Forbes Arts Society: The 2024 Windmill Trust Scholarship for Regional NSW Artists is open for applications. This award opens up avenues for regional artists seeking to further their professional development, ex­hibition opportunities or deepen research with a $10,000 scholarship. Applications will close Monday 2nd September, 11.59pm. Apply now: https://regionalartsnsw.com.au/windmill-trust-scholarship-2024/

Lifeline: This Loneliness Awareness Week, Ending Loneliness Together, is sharing real stories to spark conversations about why we feel lonely and encouraging all Australians to create a culture of con­nection at home, work, school and in the community. Play your part: www.lonelines­sawarenessweek.com.au

Kerin Health: Are proud to now offer regu­lar Physiotherapy clinics in four locations across the Central West. Would you like to see a regular Kerin Health Physiotherapy clinic in your town? Let the team at Kerin Health know! For all bookings, head to their website: www.kerinhealth.com.au/book-an-appointment

1800RESPECT: Safety planning is think­ing about things you can do to be safer when living with violence or abuse. To create your own safety plan, you can get help from a trusted friend or family mem­ber. You can also use a support service like 1800RESPECT. You can learn more on our website: https://www.1800respect.org.au/help-and-support/safety-planning/checklist

Galari River Arts Forbes Inc: Indulge your taste buds with a world of flavours at our Festival! Oh So Sugar, A Taste of Greece, Trang Hue Vietnamese food and our Rotary Van will sort you out. You can even pack your own picnic. Galari River Arts Festival Forbes, 10th August at Lion’s Park, 9am till late.

Create NSW: Applications are now open for Regional Arts Touring Round 1. Funding consists of two categories: up to $60,000 for Small Tours and up to $120,000 for Large Tours, which will deliver world-class arts and cultural experiences to tens of thousands of people in every corner of NSW. Find out more https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/regional-arts-tour­ing-for-individuals/groups.

Parkes Shire Council: Council is excited to share that Stage 2 of the Kelly Reserve precinct upgrade works is progressing well. Stage 2 includes: A ninja course, An inclu­sive carouse, Toddler equipment These works are on track for a September com­pletion. To stay up to date with this project, visit: bit.ly/ParkesNinjaPark

Parkes Elvis Festival: Applications for the Evolution Mining Northparkes Operations Street Parade are now open! Northparkes Street Parade is a festival-fan favourite, taking place on Saturday 11th January, 2025 at 10am along Festival Boulevard.

Sign up here to walk, ride, drive or float: https://bit.ly/ElvisParade

Kerin Health: The founder of Kerin Health, Rach, has created a new instagram page to share some tips, and her writing. If you’re a female in business or a leadership role – she’s got a passion for you, and has lots of great content to share to help women be the best version of themselves. We highly recommend you add her to your Instagram feed! You can follow her @rach.kerin

Parkes Shire Council: A friendly reminder there are guidelines in place when bringing your fury friends to Council’s cemeteries, parks and sporting grounds in the Shire.

Always remember to pick up after your dog, if your dog is being exercised in an approved off-leash area, your dog must be under effective control by a competent per­son, dogs are only permitted in cemeter­ies if they are on an appropriate lead. For information visit: bit.ly/CompanionAnimal­Guidelines.

Forbes Youth Action Team: The theme for Local Government Week 2024 is “Your Voice, Your Council”. This week aims to help move the conversation beyond roads, rates and rubbish, to the important and farreaching role Councils play as the hub of the community. Over the next week check out Forbes Shire Council’s socials to gain insight into their roles and responsibilities in the community.

Central West Credit Union: Our branches will be closed on Monday, 5th August for the Bank Holiday. We will reopen on Tues­day, 6th August. You can still manage your finances seamlessly via secure Internet Banking or via our mobile app, available 24/7, from anywhere.

Parkes Show Society: The Young Farm­ers Challenge will be on again at the 2024 Parkes Show. Criteria is simple, you must be older then 15 and can get a team of 4 together. $1,000 prize money up for grabs thanks to sponsor Dwyer Contracting. Don’t forget, tickets are now available for the 2024 Parkes Show. Three day show pass­es will be available online at www.123tix.

com.au. until 11:59pm Sunday 25th August or at the Show office before close of busi­ness Friday 23rd August. Get in early to beat the crowds!

Red Bend Catholic College: College Alumni and Raiders Jersey Flegg assistant coach, Darby Medlyn, presented the u14s boys rugby league team with their jerseys ahead of the Cochrane Cup state semifinal in Canberra earlier this week.

Neighbourhood Central: Neighbourhood Central hosted The Hon Natasha Maclaren-Jones MLC to their head office in Parkes.

Natasha is the Shadow Minister for Fami­lies and Communities, Disability Inclusion, Homelessness and Youth. The Family Sup­port team provide events and services such as Parkes Paint the Town REaD, literacy events, supported playgroups, Boori Easter community event at Peak Hill, supported parenting programs, youth groups and case management. The Neighbourhood Centre at Parkes and the Community Hub at Peak Hill are vital resources for community sup­port and information.

