A submission under consideration for Bathurst Regional Council's 2021-22 budget requested an allocation of $30,000 to $50,000 to fund the committee.

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Council staff recommended against the allocation, however, councillor Jess Jennings advocated for the committee to get the lesser amount of $30,000, and asked the staff to suggest a funding source.

"This has been an area of some contestation, a bit of hoo-ha and whinging during the year. If an item like this doesn't get funded, then nothing happens, simple as that, under that public art committee," he said.

"So, let's not hear any whinging about nothing happening, but if we do fund it let's give the public art committee some legs and get some things happening sooner rather than later."

Senior staff could not suggest a funding source, with the general manager, David Sherley, reminding councillors that council was facing tough financial circumstances due to the pandemic.

"I have to say, we don't have a suggestion, because the budget has been produced on such a tight wicket at the moment," Mr Sherley said.

"We're still suffering the after-effects of COVID, you saw that we took $6 million out of the budget.

"The only way may be that a subsequent report has got to be brought back [to council] to provide the funding, because I really stress, do not adopt a budget that isn't balanced.

"You'll have us completely in the sights of the Office of Local Government."

With Mr Sherley's warning, Cr Jennings was happy to drop the request for funding to be included in the budget and call for a report to come back to council at a later date.

Although there's no money for the committee, there will still be progress made on public art in Bathurst, with council having received a grant to fund its Streets as Shared Spaces project.

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