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Forbes Phoenix

More Than Just A Butchery In The Centre Of Forbes

July 2, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

DEMAND FOR SNAGS: Billy Spence of Forbes Central Butchery not only delivers throughout the Forbes and most of Parkes Shire but he is also releasing a new range of sausages for people to try at the local Forbes Rotary farmers markets.

Billy Spence has been operating Forbes Central Butchery for a few years now and what started as a small family business to service the local community has quickly turned into something far bigger.

Forbes Central Butchery now deliver in the Parkes and Forbes Shire covering from Bogan Gate and Trundle through to Tullamore and Tottenham and they deliver every Friday.

“There’s no order too big or small,” said Billy Spence. “We are now also targeting local farmers markets with our new and unique ranges of sausages and other selected products,” he said.

And with the local Forbes Rotary Markets on the monthly calendar now, what better time to trial Billy’s new snags in Victoria Park in preparation for the Forbes Central Butchery Sausage Sandwich Eating Contest at the Australia’s Biggest Bogan Festival on November 13?

“Not sure how that guy (Martin Carney) ate all those sausage sanga’s (27),” said Billy. “He just hasn’t had my sausages yet!”

Support your local business who supports you.

Upgrade For Hughie Wilson Oval

July 2, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

NSW Nationals Upper House MP, Sam Farraway

Hughie Wilson Oval will get much needed upgraded amenities after getting a $390,000 grant.

In a real boost for local sports clubs and groups, the latest funding will ensure the facility remains a well-used and valued asset within the community.

NSW Nationals Upper House MP, Sam Farraway said the funding is being provided by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment from its Crown Land Manager Recovery Support Program.

“This $390,000 is terrific for Forbes as it will pave the way for a great new local asset that can support numerous sporting, recreation and leisure activities,” Mr Farraway said.

“Hughie Wilson Oval is used by the Forbes Rugby League Club and the Forbes Mag-pies Junior Rugby League Club,” he said.

“This funding will allow for the construction of a brand-new amenities building with change rooms to replace a portable building that has reached the end of its life and is failing to meet community needs and expectations.”

Mr Farraway said the new amenities block will provide a modern facility built to national standards that can support growth in all sporting codes that use Hughie Wilson Oval and Spooner Oval.

“The oval is also open to the general public for fitness training, community sporting and social events, and has playground equipment installed for families,” said Sam.

“The amenities building will enhance recreational facilities for community use and enjoyment and improve health and safety on Hughie Wilson Oval,” he said.

“This will address concerns that have been raised by community organisations about inadequate infrastructure at the popular Crown land reserve, which is managed by Forbes Shire Council.”

Snippets

July 2, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

Telstra 5G Now In Forbes: Telstra 5G coverage is now available in Forbes and Cobar, with Telstra recently switching on 5G services as part of a national rollout of the next generation of mobile technology.

The recent 5G network upgrade will also deliver improved 4G capacity and speeds in the local area. More than 60 percent of Australia’s population now lives in Telstra’s 5G footprint and Telstra has made a commitment to roll out its 5G network to 75 percent of the population by the end of June.

More information on Telstra’s 5G coverage or devices available to use this new technology is available at Telstra stores or online at www.telstra.com.au/.

Telstra’s 5G coverage maps in this location and nationally are available at telstra.com/coverage-networks/our-coverage.

Survey For Central West Farmers: Check your mailbox! That’s the message to more than 2000 landholders across Central West NSW who’ve been specially selected to take part in a survey about land and farm management practices. Led by Southern Cross University, the Soil CRC Australian Farmer Survey project aims to understand what land and farm management practices farmers undertake, and why they choose the farming methods they do. The project also aims to provide sound information on the challenges facing farmers and their aspirations for the future. For more information about participating in the survey, contact Dr Hanabeth Luke at hanabeth.luke@scu.edu.au, or call 1800 317 503

Lions Recycle For Sight: Do you have any unused eyeglasses or sunglasses which are in good condition? These can be Recycled by giving them to the Lions Club as part of their Recycle For Sight program. This will be running during the month of June. The glasses can be dropped into the collection boxes at Eyewear Specs or Phillip Wells Optometrist in Forbes. Please do not leave the cases as these cannot be recycled. The glasses are then forwarded to a recycling centre in Brisbane for cleaning and grading.

