I am reasonably informed on council matters and I don't recall (but I will stand corrected) it making the public arena through council papers, unlike the change to the butterfly "Full of life" motif which appeared in about 2004.

At that time, ratepayers, post the amalgamation of Evans Shire and Bathurst City Council, expressed outrage at paying (from memory) $10,000 to a consultant to come up with a new motif and purple winged butterfly symbol that many argued belonged to Lithgow, not Bathurst. There was another $20,000 for promotional flags and brochures to promote the new council entity. 

Curiously, there has been no mention on how much ratepayers forked out to be "Forever young" or the rebranding expenses to be incurred.

OPEN forum or question time? 

From experience, the old question time set aside at the start of each monthly council meeting did not mean answer time! 

I have, for many years, sought the answers to many points, but have yet to receive one written response despite providing the general manager with a list of these questions after the meeting. 

No matter what the opening section of council is called, I’d suggest ratepayers will not get a satisfactory response.

WELL, I was told Cr John Fry was a measured "Green", but his comments stating that council should purchase a 1000-hectare property, fenced, etc, to house relocated kangaroos from Mount Panorama at motorsport sponsors’ expense chucked that suggestion out the door.

And comments by mayor Graeme Hanger and Cr Warren Aubin that roos will never be culled on Mount Panorama again, despite leading ecologists throughout Australia recommending that humanely culling is the only practical solution, showed a lack of leadership by our elected representatives.

I also question statements by Cr Aubin that he received 250 hate emails when roos were last culled by council.

I suggested last week that we should buy 127,000 bullets instead of wasting $89,000 on the Bathurst Kangaroo Project and I had not one comment supporting the roos, not even from the project members themselves.

Unsurprisingly, I had plenty of comments from ratepayers agreeing with me. 

STILL on kangaroos on the Mount, it’s little wonder a juvenile roo made it on to the race track last week, as the fence had fallen over in two sections on race day, as is shown by photos provided to me. 

So not only will council need to lower the bottom bar on each panel, but maybe also put in place a few stay posts on either side of the temporary fence, as I'm advised a buck knocked over the fence after he jumped high up the panel, which allowed the immature roo to access the track, forcing a safety car.

CR Bobby Bourke indicating the city will have Christmas decorations this year. Maybe business houses could sponsor sections throughout the city.

KANGAROO fence falling over on race day, allowing a juvenile roo to enter the track and forcing a safety car. Refund please!