Forbes Phoenix

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Central West Volunteer Team of the Year Eugowra Flood Recovery Committee with Kellie May, Manager – Volunteering and Youth, Department of Communities and Justice

Eugowra Flood Recovery Committee: Communities from across the Central West region are being urged to get behind their local volunteer finalists for the 2024 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards. The NSW Volunteer of the Year finalists were chosen from 25 regions across the state and an­nounced at local and regional celebrations over the past few months. Eugowra Flood Recovery Committee has been nominated for Central West Volunteer Team of the Year. The 2024 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards Gala ceremony will be held in Syd­ney on Tuesday, 10 December.

Parkes Shire Council: Don’t forget nomi­nations for the 2025 Australia Day Awards are still open! The three award catego­ries include: Community Awards, Cultural Awards and Sporting Awards. We encour­age everyone to nominate deserving in­dividuals and groups who have made a positive impact on our community. Nomi­nations close Friday 6 December 2024 at 5pm. For more information, visit: https://bit.ly/3T7IzPE

NSW Government: Abuse is never ok.

If you or someone you know needs help, 24/7 support is available. Call triple zero (000) – for emergencies; 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) for confidential advice and

support; the NSW Domestic Violence Line (1800 656 463) for counselling and refer­rals; and 13 YARN (13 92 76) is a dedicat­ed support for First Nations peoples.

Meals on Wheels: Cabonne Home Sup­port are looking for volunteer drivers for Eugowra’s Meals on Wheels. If you can help out give Canowindra office a call on 6344 1199.

Forbes Shire Council: Calling all local musicians. We have an exciting opportuni­ty to busk and be part of the entertainment at our Australia Day event, which will also include food stalls and fireworks Sunday 26 January 2025, 6pm – 9pm at Lions Park, Forbes. Expressions of interest forms need to be completed and submitted by 5pm Monday 13 January 2025. Download the form at https://www.forbes.nsw.gov.au/community/our-community/australia-day

Evolution Mining Northparkes Opera­tions: A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined to remember the lives of Colin Lloyd Jones, Stuart Osman, Ross Bodkin, and Michael House. As we marked 25 years since the airblast event at Northparkes, your support for the families and survivors of that day, and shared memories made the memorial service a meaningful tribute.

Thank you to everyone who travelled from near and far to attend the service.

Flowers were laid at a gathering in honour of Colin Lloyd Jones, Stuart Osman, Ross Bodkin, and Michael House.

Be Seen @ Forbes Multipurpose Equestrian Centre

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Forbes Shire Council invited Phil Donato MP and local equestrian groups to help officially open the brand new Multipurpose Equestrian Centre (MEC) on Tuesday 26 November

 


The MEC is designed to host all sorts of equestrian events, from pony club all the way to rodeos and camp­drafts, and is expected to make Forbes a drawcard for equestrian groups right across NSW.

 


The project was funded by a $3.6 million grant from the NSW Government Office of Sport Multi Sport Community Facility Fund. It features an 80m x 60m covered sand arena, grandstand seating and road access for cars, floats and trucks

Worker Safety Must Come First This Summer

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With temperatures rising into the thirties across the state, SafeWork NSW is urging workers and businesses to start planning now for how they will stay safe during the heat this summer.

Employers have the primary duty of care for employees and are encouraged to de­velop a workplace heat management plan in consultation with their health and safety representatives and workers to ensure everyone stays safe when the temperature rises.

Heat related illnesses happen when the body starts to overheat due to working too hard. Symptoms can include a range of progressive conditions such as dehydra­tion, fainting, heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Employers who have workers completing tasks outside must do their best to elimi­nate extended periods of sun exposure.

This can be achieved by providing shade, rotating tasks to reduce exposure, sched­uling work to cooler times of the day and providing personal protective equipment such as hats, long sleeve shirts and also sunscreen.

Any worker who feels that their work­place is unsafe can make contact anony­mously and report their concerns directly to SafeWork NSW on 13 10 50 or via the ‘Speak Up Save Lives’ app.

Forbes Garden Club Notes

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Flower of the month winners Marlene Huf, Joyce Morrison and Denise Thurston (Absent Irene Ford).

