The NSW Government has launched the Lachlan Regional Water Strategy, a longterm plan to meet the water needs of the re­gion and support water security for Parkes, Cowra, Forbes, and other communities across the Lachlan for the next 20 years and beyond.

The strategy provides a clearer pathway for a more resilient and sustainable water future, progressing a range of solutions to shore up water for residents, farmers, busi­nesses, Aboriginal people and the environ­ment.

We have consulted widely with the com­munity throughout the plan’s development, and we’ve received significant input which informed the final strategy and its actions.

The strategy is also underpinned by new, groundbreaking climate data and state-of-the-art modelling, allowing us to better un­derstand and plan for future water security risks.

New environmental data for the Lachlan Valley is now available on our online portal, showing modelled streamflow and storage volume data under different climate sce­narios, including long-term projections. This will help local water utilities, industry, and community groups better plan for their wa­ter futures.

Further information is available at: https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/our-work/plans-and-strategies/regional-water-strategies/final/lachlan-regional-water-strategy

Unwanted textiles will be saved from land­fill thanks to a recycling initiative Forbes Shire Council has started. Forbes Shire Council has partnered with Reuse Repur­pose Recycle Australia in a 12-month trial to provide recycling bins for textiles at the Forbes Recycling and Waste Depot.

While residents are still encouraged to donate textiles to local op shops, the new bins at the waste depot/landfill will mean items not suitable for an op shop, such as damaged clothes can be recycled.

RRR Australia runs a program that keeps textiles out of landfill and will collect items placed in the textile recycling bins and re­use, recycle or repurpose them.

Good quality items are donated to chari­ties, op shops and shelters to be reused, while items that cannot be reused are recy­cled and made into items such as blankets, throws, caravan and outdoor mats.

Poor quality items are repurposed and donated to the RSPCA, arts and crafts stores for off-cut material to be used, while damaged items are made into industrial rags.

All clothing, shoes and boots, blankets, towels, backpacks, handbags and material offcuts can be placed in the textile recycling bins. Items that can­not be recycled include sheets, pillowcases, doonas, pillows and cushions, wet or soiled items and industrially stained items.

The average Australian disposes of 23kg of textiles per year to landfill, Forbes Shire Council Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM, said “Forbes Shire Council is committed to sustainability and this pro­gram will help preserve our landfills and ensure textiles stay in the circular economy”.

Textiles can be recycled at the Forbes Recycling and Waste De­pot during its trading hours, 8:30am – 5pm seven days.

More medicinal blister packs will be kept out of landfill thanks to a recycling initiative between Forbes Shire Council, Flannery’s Pharmacy and Life Pharmacy.

Forbes Shire Council has partnered with both pharmacies to have Pharmacycle recycling bins at both locations, and residents are being asked to keep their blister packs and recycle them in these bins instead of placing them in their normal rubbish bins.

Blister packs are the packaging most medicinal tablets and cap­sules come in and cannot be recycled in the yellow lid bin due to the aluminum and plastic in them being bound together. This means many end up wasting landfill space.

Pharmacycle separates these two materials and recycles them to make a range of products such as fences, building and construc­tion materials. Since Pharmacycle began in 2022 it has saved 8 million blister packs from landfill.

Forbes Shire Council Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM, said “This initia­tive is another great step Forbes Shire Council is taking to reduce waste in our landfills and I encourage everyone to place their blis­ter packs in the blue bins provided at both pharmacies,” she said.

“Forbes Shire Council is committed to sustainability and I’d like to thank Flannery’s Pharmacy and Life Pharmacy for partnering with us.”

The Pharmacycle bins can be used during the opening hours of both pharmacies.

“Shoes on kids!” He’d yell as we all grabbed a Zooper Dooper and piled in the car to drive to town.

It was a Christmas tradition.

A summer night spent staying up past our bedtime to walk around town and see the Christmas lights. We knew the streets that pulled out all the stops, and we’d walk up and down, gazing at the twinkling lights, smiling Santas on a sleigh on rooftops and the smell of cinnamon in the air.

Dad loved it just as much as we did. An evening stroll, chats with people out the front of their houses and no doubt a strat­egy to wear out his three kids ready for bedtime. We’d run ahead, excitedly find­ing the next light show, zigzagging our way through our little town.

Legs moving, faces red from the exer­cise, hearts full with the thrill of Christmas.

What are your Christmas traditions? See if you can swap out screen time for family connection, balance indulgent eat­ing and drinking with active fun, and create joyful memories together this Christmas season. From an evening walk to backyard cricket, it’s the perfect time to embrace movement and connection.

We hope you have a happy and safe Christmas, from the Kerin Health Team.