The Orange Podcast

The Orange Regional Gallery has just wound up on what could well be its biggest ever exhibition.A sculpture exhibition, by internationally renowned artist Laurence Edwards was shown at the gallery for a couple of months and during that time no less that 8,000 people came through the doors.The good news is that one of the bronze sculptures will stay as part of the permanent collection.And the awareness campaign around The Voice referendum  is stepping up. When a parliamentary inquiry into the legislation made their first stop for a hearing outside Canberra, they chose Orange.In Orange they listened to evidence and questioned a number of witnesses on how The Voice could work and what difference it could make.

In this episode, a special look at what could be the biggest change to the future shape of housing in the city of Orange.This week Orange City Council signed an MOU with state-owned developer LandCom to build a new suburb on the eastern outskirts of Orange. With space for 200+ lots, the key differences will see around 25% of the lots to be targeted for affordable housing and with many different sizes and types of housing.

Only a couple of years after the state government helped out with $3.5 million to virtually double the size of the Orange Regional Gallery, that extra space continues to attract some of the best exhibitions to be found in regional Australia.And this week the gallery was a hive of activity unpacking a container just off the boat from England.Inside, 26 giant and tiny human bronze statues, the work of internationally-renowned artist Laurence Edwards.

Orange City Council takes a range of approaches to grow the local economy.At one end of the spectrum, its's exploring ways of building a new multi-level car park alongside the central business district.And, at the micro end, the Council is helping potential new businesses get a start by providing low-cost shop-fronts, positioned just off the main street. 

This week:  How a 1920s vintage stock and station agent premises selling stock feed in Lords Place was transformed into a contemporary sun-drenched office while still acknowledging the building's history. And, how the Orange Aboriginal Lands Council took on the process of not only restoring a derelict former police station but also the community memories that came along with it. 

Work gets under way soon to design Orange's new sports stadium, and Mayor Jason Hamling believes it means 'coming to the table' late will mean the best in contemporary design. Orange's Robertson Park is the latest location for art works in the FutureCity Public Art program.We talk to artist Kellie O'Dempsey about the ideas behind her work.

In this edition, we hear how the life of an internationally-known Australian has taken on a very new direction after a life-changing incident.Former Yellow Wiggle, Greg Page, wants to boost community awareness of AEDs, that can be the difference between life and death for some who experiences a cardiac arrest.Orange City Council plans to work with Greg Page's charity 'Heart of the Nation' to save lives in Orange.

This week, community discussion stepped up about proposals to upgrade Lords Place South. And for the first time, instead of waiting for the community to come to the Council, the Council is taking the message about Lords Place, out to Lords place by opening up a pop-up shop in Lords Place. And, we take a deep-dive into the biggest expansion ever in Orange when it comes to public transport.  There are hundred of new bus routes all equipped with an app to make the journey even slicker, but will that all be enough to make Orange residents take their first bus trip since school? 

The project to build Orange's new sports precinct is facing extra costs, but the mayor believes it's not the only big project to face the same problems.Also, new research shows Orange has more live music venues than any other central west centre.A new industry forum this week brought venues and performers together to find solutions to the obstacles that prevents more live music happening locally.

In this episode, we hear about the the ideas behind the proposed upgrade of Lords Place South. Council CEO David Waddell tells how governments use grants to get local Councils to deliver on their decisions. We find out how you can arrange a gust speaker for your next community group meeting.And we meet new Council member Mel McDonell, and find out about her hopes and dreams for this Council term.

If you've driven past Robertson Park in recent days and seen tents and enclosure being assembled, its the first signs of  the Orange Winter Fire Festival in the park getting ready.In this program, we take Orange 360's Caddie Marshall and Mayor Jason Hamling down to the park to find out why you should venture out this Winter.And, we'll hear about some new attempts to revitalise our local live music industry. The Winter Fire Festival is on from the 6th to the 14th of August. For more, go to to the Orange City Council and Orange 360 websites.

In the spotlight this week, a government announcement of some more funding for a new conservatorium that will let music come out of from being hidden in the back streets, to a prime spot at the centre of our community's civic life. In this episode of the Orange podcast, what difference the construction of a new building will make to the people of Orange?We hear from the NSW Arts Minister, the Mayor and two leaders of our music community.

