Orange cricket access retained as sports precinct costs face ground-condition risk

Cricket fields at the Orange Sports Precinct will be operational for the upcoming season, while construction continues around the athletics precinct and main stadium and amenities remain unfinished.

Orange City Council noted the project update on 21 July after Cr S Peterson asked whether excavation beneath the athletics track could exceed the budget. The chief executive officer said costs could increase depending on the ground conditions found under that section of the track.

Council has received variations from the stadium contractor. They had not been approved, but the project management team believed the claims were valid and related to changes required during construction.

The chief executive officer said a tender is based on the design and information available when a contract is awarded. Additional costs can arise when engineers and architects discover conditions during construction that were not known at tender. He said the scale of the project was contributing to the size of the variation.

Work areas, including the athletics precinct and main stadium, will be fenced off, while access to the cricket fields is retained. Facilities and amenities will remain under construction during the cricket season.

Landscaping, including tree planting across the site, will proceed because it is a Heritage NSW-related consent condition. Cr D Mallard asked when the landscaping elements would be put to tender and whether the requirement applied if the project budget was exceeded. The chief executive officer confirmed the landscaping would progress.

A response is still being prepared on lighting for the Huntley Road car park after staff found old lighting from Wade Park was unsuitable for reuse. Council was also told there was potential to book the Koori Knockout in 2027. An operational plan for the sporting precinct is being drafted to outline which events will be pursued.