November Council Meeting News Report 2025
Published on 20 November 2025
Bathurst Regional Council held an Ordinary Council Meeting on 19 November 2025.
Below is a media release collation from the meeting’s business papers.
8.2.6 DEVELOPMENT CONTRIBUTION PLANS - MAJOR REVIEW
Under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act), where a development will (or is likely to) require the provision of or increase the demand for public amenities and public services, Council may require a monetary contribution, land dedication (referred to as Developer Contributions) and/or a Works-in-kind arrangement or Planning Agreement.
Following recommendation, Council has resolved to commence a major review of its Development Contribution Plans including:
1. bringing together s7.11 contributions under a consolidated plan;
2. developing a new s7.12 plan to capture contributions from developments that are not currently subject to contributions under section 7.11 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act;
3. relocating stormwater contributions currently required under the Environment Planning and Assessment Act to be required under section 64 of the Local Government Act;
- noting the proposed allocation of resources to support the major review; and
- investigating opportunities to implement new software program/s to better manage and operate a future development contribution system across the Council.
A major review of Council’s existing development contributions plans will enable Council to:
• Address the funding gap between the cost of infrastructure and the amount of development contributions currently being received.
• Update works schedules and cost estimates in existing plans.
• And, improve the way Council manages development contributions across Council
Sections 7.11 and 7.12 of the EP&A Act gives Council the power to require development contributions (money, land, or works) toward public infrastructure needed because of new development.
In regard to the above, a section 7.11 Plan identifies the relationship between the expected types of development in the area and the demand for additional public amenities and public services to meet the expected development. It includes a map and schedule of works which outline the specific public amenities and public services that need to be provided by Council to support development within the area, including an estimate of cost, staging and priorities for expenditure.
Further, a section 7.12 plan allows Council to levy a fixed percentage contribution on certain types of development, based on the cost of the development. Unlike a section 7.11 plan, the 7.12 plan is somewhat simplified with less emphasis required to quantify the relationship between development and the infrastructure demand.
Council does not currently have a section 7.12 plan in place that would enable contributions to be taken for commercial/industrial development and residential alterations/additions. A section 7.12 plan might also be a more appropriate approach for many rural developments. The inclusion of a section 7.12 plan would provide equity across the range of development types in terms of contributions made towards enabling infrastructure required to support new development and overall growth of the region.
If Council were not to proceed with a major review of its contribution plans:
• Council would need to directly fund a much larger proportion of the required infrastructure (e.g. through Council rates, grant funding, etc.).
• The development of new urban areas could be delayed or reduced in scale, which could impact on the provision and availability of housing (and associated services and amenities) necessary for the future population of Bathurst.
• New urban and infill growth may not be developed or delivered to the standards adopted by Council and supported by an appropriate level of infrastructure to support the population.
• The broader community of Bathurst could be responsible for funding infrastructure that is largely attributable to new development to serve new population.
8.2.8 POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS
A report has been prepared on the potential impacts of renewable energy projects. This report, linked on Council’s website below, describes the “state of play” of many of the issues raised by Council, noting that the final details of many projects are not yet fully known. Further, it attempts to focus on what is known and the issues being raised and being reported without advocating for one side or another.
One thing that is immediately obvious is that the rollout of renewable energy projects is gathering momentum outside of designated Renewable Energy Zones (REZ), of which the Central-West Orana REZ is one. The experience within the REZs is that the scale and speed of the rollout is leaving many communities feeling disenfranchised by the lack of planning and being left to deal with the cumulative impacts.
Council at its meeting held 20 August 2025 considered a Mayoral Minute in relation to the potential impacts from Renewable Energy Projects.
The matters of concern raised in the Mayoral Minute were:
• Heavy vehicle effects from transportation of infrastructure
• Impact on alternative routes for heavy vehicles
• Procurement of water supply
• Pressure on our health system
• Potential strain on sewage and waste management systems
• Housing and demand on rental accommodation
• Council staffing requirements to resource these developments
• Decommissioning of each turbine in the future
• Rural sensitivity of visual impact
• Worker accommodation camps
The argument is put by many that the cumulative impact on the community has been poorly managed and is retrospective. Whilst the focus to date has been on the REZs and their communities, the Councils outside the REZ are perhaps further behind.
Many of the issues the community is grappling with sit outside the planning system. Whilst the planning system can consider the environmental impacts there are broader issues in the community which are not addressed by the planning system.
“Electricity generating works or solar energy systems” are facilitated by State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP). The SEPP makes permissible “electricity generating works” of any scale in any “non-residential zone”. Under State Environmental Planning Policy, projects such as these with an estimated development cost of $30 million or more (or $10 million if located within an environmentally sensitive area of State Significance) are declared to be a “State Significant Development” (SSD). The State is the consent authority for SSDs. It is a requirement of SEPP that the consent authority consider the impact any State or Regionally Significant wind or solar project may have on the future growth of a regional city (such as Bathurst).
Whilst the focus of the renewable rollout has been in the REZ, the Bathurst, Lithgow and Oberon areas have seen an increase in developments of this type.
