What's News 6 December
Published on 06 December 2024
Council Christmas closures
The Civic Centre Administration Building will close at 12pm Friday 20 December and will re-open at 8.30am Monday 23 December, closing at 4.45pm Tuesday 24 December and will reopen on 2 January 2025.
The Waste Management Centre will also close at 12pm Friday 20 December, reopening 8.30am Saturday 21 December and will be closed all day Christmas Day. It will re-open as per normal hours on Boxing Day 26 December.
Waste and recycling collection services will continue to occur as per the usual collection day, even if this falls on a public holiday.
Traffic Disruption – Fish River Bridge, O’Connell
Temporary traffic changes will occur along O’Connell Road at Fish River Bridge from Wednesday 4 December whilst Transport for NSW carries out investigative project work.
From 10pm to 5am on the nights of Wednesday 4 December and Tuesday 10 December, O'Connell Road at Fish River Bridge will be closed to all traffic whilst a barge is lowered into Fish River.
With the barge in place, weather permitting, the drilling of boreholes within the Fish River waterway will commence on Thursday 5 December. This work is to help inform potential foundation and design options for a pedestrian bridge and is expected to take up to 6 days to complete.
Working hours for the drilling are -
Monday to Friday: 7am to 6pm, Saturday: 7am to 4pm, Sunday: 8am to 4pm
For more information, contact the Transport for NSW project team on 1800 167 499.
For the latest traffic updates, call 132 701, visit livetraffic.com or download the app Live Traffic NSW.
Have your say - Ngurang Arts Residency (BARN)
Bathurst Regional Council is seeking community feedback on the Ngurang Arts Residency (BARN) project to inform future decision making on the facility.
The intent of the Ngurang Arts Residency is to be a creative hub; a place for creative development, rehearsal and training utilised by a range of specialist and community groups supporting the expansion of the performing arts in the Central West.
Council is seeking broader community feedback on the project. Namely, to determine the level of local support, and the social and economic benefits the facility would bring to the community.
Submissions close 4pm Friday 10 January 2025.
Freemantle Road – Road Rehabilitation Upgrade
Rehabilitation to a 1km section of Freemantle Road is taking place from Monday 9 December. The road pavement is located approximately 23km from Eglinton on Freemantle Road.
The upgrade works consist of drainage improvements, with additional drainage culvert installation and widening of the road pavement which will provide a new 8m wide bitumen spray seal road pavement.
Minor traffic delays may be experienced while specialised stabilisation equipment is engaged to rehabilitate the entire 1km section of road. Immediately following, the road will be two-coat bitumen spray sealed.
Council apologises for any inconvenience. Motorists are advised to allow additional travel time during the works.
The project is anticipated to conclude 13 December 2024, subject to favourable weather conditions.
Temporary Road Closure | Dhuluny Aboriginal Art Markets
Council advises that the following roads will be temporarily closed from 12am Friday 13 December until 4pm Sunday 15 December:
- Russell Street between William Street and George Street
- Church Street between Parish Lane and Ribbon Gang Lane
Access to Courthouse Lane, Parish Lane and Ribbon Gang Lane will be maintained during this closure.
This temporary closure is for the Aboriginal Art Markets and an evening concert at Kings Parade.
Lambert Street Power Construction Works
Regional Power Construction are completing a power upgrade on the corner of Lambert & Stewart Street. This will require the temporary closure of Lambert Street on Sunday 15 December 2024 from 8am to 4pm for the frontage of the Dudley Hotel with local access available to affected residents within the work area.
If you have any questions, please contact Regional Power Construction on
Overnight Pens Closed at BARC
Due to a recent influx of almost 30 new animals left in the overnight pens, the decision has been made to temporarily cease the operation of the overnight pens at the Bathurst Animal Rehoming Centre.
These new animals have increased the facility's already overcrowded status, with over 70 dogs and more than 50 cats, many of which are aggressive and require intense care.
The decision to temporarily cease the operation of the overnight pen is regretted but brought about by the extent of irresponsible pet ownership in the community. Council needs to protect the welfare of our staff, and the animals that are already in care.
CBD Line Marking Roadworks
Council will be conducting the second stage of 60degree angled ‘Rear to Kerb’ parking on both sides of the road adjacent to commercial and residential property frontages of:
Weather permitting, roadwork for William & Howick Street is scheduled to take place from Friday 22 November to Sunday 8 December 2024. Work will take place during evening hours, weekends included.
