Forbes Shire Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM is excited to announce Frost and Fire – the shires signature Tourism event, is a finalist in the 2021 NSW Tourism Awards.

“We are so pleased to announce Forbes Shire Council is in the running for the Events and Festivals gong at the Tourism Awards,” Mayor Miller said.

“Council started this event back in 2019 in the grips of drought, to give back to the community in the troubled times and build a sense of camaraderie. The event did this in spades with over 2500 people attending the first event. They came from all over the State and even internationally! We had to move online in 2020 due to Covid-19,” Miller said.

“But 2021 saw the event return with glowing success!”

Frost and Fire celebrates the winter solstice each year, and this year it fell on the 19th June. The large-scale event is held at the recently renovated Forbes Aquatic Centre, also known as the “Ski Dam”. Guests celebrate the true Aussie tradition of sitting around a bonfire with friends and family. Council combined this simple tradition with a mix of live entertainment from a wide variety of sources including music from local bands; Gracey Jones and The Fog Pilots and well-known Australian artist, Bob Evans. Along with musical entertainment, the crowds were entertained with theatrical performances such as Walter Whip and the Flames as well as a Wiradjuri cultural performance and the local dance troop.

“Frost and Fire fills a gap in the regional events calendar and is quintessentially Australian. It’s a favourite of locals and visitors alike and we are so proud to be a finalist in these prestigious awards.”

The winners of the NSW Tourism Awards will be announced at a Gala Event on Thursday 3rd February 2022 at Luna Park Sydney.

Forbes Shire Council are in the process of organising International Day of People with Disability. This event will be held on Friday December 3rd at the Forbes Olympic Pool from 10am-2pm.

There will be games, workshops and more! We would love you to be there!

Please note that the public health order states anyone over the age of 16 must be fully vaccinated to enter the premises, as of December 1st these rules may change.

“Each year this day keeps getting better and the last one was such an outstanding success,” said Sarah Williams of Forbes Shire Council.

The event will not just be a celebration of people with a disability but also a chance for other providers and organisations to connect and share experiences and ideas.

IDPwD is a United Nations sanctioned day that is celebrated internationally. It aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability and celebrate their achievements and contributions.

The Australian Government has been supporting IDPwD since 1996 and provides funds to promote and raise awareness of the day around Australia.

Local government elections are on as voters head to the polling booths on December 4 after two postponements due to COVID in 19 months. Candidate registrations closed this week with some fresh faces also putting their hand up to take Forbes Shire into the future.

Our current councillors have now served five-and-a-half years, and the next term will be a shortened one understandably. Seven of our eight current councillors have indicated they will put their name forward for another term. Gone are former Vandenberg Hotel owner Cr Grant Clifton, who will step back from local government while Cr Susan Chau resigned at the end of the original four-year term having relocated interstate with her young family.

Mayor Phyllis Miller as well as Deputy Chris Roylance along with Michele Herbert, Steve Karatiana, Graeme Miller, Jeff Nicholson and Jenny Webb have been sensational during a difficult term and rightly should all run again. The current council should be commended for leading Forbes through industrial, residential and commercial growth despite the generational challenges as Forbes continues to punch well above its weight in retail, entertainment, arts and employment opportunities. KHub, Goldridge Estate, KFC, VanFest, Bunnings, as well as numerous initiatives for local business and community groups have certainly made this council as productive and visionary as any in recent memory.

Of the other candidates seeking election Aidan Clarke is having another tilt and has some positive views on youth while Maria Wallis and Dianne Decker are also candidates along with Emma Henderson, who like Clarke, has clear ideas for Forbes families and our future.

With Forbes Shire’s full compliment of councillors sitting at nine, potentially only two places will be filled should the incumbents be returned.

Young people in regional NSW looking to make a difference in their community are encouraged to apply to be a part of next year’s Regional Youth Taskforce, a Ministerial advisory group with a strong voice into government.

Minister for Regional Youth Bronnie Taylor said “The Regional Taskforce will comprise 18 members, with two members representing each of NSW’s nine regions, and will meet four times throughout the year.”

Travel and accommodation will be covered for RYT members. Applications close Friday 19 November 2021 at www.nsw.gov.au/regional-nsw/regional-youth-taskforce/regional-youth-taskforce-recruitment-2022.

A $500 million support package to revive the events and tourism industry across NSW will be a game changer that will turbo charge a post COVID economic recovery, according to the state’s peak business organisation, Business NSW. Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced the package, which includes each adult being provided a $50 voucher to spend on accommodation anywhere in the State.

“Business NSW has been telling Government since the start of the pandemic that different industries were being impacted in different ways, but the tourism, hospitality and events sector has been the hardest hit,” said Business NSW Regional Manager – Western NSW, Vicki Seccombe.

“What is particularly pleasing is this is not a Sydney centric package but recognises that all of NSW has a part to play in the economic recovery through regional events and tourism. We recently hosted an online roundtable with the Premier and a number of Western NSW businesses to discuss how best to assist our recovery, so it’s so pleasing to see a number of the suggestions from our members coming to fruition, including the accommodation vouchers and the support for cancelled events,” Ms Seccombe said.

Students who started university this year can still apply for a scholarship worth up to $18,000, says Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack. Mr McCormack said Round 5 of the Australian Government’s Rural and Regional Enterprise Scholarship (RRES) program had scholarships available for eligible students who started study in 2021. Visit www.qtac.edu.au/rres-program/