environment · Orange City Council
Orange school cleared to remove 18-metre gum, with six replacement trees required
Orange Anglican Grammar School can remove a mature Southern Blue Gum from a children’s play area because of safety concerns, but must plant six trees on its grounds and make the treated timber free to the community.
Orange Anglican Grammar School has been permitted to remove an 18-metre mature Southern Blue Gum from a children’s play area because of safety concerns. The approval requires six replacement trees to be planted within the school grounds.
Orange City Council approved the request in a 7-4 vote. Cr S Peterson and Cr K Duffy moved the resolution, which was supported by Cr T Greenhalgh, Cr G Judge, Cr F Kinghorne, Cr S Peterson, Cr M Ruddy and Cr J Stedman.
Mayor T Mileto, Cr D Mallard, Cr M McDonell and Cr G Power voted against the resolution.
The replacement planting must be carried out within the school grounds. A suitable replacement is to be determined with Council’s Manager City Presentation, and must be a minimum 100-litre advanced tree sourced within the Orange region. Six replacement trees are required in total.
The school must also arrange for the tree’s timber to be harvested and appropriately treated so it can be reused for manufacture. The wood must be made available free of charge to the community.
That condition creates a local reuse opportunity for the treated timber, including for woodworkers and community groups. It also adds timber handling and replacement planting to the work required alongside the safety-related removal.
Cr Peterson and Cr Ruddy declared non-significant non-pecuniary interests because they have children attending the school. Cr McDonell made the same declaration because she lives nearby and has extended family attending the school.
No timing was specified for the removal or planting. Orange Anglican Grammar School is responsible for arranging the timber harvesting and treatment, planting the six replacement trees and working with Council’s Manager City Presentation to determine the suitable replacement tree.
Reference minutes
This report is based on Orange City Council’s ordinary council meeting of 1 September 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- Orange City Council approved removal of an 18-metre mature Southern Blue Gum at Orange Anglican Grammar School.
- The tree is in a children’s play area and the stated reason for removal is safety concerns.
- Six replacement trees must be planted within the school grounds.
- The replacement tree must be minimum 100-litre advanced stock sourced within the Orange region.
- The timber must be harvested, appropriately treated and made available free of charge to the community for reuse.
- The resolution passed 7-4, with Cr S Peterson and Cr K Duffy moving it.
- No timeframe was specified for removal or replacement planting.
Why it matters
- The approval addresses a safety concern in a children’s play area while requiring the loss of a mature tree to be followed by six replacement plantings and community access to treated timber.