Within the respective REZs, EnergyCo, created by the NSW Governbmenbt to lead the delivery of REZs, has been investigating the cumulative impacts of projects. This includes workforce accommodation, training and skills development, roads and traffic management, telecommunication improvements, and waste management. For those areas outside of the REZ, the understanding of cumulative impacts is less understood.
Within the Bathurst LGA there are multiple renewable energy projects at the stages of project design/scoping, development application being assessed or project approved. There are also several projects in the Lithgow and Oberon LGAs which have an indirect impact on Bathurst because of their proximity, proposed transportation routes or reliance upon Bathurst for accommodation and workforce. The extent of that impact varies from project to project.
A summary of these known projects in Bathurst, Lithgow and Oberon LGAs is provided in the full report on Council’s website, linked below.
Consultation for SSDs is to be undertaken in accordance with the Department of Planning’s Guidelines. There is a collective obligation on the Department and proponents to engage with the community, councils and government agencies on SSD projects. It is relevant from a community perspective to understand the purpose of consultation and the importance of community “support” for projects.
Whilst there is an expectation that proponents will consult with residents, although not essential to the planning process, Council’s experience is that the level of engagement varies between projects. The degree of engagement with Council is influenced by the stage of the assessment process but also what is considered to be the “zone of influence” for each development. There are projects located immediately adjoining the Bathurst LGA boundary where the proponents have not consulted with Council, despite what are clearly impacts that extend beyond the arbitrary boundary line between 2 LGAs. Perhaps more concerning to Council is that the Department of Planning has not consulted with Council on projects located near the LGA boundary and where the impacts clearly extend beyond the boundary. This is a matter that has been raised with the Department directly. That said, consultation with proponents is not universally lacking. There are projects where proponents are meeting regularly with Council officers on technical issues and are providing briefings to Councillors. And whilst Council can reflect the community’s views, it also must also have regard to the planning framework that governs assessment of applications.
Transport routes for the construction of these project is another often cited topic.
Bathurst is at the confluence of the Great Western, Mitchell and Mid Western Highways and Main Roads (MR) 253 (O’Connell Road) and MR54 (Goulburn-Ilford). Projects located east of Bathurst (i.e. towards Lithgow) and to the south (towards Oberon) will generally need to transport materials through Bathurst to get to their destination. To date none of the current proposed wind farm proposals have undertaken a detailed Traffic Impact Assessment of alternative routes through Bathurst. Equally the cumulative impacts of having multiple projects transporting materials through Bathurst (either consecutively or concurrently) have not been investigated and quantified.
With some minor exceptions, it is a requirement of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 that owner’s consent be provided to enable a Development Application to be considered. Public roads (other than freeways or Crown Roads) are vested in fee simple, i.e. Council is the “owner” of the land on which the road sits. Consistent with that obligation, Council has been requested by proponents to provide its consent to the works within the public road reserve to support their SSD Applications. This is distinct from the broader use of public roads to transport materials, etc., which are matters that form part of the assessment process. Withholding consent, without a clear understanding of both the reasons for and the consequences of doing so, is not a course of action that could be recommended to Bathurst Regional Council. To do so would be to have the Council act improperly and in bad faith.
Other concerns raised in connection with renewable energy projects include road upgrades, water supply, sewer supply, construction workforce requirements, accommodation options, the impact on Council’s ability to conduct events, planning agreements, social impacts, Council resources, the visual impact of such projects and decommissioning them in the future. A detailed breakdown of these can be found in the full report on Council’s website, linked below.
Following this report, Council has unanimously adopted a policy position that all proponents of State Significant Development (SSD) or Critical State Significant Development (CSSD) within the Bathurst Local Government Area, or any project materially impacting the Bathurst LGA, are requested to provide Bathurst Regional Council with detailed information relating to:
•Roads & haulage: dilapidation reports, oversize/overmass logistics, haul route impacts and repair obligations.
• People & housing: workforce accommodation, pressure on rentals, services and utilities.
•Essential services: potable/non-potable water, sewer, waste, emergency and health.
•Cumulative impacts: environmental, social and infrastructure - including cross-LGA.
•Local economy: industry impacts with mitigation/compensation proposals.
•Community: genuine consultation before the EIS goes on exhibition.
•End-of-life: detailed decommissioning; how deep you remove substructures, independent costings.
•Security: bank guarantees/financial assurances sized for decommissioning and road repairs.
This information is required for Councillors and staff to prepare informed, transparent submissions and recommendations to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure and, where applicable, to the Independent Planning Commission.
This requirement does not constitute Bathurst Regional Council acting as consent authority for SSD or CSSD proposals, but forms part of Council’s roles in representing community interests during the statutory planning and assessment process.
Council will not express support of endorsement for any SSD or CSSD proposal where the proponent has not provided the information listed in point 2, noting Council’s responsibility to communicate impacts and risks to the consent authority on behalf of the community. This policy will capture existing SSD proposals in the region and requests the information from proponents.
