Orange residents are taking their first glimpse of the new 'John Davis Sports Stadium', with the official lodging this week of Development Applications for the new Orange Sports Precinct.
GRANDSTAND: Orange residents are seeing the latest images of the grandstand, part of the new John Davis Sports Stadium.
In short: The lodging of DAs gives the latest glimpse of plans for the Orange Sports Precinct.
Work continues on-site to build eight new sportsfields.
What's next: Turf will be planted on-site early in the new year.
While the Western Regional Planning Panel has already given concept approval for the project, the design of key elements have reached the stage where planning permission is needed for buildings and other structures.
This week plans have been submitted with the state planning portal for:
• the 1,000-seat John Davis sports stadium
• an amenities building that will be part of the athletics track grandstand
• field lighting for the eight new sports fields
• two new car parks, and
• the landscaping masterplan
Orange Mayor Tony Mileto believes the community will like what they see.
"These plans show that Orange City Council is getting on with the job across the site to build a brilliant new sports precinct," Cr Tony Mileto said. "Council is working with the direction of the State Government to progress the main stadium before we start on the athletics field.
"We're also making progress on the eight new sports fields which will be the first elements of the Orange Sports Precinct to be used by the community. The layer of sand for drainage is being levelled this week and turf will be laid at the end of January."
Member for Orange Mr Phil Donato has welcomed the latest milestone.
"This step marks a significant milestone in the development of Orange's Sports Precinct," Mr Phil Donato said. "The John Davis Sports Stadium and the main sports field it will overlook will be the centrepiece of this sporting precinct."
"This sports precinct holds enormous potential, and once complete the project will be a gamechanger for Orange."
The new DA includes proposals for field lighting on the eight new fields. As well as lights to be used for night training on the football fields, there'll be lights to allow for night cricket on one of the new pitches. After Wade Park, the new cricket pitch will be Orange's only second venue able to host night cricket games.
Plans for a new amenities building to service the eight new fields have also been lodged. The new block will be part of the athletics track grandstand.
It's expected the construction of the stadium will go out for tender in the new year, with work to begin pending planning approval.
Mayor Tony Mileto has welcomed the design of the new main stadium.
"When it comes to the new John Davis Stadium, we've done the research and it's clear that a one thousand seat grandstand together with room for another nine thousand spectators on the sloped grass banks around the main field is the most viable option for a regional sports venue," Cr Mileto said. "It's important to remember that most events at the new stadium will be for hosting local week-by-week sporting events. The design also allows for further tiered seating to be added on either side in future years as it's needed."
"I think Orange residents are going to be very excited about the look of the new stadium. Because the sports precinct proposal is right alongside the Bloomfield health precinct, the wider precinct's heritage elements were always going to be crucial when it comes to gaining planning permission. That's why the scale of the grandstand is important. These designs have given a big emphasis to creating a building that will function for sports events while blending in with the surrounding parkland.
"It makes the most of the sloping site between Forest Road and Huntley Road. The bulk of the stadium structure will be invisible from Forest Road, with only the roof showing."
The NSW Government has committed $59.5 million to the Orange Sports Precinct project.