On Tuesday 26th November 34 Forbes Gar­den Club Members met for lunch at the Van­denberg Hotel.

President Margaret welcomed the guests and gave out the Flower of the month prizes to the prize winners. As this was our last get together for the year many enjoyed the ac­tivities and the social atmosphere.

It has been a great year of social meet­ings visiting gardens of Margaret Dent, Pe­ter and Meg Scholefield, Colleen Liebich, Sue and Bob Jayet and Evelyn Mahlo.

The next meeting will be the Annual Gen­eral meeting in February which will be held at the Men’s Shed.

By Elvy Quirk

First International Men’s Day In Forbes

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Forbes Shire Council has partnered with men’s mental health service Talk 2 Me Bro to host its first International Men’s Day event and lake walk at Lions Park on Fri­day 29 November 2024.

International Men’s Day aims to bring men together to recognise and raise awareness of the social and health issues men face.

This theme for this year is “Men’s Health Champions” which highlights building healthy communities, looking out for your mates, taking action to stay healthy and building a healthier future.

The 2024 event will include speeches from Forbes Shire Council Deputy Mayor, Chris Roylance, Brad McMillan from Talk 2 Me Bro, a BBQ breakfast, ice baths and a walk around Lake Forbes.

Cr Roylance said it was important for lo­cal men to come together to socialise and talk about the issues they face.

“In Australia 50 men per day under the age of 75 die from preventable causes.

On average, men die seven years younger than women in Australia and three out of four suicides in Australia are men,” he said.

“Men’s health is everyone’s business, and we can all be men’s health champions by looking out for our mates, particularly when they’re doing it tough, and a group walk like the one planned is a great way of starting a conversation.”

We are encouraging all men from in and around Forbes to attend this event which will run from 7:30am to 10am, with the lake walk starting at 9am. For more information you can contact the Forbes Shire Council Events team at community@forbes.nsw.gov.au or alternatively you can phone them on 6850 2300.

Be Seen @ Jac Clark’s Art Exhibition

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Local Artist Jac Clark held opening night of her solo art exhibition on 15th November, at Parkes Library & Cultural Centre.

Pop in and vote for your favourite artwork for your chance to win a limited edition print.

Exhibition is open until 30 November. If you can’t make it, all artworks are available online at www.jacclark.com.au. Prints 15% off during exhibition only.

Two Photography Exhibitions For Peak Hill

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The exhibition is generously sponsored by Alkane Re­sources, who also support the Peak Hill Community Hub.

Arts OutWest and Peak Hill locals will turn The Carrington into an exhibition space over summer. Arts OutWest will show ‘Behind the Lens’ photography and photo media by AOW Media Associates, previously shown in Forbes and Bathurst. ‘Peak in Focus’ are photos by local photographers in Peak Hill.

The exhibitions will be housed in the his­toric The Carrington building in Peak Hill, a community owned space ran as a commu­nity event / function centre that was once a pub. The exhibitions open Wednesday 4 December at 5pm and will run until 5 Febru­ary 2025.

The exhibitions have been coordinated with photographer, Peak Hill local and Arts OutWest Media Associate Judi Unger. “A big thanks to Arts of West for bringing the ‘Behind the Lens’ to the Peak Hill Carrington to share this exhibition and to help promote the Carrington as an exhibition venue.

Also, thanks to our local photographers for taking part in the ‘Peak in Focus’ exhibi­tion to help support and promote Arts Out­West, our town and the Carrington,” said Judi Unger.

The Peak Hill photographers include Cliff George, Dave Laming, Ruth Simmons, An­nette and Ellie Parker, Marg Edwards, Judi Unger, Nathan Leach, Betty Zdan, Julie Westcott and Elizabeth Luke.

The opening event includes a raffle. Steve Lindsay is donating one night’s accommo­dation for two people at his grand Victorian style mansion in Parkes – The Buchanan.

Tickets $5 each. The lucky door prize is a glass Picasso style mosaic work created by Susan Maddison.

Runaway Win In Golf

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Winners of the Deacon Dwyer Trophy were Kim Herbert and Peter Cowhan.

On Saturday, 23 March a good field of 69 Forbes golfers enjoyed a hot day to contest the ‘Deacon Dwyer Trophy’, a 4BBB Stable­ford Medley event sponsored by T&M Tyres.

