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MEDIA RELEASE 20 March 2025
At the 19 March Ordinary Meeting, Council resolved to cancel the Bathurst Winter Festival for 2025 due to our current financial position.
Last night’s meeting included tenders for the winter festival ice rink and illumination which Council resolved not to proceed with.
Bathurst Mayor, Cr Robert Taylor, remarked that this was an incredibly challenging decision yet was the responsible course of action at this time.
“To cancel the 2025 Winter Festival is not a decision Council took lightly. It is deeply unfortunate to not be able to appropriately proceed with this highly successful and multi-award-winning event, especially on its 10th anniversary, yet it is the fiscally responsible approach to take.
“Alternative events are being explored for this year that align with our budget. We will look to develop strategies with local businesses and community groups to put forth to Council for consideration.
“Please note that this cancellation is only in place for 2025. No decision has been made for the festival in coming years,” he said.
Whilst winter visitation to the Bathurst Region will be impacted by the festival’s cancellation, Council has ensured support for other local events and is actively looking to new leisure, business and sporting events to increase visitation to the area throughout these slower months of the year.
At yesterday evening’s meeting, a motion was put forth to Council to provide financial assistance to the Bathurst Hockey Association. This decision was carried and will enable the 2025 Hockey NSW Women’s Masters Tournament to take place in Bathurst this July, with teams and spectators travelling from across the state to take part.
Additionally, Bathurst is pleased to be the new home for the annual Beatlesfest event which will see Keppel St come to life this August with tribute bands, exhibitions and market stalls.
Mayor Taylor commented that events such as these will expand what Bathurst is recognised for, attracting new return visitors to the region.
“Council is proud to support events such as the Hockey NSW Women’s Masters Tournament and I am looking forward to the vibrancy Beatlesfest will bring to town. It is these sorts of events that will draw new visitors to the Bathurst Region, serving as a testament to what Regional NSW can achieve,” he noted.
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MEDIA RELEASE 14 March 2025
Council has flagged in its statement of investment, in the March business paper, reports of the difficult cash position that has been created by slow-moving land sales from its Windradyne subdivision, The Reserve. At the end of February, Council’s unrestricted cash position had decreased by $7.3million, while restricted cash had increased by $10.6million.
Council has notified the Office of Local Government (OLG) and continues to meet with OLG on a regular basis. These meetings were initiated following the end of the consultation process on a Special Rate Variation in 2024. Council will report further on the additional strategies it will implement to return the unrestricted cash position back to a positive result.
Council has been working on a pathway to sustainability that has been documented through numerous reports to Council that identify savings and efficiencies that have already been undertaken, including:
Other identified savings to date:
Mayor Cr Robert Taylor said while the finances are not as desired, reduced spending and forthcoming income will ensure Council rectifies the position in a timely manner.
“Council has made tough decisions in light of the cost pressures and present financial position, and while this may not be popular it is the financially responsible path to follow. We are in regular discussions with the Office of Local Government to determine future actions across our finance and asset management.
“We have reduced the number of events across the LGA and are delaying recruitment for less critical roles across Council’s operational team. I want to emphasise however that we will not be in this position for a sustained period. At present, 20 lots at The Reserve are under negotiation that, when settled, will bring a $6million cash injection to Council,” Mayor Taylor noted.
The Mayor additionally affirmed that there is no cause for concern for Council’s reimbursement of staff. However, that due to this current cash position, discussions for a Special Rate Variation may be reinitiated.
“Council continues to function as normal, roles are in no way affected, and bills continue to be paid on time.
“Council will consider a range of initiatives and strategies to return the unrestricted cash position back to a positive result. One of these may include an SRV, which has been recommended by the General Manager since 2013. Whilst no decisions have been made, this is something that Council will be discussing in the near future as an approach to stabilise finances and prevent further events and operational activities from being impacted across the community,” said Mayor Taylor.
This position follows volatility in Council’s cash flow as a result of cost-shifting and revenue increases as a broader issue of sustainability within local government.
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MEDIA RELEASE 8 December 2023
In August Council made the decision to start a conversation with the community about a proposed special rate variation (SRV) to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the organisation.
At the September meeting Council voted not to progress the SRV proposal. As a result, Council has now mapped out a pathway to sustainability, taking into account how Council operates, the environment in which Council operates, the needs of our community and our financial position.
Mayor Jess Jennings said Council will need to consider making savings and therefore reviewing and cutting services and initiatives across all areas of Council.
“A report going to the Council meeting on Wednesday 13 December will outline some of the items that are affected in the name of necessary budget repair in the short term,” he said.
Some of the projects and services to be affected for this current FY 22/23:
- Wellington Street Eglinton road reconstruction will not be completed and will be listed for the future budget.
- Reduction in paved footpath and cycleway maintenance (it should be noted that significant upgrades and renewals of Council’s footpaths have occurred via funding provided by the Federal Government’s LRCI Program including more than a million dollars for works around the CBD and surrounding areas.)
- Renewal of Bathampton Road will not be completed and will be listed for the future budget.
- Cancellation of New Year’s Eve Party in the Park
- Cancellation of Community Garage Sale Trail
- Reduced funding for Inland Sea of Sound Festival
- Reduction in print and newspaper advertising expenditures and subscriptions
- Reduction in tourism marketing programs
- Deferral of the Hill End residency program until 2024/25
- Cancellation of Environmental Sustainable Schools Program
- Cancellation of Environmental Education Program for this year
- Cancellation of Sustainable Living Expo
- Reduced Heritage Education Program for this year
Council will continue to report regularly to the community on progress being made to enhance Council’s sustainability.
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MEDIA RELEASE 4 December 2023
Council’s New Year’s celebration Party in the Park which is usually held at the Adventure Playground has been cancelled for this year.
Mayor Jess Jennings said the decision was made due to Council’s current financial situation.
“While this event attracts some sponsorship, Council has not been able to attract the sponsorship required to fully fund this event,” he said.
“It was a tough decision to make but we need to look at our budget and this decision has saved Council $45 000.”
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Local Government NSW has released its 2023 LGNSW Reporting – How State Costs Eat Council Rates (November 2023).
The report, commissioned by LGNSW and prepared by Morrison Low has found that the financial burden carried by NSW councils and communities for taking on ever-greater responsibility for state government services and infrastructure is now valued at more than $1.36 billion per year, up 78 per cent from $820 million per year in just over five years.
The report calculates that the total amount of costing-shifting to councils now represents an average of around $460 per ratepayer, per year.
The largest direct cost shift to councils is from emergency services contributions and other emergency service obligations.
The other major cost shifting examples include waste levies, rates exemptions, DAs & regulatory functions and libraries funding.
A copy of the LGNSW summary report, and full report are both included in the Document Library.
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In November 2023, the Chairman of the Country Mayors Association, Cr Jamie Chaffey released a statement about the impact of escalating costs and cost-shifting on local government.
An extract of the statement is included below, and the statement in full can be read in the Document Library.
"Local government, the level of government closest to communities across New South Wales and Australia, is drowning under a wave of escalating costs, cost-shifting by state and federal governments, increasing responsibilities and ageing infrastructure.
People across New South Wales rely on their Councils to provide a clean water supply, remove their waste, provide and look after their local roads, assist in planning, provide airport facilities, cultural and community facilities, sporting fields, walking tracks, swimming pools, tourism and economic facilities, and so much more.
And yet the support, resources and funding available to local government is rapidly shrinking. Councils are having to take action to find the funds they need to continue to provide services through the only avenue left available to them – special rate variations."
April 2025 Council meeting
PATHWAY TO SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 13 December 2023.pdf (1.86 MB) (pdf)