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Forbes Phoenix

Snippets…

November 7, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib MP and Commissioner of the RFS Rob Rogers who presented the award to Marshall Munn was awarded the Young Volunteer of the Year, 12-15 years.

Parkes Shire Council: Congratulations to Marshall Munn on being awarded Young Volunteer of the Year at the RFS Youth Awards. This recognition highlights his ded­ication and outstanding contributions to our community through his work with the NSW RFS – Parkes Headquarters Brigade and SES. Earlier this year, he was honoured as Parkes Young Citizen of the Year, and it’s clear that Marshall’s commitment to service and leadership is making a real difference.

We’re proud to have such an inspiring young leader among us

Forbes Library: The Forbes Library Survey is now open. Please share your thoughts to help shape the future of your local library.

Your feedback will directly influence the programs, resources, and collections of­fered at Forbes and ensure they reflect the needs and interests of the community. The survey takes less than 10 minutes to com­plete. Please go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/2T9KVPQ to participate and provide your thoughts and suggestions. Every re­sponse plays a vital role in enhancing the library experience and creating as welcom­ing space for all. Paper copies of the sur­veys are also available at Forbes Library.

Heart of the Nation: Heart of the Nation and The Heart Foundation are bringing lifesaving AEDs to our town. But knowing how to use them is just as important. Join a free training session to learn CPR, AED use, and how to respond in a cardiac emer­gency.

• 13th November: 2pm, Eugowra Show­ground Pavilion
• 13th November: 5pm, Forbes Sports and Recreation Centre
• 14th November: 10am and 12pm, Parkes Services Club.

Evolution Mining Northparkes Opera­tions: We’re hiring for multiple roles across the site. Ready to join the Northparkes team? Follow the link to see the opportuni­ties available now: https://bit.ly/48xHN4Q

R U OK? When you encourage people to come as they are, you create a safe space for them to talk about their good and bad days.

Roylances Tractor Replacements: After yet another successful RTR Golf Day, we are proud to be able to donate $5,075 from our day to Boys To The Bush in Forbes.

They are a terrific organisation doing amaz­ing things in the community. Check out all of the great things Boys To The Bush do https://boystothebush.org.au

Thanks to everyone that came along and a big shoutout to our sponsors for making the day possible.

Christmas Card Competition Closing Soon

November 7, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Federal Member for Riverina Michael Mc­Cormack is reminding schools and stu­dents across the Riverina and Central West his 2024 Christmas card design com­petition is closing soon.

“This year’s Christmas card design com­petition theme is “We Wish You a Riverina Christmas,” Mr McCormack said.

“The top three designs will be featured on my personal Christmas card, which will be sent to key stakeholders and parliamen­tary colleagues.

“Schools have until Friday 8th November 2024 to submit their entries to my Wagga Wagga office.

“Last year more than 1,700 entries were sent in from eligible students in Kindergar­ten, Year 1 and Year 2.

“Unfortunately, this year will be the last opportunity for some schools to enter the competition, as schools in Bland, Forbes and Parkes Shires will no longer be in the Riverina electorate after the next election.

“I urge schools and students in these shires to make the fullest of this opportu­nity.

Submissions from schools are requested to be enclosed and posted in a single pack­age to Suite 2/11-15 Fitzmaurice Street, Wagga Wagga NSW 2650, or alternatively, submissions can be scanned and emailed to michael.mccormack.mp@aph.gov.au

2024 National Bbq Championships Fires Up Forbes

November 7, 2024 by Roxane Manley

2023 National BBQ Championships Overall Winners, the Forbes Fire Brigade team.

Forbes is set to host the best of barbecu­ing this weekend as the 2024 National BBQ Championships hit Grinsted Oval on Sat­urday 9th November and Sunday 10th No­vember.

Over 20 teams will line up over two actionpacked days to cook for the championship and over $20,000 in prize money, with the Grilling competition on Saturday and, for the first time, the Smoking competition on Sunday.

There will be plenty of entertainment for the whole family, with live music, food stalls, a bar, a jumping castle for the kids and the Forbes Ipomoea Rotary Club markets on both days.

Not to be missed will be special guest chef Matt Burgess, popularly known as Mat Blak, who has worked for celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. He will be show­casing his amazing flavours with cooking demonstrations Saturday and Sunday.

