NSW government to fund stage two of Centennial Park upgrade

On January 12, Deputy Premier and Member for Bathurst Paul Toole announced his government would be contributing $887,580 to fund a second stage to the project.

The funding will come from the Stronger Country Communities Fund.

Mr Toole said the funding will "further enhance" the space, which is one of the oldest parks in Bathurst.

READ MORE: Works begins on stage one of the Centennial Park landscape upgrade

The stage two works will include new play equipment and accessible play elements, picnic shelters, various table and bench seating, barbecues, lighting, hardstand areas, path connections, tree planting, lawn sections and irrigation.

The plans are in line with what the Friends of Centennial Park have been wanting to see, the group campaigning for around a decade to get the central park the upgrade it deserves.

"We've had some very passionate community members that have wanted to see this park being improved, wanted to see this park being utilised by locals and visitors alike into the future, and here we are today with big developments taking place," Mr Toole said.

Stage one of the project is currently under construction, with works commence in late 2022.

Mayor Robert Taylor said the first stage of the work includes new cross paths and the installation of lighting.

It's anticipated that this work will take several months to complete, with it hoped that stage two works could get under way by mid 2023.

Cr Taylor said he was thankful to the NSW government for funding the second stage of the project.

He looks forward to seeing Centennial Park, a place where he played as a young child, reinvigorated by the work Bathurst Regional Council has planned.

"I only lived a couple of blocks away from this park and I played here as a young fellow and did a lot of activities here," Cr Taylor said.

"I think, for where it is situated in South Bathurst, it's really the only major park that we have in this area, so to continue to put this park together as a community asset ... I think is a great initiative."

The upgrade has been in the works for several years.

In 2019, council completed a landscape design masterplan of the proposed upgrade of Centennial Park, with the final adopted design having been guided by extensive studies and community input into the future look of the important community space.

Council awarded the construction contract for stage one of the project to Kingsline Pty Ltd in September, 2022.

Stage one includes minor earth works and site leveling, formalisation of the main cross paths, installation of an avenue of trees along the cross paths, irrigation for those trees, new park lighting to the cross paths, and park seating.

The first stage comes at a cost of $1 million.

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