Vote Tomorrow: The Federal Election is tomorrow, 21st May and voting takes place from 8am to 5pm at the following venues in the Forbes Shire: Forbes High School, Forbes Town Hall, Forbes Tennis Club and Bedgerabong Public School. COVID-19 safety measures will be in place at polling stations. Remember voting is compulsory for Australian citizens aged 18 years and over. For more information visit aec.gov.au

Australia’s Longest Road Tunnel: The NSW Government has confirmed the 11-kilometre toll-free tunnel from Blackheath to Little Hartley in the Blue Mountains as the preferred option following an in-depth feasibility analysis and extensive investigation process, making it the country’s longest road tunnel. “This is a history-making legacy project that will deliver safer and more efficient journeys for locals, tourists and freight travelling between the Central West and the East Coast,” said Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole. The tunnel design features dual carriageways for both eastbound and westbound motorists in separate twin tunnels and a gentler gradient to cut travel times predicted to save motorists up to 30 minutes between Katoomba and Lithgow during busy periods.

Pelicans Take Flight: More than 25,000 pelicans will take flight following two large pelican breeding events in inland NSW. Pelican nests have been counted at Lake Brewster in the Lachlan Valley and Kieeta Lake in the Murrumbidgee Valley. Pelicans at both sites are part of a leg-banding research project by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment and University of NSW to track how far the birds travel and if they return to breed at the site. Banded pelican sightings can be reported via peli.bands@environment.nsw.gov.au.

Seniors Travel Card Very Popular: Less than four months after applications opened for the third year of the NSW Regional Seniors Travel Card, more than 300,000 people are on board. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the program, which gave recipients a $250 prepaid Visa card to use on fuel, taxis, pre-booked NSW TrainLink Regional trains and coaches, and select community transport services, had received a record customer satisfaction rating of nearly 100%. Fuel continues to be the most popular purchase on the card, followed by taxi trips and then train and bus fares. Eligible seniors have until 30 November 2022 to apply for this year’s card. More information at: service.nsw.gov.au/regionalseniorstravel.

Prepare For Flu Season: Seniors and other vulnerable people across NSW are encouraged to get the flu vaccination, as COVID-19 is also still circulating. People aged 65 and over can book in a free flu shot at pharmacies and GPs, as well as pregnant women, children aged under five years, Aboriginal people and those with serious health conditions. Influenza cases have more than doubled in recent weeks. More people with flu are being admitted to hospital, including young children. This can be very serious especially for young children who have had little to no exposure to flu over the last two years. People are also encouraged to continue to keep up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. It is safe and convenient to get both the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine at the same time.

Routine Maintenance: Essential Energy will carry out vegetation management in Forbes this month as part of its routine maintenance. Everything is being done to preserve the natural environment, however some management of trees and other vegetation is required to maintain a safe and reliable network. Directional pruning techniques are used that remove branches growing towards a powerline and encourage re-growth away from the power network. Download Essential Energy’s Tree Planting Guide at essentialenergy.com.au/trees for helpful tips on species for planting near powerlines or contact 13 23 91 for more information.

Wyangala Dam Update: Water Infrastructure is back in the field undertaking more geotechnical investigations. This current work is being undertaken from the crest of the dam wall and will help to inform the design development of the proposed Wyangala Dam Wall Raising project. Public pedestrian access to Wyangala Dam Wall will be closed from 2 – 27 May (inclusive).

Arts OutWest in Canowindra: Arts OutWest invites creatives and community members to join them for their annual regional gathering and AGM on Sunday, 5th June in Canowindra. The day starts with coffee at 11am at Perennialle Plants. Then visits to local galleries: David Isbester Gallery, Canowindra Arts Gallery and Melissa Barder Galleries and Café. A light lunch at The Old Vic Inn and the AGM at The Age of Fishes Museum. The day ends around 3:30pm at the Canowindra Historical Museum. The event is free but places are limited to 50 people. RSVP via Eventbrite or artsoutwest.org.au or call on 6338 4657.

Aboriginal Ancestors Reburied In Wellington: The remains of four Aboriginal ancestors have finally been laid to rest in a traditional ceremony after being returned to the Wellington Aboriginal community at the Wellington caves. The burial ceremony last week completed the repatriation process for 13 Aboriginal ancestral remains that were taken from the area from the late 1800s to the 1970s. Local community members conducted a cultural ceremony for the remains after they were repatriated from the Australian Museum. The repatriation process was led by Heritage NSW, in line with the wishes of the Wellington Aboriginal community. Local elder Uncle Barry Smith welcomed the repatriation saying: “This is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to Wellington.”

