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A THREE-FOOT deep sinkhole which formed in the city's central business district on Tuesday morning is believed to have been caused by a leaking drain pipe.
Bathurst Regional Council staff were called to the sinkhole in Bentinck Street, just outside Renshaw's Funeral Services, after it was discovered at around 11am.
Funeral Director, Martin Wookey, said when he arrived at work at around 8.30am, there was no indication anything was amiss.
At about 11am, a passerby knocked on the door and told him there was a hole out the front of the business and he should come and have a look.
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He said after seeing the depth of it, he called council, who came straight away.
"I had a look underneath and it looks like it extends right back under our driveway and underneath the footpath," Mr Wookey said.
He said on the surface it's only a small hole, perhaps one foot wide, but when you look down into "it it looks like a cabin."
"It's two or three-foot deep and extends right back up the driveway."
He said one of the council workers said it was probably from a faulty drain pipe.
"Looking down into it, there seem to be a lot of exposed pipes and services," he said.
After inspecting the site council staff secured the area, with a spokesperson for council confirming workers will return on Wednesday to fix the problem.
"Council has fenced off the impacted area and a crew will be onsite tomorrow to repair a leaking storm water pipe which has caused the erosion in the area and the sinkhole to form," they said.
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