What's News 31 October
Published on 31 October 2025
Sofala Transfer Station | Maintenance Works
Council advises that the Sofala Transfer Station will be closed from Monday 17 November to Wednesday 26 November for maintenance works.
During this period, a temporary 15 metre bin will be placed in front of the gate during the day for residents for domestic waste only between 9am and 3pm. There will be no capacity for disposal of metal, green waste, oil, or recyclables during this time. Residents needing to dispose of these items will need to dispose of the material at the Bathurst Waste Management Centre (WMC) during the closure and pay the disposal fee at the WMC or use their waste and green waste vouchers.
An illegal dumping camera will also be set up during this time to deter illegal dumping activity.
Film Screening at Bathurst Rail Museum: ‘Milltown’
Milltown is a new living history film work that celebrates the people of the historic Milltown area of Bathurst, and their connection to place and communities of the past, through the lens of the present. A project between Arts OutWest and Chifley Home and Education Centre, the film features interviews with Bathurst locals who lived in the Milltown area of South Bathurst in the NSW Central West. Their memories are woven together with personal film footage and with stories of Ben and Elizabeth Chifley to create a beautiful celebration of life by the railways. The final 13-minute film was produced by Bathurst-based film maker Henry Simmons.
The film will be publicly screened Wednesday 12 November from 6pm at Bathurst Rail Museum. Light refreshments will be provided at the screening.
Arts OutWest is the regional arts development organisation for the NSW Central West and works in partnership with Bathurst Regional Council.
International Games Month at Bathurst Library
Bathurst Library invites community members to celebrate International Games Month (November) with a FREE family event on Saturday 8 November, 3:30pm – 5:00pm.
Come dressed up in character or cosplay for the chance to win a prize!
Great for teens / children / families *Children under 10yrs must be accompanied by a parent or carer.
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery Summer Exhibitions
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery (BRAG) is excited to announce their Summer Exhibitions, opening Friday 21 November 2025 at 6pm – RSVP essential.
This Summer, BRAG champions regional artists who live and work across Wiradjuri Country in Central West NSW with five new exhibitions. In the Main Gallery, West of Central 2 showcases work by 16 regional artists responding to ecologies, histories, and communities of the Central West. Sharing that space, the 2025 Our Ngurang (Home) Program Exhibition reveals what students have learned over a year-long Wiradyuri Art Education Program. In BRAG’s Foyer Gallery, Bella Fenton, winner of the 2023 Bathurst Grange Distillery X BRAG Summer Gin Art Competition, presents The Bogeyman. On the OUT THERE | Forecourt Projection, Charles Sturt University’s Children’s Voices Centre shares the global Children Draw Health project; and downtown on the OUT THERE | TAFE Screens, Nicole Welch presents Transformation: The Prelude.
Temporary Road Closure Mount Panorama - Bathurst Light Car Club
Part of Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit will be closed to traffic on Saturday 1 November and Sunday 2 November 2025, from 7am to 6pm, to allow the Bathurst Light Car Club to conduct its annual speed weekend.
Temporary road closures will be in place as follows –
Supersprint – Saturday 1 November 2025: from the eastern side of McPhillamy Park gates on Skyline, through the Esses, Conrod Straight and Pit Straight to Mountain Straight side of Hell Corner up to the Pit Entrance.
• Alternate access will be via Ray Bant Drive and Caltex Chase tunnel.
Mountain Straight Hillclimb – Sunday 2 November 2025: from the Pit exit gates on Mountain Straight to the eastern side of McPhillamy Park gates.
• Alternate access to the top of the Mount will be via Barry Gurdon Drive.
All enquiries regarding the Speed Weekend Event should be directed to the Bathurst Light Car Club’s Clerk of the Course, Mr Robert Flood, on mobile 0408 402 729.
