Politics · Australia · 4 hrs ago
Albanese points Bathurst to grant programs for Mount Panorama upgrades
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outlined funding options for upgrades to Mount Panorama in Bathurst, Australia.
The track surface is more than a decade old, and a series of crashes this year has prompted calls for safety improvements.
Bathurst Regional Council is seeking money for the work, including an estimated $8 million to resurface the track.
Albanese said the council could apply to federal programs that offer between $250,000 and $15 million for local capital works.
A previous $15.8 million grant application was unsuccessful, and the council has commissioned an economic assessment to support its bid for government funding.
Independent MP Andrew Gee said dedicated track funding is needed, arguing that using existing road-repair funds would leave local roads short of money.
Gee said he would keep pressing state and federal governments, while the council’s next opportunity may come when applications to the federal programs open soon.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pointed Bathurst Regional Council to federal grant programs as possible funding avenues for Mount Panorama upgrades.
The track surface is more than a decade old, and crashes across multiple events this year prompted calls for safety upgrades.
Albanese said the Thriving Suburbs and Growing Regions programs could provide between $250,000 and $15 million for local government capital works.
Independent MP Andrew Gee said dedicated funding was needed and that existing road repair funds should not be used for track upgrades.
The council previously applied unsuccessfully for a $15.8 million grant, while resurfacing the track is estimated to cost roughly $8 million.
- Who
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Bathurst Regional Council and Independent MP Andrew Gee.
- What
- Albanese pointed the council to grant programs as possible funding avenues for Mount Panorama upgrades. Gee said the track needed dedicated funding.
- When
- Albanese responded during question time on Monday. The article was published on 27 October 2026.
- Where
- Mount Panorama, Bathurst, Australia.
- Why
- The track surface is more than a decade old, and crashes across multiple events this year prompted calls for safety upgrades.
The Albanese government
Andrew Gee
Funding approach
The Albanese government
Albanese pointed the council to the Thriving Suburbs and Growing Regions programs as potential sources for capital works funding.
Andrew Gee
Gee said track upgrades should not be paid for from the council’s existing federal road repair programs and called for dedicated track funding.
Bathurst Regional Council sought a $15.8 million grant through the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program but was unsuccessful.
A spate of crashes across multiple events prompted calls for safety upgrades.
Andrew Gee asked during question time whether the Albanese government would support Mount Panorama upgrades, and Albanese outlined grant programs the council could apply to.
Gee said on social media that dedicated track funding was needed.
- Track surface
- More than a decade old
- Estimated resurfacing cost
- Roughly $8 million
- Unsuccessful grant bid
- $15.8 million through the Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program
- Potential grant range
- $250,000 to $15 million for local government capital works
- Financial Assistance Grant
- Bathurst Regional Council received $8.518 million in the current financial period
- Roads to Recovery commitment
- $10.9 million across the five-year period beginning in 2024
What people are saying
That’s a program run by the Minister for Regional Development here. It can provide funding of between $250,000 and $15 million to local government entities for capital works. So it would provide a potential opportunity.
Paying for the track upgrades out of Council’s existing federal road repair programs isn’t going to cut it.
Dedicated track funding is needed!