A NEW initiative has the potential to generate half-a-million dollars or more for the Bathurst council.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
On October 1, 2025, the council announced a new campaign to fill the over-track and billboard advertising spaces around Mount Panorama-Wahluu outside of race periods.
The purpose is to create another reliable revenue stream for the council, which is trying to improve its long-term financial sustainability.
Deputy mayor Ben Fry said the council is looking for brands that want to "share in the iconic status of Mount Panorama-Wahluu", with these brands invited to take part in the 28-day expression of interest (EOI) process.
The council has 17 signage locations around the mountain that can be leased by commercial partners.
Each location has a price range attached to it, which does not include GST, signage production costs, or first install costs. Those costs are all payable by the lessee.
If each sign is leased for the maximum amount it is listed for in the prospectus, the council could stand to make in the vicinity of $600,000 per year.
The council needs to see what the appetite is from the market, and as such, is taking a conservative approach to setting expectations for financial return.
"Conservatively, stage one of this project could yield around $500,000 profit for the council if a full complement of overhead signage and billboards are leased," Cr Fry said.
He said the track signage campaign is not a symbolic gesture by the council, but rather "a way to raise serious capital for a council that is being crushed by a lack of federal and state government grants."
Mayor Robert Taylor also pointed to cost-shifting as another contributing factor to the council's financial predicament.
Knowing the community's opposition to a significant rate rise, councillors are looking for other ways to generate revenue.
Cr Taylor believes the signage campaign can do that successfully.
"This is one way of generating revenue into the council. I think it's a long time coming," Cr Taylor said.
How to pique brands' interest
Cr Fry said the council will embark on a public relations campaign to make potential commercial partners aware of the opportunity to have their name on Mount Panorama-Wahluu.
"We've got a current EOI process being undertaken at the moment. It includes a deck of information that can be reviewed by brands or businesses that would like the opportunity," he said.
"That is coincided with a public relations campaign, which will push this message out to industry.
"We're making sure that we're approaching every channel that we can to proudly advertise this advertising opportunity.
"We're also undertaking some advertising during the Bathurst 1000 and some events during that period, too. Obviously, there is no better place to find potential tenants than a motor sport event, and the biggest in Australia is a great place to start."
The EOI period will close at 10am on October 28, 2025, after which point the council will review the submissions received to ensure they align with community values and the mountain's history.
Information about the advertising opportunities, as well as the EOI form, is available on the council's website.
What's next?
The signage initiative is just one way the council plans to get more out of Mount Panorama-Wahluu.
It is already in the process of expanding the fees and charges for the hire of facilities, such as garages in the pit complex.
Cr Fry said the next phase will be announced in "a couple of weeks" and centres around the activation of the recreational precinct as a commercial venue.
"We want to make sure that we're leveraging the venue aspect of this circuit as much as we can," he said.