Galari – River – Arts Forbes Inc: “Com­munity” & “Friendly”…says it all! Every Wednesday we’ve been meeting at Club Forbes.We thoroughly appreciate the space and assistance provided to us during our planning journey this year. Established in 1918; Club Forbes’ commitment to the Forbes community is truly embedded. Sup­port the club that supports our town.

Rural Women’s Network: Do you want to learn how to capture your audience’s at­tention through compelling videos? Don’t miss out on the next TAFE NSW – Women in Business webinar, Social Media Video Strategies for Success. Wednesday 31st July, 12pm-1pm. Hosted by digital market­ing expert Laura Prael, who was the recent winner of two prestigious Business NSW

awards, Outstanding Business Leader, 2022 – regional and state titles and Excel­lence in Small Business, 2022 and 2023 – regional title. Register now at https://www.tafenswevents.com.au/event/women-inbusiness—social-media-video-strategiesfor-success-e8539

Forbes Shire Council: If you are looking for a Council donation or sponsorship (both in-kind or cash contribution) towards a pro­ject or event, Council’s Community Fund­ing round is open, closing on 31st July. For more information https://www.forbes.nsw.gov.au or contact Council’s Community Relations Officer on 6850 2300 or community@forbes.nsw.gov.au

Central West Farming Systems: GRDC Harvester SetUp Workshops are back.

Registrations open now for the Tichborne GRDC Harvester SetUp workshop. Learn practical advice to increase harvest efficien­cy, minimise grain losses and prevent fire.

Free and catered event, Thursday 5th Sep­tember. Register at http://bit.ly/43vWe52

Forbes Magpies Junior Rugby League: The GUYS catch up is back on Sunday 28th July from 7:30am at the Boys to the Bush Office by the Lake in Forbes. Come along for ice baths, connections and breathwork.

Register at https://www.talk2mebrocatch­ups.org.au/forbes-guys/

Parkes Golf Club: For those wonder­ing what’s happening at the Parkes Golf Club, they are currently building a new driving range. A huge thanks to the David Thomson McPhersons Parts & Service and Bernard and Matt McCabe Parkes Ready Mixed Concrete, Nathan Munday Builder and Western Temporary Fencing along with our hard working members Rob Sta­ples, Lindsay Elliott, and Bill Bourke.

Forbes Shire Council: Learn essential first aid skills with Forbes Community Re­covery Officers and expert Jack Barnes. From CPR on babies and children to han­dling snake bites, choking, allergies, and asthma, this interactive 2-hour session has got you covered. Morning tea and lunch will be provided. This event hosted during Forbes Playgroup will be held Thursday, 25th July, 10:30am – 12:30pm at Forbes Youth and Community Centre, Battye St, Forbes. Register now and save a life htt­ps://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponseP­age.aspx.

Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd. – ARTC: Do you have children and live near our rail network? ARTC are taking expressions of interest for primary schools interested in having ARTC team members come and educate children about safe be­haviour around the rail corridor – we even have a cool animation to show! If you are interested, please the expressions of inter­est form and we’ll be in touch: bit.ly/3zIdGtT

Parkes Shire Libraries: Each weekday afternoon during school holidays, Parkes Library’s Nintendo Switch can be booked by children and youth for a fun game with friends and family. Book your hourly ses­sion by calling Parkes Library on 6861 2309. Please note: children under 10 must be supervised by an adult.

Cancer Council NSW: Thousands of pas­sionate fundraisers will be supporting can­cer research this Daffodil Day, 22nd Au­gust. Will you be one of them? Fundraise any way you want – at work, online, in your community: wear yellow, take the daffodil day dip, hold an event. Visit www.daffodil­day.com.au to learn more.

Forbes Neighbourhood Watch: Your community needs you. The benefits of vol­unteering include new skills and valuable work experience, making new friends, bet­ter physical and mental health and wellbe­ing, giving something back, improving your confidence, sense of connection to others in the community, and improving how things work for the better. Show your commitment and come along every second Wednesday 6.30pm at the Vandenberg Hotel. All are welcome.

PCYC Parkes: Holidays are here! Forget the stress of trying to entertain your chil­dren at home these holidays. Send them to the PCYC, where they can spend their holidays having fun, participating in activi­ties and meeting new friends. Special offer: every second day at half price.

NSW Electoral Commission: Expres­sions of interest to work at the 2024 NSW Local Government elections are now open. This is a call-out for people with great cus­tomer service skills to work with us. There are a range of roles available. All are paid positions and no election experience is needed. Some roles are for election day only while others are up to several months. Visit our website to register your interest: https://bit.ly/4csLwld.

