CanAssist Forbes Branch: Another great supporter of CanAssist is Forbes River­side Gardens. The group recently donated $1,500 from the proceeds of their mothers day morning tea. CanAssist Forbes branch thank them for their generous support.

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

NSW Government: As of 15 August 2025, it is a crime in NSW to incite hatred against someone because of their race. This includes colour, nationality, ethnicity, descent, or ethno-religious background. Public acts done intentionally to encourage racial hatred, whether in person, online, or in public spaces, can result in fines or im­prisonment. You can still share your views, have discussions, and ask questions, as long as it doesn’t encourage others to hate people based on race. Learn more about the law here: bit.ly/law-against-racial-ha­tred

Galari River Arts Forbes inc: Just Ad Kids is a 3-day filmmaking program for kids aged 10+. Come along as we make a TV ad and play your part in our production! Club Forbes, 29 and 30 September and 1 October 2025. This free event is the perfect start to the school holidays https://events.humanitix.com/just-ad-kids

R U OK? You don’t have to fix their prob­lem. Just sit, listen and be there. Remem­ber, sometimes actions speak louder than words.

Uniting Church Monday Monthly Meal: enjoy the free Monday monthly meal at the Uniting Church Hall in Parkes, 1 Septem­ber. Doors open at 5.45pm for 6pm serving of a delicious two course meal. All are wel­come to attend.

Central West Lachlan Landcare Inc: CWLL was at Peak Hill for the official an­nouncement from Western NSW Local Health District’s Health Promotion team that Peak Hill and Gilgandra are the two finalists for the 2025-26 Building Healthy Communities Challenge. The Challenge, which will run between 1 September 2025 and 3 April 2026 aims to empower towns with fewer than 5,000 people to take con­trol of their health by providing funding and assistance to implement a community-led health initiative.

Henry Parkes Museum: As Patron of the Henry Parkes Museum, NSW State Mem­ber for Orange Philip Donato MP had the honour of officially opening the Earl Sy­monds Blacksmith Shop at the museum yesterday. Parkes’ blacksmithing history has been revived with the freshly restored blacksmith’s shop, which is the site of Parkes’ first blacksmith – Earl Symonds, after whom this working gallery is named.

This museum is amazing, and if you’ve never been it’s recommend you visit.

Want to save money and reduce food waste at home? Join the Love Food Chal­lenge this September. You’ll also get sim­ple, practical tips to help you waste less food (up to 8kg), cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and save around $160 on groceries. Sign up here bit.ly/LoveFoodChallenge.

Central West Local Land Services: Struggling with poor-performing pad­docks? Salinity could be the hidden prob­lem – even if you can’t see it. Dryland sa­linity is a growing issue in our region that can quietly reduce your crop and pasture yields. Come along to a free workshop and find out how to detect salinity early and pro­tect your farm’s productivity. Held at Goon­umbla (north of Parkes) on Wednesday 17 September. Register now https://comms.lls.nsw.gov.au/pub/pubType/EO/pubID/zzzz674f8048a947c035/interface.html

Parkes Shire Libraries: Our very own Parkes Library and Cultural Centre will be host to Questacon’s touring exhibition ‘Fascinating Science’ for two months! This should give everyone lots of opportunity to visit many, many times. School and com­munity groups can book in by calling the Parkes Library.

NSW Reconstruction Authority: A Resil­ient Homes Expo will be held in Eugowra on Wednesday 3 September, 4pm-7pm.

The Expo is aimed at homeowners eligible for the Resilient Homes Program who want to make their homes more flood resilient.

Homeowners can speak with representa­tives from councils, RA, SafeWork NSW, Building Commission NSW, and other in­dustry associations and businesses that are helping to deliver resilient building services in the Central West. Register for this free event https://comms.reconstruc­tion.nsw.gov.au/pub/pubType/EO/pubID/zzzz6870789f18b34889/interface.html

Can Assist Forbes Branch: Another great supporter of Canassist is Forbes Riverside Gardens. Pictured are Di Buckman and Gail Irvine presenting a cheque for $1500 to Cheryl and Rex Barton from Canassist.

The donation was proceeds from fundraising at their recent mothers day morning tea.

Forbes Shire Council: Come along to our Welcome to Town event – a great chance to connect with locals, learn about services and activities, and discover everything our town has to offer. Please RSVP by Thurs­day 14 August to events@forbes.nsw.gov.au or 6850 2300.

