It answers when you’re on a job, says it’s your assistant, books the routine work and texts you anything urgent. We set it up over the phone from Wagga Wagga.
OffsiteMate’s AI receptionist answers an Orange tradie’s phone when they can’t get to it. Any hour, every day, NSW public holidays included, at the same price. It says it’s your assistant, takes the job details, books routine work at times you’re free and texts you emergencies, then rings you.
It’s A$299 a month for a sole trader, with 100 minutes and 150 texts included, plus A$299 once to set up. We’re in Wagga Wagga, we set you up by phone, and you keep your number.
Orange Airport sits at 945 metres. The Bureau of Meteorology’s figures put its average July low at 0.6°C and its average July top at 9.9°C. Nobody in Orange needs telling.
Then the weather turns. Orange City Council says severe storms are most likely from October to March, with strong winds, heavy rain and hail that can bring flash flooding, power outages and damage to property. For storm and flood damage it points people to the SES on 132 500, and to triple zero in an emergency.
So the calls change with the season. A hot water system that’s quit on a frosty morning, or a roof leaking after hail, might be ones you want texted to you straight away. A quote for a new heater can wait for a booking. You tell us where the line sits.
Orange has permanent water saving standards in place, and a backflow policy with teeth. These are the parts that touch a trade.
| What Orange City Council says | Who it lands on | |
|---|---|---|
| Backflow devices | Compulsory for every business, and for any property with a water connection over 20 mm. Testable devices get tested every 12 months by a licensed plumber with NSW Government backflow training, who sends the results to council. | Plumbers with backflow training |
| Pools | Under the permanent standards, first fills and top-ups only between 7am and 10am, and between 4pm and 7pm. | Pool builders and pool services |
| Hard surfaces | Washing walls, paving and other hard surfaces isn’t permitted, apart from an annual clean when council allows it. | Anyone with a pressure washer |
| New turf | It can be watered for a week after it’s laid. After that the lawn rules apply. | Landscapers |
| Building sites | Concreting, bricklaying, painting and other building trades are on council’s list of designated businesses, and there’s a Water Saving Action Plan form for the building industry. | Builders and the trades on site |
From Orange City Council’s water and backflow prevention pages, read October 2026. The rules tighten as storage drops, from level 2 at 70% down to level 5 at 30%, when pool top-ups stop. If they change, text us and your assistant’s answers change too.
Council’s policy puts the test on the property owner, and a property that skips it can end up disconnected from the water supply. Small fixes like seals or springs can usually be done at the test. Replacing a worn-out device is the owner’s responsibility.
It’s routine work, the kind your assistant can book without you: a time you’re free, a confirmation, a reminder the day before and a check-in on the day.
Water mains, power lines and gas mains aren’t yours to fix. Here’s who is. Want your assistant to mention one of them? Text us and we’ll add it.
Orange City Council, on (02) 6393 8000. After hours the call goes to council’s security provider. Council says ring rather than use its online form for anything urgent or dangerous.
Essential Energy, on 13 20 80, open 24 hours a day. The Australian Government’s Energy Made Easy lists it as the network for country and regional NSW. The network’s name is also printed at the top of the power bill.
Jemena, on 131 909, any time of day, 7 days a week. The NSW Government lists Jemena as the gas network for the Central West and Orana. Jemena says to turn off anything that could light it and leave first.
From Orange City Council’s contact and report it pages, Essential Energy’s contact page, the Australian Government’s Energy Made Easy list of distributors, the NSW Government’s gas network list and Jemena’s gas safety page, read October 2026.
The NSW Government’s regional plan calls Bathurst and Orange the region’s main hubs in the east, with easy access to Sydney. The Orange urban area had 43,213 people at 30 June 2025 (ABS estimate), and the ABS counted 720 construction businesses in the Orange City Council area at the same date.
Orange and Bathurst landlines both start 02 63, a range they share with Cowra, Lithgow, Mudgee, Rylstone and Young under the national numbering plan. Keep yours. It forwards to the assistant’s own Australian mobile number.
Orange takes the NSW list as it is. Your assistant works every one of these days at the usual price, and won’t book jobs on the ones you tell us you’re off.
| 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday 1 January | Friday 1 January |
| Australia Day | Monday 26 January | Tuesday 26 January |
| Good Friday | Friday 3 April | Friday 26 March |
| Easter Saturday | Saturday 4 April | Saturday 27 March |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday 5 April | Sunday 28 March |
| Easter Monday | Monday 6 April | Monday 29 March |
| Anzac Day | Saturday 25 April, plus Monday 27 April | Sunday 25 April, plus Monday 26 April |
| King’s Birthday | Monday 8 June | Monday 14 June |
| Labour Day | Monday 5 October | Monday 4 October |
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December | Saturday 25 December, plus Monday 27 December |
| Boxing Day | Saturday 26 December, plus Monday 28 December | Sunday 26 December, plus Tuesday 28 December |
From NSW Industrial Relations’ public holidays pages, read October 2026. There’s no local public holiday in the Orange City Council area on the 2026 or 2027 lists. In Cabonne, the Yeoval Show holiday on Tuesday 12 May 2026 covers only the Cabonne part of Yeoval. Daylight saving runs from 2am on Sunday 4 October 2026 to 3am on Sunday 4 April 2027 (NSW Government), and your assistant keeps to your local time through both changes.
In NSW you need a licence for any plumbing, draining or gasfitting work, LP gas included, whatever the job costs (Building Commission NSW). Customers can check one on Service NSW’s Verify.licence.
Send us your licence number, and backflow accreditation if you have it, and the assistant gives them to anyone who asks.
A burst pipe in July and a pool top-up in January get very different treatment. The trade pages show our starting point for each.
Pick the one for how many people work in the business.
Sole traders on the tools
A$299a month
About A$9.83 a day. Plus A$299 setup, once. Month to month.
Talk to the humansA small crew
A$449a month
Plus A$499 setup, once. Month to month.
Talk to the humansA bigger team with more phones ringing
A$799a month
Plus A$499 setup, once. Month to month.
Talk to the humansGo over your minutes or texts and it keeps answering: A$0.49 a minute and A$0.25 a text. It’s month to month, because 12 months is a big commitment to make to a robot. That’s the whole price. Nothing gets added on top. Questions? Ring us on 0468 075 000 or email hello@offsitemate.com.au.
No, and you won’t need to visit one. We’re in Wagga Wagga, NSW, and set you up over the phone. Ring us on 0468 075 000 and a human answers.
Yes, like any routine job. Tell us how long a test takes and the gap you want between jobs, and it offers times you’re free.
Yes. You keep the number and the phone company, and calls forward to your assistant’s own Australian mobile number. Mobiles forward with a short code. Landlines are fiddlier, so ring us and we’ll sort it with your provider.
The same as anywhere in Australia: A$299 a month for a sole trader, with 100 minutes and 150 texts included, plus A$299 to set up. No GST added, month to month.
Ring us on the number below, or email. Either way, a human gets back to you.
0468 075 000Or email hello@offsitemate.com.au
