Forbes Phoenix

The Future Of Housing For Parkes Assured

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Parkes Shire Council has recently pur­chased the 330-hectare property Har­rowvale, to commence designing a future residential suburb. We anticipate the land purchase will be funded by future industrial land sales and will not be activated until ex­isting residential land is significantly taken-up.

Harrowvale is situated on the eastern edge of Parkes, between Henry Parkes Way (Orange Road), Military Road and Cookamidgera Road. It has quality arable soil, slopes gently from east to west and is predominantly above major flooding lev­els. The location of Parkes on the national transport network is an unassailable fact and has driven the NSW Government in­vestment in the Parkes Special Activation Precinct (SAP). It is forecast that the SAP has the potential to create up to 3,000 jobs across a range of industries over the next 30 years, particularly, Freight and Logistics, Warehousing, Value-add agriculture, Plant based meat substitutes, Innovative Grains, Cold-Chain Logistics, Resource recovery and recycling, E-Waste Recycling, Plastics Recycling, Renewable energy, Critical min­erals and Data Centres.

The State Government is progressing industrial development in the SAP and has a potential of over a billion dollars of investment over the next five years in lead­ing edge energy and recycling technology, right on the edge of Parkes. It is important to ensure there is suitable land to meet the needs of our existing community, looking for their first home, seeking to upsize or moving to downsize existing homes.

By Cr Neil Westcott
Mayor of Parkes Shire

The Count Down Is On For Homegrown Parkes This Saturday

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If you have never attended Homegrown Parkes before, please make sure to come along tomorrow, Saturday 12th October.

The popular Homegrown Parkes is back this weekend, kicking off off at 9am with a sausage making demonstration in the Cooke Park Pavilion. Parkes Shire Con­cert Band will be performing in the Park grounds from 9am and crop swap in front of the green wall will run until 11am.

The event will be officially opened at 10am, followed by a performance from Parkes M&D featuring the musical Cinder­ella and the Crystal Slipper.

The Parkes M&D will then provide per­formances for park entertainment from the low stage between 10.30am and 11.30am.

Bill Tink will provide a Netwaste work­shop in the Pavilion also commencing at 10.30am and WildTalk snake bite first aid demonstration will follow in the Pavilion at 11am.

The Parkes School of Dance will be sure to delight, with performances on the main stage of the Pavilion between 11.30am and 12.30pm.

The noodle making workshop com­mences at 12.30pm in the Pavilion and the Parkes M&D performers will be back on the low stage between 12.30pm and 2pm.

There will be a wonderful selection of local and regional food vendors and stall­holders. Keep the kids busy with the animal farm and jumping castle – and you know there will be face painting.

You can keep up to date by visiting the Homegrown Parkes Facebook and Insta­gram pages. For further information con­tact Marg Applebee on 0418 611 053.

Parkes Community Grieves The Loss Of Local Couple

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The Pakes community is in shock, after learning local husband and wife Graeme and Sue Tait, both 57, were fatally injured in a tragic two car collision on the Newell Highway in Tomingley, just south of Dubbo around 9:20pm on Friday 30th September.

Graeme and Sue have left behind five children aged between 16 and 26. The cou­ple were well known and much loved local residents. Graham was an experienced, well respected coach driver and fundraiser, while Sue was a beloved teacher and as­sistant director of Parkes Early Childhood Centre, having worked there for 17 years.

A GoFundMe campaign has been organ­ised by Amii Marchant on behalf of Berna­dette Tait to support the children of Graham and Sue Tait. Please get behind this fun­draiser for the five Tait children who now require a large amount of support. You can show your support by making a donation at https://www.gofundme.com/f/graham-and-sue-tait

The two other fatalities from the horror crash were Lochie Jacobs 19 and Joey Urban 18. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this loss. Support the boys fam­ilies at https://www.gofundme.com/f/lochie-jacobs-and-joey-urban

The sole survivor was a 23 year old driv­er of one of the two vehicles involved in the crash. On Monday he was charged and granted bail, and will appear before Dubbo Local Court on 21st October.

Our Nurses Are Overworked And Underpaid

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NSW Public Health is in the midst of a staffing crisis, which is why you may have seen members of the Parkes Branch, NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, gathered on Tuesday morning in the main street of Parkes from 10am to 12pm. These members were part of an organised strike that also took place at various locations across the state.

Our nurses and midwives are burnt-out and exhausted. Shockingly, NSW nurses and midwives are the lowest paid in Aus­tralia, with other states paying nurses a significant 18 per cent more. NSW nurses are asking the NSW government for an im­mediate 15 per cent pay increase, so they can afford to stay in the professions and the towns they love.

