A new flooded road smart warning system at the Pinnacle Road floodway is set to improve safety and enhance Council’s ability to respond quickly during flood events.

The new system uses a water level sensor installed at the flood­way to automatically detect rising floodwaters. In the instance of a flood event, the sensor will trigger a digital “Road Closed” sign at the floodway and a “Road Closed Ahead” warning sign at the start of Pinnacle Road, providing an immediate and highly visible warn­ing to motorists.

The sensor sends an automated SMS alert to Council staff when flooding occurs, prompting the installation of physical road closed signs and enabling a faster, more coordinated response.

Pinnacle Road was identified as a high‐risk location due to its history of flood‐related rescues. By clearly warning road users and triggering rapid responses, the system will help prevent people from driving into floodwaters and is expected to reduce the number of flood‐related rescue incidents.

The system automatically reports flood conditions to Council, including water depth and duration, allowing for faster and more informed decision‐making. Council staff will be able to update road closures through Transport for NSW’s OneRoad platform, ensur­ing information is published in real time to Live Traffic NSW and Google Maps.

If the Pinnacle Road project proves successful, Council will in­vestigate installing similar smart warning systems at other flood and rescue‐prone locations.

The project has been co‐funded by Forbes Shire Council and the NSW Government through the NSW Reconstruction Author­ity’s Disaster Ready Fund – Round 2. For more information, visit www.forbes.nsw.gov.au

Parkes is set to come alive with colour as the Healthy Harold Colour Run returns, with local community groups, sporting clubs, health services and businesses invited to get involved.

Stallholder expressions of interest are open for the free, family-friendly event, tak­ing place on Wednesday 20th May 2026 from 3.30pm to 5.00pm at Keast Park, Hooley Street, Parkes.

The Colour Run forms part of the Healthy Harold Parkes Festival of Health, a twoweek initiative promoting positive health and wellbeing across the region.

“We know Parkes has an incredible network of community organisations and health services,” said Ken Keith OAM, Chair of Life Ed NSW and former Mayor of Parkes. “The Colour Run is a great oppor­tunity for local groups to connect with fami­lies, showcase their services, and be part of a fun event that celebrates community pride.”

The festival coincides with visits from Life Ed NSW’s specialist health educators, with more than 1,500 local children taking part in the Life Ed program at their school or early learning centre, exploring topics including nutrition, cybersafety, respectful relation­ships and drug and alcohol education.

The Colour Run has previously attracted hundreds of locals who walked, ran and danced through clouds of colourful pow­der while exploring interactive stalls hosted by community organisations. These stalls sparked conversations about health and wellbeing, while families discovered local services and support programs.

“Events like the Colour Run highlight the strength of community partnerships,” Ter­ese Hooper, CEO of Life Ed NSW said.

“When local organisations come togeth­

er, we create meaningful opportunities to support the health and wellbeing of families across Parkes.”

Local organisations interested in hosting a stall, activity or interactive display are en­couraged to get involved. To express inter­est or find out more, visit https://go.lifeed.org.au/FOH2026 or email nsw@lifeed.org.au

The closure of the Great Western Highway at Victoria Pass continues to impact travel, freight and tourism across the Central West. It has again highlighted how vulnerable our region is when key infrastructure fails, with flow-on effects for local businesses and communities.

This reinforces the need for long-term investment in reliable road and rail infrastructure. In the interim I have worked closely with the government to get services from sydney out west.

Fuel supply issues and rising prices remain a serious concern across regional NSW. With the cost of living already high, unreliable supply and price volatility are placing added pressure on households, small businesses and those who rely on fuel every day. I will continue to call on the Government to work with the Commonwealth to secure supply chains and ease the burden on regional communities.

Recent changes to firearms laws continue to raise strong concerns across the Central West and NSW. While the events that led to these changes were tragic, many in our community believe the response has been rushed, with limited consultation and scrutiny. More than 98,000 people signed a petition raising concerns-one of the largest ever recorded­which shows the strength of community feeling. There are real concerns these changes place further restrictions on law-abiding firearms owners, while doing little to address illegal firearms. Questions have also been raised about limits that don’t reflect the practical needs of hunters, primary producers and sporting shooters. I will continue to advocate for fair, balanced laws that target crime-not responsible people.

The proposed energy-from-waste facility at Parkes continues to raise strong community concerns. Many locals are questioning why regional communities should manage metropolitan waste, particularly given Parkes’ agricultural setting and the need to transport waste long distances. While I am not opposed to the technology, it must be in the right location and have genuine community support. I will continue to stand with the Parkes community and ensure their voices are heard.

Arts OutWest is excited to launch the first year of the Arts OutWest Cultural Fund Microgrants – and is calling for artists and groups to apply.

This new program supports locally driven arts and heritage activity across the NSW Central West and is offered thanks to gener­ous donations from the public.

In 2026, two funding streams are availa­ble: Up to $1000 for individual artists and up to $2500 for groups, including arts organi­sations, collectives, local councils, arts and heritage businesses and artist–organisation partnerships.

Activities funded might include community art projects, workshops, exhibitions, perfor­mances, talks, story development, artist residencies, creative experiments, the crea­tion of new work and more.

Projects must take place between June and December 2026 and occur within the local government areas of Bathurst Re­gion, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Mid-Western Regional, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.

All applicants must discuss their idea with Arts OutWest before applying.

Full guidelines, FAQs, and the appli­cation form are available now at: https://artsoutwest.org.au/pf/arts-outwest-cultual-fund-microgrants/ Arts OutWest will hold a Microgrants information session online on Wednesday 1st of April at 5.30pm. Book via the artsoutwest.org.au website.