Mayor's Column

It was a real privilege to meet and speak with the more than 40 people who attended our Citizenship Ceremony yesterday evening. These are profoundly significant occasions, and one of the great honours of being Mayor is being able to play a small part in that final step toward Australian citizenship.  

Congratulations to each of our new citizens on this wonderful new chapter, and thank you for choosing to make Bathurst part of your story. 

The Bathurst 1000 is one of the great weeks on the Australian sporting calendar, and this year we’re thrilled to be adding one more lap. Earlier this week we announced the program for Lap 162: The Great Race Cool Down, the closing event for the 2026 Repco Bathurst 1000 Race Week festivities. 

Lap 162 will bring live music into the heart of the CBD on Monday 12 October, featuring two local support acts alongside Australian rock favourites The Choirboys and The Angels. This is one of those simple ideas that can do a few good things at once: give visitors another reason to stay in Bathurst, put more people through our cafés, pubs, restaurants and shops, and help spread the traditional post-race departure peak on the Great Western Highway. 

For me, that is exactly the sort of thinking we should be encouraging more of as a city, using our major events not just for the spectacle itself, but to create a broader benefit for local businesses, visitors and the community. 

While all eyes are understandably turning toward the 1000, there is still plenty happening across the region. The Panorama Punish returns to Mount Panorama on 25 October, giving runners the chance to experience our iconic 6.2km circuit in a very different way, on foot. 

Whether you are a seasoned runner, a weekend warrior or simply up for the challenge, it is a great way to get active and experience the Mountain from a completely different perspective. 2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years yet, so whether you are entering solo or as part of a team, I would encourage you to get in before entries sell out. 

And if running the Mountain is not quite your thing, organisers are also looking for a few more volunteers to join the Punish Pit Crew and help make the event happen. 

Finally, planning is also well underway for the Kaleidoscope Festival on 7 November, celebrating the many cultures that make Bathurst such a welcoming and diverse community. If you are a local performer, service provider, food vendor, market stallholder or community organisation, Council would love to hear from you and see you involved. 

Bathurst does events very well, but more importantly, we do them best when the community gets involved. 

There is plenty happening, plenty to be proud of, and plenty more still to come.