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Come And Walk The New Camp Street Bridge

July 17, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

The final touches are being put on the new Camp Street Bridge and to celebrate, community members are invited to walk across Forbes’ newest piece of transport infrastructure before it is opened to traffic in coming days.

Transport for NSW Director West, Alistair Lunn said on Sunday, 26 July, community members will be invited to take part in a unique opportunity to appreciate and inspect the new bridge.

“The Forbes community has been keenly interested in the project since construction started in August last year and will soon enjoy the benefits of the new crossing over Lake Forbes,” Alistair said.

“This community day event will run from noon until 3pm and will include the opportunity for groups of 20 to walk across the bridge every 15 minutes. It will be a chance for the community to see the finished project up close after almost 12 months of work.”

During the community event anyone interested can join a guided walk over the bridge, visit the new heritage interpretation area, enjoy a free sausage sizzle, or purchase coffee and treats. The day will provide Forbes residents with the opportunity to see the much anticipated completion of the bridge, along with the landscaping and other features around the bridge that promise more public and community space for residents and visitors of Forbes.

Parking will be available on site with tours starting on the Camp Street side of the bridge.

An official opening ceremony will also take place earlier in the day to mark the occasion with limited numbers due to COVID-19 restrictions. Registrations are required for the day. To register your attendance and book a tour time visit nswroads.work/campstbridge phone 1800 167 499 or visit Forbes Shire Council’s Administration Office at 2 Court Street Forbes.

Foodbank Feeds Forbes

July 17, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

Adam Loftus, Karen Wright from Forbes CWA, driver Gary Thomas and Cassie Bush were at the Showgrounds on Wednesday to distribute fresh produce to those in need.

Fresh produce and pantry goods charity, Foodbank visited Forbes on Wednesday to distribute fresh produce and grocery hampers to people who are in need and struggling to afford basic food items. The Foodbank team leader Adam Loftus said the turn out was good, with a steady flow of families and farmers who came down on the day.

The charity, which runs off donations from farmers, the Sydney markets, and Waste Not Want Not, provides 22 million meals annually in NSW and ACT. The charity has seen an 80% increase in demand in 2020 alone, with 33% of donations distributed to regional NSW.

“This day could not have gone ahead without the help we have received from the Forbes CWA,” said Adam. Havana House, the CWA, Salvation Army and Nells Pantry have partnered with Foodbank to distribute any produce left-over on Wednesday.

“Farmers are so generous, so we like to pay it back,” Adam said about the Foodbank’s work in regional NSW. The organisation has seen new demographics of people attending the pop-up events and is working to connect local people with organisations in Forbes for ongoing support.

Staines A Shooting Star

July 17, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

Forbes’ Charlie Staines had crowds roaring when he debuted for the Penrith Panthers at the weekend. (Source: GETTY)

After his stunning debut at the weekend, Forbes’ very own sporting legend Charlie Staines is set to become a household name in football loving homes across Australia.

The rookie winger for the Penrith Panthers played an unforgettable debut last Saturday at the Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, becoming the second player in the Australian NRL’s 112-year history to score four tries in his first top grade game, after Jordan Atkins Gold Coast debut in 2008. Along with his four tries, six tackle busts and four line-breaks for the 56-24 win over the Sharks, it looks as though Charlie will land a more permanent position on the field.

A group of 20 supporters, including Charlie’s parents, travelled to Sydney from Forbes to support Charlie, who said it was “unreal” to see that they had all travelled such a long way to cheer him on.

It seems however, that his rapid rise to sporting fame may be put on hold due to an unfortunate breach of the NRL’s biosecurity protocols.

Despite his roaring success on the field, a short oversight of NRL biosecurity protocols has been met with a harsh penalty. Under the new COVID-19 NRL biosecurity rules, players can host a total of 10 visitors in their home each day, with a maximum of five visitors at any one time. This protocol was breached when Charlie hosted 10 guests, including his immediate family and four friends after Saturday’s game.