Back in 2020, artist John Olsen visited the Orange Regional Gallery to view the construction site for the new five million dollar extension. He also took the opportunity to view the Gallery's permanent collection. Mr Olsen was so impressed by what he saw, he spontaneously offered a major painting, a bronze sculpture and four works on paper to the Gallery, works worth hundreds of thousand of dollars.During a recent visit he spoke to reporters  about why people from regional centres need to see their town represented by art.Also this week, local residents urged say what they want to happen with the Orange Function Centre.And we hear from a blacksmith who's working on repairs at the Orange cemetery. He was back recently 

The director of the Gallery of NSW was in Orange this week for a big state government announcement:  The Arts Minister had news of three quarters of a million of dollars to put more touring exhibitions on the road in regional areas.Where do they come for a big announcement? The recently-expanded Orange Regional Gallery that has a great track record of delivering big shows.And why a man who work in logistics in the mining industry, decided to stand for Orange City Council.

This week on the program, a wrap of key decision at this week's council meeting.We also meet a local pharmacist who decided to run for council.And find out about the Orange-born mountain climber who held a altitude record for 30 years before Mt Everest was topped.

One of the new faces on Orange City Council is a doctor and a quadriplegic. This week we meet Cr Steve Peterson.And we also catch up with Council CEO David Waddell to  find out more about the latest  list of what the Orange community wants the Council to be working on.

Heritage architect David Scobie helps local residents who want to restore their house, navigate the minefield of design, finding suppliers and grants. This week on the Orange Podcast, how some early advice can head off a major kerfuffle.And, Orange City Council's youngest new member reveals how much he's enjoying his new role.

 This week, we find out why the company that's taking charge of keeping the state's track and trains running has chosen Orange as the place for its new headquarters.Orange has a wine festival and a FOOD week, now Orange's newest music festival has released it's latest line up and there's some names you'll know. And, we learn why one of Orange's newly elected councilor, David Mallard, members wants to keep the conversations going with the local community 

Orange City Council started releasing more than four megalitres of water from Suma park dam this week. We find out why it's happening.We meet one of the new batch of council members and discover why a new place for mums and bubs to gather in winter is on the cards.And we discover why the Council has bought a new high-tech, remote-control camera that can travel 300 metres along an underground pipe. 

When Gerald Power isn't being Orange's new deputy mayor, he's running a tourism business which aims to give visitors from near and far a taste of 50,000 years of indigenous culture. And how Orange's latest piece of public art, a mural in Anson Street looks very different, depending on how fast you walk by, and how much light there is. 

The mayor was delighted with the 'big-picture' approval this week for the proposed new sports precinct.Meanwhile, residents brought their questions along to find out if Orange will have enough water to provide for an even larger population.And we find out about local efforts to protect a rare and endangered plant.

After years of negotiations, the State Government has agreed to return more than 80 hectares of crown land to the local Land Council. It happened after Orange City Council and the Orange Local Aboriginal Lands Council sat around the negotiating table with officials from the Crown Lands Dept representing the state Government.The government's new approach was designed to avoid the one-by-one series of native title claims, a process that can take years to sort through in each case.The negotiations put a long list of properties on the table which could be discussed at the one time.

if you happen to take a stroll around the inner city laneways of Orange in the next few days you might be surprised by  the sight of doors and windows that weren't there before. It's the work of an artist , Catherine O'Donnell, the latest step in the FutureCity upgrade of Orange's CBD. And, it could be sometime before the final approvals are granted to build a new sports precinct and parklands alongside  Sir Jack Brabham Park.But that hasn't stopped the local little athletics crew starting to get excited . They're also exploring the technicalities of what could be built there one day. We'll find out about how an underground installation in the track could deliver lap times automatically.

This week a new strategy was unveiled to help guide the future development of housing in Orange for the next 20years.Among its wide-ranging findings, there's evidence about the biggest sector of home buyers in Orange, and why the market just isn't building what would suit them the best.And, we find out about a new solution to the very real problem of how a brand new business gets a start when the main street shopfront rents are so high. Coming up this week, how to get a start in a converted container.

