General Interest Archives - Page 53 of 326

New Generation Of Support Workers

October 24, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Forbes mature age student City Smith who is on a mission to make a real difference in disability care, thanks to her training at TAFE NSW.

Forbes local and TAFE NSW student Cindy Smith, a proud Dharawal woman, is using her education as a powerful tool to empower people with disabilities to express their desires and gain independence.

Armed with her Certificate III in Individual Support, now pursuing Certificate IV in Disability Support, she is on a mission to help her clients break free from rigid schedules that often limit their true needs.

This week, National Careers Week, is a timely reminder of the urgent demands for skilled disability support workers, projected to increase by 128,000 jobs by 2025.

Ms Smith credits her training at TAFE NSW for enabling her to go beyond basic care and provide referrals and support to her clients.

“My qualifications and skills drive my passion to advocate for flexibility and ensure my clients can engage in experiences that reflect their interests and life preferences.

“I want to elevate the level of care and show that life is more than daily routines.

By thinking outside the box and seeking the right resources, they can pursue interests and expand their activities,” Ms Smith said.

She has progressed her career at Currajong Disability Service in Parkes since her journey with TAFE NSW, caring for her clients with respect and dignity, and ensuring they have a voice in their care.

Through her practical learnings at TAFE NSW, Ms Smith witnessed how the right referrals can significantly impact the lives of people with disabilities, enhancing their mental health, building social networks and even leading to successful careers or businesses. Ms Smith aspires to further her studies in mental health and community support with TAFE NSW.

Bushtracker Rally Donations Benefit Local Community

October 24, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Members converged in Forbes from every state and territory across Australia. Their aim was to get to know the area, spend money in the district and support local charities during their ten-day stay.

Robyn Miller, President of Forbes Evening Branch CWA sourced ‘Welcome to Forbes’ packs which were distributed to rally members.

The Bushtrackers held a spit roast competition, using the coals to then hold a camp oven competition the next day. The CWA were invited to judge the Bushtrackers camp oven cooking competition. Three members, Anne Reade (Forbes CWA), Gail McKay (Bogan gate CWA) and Vicki Williams (Evening CWA) put their judging skills to use, examining the cooking with the usual CWA judging criteria.

The Forbes Evening Branch CWA was then invited to cater for their farewell morning tea with over 120 rally members attending. CWA members prepared a delicious mixed spread, receiving many compliments for their efforts. To support the local community further, the Bushtrackers paid for all the ingredients.

Rally organisers shopped in Forbes for prizes for their auction at their gala dinner, catered for by Eat Your Greens.

Robyn Miller said, “It has been estimated that the Bushtrackers spent in excess of $26,000 in our local community during their ten-day stay.”

Through the proceeds of the auction and other activities, the Bushtrackers organising committee were able to make considerable donations to local charities. Some of the beneficiaries were: Toy Library $1,500, Sunshine Club $1,500, Forbes History Museum $1,000, Forbes Town Library $1,500, Forbes CWA $1,500 for air-conditioning in CWA Hall, Forbes Evening CWA Branch $1,500 for Youth Education.

Making It Easier For Patients In Regional NSW Needing To Travel For Healthcare

October 24, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Stephen Lawrence MLC has today announced that the NSW Government is improving access to healthcare for people living in rural and regional communities, providing financial assistance to over 81,000 patients from Local Health Districts covering inland NSW in the past year through the Isolated Patients Travel and Accommodation Assistance Scheme (IPTAAS).

IPTAAS provides financial assistance to patients who need to travel long distances for specialist healthcare that is not available locally. NSW patients have also received more money back in their pockets thanks to increased subsidies, with the average reimbursement per patient to be $482.

The NSW Government is embracing a comprehensive range of measures to improve access to care in our regional, rural and remote communities, including: delivering more health worker accommodation in the bush, doubling rural health worker incentives for the most critical and hard to fill positions to improve recruitment and retention, boosting doctors in our regional GP surgeries as well as hospitals through the single employer model, and deploying an extra 500 regional paramedics.

World Class Bush Art Trail Complete After 13 Years

October 24, 2024 by Roxane Manley

The recent unveiling of ‘Brumbies Run’ by Brett Mon Garling, the final sculpture completing the Sculpture Down the Lachlan trail after 13 years.