Royal Flying Doctor Service of Austral­ia: Join Oceans to Outback and walk 87km to keep the Flying Doctor flying. That’s just 2.8km a day. It’s a rewarding fitness chal­lenge that saves lives. Walk 87km during October to keep the Flying Doctor flying to Aussies in remote, rural and regional areas. Plus, they’ll send you a free t-shirt as a reward for fundraising. Imagine how incredible you’ll feel. Sign up today: www.oceanstooutback.org.au

Rural Women’s Network: Know an in­spiring woman making a real difference? Now’s the time to shine a spotlight on them! Nominations are open for the NSW Women of the Year Awards 2026. Celebrating trail­blazers, change makers, quiet achievers and role models from every walk of life. Nominate someone for one of these cat­egories: NSW Premier’s Woman of Excel­lence, NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year, NSW Community Hero, NSW Regional Woman of the Year, NSW Young Woman of the Year, Ones to Watch. Nominations close 9 September 2025. The recipients of the awards will be announced at the NSW Women of the Year Awards ceremony, Thursday 5 March. Don’t miss the chance to recognise someone extraordinary: nsw.gov.au/wotya26

RSL NSW: The RSL NSW Wellbeing Sup­port Officer Program is a statewide strate­gic initiative to reach more veterans and families than ever before, providing con­nection, camaraderie and support services to the community. More than 350 people have completed their WSO training, with more than 150 being authorised by their sub-Branch to work in their local commu­nity. Here are the five steps to become a WSO: https://rslnsw.org.au/news/infographic-5-steps-to-become-a-wellbeing-support-officer/

Parkes Elvis Festival: Entries are now open for the Busking Championships. Come and cheer on your favourite busker while they are being scored on Friday & Saturday afternoon. The top three buskers perform for the title of Busking Champion in the finals on the Cooke Park Main Stage on Sunday afternoon. Enter here: bit.ly/PEF­busking

National BBQ Championships Forbes: Calling all grill masters! Think you’ve got what it takes to be crowned BBQ royalty? Join the 2025 National BBQ Champion­ships in Forbes this October and show off your grilling skills on Saturday 18 and Sun­day 19 October at Grinstead Oval, Forbes. Register your team here: https://shorturl.at/JmzU1

Parkes Shire Council: Let’s skip the bot­tled drinks and make a splash with reusable water bottles. Make the switch from singleuse plastic water bottles and choose reus­able bottles. Every refill at a water station or tap means one less water bottle ending up in landfill or our rivers and bushlands. Imagine the collective impact if everyone made this simple switch.

NSW Fair Trading: Buying second-hand to save money? Keep in mind that most consumer guarantees don’t apply to pri­vate sales between two people. Refunds? No. Replacements? Unlikely. Repairs? Don’t count on it. Find out what consumer rights you have and how to check that sec­ond hand products are safe: https://www.productsafety.gov.au/consumers/knowyour-product-safety-rights/buy-safe-sec­ond-hand-products-online

Country Women’s Association (CWA) of NSW: For those who work full time, we have a number of branches that meet in the evenings or on weekends. But even if you can’t make it to meetings, CWA mem­bers are able to contribute in many differ­ent ways -you don’t have to attend every meeting. Search for your branch at: https://cwaofnsw.org.au/branches

Elders Limited: The Elders 2026 Calen­dar competition is back again, so get your cameras ready! From outback beauty to everyday brilliance on the land, it’s time to showcase the people, places, and mo­ments that define rural Australia. Apply to­day: https://bit.ly/4aJWKA5

Rural Health Pro: Nominations closing soon. The Excellence in Rural/Remote Health Administration Award honours out­standing healthcare administrators who have made a significant impact in rural/re­mote healthcare. Visit the website for more information and to nominate yourself or an­other worthy individual: www.ruralhealth­pro.org/s/awards/health-admin

AWN Parkes: Glen and Sharon Woods merino lambs sold to a new national merino lamb record of $420 per head on Tuesday 29 July at Forbes Central West Livestock Exchange. Cooper and the team at AWN Langlands Hanlon would like to congratu­late the Cooks Myalls team on such an in­credible achievement.

Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society: From the directors of Frozen… Well, we have done and dusted our final dress re­hearsal for Frozen Jr. We officially open this coming Friday night, 25th July. And what a show it will be with 46 of the most talented juniors in our district. If you haven’t yet got tickets, get in quick. Only running over three weekends with most shows al­ready very close to sold out. This show is suited to children of all ages. Tickets avail­able at www.parkesmandd.com.au

Central West Police District: One of the biggest challenges in solving crimes is ac­cessing CCTV footage from areas near the scene. To strengthen our ability to in­vestigate and respond effectively, Central West Police District is asking for your sup­port. If you own a CCTV system, please consider registering it at www.police.nsw.gov.au/online_services/register_my_business_cctv_details. Your participation could make a vital difference in keeping our com­munity safe.

