Roxane Manley

Bringing Regional Communities Closer To Specialist Care

March 17, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Regional patients will be able to access specialist follow-up care closer to home with a re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government announcing more than $7 million to establish virtual consultation spaces in every Multipurpose Service (MPS) across the State.

You shouldn’t have to drive hundreds of kilometres for a follow-up specialist appointment if you can have it face–to-face but via video in your local community.

Minister for Regional Health Bronnie Taylor said setting up virtual consultation spaces in the MPS meant support was available for patients, both to assist with navigating the technology and to help them plan for further treatments.

“This is about providing choice to our rural and regional patients who may not want to travel outside their community and don’t have access to the necessary technology at home or feel at ease using Telehealth on their own,” Mrs Taylor said.

Mrs Taylor said the hubs will help our smaller health facilities access enhanced medical coverage and support staff through remote monitoring, specialist advice where needed, 24/7 General Practitioner care, and better access to patient records.

“Our rural virtual hubs will be based in regional locations and staffed with regionally-based clinicians who will bring with them a wealth of knowledge,” Mrs Taylor said.

“There is no one quick fix solution to Australia’s medical workforce shortage, but by building rural hubs with clinicians who live and breathe regional health care, we’re adding another layer of support in our rural and regional communities.

Help Support Pop-Up Op Shop This Weekend

March 17, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Craft and clothing being sorted for the Pop-Up Shop this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Fat Parcel in Eugowra received donations of barista Almond Milk from Islamic Council of Queensland.

The Forbes CWA Evening Branch has received a container full of donations for flood affected communities. The donations have been very generously collected by the Islamic Council of Queensland. Forbes Shire Council asked Forbes CWA Evening Branch to take on the job of distributing the items.

“We are ready to open our Pop-Up Op Shop this Friday 17th, Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th March at the Forbes Showground Commercial Pavilion,” said Ms Robyn Miller, President of Oxley CWA Group.

Doors will open on Friday from 10am to 4pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 2pm. If there are enough volunteers and items to sell, the Pop-Up Op Shop may run the same days next week as well. If you would like to assist, please head along.

Prices will range from $2, with designer clothing from $10. All proceeds of the Op-Shop will stay within the area. “It would be fantastic if we could sell all these donations and give those who are flood affected some vouchers to help them return to their homes,” said Ms Miller.

Local Fundraiser Planned For Royce Simmons “Big Walk” For Dementia

March 17, 2023 by Roxane Manley

A sign that was made to encourage Royce on his “Big Walk” last year when he raised over $1M.

In 2022, at the age of just 61, Penrith Panthers’ rugby league legend Royce Simmons announced that he had been diagnosed with Dementia.

The diagnosis sent shock waves through the rugby league and broader community. However, Royce wasted no time at all, throwing himself behind the “Big Walk” to raise money for Dementia Australia to fund further research.

“I’ve got dementia, but not too bad at the moment, I’m just trying to make people aware of how bad dementia is,” said Royce.

“I don’t think people realise how bad it is, over 400,000 people are currently living with dementia in Australia and experts say that is expected to double in the next few years.”

Royce has gathered a huge amount of support from the rugby league community that he was a part of for decades and has many supporters on board sponsoring the walk.

Royces “Big Walk” kicks off on Tuesday, 18th April in Dubbo. He will travel through Parkes on Thursday, 20th April, and is scheduled to arrive in Bathurst on Saturday, 29th of April where the Panthers Vs Wests Tigers will be playing for the Royce Simmons Cup.

Royce has called upon fellow footy and sporting legends to join him on his walk through regional towns including Parkes and Eugowra. Part of Royces initiative is for the junior footy clubs in the towns they pass through to utilise the opportunity to raise funds for their own clubs, in addition to helping Royce raise money for Dementia Australia

Royce went on to explain, “We organise and supply a couple of guest speakers for the local fundraisers, we supply some memorabilia for the auctions and we are happy that it helps raise money for Dementia Australia and local junior footy.”

Local President of the Parkes Marist Junior Rugby League Club, Andrew Thomas spoke to The Forbes & Parkes Phoenix about why this is such an important fundraising event for people to get behind. “Royce is so driven by junior league and grassroots football, they’ve asked the clubs to hold an event and we have decided to hold a fundraising dinner.”

Royce’s Big Walk, and the Fundraiser to coincide with his walk, will be on Thursday, 20th April. The Fundraiser will be held at the Parkes Services Club and tickets will be $35 each, which will include dinner. On the night there will be a number of guest speakers, an auction, raffle, and lucky door prizes.

The Parkes Marist Junior Rugby League Club will put any funds that they receive from the “Big Walk” fundraising event towards upgrading the outdated facilities.

“We are pushing for a new grandstand, that’s the biggest ticket item that we are working towards. Parkes Council has been great, they funded a $76,000 Master Plan that was designed by an architect from Newcastle. He has submitted a design that has already been approved and its sitting there ready to go once we find enough funding. It’s up to us to be the driving force to make it happen,” said Andrew Thomas.

