General Interest Archives - Page 163 of 326

More COVID Cases In Forbes As Record Numbers Get Vaxxed

September 3, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

LINED UP: Forbes residents turned out in droves for the pop up vaccination clinic at Forbes Town Hall run last weekend. The clinic will be back in 2-3 weeks. There were 1224 vaccinations over 3 days bringing Forbes to 79% at least one dose. There have been over 7 million jabs in NSW so far.

It was the news we knew was coming – we have more confirmed cases in Forbes and Parkes this week. If we continue with the current rate of infections across the Western New South Wales Local Health District we could expect to see the number of active cases reach 1000 by Wednesday as NSW continues to break one unfortunate record after another. The region has also recorded its first death.

On Monday there were two new cases in Forbes, taking our total to three. All three cases have been stated as sources unknown on the NSW Government COVID19 website as of Tuesday 31st August. The two new cases are self-isolating. There were also another two cases in Parkes which now takes their total to 10. Nine of their cases have known sources. Investigators are still trying to trace the source of the Forbes infections. The total number of cases in Western New South Wales is currently at 641 with 322 of those with an unknown source and a total of 131,039 people have been tested.

The community of Forbes is doing a fantastic job stepping up to be vaccinated and hundreds of residents have turned out at the Forbes Town Hall for the ADF run pop up vaccination clinic. There were 391 on Saturday and 449 on Sunday with Monday also proving to be another big day as Forbes nears the 80% jab mark target. Despite this, low COVID test numbers across the region still remain a concern with only 66 conducted.

There remains hope that once NSW is at 70-80% fully vaccinated the world may return to normal again – whatever that may be. We wait with baited breath.

One Mask Shot For Regional NSW

August 27, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

MASK CHANCE SALOON: No it’s not a new Daft Punk album launch, it’s shopping in Forbes in 2021 as black lab Nacho, Benjamin Parslow and daughter River.

As cases across NSW start inching towards a thousand a day and the number of those infected in Western NSW also grows to near 400 including known COVID cases now in Parkes, Forbes, COVID-free for now, is looking more like an island surrounded by infection. Bunnings remains a venue of concern.

The burgeoning numbers prompted a swift response from the Berejiklian NSW Liberal Government who not only extended lockdown until this weekend – with the potential of further extensions – also tighter restrictions such as mandatory mask wearing for all adults outdoors and permits to travel into regional NSW from Greater Sydney. It is the latest in an extension to police powers given to the men in blue by the Berejiklian lead Coalition.

The new measures came in while NSW is recording higher vaccination rates than those of the UK and the USA over the last week, around a third of the of the population across Australia and a third of the population in NSW having received both doses, over half of Australians with at least one shot and close to 125,000 doses handed out on Wednesday.

Mask wearing is now required outside at all times and fines will be applied to those disobeying public health orders, police said.

For local man Benjamin Parslow, shopping has never been the same. “What used to take a few minutes now takes a bit longer,” Mr Parslow said. It’s a little surreal – especially walking into banks and service stations with a mask on,” he said. “It is what it is.”

Wait Is Over For While The World Waits Album

August 27, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

While NSW waits, a new album ‘While the World Waits’ launched 15 original tracks by musicians from the NSW Central West last weekend.

In 2020, and now again, isolated and in lockdown, musicians longed for an audience and music lovers wanted to come together and experience music at their favourite venues. But for all it was, and is, a waiting game.

In response to the impacts of COVID-19 on the local music industry, Arts OutWest commissioned 15 songwriters across 11 local government areas in the region to each write a song reflecting their experiences of 2020. ‘While the World Waits’ is the outcome, a professionally produced, beautiful sound-capsule of this time in our lives.

One of those was Forbes very own singer/songwriter Adam Enslow who wrote and performed ‘Stay Together’ – the tenth track on the album. Adam is a singer/songwriter and producer who has been working on his craft for more than 25 years.

Adam did vocals, guitar and bass while Kris Schubert played wurlitzer electric piano and backing vocals and James Vanderhel performed on drums and tambourine. ‘Stay Together’ is about how strong we are as a people if we all ‘stay together’ and not be divided by hierarchical interests wishing to separate us.

The album was launched via an online performance at 2pm last Saturday 21 August, then for sale as a limited edition CD.

“This collection of songs is a cathartic expression about 2020, but it is also a musical journey across the Central West,” said Arts OutWest executive director Tracey Callinan.

You can listen to the album on our Facebook page or go to Arts OutWest.

Ag Visa A Win For The Regions

August 27, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

Farmers across the Riverina and Central West will “greatly benefit” from the newly announced Agricultural Worker Visa, Riverina MP Michael McCormack said. The Federal Government has delivered a vital agriculture visa to help secure the future of rural and regional Australia.