Tracy Boney, President of the Parkes Branch, NSW Nurses and Midwives Asso­ciation, said: “We love our profession, we care, we want to make a difference for our patients and our communities.”

Tracy wants people to know that they aren’t just striking for more money. The in­crease in pay will also help with other wor­rying factors such as unsafe staffing levels, nurse to patient ratios and staff retention.

“We are living in 2024 on 2008 wages,” said Tracy, who is outraged that NSW has lost around 16,000 nurses last year alone.

To show your support for our amaz­ing nurses and midwives, go to: https://www.nswnma.asn.au/campaigns/ratios4nsw/

Danielle Mcdonald: Australian Off Road Champion

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Danielle McDonald (centre) celebrating with her team after being named AORC EW Champion for 2024.

Parkes local Danielle McDonald just keeps going from strength to strength. She stepped up this year from dominating in the Junior class and has just been named the EW Champion for 2024 in her first year rac­ing in the Women’s division.

The EW championship is the Endruo Women’s class in the Australian Off Road Championship. The competition took place across four states, over six massive week­ends. Danielle said, “This Championship means everything. I’ve been wanting this for years and to get it in my rookie year is unbelievable. I can’t believe we’re here!

“I raced 12 rounds of the AORC through­out this year, battling it out in the woman’s class against previous Australian Cham­pion and my teammate Jess Gardiner, it was a super tight battle at the start of the year with Jess leading the championship by a few points. I managed to put my head down at rounds 5 and 6 and got a double win, which made me the new points leader I then went on to win all the rounds after that, I even won all my Tests (races) on Saturday for round 11.

“Thanks to my team the Yamaha JGR Ballards off road team and all the team’s sponsors big thanks to Yamaha Australia for all the support this year in the moto­cross scene and off roads. Big thanks to my mechanic at home Foodge Burrell and my trainer Aaron Rankmore for all the train­ing.”

Prime Minister Ignores Farmers At National Farmer Rally

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has re­fused to attend the National Farmer Rally outside Parliament House, instead, ignor­ing hundreds of farmers who travelled from all over Australia to plead with the Govern­ment to stop its anti-farming agenda.

Leader of The Nationals David Little­proud said “For the Prime Minister to ig­nore hundreds of farmers, many who have spent days on end driving to Canberra from other states, shows that Labor doesn’t care about our agriculture industry.”

“Our Prime Minister isn’t interested in helping or even listening to those who pro­duce our nation’s food and fibre. Agricul­ture Minister Julie Collins didn’t attend the rally either, which is incredibly disappoint­ing given she has only just been appointed as Agriculture Minister.”

The National Farmer Rally organisers were calling for sensible changes including scrapping the truckie tax, scrapping new taxes for biosecurity and superannuation, scrapping water buybacks in the MurrayDarling Basin and protecting the Great Ar­tesian Basin, scrapping unnecessary red tape from emissions reporting, known as Scope 3, and scrapping reckless renewa­bles which will rip up prime agricultural land, protecting the 88-day backpacker visa, as well as overturning the decision to ban live sheep exports by sea.

“These requests are common sense so­lutions and without changes, farming will become unviable. The National Farmer Rally is the biggest in a generation – it has been more than 40 years since farmers have had to march on Parliament House because a federal government has made them feel so aggrieved.”

We Will Remember Them, We Will Honour Them, We Will Fight For Them

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Mandy kicked off her Remember September PanKind Walk in Mudgee on Sunday and walked 6kms

This September, local Parkes woman Mandy Tulloch is walking 100km for the 71 Australians who die from pancreatic cancer each week and in memory of her brother Michael (Dick) who lost his short battle with this hideous illness earlier this year.

Mandy will be joined by her husband Si­mon , her sister Maree , and her late broth­ers children Hayden and Deanna (who reside in Sydney) to walk together when they can and also virtually as a team. The team name being, Rider in the Dust from Fernhill.

As a family, Mandy explained “We have personally been touched, with three gen­erations being affected by this disease.

Mandy’s grandfather Edward Welsh who died in 1978, her late brother Michael, and her father, Graham Welsh, who has recent­ly been diagnosed.

Pancreatic cancer is now the fourth big­gest cancer killer in Australia, and because early-stage pancreatic cancer rarely caus­es symptoms, the survival rates are dev­astating.

