Battery fire in a garbage truck.

This week marks the launch of a major new phase of the successful ‘Never Bin A Battery’ campaign rolling out across New South Wales.

Fires caused by the incorrect disposal of household batteries and products with em­bedded batteries are a growing hazard. In NSW, Fire and Rescue have responded to more than 280 incidents caused by lithiumion batteries this year alone.

Meanwhile, the waste industry reports an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 battery-related fires a year nationwide, posing a significant risk to human health, the environment and to critical infrastructure that we rely on to process waste.

NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Executive Director of Programs and Innovation Alexandra Geddes said, “Every­one has a role to play in the safe use and disposal of batteries, which should never be disposed of in kerbside bins.”

The campaign reminds people to:

• Tape the ends of small loose batteries with clear, sticky tape

• Keep them safe in a ventilated, glass container

• Drop them off at nearby B-cycle collec­tion points, like supermarkets and hard­ware stores

• Dispose of large batteries (5-20 kg) for free at Community Recycling Centres

• Drop off items with embedded batteries for free to one of 34 CRCs participating in the embedded batteries recycling trial

Arts Out West are calling all artists with disability in Central Western NSW to submit their work for POV: art | disability.

Arts Outwest: Final Call Out. POV: art | disability closes this Sunday 23rd Novem­ber. If you’ve been thinking about submit­ting your work, now is the perfect time to complete an application. POV: art | disabil­ity is all about celebrating diverse perspec­tives and showcasing the incredible tal­ent within our community. Whether you’re an emerging artist or have been creating for years, we would love to see your work represented in this year’s exhibition. Apply here: socialfutures.org.au/service/pov-art-disability/

Forbes Business Chamber: Make sure you have Friday 12 December, 5pm – 9pm locked in your diaries. Templar and Rankin Streets will be closed off for a night of en­tertainment, food, market stalls and kids rides! Plus a special guest will be making an appearance…

PCYC Parkes: Massive shout out to Bun­nings Forbes and Discount Dave’s Parkes. Our Halloween Disco was an absolute spectacular success — and it wouldn’t have been the same without their amaz­ing donations. Lollies thanks to the legends at Discount Dave’s. Decorations thanks to the awesome team at Bunnings. Your sup­port helps us keep creating fun community events just like our Halloween Disco. We’re so grateful.

NSW Government: Plastic bread tags, non-compostable fruit stickers, unrecycla­ble sushi takeaway containers and singleserve condiment bottles packages will be phased out. Safer, recyclable alternatives are coming. We’re also requiring takeaway food and beverage packaging items to be recyclable, redesigning takeaway contain­ers, regulating harmful chemicals in pack­aging, and banning helium balloon releas­es. Find out more: www.epa.nsw.gov.au/Your-environment/Plastics/plastics-plan-20

Forbes Youth Action Team: Got your P1 (Red Ps) and aged 17–20? Sign up now to start collecting rewards! Here’s how to join: Download the app and sign up, fill out a quick 10-minute survey, drive as you normally would and complete the post-trial survey to get paid. Your information is kept secure and will only be used by the Univer­sity of Melbourne for research. For more info or to sign up, visit: https://feedbacktrial.net/#faq

Visit Parkes Region: Escape to the Parkes Region and discover the charm of Trundle. A town rich in heritage, heart, and a pub that’s impossible to miss! From its welcoming community to its iconic land­marks, Trundle offers a slice of country life you won’t forget. For information on the Parkes Region visit: bit.ly/4fWlQzW

Trundle is situated 65km north-west of Parkes on “The Bogan Way”.

This free, family-friendly event is perfect for little ones, parents, carers, and anyone who loves a good story!

The Forbes community are all invited to comae along and celebrate Reading Down­town Day on Monday 24 November at the Forbes Town Hall, with a free, special live performance of Mr Huff.

Brought to life by Meerkat Productions, Mr Huff is an award-winning children’s book about the clouds and the sunshine in each of our lives. Through music, movement andstorytelling, children will discover positive coping skills and practical wellbeing strate­gies. The program helps students recognise, name and manage their emotions, building resilience, self-awareness and emotional in­telligence in ways that stick. This production directly supports the goals of the National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2021) — helping schools embed lifelong wellbeing skills through engaging arts experiences.

This special event is a partnership be­tween Forbes Shire Council, Forbes North Schools as Community Centres (SaCC) and Forbes Birth to Kinder, bringing the commu­nity together to celebrate literacy, learning and wellbeing.

Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said it’s wonder­ful to see local partnerships supporting fun and meaningful events for families.

“Reading Downtown Day is such a special event because it inspires children to discov­er the joy of reading. It’s so wonderful to be able to do something different this year for the community that’s interactive and fun,” Mayor Miller said.

Hosted annually, Reading Downtown Day aims to raise awareness about the impor­tance of reading to children from a very young age.

This year marks the 21st year of the event in Forbes. Forbes North Schools SaCC committee member, Maree Yapp, said the group is proud to be celebrating over two decades of encouraging early literacy.

“It’s amazing to see how the event con­tinues to grow,” Mrs Yapp said. “Reading Downtown Day is all about showing families how powerful reading with children can be.

It builds connection, confidence and a life­long love of learning.”