funding · Orange City Council
Orange council sends 2024-25 accounts to NSW auditors
Orange City Council authorised four signatories and referred its general purpose and special purpose financial statements to the Audit Office of NSW after a 9-1 vote.
Orange City Council has referred its 2024/2025 General Purpose and Special Purpose Financial Statements to the Audit Office of NSW after an extraordinary meeting at the Civic Centre in Byng Street, Orange on 31 March 2026. Councillors also authorised four officials to sign the statement by councillors and management, with the motion carried 9-1.
The council gave sign-off authority to the Mayor, the chairperson of the Finance Policy Committee, the Chief Executive Officer and the Director Corporate and Commercial Services. The resolution said they could sign the statement so council’s auditors could conduct the audit and, once it was complete, issue an audit statement under section 413(2)(c) of the Local Government Act 1993.
The same resolution referred the financial statements to the Audit Office of NSW for audit and invited the auditor to present the Audit Report back to council. Cr J Whitton voted against the motion. Cr K Duffy was absent after council granted leave of absence earlier in the meeting.
Before the vote, Karen Taylor from the Audit Office of NSW and Katy Henry from Intentus Chartered Accountants briefed councillors on the financial statements and the audit process. The Chief Executive Officer thanked Ms Henry, the Intentus team and the Director of Corporate and Commercial Services for completing the statements.
Cr McDonell asked that the qualifications of the Director of Corporate and Commercial Services be included on the signing pages to meet the Act’s requirements for a Responsible Accounting Officer. Cr Greenhalgh asked about the deadline for lodging the statements, and the Chief Executive Officer said it was 27 March 2026, with a short extension sought and granted to 1 April 2026.
Councillors also questioned the draft watermark on the papers. The Director Corporate and Commercial Services said the document was final, with changes recommended by the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee already included, and said the motion’s wording allowed for any changes council made at the meeting.
The public part of the extraordinary meeting ended without any service, planning or infrastructure decisions. Council then moved into a closed session for an additional confidential financial item, and no resolutions were made in that private discussion.
Reference minutes
Based on the Orange City Council Extraordinary Council meeting minutes of 31 March 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- Meeting: Extraordinary Council, Orange City Council, 31 March 2026, 6:00 pm.
- Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Byng Street, Orange.
- Council authorised four signatories: the Mayor, chairperson of the Finance Policy Committee, chief executive officer and Director Corporate and Commercial Services.
- The General Purpose and Special Purpose Financial Statements were referred to the Audit Office of NSW.
- The vote was 9-1, with Cr J Whitton against and Cr K Duffy absent.
- Council invited its auditor to present the Audit Report after the audit is completed.
- The meeting then went into a closed session for an additional confidential item on the 2024/2025 financial statements, with no resolutions made in private.
Why it matters
- Orange City Council’s annual financial reporting has been sent into the audit process, keeping its governance and public accountability cycle moving. The open meeting did not change rates, services or projects.