Letters to the editor | Central Western Daily letters to July 29, 2023

Councillor Greenhalgh asked a very relevant question which should have been answered at the time by the Director of Technical Services.

His refusal to do so is unacceptable.

This contentious Lords Place redevelopment was pushed on the Orange community with great fanfare.

We received a $500,000 Government grant and with Council contributing an additional $900,000, we were going to have this fantastic new Lords Place space between Summer and Kite streets which could be used all year round and which would be a great addition to the CBD.

Council voted 9-3 to approve the redevelopment with Councillors Duffy, Kinghorne and Whitton sensibly voting against the motion.

There would be a number of parking spaces lost, but this would only be a temporary problem as the Ophir Car Park site would be redeveloped and turned into a multi storey car park.

We now know that this proposed car park redevelopment has been put on hold!

I call on Mayor Hamling to show some leadership and as a matter of priority inform the Orange community what the council's actual financial contribution was to this contentious project.

Do not try and hide the figure in any new Future City budget which has been referred to by the Director of Technical Services.

Council recently approved a 3.7 per cent general rate rise so as residents we need to see greater communication from Council on a regular basis, particularly when it relates to major capital expenditure and how efficient council management is in spending our money.

Having read your article about the increase of the pension age, it seems to me that there are two converging issues.

These are the actual age pension and superannuation.

Anyone who is still working at the age of 65 would have paid into super for the entirety of their working lives.

If one did not interrupt employment such as women often did to bear and raise children, a quite substantial amount would have accumulated in one's account.

Of course, gifts such as salary sacrifice would have helped enormously.

My point is that all of us, 60 and over have super and we can draw on this at any time after we turn 60.

The problem is that people are not willing to use these available savings until they reach the age when they can collect the aged pension with its attached benefits.

This action is understandable except when "to soldier on" impacts on one's, health, physically or mentally.

In my mind it is just not worth it. In the end health is everything.

There are many groups of volunteers and paid workers in Orange who are sometimes overlooked, forgotten or simply taken for granted.

Two that come to mind are those people who volunteer to help young people, in so many ways, with sporting activities.

They are usually good role models for young people, and that's very important in today's world.

The second group is the Council staff employed in the Parks and Gardens Department. Their efforts and dedication, help to keep our "colour city" reputation alive and valued.

I take my hat off to both of these important groups!

Keith Curry

It is wonderful to hear and read sensible news about the much-needed and long overdue bypass for Bathurst.

Undoubtedly there will be voices raised in support of or opposition to possible future action. Costs, time needed, vested interests and politics will all come out pushing their own barrow.

Into the toxic brew let me push a barrow with two wheels.

1. It should be a direct link from Raglan to Dunkeld. Don't worry about distance. Consider the many well-accepted such long, or longer, bypasses along the Hume and Pacific highways. Travellers and townsfolk all are well-pleased.

2. It should be the southern route. That way it picks up roads and links to distant places via the Oberon, Vale and Blayney roads, rather than few connections to the north.

Either way it will need a river crossing.

To the south, there is already the basis of a rail crossing at Raglan.

Let the voices be heard, but let's pull out all stops and get something done. We will still be having vehicles wanting a road for at least the next 50 years.

Just as well the Snowy Mountains Scheme of the 1950s did not undertake the same approach to its various construction projects as it would still be unfinished.

I understand a "slow lane" is part of the highway upgrade - slow in all respects.

The late Peter Andren was an independent politician with, in my opinion, integrity.

Andrew Gee was only able to become an independent politician due to many, many years of National Party support.

There is no comparison between the two men.

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