Due to an obvious “misunderstanding of the specifics of the guidelines”, Charlie was stood down from playing on Monday, but the Penrith Panthers and Charlie are working closely with the NRL to “ensure all necessary steps are taken to rectify the situation,” said Panthers CEO, Brian Fletcher.

Until then, Panthers’ supporters and the many Forbes’ supporters of Charlie will have to wait to see him shine on the field again.

(Information sourced from the official NRL website.)

Learning Together For Education Week 2020

July 17, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

While colour runs were taken off the calendar in 2020, the public education community were still about to find new and innovative ways to continue to teach and engage students.

Public schools across NSW will celebrate Education Week from 3 to 7 August with the theme of ‘Learning together’ drawing on the education community’s sentiment of 2020, which saw parents, teachers and students engaging and working together in conditions and ways that were unheard of pre-2020.

However, with a multitude of changes and challenges, communities have found ways to learn together. The Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott said that with the unprecedented challenges schools had faced in 2020, Education Week would provide an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of the public school community in the face of adversity.

“We started the year with communities still suffering the impacts of drought and the destructive summer bushfires. Flooding then forced the closure of schools in some fire-affected areas,” Mark said.

“Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck and totally disrupted our way of life, changing the way we learn and socialise. But despite so many major disruptions to teachers, staff, parents, carers and students, the public-school community worked together to ensure that students could continue to learn.”

Mark went on to say: “Learning together reinforces the role of our schools as the cornerstone of the community. We all worked together to move learning online almost overnight to maintain the continuity of education during the COVID-19 restrictions.”

Education Week is an annual statewide celebration of public education, which has been held for more than 50 years. This year’s events will run from Monday, 3 Au- gust to Friday, 7 August, with a focus on opportunities to celebrate virtually.

The week will start with a live stream on Monday, 3 August featuring public schools across NSW celebrating the theme. A student film festival will be live streamed on Wednesday, 5 August.

The Education Week 2020 website at education.nsw.gov.au/edweek20 offers a wealth of ideas, information, and resources for schools to plan and promote their #EdWeek20 activities including a comprehensive Teacher toolkit.

All are welcome to share NSW students’ excitement with the following video on the Department of Education website at https://edu.nsw.link/EdWeek20 or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=333664430962580.

RAS Foundation Bets On The Future Of Regional Communities

July 17, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

Forbes resident Cameron McMillan has received a scholarship from the RAS Foundation.

The Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Foundation (RASF) is investing in the future of strong and vibrant regional NSW communities by supporting the next generation with the announcement of its 2020 Rural Scholarship program recipients.

The scholarships, awarded to regional and rural students who are studying at a New South Wales University or TAFE, aim to support those seeking further education with the goal of injecting their new skills back into rural areas.

Cameron McMillan of Forbes received his scholarship for Certificate III in Electrotechnology, and travels 160kms each weekend to work alongside his father. Cameron has hopes to put his newly acquired knowledge to good use when he is a fully qualified electrician.

RASF Manager Cecilia Logan believes all 2020 scholarship recipients are particularly well-deserving and represent a bright future for rural and regional NSW.

“It is not an easy task to uproot your life and move away from home to reach your goals, however, it is often the journey regional and rural NSW students have to undergo to achieve further education and training,” Cecilia said.

“The Rural Scholarship program was designed to support this journey; giving students the freedom to study without the stress and financial challenges brought about by the need to relocate.”

The RASF Rural Scholarships offer financial grants of $6,000 for full-time study and $3,000 for part-time study to assist students who are passionate about contributing to the future of rural and regional communities with help from generous supporters such as the UNE Foundation, ASC, NSW Stud Merino Breeders, ChemCert, Regional Australian Bank and The Snow Foundation. The 2021 Scholarship rounds open on July 1 2020. For more information visit www.rasf.org.au

Snippets…

July 17, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

Katie Norbury is hoping to see an increase in donations and volunteers on the ground in Forbes to help support vulnerable women.