Funding Now Available For Veterans’ Health Week 2021: Veterans and their families in the Riverina and Central West are being encouraged to increase their physical activity, with $200,000 in funding available nationally to assist community groups and ex-service organisations with planning and hosting Veterans’ Health Week events in October. The theme for Veterans’ Health Week will be – Get Moving. Veterans’ Health Week will be held from Saturday, 16 to Sunday, 24 October.

Mobile Service Centre Provides Access To Federal Government Services: Mccormack: The Mobile Service Centre Desert Rose travelling through the Central West to provide support to rural and regional communities will be in Forbes next week. Member for Riverina Michael McCormack said Desert Rose would be parked adjacent to Victoria Park on Wednesday, 7 July, and Thursday, 8 July, between 9am and 4pm. Mobile Service Centres provide customers assistance with essential government services including Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support services.

Load Restraint Village Tour A Success: More than 100 local farmers attended the recent load restraint village tour sessions in 12 locations across the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Council areas. The practical load restraint information sessions featured displays, case studies, how-to videos and presentations from NSW Police, Transport for NSW Heavy Vehicle Inspectors, Safework NSW and NSW Health’s Rural Mental Health Adversity Program. Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said the sessions were part of the Councils’ current ‘Load Restraint Education Project’ which is targeting the safe transportation of hay bales, machinery and general freight. “We held sessions from Bedgerebong to Tottenham, with good numbers at most of the sessions,” Ms Suitor said. The sessions covered load restraint fundamentals, legal requirements, penalties, case studies and tips for getting it right.

Gooly Hall Gets Funding: Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke recently awarded Gooloogong’s Memorial Hall a $23,882 grant from the CRIF program to paint the interior and exterior of the hall in a real win for the community.

23,000 REASONS TO SMILE: Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke with Gooloogong Memorial Hall members at the announcement of the funding.

 

Joyce Replaces McCormack As Nats Leader

July 2, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

Deputy Prime Minister – Barnaby Joyce

It’s back to the future for the National Party as Barnaby Joyce’s second (and successful) leadership spill in 15 months resulted in the former leader regaining his position as head of the party last week over Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack. He was sworn in as Deputy PM with David Little-proud retaining his place as deputy leader of the Nationals.

The spill comes after members of the junior coalition partner began to panic that they may lose seats at the next federal election. McCormack, is one of parliament’s hardest working and well-respected members, and had vowed to fight for his position but soon it had become obvious Joyce had the numbers.

Joyce, the Member for New England has a big role to fill. His party is fractured and voters still remember why he was consigned to the back bench three years ago. How he unites the party is anyone’s guess. McCormack meanwhile was gracious in defeat.

“Thank you to the people of the Riverina and Central West who have sent me to Canberra on four occasions to represent them and their interests in the Australian Parliament,” the statement read.

“The residents of the electorate – as al-ways – will remain my focus as I look to the future as the Member for Riverina. I am proud of what I have achieved for regional Australians and the Riverina and Central West as the Member for Riverina, Deputy Prime Minister and The Nationals’ Leader.”

What this latest move does to public perception remains to be seen – you can bet though, that voters are not as forgetful as the party room appears to be.

Tickets On Sale – Agribusiness Today Forum Returns In 2021

July 2, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

The Agribusiness Today Forum will return in 2021 with the Forbes Golf and Sportsman’s Hotel set to host the major event on Wednesday, 4 August. The theme for the 2021 forum is ‘Mixed Farming Enterprises – Adapting to a Changing Climate’.

The forum will be followed by a local field visit on Thursday, 5 August in collaboration with HE Silos, Austasia Animal Products, Advanced Animal Nutrition and AusWest Seeds. For more than 25 years the Agribusiness Today Forum has brought together expert speakers to give an insight into domestic and international market trends.

