A record number of ministers will be making themselves available to representatives of the member councils. 

Cr Rush said the meeting would be valuable as it would open the way for interaction between Central West councils and ministers in the NSW government. 

Centroc is a voluntary regional collaboration of 16 local government areas, including Bathurst. 

It represents 243,000 people and covers more than 72,500kms of diverse landscapes in Central NSW.

The member councils are Bathurst, Blayney, Boorowa, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Mid Western Regional Council, Oberon, Orange, Parkes, Upper Lachlan, Weddin, Young and Central Tablelands Water.

Local Government Minister and Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said yesterday he would be hosting the meeting.

Mr Toole said one of the big topics on the agenda would be local government reforms. The meeting will also touch on joint organisations of councils, regional development, red tape reduction and the moral code of conduct.

Ministers attending the Centroc meeting will include Deputy Premier Troy Grant, Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian, Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Duncan Gay, Minister for Health Jillian Skinner, Minister for Primary Industries and Minister for Lands and Water Niall Blair, Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance, Minister for Planning Robert Stokes, and Minister for Regional Development and Small Business John Barilaro. 

“Eight weeks on from the last election it is important for councils out our way to meet the new ministers and highlight issues of importance,” Mr Toole said.

Cr Rush intends to do just that. 

He said while the meeting was structured, it would allow for one-on-one interaction with the ministers through the posing of questions. 

Cr Rush said there would also be an opportunity to speak with ministers in the breaks. 

“I’m always on the lookout throughout these conversations and meetings to seek support for our objectives,” Cr Rush said. 

Among the specific issues Cr Rush hopes to raise are the second circuit at Mt Panorama and a Bells Line Expressway. 

However, he will also take the opportunity to speak generally about council’s objective to make Bathurst the most prosperous regional centre in Australia – economically, socially and culturally. 

High on the agenda this week will be the work Centroc and Regional Development Australia Central West have done to develop a definitive Regional Priority Infrastructure Plan incorporating water, transport and community infrastructure.

Cr Rush said certain pieces of infrastructure were better negotiated as a group, such as roads, rail and water security.

It is these kinds of projects the plan is being developed to address.

Cr Rush said the Bells Line of Road was a piece of infrastructure everyone could support because would provide an alternate route to the Central West. 

Centroc chair Cr Bill West said the Centroc Board has met at Parliament House to discuss key regional issues with ministers for the past two years. 

He said the annual meetings have proved highly effective  in maintaining strong communication and collaboration between Macquarie Street and regional NSW.