The visa will provide a long term and reliable workforce for our critical industries. Mr McCormack said the Agriculture Minister David Litttleproud and he had agreed on an Agricultural Visa with the Prime Minister in June and was pleased to see it implemented.

“The Agricultural Worker Visa delivers on the Federal Government’s commitment to best support our food and fibre producers,” Mr McCormack said.

“It is important our farmers have the confidence to plant a crop and know they will have access to a reliable workforce to assist during harvest, and this visa will deliver just that.

“The Agricultural Worker Visa will help to steady the agriculture sector as we build it to a $100 billion industry by 2030.”

The Government’s primary and growing method for meeting agricultural workforce shortages are the existing Seasonal Worker Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme. The new visa program will build on these.

Between now and March 2022, the number of Pacific and Timorese workers in Australia will double to more than 24,000. These workers are highly valued by Australian industry and are critical to Australia’s horticultural and meat processing sectors, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FSC Wants You To Have Your Say!

August 27, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

Council is excited to be continuing the development of the Central West Industrial Park (CWIP) to the advantage of economic opportunity locally and across the region.

The Forbes Central West Industrial Park boasts access to the most affordable water in the Central West with secure availability and access to each site. With a strong, established agricultural sector and the nearby Parkes Special Activation Precinct (SAP), this area is ripe for the development of water-intensive businesses like no other industrial precinct in the Central West. Strategically located on the Newell Highway, halfway between Melbourne and Brisbane, with approved road train access to the site, it presents unparalleled benefits for industrial developments. The CWIP has the added bonus of sizing a block to the purchaser’s needs due to its ability to create bespoke lots as a result of its Greenfield nature, thus, giving developers a unique ability to expand in the future.

Council is seeking feedback from the community to help us choose the name for a street located in the Central West Industrial Park.

You can put forward your suggestions by writing a letter to Council or completing the YourSay Survey. Head over to Your Say here: https://yoursay.forbes.nsw.gov.au/

Flagship Property Yamminga Aggregation Sold

August 27, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

SOLD: Yamminga Aggregation one of the bluechip properties in the region has been purchased for between $9.5 million and $10 million according to Johnston Group Rural who negotiated the sale. It includes land, water and fixed improvements.

Yamminga Aggregation – an exceptionally productive mixed farm ideally situated on the banks of the Lachlan, with a substantial irrigation water entitlement, has sold.

Comprising 670.13 hectares (1,655.89* acres), the Aggregation (including River-view & Yamminga, Stirling, Fisher’s Dairy and The Bedgerabong Road Block) is well situated upstream of Jemalong Weir and within 15 minutes drive of Forbes and the Newell Highway.

Vendor’s, the Robinson Family, owned and operated the majority of the Aggregation for over 30 years, after buying from the Caldwell Family Estate in 1988.

Under the Robinson’s, the properties have been extensively developed. The decision to move on has been a tough but necessary generational decision for the family as they look to retire from fulltime farming.

Agents Johnston Rural Group said the Yamminga Aggregation was offered for sale ‘as a whole’, as well as in four separate par-cels and was sold as a result of a successful Expressions of Interest (EOI) submitted before the close date of 12 noon AEDT 31st March 2021.

The campaign generated significant interest, both locally and from further afield. Ranging from corporates to family farmers, there were over 50 individual genuine enquiries.

The successful purchaser was a family farming, livestock breeding and finishing business from the southwest slopes region of NSW. Whilst the final sale price remains confidential, the property sold for between $9.5m and $10m for the land, water and fixed improvements.

More at www.johnstongroup.com.au

Forbes Police Join NSW Operation

August 20, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

Forbes Police are the latest to join the state-wide Operation Stay-At-Home as COVID continues to spread across the Central West.

Penalties have significantly increased after police were granted extra powers by the Berejiklian government as the pandemic infiltrates the region. Breaching self-isolation rules, lying on a permit and lying to a contact tracer now carry $5,000 fines.

Superintendent Shane Jessep has confirmed local police will investigate claims of breaches of the public health orders and follow up.

The crackdown comes despite record amounts of calls to Crimestoppers over the past month especially as more members of the public continue to dob in thy neighbour for breaches.

Penalties are now as follows:
• $5,000 on the spot fine for breaching self-isolation rules;
• $5,000 on the spot fine for lying on a permit (already a criminal offence);
• $5,000 on the spot fine for lying to a contact tracer (already a criminal offence);
• $3,000 on the spot fine for breaching the two-person outdoor exercise/recreation rule; and
• $3,000 on the spot fine for breaching rules around entry into regional NSW for authorised work, inspecting real estate and travelling to your second home.

