Bathurst Regional Council is a

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

in the Central West region of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The area is located adjacent to the

Great Western Highway Great Western Highway (also known as Broadway from to , Parramatta Road from Chippendale to , and Church Street through Parramatta) is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia. From east to west, the highway links Sydney with Bathurst, ...

Mid-Western Highway Mid-Western Highway, sometimes Mid Western Highway, is a state highway located in the central western and northern Riverina regions of New South Wales, Australia. The highway services rural communities and links the Great Western, Mitchell, ...

Mitchell Highway Mitchell Highway is an outback state highway located in the Central West Queensland, central and South West Queensland, south western regions of Queensland and the North West Slopes, northern and Central West, New South Wales, central western ...

and the

Main Western railway line The Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions. It is with operational & under construction & repairs. Description o ...

. At the , the Bathurst Region had a population of . The administrative centre of the area is located in the city of Bathurst, approximately west of

Sydney central business district The Sydney central business district (CBD) is the historical and main Central business district, commercial centre of Sydney. The CBD is Sydney's city centre, or Sydney City, and the two terms are used interchangeably. Colloquially, the CBD or c ...

. The

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Bathurst is Cr. Robert Taylor, Deputy Mayor being Cr. Benjamin Fry, both unaligned politicians. Bathurst Civic Centre New Year's Eve

City, towns and localities

In addition to the city of Bathurst, the LGA contains the villages of Eglinton, Freemantle,

Perthville Perthville is a small town in New South Wales, Australia. The town is located on the Central Tablelands, approximately from the regional city of Bathurst. The town has evolved over time due to road improvements to be a satellite suburb of Bath ...

, Rockley, Raglan,

Georges Plains Georges Plains is a locality in the Bathurst Region of New South Wales, Australia. It had a population of 248 people as of the . Georges Plains is located approximately 12 km south of Bathurst, via Perthville. Within the land of the Wirad ...

, Trunkey Creek, Brewongle, Vittoria, Peel, Wattle Flat,

Sofala Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, used to be the chief seaport of the Mwenemutapa Kingdom, whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank in Sofala Province of Mozambique. It was founded by Somali merchants. This name wa ...

, Hill End, Meadow Flat,

Sallys Flat Sallys Flat is a locality in the Australian state of New South Wales. The area now known as Sallys Flat is on the traditional land of the Wiradjuri people. Sallys Flat was a small gold-mining village established in 1872 at the same time as nea ...

and

Caloola Caloola is a locality in the Central West region of New South Wales. There once was a small village of the same name but it is a ghost town today. At the 2016 census, the locality had a population of 88. Location Caloola is 28 km south-w ...

Demographics

Council

Current composition and election method

Bathurst Regional Council is composed of nine councillors elected proportionally as a single

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

. All councillors are elected for a fixed three-year term of office. The mayor is elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The most recent election of councillors was held on 4 December 2021, and the makeup of the council is as follows: The current Council, elected in 2021, in order of election, is:

History

Bathurst was proclaimed a city in 1885. The Bathurst Region was created on 26 May 2004 as a result of a merger of Bathurst City and Evans Shire. A 2015 review of local government boundaries recommended that the Bathurst Region merge with the

Oberon Shire Oberon Council is a local government area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The Mayor of Oberon Council is Cr. Mark Kellam, an independent politician. Localities Oberon Council includes the towns / villages of Oberon ...

to form a new council with an area of and support a population of approximately . The outcome of an independent review was expected to be completed by mid–2016. Bathurst Regional Council was officially notified on 6 March 2017 by the NSW State Government that the proposed merger between Bathurst Regional Council and Oberon Council will not proceed. The letter from the Minister for Local Government Gabrielle Upton advising Council of the decision can be viewed on the Bathurst Regional Counci
official website

Sister cities

Bathurst has had a sister city relationship with Ohkuma (Japan) since March 1991.The relationship provides an opportunity for both Bathurst and Ohkuma residents to learn about each other's culture and language.As part of the relationship Council coordinates the Sister City Working Party. This group is made up of different community members who have an interest in Japan and further developing the strong relationship that already exists between Bathurst and Ohkuma. Bathurst has

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

relations with the following city: *

Ōkuma Okuma or Ōkuma may refer to: Surname *Ōkuma Shigenobu (大隈重信) (1838 – 1922) 8th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan, founder of Waseda University *Enuka Okuma, Canadian actress of Nigerian descent Other uses *Okuma Corporation, a manufactu ...

, Japan, since 1991

References

External links

* {{Authority control Local government areas of New South Wales Bathurst, New South Wales 2004 establishments in Australia Populated places established in 2004