Council, together with specialist open space, recreation and sports planners Parkland Planners and Otium Planning Group, is preparing the Bathurst 2040 Open Space Strategy to guide planning and provision of open spaces in the Bathurst Region.

We want to make sure that open spaces in our local area will meet the needs of a growing and changing community. Residents, workers, students and visitors are asked to comment on topics such as open space use, location of new open spaces, and suggestions for improvement for existing open spaces.

I encourage everyone to get involved and help shape the future of open spaces in the Bathurst region. Comments are open on yoursay.bathurst.nsw.gov.au until December 15.

Masters of Cultural Conservation

A SCHOLARSHIP established by last year’s recipient of the Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal, Professor Robyn Sloggett AM, is seeing some passionate and dedicated students coming to Bathurst to work on heritage projects.

The students, who are studying their Masters of Cultural Materials Conservation at the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, were in Bathurst recently to work on heritage projects such as textile collection and the built heritage at Chifley Home.

The projects involved a condition survey of the Chifley Home to provide some reference for future restoration work and updating the condition reports and preservation of Mrs Chifley’s handmade items.

The students plan to return to Bathurst next year to talk about textile preservation and to pass on the skills they have learnt to the community.

The Bathurst Macquarie Heritage Medal is paying dividends to the heritage in our area and I would like to thank Professor Robyn Sloggett AM for establishing the scholarship and for her dedication to the preservation of Bathurst’s heritage.

I AM encouraging community groups, councils, businesses and organisations to apply for a grant of up to $250,000 under the NSW Government’s Community Safety Fund.

This fund invests in local projects that address local crime hotspots, address anti-social behaviour in communities and promote safe and inclusive use of public space. 

The Community Safety Fund aims to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour across NSW through collaborative approaches to community safety and crime reduction, prevention and detection initiatives.

Visit www.crimeprevention.nsw.gov.au

Social Housing Community Improvement Fund

COMMUNITY organisations in the region can now apply for a share of $1.2 million in funding to help build or improve community facilities for social housing tenants and the wider community.

Round four of the Social Housing Community Improvement Fund (SHCIF) opened on November 16, offering grants of $35,000 to $50,000 to councils, not-for-profit organisations and private sector organisations across NSW. 

The SHCIF was designed to not only improve social housing facilities for tenants, but also create better linkages between social housing and the broader community.

Projects funded under the SHCIF not only improve the liveability and amenity of social housing for our tenants, but also reduce the isolation that can exist between residents of social housing and the broader community. 

Applications will be open for four weeks. To apply, visit: www.facs.nsw.gov.au/SHCIF