Binaal Billa Binaal Billa Family Violence Prevention Legal Service in conjunction with auspice body Yoorana Gunya FHC held a morning tea at the Binaal Billa FVPLS office in Spring Street last week, to recognise that the 25th November is the official day of the elimination of violence against women.

Domestic and family violence is a community problem and not an individual one and it takes a community to help all people stay safe. Sentiments echoed at Binaal Billa FVPLS last week.

“If you see something, if you hear something, say something,” their statement read,

“Binaal Billa and Yoorana Gunya remain committed to raising awareness and offering support to the community. This day acknowledges the victims of domestic and family violence and raises awareness of the ongoing issue that presents itself on a daily basis”.

On average, 1 in 4 women have experienced emotional abuse by a current or former partner since the age of fifteen. Approximately 85% of Australian women have also been sexually harassed. Sadly, one woman is murdered a week by her current or former partner.

Forbes DV committee will be having a display in the planter pots in Templar Street, this year’s theme is the Hidden Victims (children). There will be 200 cut-outs of children both pink and blue placed in the pots soon (weather permitting) and there will be information tiles with statistics informing the community of the numbers of child related victims.

 

Forbes Shire Council has recently launched its iRecycle Forbes waste App, allowing locals to track bin collection days, check what waste goes in which bin and have handy reminders sent straight to a smartphone.

“The Council is sure the iRecycle Forbes App will provide a ‘one stop shop’ for all waste information, that is easily accessible for residents and will enable people to set bin reminders and receive real-time updates of any service changes or delays,” said Forbes Shire General Manager, Steve Loane.

“I found it so useful to have this information available through an App. We all live busy lives and this App will ensure the bins go out on the correct day,” he said.

“The app will make it easier for residents to notify Council of missed bins or damaged bins and will notify users of the app of upcoming waste events planned by our waste team.”

For locals who prefer the hard copy calendar, this can be downloaded from Council’s website and printed. Additional assistance will also be provided for those residents who don’t have access to smart technology.

For more information on recycling services, visit Council’s website: www.forbes.nsw.gov.au/residents/waste-and-recycling/recycling.

 

Entries open December 9 and close December 21 for the Forbes Phoenix “Elf In The Shop” Competition. Completed entries must be delivered either at the Forbes Phoenix office under the door in Rankin Arcade (behind Jess’s Essential Beauty and Wellness, pictured), Made Of Fridays or Undercover Sleepwear.

To enter, you will need to take photos of you and the Elf and post on Facebook. Please tag Forbes Phoenix and Forbes Business Chamber so we can share.

The Elf in the Shop is co-sponsored with the Forbes Business Chamber. There are six prizes of $50 WLT cards. Prizes will be awarded to the correct entries. If there are more than six winners a draw will take place.

Members of the community have to identify the twenty stores with an ELF in their window display or another prominent place day or night. Clues are on the entry form. Winners will be announced at 5pm Tuesday December 21st and contacted by telephone.

 

 

After numerous postponements of meet and greet nights through to the local government elections themselves, the Forbes Shire Council Elections are finally here!

Saturday’s December 4 elections were originally scheduled for September 2020 but COVID restrictions meant that was not possible. Last Thursday evening’s informative Meet The Candidates night was also one of the last chances for locals to meet and greet those running for FSC.

After pre-polling opened last week to aid those unable to attend due to work or floods, this year’s ballot form will have 13 candidates – 1. Aidan Clarke; 2. Margaret Duggan; 3. Jeff Nicholson; 4. Thomas Dwyer; 5. Chris Roylance; 6. Steve Karaitiana; 7. Phyllis Miller; 8. Brian Mattiske; 9. Graeme Miller; 10. Michele Herbert; 11. Maria Willis; 12. Emma Henderson and 13. Jenny Webb.

Please note that not voting can result in fines.

 

The next Rotary Ipomoea Market will be held on Saturday December 11th in Victoria Park and NOT Lion’s Park due to COVID regulations. This will be a one-off event.

Victoria Park will be fenced in and therefore it will be easy to check the vaccination status of all who attend as COVID rules still apply. Stallholders and the general public must be double vaccinated.

