A PROPOSED Bathurst bypass will take another small step forward when a public forum is held at the end of this month.
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Director of environmental, planning and building services Neil Southorn said late last year that Bathurst Regional Council would be appointing a specialist firm to investigate a possible bypass and news this week confirms that council has done so.
Council says it has engaged consultants Egis Oceania - a firm with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane - to "investigate the economic and social benefits of a future city bypass or distributor road network for the city of Bathurst".
It follows renewed recent community interest in the project, which was investigated in the past but didn't progress beyond the release of a 2009 study.
Mayor Robert Taylor said the appointment of Egis Oceania and the upcoming public forum is an opportunity for community members to have their say about the potential project.
"I encourage residents, road users and business owners to come along to hear more about the Bathurst bypass concept and provide their input," he said.
"There will also be a chance to have a discussion with the consultants one-on-one if you would like to discuss the concept in detail."
Cr Taylor said the Egis Oceania investigations will inform a submission from council to Infrastructure Australia, though he noted that this initial submission will not identify a preferred route.
Council resolved in April last year to apply to Infrastructure Australia for the Bathurst bypass to be "a new national priority list item" and, when council released its budget for the 2022-23 financial year, it included a $100,000 allocation for a study into the bypass project.
Cr Taylor said Egis Oceania's community consultation in Bathurst will seek to obtain the community's views on heavy vehicle traffic through Bathurst; how the traffic affects the community; and the benefits of diverting traffic.
The public forum will be held on Thursday, April 27 from 5.30pm to 7pm in the Council Chambers on the first floor of the Civic Centre in Russell Street.
Bookings are essential and can be made by calling Bathurst Regional Council on 6333 6211 or emailing council@bathurst.nsw.gov.au.
Council says community members will also have the opportunity to book one-on-one discussions with Egis Oceania.
It says appointments will be available on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 26, 27 and 28 for members of the community who would like to discuss their views in more detail.
Those who want to book a time are asked to email Abel Son (Abel.Son@egis-oceania.com.au) or Sam Rabagliati (Sam.Rabagliati@egis-oceania.com.au).
Around, not through
WEST of Bathurst, Orange's Northern Distributor bypass was recently reclassed from a local road to a state road, meaning Transport for NSW has now taken control of it.
The Northern Distributor was opened in 2013, taking freight traffic out of the centre of Orange.
Orange also has a Southern Feeder Road joining the Mitchell Highway that has been opened in stages over a number of years.
The latest $14.7 million stage of the Southern Feeder Road, which will take about 12 months to complete, is being funded by Orange City Council, the NSW Government's Resources for Regions program and the Australian Government's Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program and the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program.
Meanwhile, the first sod was turned in late 2021 on a $187 million bypass of Parkes that will take Newell Highway traffic around the town.
It will run west of the town, will be about 10.5 kilometres long and will be one lane in each direction.
