Making the announcement at the Eugowra Showground is Deputy Mayor of Cabonne Council Jamie Jones, Janelle Saf­fin MP, Minister for Recovery, Member for Orange Phil Donato, and Reconstruction Authority CEO Mal Lanyon.

Residents across the Central West of NSW impacted by the 2022 floods have begun to receive their free home assessment reports from the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s $40 million Resilient Homes Program.

Since applications for the Resilient Homes Program opened on 28 October 2024, the Reconstruction Authority has received 200 applications and undertaken 125 home assessments, with more to be scheduled.

The Resilient Homes Program supports resilience and safety so that people can continue to live in the communities they love. The program has three streams:

Home Buybacks – eligible homeowners in highest risk areas may receive a pay­ment for the purchase of their home and land in areas that have a very high risk of future floods.

Resilient Measures – grant funding of between $50,000 and $100,000 to eligible homeowners to raise liveable areas of their home, relocate their home, rebuild a more resilient home or retrofit their home with more resilient materials and innovative de­sign features.

Free Home Assessments – a flood resil­ience expert will help identify opportunities with eligible homeowners to increase the resilience of a home.

Eligibility for the Program takes people’s individual circumstances into account, with priority given to those facing additional barri­ers and challenges that could increase their vulnerability or risk in future flooding events.

For more information on the Resilient Homes Program in the Central West visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-fund­ing/resilient-homes-program-central-west or call the Reconstruction Authority Con­cierge Team on 1800 844 085

Lynn Harmson, Lyn Ward, Member for Orange Phil Donato MP, Bruce Adams and Margaret Adams.

Members of the Forbes Neighborhood Watch Committee met with Member for Or­ange Phil Donato MP at his Forbes office, on Thursday 3 April, to hand over a peti­tion filled with 2,760 handwritten signatures asking for a 24-hour Police Station and ex­tra police for Forbes.

Mr Donato was grateful for the hard work put in by the committee to collect the sig­natures, unfortunately a petition needs 10,000 signatures in order to be debated in Parliament. However, the fact that this peti­tion has over 500 signatures, means it will cause a written response from the Police Minister.

Mr Donato said, “Forbes is a consider­able sized regional town which deserves to have a 24-hour police presence to ensure community safety.”

Neighbourhood Watch relies entirely on volunteers working together with the aim of minimising preventable crime, improving security and reporting crime activity. The Forbes Branch had been holding regular committee meetings and had been in op­eration in excess of 30 years.

President of the Forbes Branch, Lyn Ward has sadly announced, “Forbes Neigh­bourhood Watch has folded due to a lack of members. Forbes residents have been rightly concerned about the rate of crime and the lack of police presence in the eve­nings, but after being unsuccessful in at­tracting new members, the previous com­mittee consisted of a handful of members, the eldest being 96 years and the youngest in their late 60’s.

Both Lyn Ward and Phil Donato want the Forbes community to stay vigilant and keep reporting crime and any suspicious activity.

Organiser of the 1,000 Bikes Against Domestic Violence Ride, Grant Nicholson pictured with Tony Ticehurst, father of the late Molly Ticehurst.

A group of Central West Riders will soon be departing Forbes on a very special ride – 1,000 Bikes Against DV. The ride or­ganised by Forbes local Grant Nicholson, was inspired by the tragic loss of beloved local woman Molly Ticehurst to domestic violence. The bikes will depart Forbes on Friday 11 April at 8:30am from Bunnings.

The group will be riding from Forbes to Parliament House in Canberra, and have been granted permission to hold a rally from 1pm – 2pm. All riders are welcome to join and riders are invited to wear a white ribbon in support of ending domestic vio­lence.

When speaking of the ride, Grant Nichl­son, said: “We want to show our disgust in the lack of action by our leaders in combat­ing domestic violence in our communities all over Australia. We’re going to be peace­ful, but loud, to show society that we can­not tolerate this any longer.”

On the day, 117 red hearts will be laid on the lawn of Parliament House to represent the 117 women lost in the last 12 months to domestic violence. Members of the crowd will be asked to take one of 117 white car­nations and stand behind a red heart, the last carnation being carried by Nate who is Molly’s young son. Nate will carry Molly’s heart with her flower, during 117 seconds of silence.

Riders will meet at the general assembly point at the front of Parliament House Can­berra. Please head along and show your support against domestic violence. For more infomration follow the Facebook link: www.facebook.com/share/1BZRmk3RM7

Register to attend one of the workshops on 29 March at Cooke Park to win.

Register to attend one of the workshops at Homegrown Parkes this weekend, and you will go into the running to win some won­derful prizes from local Homegrown Parkes businesses.

Chef Jack Brown will be providing a work­shop in the Cooke Park Pavilion from 11am.

Jack is an Indigenous Chef trained in tra­ditional French cuisine, who is redefining Australian cuisine by embracing native in­gredients.

Kath Whitchurch will be providing a pop­ular workshop on Sourdough Making at 12.30pm in Cooke Park Pavilion.

The day concludes with the final Pavilion Workshop at 2.00pm, with talented land­scape designer Elizabeth Briton, sharing her knowledge of local plant species and design concepts.

Clancy The Bee Man will provide informal workshops on the lawn in front of the Pavil­ion. He will be providing two formal presen­tations at 10.30am and 1.00pm.

