BATHURST Regional Council will more than double its annual grant to the Edgell Jog after the budget for 2018-19 is rubber-stamped on Wednesday night.
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For the past three years council has gifted the Edgell Jog committee $6000 a year, largely to help meet the growing cost of traffic control for the 43-year-old community event.
The draft 2018-19 operational plan proposed the same level of support for this year’s jog but the figure has been revised following a meeting between councillors and jog committee members.
When the final draft is put to councillors on Wednesday night it will include a donation of $13,000 for the Edgell Jog to recognise its importance to the Bathurst community.
A report to councillors by corporate services and finance director Aaron Jones advises the extra support could be funded through council’s sundry Section 356 funds, without impacting the rest of the budget.
Other groups seeking more support from council have not been as fortunate, though.
Bathurst Golf Club had sought an amendment to the draft budget that would see the pricing for its raw water reviewed, but Mr Jones has recommended councillors retain the current pricing structure that delivers annual savings to the golf club of $5720.
The Rebellion on the Turon organising committee asked council to increase its annual support of the event from $500 to $12,390 to help promote and grow the event, while the Bathurst District Sport & Recreation Council sought an extra $10,000 on top of its annual grant of $20,000 to distribute to local sporting groups. Mr Jones has recommended against both amendments.
Meanwhile, council’s monthly meeting on Wednesday night will also approve a new NSW Treasury Corporation (TCorp).
Mr Jones’ report says council can usually negotiate a better rate through TCorp than through the banks, and the new loan of $8,525,000 - fixed at 3.46 per cent over 10 years – would help pay for some of the spending initiatives in the 2018-19 budget.