Mayoral Notes

March 17, 2023 by Phyllis Miller

Well for a country town, we sure know how to pack our weekends! This weekend the Forbes Dragon Boaters are staging their annual invitational regatta, taking advantage of our famous, beautiful Lake Forbes. Come down and feel the beat of the drums as boaters take to the water on Sunday to fight for the reign of the lake.

Saturday will see the Masters of the Mandagery football carnival and fundraiser extraordinaire. Proceeds will help the devastated village of Eugowra get back on its feet after last year’s ‘tsunami-like’ event. Not only will it feature entertaining league with teams from all over the state and ACT entered, but also some headline performers such as the Bon Jovi tribute band.

This week I spoke at the IPWEA (engineering) state conference about the infrastructure challenges facing local government. I hardly need to mention the blatantly obvious in that the state our roads have been left in after the flooding events of last year and managing large scale repair in a timely manner, is perhaps NSW’s largest challenge right now. But there remain other wonderful opportunities, such as how we do build better communities using data and technology available to us now.

We understand for many the experiences of last year’s flooding are traumatic and ongoing, but we are seeking your input in guiding best planning for future events. Town residents will receive a survey in the mail, or it can be completed via our website. Comments will be received until April 30.

Enjoy your week, and God bless.

Phyllis Miller, OAM
Forbes Mayor

Skip The Que And Get Your Vote In Early

March 17, 2023 by Roxane Manley

The upcoming NSW State Election will be held on Saturday, 25th March. However, early voting will be taking place from this Saturday, 18 March to Friday, 24th March.

If you are in Parkes or Forbes, and would like to avoid the huge crowds and long lines on election day, then you are encouraged to get out and vote early.

Early voting in Forbes will be available at the Forbes Town Hall in Harold Street, Forbes at the following times:

• Monday – Wednesday 8:30am – 5:30pm

• Thursday 8:30am – 8:00pm

• Friday 8:30am – 6:00pm

• Saturday 9:00am – 6:00pm

Early voting in Parkes will be available at the Parkes Early Voting Centre, 30 Welcome Street, Parkes at the following times:

• Monday – Wednesday 8:30am – 5:30pm

• Thursday 8:30am – 8:00pm

• Friday 8:30am – 6:00pm

• Saturday 9:00am – 6:00pm

If you are an Australian citizen aged 18 years or more, you are required to vote in federal, State and local government elections and by-elections. Ensure your voting registration details are correct.

A full list of local election cadidates will be available in next week’s edition of The Forbes & Parkes Phoenix.

Snippets…

March 17, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Come along on Saturday for a thrilling day of Dragon Boat racing.

Forbes Invitational Dragon Boat Regatta: The annual Forbes Invitational Dragon Boat Regatta gets underway this Sunday, 19th March on the beautiful Lake Forbes. Entries have been received from clubs and paddlers from right across the region including Orange, Parkes, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga, Lithgow, Dubbo, Forbes and a special welcome to paddlers from the new Blue Mountains club who will be making their first trip to Lake Forbes.

The Forbes Daragon Boat Club are looking forward to a great day of friendly competition with like minded people from all across western NSW. Spectators are welcome to come along and enjoy the atmosphere of this wonderful local event and to cheer on the local team. Racing will commence at 8.30am and should be completed by 1.30pm.

NAPLAN Testing Starts Earlier For NSW Schools: This week, around 400,000 students across more than 3,100 NSW schools have begun NAPLAN tests.

This is the first year that NAPLAN will be held in Term 1 for Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students. It means that parents, teachers and ultimately our students, will soon benefit from earlier results from NAPLAN tests.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said these changes mean we will have a better picture of how a student is tracking earlier and can make sure that any extra support they need to catch up is provided sooner. “A big thank you to the teachers, NAPLAN coordinators and school principals for their efforts preparing for NAPLAN this year amidst the changes.”

Showtime Means It’s Competition Time: The Forbes & Parkes Phoenix are once again giving away tickets to the Sydney Royal Easter Show. We will be giving a away two family passes for four people to attend this years event, one to a Forbes family and one to a Parkes family. Check out further details of the competition on page four of this week’s paper and enter online via www.forbesphoenix.com.au or www.parkesphoenix.com.au. Good luck!

Temporary closure of Thomas Street, Parkes: Motorists are advised that a temporary road closure will be in place on Thomas Street, Parkes from Monday, 20th March for work to safely remove material containing naturally occurring asbestos, as part of the Parkes Bypass project.

This work, between the intersections of Moulden Street and Reedsdale Road, will be managed by an external expert and all involved will wear appropriate protective clothing.

Thomas Street will be closed during works hours between 7am and 6pm weekdays and 8am to 6pm on some Saturdays for about eight months, weather permitting.

Temporary road closure in Thomas St, will start from Monday, 20th March.

Our Young Bloke – Toby Collins

March 17, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Toby Collins

How old are you? 17.

What School do you attend and what year are you in? I am in year 12 at Parkes High School.

Were You Named After Anyone? No. Although my middle name is the same as my dad’s.

What three things would you like to pack in your lunch box every day? A block of chocolate, pizza and apple pie.