There will also be a free, live reptile display throughout the day, with two formal presen­tations by Andrew at 11am and 1.30pm.

Funding has been granted to Parkes Shire Council under the Open Streets Pro­gram, funded by Transport for NSW to sup­port this event, in addition to support from Central West Lachlan Landcare and volun­teers from Parkes Community Arts.

Chef Jack Brown is providing a workshop at Homegrown Parkes with the support of Landcare NSW.

For further information, please go to www.centralwestlachlanlandcare.org or follow the Homegrown Parkes Facebook page.

Back L-R Jolie O’Shannessy (PSC Events Trainee), Fiona Glasheen (Parkes Picnic Races), Kelly Spedding (Parkes Picnic Races), Mayor Neil Westcott, Tricia Trim (Parkes Picnic Races), Rhonda Redenback (Australia Day Committee), Alex Prout (Parkes Jockey Club), Kellie Thomas (Trundle Pastoral & Agricultural Society). Front L-R Megan Morrison (PSC Events Officer), Harry Turner (NSW Corvette Club), Megan Mortimer (Tullamore P A & H Association)

Parkes Shire Council is pleased to an­nounce the recipients of Round 2 of the Events Financial Assistance Program (EFAP). Council has allocated $50,310 in funding to seven community events and one destination event throughout the shire.

The EFAP is designed to support both new and existing events that contribute pos­itively to the Parkes community while striv­ing for event sustainability.

The event funding was awarded to the following: Australia Day Committee 2025 Parkes Shire Australia Day Activities $10,000, Parkes Jockey Club Parkes Cup $9,100, Adavale Lane Community Centre Inc Bushdance and Dinner $1,110, Trundle Pastoral & Agricultural Society Inc. Trundle Back in Time $8,600, Tullamore P&A Asso­ciation Inc Tullamore Show Ball $6,880, Life Education NSW/ACT 2025 Healthy Harold Parkes Festival of Health $7,270, Parkes Coradgery & Diggers Amateur Race Club Inc. Parkes Picnic Races $2,350, NSW Cor­vette Club National Corvette Convention $5,000.

Mayor of Parkes Shire, Cr Neil Westcott, said: “The Events Financial Assistance Pro­gram continues to deliver important support to a diverse range of events that bring our community together and showcase the vi­brancy of our region. From major sporting events to beloved local traditions, these ini­tiatives enrich our social and cultural offer­ings while also providing economic benefits to businesses and tourism”.

Further details and application forms can be found on Parkes Shire Council’s web­site: www.parkes.nsw.gov.au/Community/Grants-and-funding/Councils-Grants-Programs

Tracie Robertson pictured with Ray White Rural CEO Stephen Nell who said that “Tracie is one of the most resilient people I have ever met. Her ability to never give up is something I deeply admire”.

Tracie Robertson has been part of the Ray White Rural business since 1999 and has grown the business to now have four agen­cies, over 30 staff and almost 1000 proper­ties under management.

Tracie is being celebrated after 25 years with Ray White, from student to sales wom­an, from a pioneering young woman in a male-dominated industry to a respected leader and mentor.

“When I started, there were essentially no women in real estate sales in our area,” Tracie recalls. Studying real estate at TAFE by night, she was given an opportunity to help at the local Ray White agency in Parkes. “I filled in when a salesman went overseas, and I ended up selling 16 houses in my first month. It was a whirlwind start,” she said.

The early years were a steep learning curve and in 2006, Tracie took a bold step by purchasing Ray White Parkes. The road ahead was fraught with challenges. “After the GFC hit, I was juggling seven credit cards to pay my staff’s wages. I was close to selling our family home and moving into a flat above our office,” she said.

But Tracie’s grit and determination paid off. She expanded the business by ven­turing into rural markets and opening in 3 nearby towns, which propelled the busi­ness into new heights.

Ray White Rural CEO Stephen Nell said “You don’t stay in business for 25 years un­less you possess something special, which Tracie does.”

Michael McCormack MP pictured with Senator the Hon Matthew Canavan (left) and Senator the Hon Richard Colbeck (right), who both served on the Senate inquiry into Bank Closures in Regional Australia, and heard evidence from the Junee hearing.

A major deal between the Government and banks has been reached to help retain ade­quate banking services in regional Australia.

Member for Riverina Michael McCormack MP has welcomed the news which has fol­lowed his and the community’s advocacy to keep local bank branches open.

“Concerningly, across regional Australia, around 1,150 post offices are providing the only banking services in regional and rural towns, following the closure of nearly 850 bank branches since June 2017,” Mr Mc­Cormack said.

“I am pleased to see our advocacy has in­formed Government policy for the benefit of regional Australians.

“As part of the deal, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, National Australia Bank and ANZ have agreed to not close any more rural or regional branches until mid-2027.

“Bank@Post services will also be im­proved across the Australia Post network, with ANZ agreeing to join the service, Mac­quarie Bank in negotiations to join and HSCB intended to start talks.

“Existing banks using the service have agreed to revise existing contracts to im­prove the sustainability of the scheme.

“This outcome is beneficial to both com­munities which still retain bank branches, as well as those at which Australia Post offers their only banking service.

“This is an issue that is above politics — regional and rural communities simply need and deserve access to banking services, otherwise they won’t be able to continue to prosper.

“I commit to continue to advocate for a long-term outcome that provides the surety we need.”