A diverse coalition of Bathurst people braved dust and gale-force winds on Friday afternoon to meet briefly at the site of the proposed go track to make plain their concerns over damage to the environment.

The gathering was timed to coincide with Threatened Species Day on Saturday and centred on concerns over damage to local habitat of koalas, microbats and native birds, as well as Australian yellow box trees and Blakely's red gum.

And those who braved the extreme conditions at the top of the Mount represented just a handful of the 50 or so individuals and organisations that added their names to a petition calling for Bathurst Regional Council to find an alternate site.

The protest might not have influenced council's thinking on the issue but what it did show is that even nine months after the go kart track was approved last December, the divisions it has created in the community are as deep as ever - and they are not going away. So again we have to ask, is McPhillamy Park really the only suitable site for this track?

We can all appreciate the desire to site the track as part of the Mount Panorama precinct, but at what cost?

Does council really want to build a go kart track that will be plagued by protests throughout its construction and even after it begins operation?

And can council really discard the concerns of Wiradyuri elders and respected ecologists who say the Mount's environment and cultural significance will be irreparably diminished?

There is much to like about the go kart development and the track will bring great benefits to our region. But not if it continues to divide the community rather than unite it.