funding · Orange City Council
Orange puts draft 2026-27 budget on public exhibition
Residents will be able to review and comment on Orange City Council’s proposed 2026-27 spending and services after councillors voted to exhibit the draft budget for at least 28 days.
Orange City Council has moved its draft 2026-27 budget to public exhibition, opening a formal feedback period on the council’s proposed spending and services for the next financial year.
At its 21 April meeting, councillors voted to place the Operational Plan, Draft Budget 2026-2027 on exhibition for a minimum of 28 days. The same meeting also sent a revised procurement policy out for exhibition after deleting Strategic Policy ST109, Buy Local, and folding its intent into ST47, Procurement.
For residents and ratepayers, the immediate change is that the draft budget will now be available for public review and submissions. The minutes do not set out the full budget detail in the resolution itself, but the exhibition period gives the public a chance to examine council’s proposed priorities before the plan is finalised.
Discussion recorded in the minutes shows councillors also raised questions about the general fund deficit, operating performance ratio, borrowing capacity, unrestricted reserves and the infrastructure backlog ratio. In response, the chief executive officer said savings to reach a nil deficit would need to come from a change in council’s level of service to the community, and said staff were looking at opportunities to boost self-generating revenue and achieve cost savings.
The procurement policy exhibition could also affect how council approaches purchasing. Councillors agreed to remove the standalone Buy Local policy and instead incorporate its intent and key content into the broader procurement policy, which will also be exhibited for at least 28 days.
The meeting included several other decisions tied to spending and service delivery. Councillors approved a design concept for accessibility works at Bastick Cottage in Cook Park, agreed to consider the required funding in the 2026-27 budget, and approved up to $350 from the accessibility ramp rebate budget for a portable side-entry ramp.
Council also allocated $15,625 from its tree maintenance budget for safety works along the driveway to the go-kart facility on Perc Griffith Way, and agreed to proceed with subdivision plan registration and classify newly created airport-area lots as Operational Land on land affected by the Orange Airport runway extension.
Next, the draft budget and revised procurement policy will remain on exhibition for at least 28 days before returning to council for further consideration.
Reference minutes
Source: Orange City Council ordinary meeting minutes, 21 April 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- Orange City Council voted on 21 April 2026 to place the Operational Plan, Draft Budget 2026-2027 on public exhibition for at least 28 days.
- Council also deleted Strategic Policy ST109, Buy Local, and incorporated its intent into ST47, Procurement.
- The revised ST47, Procurement policy was also placed on public exhibition for a minimum of 28 days.
- Councillors approved a design concept for platform steps at the main entrance of Bastick Cottage in Cook Park and will consider funding in the 2026-27 budget.
- Council approved up to $350 from the accessibility ramp rebate budget for a portable access ramp at Bastick Cottage.
- Council allocated $15,625 from the tree maintenance budget for safety tree maintenance along the driveway to the go-kart facility on Perc Griffith Way.
- Council agreed to proceed with subdivision plan registration for roads affected by the Orange Airport runway extension and classify all newly created lots as Operational Land.
Why it matters
- The exhibition period gives Orange residents and ratepayers a formal chance to review and comment on the council’s proposed 2026-27 budget, including how services and spending are prioritised.