The draft budget is on the agenda for Wednesday's council meeting, where councillors are expected to vote to put the document on public for one month.

During that time, community members can have their say and propose their own ideas for what should and shouldn't be included in the operating plan.

While council has managed to maintain a surplus, albeit just $15,565, there is no understating the impact the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing costs has had to council's financial situation.

Director of Corporate Services and Finance, Aaron Jones, acknowledged just how difficult preparing the budget has been.

"Financially, it has probably been the hardest budget we've had to put together in the entire time I've been here at Bathurst council," he said.

"And, add to that, the councillors had a lesser amount of time to actually come to terms to understand it, with the election being in December."

Council was transparent about increasing costs well before 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic has taken that to new heights.

"We're finding the cost of materials for capital projects, or even just general maintenance, has skyrocketed, so that's where it's hurting us a lot," Mr Jones said.

As result, a number of projects council had hoped to achieve have been placed on the backburner due to a lack of money.

Mr Jones said this was "probably one of our lowest capital programs we've put together", with council having to make some difficult decisions about what it could fund in the upcoming financial year.

As usual, there are some big ticket items in recreation, with $4.25 million allocated to extending the grandstand at Carrington Park, and three fields at Proctor Park set to undergo reconstruction works to the value of $2.3 million.

It is anticipated that the latter project will attract grant funds.

"There is an appreciation at the state level of the value that that facility brings to our region, so, I'm quietly confident, but won't put anyone's house on it," Mr Jones said.

There is also an $8.2 million allocation for the stormwater harvesting scheme and $6 million for Winburndale Dam flood security upgrading.

Council has also allocated $4 million to begin an upgrade of the terminal at the aerodrome.

"At the moment, we're limited to what flights we can receive, as in the number of seats on a plane, and what we're aware of is that other providers, if we're going to pursue those, or if REX itself wants to bring bigger planes out, our airport doesn't satisfied the CASA security requirements," Mr Jones said.

"[The upgrade] will incorporate a refresh of the building, but it will also introduce essentially security checking, which is a requirement for those larger airplanes to land."

Another budget inclusion is $100,000 for a study into a Bathurst bypass.

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"The current councillors have actually flagged that as an initiative they want to focus on in the current term, and so we've had to identify funding," Mr Jones said.

"It's money provided by council basically to recommence some study works on that. There were some preliminary works done a number of years ago, so it's more of a case of rehashing what was done back then and looking at viable options."

There is no money in the draft budget to fund any work beyond a study.

Mr Jones said the budget has been prepared with a proposed 2.5 per cent rate increase factored in, but if that is not approved by IPART, council has identified what items will be cut.

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