There will be a giveaway on each day, with two Weber “BabyQ” Barbeques up for grabs. To enter the draw head to the Forbes Shire Council tent at the event to receive a free raffle ticket. Forbes Shire Council May­or, Phyllis Miller, encourages everyone to get down to Grinsted Oval.

Saturday 9 November:
Grilling Competition
12pm – Cameron Sharpe playing throughout the day
12:30pm – Official opening
12:45pm – Cooking demonstration, Mat Blak
1:45pm – ABA Overview
2:15pm – Cooking demonstration, Mat Blak
3:45pm – Cooking demonstration, Mat Blak
5:30pm – Grilling prizewinner presentations
6:00pm – Josie Laver performs
6:45pm – Katie Jayne performs

Sunday 10 November:
Smoking Competition
10am – Event opens
10am – Cameron Sharpe playing throughout the day
10:30am – Official opening
11:00am – Cooking demonstration, Mat Blak
12:45pm – Cooking demonstration, Mat Blak
2:00pm – Cooking demonstration, Mat Blak
3:30pm – Smoking competition prizewinners presentations

Forbes Garden Club Notes

November 7, 2024 by Elvy Quirk

On Tuesday 22nd October the Forbes Garden Club held their last meeting for the year at the home of Evelyn Mahlo. Evelyn spoke on her garden and how she and her late husband Peter moved into their new home in 2007, started planning their garden, and with the help of the late Denis Irvine in some aspects it came together.

The garden consists of many rooms and is picture perfect with plantings of Buxus hedges etcElvy, spoke on the recent Friendship Day hosted by the Young Garden Club, held in the beautiful setting at Clifton Gardens. Four of our members Therese Davis, Janette Thomas, Joyce Morrison and Elvy Quirk attended. Our final speakers on the day were Mi­chelle and David Mahlo. Michelle firstly spoke on how she and her husband David have started their own business named Daves Yard Care which provides all aspects of garden maintenance, Da­vid later spoke on the control of weeds such as Winter grass etc.

Flower of the month was won by Anne Reade with a beautiful red rose, 2nd to Robyn Mattiske with a geranium and 3rd to Denise Thurs­ton with a bearded Iris. Raffle prizes went to Robin Lyell, Sylvia Glasson, Annette Thornton and Gail McKay.

Our final get together for the year will be the Christmas luncheon which will be held at the Vandenberg Hotel on Tuesday 26th November com­mencing 12pm. If you are wishing to attend the cost is $40 for a two course meal and you should have your mon­ey to Lloyd our Treasurer before or on 15th November.

By Elvy Quirk

You’re one point away from postnatal depression

November 7, 2024 by Roxane Manley

“You’re one point away from postnatal de­pression” said the family health care nurse scoring the questionnaire I had just com­pleted in her office.

I was on the verge of breaking point. My baby, our third addition, was breastfeeding every 40 minutes overnight and would not take a bottle.

The nurse explained that I was in a zone called postnatal depletion. My hair was fall­ing out, my nails were cracked, my mind was playing tricks on me. I was depleted.

Being pregnant, breastfeeding, caring for other humans, not getting enough sleep had taken its toll.

Fast forward a few weeks as I now sit in front of Laura, my Nutritionist, as she reviews the results of my blood test. The numbers on the page in front of us tell the story of how I feel.

I was a tired Mum, so exhausted that I was surviving on frozen pizza and dino chicken nuggets. I’m sure many of you can relate!With the help of Laura I began to rein­corporate foods into my diet that were rich in the vitamins and minerals my body was lacking and pretty quickly, my nails healed up and grew. My hair stopped clogging the shower drain, and I didn’t feel exhausted every time I woke up in the morning.

We’re thrilled to share that Laura is now offering her Nutrition Consultation services to our community in Parkes or via Tele­health to any location. If you are seeking support to feel your best, reach out to our team to book an appointment with Laura today on 0437 749 746 or learn more at www.kerinhealth.com.au

Illabo To Stockinbingal Takes Final Step On Approvals

November 7, 2024 by Roxane Manley

The Illabo to Stockinbingal section of Inland Rail has received Federal Government approval, green-lighting the project to move into the construction phase in 2025.