An Orange business, Badlands Brewery, is the latest to take up the opportunity offered by Orange City Council's decision to change zoning regulations to let niche food & drink makers move into inner-city retail areas. And when a council office burnt down in a fire two years ago, the staff who are about to move in didn't know that the replacement building would set new standards for technology and energy saving.

Orange's newest set of festoon lights, hung over over a car park, are being tested on Friday night (17 Sept) for the first time.The McNamara Street upgrade project is the first stage of Orange's FutureCity program.And we'll hear from the director of Orange's regional gallery Brad Hammond to discover why the new gallery extension has him so excited.

This week we find out an engineer keeps local business operators onside as he digs up the footpath and roads outside their stores: An update on the upgrade of Lord Place and Byng St.And, last year's 'Retail Recovery' campaign that gave away a thousand fifty-dollar EFTPOS cards is coming back this year for a second round of much-needed retail therapy, but this time you can also go out of orange to go shopping.

Despite some popular outdoor locations being out-of-bounds during the lockdown, Orange residents are discovering how many other parks and open spaces are there to be enjoyed.  This week how warmer Springtime temperatures are keeping the Orange City Council's parks & gardens crew busy. And why the Orange Regional Museum is making it's next Mondays at the Museum event for children available by video conferencing.

The routine services Orange City Council provides every week, are being discovered in new ways while the local community is in lockdown.Already worked your way through the entire line-up of movies on Netflix or Stan?  Did you know that a membership with  the Orange City Library gives you FREE access to hundreds of movies through two streaming services?And even more families concerned about their elderly parents during lockdown are discovering Meals on Wheels for the first time.But how does Meals on Wheels happen without its team of volunteers?

There's a crew at Orange City Council whose work goes completely unnoticed, until you turn on a tap or flush a toilet. But then this week, in the midst of a COVOD pandemic, their work made the news. And we find out what happens next after the first trees are removed, as work finally begins to build a new sporting precinct. The proposed precinct will be developed in a park-like setting, where even the car parks are greener than usual.

With the return of wet weather, pot-holes have returned to the streets of Orange in big numbers.And with them has come a seasonal jump social media discussion with various theories about what they are there.In this episode we hear from Orange City Council's Works Manager who reveals, the tough truth that pot-holes are inevitable.Also in this episode, Orange feels the impact of a COVID outbreak in a neighbouring regional city. 

This week,  we'll find out how you can have your say as we think about whether or not the inner city of Orange should have it's own 'East Street'. And, we're inching closer to water flowing over the dam wall at Suma Park dam. How far away is milestone and how excited are some water managers....

How can Orange businesses tap into the multi-million dollar online spending by locals?This week,  we'll find out how Orange City Council has planted 18 thousand trees.We'll discover why the council wants to pay bands to play music in your local CBD venue.And we'll learn some tips to help you go cold turkey in Plastic free July. 

After the milestone decision at a council meeting this week to remove trees from the site of a proposed new sport precinct, there are still many questions about what happens next.  And, all going well the Orange Readers and Writers Festival aims to be back better than ever  this year. The program has just been released for event to be held over two days, July 30 and 31, in the Hotel Canobolas.

A major milestone in Orange's recovery from the drought as our dam's hit 80% of capacity. We'll find out how some of our accommodation providers are going on the front foot to make contact with customers who might be heading this way from a COVID hot spot. We'll learn about the themes behind the latest of our city's murals in McNamara Street..

There's been a key development in the local debate in Orange over whether or not to build a new sporting precinct alongside the Jack Brabham sports grounds.A date has been set for the extra council meeting when the decision will be taken about whether to remove trees on  the site. Now in a late development , the decision will be about only removing trees on parts of the site.Also in this episode, we hear from  a leading social commentator on what's stops Australia being kind to each other, and the jolt that might bring us back to our senses. And, we'll look at the story behind a new war memorial in Robertson Park to find out about the day a thousand armed troops marched in to Orange.

In Orange to help launch the new help agency, former Royal Commissioner,  Robert Fitzgerald was keen to talk about how many thousands of elder abuse cases are coming to light and which age-groups are the most at risk.Also, a City Councillor gives her top tips on the best way to lobby a councillor. And how the addition of a website can transform the customer base of regional small business.

