The free Child Restraint Checking Day held recently discovered that 60% of the child restraints checked were incorrectly fitted. The service, offered by Forbes Shire Council and Jelbart Dawson, provided free child restraint inspections at the only RMS Authorised Child Restraint Fitting Station in Forbes. Five child restraints were brought in by parents, grandparents and carers for checking.

Forbes Shire Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Logan Dolbel, said that research showed that two out of three child restraints are not being used properly and this put children at risk of sustaining injuries if they are involved in a crash.

“Most of the child restraints that were checked only had minor problems that
needed fixing to ensure the safety of the child,” said Logan. “The most common mistakes were related to the use of the lap sash seatbelt and the straps on the child restraint – they needed tightening, they were too tight, or
were incorrectly positioned. Nearly all of the restraints checked also needed additional parts like gated buckles to ensure the safety of the restraint and the child.

Logan said the correct fitting and adjustment of child restraints was vital. “Child restraints that are not correctly fitted put children at risk of injury in the event of a crash. It is important to make sure that your precious cargo is safe and buckled up every time they are in the car – whether it’s a five minute or five hour journey.” According to Logan people who attended the checking day said they had come along because they were uncertain as to whether their child restraints were correctly installed.

Information and advice was also available about the types of child restraints, the national laws and when to move children from one restraint to the next. This is the second time that free child restraint checking days have been held in Forbes as part of the I’m counting on you project. If you missed out on this great opportunity, Jelbart Dawson & Co can install and check child restraints every day for a small fee.

Winter is coming to Bathurst as part of their festival running from 2nd to 16th July. The ‘cool’ event will include an outdoor McDonalds Bathurst ice rink, a Ferris wheel and illumination elements that will be turned on every evening from sundown until 10pm.

The illuminations will feature the theme ‘fire and ice’ with the Court House, Carillon, Ribbon Gang Lane, Church Bar and TAFE building key features. Don’t miss out on the interactive element this year where you can throw snowballs at the TAFE building!

Ferris wheel tickets can be purchased at the Ferris wheel during the festival at $5 per person and ice skating tickets can be pre-booked online at www.bathurstwinterfestival.com.au. The festival will feature two key nights, the first, opening night on Saturday will be themed, ‘Ignite the Night’. The evening will create a festival atmosphere in Kings Parade with skating, the Ferris wheel and a range of other family friendly activities including a giant six lane slide, a kid’s laser maze and an infinity mirror at the ice rink.

Bathurst Youth Council will also run the YJam stage, featuring local young performers and local food and wine will be on offer. On Saturday 9th July ‘Brew and Bite’ will get underway from 4pm. The evening will again offer a range of food and entertainment for everyone including food trucks and regional brewers. A pop up bar will serve regional wines, beers and ciders and the food will take on a distinct street food feel with burgers, gourmet frankfurts, slow cooked lamb, barbecued ribs, Lebanese and more.

There will be an ice hockey exhibition and market stalls selling winter woollies, jewellery, candles and clothing and the popular silent disco will return to Court House. Sounds, brr-illiant!

Girragirra Retreat owner and Forbes local Wendy Muffet says the town and shire will benefit from TV program Sydney Weekender’s visit to town last week. The Prime7 program, which is hosted by former Australian cricket fast bowler Mike Whitney, came to Forbes last week, visiting the Central West Livestock Exchange, the McFeeters Motor Museum, and the Girragirra Retreat.

Mrs Muffet said it was a great opportunity for the Forbes Shire to get showcased, especially as Sydney Weekender had not visited the town before. “It’s great that they came and got to see that there is actually a lot of things to do in the country,” she said. “Forbes has so much to offer and the country side is so nice, and personally I’m glad they came out and got to experience it.”

“They told me they really enjoyed their stay in the region, and Mike told me it was as good a stay as what he has had in any city that he’s been to as well.” When the Sydney Weekender crew visited Girragirra, located four kilometres out of Forbes on a rural property, they showcased the best of what the countryside has to offer, with nature literally walking up to the door of their room.

At the Livestock Exchange they attended a relatively small sheep sale of about 20,000 sheep, with Presenter Whitney helping out at the sale. The crew checked out the huge range of historical motor vehicles McFeeters Museum has on display, with Mr Whitney commenting that it was as good as any metropolitan museum he has ever been to.

“This motor museum is truly world class,” he told The Forbes Phoenix last week. “I love my motor bikes, and I’m telling you, I know a lot about them, and what this place has on show is just awesome.”

