A Settler’s Cottage, Beard Brothers Motorcycles, Best Western Petroleum Services Pty Ltd, Panorama Mini Mart and Takeaway, Specialist Eye Centre and Truss and Frame Factory Pty Ltd will all receive $500 in funding.

To be successful in their application for funding, businesses had to meet certain criteria, including providing information supporting the need for CCTV in the business location, guaranteeing the surveillance equipment would be registered with Bathurst Police and completing installation within 90 days of approval.

Despite having a total of $10,000 designated in the 2016/17 Delivery Plan and Annual Operating Plan for the program, these were the only businesses to have applied for funding.

Council’s cultural and community services director Alan Cattermole told councillors on Wednesday that, despite the response, the CCTV funding program had been widely publicised in the media and through council’s online resources.

Council plans to re-open the application process to offer the program to further businesses in the local government area, with a second round expected to close in February 2017.

Beard Brothers Motorcycles owner Cameron Beard, who runs the store with his brother Nathan (both pictured), said more businesses should apply for funding when it is next offered.

“I think it’s a good way to keep an eye on things,” he said.

With Beard Brothers located on the corner of Durham Street and Rankin Street, Mr Beard said it was important for his business to have cameras to monitor the site.

“We’ve had a couple of people over the back fence, so we just wanted to keep an eye on it,” he said.

“We’re right on the edge of the CBD, so there is a lot of traffic.”