The election should have been held in September 2020 but was delayed for 12 months due to COVID.

But with the COVID outbreak in Sydney still far from under control, Local Government Minister Shelley Hancock confirmed on Saturday evening that the elections would be delayed for another three months and are now set down for December 4.

That's a blow for a growing list of candidates in our region who, over the past fortnight or so, have announced their intention to run for Bathurst Regional Council because it seriously disrupts their campaign plans.

Running for council takes a significant investment of both time and money and it's no accident that intending candidates tend to hold off making an announcement for as long as they can.

But now what most had planned to be a short, sharp two-month campaign has stretched out to be a five-month campaign and that makes it extremely difficult for new candidates to maintain momentum on limited resources and with just small teams to support them.

They will have to reconsider the timing of policy announcements, renegotiate any advertising campaigns and go back to the drawing board in terms of rostering their supporters to spend time outside the pre-polling centre where so many votes can be secured.

New candidates traditionally face an uphill battle to win a spot on council and this latest setback will only make that challenge more difficult.

It's not all bad, though.

Bathurst Regional Council finds itself in the unusual position of having a new mayor at the helm and the postponement of the election now gives Ian North three more months to show what he has to offer in the role while also giving voters the chance to see how he goes.

For many in town the election can't come soon enough but given the tumult we've seen over the past month or so, the region could do with a period of relative stability before heading back to the polls.

Cr North was handed the mayoralty as a safe set of hands and he now has five months instead of two to audition for the role on a more permanent basis. We should all wish him the best.