The episode will go to air on July 10.

By Joshua Matic

The Positive Living Skills Early Childhood Wellbeing Program is launching in Parkes and Forbes, with thanks to NorthParkes Mines Community Investment Program. The team at Positive Living Skills has a big vision – to see the alarming and growing statistics around depression, anxiety and suicide drastically reduce within one generation.

They are moving one step closer to that vision now by launching their Positive Living Skills Early Childhood Wellbeing Program within the Forbes and Parkes communities, with support from NorthParkes Mines. Catherine Shaw, founder of the Positive Living Skills initiative and local Parkes resident, knows too well what mental health problems can do to communities.

“We have all heard about the rising rate of suicide, particularly in rural NSW, and we all know someone who has lost a loved one to such a tragedy,” she said. “Mental health problems do not discriminate, and people of all ages and backgrounds are at real risk. When I experienced my own struggles and went looking for help, I found these practical Positive Living skills in my late 40’s.

My immediate thought was, why don’t they teach this in schools? And so this journey began.” Cath Shaw is a woman on a mission; a mission that saw her form an alliance in 2012 with Dr. Terry Orlick PhD, world renowned performance expert and creator of the original Positive Living Skills concepts in Canada. Dr. Orlick is a global leader in the applied field of mental training who has dedicated over 40 years to researching the benefits and effects of positive living skills on children, young people and adults.

“I am very excited to see this Positive Living Skills Program launched in Australia and I support this program and the Positive Living Skills Australian team wholeheartedly,” said Dr Orlick.

“It is so essential to teach all children Positive Living skills from an early age, because when you think about it, the destiny of our world depends on how we support the youngest children of today.” Local psychologist Carly Fisher has also seen the benefits of the Positive Living skills program first hand. “I have seen first hand through my clients the positive effects that have been achieved via the initial pilot studies here in the Parkes Community, and I look forward to seeing this vital program reach broader communities,” she said.

As part of the latest round of funding supported by the NorthParkes Mines Community Investment Program, the Forbes Learning Ladder and Nurture One Victoria Street Children’s Centre will be the first in the area to get the opportunity to share the learning and resources with the children they serve and their families.

Raewyn Molloy, Director of Forbes Learning Ladder, has already experienced the PLS program during the product development stage “After participating in the PLS Early Childhood Program pilot in 2014 and seeing the children in our Centre benefit from the concepts and activities then, we are now excited to be implementing the final product and seeing the continued positive results,” she said.

The official opening of the Robert Wilson Terminal and the completed upgrades to the Parkes Regional Airport took place on Thursday morning at 8.30am. More than 100 dignitaries and special guests were present on the day, including Federal Member for the Riverina Hon. Michael McCormack MP, Parkes Shire Councillors and Robert Wilson’s wife and family members.

The upgrade to the Terminal is part of the $3 million redevelopment of Parkes Regional Airport which is jointly being funded by Parkes Shire Council and the Australian Government, through their Community Development Grants Programme and the New South Wales Government Community Partnership Grant. The project included replacing the existing runway lighting, terminal refurbishment and expansion for security readiness, additional car parking infrastructure and technology improvements.

The Parkes Regional Airport is located five kilometres east of Parkes and is serviced by Regional Express (REX) which provides regular passenger services between Parkes and Sydney. REX transports around 35,000 passengers annually and is vital for connecting the Central West with larger cities.

A re-elected Coalition Government will invest $600,000 to replace nine existing netball courts and build three new courts in Forbes. Minister for Regional Development Fiona Nash made the announcement last Saturday while visiting Forbes with the Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack.

Minister Nash said the new netball courts were critical to keep netballers, young and old, involved in the sport across the region. “It was disappointing when the annual netball carnival was cancelled for the first time in 40 years because of the poor state of the courts. I am delighted we can help ensure the carnival will be back on next year.

“Sport, especially team sports, are a great way for people to keep fit and active, and I enjoyed many years playing in local netball teams myself,” Minister Nash said. Mr McCormack welcomed the announcement, saying that local sporting clubs like the Forbes Netball Association make a positive contribution to the community and are a critical part of the local social fabric.

“Sports clubs play a very important role in regional communities, they provide opportunities for people to catch up with one another and feel involved in local activities. “With more than 450 members aged from five to fifty plus years, and some people regularly travelling more than 100kms to attend matches, the netball centre has a footprint right across the region,” Mr McCormack said.