Orange City Council is trying hard to upgrade the City's CBD, but what about some of the high-profile  buildings and shop fronts that are privately owned? This week's council meeting gave the go-ahead for the first four grants to be given to local building owners to help them restore  the font of their stores.The problem of elder abuse is getting bigger.In response a new collaborative groups of councils from across central west NSW is trying hard to boost awareness of what can happen and how to prevent it, and a public launch is planned in the coming days 

Have you ever worked in a toxic work environment or felt like you're workload was so great you burnt out? Orange City Council staff have been involved in a number of workshops focused on workplace culture. Also this week, community engagement training was on the cards for the communications team.And we hear from Council's CEO Dave Waddell for a wrap of the week.

When was the last time you visited a library? Thousands do every week, but what if you could access the Orange City Library by reaching into your back pocket and pulling out your mobile phone?Also this week, how a couple of major council facilities in Orange don't need electricity off the grid in daylight hours. And, why one of Orange's newest murals, part of our public art project, is transforming a toilet.

Orange is famous for its has beautiful street trees, but how do you prevent a tree damaging surrounding infrastructure lie footpath and roads?In a first for Orange, new underground cells are being installed to let trees grow to be healthy without tree roots impacting the neighbourhood.Also today's Orange's tourism marketing arm, Orange360, makes use of data harvested from mobile phones to better target its messages tp attract visitors.We find out how the company that provides that data makes sure the phone user can given their consent.

The creation of a network of mountain bike trails on Mount Canobolas offers a good opportunity to restore the mountain environment.The latest stage of work by a team of environmental consultants has revealed the extent of weed infestation on the mountain.In this week's episode we hear from  a track designer about the sheer scale of  blackberries he's found, and a staff member from the Orange Aboriginal Land Council  talks about his work following up discoveries by a consultant archeologist.

Orange City Council wants to put a new water pipe deep under a busy road. But how do you install a new pipe without digging up the road?Also,  who finds the weird things that get flushed down our toilets? We find out as we learn why the Council is spending seven million dollars on an upgrade to our sewage treatment plant.And exactly how many people turned out to the Council's latest face-to-face information forum about the annual draft budget? 

Work is about to get under way on a major upgrade of a CBD block of Lords Place and Byng Streets.There'll be potential impacts for businesses in the neighbourhood, so operators came together with the hands-on contractors this week to find out the timetable of what will happen when.

There's been some tweaks to the plans to upgrade McNamara St, Lords Place and Byng St, as part of Orange City Council FutureCity upgrade.There's less trees in but more parking spaces in McNamara St, and the Lords Place taxi rank will stay in its original location.Also this week, why Orange City Council's CEO believes the annual budget is actually a very important piece of democracy.

A new plan is being floated to transform Orange's favourite picnic spot, Lake Canobolas.Find out what's happening for kids at Orange City Library during the school holidays, and we delver a wrap of where a whole batch of sites that are in a state of transition, are up to.

While heavy rain has wreaked havoc on the coast, in Orange extra falls have been welcomed as a boost to water storage dams which still have room for more.The week's tallies have delivered a rainfall record for March for Orange.And also, plans move ahead for an Anzac Day march and anew museum exhibition celebrates the insects that help us grow our food.

As part of the FutureCity CBD upgrade, Orange City Council is helping the owners of heritage buildings in the CBD improve the look of the shop-fronts.The offer to subsidise the costs also comes with some free advice from a heritage expert.Also this week, there's been a lot of interest in the finaltion of a film archive from a local TV station to the Orange Regional Museum.Former staff of the local TV station, first known as CBN-8, were on-hand this week to welcome the dpnation.

A former mayor of Leichardt Council in Sydney has led a seminar in Orange aimed at helping local residents decide if they want to stand for council in this year's local government election in September.And, a final year science student from Sydney University starts work to help Orange City Council get the bugs which process our waste water (sewage) working harder.

There's been some positive responses from business operators along McNamarra Street and Lords Place, after this week's council meeting gave the go ahead for the first of the CBD upgrade plans to happen.And two information sessions have been time-tabled to help locals decide if they want to run as a candidate in this September's local council elections.

Six months out from the next local council election , Orange City Council is planning two info sessions to help potential candidates decide if they want to throw their hat into the ring.And a community gathering of 160 people hears the latest on how mountain bike tracks could be built to minimise the impact on environmentally-sensitive areas on Mt Canobolas.