Secret Translocation To Save Trees: A species of Gondwana era tree is being translocated for the first time, with 20 seedlings being planted across four secret sites in a NSW Government initiative to save the species. The endangered Nightcap Oak tree is only found in one region and was severely affected by the 2019/2020 bushfires. The plight of the Nightcap Oak tree is similar to that of the Wollemi Pine, but it’s the lesser known of the two. This species was only discovered in the year 2000, but its origins can be traced back 40 million years to the Gondwana era. The population of Nightcap Oaks north-east of Lismore is the only known population in the wild, and during the recent bushfires, about 20% of the existing trees were destroyed or impacted. More than 500 seeds were able to be collected for propagation in a specialist nursery, but they’re notoriously difficult and slow to grow. Fifty seedlings have been successfully grown of which 20 will be translocated to four secret sites.

BOSCARS Cancelled: The Forbes Business Chamber executive committee took the decision to cancel the BOSCARS for this year due to a lack of available committee members and volunteers to organise the event. “We look forward to holding this event in 2023,” said Fiona Ferguson, Admin & Marketing Coordinator.

HSC Exam Timetable: The HSC exam timetable was released this week marking the final stage of the school journey for Year 12 students. HSC written exams will start on Wednesday, 12th October for 76,000 NSW students with English Paper 1 and finish on Friday, 4th November. Management of the HSC is no small feat, with this year’s schedule running across 18 days, for 126 exams and 780 exam centres.

Seniors Scams: Senior Australians are urged to stay vigilant against scams, as the total cost swindled from older consumers skyrocketed to over $11 million last year. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) received 16,915 reports from seniors in 2021. A total of $6.7 million had been lost through false billing scams, while online shopping scams cost Australian seniors $1.8 million last year. A common example is the purchase of a motor home online via fake websites. NSW Fair Trading guide with up-to-date information for seniors about their consumer rights and how to deal with unscrupulous operators are here visit: www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/help-centre/youth-and-seniors/seniors. The Aging and Disability Commission available resources are here www.ageingdisabilitycommission.nsw.gov.au 

Seedling Bank Grants: Applications are open to school and community groups around Australia for National Tree Day grants and close on Friday, 27th May. Just log in and add your application to your registered 2022 National Tree Day event. The Seedling Bank funds projects of all sizes. There is no upper limit to the amount of funding you can request! To register your event, get more information on The Seedling Bank or apply for a grant, visit treeday.planetark.org. 

Observation Survey Results: The 2021 observation surveys measuring seatbelt wearing rates and illegal mobile phone use in Parkes, Forbes and Condobolin are in with mobile phone usage improving 2%. Only 13 people were observed using a mobile phone compared 85 from the previous survey. The seatbelt wearing rate decreased 3%, with 84 people observed not wearing a seatbelt. The best advice when you are driving is to put your mobile phone on silent or activate the ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ function on your phone.

Forbes Heritage Festival: After the madness of the Elvis Festival last weekend, the Forbes Heritage festival will bring something completely different to town tomorrow (Saturday) in Victoria Park in the heart of Forbes’ heritage district from 10am to 2pm. There will be live demonstrations from heritage trades including blacksmiths, cheese making, woodturning and more, displays on our town’s rich heritage from the Forbes Historical Society and Forbes Family History Group, and some tall tales at the Bush Telegraph stage. Get up close and personal with some amazing vintage vehicles from the Forbes Historical Machinery Association, while the roving bushrangers from the interactive theatre troupe Convict Footprints will set your heart racing with their daring adventures, and the Swamp Dawkins Bush Band are sure to have you dancing. Don’t miss out on the Annual CWA Damper Competition, and demonstration cooked over real coals on site! Deliver your damper entry to the CWA stall at Forbes Heritage Festival in Victoria Park before 10am tomorrow to be in the running. Make sure your entry is on a paper plate with your name and contact number on the bottom.

Vintage and Collectables Fair: In celebration of Heritage Week, Rotary Ipomoea is holding a Vintage & Collectables Fair at Forbes CWA Hall from 10am – 4pm tomorrow with all day tea and scones, and gold coin entry. This is the first time Rotary Ipomoea have tried to hold a vintage and collectables Fair. It will be a great event for those interested in history and collecting, and some items for sale.

