There were just a few Bathurst voices among a sea of very passionate Oberon residents at Thursday night’s public inquiry into the amalgamation of Bathurst and Oberon councils.
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While Mayor of Bathurst, Gary Rush, deputy mayor Ian North, councillors Monica Morse, Graeme Hanger and Bobby Burke, general manager David Sherley and a couple of senior staff were present, only a small handful of Bathurst ratepayers were in attendance.
The remainder of the small crowd, including Oberon mayor Kathy Sajowitz, had travelled in from Oberon to speak at the meeting and provide a presence. Earlier in the day 200 people attended a public inquiry at Oberon Showground – 83 of them elected to speak before independent delegate Renata Brooks.
At the start of Thursday night’s meeting, held at Panthers, 20 people had registered as speakers, however, as the night wore on more people were given the opportunity to put their names down. Each speaker was given three minutes to state their case.
Mayor Rush was allowed 11 minutes to address the delegate as he was speaking on behalf of Bathurst Regional Council.
Towards the end of the meeting Crs North, Burke and Morse were given permission to speak as ratepayers.
Yetholme resident Bruce Irvine said he has lived in the Bathurst area for 35 years and had served twice on Bathurst City Council in the late 1980s and early ’90s.
“I was very much opposed to amalgamation, fearing services would not be forthcoming,” Mr Irvine said.
“It is 12 years since that whole process started but I believe amalgamation turned out to be a good thing for the villages.
“Council does take an interest, not to control us, but to support us.”
Mr Irvine said after amalgamation a village improvement program was introduced to the tune of $1.1 million which proved beneficial for all.
He said while he could only speak on behalf of Yetholme, he believed that, in the long term, amalgamation can be a good thing.
Anthony Johnson of Trunkey Creek also addressed the delegate, saying that following the amalgamation of Evans Shire and Bathurst City Council everything eventually sorted itself out.
Mr Johnson, who was president of the Trunkey Creek Progress Association for 12 years, spoke of how, to date, the village has received more than $172,000 which has allowed them to build a new tennis and volleyball court, put a much-needed fence around Anzac Park, refurbish the old tennis shed and erect a storage shed at the community hall.