The Illabo to Stockinbingal (I2S) section of Inland Rail has received Australian Govern­ment approval, green-lighting the project to move into the construction phase in 2025.

The project was assessed under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, which focuses on the avoidance, minimisa­tion and management of impacts on biodi­versity matters of national significance.

The Commonwealth’s conditions of ap­proval supplement the NSW approval to protect threatened species and habitats in the project area. The approval is available online in the EPBC public portal.

The 39-kilometre Illabo to Stockinbingal section of Inland Rail will create a new di­rect route from east of Illabo tracking north to Stockinbingal in New South Wales and is the only new section of track from Bev­eridge to Parkes.

The route will bypass the townships of Cootamundra and Bethungra and the wind­ing, steep section of track known as the Bet­hungra Spiral on the Main South line, open­ing a more efficient way to transport freight.

Works on the Illabo to Stockinbingal sec­tion will be carried out by construction part­ner John Holland, which has been awarded the Design and Construct (D&C) contract.

The work will include the construction of several bridges and level crossings, nu­merous culverts, as well as a new crossing loop.

I2S forms part of the Inland Rail section in NSW from Albury to Parkes which has provided considerable employment and business opportunities. Since July 2023 Inland Rail has spent $7.4 million with 86 local businesses on the project between Albury and Parkes. On the same section, Inland Rail has employed a total of 434 people. 135 of the total are local residents, and 40 of the total are women. 40 of the to­tal are First Nations people. Of the 135 lo­cal residents, 24 are First Nations people.

For information please visit https://inlandrail.com.au/where-we-go/projects/illabo-to-stockinbingal/

Snippets

October 31, 2024 by Roxane Manley

This memorable day was shared with friends, family, and distinguished guests, including Michael McCormack, Senator Perin Davey, Jamie Chaffey, Councillors, and staff.

Parkes Shire Council: Council were hon­oured to host a citizenship ceremony at the Parkes Shire Council Chambers where we welcomed Adan Salad Gonjobe, born in the upper eastern region of Kenya, Ann Tran, born in Vietnam, Leo Paul Pius, born in In­dia and Olamide Rhoda Kolawole, Olufemi Abefe Kolawole, Folakemi Adele Kolawole, and Damilola Louisa Kolawole, originally from Nigeria, the Kolawole family arrived in Parkes from Adelaide in 2023. Welcome to Australia and the Parkes community.

NSW Government: Encourage the wom­en in your life to get a breast screen with BreastScreen NSW. For women aged 5074, having a breast cancer screen every 2 years saves lives! Did you know – it’s free for women aged over 40, takes just 20 min­utes and no doctor’s referral needed. Learn more (the website is in 27 languages): bit.ly/BreastScreen_NSW

Evolution Mining Northparkes Opera­tions: We are pleased to share the 2024 Annual and Sustainability Report from Evo­lution Mining. This report highlights our op­erations, sustainability achievements, and overall business performance for FY24. To learn more about Northparkes and other Evolution Mining operations visit: https://evolutionmining.com.au/case-studies/

Kerin Health: Kerin Health have just opened up new clinic hours for Physiother­apy treatment before work every Thurs­day morning. The clinic will be open and available for appointments each Thursday from 7:30am in the old ANZ bank building at 74 Lachlan Street, Forbes. Don’t forget, Kerin Health are also located at Forbes Medicine and Mind, around the corner on Cross Street, every Tuesday between 9am and 1pm. To book an appointment at either location in Forbes, go to www.kerinhealth.com.au/book-an-appointment

Parkes Elvis Festival: Declare your love at the Parkes Elvis Festival with the popu­lar Renewal of Vows ceremony. Held under the ‘Love Me Tender’ arch, this is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to renew your vows before an Elvis wedding celebrant. For more information and to register, visit: bit.ly/PEFvows

Forbes Shire Council: FSC are prepar­ing the dam for the busy summer season ahead by dredging to restore the water’s depth, so boat users can enjoy the dam.

The dam will be closed to boats from Thursday 24 October to Thursday 31 Oc­tober while the dredging takes place. It will remain open for fishing and exercise. For more information please contact Forbes Shire Council on (02) 6850 2300.

Have you noticed dredging machinery in the water at the Forbes Ski Dam?

