There is already precious little green space in the centre of Bathurst so we must be very careful to protect what remains.

So while the scoping study will no doubt result in a list of possible uses – perhaps including, as previously mooted, a new cultural centre – a less is more approach would be the best outcome for future generations.

Centennial Park does not need new buildings to make it attractive [though any redevelopment would have to include a new amenities block] it just needs a little love.

Friends of Centennial Park liken its current state to how Peace Park looked 30 years ago before being redeveloped as a bicentenary project.

The introduction of some public art and the creation of a riverside walk have made Peace Park a jewel in the CBD’s crown, now well loved and well used.

Victoria Park is another useful comparison.

Just a decade ago Victoria Park sat unloved and largely unused opposite Bathurst Base Hospital before Bathurst Regional Council started its ambitious project to develop an adventure playground.

Negotiations are now under way to expand the playground to include a new water park and Victoria Park now hosts the city’s major New Year’s Eve celebration each year.

It, too, has been transformed and the same can happen at Centennial Park.

We don’t need another adventure playground but a growing city like Bathurst can never have too many green areas for families and communities to enjoy.

Let’s have a discussion about the facilities the community wants to see in Centennial Park to maximise its potential but let’s not waste this opportunity.

Just as we do not want to see our city sprawling further and further from the CBD, we cannot need to allow development within the city limits to eat away at vital green space.

If a new cultural centre – or any other centre for that matter – is needed, then council should look for a greenfield site beyond the CBD where land is more readily available.

They’re not building any new land in the Bathurst CBD so what’s left must preserved for use by the whole community.

We owe it to the future.