Don’t miss the action of the criterium racing in Kings Parade this Saturday, March 16 when cyclists take to the street to race around Kings Parade. Families and children will also have an opportunity to experience the official criterium racing course from 11am to noon.

While enjoying the excitement of the racing schedule, spectators can enjoy the local food, wines, craft beer and cider available at stalls around Kings Parade.

The NSW Hill Climb Championships will also be on at Mount Panorama this Saturday. The 4.1km course will start in Harris Park and finish in Sulman and Reid parks at the top of the track.

The jewel in the event crown is on Sunday with the Blayney to Bathurst (B2B). The race is a challenging and scenic route and takes riders through the picturesque localities of Hobbys Yards, Trunkey Creek, Georges Plains, Rockley Mount and Perthville.

This year the race will end at Pit Straight on Mount Panorama. The Village, where spectators can enjoy street food, coffee, wines and beer, will also be located near Pit Straight.

For more information, visit www.bathurstcyclingclassic.com.au

I encourage everyone to come along and cheer on the competitors. There will be plenty to see and do for all.

Rail Museum

DRAWINGS created by schoolchildren from Carenne, Perthville and O’Connell public schools have been printed on 50 metres of temporary fencing surrounding the building site of the Bathurst Rail Museum.

The students used their imagination to draw a picture of what they thought the railway means to them or the impact the railway has had on the local community. This is a wonderful initiative and I would like to thank the school students and their teachers for their participation.

THERE is always something to do in the Bathurst electorate, and March is no different.

The Lithgow Show, on Friday and Saturday, will play host to all the show favourites like sideshow alley, pavilion displays, the ute muster, bull ride, woodchopping and the Lithgow High School Animal Nursery.

This year the already exciting schedule will be accompanied by helicopter joy flights, Lithgow’s Living History Group display, freestyle motorbikes and much more.

With the usual local entertainment line-up and fireworks display to boot, it’s sure to be another great show. These shows remind us of the importance of our rural sector and highlight the pivotal role agriculture plays in our economy.

Millthorpe Railway Station is set to reopen this Friday to mark the start of our new stop-on-request XPT service. The XPT itself will arrive at the station at 11.45am for the first time.

The Lachlan Valley Rail heritage train will also be in service that day, leaving Orange at 12.15pm and arriving at Millthorpe at 1.15pm before travelling on to Bathurst.

This has been in the pipeline for years and following extensive lobbying on behalf of the community, together we have been able to make this a reality by completing the extended platform to allow the XPT to stop.

Bathurst Thoroughbred Racing’s annual Bathurst Cup on Sunday is shaping up to be a fantastic day of racing and fashion.

The showcase Sunday race meeting will feature eight top quality races that have been named after racing icons including Tulloch, Hugh Bowman, Bill Aspros, The Barb, Ida Traill, and Gold Circle.

I hope to see you at an event this weekend.