Recreation & Culture Policy Committee - 4 Aug 2026 6:00 PM

Topics

• Council awaits police update after vandalism fire at Orange community garden
  A fire caused by vandalism at a community garden has been reported to police, but Council says it has received no investigation update.
  Community members may want to know whether the facility is safe, what damage occurred and whether repairs or security measures are planned.

Decisions

• Arts Out West report acknowledged
  Council resolved 26/412 to acknowledge the Arts Out West report and attachments. No further action, funding decision or policy change was recorded.
  The report was formally received, but the minutes do not identify a new service, project, funding allocation or change for residents.

Discussion

• Community garden vandalism and fire
  A councillor asked whether there had been an update on vandalism that caused a fire at the community garden. The Director Community, Recreation & Cultural Services advised that a police report had been filed, but Council had not received any further update.
  Residents may be concerned about safety, damage and the status of the investigation, although no repair or prevention measures were announced.
• Arts Out West
  The committee considered and acknowledged the Arts Out West report and attachments. A councillor declared a non-significant non-pecuniary interest because a mural depicting an Indigenous edible garden was aligned directly to his business and did not participate in the item.
  The minutes provide no new project commitment, funding decision or operational change relating to Arts Out West.

Impacts

• No new funding, policy change, service change, infrastructure decision or planning outcome was recorded.
• The reported community-garden fire remains subject to a police investigation, with no further update available to Council at the meeting.

Places

• Orange (locality)
  The meeting was held for Orange City Council.
• Community garden (community facility)
  A community garden affected by vandalism and a fire was discussed; the minutes do not identify its specific name or location.

Next

• Police investigation into the community-garden vandalism and fire continues, with Council awaiting an update.
  Not specified

Extract

MINUTES OF THE RECREATION & CULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE HELD IN COUNCIL CHAMBER, CIVIC CENTRE, BYNG STREET, ORANGE ON 4 AUGUST 2026 COMMENCING AT 6.56 PM 1 INTRODUCTION ATTENDANCE Cr T Greenhalgh (Deputy Mayor)(Chairperson), Cr T Mileto (Mayor), Cr K Duffy, Cr G Judge, Cr F Kinghorne (AudioVisual Link), Cr D Mallard, 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 Community, Recreation & Cultural Services, Acting Director Infrastructure (Gailey), Acting Manager Development Assessment (Weir), Senior Planner (Yates), Communications Lead, Manager Corporate Governance, Governance Officer (M...