What's News

MEDIA RELEASE 17 April 2020

What’s News at Bathurst Regional Council

Vision Bathurst 2040

A draft Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS) has been prepared for the Bathurst Region, called Vision Bathurst 2040, which sets the direction for land-use issues over the next 20 years. The purpose of the LSPS is to guide how land is used in the Bathurst Region to achieve desirable economic, social and environmental outcomes. Vision Bathurst 2040 will outline how Council will manage land-use change as the region towards a population of approximately 55,000 over the next 20 years.

The draft LSPS is available online from www.yoursay.bathurst.nsw.gov.au/visionbathurst. Should you be unable to download the document, please contact Council on 6333 6211 to arrange for the draft to be posted to you. Please take account of additional postal times for receipt of the hard copy.

Submissions must be made to Council by 20 May 2020. Submissions made can be included without alteration (including name and address) in reports that available to the public in Council business papers.

Our City: BRAG Town

Bathurst Regional Art Gallery are creating a collaborative digital collage “Our City: BRAG Town”. People are encouraged to design their own home, park, shop or other parts of town to form part of a digital city layout. To submit your design, download a section of town via the BRAG website www.bathurstart.com.au.

Designs can be made digitally, via Photoshop, Paint or a similar software and uploaded to the BRAG website. For hand-drawn designs, you can print a section of the town and then scan or photograph your drawing to upload. Alternatively, designs can be posted on Instagram and entered by tagging @bathurstregionalartgallery and using #BRAGourcity #bragtown.

#TakeAMoment Campaign

The Bathurst Visitor Information Centre is inviting the community to “Take a Moment” through an online campaign. The initiative encourages everyone to take a moment of self-care and revitalisation, but also taking a moment to capture an image of the moment to share with your community. Examples of “Take A Moment” could include grabbing takeaway from one Bathurst’s many outstanding restaurants, a moment to sip a cup of coffee or a moment to exercise outdoors. Use the #TakeAMoment when sharing on social media and go to visitbathurst.com.au for inspiration.

Heritage Assistance Grants

Applications are now invited for small grants for the following funds:

Bathurst Region Heritage Fund

Provides fund for the repair and maintenance of older buildings in the region. The program is supported by the NSW Heritage Branch of the Office of Environment and Heritage.

Bathurst CBD Main Street Improvement Fund

Provides small grants to assist property owners and tenants to improve, repair and maintain buildings within the Bathurst CBD. 

Bathurst Region Interpretation Fund

Provides small grants for the preparation of Conservation Management Plans, historic publications and interpretation projects to promote and interpret the region’s history. 

All applications close Friday 29 May 2020. Applications for funding must be made on the Council’s application form which is available on Council’s website at www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au or from our Civic Centre. For more information call 6333 6211.

2020 Clubgrants Scheme

Council invites local community organisations to apply for funding from the 2020 ClubGRANTS Scheme. The program allows registered clubs with annual gaming machine revenue of exceeding $1 million to apply a percentage of their gaming machine revenue to community development and support projects.

Applications close at 4.00pm Friday 24 April 2020. Further information regarding ClubGRANTS funding guidelines, categories and application forms are available on Council’s website www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au or call Council on 6333 6523.

Financial Assistance COVID-19 Stimulus Measures

Council at its meeting on 15 April resolved to provide a range of financial assistance and stimulus measures to assist local businesses and the Bathurst community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The individual financial assistance measures are detailed in Mayoral Minute presented to the meeting and are up to $408,000 in value.

Council is inviting submissions on the report for a period of 28 days from organisations and individuals in relation to Councils proposed assistance measures. For more information and to review the report in full, visit www.yoursay.bathurst.nsw.gov.au. Should you be unable to download the document, please contact Council on 6333 6111 to arrange for the draft to be posted to you. Please take account of additional postal times for receipt of the hard copy.

Submissions must be made to Council by 4.00pm Monday 18 May 2020. Submissions can be lodged via YourSay Bathurst or in writing to the General Manager, Private Mail bag 17, Bathurst 2795.

Bathurst Writers’ & Readers’ Festival

The 2020 Bathurst Writers’ and Readers’ Festival will be a special, stay-at-home event held from Friday 1 May to Sunday 3 May. All events will be live streamed or pre-recorded on the BMEC Bathurst Facebook page. Chances for engagement will be available in the Facebook live streams and on Instagram by using the hashtag #bathurstreaders and tagging @bmec_bx.

The program:

Friday 1 May

5.50pm 2020 Festival Opening

6.00pm Books You Might Have Missed

Saturday 2 May

10.00am Storytime With Bathurst Library

11.00am Multicultural Storytelling Project

2.00pm Poetry Pickings

6.00pm Creative Conversation

Sunday 3 May

11.00am Great Festival Read

1.30pm Play Readings

2.40pm Wrap-up and Feedback

For more information, visit the BMEC Bathurst Facebook page www.facebook.com/BMECbathurst

ENDS

Media contact: Media Officer M: 0448 685 340 E: [email protected]