Share the Dignity In Forbes: Share the Dignity are once again running their biannual drive to collect sanitary products for women and girls experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence or doing it tough. Share the Dignity are asking for volunteers in the Forbes Shire community to help with collection, counting and distribution of these products.

Share the Dignity founder, Rochelle Courtney says that with an increased need, and a decrease in the April drive donations, it is crucial to have help on the ground. “At Share the Dignity, our volunteers are called ‘Sheroes’ and ‘Heroes’, they are the heart and soul of our organisation and we couldn’t do it without them.” Every woman in Australia deserves to be able to manage their period with dignity, and donations will be collected in Forbes Woolworths in August. For more information on how to become a volunteer with Share the Dignity you can visit their website. www.sharethedignity.com.au

Have Your Say: Last week Forbes Shire Council unveiled a new community consultation website to allow community members to have their say on important issues.
Adam Loftus, Karen Wright from Forbes CWA, driver Gary Thomas and Cassie Bush were at the Showgrounds on Wednesday to distribute fresh produce to those in need.

Your Say Forbes will allow anyone with a connection to the internet to make their voice heard and have an impact on Council decisions.

The new site will allow Council to gather community opinions using a variety of purpose-built tools that go beyond the usual survey, including interactive mapping, quick polls and more.

Want to get involved? Head over to www.yoursay.forbes.nsw.gov.au to have your say. To participate in discussions you’ll need to register, but it’s a quick and easy process, and will help Council keep you in the loop about conversations that might interest you in the future. There are three consultations currently running, including an Events Review, a Recreation and Open Space Survey, and the opportunity to make a submission on the Forbes Local Strategic Planning Statement – a vision for the future of Forbes. For more information please contact Council’s Community Relations Officer on 02 6850 2300.

Restrictions Remain In Forbes Health Services: Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation and reviewing hospital visitor rules to help ensure the safety of patients, staff, and other visitors. Visitors to hospitals or health services should check in advance to make sure they know and understand the rules at that time, and follow the directions of staff. Visitors may not enter if they have; returned from overseas in the last 14 days, returned from Victoria in the last 14 days or have been in contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19 within the last 14 days. The safety of health service staff, patients and visitors must be prioritised and all visitors and staff need to undergo applicable screening processes in place. For more information call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 088 or Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

Mayoral Notes

July 10, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

How wonderful to see the palm trees going in at the new Camp Street Bridge site! Progress is going well, and we should hear an announcement very soon about the official opening. Thank you to everyone for your patience while this major work is being done. Thank you to our wonderful team who have been helping Transport for NSW to complete the roadworks and landscaping on either side of the bridge.

It is sad to hear the new restrictions being put in place this week for Victoria. It just goes to show we can’t be complacent when it comes to COVID-19. We have noticed the holiday traffic has increased this week with school holidays. We want and need tourists to keep our local economy bubbling away. Please continue practising COVID safe measures so that we will be able to continue operating business as normal.

Our wonderful not-for-profit community groups are invited to apply for our latest round of Community Funding Grants. Council established this program a few years ago to recognise the great work our community groups play in the Forbes Shire. By providing monetary support to assist these groups they will continue to do their great work.

The program is open twice yearly and a total of $100,000 is available across the two rounds. Each community group can access up to $5,000 in assistance for each project as either a cash contribution, inkind support, or a combination of both.

God Bless.
Your Mayor, Phyllis Miller

Nominations Open For Healing Heart Nursery And Midwifery Award

July 10, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

Image: shutterstock

Nominations for the ‘peoples’ choice’ award at this year’s NSW Health Excellence in Nursing & Midwifery Awards have officially opened. The annual awards ceremony was put on hold due to the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The awards are a highlight of our calendar, but this year instead of a live event held in Sydney, we will be broadcasting the show to the nurses and midwives wherever they are in NSW with a virtual format in November,” NSW Chief Nurse and Midwife Officer, Jacqui Cross said. “The virtual show will be entertaining and meaningful,” Jacqui said.