What’s 100km long, took 13 years, and features brumbies, goannas, birds and lovable dogs?After 13 years in the making, the worldclass public art trail ‘Sculpture Down the Lachlan’ is complete with the final work ‘Brumbies Run’ by Brett Garling installed.

Featuring 25 installations over 100 km from Forbes to Condobolin in Central NSW, the bush’s version of Bondi’s ‘Sculpture by the Sea’, attracts thousands of road-trippers who marvel at the quirky and unique largerthan-life artworks which follow the Lachlan River along the Lachlan Valley Way road.

‘Brumbies Run’ is a bronze sculpture located at Warroo Reserve off Lachlan Valley Way. It features wild horses running, kicking, flaring nostrils and leaping, and represents the freedom, spirit and enthusiasm of so many Australians.

The trail launched in 2011 and aimed to celebrate the diversity of the rural community, its artistic edge, culture, people and stories. Over the years it has gained international recognition with visitors enjoying the trail, nestled amongst golden grasses and majestic red river gums.

Other recent installations are ‘Waiting for the Rain’ by Jimmy Rix (April 2024) and ‘Between the Silence’ by Clancy Warner (May 2023). Plus, don’t miss Stephen King’s the ‘Tower’, the original ‘amazing’ sign at Forbes, a 12-metre steel goanna ‘Varanus’ and the 6-metre ‘Heart of Country’.

The brainchild of Sculpture Down the Lachlan is local artist Rosie Johnston who was unrelenting in her passion to see art embedded in nature by some of Australia’s leading creatives.

At the end of the Sculpture Down the Lachlan trail, travellers will find themselves at Condobolin’s iconic ‘Utes in the Paddock’.

The unique collection of 20 Holden Utes is such a drawcard that Lachlan Shire Council constructed its new Visitor Information Centre at the site.

For more information you can contact the friendly staff at Amazing Forbes NSW

Communities Urged To Take Extra Care As Risk Of Thunderstorm Asthma Increases

October 24, 2024 by Roxane Manley

People prone to respiratory conditions like asthma or hayfever are being urged to take extra care ahead of predicted thunderstorm activity across Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD).

Each year from around mid-October to mid-November, asthma and hayfever sufferers may be at greater risk of severe symptoms due to high pollen counts, and weather conditions like those are predicted across the region in coming weeks.

Western NSW Local Health District Public Health Physician, Dr Victor Carey, is urging people with asthma or breathing problems, and those impacted by hayfever in spring, to take extra precautions when thunderstorms are expected.

“People should be alert, not alarmed. It is incredibly important for people to be aware they could be at risk. Airborne pollens are at their highest levels at this time of year,” Dr Carey said.

“Thunderstorms can cause pollen grains to explode and release fine particles which can be inhaled more deeply into the lungs.

Even people who don’t have asthma should take extra precautions during thunderstorm season.

“Anyone with diagnosed asthma should be proactively managing their symptoms.

Carry your asthma medication with you at all times during high-risk periods and make sure your family, school and workplace has a copy of your asthma management plan.

Breathing difficulties can be life threatening. In the event of a breathing emergency dial Triple Zero (000) immediately.

More information can be found on the NSW Health website: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/thunderstorm-asthma.aspx

The Future Of Housing For Parkes Assured

October 17, 2024 by Cr Neil Westcott

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

Music Industry Mixer In Forbes

October 17, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Music NSW and Arts OutWest will host a Music Industry Mixer to bring together people in the music scene in the Forbes and Parkes area.

Head along for networking on Thursday 23 October 6pm to 7.30pm at the Vandenberg Hotel Forbes.

This event is led by MusicNSW Regional Coordinator for the Central West, Outback and West Darling regions, Sophie Jones.

Join Sophie and Arts OutWest’s Kylie Shead for an opportunity to connect, collaborate, and explore opportunities in your local music scene. Let these organisations know who you are and what you do.

Local bands and independent artists, venues and others in the live performance and recording industry have been invited.

No need to book, just turn up.

