established trees and plants that were located on site 1 and the fact that no-one has commented on what their future will hold given that they are not displayed in the concept plan. Will these be cut down and destroyed ? if so again I questioned at the Council meeting the consistency as a Council given that with other developments in town we have requested that the plants/trees remain. Site 3 did not require the removal of trees.

5. Council spent 30 to 40 thousand dollars of rate payers money for expert, independent, professional advice from people who specialise in this area of expertise. The consultants recommended site 3. I feel very uncomfortable that the recommendation advise was dismissed and literally that money has been thrown away.

6. Orange City Council have invested a considerable amount of money into the development of the Northern Distributor road so that there could be a main thorough fair for heavy vehicles to by pass Summer street. We will now (after site 1 being voted on by the majority) encourage a turning area on and off this road with increased traffic flow that comes with a shopping complex situated on site 1. My understanding was that the Northern Distributor was built also to produce a quicker route around Orange.

7. After visiting the site 1 area I was concerned to see how close the proximity to the Adventure Playground was. I now worry for the future and can only hope that people will not see fit to try and cross the Northern Distributor on foot to access the play ground and shops.

I feel it important to give my reasoning as to why I stayed with the recommendation as in the Leyshon report at the meeting of the 17th September. I will be keeping a close eye on the development and can only hope that with the possibility of new Councillors in the future that they will not see fit to support further shopping development in that area. My reasoning being that I would hate to jeopardise the locally owned businesses in the Central Business District.