ROUGHLY 10 years ago, a regular customer of mine, Roy Davey, a former Bathurst District Ambulance Board member, asked me (because he knew I, like him, had an interest in the betterment of Bathurst) to keep an eye out on Bathurst Ambulance Station as in some point in the future a new station would be built.
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I was given a quick history lesson on the community fundraising conducted by our civic forefathers in the 1920s to build our station on a Crown grant.
Roy's concern centred on the fact that a future government may attempt to sell this building when in actual fact it belonged to the Bathurst community.
Roy asked me to get a photo of a plaque on the front wall of the station to reinforce his position. I did and I immediately agreed that I would do everything I could to see it returned to our current and future generations.
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Roll forward to March of 2015 and the NSW Coalition Government announced that Bathurst would receive $6.5 million for a new ambulance station.
I promptly wrote to the then Health Minister Jillian Skinner and our local MP Paul Toole highlighting that the existing ambulance station was built by our forefathers in the 1920s after an extensive community fundraising initiative and that upon relocation to its new location it should be returned to the current and future generation of Bathurstians without cost.
In fact, the original Crown grant, of which I have a copy, clearly states that if the ambulance station building is no longer used as an ambulance station, it must revert back to the Crown (people).
Since that time I have rattled the cage of the state member, reminding him from time to time that it won't be a good look if the State Government does attempt to sell our ambulance station on the open market.
Thankfully, commonsense has prevailed, with the local member announcing last week that the ambulance station will be sold to Bathurst Regional Council for $1.
So my involvement, while minor, has ensured the wish of a now deceased prominent Bathurstian, who gave a lot to the Bathurst community, is now complete.
So rest in peace, Roy Davey, the job is done.
Thanks also to the state member for listening and Bathurst Regional Council's general manager who likewise was very supportive in lobbying the government to reclaim this iconic building on behalf of the community.
Now the challenge is to establish an appropriate use. Maybe a competition to flush out some ideas?
I hope everyone has a great day for Christmas and the hangovers aren't too bad.
I look forward to a great fireworks display on New Year’s Eve at Victoria Park and hopefully above average rainfall in 2019.
Thanks to all my loyal readers and hopefully, with the good grace of the editor, I will return later in January.
Thumbs up
THE NSW Government sensibly returning the existing ambulance station to the community of Bathurst. After all, our forefathers paid for it to be built.
Thumbs down
RECENT storm weather creating havoc within the region. Who would want to be a cherry farmer?
