PREPARATIONS are well under way for an international event that is expected to provide a great economic boost to Bathurst.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bathurst Regional Council has spent $600,000 to build a clubhouse at the Bathurst BMX Track in anticipation for the fourth round of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup, coming to the city in February.
The NSW Government contributed $100,000 to the clubhouse project, and has also committed $6000 for a state-of-the-art start gate and $5000 for a storage area.
Mayor Bobby Bourke said it was a good partnership between the two levels of government and great that the NSW Government was supporting sport in Bathurst.
"We have now some of the best world-class facilities here in Bathurst and the Supercross World Cup coming here in February will just add to the extreme sports that we have here," he said.
"People from all over the world are not just coming here for motor racing, they're coming here for BMX, cross country championships ... Bathurst is a place people all across the world like to come to."
Member for Bathurst Paul Toole said that sport is a vital part of the community and he was pleased to see the BMX facility continuing to improve ahead of the 2020 world cup.
"This is the only type of facility that we see here in NSW. The only other one that comes close in Australia is one down in Shepparton," he said.
"What we've actually seen is the improvements, the upgrades to the track, are going to ensure that we're ready for the [event] that will be held here next year.
"This is going to bring riders from all over the world."
In addition to building Bathurst's sporting reputation, having the major international BMX event will provide a boost to the economy and local businesses.
"This is a family event that will bring probably three to four people a family to Bathurst - it won't just be one BMX rider, they'll be bringing three, four or maybe up to half a dozen support crew with them," Cr Bourke said.
"They've got to stay somewhere, they won't be camping out here, they'll be staying in accommodation here and maybe out of town.
"The opportunity is there for business owners to get on board. I encourage local businesses to support the BMX and other events that we put on, because they're the ones that are going to benefit from it."