Check out the new website at www.pgnsw.com.au

Pastures & Grazing NSW has this week launched their new website – www.pgnsw.com.au. Combined with this launch is the reintroduction of their newsletter.

The new website has retained the exten­sive content from the old website, but in­cludes two additional features for members ‘Ask an Expert’ and an area for members to share their ’Success Stories’.

If you’ve got a burning question about grassland farming, use the ‘Ask an Expert’ contact form, and you’ll hear back from one of our Board members or a suitable indus­try professional within our network with the answer.

Sharing your ’Success Stories’ is similar to a member’s blog, where you can let other members know of any options or practices you used with success, or what you found is best to avoid.

The newsletter has been rebranded to our new identity but still carries the usual arti­cles on research, farmer success stories, in­formation from pasture updates and accom­panying photos. You may even have a story you’d like to submit to our editor, Jonathan McLachlan at editor@pgnsw.com.au.

To receive an email copy of the newslet­ter, simply visit the new website www.pgn­sw.com.au to subscribe, or email our Exec­utive Officer at admin@pgnsw.com.au who will be pleased to add you to the mailing list.

The Country Arts Support Program of an­nual small grants is now open, but you only have a month left to apply. Funding the payment of artists and arts workers to undertake or manage arts activities in lo­cal communities across the NSW Central West.

What could you apply for? Examples of eligible activities include (but are not lim­ited to): Arts or heritage based workshops, classes, performances, installations, ex­hibitions, screen/film making, writing or composition, development of new work, tours or talks, artist-in-residence programs, public art and design projects, community seminars and forums, recordings or pod­casts, new arts activities attached to festi­vals or events – as long as they have some element of public outcome.

Grants are available up to the amount of $3,000. Applications close: 5pm Thursday 17 October 2024. Guidelines here: https://artsoutwest.org.au/pf/casp/ You can call or email Arts OutWest to discuss your ap­plication: 02 6338 4657 artsoutwest@csu.edu.au

CASP is devolved funding from the NSW Government through Create NSW.

Heavy machinery in the rail corridor safely carry out excavation work to lower the track under the Wyndham Avenue bridge during this week’s rail possession.

Major construction works on Inland Rail’s Stockinbingal to Parkes section are pro­gressing on schedule. The works were car­ried out during a 100-hour shut down which closed the Australian Rail Track Corpora­tion (ARTC) line from Forbes to Goobang Junction.

Workers across sites in and around Forbes have been working round the clock to progress major construction and return the line to operation. Work got under way last Friday 13 September, at 6pm, ahead of the shutdown and finished after the shut down, at 7am on Thursday 19 September.

Inland Rail has spent more than $6.5 mil­lion with 85 local businesses on the project between Albury and Parkes since July last year.

Since 2018, the Inland Rail project has spent more than $470 million with local businesses, with 676 local firms supplying the project and 744 tradies providing their skills.

James Kennedy, Delivery Director, Al­bury to Parkes (A2P), Inland Rail, said “The work being carried out takes a great deal of preparation behind the scenes so that we can achieve as much as possible during this period.

“Teams from Inland Rail and Martinus have been collaborating to achieve all of these goals as we progress toward deliver­ing Inland Rail South of Parkes by the end of 2027.

“I would like to thank community mem­bers for their patience and understanding while we have been carrying out construc­tion on this major nation-building project.”

Treaven Martinus, Martinus Rail CEO and founder, said “We deeply appreciate the community’s understanding during this critical phase, as our teams work tire­lessly to bring the Inland Rail project closer to completion, ensuring we deliver lasting benefits to the region.”

For information on the works, visit https://inlandrail.com.au/where-we-go/projects/stockinbingal-to-parkes/works-notifications/