Those wishing to attend the market can enter the park through the entrance on the left side of the Cenotaph. The market will finish at 12 noon and all stallholders will be packed up and gone by 1:00pm in time for the set up for Carols by Candlelight that evening.

“This market has a lot of excited stallholders booking in their stalls because there has not been a market since April,” said Sue-anne Nixon from Rotary.

“There will be a Christmas theme with a big variety of plants, produce, home cooking and sewing as well as vintage stalls and bric-a-brac stalls. The Rotary Breakfast caravan will be attending so a hot breakfast will be available. Rotary Ipomoea members will have a very large stall featuring plants, raffle and produce. If you would like to book in a stall please call Helen 0427 201 445.”

A media release from research undertaken by Wyangala Counterpoint Group (WCG) has claimed that the proposed larger Wyangala Dam would have filled and spilled in early October. The latest wet weather event generated a very large volume of rainfall runoff in the Upper Lachlan catchment that the proposed larger dam would not have held back.

The volume of inflows to Wyangala Dam would have filled the proposed additional 650 GL by early October. Dam releases would still have occurred at the same time the increased tributary inflows from the Belubula River, Boorowa River and other swollen water sources below the dam entered the Lachlan River upstream of Forbes.

“Up to 50% of the river flows causing flooding at Forbes have come from tributaries downstream of the dam,” Pennie Scott of WCG told the Phoenix.

Wyangala Counterpoint Group has analysed inflows to Wyangala Dam since it first filled in August and inflows to the Lachlan River from tributaries below the dam. This analysis is based on real time inflow reporting and river gauge readings available on the WaterNSW website.

“Wyangala Counterpoint Group would like to encourage thorough examination of the mixed messages and competing reasons for raising the dam wall to ensure an informed debate”.

Importantly, the dam will not be able to perform the competing purpose of flood mitigation while also guaranteeing increased water security for downstream water users. Increased water security requires a full dam while increased flood mitigation requires low levels in the dam. Other solutions are needed to solve problems on the downstream floodplain.

The Bogan Gate Branch of the Country Women’s Association celebrated 90 years this week with a fabulous luncheon at the revamped Bogan Gate Hotel.

During the occasion, Ros Edwards explained that the inaugural meeting was held at the home of Mrs W Black on 7th November, 1931. That meeting was opened by Miss Warby, State Treasurer.

“During the War years the members of CWA were called upon to do many extra tasks,” Ros said.

“For many months they ran a canteen for soldiers at the nearby Army Camp and almost every woman in Bogan Gate had a camouflage net on a stand and as soon as one was finished, another would be started. Most ladies knitted socks, pyjamas, khaki shirts and fruit cakes to include in comfort parcels which were packed once a month during the war years.”

Gail McKay explained to the group that in their 90 years they have awarded 13 Life Memberships, four 50-year badges, 33 Long Service Bars and had 16 junior members – an incredible feat!

Here’s to the next 90!

The Forbes community devastated by flooding of the Lachlan River has been thrown an economic lifeline along with Cowra, with Member for Riverina Michael McCormack announcing disaster assistance is now available.

Mr McCormack said the assistance was targeted at Forbes and Cowra shire councils, residents, primary producers, small businesses and charities to help them recover from the severe weather event and flooding which occurred from Tuesday November 9th. Assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth- State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Mr McCormack spent two days in Forbes this week as the Lachlan River overflowed its banks and has been in constant contact with Forbes Mayor, Councillor Phyllis Miller OAM, who welcomed news of the assistance package after the Lachlan River peaked at 10.53 metres Friday November 19 at Iron Bridge.

“I am so excited disaster assistance has been arranged as quickly as it has,” Mayor Miller said. “It’s tremendously important we have our Shire declared a natural disaster area because that helps our farming community, as well as our council and the general community.”

Floodwaters have inundated hundreds of hectares of crops around Cowra and Forbes. Mr McCormack repeated his calls for the dam wall to be raised 10 metres to hold a further 650 gigalitres of water.

“Increasing the capacity of Wyangala Dam will help prevent disasters,” Mr McCormack said.

The disaster assistance will help the Forbes and Cowra councils cover the costs associated with the operational response and repairing damaged essential public assets. Local residents will also receive support to get back on their feet, including grants to replace essential household contents or repair structural damage to homes.

To apply for a concessional loan or grant, contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au