What the council is working on
Recent deliveries, what's underway now, and what's planned next — drawn from the council's own plans, budgets and project pages. We report what the council has publicly said it's doing; every item links to its source.
The council's stated direction
Cabonne's direction is set out in its Community Strategic Plan 2025–2035 and a Delivery Program with an annual Operational Plan and budget, shaped heavily by flood recovery in Eugowra and by long-term financial sustainability across a very large, sparsely populated rural area.
The council manages local roads, water and sewer, waste, parks and planning across a large rural 'donut' LGA that surrounds the City of Orange, with an economy built on agriculture (fruit, wine, flour milling and livestock). Its Delivery Program is the elected council's statement of commitment for its term.
The council reported a large operating deficit (performance ratio −23.6% in 2023–24) and a low asset-maintenance ratio, so long-term financial planning and asset renewal are recurring themes in its Integrated Planning & Reporting documents.
Underway now
Eugowra flood recovery — housing & land development
Funding announced Oct 2025Following the devastating November 2022 flash flooding in Eugowra, the NSW Government committed $2 million (Regional Development Trust) for the Cabonne Housing and Land Development Project — around 20 new residential lots near Loftus Street, outside the mapped flood envelope, with water, sewer, power, roads and stormwater. It supports residents relocating from buy-back properties under the Central West Resilient Homes Program.
Source: NSW Government — New housing project to support Eugowra's flood recovery
Financial sustainability & asset renewal
Ongoing via Integrated Planning & ReportingWith a large operating deficit and a high infrastructure backlog reported in the OLG time-series data, long-term financial planning and asset renewal are recurring priorities in the council's Community Strategic Plan and Long-Term Financial Plan. We present the ratios and their benchmarks; readers can judge from the sources.
Source: Cabonne Council — Community Strategic Plan 2025–2035
Planned / committed
FOGO kerbside service
Rollout from Jan 2028; full service by Apr 2028The council will introduce a food-and-garden-organics (FOGO) kerbside service: eligible households receive a green-lid FOGO bin collected weekly (plus a kitchen caddy), while the red-lid general-waste bin moves from weekly to fortnightly. Part-funded by a $191,950 NSW EPA grant; a 2025 waste audit found 45.8% of red-bin material could be composted.