Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee - 7 Jul 2026 6:00 PM

Topics

• Council may revisit funding for desexing program after allocation runs out in one day
  Orange Council may review funding for its annual companion-animal desexing program after the current allocation was reportedly used in one day.
  Residents seeking subsidised desexing may face limited access if funding is exhausted quickly; any future increase would have budget implications.
• Previous Environmental Sustainability Community Committee minutes adopted
  Council acknowledged reports and adopted the minutes of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee meeting held on 5 June 2026.
  This confirmed the previous committee record; it did not create a new resident-facing policy or project.

Decisions

• Leave of absence granted
  Council accepted an apology and granted Cr K Duffy leave of absence from the 7 July 2026 meeting.
  This was a procedural decision and did not change a public service or policy.
• Previous Environmental Sustainability Community Committee minutes adopted
  Council acknowledged reports and adopted the minutes of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee meeting held on 5 June 2026.
  This confirmed the previous committee record; it did not create a new resident-facing policy or project.

Discussion

• Review of companion-animal desexing program funding
  The committee discussed whether the annual companion-animal desexing program allocation should be increased or indexed because funding was reportedly exhausted in one day. The CEO indicated the issue could be reviewed and reported back through the Quarterly Budget Review.
  Eligible residents may have more opportunities to access the program if additional funding is supported, but no increase was approved at this meeting.
• User-pays arrangement for Council electric vehicle charging points
  Council operates nine electric vehicle charging points on a user-pays basis, according to the Director Development Services.
  Users of Council-operated charging points are charged for the service; no change to the charging arrangement was decided.

Impacts

• No increase to the companion-animal desexing allocation was approved at the meeting, but the issue may return through the Quarterly Budget Review.
• Residents using Council-operated electric vehicle charging points pay through a user-pays system.
• The meeting did not approve new infrastructure, charges or environmental policy changes.

Places

• Orange (city/service area)
  Council-operated electric vehicle charging points were discussed; nine points operate on a user-pays basis.
• Civic Centre, Byng Street (facility/road)
  Meeting venue.

Next

• Consider and potentially report on the annual companion-animal desexing program allocation through the Quarterly Budget Review.
  Future Quarterly Budget Review; no specific date stated.

Extract

MINUTES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY POLICY COMMITTEE HELD IN COUNCIL CHAMBER, CIVIC CENTRE, BYNG STREET, ORANGE ON 7 JULY 2026 COMMENCING AT 6.22PM 1 INTRODUCTION ATTENDANCE Cr D Mallard (Chairperson), Cr T Mileto (Mayor), Cr T Greenhalgh (Deputy Mayor), Cr G Judge, Cr F Kinghorne, Cr M McDonell, Cr S Peterson, Cr G Power, Cr M Ruddy, Cr J Stedman, Cr J Whitton Chief Executive Officer, Director Corporate & Commercial Services, Director Development Services, Director Community, Recreation & Cultural Services, Director Infrastructure, Manager Corporate Governance, Engagement Lead, Governance Officer 1.1 APOLOGIES AND LEAVE OF ABSENCE RESOLVED - 26/336 Cr J Whitton/Cr T Greenhalgh That...