If you are diagnosed with pancreatic can­cer tomorrow, there is only a 12.5% chance you’ll be alive in 5 years. But research can change this. Your support will fund lifesaving pancreatic cancer research and im­prove survival rates.

Mandy has challenged herself with a per­sonal goal to get up, get moving and walk 100km to fight this terrible disease. You can follow the link for more information about Remember September or to make a dona­tion in support of Mandy https://www.re­memberseptember.org.au/s/13197/15107

Your Vote Matters – Make It Count On 14th September

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You must vote at a venue in your enrolled council area (or ward if you live in a divided council area). You cannot vote at a venue in another area.

The NSW Electoral Commission will be conducting local council elections on Sat­urday, 14th of September 2024, for the election of Councillors. If you are an Aus­tralian citizen aged 18 years or more, you are required to enrol and vote. If you do not vote, you may receive a penalty notice.

Parkes Mayor Neil Westcott said “I want to take a moment to talk about voting in this year’s election. You will, for the first time, be offered the choice of placing a vote above the line for two groups of men or tak­ing an extra minute to number at least 1 to 5 – and preferably 1 to 10 – below the line for a diverse Council.

My hope is that the residents of Parkes Shire will recognise candidates on the Bal­lot paper who will give the next 4 years of their life to being a positive force on your behalf.

Parkes Shire right now needs stable and diverse leadership, I humbly ask that you keep Parkes Shire Independent and Com­munity Driven.”­­­Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller said “I encourage you to find out about all the candidates before voting on election day. This is your opportunity to elect a Council that best represents you, our community. We are very lucky in Forbes as we only have ten excellent candidates, eight of whom were on the last Council and two new candidates.

I have full confidence the community will elect another great Council.”

Parkes Naidoc Family Fun Day

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Last years award winners with Member for Orange Phil Donato and Councillor Niel Westcott.

NAIDOC Week is an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peo­ples in Australia. NAIDOC stands for Na­tional Aborigines and Islanders Day Ob­servance Committee. This year the Parkes NAIDOC Family Fun Day will be held on Saturday 7th September, at the Wiradjuri Amphitheatre at Bushman Hill.

This is a free, vibrant event and is open to people of all ages, and from all back­grounds. This year’s NAIDOC celebration promises a day full of culture. The event is based on this year’s theme, “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud”, which celebrates the enduring strength of Indig­enous culture and unapologetic celebration of Indigenous identity.

The day will feature many local perfor­mances, a smoking ceremony and Wir­adjuri artifacts Will also be on display. An awards ceremony will be held to recognise the contributions of local community mem­bers towards the Wiradjuri culture and her­itage.

The day will also include other activities such as a free sausage sizzle, service in­formation stalls, traditional weaving, emer­gency services vehicles, and children’s activities such as a jumping castle, face painting and temporary tattoos.

The Parkes NAIDOC Family Fun Day of­fers a heartfelt invitation and a wonderful opportunity for all the community to come together and celebrate Aboriginal and Tor­res Strait Islander identity while having a great time with family and friends.

It’s about enjoyment, cultural exchange, and community – it’s genuinely a lot of fun for everyone involved, so come along with your friends and family on the day.

The NSW Small Winemakers Wine Show Judging Wraps For 2024

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It’s been another successful year for winer­ies across the state, with 585 entries from 99 wineries swirled, sniffed and sipped dur­ing judging for the 2024 NSW Small Win­emakers Wine Show.

The show wrapped up on Wednesday with the final medal count; 50 gold, 74 silver and 202 bronze, with 23 trophies awarded.

Chair of judges, Mark Richardson said the overall quality of wines entered into the 2024 show was impressive.

“It was a strong year, especially for the classics including the chardonnay, shiraz and semillon classes,” Mark said.

“The alternate varieties are also getting better every year and to see such quality in the show is a good thing for the future of NSW winemakers.”

NSW Small Winemakers Wine Show president Mark Watts said it was a very successful show.

“All of the judges commented on the quality of the wines and the efficiency of the show.”

The Public Tasting is on tonight, however the event has sold out and there are no tickets available at the door.

Tickets are still available for the Gour­met Wine Din­ner, which will be held at the Forbes Town Hall to celebrate the trophy win­ners of the show. The dinner will be held on Saturday 21st Sep­tember from 7pm with a four-course meal catered by Eat Your Greens featuring tro­phy winning wines to complement the meal.

Tickets for the event are $130 per person and are available at https://www.123tix.com.au/events/44190/nsw-small-winemakers-wine-show or by calling 0418 237 051.

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