Brain and Body Workshops: The 2022 Grease and Oil Change Workshops will return for the 7th consecutive year as a free event. These not-for-profit gatherings were started by Cherie Quade in 2015 as a way of creating conversation in our community about mental health, wellbeing and real-life stories of how people in rural communities stay afloat when the rest of the world seems like a lot. Rather than having one large gathering, there will be several smaller workshops to accommodate different schedules and needs. The next one-hour workshop will be an online event on Sunday, 8th May from 7:30 – 8:30pm presented by Amanda Bainbridge. Join in to turn off the fight or flight reflex and treat the symptoms of your stress in the privacy of your own home. Find out more and register for this FREE event here: https://stressrecovery.eventbrite.com.au/

The Parkes Phoenix Photo Booth: Get a printed memento to take home to the family! We are very excited to be launching our photo booth this year at Packed Cones Gelato in the main street (Coles carpark). The photo booth will be open on Friday, 22nd April and Saturday, 23rd April from 10am. Come dressed in your best outfit, we will take your photo in front of a Speedway banner and print the photo on the spot! Various sizes available, from postcard to poster! You will also receive a special folder for your photos to keep them safe. Get a memento of your time at the Parkes Elvis Festival, and put it in a frame when you get home.

Devonshire Teas: The Red Cross Rooms in Church Street will be open on Thursday, 21st, Friday, 22nd, and Saturday, 23rd April festival offering coffee, tea, sandwiches and slice from 9am to 3pm. Take away also available. Come and support the volunteers at the Red Cross.

Free Entertainment At Cooke Park Pavilion: The new Cooke Park Pavilion is ready for its very first Elvis Festival and there is going to be a massive program of entertainment on offer for everybody to enjoy for free! Some of the fabulous artists to perform on the Cooke Park main stage are Dean Vegas, Damion Mullin, Soul Movers, Jack Gatto, and also the Parkes trio Amitie, and lots more.

More Free Entertainment: The Parkes CBD will be transformed into a giant party with music around every corner during the five days of the Elvis Festival. Apart from the performances at the Cooke Park main stage, there is also the Memphis Satellite stage in Festival Boulevard featuring a wide range of artists, including Parkes’ very own Gracie Jones, Barry Green and Amitie. In addition, you will meet buskers on just about every street corner and in between as you wander the main street following your fabourite tunes.

Call Out To Bearded Humans: There will be a Parkes Elvis Festival Bearded Photo Shoot outside Inkredible Tattoo Studio in Clarinda Street on Friday, 22nd April at 6pm. All beards are welcome – long or short!

Follow Us: Stay up to date with photos of events at the festival by following The Parkes Phoenix on Facebook and Instagram. You can also sign up for a digital copy of today’s paper at www.parkesphoenix.com.au.

Five Days Of Double Demerits: Double demerit points will apply on NSW roads from today, 14th April until Monday, 18th April (inclusive) for all speeding, seatbelt, motorcycle helmet and mobile phone offences. Police will also be targeting other high-risk driver behaviour, including the four Ds- drink, drug, dangerous and distracted driving. Parkes Highway Patrol Sergeant Martin Ling said with COVID restrictions all but gone and state borders re-opened Police were expecting people to take full advantage of being able to holiday across NSW and interstate this year. “We want everyone to arrive at their destination, to enjoy Easter with loved ones, and return home safely. That’s why all available Highway Patrol Officers will be working. Remember to slow down, schedule plenty of breaks, limit distractions in the car, don’t mix drinking with driving and ensure you and all your passengers are wearing seatbelts.”

Grant For Wiradjuri Dreaming Centre: The Forbes Wiradjuri Dreaming Centre Indigenous Corporation has received a helping hand in the form of a grant from the Federal Government Stronger Communities Programme (SCP) to restore and enhance a water-damaged courtyard. The community organisation received a $11,654 grant to enhance the centre’s outdoor space for the community to gather, reflect, celebrate and learn about Wiradjuri culture. Centre manager Aunty Aileen Allen said the grant was needed badly.

CSIRO To End Plastic Waste: CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, will tackle Australia’s plastic pollution challenges, pledging to help Australia reduce its plastic waste by 80% over this decade. Australians consume one million tonnes of single use plastic each year – with just 12% recycled. Three-quarters of the plastic found along Australia’s coastline is single-use plastics. CSIRO’s Chief Executive Larry Marshall said the challenge was far bigger than any one institution and needed a Team Australia approach. “By turning plastic waste into a renewable resource, the Mission will deliver collaborative scientific and manufacturing capabilities to drive new technologies across the entire plastics supply chain and grow Australia’s circular economy.”