Women’s Health Services Transformation

October 31, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Australian women in every state and territo­ry can now access treatment for uncompli­cated urinary tract infections at a community pharmacy, without a prescriptionIt follows a decision to empower commu­nity pharmacists to do more for their female patients. UTIs are the second most frequent preventable cause of hospitalisation and on average 1 in 2 women develop a UTI in their lifetime.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President Trent Twomey said “Women are busy mothers, carers, bosses who need timely easy-to-access access relief to get on with their day and prevent long-term health complications.”

Professor Twomey said increased access to UTI treatment was part of a larger evolu­tion of women’s health services in commu­nity pharmacies across Australia.

There are more than 6000 community pharmacies across Australia that have the opportunity to provide additional services and prescriptions for everyday health condi­tions.

“The widening of the services provided in community pharmacy is meeting the expec­tation of the modern patient and is reliev­ing the pressure on other parts of the health system.

“Community pharmacists are highly skilled health professionals and we’re ready, willing and able to deliver more for our pa­tients,” Professor Twomey said.

Forbes’ Jack Buckley Announced Pharmacist Of The Year

October 31, 2024 by Roxane Manley

Forbes Pharmacist Jack Buckley said, “This award was certainly a nice albeit, unexpected surprise.”

Forbes Pharmacist Jack Buckley has been named the Pharmacist of the Year at the Independent Pharmacies of Australia (IPA) annual Pharmacy Excellence Awards.

The part owner of Flannery’s Pharmacy and Life Pharmacy in Forbes received the accolade for his dedication to rural health­care. A trained pilot, Jack’s innovative ap­proach to healthcare delivery was first recognised during the NSW flood crisis in November 2022, when he utilised his fly­ing skills to transport medical supplies and pharmacy staff to towns along the Lachlan River.

By combining his professional expertise as a pharmacist, with his passion for fly­ing, Jack has revolutionised the delivery of essential medical services to remote com­munities.

Jack said “I think the key message is, don’t underestimate what community phar­macy can offer patients, particularly in re­gional centres. We are very service based and place a huge emphasis on patient management and, the great thing is, we are making a difference to the community.”

The award is one of Australia’s most prestigious and regarded pharmacy acco­lades, with LPG CEO, Michael Flannery saying “This award is a credit to Jack and all the work he puts into the Forbes stores and his local community. He has been a wonderful addition to LPG since joining us over 12 years ago”.

Jack has embraced the Forbes commu­nity, and is an excellent Pharmacist. The impact he has made in recent years, par­ticularly utilising his love of flying, highlights his dedication and commitment to commu­nity health.”

Inland Rail Generating Jobs And Economic Boost For Regional Nsw Communities

October 31, 2024 by Roxane Manley

The latest employment figures show Inland Rail has created jobs for 434 people on the project.

Newly released figures from Inland Rail show the project is creating jobs and driving economic growth in regional NSW commu­nities.

Delivering Inland Rail between Albury and Parkes has resulted in $7.4 million spent across 86 local businesses between July 2023 and August 2024 and 135 workers employed on the project this year, taking total numbers of workers employed to 434.

Construction has been progressing strongly on the section from Stockinbingal to Parkes (S2P) and the latest data shows how that is boosting employment and local economies. First Nations business across Australia are contributing to the S2P pro­ject, supplying more than $161,000 worth of services. Of the 135 local workers, 24 are First Nations people, making up more than half of the 40 First Nations people who have relocated to the area to work on Inland Rail.

And women make up almost 10% of the workforce, with 40 employed on the project in the period July 2023 to August 2024.

From July 2023 to August 2024, Inland Rail between Albury and Parkes

• 434 people employed, of whom 40 are First Nations

• 135 local residents employed, of whom 24 are First Nations

• 40 women employed

• 33 tradespeople employed

• 86 local businesses engaged

• $7.4 million spent with local businesses

• $161,860 spent with First Nations busi­nesses Australia-wide

Stephen Jones, Inland Rail Executive Direc­tor Program Health, Safety, Environment & Sustainability, said: “Inland Rail is bringing benefits to regional communities throughout construction, with local content key to the program’s success.

“A major focus of Inland Rail has been to build skills in communities along the align­ment, so local communities can participate and benefit from in this once-in-a-genera­tion project and others in the future.”

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