Red Bend Catholic College: Look for­ward to welcoming ex-students back to Forbes on Saturday, 23 August. If you would like to organise a tour of the College, please email jacquigreig@redbendcc.nsw.edu.au

Parkes Clean Future Alliance: Have you received your ‘Have your say’ letter from Philip Donato MP? Check your let­terbox. Every person in the Parkes Shire should have a voice in this important dis­cussion. If you haven’t received your let­ter, there’s a scanned letter that you can fill in and return. Give it a few more days if your copy has yet to arrive in the mail. Otherwise, the scanned copy is avail­able at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Z5Njdfh4h/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Save The Date: Tickets are now available for the 2025 Parkes Show Dinner to be held on Saturday 16 August at the Coach­man Hotel Motel Parkes. It will be an even­ing dedicated to formally presenting the entrants in the 2025 Parkes Show Ray White Rural Young Woman and Teenager Competitions. Tickets cost $60 per person and are available from the Show Office in Welcome St, Parkes.

Roylances Tractor Replacements: The team at Roylances Tractor Replacements has celebrated a significant milestone this week – a tremendous 49 years for John Pearce, who has been a valuable employ­ee of Roylances! John is an integral mem­ber of our team, congratulations on achiev­ing this anniversary with us. Throughout all these years, John’s talents, effort, knowl­edge and pride have helped our team’s success. Thank you JP.

Hansen Optometrists Parkes: Last month our Monday optometrist Bahar, joined @onesight in Fiji to provide eyecare to remote communities. She found the ex­perience deeply rewarding and impactful. Between makeshift clinics, friendly locals, and a bit of “Fiji time,” she came back with new skills, a few Fijian words, and plenty of great memories.

Kerin Health: Is Your Toddler a Sensory Seeker? Or you baby starting to explore the world around them? Join our Little Movers or Busy Babies Group on Fridays and learn lots of quick and easy ways to help your toddler thrive (and have a coffee in the sun with another parent while the kids go crazy, this is the best bit!) Book online now www.kerinhealth.com.au/sensory-playgroup

Red Bend Catholic College: A mesasge for ex-students. Red Bend Catholic Col­lege looks forward to welcoming ex-stu­dents back to Forbes on Saturday, 23 Au­gust. If you would like to organise a tour of the College, please email jacquigreig@redbendcc.nsw.edu.au

Flood Recovery Support is Still Avail­able: Recovering from the 2022 Central West NSW floods takes time, and every journey is different. If you or someone you know is still impacted, GIVIT is here to help.

GIVIT provides support to get people back on their feet as they move through recov­ery. If you or someone you know needs a helping hand, please register with GIVIT at the link below. For help or information, visit: https://www.givit.org.au/person-in-need

Parkes Shire Council: Are you a local Parkes Shire not-for-profit or community based organisation looking for a helping hand? Round 1 of Parkes Shire Council’s Community Financial Assistance Program is open for applications. This round in­cludes General grants of up to $1,000.00 for a specific purpose or event, and Leas­ing and Licencing grants. For more infor­mation or to apply, visit: bit.ly/ParkesShire­Grants

Yoorana Gunya Family Healing Centre Aboriginal Corporation: Yoorana Gunya & Binaal Billa NAIDOC Day 2025. Thanks to the fantastic workers for your work on the event, Dinawan’s Connection, Chatty’s Music, Indigenous Cultural Adventures and Essjay Photography for the beautiful pic­tures.Thank you to aunty Mavis and Cheryl for the Johnny Cakes, Greg and Luke from Zinfra for the assistance and everyone who attended to help celebrate the day.

Forbes Shire Council NAIDOC Celebra­tions 2025: Our community came together to celebrate NAIDOC Week with pride, re­spect, and unity. We kicked off the day with a powerful march from the South Circle Oval to the Wiradjuri Dreaming Centre, fol­lowed by a moving traditional fire ceremo­ny, flag raising, and vibrant cultural dances. The afternoon was filled with celebration – from the official ceremony, award pres­entations, and delicious BBQ, to hands-on cultural activities, arts and crafts, and in­teractive displays. Let’s continue to honour and celebrate the oldest living culture on Earth.

Inland Rail: Have you been keeping up with Inland Rail’s progress or would you like to know more about Australia’s larg­est infrastructure project? At Inland Rail, we need your feedback to make sure that what we say and do is meeting the needs and expectations of project com­munities. All we ask is 10 minutes of your time to complete the survey. Please type this link into your web browser https://survey-au.yoursurveynow.com/survey/selfserve/53b/2506202?list=0 Please complete this survey before Mon­day 14 July 2025.

