IT was only a matter of time. Bathurst’s sprawling suburbs have reached out to meet Eglinton, and now it’s the village’s turn to expand.
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Three developments – two private and one under council control – are underway that will eventually bring more than 200 new homes to the village.
Those who haven’t been to Eglinton for a while would be surprised to see the activity there these days as heavy machinery sculpts housing blocks from the farmland.
But then, Bathurstians must be growing used to seeing their city change each time they turn their back for a few moments.
So how will growth change Eglinton?
It would seem inevitable that the village will gain new shops, and that its popular school will have to expand to accommodate rising student numbers.
It’s also inevitable that some of the reasons for Eglinton’s popularity – its country feel, lack of traffic and quieter pace of life – will be lost.
That’s the price of growth.
It’s a price Bathurst is learning to pay as its CBD gets busier and council struggles to come up with a solution to parking problems in the commercial district.
These are the challenges of a city going through what seems to be a perpetual growth spurt.
But would we have it any other way?
Other regional cities would kill to have Bathurst’s rising population, and the challenges and problems that come with it.
More residents bring more construction, which brings more jobs, which brings more confidence.
What is important – at Eglinton, and in Bathurst’s CBD – is to hold on, as best as possible, to what made the destination popular in the first place.
Those moving to Eglinton are looking for a house – but, more importantly, they are looking for a home.