The forum is expected to attract 200 delegates to Forbes who will be addressed by a number of high calibre speakers including representatives from Rabobank, Department of Primary Industries, Endeavour Meats, HE Silos, Lachlan Commodities, University of the Sunshine Coast, Charles Sturt University, Central West Local Land Services, AWI Sheep Connect NSW, Meat and Livestock Australia and NBN.

To learn more about the two-day event and to purchase tickets, visit the Agribusiness Today Forum website at www.agribusinesstodayforum.com COVID-19 restrictions apply and measures will be put in place to ensure the safety of all participants

Snippets…

June 25, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

FROST AND FIRE 2021: The second edition of Frost and Fire went off without a hitch at the Ski Dam over the weekend.

Frost And Fire A Hit: It may have come on the back of a COVID scare but Frost and Fire went off without a hitch last Saturday night June 19 at the Ski Dam. From local band Fog Pilots to Jebediah frontman and solo artist Bob Evans, tickets were sold out well in advance for the family friendly event.
There was a bonfire, hot food and an array of entertainers ensuring that the flagship event was an outstanding success. Bring on 2022!

Garden Club Update: Our Garden Club were invited to hold a stall at the Forbes Riverside & Community Gardens on the 29th May and received runner up in the scarecrow competition. Big thanks must go to Ann Reade, Meg Scholefield and Annette Thornton who were responsible for the creation whilst Pammie Thomson painted the face and all stall volunteers. Our Garden Club Executive always gives us something to look forward to and have partnered with Landcare on the weekend of the 24th October. Also in the spring we are taking a trip to Mayfield Gardens with dates and numbers to be. Our raffle at the May meeting was won by Margaret Wilson with Doddy Englert second.
We have recently decided to again donate some monies to charities which was decided by members votes. Charities who are recipients are Boys to the Bush, North-side Chapel, Can Assist, CWA, Red Cross, Care Flight, Far West and Guide Dogs. Happy Gardening.
By Sweet Pea

COVID Latest: No COVID-19 community transmission has been detected at the end of the critical 14-day period since two people later diagnosed with the virus passed through the Western NSW Local Health District.
“This is welcome news for our communities and I particularly want to thank the people of Coonabarabran, Dubbo, Forbes and Parkes for their incredible response to what was a worrying situation, said WNSWLHD Chief Executive Scott McLachlan.
“It was heartening to see our communities respond in such large numbers, with more than 3,000 tests conducted in a short period of time. Not one positive test result means we can be relatively confident that COVID-19 is contained.”
The Western NSW Local Health District currently has no confirmed cases of COVID-19. For information on where testing is available in NSW go to www.nsw.gov.au For information on COVID-19 vaccination go to www.healthdirect.gov.au

NO CONFIRMED CASES AS OF JUNE 22: Forbes and the region have had no confirmed COVID cases according to WNSWLHD Chief Executive Scott McLachlan.

Heart Of Country Unveiled

June 25, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

LATEST INSTALLATION: Heart of Country by Damian Vick is the latest installation in the Sculpture Down the Lachlan (SDL) trail.

He stands as a representation of strength, vulnerability and connection and proudly stands at six (6) metres tall. His bold stance and keen focus cut a potent and deadly impression whilst making the inescapable suggestion that he is searching for something unseen, lost along the way, relegated to the past.

‘Heart of Country’ was officially unveiled last week as part of the Sculpture Down the Lachlan (SDL) trail – located 24 kilometres from Condobolin along the Lachlan Valley Way towards Forbes. The one-tonne Cor-ten Steel sculpture explores the notions of strength, vulnerability and connection.

Melbourne sculptor, Damian Vick said the work is an attempt to acknowledge the injustices endured by the Wiradjuri people, whilst also standing as testament to the collective resilience and determination of all indigenous Australians, and their profound spiritual connection with the land.

“I was extremely conscious that the creation of this work rested on a delicate cultural landscape, and that it must be approached with the gravity and sensitivity it demands”, Damian said.

Damian said the nature of the subject matter and developing the piece in conjunction with the local indigenous community has been a profoundly enriching experience.