Bush Photography: Rural Aid’s hugely popular Spirit of the Bush photography competition has returned with more than 250 entries already received in the first week of the competition. A set of 12 photographs will be picked for Rural Aid’s 2023 calendar. Entries can be made here: www.ruralaid.org.au/spirit-of-the-bush or by tagging #SOTB2022 in your Instagram or Facebook posts. The closing date is 30th May.

Country Mayors Association: Forbes Shire Mayor Phyllis Miller has been elected to the executive of the Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA). The new executive team was elected at the AGM on Friday, 11th March with Cr Ken Keith OAM (Mayor of Parkes Shire) returning as chairman, and Councillor Jamie Chaffey (Mayor of Gunnedah Shire Council) elected deputy chair. The seven other country Mayors elected to the Executive are Cr Craig Davies (Narromine Shire Council), Cr Rick Firman OAM (Temora Shire Council), Cr Russel Fitzpatrick (Bega Valley Shire Council), Cr John Medcalf OAM (Lachlan Shire Council), Cr Sue Moore (Singleton Council), Cr Kylie Thomas (Kyogle Council), and Cr Russell Webb, (Tamworth Regional Council). Kent Boyd PSM, General Manager Parkes Shire Council, was elected secretary/public officer. Priority areas for the CMA include working with the State Government to close the gap between health services in the regions and metropolitan areas, ensuring towns have sustainable water supplies and to ensure the financial sustainability of local government.

Free Online Holiday Fun: Code Camp is offering two free build-your-own games this school holiday for kids living outside of major cities. In the free online tutorial kids can choose to make the game Super Slimer, guiding a friendly slime blob collecting coins and avoiding baddies, and Firewall, where a heroic wizard or witch wards off evil spirits. To access the free online lessons visit www.codecampworld.com

Wagga Wagga Medical School: The $21 million Wagga Wagga Medical School has been given the green light to start works with development approval granted. “The very first thing I did when I became Deputy Prime Minister was to establish the Murray Darling Medical Schools Network, which comprises of schools in Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga in NSW and Bendigo, Mildura and Shepparton in Victoria,” said Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack.

New Employment Program: Not-for-profit employment, training, education and apprenticeship service provider VERTO has been selected to deliver Workforce Australia services in Forbes, Parkes and the Central West for the next six years from 1st July. Workforce Australia is the Department of Education, Skills and Employment’s new employment model to deliver simple and efficient solutions to assist local job seekers and employers. Workforce Australia will enable job seekers to self-manage, while those with greater needs will be supported by experienced VERTO consultants. For more information visit www.dese.gov.au/workforce-australia.

 

Remember To Turn Your Clock Back: Daylight Saving ends on Sunday, 3rd April when we turn our clocks back one hour from 3am to 2am. Sunrise and sunset will be about one hour earlier on Sunday.

Checking Fuelcheck: The NSW government is encouraging customers to check the NSW FuelCheck app to help find the state’s best value fuel before filling up at the bowser. The app is easy to use and allows you to compare prices at local petrol stations to find the best deal by location, price or fuel type. The app displays the price for more than 2,400 petrol stations across NSW with users also able to set up alerts for when the price drops under a certain threshold. For more information on FuelCheck and to download the app visit: https://www.fuelcheck.nsw.gov.au/app

Have Your Say: Parents, carers and educators are invited to take part in the consultation for the Department of Education’s Parent and Carers Engagement Framework that will outline how the education sector can work more closely with parents and carers to improve student outcomes. Parents can have a say about the best ways for their school to communicate with them and what can be improved on. The new framework will help parents and carers to better understand their rights, responsibilities and choices in the education system and have access to timely information about their child’s learning, development and wellbeing. To have your say, visit the NSW Government ‘Have Your Say’ website www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/engagement-framework to 30th April.

Miss Priscilla: It is time to start preparations for the Miss Priscilla competition at this year’s Parkes Elvis Festival. The winner of Miss Priscilla becomes the Face of the Festival at the Goodsell Machinery Miss Priscilla Dinner on Thursday, 21st April. Being crowned Miss Priscilla brings instant fame as she will make special appearances at many of the festival’s wonderful events and will enjoy all the perks of being crowned Elvis’ leading lady for the weekend. There are also some great prizes to be won. There are also two other competitions on the night: Hairstyles of the 60’s and Miss Speedway. Simply recreate the gorgeous 1960s hairstyles or have some fun with Speedway inspired novelty hairstyles. To enter the competitions and to purchase tickets for the night go to www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au

Generous Donation: Laurel Vale Station donated four Angus steers at Forbes cattle sale to be auctioned off with all proceeds donated to a specific organisation to help out with the NSW and QLD floods. The steers were sold to Nutrien Forbes for $10,000 and they put them back up for auction and made $6,285. This means a grand total of $16,285 was raised!