Jessep said that normal crime prevention and law enforcement will still be a priority and “if you have an emergency, please dial 000”. To report COVID breaches, please contact Crimestoppers 1800 333 000.

NSW Police last Saturday announced that Operation Stay-At-Home. Significantly, 1400 officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command will be dedicated to both static and mobile COVID-19 compliance operations on the state’s roads.

A further 500 Australian Defence Force troops, in addition to 300 deployed, will assist with compliance checks and patrols. The Central West can expect to start seeing a similar roll-out over the next few weeks.

Learn From Home School Support

August 20, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

HOME-SCHOOLING 2021: Violet and Lexi Millerd show up for their first day of home-school after the state-wide lockdown was imposed across NSW last Saturday August 14 by Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Like all kids across the state, they will access LearnFromHome resources to continue their learning.

With NSW going into lockdown this week, children from across Forbes Shire woke up last Monday morning to the familiar site of parents (and teachers) for a week of homeschool.

For Forbes Public School students Lexi and Violet Millerd, home-school is nothing new having had their first taste back in early 2020 when the COVID pandemic first broke.

“We have done home school before and I really enjoyed it,” said Lexi. “It was great and it never bothered me at all,” she said.

For Violet, last year was her first year at school and the disruption to Kindergarten for some while initially challenging eventually became a footnote in what was still a good year.

“I did miss my friends last year when we first heard about ‘Rona,” said Violet. “But dad was a great teacher so it was fun!” Lexi agreed.

LearnFromHome started across regional NSW this week for schools. Schools are still open for families who need it. Your school should contact you regarding LearnFromHome. Online resources are also available on https://fal.cn/3gGKw.

Get tested immediately if you or your child have any symptoms, and do not attend school. NSW Health: www.health.nsw.gov.au/

Visit https://fal.cn/3gGKv for the latest COVID-19 advice.

COVID Cases Climb In Central West

August 20, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

For some, the state-wide seven-day lock-down comes “too little, too late,” as numbers from the Delta variant of COVID-19 continue to spread across NSW to well over 400 each day with numbers now above 100 cases in the Western NSW Health District including Mudgee.

With only 20% of the country fully vaccinated (5.25 million) and just 15 million doses administered at the time of publication, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian called a snap lockdown for regional NSW last Saturday August 14 at 5pm for a week in line with other LGA’s in NSW. By that time, Dubbo and Walgett had known cases and other centres such as Parkes and Bourke recorded sewerage fragments.

“To protect the people of NSW from the evolving COVID-19 outbreak, new restrictions have been introduced for all of Regional NSW, this means the whole of NSW is now under stay-at-home restrictions,” Berejiklian said last weekend.

Restrictions that may extend beyond a week with contract tracers scrambling to catch up.

“You must stay at home unless you have a reasonable excuse to leave. You cannot have visitors to your home from outside your household, including family and friends,” the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

Sentiments echoed by Dr. Kerry Chant and Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM in an online Forbes Shire Council video.

People can have one visitor at one time to fulfill carers’ responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but reside separately.

There are a number of new restrictions in place the public should familiarise themselves with as infringements and fines also peaked at 529 (on the first night of lock-down) on August 14.

Please visit nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules for more information and regular updates.

Forbes Shire Under Strict Stay-At-Home Orders

August 20, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

The Forbes Shire is under strict Stay-at-home orders along with the rest of regional NSW until 12.01am Sunday August 22nd 2021. Mayor of Forbes Shire, Phyllis Miller, would like everyone to remain calm and follow NSW Health guidelines.

“I want to encourage all of our community to go and get tested for COVID-19,” said Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM.

“Parkes has detected COVID in their sewage system and it is yet to be determined if there is a case in Parkes. The two towns are so closely linked we need to treat this as if we are one town,” Phyllis said.

COVID testing is set up at the Forbes Showground from 8am – 2pm daily with people urged to go and get tested if they are showing even the mildest of symptoms.

“We need to keep our community safe and get this under control,” she said.

“We need everyone to stay at home for the rest of this week. It is a reasonable excuse to leave your home for work – but only if it cannot be done from home. By all means continue to exercise but keep to the guidelines of exercising with your masks on and limiting it to two people together at one time.”

Forbes Shire Council administration office will be closed to the public during this time. The office is closed to the public but will continue to provide essential services within. Daroobalgie Waste Facility is closed to the public until further notice. Those residents who reside outside the urban collection area are asked to hold their waste until the landfill reopens to the public. Kerbside collection will also continue as scheduled.

“Council understands the frustration this closure may cause, however, it is in the interest of the community’s well-being and safety.”

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