Orange council to fly Ukrainian flag in solidarity

By David Fitzsimons

The Ukrainian flag. Wiki Commons/UP9.

The Ukrainian flag will fly from the Orange City Council offices after a historic decision by councillors on Tuesday night.

They agreed the national flag will replace council’s own flag for one week in support of the Ukrainian people currently under attack from Russian forces.

The flag will fly as soon as council is able to buy one.

The council meeting was told the move would be unique in council history.

Councillor Jeff Whitton said it was a sign of support from Orange for the Ukrainian people.

“It’s not a small thing,” he said. “Flying another nation’s flag in support of solidarity is a very large step and a thing we should be doing.”

Councillor Melanie McDonell said she supported the move but did not want to marginalise any people of Russian descent living in Orange.

OWN A PIECE OF AUSTRALIAN HISTORY

She said some of them did not support the conflict and were “suffering already.”

Councillor Kevin Duffy asked council to consider painting a symbol on the grass above the Orange tourist information centre and museum roof instead of removing the council flag.

However, council was told this would be more expensive than flying the Ukrainian flag.

In other business, the council agreed to seek a report into council providing an indoor playground for children during the city’s coldest months.

The meeting was chaired for the first time by deputy mayor Gerald Power, the first Indigenous councillor elected in Orange.

Mayor Jason Hamling was absent from the meeting.

He had proposed both matters for discussion by the council.