I would like to thank the Bathurst community for the warmth and encouragement I have received this week as I step into the role of Mayor.
After almost five years as Deputy Mayor, it is an enormous privilege to now have the opportunity to lead this Council and represent a community I care deeply about. I am conscious of the responsibility that comes with the office, but equally conscious that responsibility is not a reason to be timid. This should be a period of renewal for Bathurst. With new leadership, changing personnel and fresh energy around the Council table, we have an opportunity to refresh the way we work, renew confidence in the institution and reform the things that need to change, while preserving what Bathurst already does well.
Cr Sophie Wright will serve two years as Deputy Mayor. Sophie brings energy and a willingness to challenge convention. I am optimistic about the contribution she can make in the role, and I look forward to working constructively with her, and with all Councillors, in the interests of the city.
There is work to do, particularly in strengthening Council’s financial position and ensuring the organisation is sustainable for the long term. We should be clear-eyed about that task. But balancing the books is not a vision for Bathurst. It is what gives us the freedom to have one. A city cannot cut its way to greatness though, and it cannot borrow confidence from the future. We have to earn both.
Bathurst is a country city with a name the world knows, and our ambition for its future should be every bit as large as that reputation. We have strong businesses, great places to live and learn, productive industries, extraordinary sporting and cultural assets and people prepared to back an idea with their own money, effort and belief.
I want Bathurst to be a city that rewards that confidence.
A place where businesses can grow, investment is welcomed, housing keeps pace with the needs of our community and young people can look ahead and see a future for themselves here. A good job. A home. The opportunity to start a business, raise a family and contribute to a community they are proud to call their own.
There will be difficult decisions along the way. That is the nature of this role. The test is not whether we can avoid those decisions, but whether we can make them carefully, explain them honestly and then get on with the job. Bathurst has never lacked potential. What matters now is whether we have the confidence and discipline to act on it.
I want this Council to be thoughtful enough to listen, confident enough to decide and disciplined enough to follow through. Bathurst should not spend the next term admiring its problems. We should be solving them. I am enormously proud to serve as your Mayor, and I look forward to the work ahead.
There may have been some shifts this week, but the work of Council doesn’t stop and, as always, there is so much going on around our Region to get involved in. Of course, Race Week is coming up fast and along with that come endless opportunities for our business community to jump onboard the Bathurst 1000 fanfare. Closing this Sunday are registrations for our Window Display Competition, a chance to draw the attention of visitors and join in the fun during Race Week. Each entrant not only receives a decorator pack, promos on 2BS & B-Rock FM and 4 x 4-day GA passes to the 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000, but they’ll go into the running to win 2 x Corporate Suite tickets to the Repco Bathurst 1000 on Sunday 11 October 2026, a massive $2,000 radio advertising package with 2BS & B-Rock, another 1 x 4-Day General Admission Double Pass to the 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000 plus 2 x Supercars merchandise packs. Head to Council’s website for more info; you definitely don’t want to miss this.
And don’t forget, the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre is on the lookout for a few more welcoming local families to host students from Japan's Toyo High School during their visit to Bathurst next year. 2027 will mark Toyo High School’s 25th visit to our region, with 190 students set to explore Bathurst for three nights, from Friday 26 February to Monday 1 March 2027. Whether you're hosting for the first time or have welcomed international students before, we would love to have you involved in this community program which gives you the incredible opportunity to build lifelong, international friendships. Contact the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre if you’re looking to get involved.
Thank you again for the support and appreciation as I’ve transitioned into the Mayoral seat this week. There is a lot to do, and I am eager and determined to get stuck in.