8.2.9 BATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT 2024-25
The Bathurst Regional Council 2024-25 State of the Environment Report (SoE) (linked on Council’s website below) summarises progress made towards achieving the Strengthen Environmental Stewardship objective of the “Our Region, Our Future” Bathurst 2022 Community Strategic Plan (CSP). This was the CSP in place during 2024-25, which is the period covered by this SoE report.
The SoE report is prepared on an annual basis to provide more detail to the community on environmental indicators. It examines trends including Council energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, waste to landfill, rainfall and temperature patterns, as well as community water and energy use. The SoE Report also highlights several sustainability and biodiversity conservation projects Council is involved in.
The 2024-25 State of the Environment Report demonstrates that Council has made significant progress in minimising its environmental impact by reducing emissions from landfill and energy and highlights lower than average town water consumption. It also reports on progress made in delivering Stage 1 of the Brick Pit Wetlands project and features Council’s involvement in a range of environmental education projects.
8.4.1 WATER SUPPLY UPDATE
As at 30 October 2025, Chifley Dam was at 100.0%, with 30,100ML in storage. Chifley Dam had been close to capacity or overflowing for 53 months until mid-March 2025. Since mid-June the dam storage levels have returned to full capacity or overflowing.
Winburndale Dam was at 96.6% on 30 October 2025, with 1,643ML in storage.
In Bathurst, the estimated residential water usage varies from week to week but currently remains at or below the target for Level 6 water restrictions. Over the last 4 weeks, the average estimated water usage for Bathurst is 9.2ML/d, or 120L/per person per day.
8.5.1 CULTURAL & COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT - VALUE AND CONTRIBUTIONS IN 2024/2025
The Cultural & Community Services Department of Bathurst Regional Council consists of seven areas, the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG), Museums Bathurst - encompassing the National Motor Racing Museum, Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, Chifley Home, Bathurst Rail Museum and the Central Tablelands Collections Facility, Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre (BMEC), Community Services, Bathurst Visitor Information Centre/Destination Marketing (BVIC), Events, and Bathurst Library. All sections work collaboratively in the development and delivery of cultural programs, events and community programs and in establishing community partnerships and fostering Bathurst’s cultural identity and unique sense of place.
It is widely recognised that arts and culture contribute powerfully to individual and community wellbeing and that healthy communities are also inclined to be more economically vibrant. In 2024/25, Bathurst Regional Council has maintained its commitment to ensuring that the arts, culture and delivering strong community programs continue to underpin our identity, sense of place and therefore our region’s future. This commitment, and Council’s ongoing investment into the cultural vitality of the region, enhances the liveability of Bathurst, the health and resilience of our community and the desirability of the city and region for attracting regional relocation and investment.
Linked on Council’s website below is a high-level overview of the activities and achievements of the Cultural & Community Services Department in the 2024/25 financial year, notably:
Among these achievements are increasing visitation numbers:
Across all facilities and facility activities, the Cultural & Community Services team directly engaged with 329,688 visitors to all facilities operated by the Department in the 12 months to 30 June 2025 of whom over 120,000 were visitors to Bathurst from outside the LGA. In October 2024, the National Motor Racing Museum welcomed its 750,000th visitor since opening, with a total of 42,515 visitors over 2024/25. All museums cumulatively welcomed 119,787 visitors, an increase over the previous year, and the number of annual memberships rose from 662 to 723. Notably 452 memberships were for the Bathurst Rail Museum, demonstrating its importance as a community hub particularly for young families.
Along with strong, continued industry recognition:
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Two additional regional and one metropolitan Councils as well as an NGO have entered into new commercial partnership with the Central Tablelands Collections Facility, recognising the unique nature of the facility. CTCF also hosted visits in 2024/25 from Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC, the Earl of Bathurst and the Deputy Mayor of Cirencester.
8.5.2 DRAFT BATHURST REGIONAL COUNCIL ABORIGINAL COMMITMENT STRATEGY, BULA - VERSION TWO
Council led by example in 2015 and was the first Local Government Council to implement an ‘Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)’ in the Central West. Following two successful Reconciliation Action Plans, Council again led the way in 2022, developing Bathurst Regional Council’s inaugural Aboriginal Commitment Strategy, Ngumbaay – Version One (1). The Aboriginal Commitment Strategy has guided Council in continuing its strong connection with Bathurst’s Aboriginal community, and developing meaningful relationships with Aboriginal people, organisations and stakeholders.
Following the second review of the inaugural Aboriginal Commitment Strategy, Council completed consultation throughout November 2024. Council yarned face to face with approximately 55 Aboriginal community members and received 20 anonymous consultation flag cards from community participants.
Council has now placed the new draft Aboriginal Commitment Strategy, Bula – Version Two, on public exhibition for a period of 28 days. If no submissions are received, Council will adopt the Aboriginal Commitment Strategy, Bula – Version Two in December 2025. However, if submissions are received, the Aboriginal Commitment Strategy, Bula – Version Two will be reviewed and amended, where required, prior to adoption.
Media contact: Genevieve Green Media and Communications Officer