“Seeing it in its final location, standing tall, with its earthy finish was an extremely proud moment and gave a sense of finality to a sculpture that I consider the most powerful and important one of my career to date,” Damian added.

Chair of the Forbes Arts Society (FAS) Dr Karen Ritchie said, “We are thrilled to be unveiling the first of the four sculptures to be featured within the Lachlan Shire as part of the Sculpture Down the Lachlan trail expansion.”

“Through this very special installation, it’s hoped that we can achieve a deeper level of understanding, facilitate a proud shared identity, and strengthen the connection between our two Shires.”

Mayoral Notes

June 25, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

This week the General Manager and I have been at the National General Assembly in Canberra. This is such an important event for local government to be a part of with over 800 Mayors and Councillors attending from across the state. All Councils use this conference to engage directly with the Federal Government to develop national policy and to influence the future direction of our councils and communities.

Thank you to all who attended our major event for the year last weekend, Frost and Fire. I have heard nothing but great reports from everyone and I hope to make it next year. It wasn’t without challenges this year with the recent rain and Covid-19 scare, but it was great to see so many people make the effort to see the amazing entertainment on offer and for free!

School Holidays start this weekend and we are excited to have again many fun activities to entertain the children. Make sure you register your children as soon as you can as last holidays the spots filled quickly and some missed out.

Next Tuesday we will be holding our annual Volunteers Morning Tea to thank all of the amazing volunteers and volunteer organisations we have here in Forbes. We thank you for all the tireless hours you put into our community. I hope to see you there!

Till next week. God Bless.
Your Mayor, Phyllis Miller

New Look Lake Forbes On The Agenda

June 25, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

ENSURING FORBES LEGACY: National Party NSW Sam Farraway MLC, Cr Phyllis Miller OAM – Mayor Forbes Shire Council, Cr Chris Roylance – Deputy Mayor Forbes Shire Council

The community of Forbes will share in a total of up to $250 million in NSW Government funding to create a legacy of quality, green and accessible public space to be treasured for generations to come.

NSW Nationals Upper House MP, Sam Farraway today announced $2 million dol-lars for Lake Forbes has been allocated to Forbes Shire Council, as part of the NSW Public Spaces Legacy Program.

“This is a great result for the local community,” Mr Farraway said.

The Lake Forbes Activation Program includes the new and upgraded amenities including an outdoor gym area, beaches for launching watercraft, BMX track and a swimming platform.

“To secure full funding for the project, council needs to continue accelerating assessment and determination of local DAs, which will have the additional benefit of bolstering the local construction pipeline through to 2023,” Mr Farraway said.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes said the funding being delivered to councils was reliant on them meeting agreed targets to speed up local development applications.

“This program is the first of its kind in NSW,” Mr Stokes said.

Forbes Shire Council will be provided with funding for project planning and design and will have until 30 June 2021 to demonstrate they have met DA assessment performance improvements to lock in their full allocation of funding, ahead of construction starting on projects from August this year. For more information, visit: www.planning.nsw.gov.au

BWR Forbes And Parkes – Building Futures For 65 Years

June 25, 2021 by Maggi Barnard

BWR Accountants & Advisers is locally owned and operated and has been servicing the Central West NSW region for 65 years. The firm was originally established by Dick Herborn in the 1950’s.

We assist our clients with their business accounting and taxation matters including GST, superannuation administration and auditing as well as taxation business planning.

Chartered Accountant, Cathy Williams has been a partner and owner since 1998 and Brett Slack-Smith since 2001. BWR has a staff of 17 who are all locals, living within the Forbes and Parkes communities.

Over this time the partners and staff have built a reputation of providing outstanding service and quality advice to the people of Forbes, Parkes and surrounding districts and look forward to maintaining this status well into the future.

We believe that our clients deserve more than basic service to cover their compliance requirements. We offer a high level of support, knowledge and expertise, enabling our clients to reach their business and personal financial goals. At BWR our philosophy is about building futures. Visit our website at www.bwraccountants.com.au

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