If you could choose any job in the world, what would you do? An actor in Outer Banks.

If you had to spend $10,000 today, how would you spend it? I would buy a car.

What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done? I was snorkeling and saw a shark.

If you could meet any historical person, who would that be? Elvis Presley.

What makes you feel like dancing? Elvis music and a fun vibe.

If you had three wishes, what would you wish for? A billion dollars, perfect health and to compete in the Olympics.

Medal Recognition For Nine Forbes Community Corrections Officers

March 17, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Great day for Forbes Community Corrections with nine members of the local office receiving a Semper Deinceps Medal. The award recipients are picture with Forbes Mayor Phylis Miller and special guest Assistant Director Operations, West District Community Corrections, Craig Flanagan.

Semper Deinceps is Latin for Always Forward. This medal acknowledges the Corrective Services NSW staff that continued to persist and push through the pandemic despite the challenges it brought.

Mayor Phyllis Miller, this week presented Forbes Community Corrections Officers with their medals in front of family and friends.

Manager Kellie Becquet addressed the medal recipients with the following message: “Having worked for NSW Community Corrections for the past 20 years, it is an honor to be recognised by our organisation for the work we undertook during the COVID pandemic. It was for all an unsettling time. There were definitely concerns around the unknown and how that may have affected our family and loved ones.

During that pandemic, Community Corrections continued to focus on keeping our community safe and delivering a service to the people of NSW. I would like to extend this acknowledgement to all front-line workers, our health and law enforcement. I especially acknowledge all who keep our community going, our supermarkets, truck drivers and farmers. I also acknowledge those businesses in hospitality and retail that were brought to their knees. As a community we grow stronger together no matter what the battle.”

Craig Flanagan, Assistant Director Operations, West District Community Corrections also attended the ceremony and presented the Forbes Community Corrections with a Directors Commendation for Dedication and group effort during local flooding events throughout 2022, which impacted local teams, and offices. In recognition of the support, teamwork, resilience and the continued commitment to service that was displayed daily.

Kellie also thanked Lara Constable from Larz Coffee fix for donating the catering of a lovely morning tea for all in attendance at the award ceremony.

Medal recipient Anthony Towney, was born and raised in Gilgandra and went on to serve on the police force for 19 years, 16 years of those as a Community Liaison Officer. Anthony moved into working with Community Corrections and has been doing so now for almost 12 years. Anthony is currently working as an Aboriginal Community and Cultural Engagement Officer.

“You don’t look for accolades, but when you get recognised for the work you do, it is very rewarding,” said Anthony. All of the Forbes medal recipients were proud to be able to share their achievements with family and friends.

When COVID-19 first hit it was unknown and a scary time for all. Of his time working on the front-line during the initial stages of the pandemic, Anthony said, “You want to know that when you are going to work that you are protected, and it is a safe work environment. This is something that Community Corrections does really well.”

Save Power Kit Available At Forbes Library

March 17, 2023 by Roxane Manley

If you’re like the rest of us, you’re keen to save money on your power bills! The Forbes Library have stepped in to help, partnering with Forbes Council and the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s Sustainable Council and Communities Program (SCC) to provide community access to the Save the Power Kit for loan from Forbes Library.

The Save Power Kit provides tools and useful information to help households measure how they use power at home. It also identifies simple actions that households can take to save money, power and reduce impacts on the environment.

The kit can help identify the biggest users of electricity in your home and describes many easy, low cost things we can do at home to use less power and save money on bills, without changing your lifestyle. The Save Power Kit contains: Power-Mate lite, stopwatch, infared thermometer, light meter and thermometer.

The kits come with full instructions, a power mate to test the power use of appliances on stand-by, thermometers to check for drafts and heating and cooling, stopwatch and light meter. Even when an appliance is on standby, it can draw power, adding unnecessary costs to your power bills.

A guide book is included, and there is an action plan to allow each borrower to record results and plan improvements and savings. Best of all, it can be borrowed for free from Forbes Library.

There are 37 Councils across NSW who are members of the program. Call Forbes Library on 6852 1463 to reserve the Save Power Kit.

Nats Invest In The Future Of Our Kids

March 17, 2023 by Roxane Manley

Every child in NSW will gain a financial head-start under a life-changing Liberal and Nationals plan to futureproof the finances of generations to come, giving them the best start to life.

This is the most significant financial security investment in NSW history. Under a re-elected Liberal and Nationals Government, every child in the Orange Electorate aged 10 and under – and continuing each year with every newborn child – will be eligible for a Kids Future Fund account, which will receive a $400 starting payment from the Government.

Parents will be able to contribute to the fund, with payments matched by the Government up to $400 per year, with interest also earned over time.

Once the child turns 18 they will be able to withdraw from their fund – which could be worth between $28,000 and $49,000 per child.

Nationals candidate Tony Mileto for the Orange Electorate said this landmark initiative is the first of its kind in Australia and will help provide financial security to an entire generation in the Orange Electorate.

“This investment will change the lives of children in NSW in the Orange Electorate forever,” Tony Mileto said.

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