Two Orange groups left waiting on donation requests worth $4,224 Carousel Kids Preloved Market will return to the 1 December Small Donations round, while Orange Regional Malayalee Association must answer questions before its $2,500 Onam festival request is reconsidered. Council: Orange City Council Meeting: 1 Sep 2026 6:00 PM Recorded status: deferred BRIEF Orange City Council’s Finance Policy Committee deferred donation requests totalling $4,224 from Carousel Kids Preloved Market and Orange Regional Malayalee Association. Carousel Kids’ $1,724 request was deferred to the 1 December 2026 Small Donations round, while the Malayalee Association’s $2,500 Onam festival request awaits clarification. The minutes also record staff advice about an outstanding acquittal for an earlier donation and give no reconsideration date for the association’s request. KEY FACTS - The committee deferred Carousel Kids Preloved Market’s $1,724 application to the next Small Donations round. - Staff identified 1 December 2026 as the date for that next round. - The committee deferred Orange Regional Malayalee Association’s $2,500 Onam festival application for clarification. - The minutes record staff advice that an acquittal for an earlier donation had not been provided because the event had not yet occurred. - Cr G Judge declared an interest, left the meeting and did not participate in the Malayalee Association vote. ANALYSIS OF THE RECORD - The two applications have different recorded next steps: Carousel Kids has a named future funding round, while the Malayalee Association request remains dependent on clarification with no reconsideration date recorded. - The minutes record uncertainty about the event schedule alongside the outstanding acquittal, but do not record a final decision on the Malayalee Association's eligibility or entitlement to funding. QUESTIONS FOR FOLLOW-UP REPORTING - What clarification will Orange Regional Malayalee Association provide before its application is reconsidered? - When will the Malayalee Association application return for consideration? - What is the eventual status of the earlier donation and acquittal? RECORDED NEXT STEPS - Consider the Carousel Kids application in the next Small Donations round on 1 December 2026, as recorded in the deferral resolution and staff advice. - Obtain clarification from Orange Regional Malayalee Association before reconsidering its donation request, as required by the deferral resolution. SOURCE PASSAGES The Carousel Kids Preloved Market application for $1,724 was deferred to the next Small Donations round. "Absent: Cr J Whitton RESOLVED - 26/465 Cr K Duffy/Cr T Mileto 2d) That Council DEFER consideration of the donation of $1,724 to Carousel Kids Preloved Market to contribute to key costs associated with planning, setting up and delivering a preloved children's market to the next round of Small Donation applications." (Resolution 26/465) The Director Corporate & Commercial Services identified 1 December 2026 as the next Small Donations round and advised that consideration at the next Finance Policy Committee meeting would be out of cycle. "The Director Corporate & Commercial Services advised that if it is brought to the next Finance Policy Committee Meeting than it will be out of cycle which goes against the new policy, so it will need to be deferred for consideration in the next round of Small Donations on 1 December 2026." (Director's advice following Resolution 26/465) Orange Regional Malayalee Association's $2,500 Onam festival request was deferred to obtain clarification from the applicant. "RESOLVED - 26/470 Cr S Peterson/Cr T Greenhalgh 2i) That Council DEFER consideration of the donation of $2,500 to Orange Regional Malayalee Association to contribute to the cost of the Onam festival to obtain clarification from the applicant." (Resolution 26/470) In discussion of Orange Regional Malayalee Association's request, the Director Corporate & Commercial Services said an acquittal for last year's donation had not been provided because the event had not yet occurred, and said she understood the previously donated funds were being banked for the next event. "RESOLVED - 26/470 Cr S Peterson/Cr T Greenhalgh 2i) That Council DEFER consideration of the donation of $2,500 to Orange Regional Malayalee Association to contribute to the cost of the Onam festival to obtain clarification from the applicant. For: Cr S Peterson (Chairperson), Cr T Mileto (Mayor), Cr T Greenhalgh (Deputy Mayor), Cr K Duffy, Cr F Kinghorne, Cr D Mallard, Cr M McDonell, Cr G Power, Cr M Ruddy, Cr J Stedman Against: Nil Absent: Cr J Whitton, Cr G Judge Cr Ruddy noted that in a previous year this applicant received donations for their event and then later in the same year submitted another request for the same event and asked if staff are expecting this to occur again this year. The Director Corporate & Commercial Services advised that when staff asked for an acquittal for last year's donation from the applicant they were not provided one as the event had not yet occurred, and that is her understanding that the funds previously donated are being banked in advance for the next event." (Resolution 26/470 and subsequent discussion) The Director Corporate & Commercial Services said the event's frequency had not been made clear to staff. "Cr Peterson asked if this is a singular event running each year with the same amount requested each time, or if this is a bi-annual event they are banking funds for. The Director Corporate & Commercial Services advised that this has not been made clear to staff." (Discussion following Resolution 26/470) Cr Judge declared an interest, left the meeting and did not participate in discussion or voting on the Orange Regional Malayalee Association item. "For: Cr S Peterson (Chairperson), Cr T Mileto (Mayor), Cr T Greenhalgh (Deputy Mayor), Cr K Duffy, Cr G Judge, Cr F Kinghorne, Cr D Mallard, Cr M McDonell, Cr G Power, Cr M Ruddy, Cr J Stedman Against: Nil Absent: Cr J Whitton FINANCE POLICY COMMITTEE MINUTES 1 SEPTEMBER 2026 Page 5 Cr Judge declared a Significant Non-Pecuniary Interest in this Item as he is President of Orange Centrals Cricket Club that has players involved in the event, left the meeting with the time being 8.25pm and did not participate in discussion or voting. RECOMMENDATION Cr T Mileto/Cr G Power 2i) That Council donate $2,500 to Orange Regional Malayalee Association to contribute to the cost of the Onam festival. AMENDMENT Cr S Peterson/Cr T Greenhalgh 2i) That Council DEFER consideration of the donation of $2,500 to Orange Regional Malayalee Association to contribute to the cost of the Onam festival to obtain clarification from the applicant. For: Cr S Peterson (Chairperson), Cr T Mileto (Mayor), Cr T Greenhalgh (Deputy Mayor), Cr K Duffy, Cr F Kinghorne, Cr D Mallard, Cr M McDonell, Cr G Power, Cr M Ruddy, Cr J Stedman Against: Nil Absent: Cr J Whitton, Cr G Judge THE AMENDMENT ON BEING PUT WAS CARRIED AND BECAME THE MOTION. RESOLVED - 26/470 Cr S Peterson/Cr T Greenhalgh 2i) That Council DEFER consideration of the donation of $2,500 to Orange Regional Malayalee Association to contribute to the cost of the Onam festival to obtain clarification from the applicant." (Item 2.1-2(i), declaration, amendment vote and Resolution 26/470) SOURCES https://orange.infocouncil.biz/RedirectToDoc.aspx?URL=Open/2026/09/FPC_01092026_MIN_16024.PDF https://minutesradar.com/news/orange-infocouncil-finance-policy-committee-1-sep-2026-6-00-pm-1-sep-2026-6-00-pm-minutes-two-orange-donation-applications-deferred-includi-1234a81ff3/ Prepared from public council minutes using automated drafting and checks. No meeting attendance or interviews are implied. Check the original record and seek comment before republishing claims or analysis. Illustrations are generic, not depictions of actual projects.