Robyn Kenny from the Forbes Netball Association said they were extremely excited to receive the funding. “We have been planning this project for a long time and the Government’s contribution puts us years ahead of what would be possible without this funding. It will immediately upgrade our netball complex to standards we could only have imagined,” said Ms Kenny.

Sunbeam car enthusiasts from across Australia and New Zealand will be in Forbes next weekend to attend the 40th National Sunbeam Car Rally. Highlights of the weekend include a Mayoral Welcome Reception on Friday, June 10 and a public Show and Shine in Harold Street on Saturday, June 11.

During the Show and Shine from 10am to 2pm, locals will have the opportunity to view the range of cars and ask the owners any questions they may have. Sunbeam is best known for its later history under the Rootes Group during the war era and well into the 1950s and 1960s when it produced stylish Sunbeam Talbots and sporty Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger convertibles.

For a small car company, the Sunbeam brand managed many achievements and also had motor sport successes. They had a revolutionary new design in 1959, which was a leap ahead of its British contemporaries with modern features like wind up windows, reclining seats, sporty engines and disc brakes as standard.

The Sunbeam Tiger was resurrected in 1964, which married a Sunbeam Alpine body with a powerful Ford V8 motor based on a prototype produced by American Racing icon, Carroll Shelby. The Tiger was made in limited numbers from 1964 to 1967 and is best known as the car of ‘Secret Agent 86’ in the 1960s television comedy Get Smart.

Mayor Phyllis Miller said Council was looking forward to hosting the 40th National Sunbeam Car Rally. “The Show and Shine on the Saturday will definitely be worth attending as you will be able to have a good look at the different types of Sunbeams on display, especially because they are quite rare in Australia,” Mayor Miller said.

Forbes Shire Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Danny Green as its new General Manager. After a comprehensive recruitment process, Council’s decision was unanimous and Danny will commence on Monday, July 4. Danny has been the General Manager of Gloucester Shire Council since 2012 and prior to that was the General Manger of Glamorgan Spring Bay Council in Tasmania.

His other previous roles include Director of Corporate Services with Wentworth Shire Council, Director of Corporate Services with the Australian Agricultural College Corporation and Regional Manager of Sun Water. Danny has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration and is also a fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants.

Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said Council was extremely excited about welcoming Danny to the Forbes Shire. “We are very lucky to have appointed someone as experienced and well qualified as Danny as our new General Manager,” Mayor Miller said. “He is very enthusiastic and is the kind of General Manager that really cares about the community he works in and the team that works for him.” In his new role as General Manager of Forbes Shire Council, Mr Green will be responsible for the overall management of the organisation, for the carrying out of Council’s policies and strategic objectives and for ensuring Council is provided with accurate information to promote effective decision-making. The role is also responsible for community consultation and engagement processes and to pursue beneficial relationships with regional neighbours and other levels of Government. He will also report and monitor strategic plans and long term and short-term financial budgets.

With a passion for communities, Danny is a strong believer in effective engagement that sets long-term planning linked to day-to-day delivery. Danny is married with four adult children and is looking forward to moving to Forbes and getting involved in the community.

The Forbes Medical Centre has welcomed a new doctor, with Dr Tahmina Mohsin joining the practice two weeks ago. Her arrival comes after a previous doctor left the practice, but her association with the other doctor there, Dr Hassan, is what brought her to Forbes. She is working part-time at Forbes Inland Medical Centre, and said the opportunity was one should couldn’t pass on.

“I was really excited when the part-time opportunity came up in Forbes, as I was wanting to reduce my workload,” she said. “I worked with Dr Hassan at the hospitals I worked at in Sydney and Nowra previously, so when the opportunity came up, he asked me to come to Forbes.”

Dr Tahmina will be staying in Forbes in provided accommodation, but with her family still living in Sydney, she will be commuting from Sydney to Forbes. Dr Tahmina has come across to Forbes for work from Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast, where she spent four years working full time as a general practioner.

Before that she worked at Nowra’s Shoalhaven Hospital and various hospitals in Sydney, including Bankstown, Campbelltown and Blacktown, as well as Shellharbour Hospital in Wollongong and John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. She is originally from Bangladesh, and she worked in New Zealand before moving to Australia in 2004.

She said the thing she enjoys the most about her work in Forbes is being able to serve a tight-knit, rural community. “I think, as a doctor, you work better in a rural town, as you get to see the same patients all the time and get to know them better,” she said. “It’s easier to serve individuals. You feel like you’re making more of a difference, and you get a much better connection with them than what you do in the city.”
By Joshua Matic