Upcoming Road Reconstruction Works – Freemantle Road
Commencing Monday 3 November, Council will begin reconstruction of approximately 1.4km of Freemantle Road from near the southern approach to the Freemantle Rural Fire Service shed to the Killongbutta Road intersection. Works include widening of the existing bitumen pavement, installation of new concrete piped drainage culverts, enhancement of existing table drainage, placement of additional road base material to raise the road profile in selected areas, stabilisation of the new pavement to improve long-term structural integrity, and application of a new bitumen spray seal surface upon completion of the reconstruction. The project is expected to take approximately 6 to 8 weeks, weather dependent. During this period, traffic control measures will be in place.
Please contact Council’s Manager Works directly on (02) 6333 6223 during business hours if you require further information.
Submissions Open for Australia Day Awards 2026
Nominations are open for the 2026 Australia Day Awards. This includes Bathurst’s Citizen of the Year, our Living Legends, the Youth Arts Awards, and a new award for 2026, the Youth Community Service Award. Nominations for these awards will close Friday 7 November 2025.
The Event of the Year award is also open for nominations. There are three categories to be awarded, including Destination Event of the Year, Community Event of the Year, as well as the most outstanding New Event of the Year. Nominations for these awards can be made up until Friday 9 January 2026.
Place 360: Bathurst’s Economic Update
Join Council and the Bathurst Business Chamber for the annual economic and demographic update, presented by .id Community. Get the latest insights into Bathurst’s growth, trends, and opportunities.
-Tuesday 11 November 2025
A must-attend event for anyone interested in the future of our region!
Bathurst Rural Strategy Open for Community Input
Over the coming months, Council is preparing a Rural Strategy to guide the management of our rural areas into the future. Council wants to hear your thoughts on what matters most and how we can balance growth, lifestyle, and protection of the land we value. Have your say via this link: https://yoursay.bathurst.nsw.gov.au/rural-strategy
The closing date for survey submissions and commentary is 28 November 2025.
Upcoming Road Works – Prince Street, Perthville
Drainage and road construction works in Prince Street between Church and Rockley Streets are scheduled to commence Monday 20 October 2025. Please note that a full road closure will be required from week commencing 27 October 2025 to facilitate further construction activities. Council is working closely with local bus companies and the school to ensure they are informed and can plan accordingly. Immediate residents will still be permitted access and are requested to follow traffic control guidance as directed.
Roadworks | O’Connell Road
Council is carrying out essential repair work on behalf of Transport for NSW on a 300-metre section of O’Connell Road, between Bathurst and Oberon. Works will be carried out Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm from Tuesday 14 October. Works are expected to take three weeks to complete, weather permitting.
Work will include removing, reshaping and reinforcing the existing embankments to repair slope failures, as well as replacing barrier guard rails along the roadside.
Partial Road Closure | Hamilton Street Eglinton
As part of Council’s Resurfacing Program 2025/26, our bitumen crews are carrying out work on Hamilton St, Eglinton. This commenced Monday 13 October 2025 and is set to take approximately 3-4 weeks, weather permitting.
While this work is underway, the road will be under traffic control daily from 6:30am to 3:30pm. Motorists are requested to abide by the changed traffic conditions and the directive of traffic controllers. Expect some short delays, and detours may be in place as well. If you have any queries regarding this matter, feel free to contact Council’s Department of Engineering Services (02) 6333 6100.
On 29 August 2025, the Office of Local Government via Circular 25-20 released an updated Model Code of Meeting Practice. The circular noted that the Model Code must adopt a Code of Meeting Practice that incorporates the mandatory provisions of the 2025 Model Meeting Code by 31 December 2025.
Among other changes, the mandatory provisions of the 2025 Model Meeting Code will prohibit pre-meeting briefings. Councils must also livestream meetings of the council and committees comprising wholly of councillors from 1 January 2026 using an audio-visual recording. Recordings of meetings must be published on the council’s website for the balance of the council term or for 12 months, whichever is the later date.
More detailed information about the changes to council meeting practices made by the 2025 Model Meeting Code is provided in the FAQ document provided in the document library. All 31 submissions already received will be considered in conjunction with any new submissions received during this exhibition period.
Media contact: Genevieve Green Media and Communications Officer