Working with regional arts development organisations like Arts OutWest, the Regional Music Coordinator delivers development, builds relationships between local industry and artists, and provides support for regional musicians, venues and live music professionals to grow regional touring.

Sophie Jones is an experienced touring musician, one half of the duo Smith & Jones.

If you can’t make it to the Mixer you can book a one-to-one chat with Sophie Jones via sophie@musicnsw.com

Australian Summer

October 17, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Little bodies sprinting through sprinklers on the lawn. Shady swimming holes in the local creek. A bag of mixed lollies from the pool canteen, the smell of chlorine and hot chips wafting through the hot afternoon air. The heat is fast approaching us and so much of our lives revolve around water.

Last year, in a neighbour’s pool, my son swam for the first time. He kicked his little legs and managed, somehow, to get across the pool unaided. For the first time in what felt like his lifetime, I breathed deeply.

He had learnt how to move through the water and get to the edge independently.

The very infancy of a lifetime of being able to swim. His little face was radiant. The red circle google marks only accentuating his beaming smile.

I want my son to thrive in an Australian summer. To jump with glee into the shady creek hole with his friends. To swim across the local pool with pace when he sees the hot chips arrive. To feel the thrill of moving through the water to play ‘classic catch’. To burn some teenage energy by following the black line up and down during swim training.

To learn to swim: for safety, for confidence, for exercise and most importantly – for fun.

We are excited to offer our community swimming lessons with our fully qualified swimming teachers this summer commencing 4th November 2024 in Forbes and Parkes. You can book your child’s place by phoning our reception on 0437 749 746.

Head to our website for more information.

Don’t #uck With A Truck Campaign

October 17, 2024 by Roxane Manley

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has launched the third phase of the Don’t #uck With A Truck campaign, teaming up with young drivers to spread a critical message; to drive safely around trucks.

NHVR Acting Chief Operations Officer Michelle Tayler said by co-designing the new phase of the campaign with young drivers, the regulator has been able to create a series of road safety videos that use a combination of humour and serious messaging to engage young viewers.

“The new Don’t #uck With A Truck videos depict young drivers as ghosts after they have been in an accident with a truck due to their unsafe driving” Ms Tayler said.

“Even a minor distraction can have devastating consequences.

“Our goal is to prevent situations where an inexperienced driver could be in a lane next to a turning truck, they pull in front of a truck too soon or they linger in a truck’s blind spot.”

The campaign will be broadcast across social media including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, meeting young drivers where they are consuming content.

For more information and to watch the latest videos, visit: www.dontmuckwithatruck.com.au

Australia Day Award Nominations Open

October 17, 2024 by Roxane Manley

2024 Forbes Shire Young Citizen of the Year, Jessica Ashcroft, received her award at the 2024 Citizen of the Year Gala Dinner on 25 January 2024.

Forbes Shire Council is calling on residents to nominate their local heroes for its 2025 Australia Day Awards, with nominations now open.

Do you know a local hero who contributes to the Forbes community and helps make a positive impact? If so nominate them. The award categories are Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Senior Citizen of the Year. Any resident is eligible for Citizen of the Year, while Young Citizen of the Year is open to residents aged 25 or younger. Anyone aged 65 years or older is eligible for Senior Citizen of the Year.

Forbes Shire Council Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM, said this was the perfect opportunity for residents who have displayed excellence, made a significant contribution to the community or had an outstanding achievement to get the recognition they deserve.

“There are so many remarkable residents of our Shire who have helped it thrive, done a good deed or made it a better place to live in some way,” she said.

“Make sure you nominate anyone you think deserves an award under any of the categories so they can be celebrated.”

Australian citizens who are residents of Forbes Shire are eligible to be nominated.

Nominations are now open and will stay open until 5pm Friday 17th January 2025.

To nominate go to www.forbes.nsw.gov.au/community/our-community/australia-day and download the nomination form.

Copies of the nomination forms are also available from Forbes Shire Council’s office at 2 Court Street, Forbes.

Forms can be returned to Council by email at community@forbes.nsw.gov.au or by mail to PO Box 333, Forbes NSW 2871.

Award winners in each category will be determined by a judging panel that is made up of members of the Forbes Shire community.

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