Bathurst Regional Council signed off on the new deal during a confidential meeting of council, though Basketball NSW has had control of the centre since January 1.

The stadium’s immediate future came under a cloud late last year when council refused to extend a lease for the Bathurst Basketball Association to continue managing the facility.

The basketball association had taken over the running of the stadium from Bathurst Regional Council in 2012 in a deal in keeping with council’s policy of having local sporting groups run local sporting facilities.

The last lease was up for renewal on June 30 last year when council granted the association just an interim six-month extension. That lease extension expired on December 31 and councillors voted during a confidential meeting not to renew it.

Council general manager David Sherley had made it clear at the time that the preferred option was for Basketball NSW to take over management of the facility but the final deal was only confirmed following council’s first meeting of the year on Wednesday.

“We now have a lease for the Bathurst Indoor Sports Stadium that has been in place since January 1 with Basketball NSW,” Mr Sherley said.

“They will continue to provide the sports and services that had been previously offered, with the advantage of having the skills and expertise possessed by Basketball NSW.

“It is a good result for the stadium and the sports that run out of it.”

Mr Sherley said the new managers had already been in contact with the local organisers of indoor soccer and multi sport competitions, in addition to planning local basketball competitions.

The Western Advocate understands the Bathurst Basketball Association had been plagued by difficulties in recent years with a number of resignations from the committee at the end of last year.