Kerbside adjacent areas will be cordoned off with bollards during hours of operation, including to allow reasonable drying time, subject to weather conditions.
We respectfully request that during the above-listed times that vehicles are parked on the alternative side of the road to work areas, so that access is not obstructed.
Please do not enter the work site, neither on foot nor in a vehicle.
To gain the required access please communicate with Council’s site supervisor or traffic control.
Bathurst Regional Council regrets any inconvenience this work may cause across the listed periods.
If you have any questions, please contact Council’s Manager Works Chris Schumacher – (02) 6333 6223.
2025 Waste 2 Art | The Year of the Toys
Bathurst’s 2025 Waste 2 Art theme is 'The Year of the Toys,' challenging participants to turn their used toys into artistic creations.
Australia's demand for toys and games is on the rise. Reports indicate that of the 200 thousand tonnes of imported toys in 2024, over 100 thousand tonnes of this will end up as waste.
To combat this, we can choose to reuse, recirculate and recycle our toys – or turn them into art!
The Waste 2 Art competition is open to schools, community groups and individuals, with a range of categories catered to different age groups and art types.
Entries close Monday 5 May 2025.
With the election of the new Council in October 2024, it's time to update the Community Strategic Plan (CSP).
The CSP is Council and the community's vision for the future of our region.
We'd like to hear from you about what you see as being important, what you love about our community and what your priorities are for the future of our region.
Share your thoughts in our survey below.
Your feedback will help us draft the Community Strategic Plan in coming months - and we will share the draft document back with the community in the new year before it is adopted by Council in June 2025.
Responses will be accepted up to 10am, 20 December 2024.
Join us at Bathurst Animal Rehoming Centre for Pet-Xmas Adoption Weekend.
When: Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 December 2024
Location: BARC, 58 Hampden Park Road, Kelso
Come meet adorable pets looking for their forever homes, and maybe even find a new best friend for Christmas!
Walk-ins are welcome; however, bookings are preferred.
Call 02 6333 6190 to book an appointment.
Don’t miss out on this paw-some event!
Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan
The Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan (SRITP) for the Central West & Orana will be released at the end of 2025. The NSW Government is focused on capturing what makes our region unique and ensuring our transport infrastructure supports every residents’ way of life. They're seeking community feedback on how they can best plan for the future of transport across the region.
For more information and to provide your feedback, please visit:
Share your thoughts by 31 December 2024.
Mitchell Highway Upgrades, Vittoria West
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is carrying out important safety work on the Mitchell Highway in preparation for the Vittoria West safety upgrade project.
From Monday 4 November, TfNSW and their appointed contractor will be removing some non-native trees, shrubs and weeds along the road corridor to allow for future widening work. They will also be carrying out fencing and culvert improvement work. The project is expected to take approximately 4 weeks to complete, weather permitting, and will take place at Vittoria, near Gardiners Road on the Mitchell Highway, approximately 22km west of Bathurst.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm from Monday to Friday.
For the safety of workers and motorists, several traffic changes will be in place during the work, including:
• reduced speed limit to 40 km/h
All road users are advised to follow the directions of signs and traffic control and slow down on approach. Resident and business access will be maintained during this work.
For the latest traffic updates, call 132 701, or visit livetraffic.com or download the Live Traffic NSW App.
Road Closure | Hughes & Marsden Lane roundabout construction
Marsden Lane, between Ilumba Way and Sunbright Road will be temporarily closed to traffic from Monday 21 October for approximately 14 weeks for the construction of a roundabout.
Local resident access will be maintained.
For more information, call Hynash Constructions on 6332 4343.
Australia Day Awards Nominations Open
Do you know of an exceptional individual in the Bathurst community who has contributed to the great city in which we live, or know of an event that highlighted our community spirit? Here is your chance to recognise them.
Nominations are open for the following awards that will be presented at the 2025 Australia Day Ceremony:
Youth Arts Award (nominations close today, Friday 6 December 2024)
Event of the Year Awards – destination, community and new (nominations close Friday 10 January 2025)
Make sure you are signed up to Bathurst Regional Council’s monthly e-newsletter to stay up to date with everything happening at Council, from projects and major works to news and events.
Media contact: Genevieve Green Media and Communications Officer