NSW · Central West · Local council, made simple
Bathurst Regional Council
The major council of the Central Tablelands — around 45,000 people across Bathurst, Kelso, Eglinton and a wide spread of villages, on the Macquarie River. Bathurst is Australia's oldest inland European settlement, home to the Mount Panorama-Wahluu motor-racing circuit and a Charles Sturt University campus, and the region's main service, retail, education and events centre. The council runs the local services you use every week — waste, water, roads, libraries, parks — and sets your rates. Here's the snapshot, then the stuff that affects your week.
Everyday essentials
The things people actually need from the council — fast.
Get to know your council
The basics, in one tap — open any card for key facts and a link to the official source.
This year's rate rise, how it compares across NSW, and why bills differ.
2025–26 rate peg: 4.9%
Open →Budget & financesHow financially healthy the council is, measured against official benchmarks.
Meets 4 of 9 OLG financial benchmarks
Open →Crime & safetyBathurst's recorded crime rates, side by side with the NSW average.
3 of 12 major offences below the NSW rate — read the context
Open →Mayor & councillorsWho represents you — and where to read their official profiles.
Mayor: Robert 'Stumpy' Taylor
Open →Elections & votingWhen the next council election is, and how voting works.
Next election: Sat 9 Sep 2028
Open →Contact & servicesHow to reach the council and report a problem.
Customer service: (02) 6333 6111
Open →City profileThe basics: how many people live here, how big the area is.
Population: ~45,000 (2023–24)
Open →What's happening
3 updatesRecent items from Bathurst Regional Council's public channels, in plain language.
- Development
$70m Mount Panorama upgrade wishlist pitched to federal government
The council put together a roughly $70 million wishlist of proposed Mount Panorama-Wahluu circuit improvements — including safety works, animal fencing and a full re-pave — and pitched it to the federal government; the 2026 federal budget did not fund the request.
What this means for you: If funded in future, the works would upgrade the circuit that hosts the Bathurst 1000; the council has said it will keep pursuing support. The council's news pages track progress.
- Policy
Council concludes FOGO 'Let's Get Our Scrap Together' campaign
Bathurst Regional Council wrapped up its NSW Government-funded 'Let's Get Our Scrap Together' campaign, which ran from September 2025 and engaged more than 500 community members to encourage correct use of the weekly green FOGO (food organics and garden organics) bin.
What this means for you: The campaign aimed to keep food waste out of landfill by getting more of it into the green FOGO bin; the council's waste pages explain what goes in each bin.
Source: Bathurst Regional Council — Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) Bin
- Development
Council receives $1.7m to develop a Bathurst CBD masterplan
Bathurst Regional Council will develop a masterplan for the central business district after receiving a $1.7 million federal grant under the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program, announced alongside the local federal member.
What this means for you: The masterplan is intended to guide future investment in the Bathurst city centre; the council's news pages will set out the scope and any community-input opportunities.
Source: Western Advocate — Council receives $1.7m to develop a CBD masterplan
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