Integrated medical centre in limbo after council rejects car park request

The council considered the request during the confidential portion of its June 19, 2024 meeting and unanimously agreed to reject what was described as the "final offer" from the Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre (BIMC) group.

The two parties have been engaged in ongoing discussions over the course of months regarding the provision of car parking spaces and their cost.

Mayor Jess Jennings said the final offer was rejected due to the increased financial cost implications to ratepayers, along with inadequate parking spaces for the Bathurst community.

"Council opted not to depart from our adopted statement of intent in relation to the proposed car park, primarily because the latest proposal has insufficient parking provided to meet community requirements, including Bathurst RSL and their patrons," he said.

"... Councillors could not agree to bringing significantly more cars, patients and customers to the CBD without adequate parking and ultimately expects developers to provide sufficient parking to meet the demands created by any new development.

"The final offer from BIMC would have seen council retaining certainty over only 240 of the already existing 325 spaces (a reduction of 85 spaces), and a grand total of only 580 spaces for a $70 million development.

"This cemented council's unanimous decision."

What this means for the future of the BIMC is unclear.

Bathurst council's general manager David Sherley told the Western Advocate that it would be a decision for the development group to make.

"The council and the developer have been working together co-operatively over a number of years to further the project," he said.

"As to the impact of the issue of the car parking spaces and its final impact on the development, this is a matter to be determined by the BIMC group."