THE results of Aboriginal cultural heritage studies are Bathurst Regional Council's strongest argument for proceeding with plans to build a go-kart track at the top of Mount Panorama, the mayor says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Council met with Environment Minister Sussan Ley on Friday to make its case in support of the project, with councillors and council staff involved in the discussions.
Mayor Bobby Bourke said it was a "very positive meeting" and that council received "very encouraging responses" from Ms Ley.
Now, it is a matter of waiting for her to make a determination on whether or not the track can be built in the location council approved in 2015.
"We'll have to wait that 30 days that she's got to determine the Section 9 or 10 on Mount Panorama, and I hope she goes back with the information that she got out of us and myself and the community and put an end to all this confusion over a go-kart track on Mount Panorama," Cr Bourke said.
The Wiradyuri Traditional Owners group maintains that the chosen site is of great Aboriginal significance and a go-kart track should not be built there.
However, the Aboriginal cultural due diligence assessments and Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report (ACHAR) have never found relics and the ACHAR finding was that "the study area has a nil-low potential to contain buried sub-surface archaeological deposits".
Cr Bourke believes the findings of these assessments are the strongest argument for proceeding with the project.
"The strongest argument is we have done all the reports, we have spent a lot of ratepayers' money on these reports to show to the community that a go-kart track could go on this site," he said.
"We have studies. We've spent over $1.3 million on the study of the [Section] 9 and 10 applications and it shows that a go-kart track can go ahead there."
He also noted the Bathurst Local Aboriginal Lands Council's support for the project.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark www.westernadvocate.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News