Earlier this year, Bathurst Regional Council called for a scoping study to determine the “future uses” of the park.

At the time former mayor Gary Rush refused to rule out buildings be constructed on the site. 

Since then, Integrated Design Group (IDG) has conducted the study and is now in the final stages of preparing a report for council.

IDG general manager Brenton Jones said almost 400 people took park in an online survey, in addition to at least 100 attending a consultation session in Centennial Park on May 21.

“Since then, we’ve had the fun task of compiling every aspect of the consultation groups and putting that into a draft report for council,” he said.

“We’ll take what we learnt from the research so far and think of potential ideas for the park.”

IDG consultants have also held a design workshop with a landscape architect from Orange to talk about possible ideas.

“We recognise that an open space area is highly popular, so all of our options will explore that in some various forms,” he said.

The Friends of Centennial Park (FoCP) group are among those in the community who have been urging council to improve the park, but keep it as an open space.

They say the park has had a long and colourful history across more than 100 years, which includes being a location of circuses, rodeos, land for animal grazing, a sport oval and now as a green space for the community.

FoCP group member Peter Simmons said at the park consultation day that he was not surprised so many people had given their opinions on what they wanted to see happen to the park in the future.

“People value the park. There’s real concern that once the park is gone, it’s gone forever,” he said.

Mr Jones said IDG received a wide range of opinions during the consultation process – from people who wished the park to remain as it is without any changes, to those keen to see “anything at all to improve density”.

Mr Jones said preliminary costings will also be presented to council in the near future.

IDG consultants will present their findings to council in the next few weeks.

During its history, Centennial Park has long been a place for animals – including circuses, zoos, grazing, the edge of a stock route to market, and of course dog walkers.

In its early years, the park was fenced with council by-laws declaring trespass by a range of animals, including dogs, not allowed. Read more.

Across the decades to the present day the population density of the area surrounding Centennial Park has greatly increased.

A pattern in the Centennial Park news stories over the years has been support to protect it as a large open space, in keeping with the original vision for the park. Read more.

In some lights, and from different viewpoints, Centennial Park is the site of stunning beauty, and sometimes it appears worn and dry.

This is not the first time improvements have been called for by the community.

One theme in the history of Centennial Park is the need to plant trees, grade paths and provide more seating to bring the park in line with other beauty spots in Bathurst. Read more.

Centennial Park has always been a popular place for recreation and play, and several attempts to develop or repurpose the park have been challenged by individuals, councillors and groups who questioned sacrificing a public playground and space.

This park has many stories of play and games, here’s one.