What's News 5 December
Published on 05 December 2025
Bathurst Library will be closed to the community on Monday 8 December to allow staff to participate in offsite professional development and to complete cleaning of the library soft furnishings. Signage has been placed at the entrances to advise of the closure.
Library services will return to normal operations on Tuesday, 9 December 2025.
Tickets for Round 2 of the 2026 NRL Telstra Premiership between the Penrith Panthers and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks will go on sale next week.
Tickets will be available from 11am Wednesday 10 December via 123Tix. A Penrith Panthers members pre-sale will take place 24 hours beforehand commencing at 11am on Tuesday 9 December. Members will receive an email from Penrith Panthers with a pre-sale link to purchase tickets.
Bathurst Regional Council would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Below you will find the closure dates and contact numbers for the Civic Centre and Administration, as well as information on Council waste collection services over the holiday period. For further information on Council’s holiday closures including Museums, BARC, Library and BVIC, please visit our website www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au.
Civic Centre, Administration
Closed: from 12 noon Friday 19 December 2025
Open: 8:30am - 4:45pm Monday 22 December until Wednesday 24 December 2025 Closed: from 4:45pm Wednesday 24 December 2025
Open: Monday 5 January 2026
• Water & Sewerage, contact 6334 2795
• Roads & Drainage (Urban & Rural), contact 0408 412 576
• Parks matters, contact 0407 856 469
• Cemetery matters, contact 0420 313 096
• Building maintenance issues, contact 6334 2795
Collection of Waste, Recycling and Food & Garden Waste Services
Christmas Day collection and all other days will be as normal.
• Waste matters, contact 6334 2795
• Waste collection matters, contact 0417 065 578
• Recycling, food & garden waste matters, contact 1300 725 415
Maintenance Work | Vale, Trunkey and Goulburn Roads
Council is carrying out essential maintenance work on behalf of Transport for NSW on Vale, Trunkey and Goulburn Roads near Bathurst.
The maintenance work will include patching and sealing to improve road surfaces and provide safer journeys in the area. The work area will be between the Vale and Lloyds Road intersection and the Goulburn and Caves Road intersection.
Works will be carried out between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, and 7am and 1pm on Saturdays. Work will start on Monday 1 December and is expected to be completed in three weeks, weather permitting. Traffic changes will be in place.
Christmas ShopFest – Thursday 11 December!
Get into the festive spirit and shop local this Christmas at Bathurst ShopFest! For one day only, local businesses will bring their stores to the street - trading along the footpath and showcasing an amazing range of products, gifts and unique items. It’s the perfect chance to tick off your Christmas shopping list while supporting our amazing local businesses.
Shoppers will go into the draw to win one of two $500 Buy Local Gift Cards! Simply shop at a participating store on the day and drop your entry form into King’s Parade before 6pm to be in the draw. King’s Parade will also be the heart of the festivities with Live music, face painting, gift wrapping and Santa photos.
Have Your Say | Aboriginal Commitment Strategy
Bathurst Regional Council's Aboriginal Commitment Strategy, Bula - Version Two (2) has been placed on public exhibition for 28 days, inviting community review and feedback.
This updated strategy has been completed following extensive community consultation. Council yarned face to face with approximately 55 Aboriginal community members and received 20 anonymous consultation flag cards from community participants. Meaningful conversations were also held with Elders, stakeholders and Recognised Aboriginal Parties including the Bathurst Local Aboriginal Land Council and Wiradyuri Traditional Owners Central West Aboriginal Corporation.
Have Your Say | Public Exhibition of Busby Street Planning Proposals
Two planning proposals for Busby Street, 34 Busby St and 50 Busby St, have been placed on public exhibition for community feedback. As with all developments across Bathurst, we want to ensure that the plans are representative of the needs and lifestyles of those in our region.
The community is invited to provide feedback on these planning proposals with the documents on public exhibition until 15 December 2025. Please ensure that you submit a response in this timeframe if you have feedback to provide.
Written submissions can be lodged through Council’s YourSay page as follows:
For both planning proposals
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For the 34 Busby St Planning Proposal
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Forthe50 Busby St Planning Proposal
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Alternatively, you can email your submission to council@bathurst.nsw.gov.au or post your submission to Bathurst Regional Council, Private Mail Bag 17, Bathurst NSW 2795.
If you have any queries, please contact Council’s Manager Strategic Planning, Janet Bingham or Senior Heritage Planner, Tamsin McIntosh on 6333 6211.
Road Works | Turondale Road
Council is upgrading a culvert on Gimlet Gully, approximately 25km North of Eglinton on the Turondale Road. A single lane side track with traffic lights will be in operation whilst the culvert is under construction. Work on the culvert is expected to commence from 24 November and is anticipated to take 1 month to complete.
Road Works | O’Connell Road
Council is carrying out essential maintenance work on behalf of Transport for NSW on O’Connell Road near Bathurst. The maintenance work will include patching and sealing to improve road surfaces and provide safer journeys in the area.
Works will be carried out between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday, and 7am and 1pm on Saturdays. Works commenced on Monday 17 November and are expected to be completed in three weeks, weather permitting. Traffic changes will be in place.
Survey work detailing existing infrastructure is currently underway in various locations across the CBD. Work has commenced to detect and map the exact location of underground utilities including stormwater, sewer, water, telecommunications, gas and electricity. As many of the utilities are located within parking and traffic lanes within the CBD, there will be traffic control in place to ensure the safety of workers. There will be some impact on parking as the works occur, usually for around two-hour periods, but impacted businesses will be advised.
The work is the first project funded through the $1.72 million grant from the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication, Sport and the Arts through the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program (RPPP), for our Connected Regional Neighbourhoods project.
Have Your Say – Regional Integrated Transport Plan
The NSW Government is paving the way for a transport system that reflects the unique character and needs of the Central West and Orana Region, and your input is needed.
The Draft Central West and Orana Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan provides a 20-year vision and defines the key transport priorities for the region to support community, land use and transport needs, now and into the future.
Feedback closes Sunday 14 December 2025.
Upcoming Road Reconstruction Works – Freemantle Road
Commenced on Monday 3 November, Council has begun 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
The Event of the Year award is still 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.
Media contact: Genevieve Green Media and Communications Officer