Orange drops $950,000 Redmond Place hangar fit-out as budget, rates are adopted

Orange City Council has adopted its 2026/2027 operational plan, budget, rates, fees and charges, and turned down a $950,000 funding allocation for a Redmond Place Air Hangar fit-out for an indoor playground.

The fees and charges will rise by 3%, subject to any NSW Government changes and later variation processes. Council also adopted the Long-Term Financial Plan, Workforce Management Strategy, Asset Management Strategy, Strategic Policies ST27 and ST28, and the 2026/2027 rating structure and expenditure.

The Redmond Place vote kept the hangar renovation off the funding list for now. Council also asked for a report on a suitable storage facility for service groups at the Showground before the next quarterly review.

During debate, Cr McDonell asked whether the renovation would still be needed if no indoor playground lease was secured. The director of corporate and commercial services said council would likely use the building for a community-focused purpose, but any specific fit-out would be the tenant’s responsibility.

He said the time frame had not been scoped and it was not clear how long tenants could remain safely in the building while external works were being completed.

Cr Ruddy asked about the future for service clubs at the Showground. The director said that would be a matter for council to determine.

The current design would enclose the roller door, move internal doors and remove the small offices, which he said would likely make the building unsuitable for that use.

Council also placed the draft Orange Active Transport Strategy and Implementation Plan and the Orange Open Space and Recreation Strategy and Implementation Plan on public exhibition for at least 28 days. Separately, it adopted Strategic Policy ST47 Procurement and placed ST03 Councillor Expenses & Provision of Facilities and ST20 Community Engagement on public exhibition.

Budget questions in the chamber focused on pressure in the numbers. Councillors queried the use of a 3% CPI assumption while current inflation was higher, and officers said materials and contract costs were rising faster than the fees-and-charges increase.

Officers also said some financial movements reflected prior borrowings and accounting changes, with updated figures to follow adoption.