Peter Rogers says lack of lighting is making Bathurst CBD 'dark' and 'dingy'

The words he'd use to describe it now, though, are the complete opposite: "dark" and "dingy".

"Our CBD is dead. It looks shit and it is crap," he said.

"We have a problem there in that we don't have the correct lighting."

And that is something that he believes is affecting businesses.

Businesses in the CBD used to be illuminated by under-awning lighting, also known as white way lighting, which was owned by Essential Energy, with Bathurst Regional Council meeting the operational and maintenance costs.

In 2019, council resolved to revoke its Lighting - White Way Lighting Under Awnings in the CBD policy as Essential Energy had advised that it would no longer accept under-awning lighting on the street lighting inventory.

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The following year, under-awning lights on multiple CBD blocks were disconnected from the Essential Energy unmetered streetlighting network.

Some building owners opted to reconnect the under-awning lighting through the private metered supply, while others chose to leave them disconnected.

Council has, however, rolled out LED street lights, which are meant to cast light under the awnings, effectively acting as a replacement for the white way lighting.

Mr Rogers said the LED lighting is not enough and has left the CBD streets looking "crap".

"The walkway lighting, we used to call it white way lighting, all those fluorescent lights used to be on all the shops, that is now being finished," he said.

"Essential Energy and Bathurst council used to pay for that. That's now being shut down.

"A lot of the shops don't have that lighting anymore and if you walk around Bathurst at night it looks dreadful.

"I had some visitors from Sydney here the other night and I met them up at The 1880 and they walked up from the showground ... they said, 'Mate, it's blood appalling'. It's dark, it's dingy."

He said Bathurst council should be trying to replicate the main streets of Orange, which are bright and inviting at night.

With better lighting, he said people will be more likely to spend time in the CBD, which can only benefit businesses.

There is at least one person on council who he won't have to try to sway: councillor Warren Aubin.

Cr Aubin agrees that the LED lights aren't providing adequate lighting under the awnings, saying the CBD looks "dull" as a result.

"I know with our central light standards and the other lights that have been put up down the streets, they were supposed to be that bright that they went in and lit up the footpaths, which I was a little bit dubious of when it was first raised," he said.

"... I have to agree, I think the street lighting does need to be looked at.

"If it's bright and beautiful, then it's very inviting, but if it's dull and some on, some off, that sort of thing, it's horrible.

"When we get back into swing this year, that is one item that should be on the agenda to have a look at."

While he can't say whether or not anything will change with the street lighting specifically, he is hopeful that another project will get above the line in the 2023-24 budget to make the CBD more inviting.

He said there are plans for a $120,000 spend to install some decorative lighting in William Street, inspired by what is seen in Orange.

"I'm still yet to see the plans for that, but something I've been pushing for for a couple of years now is to get some decent lighting like that criss-cross lighting in Orange at night time," Cr Aubin said.

Bathurst won't have criss-cross lights, as that option has proven too difficult to get the permissions for, but Cr Aubin understands council staff are looking at decorative lights that can be attached to trees and poles.

If it proves successful in William Street, then Cr Aubin can see the initiative being rolled out to other CBD streets.

"If they get it right, that will take off and we'll be able to build on it," he said.

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