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It's six metres tall, five metres wide, costs $40,000, and it's coming to Orange this Christmas
November 1, 2022
By David Fitzsimons
Orange City Council will spend $40,000 on a six-metre-tall Christmas tree – but is not sure where to put it.
Council approved the big tree as part of the city’s Christmas/New Year celebration plans at its
meeting on Tuesday night.
A council staff report recommended the reusable tree be placed in the civic forecourt area near the tourist centre and art gallery.
However councillor Jeff Whitton called for the tree to be placed in Robertson Park.
A public survey will be held to determine which of the two sites wins.
“I think it’s a fantastic idea that we are going to have a Christmas tree in Orange this year, similar to that in Martin Place (Sydney), probably not, but the sentiment is there,” Whitton said.
“I’m all for putting it in Robertson Park. It would be ideal in Robertson Park because we have a lot of visitors to the city who don’t know anything about the forecourt, they are not going to venture around there.
“They are going to go to Robertson Park. They are going to see the lights in Summer Street.”
Council was told the tree would have a diameter of about five metres.
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A staff report said an official "turning-on" of the tree’s lights would be held on December 10, alongside the Carols by Candlelight event and a visit from Santa Claus.
“The tree will complement the existing Christmas decorations, the two Christmas baubles at the entrance to Robertson Park and presents in the rotunda and will provide a spectacular line of sight from Summer Street to the Civic precinct,” the report said.
Meanwhile a concert and light show is planned for the Northcourt area on New Year’s Eve.
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“The light show will consist of light projections onto the [art] gallery extension wall and existing shade sails, which will integrate with live music, performed by local artists,” the report said.
“There will be entertainment for children and teens, as well as food stalls, and of course a New Year’s Eve countdown.
“This is a free family event that will finish at 9pm and has been enhanced this year, through an additional $58,717, which is the balance of the [state government’s] Reconnecting Regional NSW grant.”
In other council news it was decided council would make a submission to the Western Regional Planning Panel, which is due to consider this month a development application for a $26 million residential complex on the site of the old Orange Base Hospital on Prince Street.
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That submission would be in line with an independent report prepared for council that has raised concerns about aspects of the DA.
A spokesman for the developer, Maas Group Properties, told councillors in the open forum it was “still committed” to the project and wanted to continue to work with council.
Council was also told it expected to receive about $156,000 as its share of a state government pledge to give $50 million to NSW councils to fix potholes across the state.
Staff said it represented a 12.5 percent increase in council’s budget for fixing potholes.
Meanwhile, two large and historic elm trees have been the major victims of a wild storm on Monday night in Orange.
Council staff said the trees, in Cook and Wade parks, were about 80 years old and had been healthy, however they had fallen due to the surrounding ground being flooded.
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They said about 30 alarms had been raised by Orange residents about tree damage across the community.
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