For the Healing Heart Award, patients, families, and carers are invited to nominate a nurse or midwife who made their healthcare experience special by visiting the NSW Health website at health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/enma. Nominations close on 27 July.

The awards carry special significance in 2020, being the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. We recognise and celebrate nurses and midwives for the skill, leadership, and compassionate care they contribute to people and the broader health system every day. The Awards will be shown on 26 November.

Country Women’s Association; A Snapshot Of The Year So Far

July 10, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

Paula Leadbitter, Principal of St Laurence’s School received handmade library bags for her students, presented by Jan Doyle and Elaine Bright, President Forbes CWA.

The Forbes CWA ladies have had an immensely busy six months.

The year started off strong with the CWA’s Australia Day Damper Day, where the ladies proved their famous catering for morning teas and lunches. This was followed by members Robin Pols and Anne Read’s speech to the National Trust about the history of CWA Forbes.

The CWA were delighted to receive a Certificate of Appreciation from Phil Donato’s Office for their help at the CWA Hall in their immaculate hosting of the Forbes Hidden Treasures presentation. The hardworking ladies continue to give toiletry bags to the Forbes Hospital, along with teddy bears and butterflies to the Pathology Centres.

One major achievement this year was the contribution of food and service to the phenomenally successful Garema Get Up and Go, which supports mental health, with people coming in from all over the region for the day. The ladies provided all guests with an impressive spread of delicious treats for morning tea.

In the last four months, during COVID-19 restrictions, the CWA have found ways to help the Forbes community. Every school in Forbes has received beautifully homemade library bags. These bags were gratefully received by all schools. The preschools have received many items from the CWA Forbes Branch, including library bags, dolls clothes, dolls blankets, dolls quilts and

beanies. June Lamb has been busy knit- ting squares for blankets, with Dawn Ible crocheting beautiful edges. Aprons are still being made along with other items. The members of CWA have enjoyed being able to help these educational centres and the children.

The ladies have also been collecting donations to The Pantry which is operating again from the Church Hall.

The CWA is eager to welcome new members, if you are interested in joining the cheerful and dedicated team, please do not hesitate in contacting one of the members or President of the CWA Forbes Branch, Elaine Bright on 0402 025 888.

The CWA ladies have been busy making dolls clothes and many other items for the children in Forbes.

Travellers Welcome For School Holidays

July 10, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

As travellers break out of the cities during the mid-year school holidays, Forbes will see an increase in tourists visiting and passing through town.

“We welcome tourists back to our beautiful part of Australia,” said Forbes Shire Council Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM. “Reports from our accommodation providers in Forbes are that numbers have been increasing already, and they are not just the grey nomads, but young families and couples as well. When travel restrictions were eased, the beginning of June, our roads did see a steady increase of traffic.”

Forbes Shire Council was unable to hold one of its major tourism events this year, Frost and Fire, due to the restrictions. Last year’s event saw over 2000 people in attendance and provided much needed relief for many providers in town.

“Tourism is so important to regional towns, particularly after what has been many years of drought. Forbes Council has partnered with ten other local government areas in a campaign called “We Want You Back”. The campaign will air three 30 second adverts across the Prime 7 network and feature personalities from across the regions tourism and culinary industry.

“The campaign shares stories on what to see and do. We can’t wait to share our piece of NSW with everyone!”

The towns included in the Central West campaign include Orange, Bathurst, Blayney, Oberon, Grenfell, Cowra, Eugowra, Parkes and as far west as Lake Cargelligo.

“Forbes is so lucky to be in such a central location to all of these areas and with so many accommodation options available, from camping through to luxurious B&Bs it makes sense to set up camp here,” said Phyllis.

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