Two Orange donation applications deferred, including $1,724 children’s market request

Orange City Council has deferred two community donation applications, sending a $1,724 request from Carousel Kids Preloved Market to the next Small Donations round and seeking clarification on a separate $2,500 request for the Onam festival.

Carousel Kids’ application sought funding for planning, setting up and delivering a preloved children’s market. It will be reconsidered on 1 December 2026.

Staff advised councillors that bringing the application back at the next Finance Policy Committee meeting would be outside the council’s new policy cycle. The applicant had contacted staff earlier that day to say it could not attend the meeting and had offered to withdraw the application.

The council also deferred the Orange Regional Malayalee Association’s request for $2,500 towards the Onam festival while it obtains clarification from the organisation.

Questions were raised about the association’s earlier funding. Cr M Ruddy noted it had received a donation in a previous year and later submitted another request for the same event.

The Director Corporate & Commercial Services advised that an acquittal for the previous donation had not been provided because the event had not yet occurred. Staff understood the funds were being held for the next event, she said.

The director told councillors the guidelines set clear expectations for acquittals and that staff check they are provided for each donation. She also said it had not been made clear whether the Onam festival was held annually or every two years.

The deferral was carried without opposition. Cr G Judge was absent from the vote after declaring a significant non-pecuniary interest as president of Orange Centrals Cricket Club, whose players were involved in the event.

Other applications were approved, including $2,000 for Gnoo Blas Classic Car Club Orange and $2,500 for the Country Education Foundation of Orange and District. The two deferred organisations did not receive funding through this meeting.