The winning pair of Kim Herbert and Peter Cowhan combined very well to post a score of 46 points.

The Individual comp was won by Matty Duke with 40 points and on count back from Liam Fraser. Matty managed to play to his handicap on the front-9 then excelled on the back-9.

This Saturday, 30 November, is an 18hole Stableford, sponsored by Knights Fab­rications. Sunday has a Stableford Medley.

Inland Rail Closes In On $500 Million Spend With Local Companies

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Connecting Melbourne and Brisbane via Parkes, this 1500km rail project will complete our national freight network.

Newly released figures from Inland Rail re­veal the project has now spent close to $500 million with nearly 750 local companies on the Inland Rail alignment since construction on the project started in 2018, delivering a major boost to regional communities.

At end-September, Inland Rail had spent $496 million with local companies, with around $100 million spent with local com­panies over the last 12 months alone.

From the $496 million spent so far, around $46.5 million has been spent with thirty-six First Nations businesses in re­gional Australia, with $7.5 million spent in the last year.

Inland Rail has also continued to be a ma­jor jobs provider in regional Australia, with the project providing nearly 6,300 jobs at end-September, with just over half of these jobs being filled by local residents and near­ly 480 First Nations workers employed.

Local businesses in New South Wales and Victoria can learn how to supply to In­land Rail by visiting: inlandrail.com.au/op­portunities/suppliers/For construction job opportunities, visit Inland Rail’s construction contractors’ web­sites at: www.martinusrail.com.au/careers/Stephen Jones, Inland Rail Executive Director Program Health, Safety, Environ­ment and Sustainability, said “Inland Rail has worked extremely hard to engage with local businesses and help to bring them on board as suppliers, and.to build skills in communities along the alignment, so local communities can participate and benefit from in this once-in-a-generation project and others in the future.”

Snippets…

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Congratulations to Oscar Hendry for winning Best Re­gional Entry at the 2024 Parliament of NSW Parli-Flicks Short Film Awards.

Red Bend Catholic College: The creativity of young filmmakers was celebrated at the 2024 Parliament of NSW Parli-Flicks Short Film Award, and our Year 7 student Oscar Hendry won a medal for Best Regional En­try. This exciting competition challenged students from Year 5 to 12 across NSW to craft a one-minute short film exploring a thought-provoking question: If you were a Member of Parliament, what law would you pass and how would you implement it? Os­car’s video highlighted the doctor shortage in regional NSW and proposed incentives for doctors practicing in towns with a popu­lation of less than 20,000.

Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society: Less than two weeks until auditions for Mamma Mia. A lot of people have told us they are auditioning, but not yet registered.

Registrations are essential for those wish­ing to audition. So far we have about 40 people registered, but we can still fit more in. We will particularly need men. Mature men and young men (18-30ish). Please check out the audition pack at the link pro­vided on their Facebook page, then get in touch with your favoured audition sessions.

NSW Government: Are you an essential worker who has moved to regional NSW (or thinking about it)? We’ve got a free ser­vice to help with all the life stuff—like find­ing housing, choosing childcare, job op­tions for your partner, and more. You can check out The Welcome Experience here nsw.gov.au/welcomeexperience

PCYC Parkes: Calling all passionate com­munity members! PCYC Parkes is in need of dedicated individuals to join our commit­tee and help shape the future of our club.

We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers who share our vision of providing positive programs and activities for the young peo­ple of Parkes. If you’re interested in making a difference and contributing your skills and time, please contact Kim via email ksher­rett@pcycnsw.org.au

Regional Business Supplies: Big con­gratulations to Marty, our amazing winner of the September Step Challenge. Not only did she crush her steps, but she also stepped up in the most heartwarming way.

Marty used her prize money to buy gro­ceries and generously donated them to Georgie’s Pantry, spreading kindness and making a real difference in our community.

Thank you to Marty for helping inspire us all to keep moving and to give back.

If you would like to make a donation to Georgies Pantry you can find them at 275 Clarinda Street, Parkes or contact them on (02) 6862 2954.

Phoenix Office 7/113-127 Rankin Street, Forbes NSW 2871

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