Development and planning.
The Bathurst region enjoys a beautiful landscape setting, with rolling hills and fertile valleys. Our city’s development strategy should seek to ensure that residents continue to enjoy a rural outlook and that any industrial or commercial zoning embraces the rural setting, anchoring the country lifestyle as a key part of the area’s character and competitive advantage.
Housing and infrastructure.
The pace of our planning and zoning needs to increase - we must commit more resources to encourage new homes to be built, to meet demand and stifle increasing housing and rental prices.
Bathurst is a thriving, vibrant and innovative regional city. Our proximity to our state's capital and ever-improving transport connectivity makes us the envy of other regional towns and cities in NSW.
COVID-19 has fostered a newfound appetite for Sydney-siders to move west, something on which we should capitalise. Our city will need to grow sustainably, protecting the natural environment, providing new opportunities and choice in housing, employment, investment and lifestyle.
Not everyone wants to live in a modern urban area, though. The broader Bathurst region caters to various lifestyles and housing options, evident in the increasingly popular villages and surrounding rural centres. Each of these communities has its own unique character and history, attracting residents and visitors alike.
Whether it’s growth in our villages or in Bathurst itself, council should aim to simultaneously upgrade infrastructure, roads and associated services to meet demand - not chase it.
The following critical areas should prioritised:
Health and education
Water and sewerage
Gas and electricity
Stormwater
Transport – air, road and rail
Community and cultural facilities
Waste management
Communications
Infrastructure funding should be sourced through all three levels of government. Local infrastructure including new streets, water, sewerage, electricity, telephone lines, stormwater pipes as new subdivisions can be directly provided by developers through development fees and planning agreements.
The NSW and Federal Governments should fund schools, hospitals, public transport and tertiary education facilities - frequent lines of communication should be maintained between council and local members of Bathurst and Calare.
Homelessness
An issue for all governments.
While State and Federal Governments do a lot of the heavy lifting, their are mechanisms available to local councils.
1. Introduce an Affordable Rental Housing Policy leveraging SVPA’s. By implementing State Voluntary Planning Agreements (SVPAs), the council could capture a portion of the increase in land value from new developments and use it to fund affordable housing for essential workers, such as teachers, nurses, and emergency service personnel. This would help increase affordable homes in the market .
2.Bathurst Regional Council should actively advocate for increased state and federal funding for social housing. This would support low-income households in the area and ensure a diverse and inclusive community. The council could also partner with housing organisations to develop more affordable housing options locally .
3.Bathurst Regional Council could introduce rates discounts for pensioners, veterans, and low-income residents to help them maintain their homes and reduce the risk of homelessness .
4.Engage with the National Housing and Homelessness Agreement (NHHA) process to attract and access funding and support for local housing initiatives. This collaboration could help Bathurst improve access to affordable housing and address homelessness through targeted programs and partnerships .
5.Bathurst Regional Council should refer the issue to the Country Mayors Association. This group would bring together stakeholders, share best practices, and develop coordinated strategies to tackle homelessness and housing issues in the region .
Heritage matters.
Heritage buildings in Bathurst.
Bathurst is known for its incredible heritage and rich agricultural history. Our heritage buildings play a major role in our cities aesthetic and charm, and should be retained and maintained as a priority.
Bathurst Regional Council should:
Advocate for Council funding for major heritage projects
Ensure equal priority for heritage in State & Federal grant funding applications
Preserve & enhance the integrity of our CBD heritage streetscapes
Continue to build Bathurst as a premiere heritage tourism destination, thus creating more employment opportunities
Take a fair and objective approach when assessing heritage buildings affected in development applications; ensuring no exponential additional or inhibitive costs are placed on the applicant.
