Lords Place demolition vote confirmed at Orange City Council

Councillor Jeff Whitton brought the motion to Orange City Council staff on Thursday. It is due to be scheduled for the October 3 meeting.

The vote calls for the $1.58 million overhaul to be completely scrapped. The street would be returned to its "original state" and 20 parking spots would be brought back. Removal of mature trees means complete restoration is not possible.

"I haven't been elected five times as a councillor for a period of 20 years by ignoring the voice of the community," Cr Whitton told the Central Western Daily.

"In my time as a councillor I've seen two types of councillors ... with all due respect, there are those councillors who tell the community what they need, and there are those councillors who listen to what the community wants.

"In this case, I believe that we've missed the mark on this and now, along with other councillors - hopefully all of the councillors - I will listen to those businesses in Lords Place and rectify and change Lords Place back to a workable area.

"At the moment most of the community are avoiding Lords Place because it's just too hard for them to transverse through or even to park in. What we've done as council is we've taken a thriving hub to basically changing it to the point where no one's using it."

It's unclear if additional costs will be incurred by demolition. Senior staff including Rachelle Robb told councillors prior to approval the project could be easily dismantled if unsuccessful.

"We expect that the financial implications for such reversals have been contemplated and integrated into the overarching project budget," the motion says.

Voting is likely to be extremely tight. Three councillors have already confirmed they will support the motion: Jeff Whitton, Kevin Duffy and Glenn Floyd. No others have publicly committed to a position.

Multiple business owners on the street have told the Central Western Daily they plan to attend the vote in person to make their views known.

The motion comes days after a petition calling for independent investigation into the development and a review into the viability of demolition was signed by almost every business on the street. Member for Orange Phil Donato also signed the letter.

Council approved plans to allow primary school students and Indigenous artists to paint the 23 pot plants along the strip at its last meeting after a 5-5 vote deadlock was broken by acting Mayor Gerald Power. A rescission motion has since put the plan on hold.

Cr Frances Kinghorne said of the upcoming vote: "I will need some more information before I decide what I'm doing. Obviously, I voted against it initially and I'm disappointed that the business owners seem to be so traumatised by the whole process.

"I went there ... to have a look and it probably can't be completely reversed because the trees are awkwardly placed in this context. Maybe some of the pods could go.

"I would like to understand how it all evolved from concept to reality and why the business owners genuinely believe that they were not effectively communicated with.

"I would also like to know how much it will cost to change it. I hate the waste if it's changed but I think we do need to be honest about its success or lack thereof, and fix it if necessary.

"There also appears to be a bit of politics involved and I have no inclination to participate in any of that."

Cr Tammy Greenhalgh said: "I believe we need to give it time... we have just emerged from winter. Why waste more money before it has been given reasonable time for people to adjust. Then we look to review."

Cr Tony Mileto said: "There is no doubt that the current design hasn't met public expectations and this appears to have created some concerns.

"I haven't made a decision on which way to vote at this point of time and I'm interested in listening to the mover of the motion. Based on the limited information that I have been provided, I would find it difficult to support the total dismantling of Lord's Place without looking at alternate options.

"There also needs to be further thorough consultation with local businesses. I would also need to be aware of the associated costings, as this will be ratepayers money that will be used for such a project.

"I may consider moving a 'Shadow Motion'. My preference would be for council to immediately examine the current infrastructure that is in place and look at alternatives to make area more workable and provide a report back to Council as a matter of urgency."

Works have proven controversial since beginning on October 20, 2022. Many business owners told the Central Western Daily at the time further consultation had been promised prior to tree removals.

Management for 16 establishments signed an open-letter at the time outlining intent to stand against the development.

In August it emerged the project has blown over budget by about $180,000. Total cost is now estimated at about $1,580,000.

REINSTATEMENT OF THE LORDS PLACE SOUTH PRECINCT TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE PRIOR TO THE CHANGES EFFECTED THROUGH THE FUTURE CITY TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE

In acknowledgment of the prevailing sentiments and concerns expressed by the businesses and the wider Orange community, we find it incumbent upon us to present this notice of motion to advocate for the reversal of the alterations enacted in the Lords Place South precinct as part of the Future City transformation initiative.

Despite the transformative objectives outlined in the initiative, it is apparent from the feedback of the Lords Place business community and the residents of Orange that the modifications have not met the aspirations of the local stakeholders. The enforced changes have rather led to a diminution in trade and imposed undue inconveniences on the businesses and the community, altering the familiar and functional landscape to which they were accustomed.

In accordance with the report earlier presented to the chamber, which had envisaged the possibility and presented options for the rollback of the recent transformations, we expect that the financial implications for such reversals have been contemplated and integrated into the overarching project budget.

Therefore, we hereby motion for the following:

Reinstatement to Original State: To undertake the task of restoring the Lords Place South precinct to its status quo ante, embodying the unique characteristics and functionalities that served the needs and preferences of the local community.

Restoration of Lost Amenities: To ensure that the reinstatement process encompasses the recovery of the twenty car spaces lost due to the recent modifications, thereby alleviating the transportation and accessibility grievances echoed by the community.

Collaborative Dialogue with Impacted Parties: To instruct the staff to facilitate constructive dialogues with the impacted businesses situated in Lords Place, forging a consensus on an agreeable timeline for initiating the reinstatement works.

Detailed Reporting to Council: To commission a detailed report articulating:

We call upon the council to affirmatively deliberate on this motion, taking into account the genuine concerns and dissatisfactions expressed by our community members and business owners.

By embarking upon a path of restorative action grounded in empathetic understanding and collaborative planning, we aim to uphold the community's cherished attributes of the Lords Place South precinct while rectifying the unanticipated repercussions emanated from the Future City transformation initiative.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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