They all have a lake or a wetland that is a central feature of their location.

Canberra has Lake Burley Griffin, Ballarat has Lake Wendouree, Orange has Lake Canobolas, Junee has its urban wetlands and Forbes has Lake Forbes.

Some are large bodies of water (such as Lake Burley Griffin, which has a capacity of 27,000 megalitres), while others are comparatively tiny (Lake Canobolas is just 450 megalitres).

Some are man-made, like Lake Wendouree, or developed from an existing natural water source - Lake Forbes is a billabong, cut off from the meandering Lachlan River after it changed its course long ago.

But they all have one thing in common: they are a central recreational feature at or near the heart of the city.

Most of these lakes and wetlands have walkways, jogging tracks, picnic areas and kiosks to attract families and individuals. There are often activities on the water as well, such as boating, sailing and fishing.

These areas have become synonymous with wildlife refuges, where native flora and fauna prosper from the precious gift of plentiful water in such a dry continent.

It is amazing what clever minds and industrious hands can create out of seemingly nothing. Junee has no natural waterway flowing through the town, yet its urban wetlands have been developed entirely from urban stormwater run-off.

Rich in biodiversity, the wetlands are home to a wide variety of plant, bird and animal species. The Junee wetlands play an integral part in urban stormwater management, receiving almost 75 per cent of the town’s stormwater run-off.

Bathurst is blessed by being located alongside the Macquarie River, one of several significant natural watercourses in NSW. There is a plentiful and permanent water supply passing the city – sometimes too plentiful, as attested by the occasional flood.

Unfortunately, the natural beauty and biodiversity of this area has been lost over the past 200 years. It now looks neglected and grubby, yet most of this area stands adjacent to the very spot where the settlement of Bathurst was founded two centuries ago.

With a permanent water source and appropriate stormwater management, clever minds and industrious hands could turn the entrance to the city of Bathurst into a water wonderland.

For a moment, imagine approaching Bathurst by either road or rail from the east. As you cross the Macquarie River, you see a beautiful lake surrounded by wetlands and walkways, picnic areas and lush green lawns.

It’s full of life, natural and human. In the middle of the lake there is a spectacular fountain shooting jets of water into the air.

If Bathurst Regional Council adopted the concept of a lake and wetlands area for the city, then I think it would be appropriate to name it Lake Wambuul. It is what the Wiradjuri people called the river for thousands of years.

A landscape of such historical, cultural and recreational significance would provide a better “gateway” to welcome visitors to Bathurst. And the good citizens of Bathurst would get a lake and enhanced waterway to rest, play, contemplate and revive.

In short, we need Lake Wambuul.