Kerin Health: Calling all Parkes and Forbes families – don’t wait until summer, swimming lessons are available now with Kerin Health so book your child’s place to­day. Kerin Health have just released new classes for swimming lessons and now is your chance to grab a spot and keep the momentum going for your child’s swim­ming skills. ⁠Swimming lessons for term 3 will be held at the Forbes Indoor Heated Pool, commencing on 28 July, running for a six week term. Don’t miss out, follow the link to book now www.kerinhealth.com.au/swimming-lessons

Parkes Shire Council: Parkes Shire Council is proud to announce the two local groups awarded funding through the 2025 Cultural Grants Program.

• Parkes Community Arts $6,000 to ex­pand their successful Who Is Parkes photographic trail

• Peak Hill Pastoral Agricultural & Hor­ticultural Association $4,000 to deliver Crafting Connections creative work­shops at the 120th Peak Hill Show

Since launching, Council’s Cultural Grants Program has provided almost $95,000 to support over 30 community-led cultural, musical and artistic initiatives across the Shire. To learn more about the program, visit: www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.

TAFE NSW Forbes: We’re excited to bring you a special pop-up library at Forbes TAFE Campus! This temporary setup en­sures you still have access to all TAFE re­sources while we search for a permanent space. Whether you need study materials, research assistance, or just a quiet place to read, we’ve got you covered.

Parkes Potters: Do your kids want to get creative these upcoming holidays? Parkes Potter’s are running a children’s workshop for the school holidays on Wednesday 9 July. Phone 0427 342 751 for more infor­mation and bookings.

Women NSW: Every day, 58 people will learn they have breast cancer. More than 21,000 breast cancer diagnoses are ex­pected nationally this year, which will in­clude 6,500 in NSW alone. Breast cancer is still a leading cause of cancer death among women. Early detection and access to in­novative clinical trials are critical to improv­ing survival rates and quality of life. Find more information about breast cancer trials by visiting: tacklebreastcancer.com.au

Parkes Elvis Festival: Applications are OPEN to have a market stall at the 2026 Parkes Elvis Festival. Apply here: bit.ly/PEFmarkets Applications close 30 July 2025.

Plastic Free July: Forbes Shire Council is proud to be part of Plastic Free July, a global movement helping millions of people reduce plastic waste for cleaner streets, parks, rivers, and communities. From saying no to single-use plastics to mak­ing simple swaps at home or work, every action counts. Are you ready to take the challenge? Join us this July and make a pledge to reduce single-use plastic in your daily life. Together, we can create lasting change. Sign up here: www.plasticfreejuly.org/take-the-challenge

R U OK? Checking in with someone can take away the pressure to reach out for help. It lets someone know it’s OK to not be OK and gives them permission to talk about what they’re going through. For more tips on having meaningful conversations, visit www.ruok.org.au/how-to-ask

NSW Rock Camp: Parkes High School music students, Bohdi and Huntur partici­pated in the Western NSW Rock Camp in Dubbo last week. All the students in at­tendance had a blast and participated in a week of learning new skills and working with a range of people. What an awesome experience for these talented students!

Parkes Shire Council: While the full de­tails are still to come, we’re hopeful the NSW Budget announcement of $27 million for the repair and restoration of water and sewer infrastructure in the Central West damaged by the 2022 severe weather and flooding may deliver positive outcomes for Parkes Shire. Thank you to Philip Do­nato MP and everyone who has strongly advocated for flood-impacted communi­ties across our region. We look forward to learning more about what this means for Parkes.

Companions Thru Cancer: Companions Thru Cancer Inc held a soup luncheon on Wed 18th June in the Red Cross Rooms. A big ‘thank you’ to the hard working Com­mittee who catered for the event and the volunteers who helped out on the day. Also special thanks to the business houses, shops and the general community for sup­porting the luncheon. The raffle was drawn by Sister Kath and won by Wendy Van Der Wel.

Central West Local Land Services: Farmers across the Central West are invit­ed to join a powerful, 3-year journey toward greater profitability, resilience, and perfor­mance. Through the Farm Benchmarking Project, you’ll gain exclusive access to confidential, data-backed insights compar­ing your business performance with likeminded producers in the region. Whether you’re navigating a tough season or plan­ning ahead, this program brings clarity and confidence to the decisions that matter most. The deadline is June 30 on this sub­sidised opportunity https://bit.ly/4cWt8SX

Central West Police District: Have you heard about the NSW Police Next Of Kin (NOK) Program? The NOK program ena­bles vulnerable people or people living alone to record their emergency contact details with the NSW Police Force. Please consider if this program would benefit you or someone you know. Just complete the NOK Registration form which you can pick up from any police station or download from the NSW police website or via the link: https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/572394/next-of-kin-program-application-form.pdf

Evolution Mining Northparkes Opera­tions: The Northparkes Community Invest­ment Program supported the Forbes Men’s Shed to concrete a wide access path for users. Have a project your organisation would like support for? Simply go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/DDR2TN2