Earlier this month, two Wiradyuri men claimed mayor Gary Rush had twice promised Wahluu would be added to the iconic Mount.

Ray Wilson and elder Kalmadyne Goombrydge said the promises from the mayor had occurred since Wahluu was officially gazetted as the dual name for Mount Panorama in April, 2015.

“Twice the mayor has promised Wahluu up there,” Mr Wilson told the Western Advocate on October 17.

But Cr Rush denied making the promise to add the word to the landmark permanently.

And on Tuesday this week, the Bathurst Wiradyuri and Aboriginal Community Elders (BWAACE) issued a statement on its Facebook page to apologise.

“The BWAACE group wishes to apologise unequivocally to Bathurst Regional Council and to councillor Rush, mayor of Bathurst, for the views expressed in a Western Advocate article dated October 17, 2016 titled Mount Panorama should have a 2nd name added: Wiradyuri Elders,” the Facebook post read.

“The views expressed were from the perspective of the individual community members who were interviewed and do not represent the views of the entire Bathurst Wiradyuri and Aboriginal Community Elders group.”

The following day, Wednesday, Mr Wilson resigned from his job as the BWAACE media officer over the stoush.

“I was talking on behalf of the Wiradyuri Aboriginal Community Elders and that is whey Uncle Kalmadyne [Kalmadyne Goombrydge] came along with me,” he said.

Mr Wilson said the he and the BWAACE had discussed the direction they would put forward to the media prior to him speaking to the Advocate.

“At previous meetings we talked boldly and strongly about Wahluu being put on the Mount,” he said.

Mr Wilson said he feels “absolutely devastated”.

“At the time of me and Uncle Kalmadyne meeting you [the Advocate], the group was in agreement at that time that I could make a comment,” he said.

Mr Wilson said it was customary that when speaking on behalf of an elders group, one of the elders must be in attendance.

“That’s why I had Uncle Kalmadyne there, because juniors can’t talk without an elder,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cr Rush has told a council meeting that moves to have “Bathurst” permanently etched on to the side of Mount Panorama were progressing well.

He was responding to resident Peter Dowling, who used public question time to again push the proposal he first mooted more than a decade ago.

“I don’t think there would be any disagreement from anyone around this table that Bathurst must be there for all the major events and following on from Cr [Michael] Coote raising the question, it has been put to next year’s budget discussions to have it there permanently,” Cr Rush said.