NSW man charged with assaulting neighbour

A man has been charged after allegedly smashing a wooden fence post on his neighbour's head at Orange in central western NSW, leaving him in a critical condition.

The man will appear in court on Sunday charged with causing grievous bodily harm during an ongoing dispute between the neighbours in Orchard Grove Drive on Saturday.

Police allege there was initially a fist fight between the pair which later escalated when the 47-year-old starting hitting the 62-year-old man's car with the post.

When the older man got out of the car, he was hit on the head.

He's been taken to Westmead Hospital in Sydney in a critical but stable condition.

Investigations are continuing.