The Bathurst region currently sits at Level 3 restrictions with the watering of gardens and lawns restricted to a maximum of one hour a day every second day.

The Level 3 restrictions came into effect in August last year when Ben Chifley Dam was at 83 per cent and rising. They will be with us for the foreseeable future despite the dam now being full to overflowing.

Bathurst Regional Council's engineering services director Darren Sturgiss said the community should be congratulated on its compliance with the restrictions as they stand but confirmed there was no urgency within council to wind back the restrictions any further at this stage.

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Council wants to see stormwater harvesting in place to provide short-term water security but there still is no clear timeline for when that will be.

"Council continues to work with NSW Government for finalisation of construction approvals to build the planned stormwater harvesting scheme with tenders for detailed design, construction and commissioning closed and three tenders received," he said.

"... It is council's current position that review of water restrictions will not occur until stormwater harvesting project has commenced."

Mayor Ian North also acknowledged the need for stormwater harvesting and laid the blame for delays squarely at the feet of the government.

"We're still battling the state government to get sign-off on the stormwater harvesting and that's very disappointing," he said.

"Getting on the critical needs list was supposed to hurry things up but it seems to have slowed them down.

"We have new houses going up everywhere and we need to ensure our water security.

"In the short-term that means stormwater harvesting and potentially the Winburndale pipeline, in the medium term we need to look at a pipeline to Ben Chifley Dam and then the longer term is probably looking at the dam wall."

Cr North also praised the Bathurst community's response to water restrictions.

"They have really embraced the restrictions and it's a case of credit where credit's due," he said.

"As the town has grown the amount of water used per person has kept going down, which is great."

Bathurst MP Paul Toole conceded it had been a long process getting stormwater harvesting in place but he understood the end was getting nearer.

"It is frustrating and it has been a slow process," he said.

"I know they have extended the timeframe for councils to provide additional information and I understand they are just seeking more from council on any impacts further downstream.

"The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE) is helping council to work through this."

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