Overture Shuttle Bus: There will be a special shuttle bus running from Forbes to Parkes return for Overture on 2nd April. The cost is $10 + booking fees per person, and the bus will depart from and return to Forbes Town Hall. Leave your car at home, and relax and enjoy the evening. Remember you can BYO to this event. There will also be a licenced bar and takeaway food options at the event with plenty of local cafes, restaurants, pubs and clubs surrounding Cooke Park. Spaces are limited, so please pre-book at https://www.123tix.com.au/events/31184/forbes-parkes-overture-shuttle#content Tickets to Overture are still available via www.123tix.com.au/events/23498/overture

Indigenous Celebration: Lions Park will come alive on Friday, 8th April for a fun-filled afternoon to celebrate our indigenous community from 4:30-8pm. There will be cultural activities, arts and craft, interactive displays plus bungee trampolines, pedal boats on the lake (from 3 – 6pm), Girri Girri games (until 6:30pm), and a drumming workshop. The first 300 attendees will receive a $10 voucher to spend at any of the food vans at the event! Complete all the activities in your free event passport and go in the draw to win awesome prizes! A free bus will depart Jenny Murphy Park at 4:30pm, and return trip departs Lions Park at 8pm. For more information contact Council’s Community Relations Officer at community@forbes.nsw.gov.au or 6850 2300.

Calling Artists: Creatives from across regional NSW have the opportunity to develop artwork that shares their perspective on the future for the regions. Regional Futures is a two-year statewide creative project funded by Create NSW and delivered by the NSW Regional Arts Network representing 15 member organisations. An Expression of Interest process is currently open and applications close 28th March. The artists selected from each region will become a part of a group of 15 creatives. For more information www.regionalfutures.net.au

Holiday Fun: It’s just two weeks until the school holidays start. Check out the Forbes Youth Action Team facebook page and sign up for the amazing school holiday events www.facebook.com/FYouthAT

Correction: The Rotary project number for flood donations is Project 47-2021-22 and not Project 48-2021-22 as was reported in last week’s story. Club president Chris Finkel requested that donors look for Project 47 by going to the Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) website, click-on “Projects” and enter 47-2021-22 to donate to the flood recovery.

Can you play an instrument? The Forbes Town and District Band is doing a membership drive and would love to hear from you. “We are searching in earnest for rusty, lapsed or budding musicians to join our community band,” said Sue-anne Nixon, publicity officer. The band meets on Monday nights from 6pm-7pm for learners, and 7pm -9pm for main band members. The band hall is at 165 Rankin Street- opposite Bernardi’s. We welcome experienced, lapsed or learners. Contact the band leader Hannah, on 0402 039 785 for more information.

Child Protection Framework: Weaving the Net is a community development project which works with the Aboriginal community, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers, government, and non-government organisations to develop a local child protection framework. Agencies in the local area are also invited to participate so that they can assist in providing services. The involvement of community members and service providers is integral to the success of the program. Join the Opening Forum on 22nd and 23rd March from 10am to 3pm at the Uniting Church Hall, 27 Browne Street in Forbes. Contact Debbie Gaudie on 6850 1234 for more information.

Buckle Up In School Bus: Students in regional communities can now buckle up and ride to and from school more safely with seatbelts installed in every dedicated school bus in rural and regional NSW. Under the $237 million seatbelt program more than 2,500 buses were fitted with seatbelts. For more information on the program, visit: www.transport.nsw.gov.au/operations/buses-and-coaches/rural-and-regional-seatbelt-program-taskforce

Country Arts Support: Arts OutWest is calling for people with exciting small local arts projects in mind to apply for the Country Arts Support Program (CASP). The CASP 2022 round is focused on community-based, locally developed arts and heritage activities to benefit people in the Central West. Applications can be for $500 up to $3,000 for projects happening between 1st June and 31st December. Applications close at 5pm on Thursday, 21st April. To apply check the guidelines at artsoutwest. org.au and call Arts OutWest to discuss your proposal on 6338 4657.

Boosting Teacher Numbers: More teachers are on their way to public school classrooms across NSW with the opening of the next round of applications for two NSW Government teaching programs. The Mid- Career Transition to Teaching program attracts mid-career professionals into a Masters of Teaching to become a high school Mathematics, Science or Technology or Applied Studies teacher, working part-time in a school after six months, with intensive wraparound support to make the shift to teaching. The FASTstream targets teaching graduates and experienced teachers with leadership ambition and talent to accelerate their career journey.