Water & environment · Orange City Council
Orange school gets approval to remove 18m gum, with six trees to replace it
Orange Anglican Grammar School may remove a mature Southern Blue Gum from a children’s play area after councillors backed the request 7-4, subject to replacement planting and timber-reuse conditions.
Reporting from public council minutes. How this article was prepared
Orange Anglican Grammar School has been permitted to remove an 18-metre mature Southern Blue Gum from a children’s play area, with Orange City Council requiring six replacement trees to be planted on the school grounds.
The resolution says the removal is sought because of safety concerns. It also requires the school to arrange for the tree’s wood to be harvested and appropriately treated for reuse in manufacture, then made available free of charge to the community.
A suitable replacement to be planted in the tree’s place is to be selected with Council’s Manager City Presentation. That replacement must be minimum 100-litre advanced stock sourced within the Orange region.
The motion was moved by Cr S Peterson and seconded by Cr K Duffy and passed seven votes to four. Cr T Mileto, Cr D Mallard, Cr M McDonell and Cr G Power voted against it.
Cr Peterson and Cr M Ruddy declared non-significant non-pecuniary interests because they had children attending the school. Cr McDonell made the same type of declaration because she lived nearby and had extended family attending the school.
The public minutes do not record when the tree will be removed, when replacement planting will occur or how the treated timber will be distributed. They record permission and conditions, not completion of any of the work.
What deserves a closer look
The minutes record permission and conditions but do not record a timetable or completion of the removal, planting or timber-reuse arrangements.
The minimum 100-litre advanced-stock condition refers to the suitable replacement to be planted in the removed tree's place; it is not expressly applied to all six replacement trees.
Questions for follow-up reporting
When will the school remove the tree and plant the six replacement trees?
What replacement tree or trees will be selected with Council's Manager City Presentation?
How will the treated timber be made available to community users?
What happens next
The school is to plant six replacement trees within its grounds.
The school is to arrange harvesting and appropriate treatment of the tree's wood for reuse and make it available free of charge to the community.
A suitable replacement to be planted in the tree's place is to be determined with Council's Manager City Presentation and be minimum 100-litre advanced stock sourced within the Orange region.
Check the record
These passages were matched to the source text. Read them in context in the original minutes.
Resolution 26/496 permitted Orange Anglican Grammar School to remove an 18-metre mature Southern Blue Gum from a children's play area due to the school's safety concerns and required six replacement trees within the school grounds. The resolution required the school to arrange for the wood to be harvested and appropriately treated for reuse in manufacture, and required the wood to be made available free of charge to the community.
RESOLVED - 26/496 Cr S Peterson/Cr K Duffy 1 That the Orange Anglican Grammar School be permitted to remove a 18m tall mature Southern Blue Gum (Eucalyptus Globulus ) tree located in a children's play area due to safety concerns from the school 2 That six (6) replacement trees be planted within the school grounds 3 That Orange Anglican Grammar School ensure a process is implemented to ensure that the wood from the tree is harvested and appropriately treated to enable it to be reused for manufacture 4 That the wood be made available free of charge to the community;
Resolution 26/496, item 4.2, conditions 1-2
Open original minutes ↗The quoted clause calls for a suitable replacement to be determined in conjunction with Council's Manager City Presentation and to be minimum 100-litre advanced stock sourced within the Orange region.
and 5 That a suitable replacement be determined in conjunction with Council's Manager City Presentation to be planted in its place and such replacement is to be a minimum 100L advanced stock sourced within the Orange Region.
Resolution 26/496, condition 5
Open original minutes ↗The recorded vote lists seven councillors for and four against, with Cr T Mileto, Cr D Mallard, Cr M McDonell and Cr G Power against.
For: Cr T Greenhalgh (Deputy Mayor), Cr K Duffy, Cr G Judge, Cr F Kinghorne, Cr S Peterson, Cr M Ruddy, Cr J Stedman Against: Cr T Mileto (Mayor), Cr D Mallard, Cr M McDonell, Cr G Power Absent: Cr J Whitton *Cr Judge left the meeting with the time being 10.16pm* 5 GENERAL REPORTS 5.1 DISABILITY INCLUSION ACTION PLAN 2026-2030 - POST-EXHIBITION TRIM REFERENCE: 2026/1273 RESOLVED - 26/497 Cr D Mallard/Cr G Power That Council adopt the Blayney Cabonne Orange Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2026-2030.
Resolution 26/496 vote, before item 5.1
Open original minutes ↗Cr Peterson, Cr Ruddy and Cr McDonell declared non-significant non-pecuniary interests connected with the school matter.
For: Cr T Mileto (Mayor), Cr T Greenhalgh (Deputy Mayor), Cr F Kinghorne, Cr D Mallard, Cr M McDonell, Cr S Peterson, Cr G Power, Cr M Ruddy, Cr J Stedman, Against: Cr K Duffy, Cr G Judge Absent: Cr J Whitton ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES 1 SEPTEMBER 2026 Page 6 4.2 NOTICE OF MOTION - TREE REMOVAL REQUEST - ORANGE ANGLICAN GRAMMAR SCHOOL TRIM REFERENCE: 2026/1701 Cr Peterson declared a Non-Significant Non-Pecuniary Interest in this item as he has a child that attends the school. Cr Ruddy declared a Non-Significant Non-Pecuniary Interest in this as she has a child that attends the school. Cr McDonell declared a Non-Significant Non-Pecuniary Interest in this as she resides nearby and has extended family that attends the school.
Item 4.2 declarations, after the vote on the meeting extension
Open original minutes ↗Source record
Reporting from the public minutes of Orange City Council’s ordinary meeting held on 1 September 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- Council’s 1 September 2026 resolution permitted removal of an 18-metre mature Southern Blue Gum from a children’s play area at Orange Anglican Grammar School due to safety concerns.
- Six replacement trees must be planted within the school grounds.
- The tree’s wood must be harvested and appropriately treated for reuse, then made available free of charge to the community.
- A suitable replacement to be planted in the tree’s place must be determined with Council’s Manager City Presentation and be minimum 100-litre advanced stock sourced within the Orange region.
- The motion passed with seven votes for and four against; no removal or planting timeframe was recorded.
Why it matters
- A school play area may lose a mature tree over recorded safety concerns, while the approval requires six replacement plantings and community access to treated timber.