A tract of green space close to the heart of a city with Bathurst’s history is a rare asset.
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Which is why the outcry was not surprising when mayor Gary Rush indicated recently that council was considering new uses for Centennial Park.
The park, bounded by Rocket, Seymour, Lambert and Bentinck streets, is just a short distance from the central business district, where council is wrestling with its options for its landlocked headquarters.
Cr Rush said council would investigate – and investigate is the word he wanted to emphasise – turning part of the park into an entertainment precinct.
That would allow council to expand its civic headquarters into the space where the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre is located.
It’s a big, long-term, ambitious proposal – the sort of proposal politicians are discouraged from making because it will stir up messy debate and disagreement.
Well, the debate has well and truly begun, and that’s a good thing.
It’s a fair bet that both those who want Centennial Park left alone and those who want it developed are after the same result: a better park.
And as some – such as former mayor and current councillor Monica Morse – have acknowledged, the park can be improved, even if it is only through some more seats.
News that Lambert Street residents Bernadette Wood and Peter Simmons have used an online survey to gauge opinions on the park is simply an extension of this healthy debate.
The worst that can happen to Centennial Park is that it is forgotten, neglected and ignored.
By debating its future, we are giving it new life.