What the council is working on
Recent deliveries, what's underway now, and what's planned next — drawn from the council's own plans, budgets and project pages. We report what the council has publicly said it's doing; every item links to its source.
The council's stated direction
Bathurst Regional Council's direction is set out in its Community Strategic Plan 2025–2045 and a Delivery Program 2025–2029 with an annual Operational Plan and budget, alongside a strong focus on financial sustainability given the council's low liquidity and infrastructure backlog.
The council manages local roads, water and sewer, waste, libraries, parks, the Mount Panorama-Wahluu precinct, the regional entertainment centre and planning across a large inland LGA anchored by the city of Bathurst. Its Delivery Program is the elected council's statement of commitment for its term.
The Delivery Program funds the council's annual capital works program. Two current priorities are a $70 million package of proposed Mount Panorama circuit upgrades pitched to the federal government, and a federally funded ($1.7 million) masterplan for the Bathurst CBD; the council has also flagged the need to address its operating position and infrastructure backlog.
Underway now
Bathurst CBD masterplan
$1.7M federal grant announced 2026The council received a $1.7 million grant under the federal Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program to develop a masterplan for the Bathurst central business district, intended to guide future public-domain and economic-development investment in the city centre.
Source: Western Advocate — Council receives $1.7m to develop a CBD masterplan
Financial sustainability & asset renewal
Ongoing through the 2025–2029 Delivery ProgramWith an operating deficit, a low unrestricted current ratio and an infrastructure backlog above benchmark in the OLG data, the council has publicly identified financial sustainability and asset renewal as central challenges for the term; its general manager has stated his view that a special rate variation will eventually be needed, though none is currently in force.
Source: Bathurst Regional Council — Community Strategic Plan
Planned / committed
Mount Panorama-Wahluu circuit upgrade package
$70M wishlist pitched to the federal government (2026)The council has assembled a roughly $70 million package of proposed improvements to the Mount Panorama-Wahluu circuit — including safety works such as flag-point lighting, additional animal fencing and a full circuit re-pave, alongside precinct and grandstand upgrades — and pitched it to the federal government. The 2026 federal budget did not fund the request; the council has said it will continue to pursue support.