She has suggested council increase the duration of the Bathurst Winter Festival and introduce a summer or Christmas-themed version to encourage people to stay in the city.

The summer version could feature wave pools as an alternative to an ice rink, Ms Mathie said. 

“I think the introduction of new events to our CBD would support our small businesses and keep money local and increase community involvement,” she said.

“That keeps everybody here in our town instead of going away and spending their money elsewhere.

“We need to keep our locals here and we need to them keep spending money here.”