Parkes Elvis Festival: Calling all Elvis fans and performers! The Parkes Elvis Fes­tival is bringing the Elvis Quest to Chromef­est on Sunday, 27th October. Secure first or second place to win a $200 Visa gift card plus automatic entry into the 2025 Parkes Elvis Festival’s UETA Competition Heat held on Friday 10th January 2025 in Parkes. Don’t miss your chance to show you’ve got what it takes to be the King. For more information, and to apply visit bit.ly/ELVISQUESTCHROMEFEST

Trundle Bush Tucker Day: The commit­tee of the Trundle Bush Tucker Day would like to advise that due to the number of amazing attendees last year, they have made the difficult decision to cap ticket sales. We are strongly encouraging all 2024 attendees to pre-purchase your entry tickets. There will be no guarantee that tick­ets will still be available on the gate on the day. So buy your tickets now, you are able to cancel/refund your tickets up to 7 days before our event. To purchase tickets go to www.123tix.com.au/events/42707/trundlebush-tucker-day-2024

Flannery’s Pharmacy: Next week is Dia­betes Week and the team at Flannery’s Pharmacy will be doing their part by up­grading your BGL machine for free, con­ducting free bloody glucose tests and of­fering free consultations with our very own credentialed diabetes educator, Catherine. Come and see the team in blue to see what we can do for you. Call us on 02 6852 1111 to book in.

Gotcha4Life: Gotcha4Life & Anchor Health are thrilled to invite you and the community to a free mental fitness training day. At Gotcha4Life, we are a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting mental fitness in local communities and this unique opportunity will be held across the Central West NSW region, offering you a chance to learn tools to build your mental fitness and gain a Mental Health First Aid certification.

There are 20 spots available per session so register as soon as possible to secure your place. You can email programs@gotcha4life.org Parkes: Thursday 25th July | 9am – 5pm | Parkes Services Club

Parkes Spacemen Rugby League Page: Ben Lovett, a Parkes Spacemen junior, has been nominated for the Ken Stephen Medal for all the work he has been doing off field for rugby league. Follow the link and vote for Benny https://www.nrl.com/community/awards/ken-stephen-medal/

Forbes Library: Come to Forbes Library and build Lego creations! Lego Club at Forbes Library will be held on Thursday 18 July at 10.30am. There are many benefits to playing with Lego including improved eye and hand coordination, development of spatial skills, persistence and patience, enhanced fine motor skills, problem-solving

skills, achieving a sense of accomplishment, learning how to plan, social skills and teamwork. No experience is necessary, and all Lego will be provided. Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult and those under 12 years need to be signed in and out by an adult. Book your place online via Eventbrite.com.au or call Forbes Library on 6852 1463.

Parkes Shire Council: Parkes Shire Council wishes to advise that applications for Round 1 of the 2024/2025 Community and Destination Events Financial Assistance Program are now open. Council is committed to supporting the development, growth, improvement, and sustainability of local and destination events. For more information, or to apply for assistance, visit: bit.ly/ParkesShireGrants

Lachlan NSW SES: Last Saturday, members from NSW SES Southern Zone and Western Zone teams took on the elements to lead a Flood Rescue Personal Development day in Forbes, NSW. From simulated car rescues to evacuating people stranded by floodwaters, we’re ready for anything Mother Nature throws our way! A big shoutout to our partners: VRA Rescue NSW & AmbulanceNSW for joining us.

Parkes Shire Council: Council is pleased to announce that Stage 2 of the Kelly Reserve precinct upgrade is due to com­mence on Monday 8th July 2024. The new play space will include: Ninja course, inclu­sive carousel and toddler equipment. The existing play area will be fenced off from Tuesday 25th June for pre-work prior to contractor starting on 8 July and is antici­pated to take 6-8 weeks. The new water play space and BBQ facilities will remain open to the public.

Tickets To Agribusiness Today Forum 2024 Are On Sale Now: The Agribusiness Today Forum (ABTF) 2024 is set to be held at the Australian National Field Days site conference center on 1st August. Visit htt­ps://events.humanitix.com/agribusines-today-forum-2024 to secure your ticket for just $49 including lunch.

NSW Government: The NSW Govern­ment will be making the following changes to domestic violence legal processes:

• Tougher bail rules for alleged domestic violence offenders

• Only magistrates or judges will make bail decisions

• More support for remote bail hearings with new tech and extra magistrates

• From 1st July 2024, there will be new laws about coercive control (find out more at bit.ly/NSWCoercive-Control).

If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.auVisit Parkes Region: Join the Central West Car Club Show ‘n Shine on Saturday 19th October at Pioneer Oval, Alexandra St, Parkes. Get ready for a ‘wheelie’ good day with cars, trucks, bikes, anything with wheels. Spectator entry is by gold coin do­nation and gates open from 9am to 3pm.

Entrant entry is $20, gates open early from 7:30am to 9am. All proceeds go to charity.

There will be a canteen on site.

Red Bend Catholic College: The school Vinnies group has been working hard, run­ning school BBQs and an Easter egg fund­raiser to contribute to this important cause, managing to raise $1,000! A special thanks to Bernardi’s Marketplace for providing the Easter eggs. These funds will go towards the local Vinnies Winter Appeal program, used to provide emergency relief for those in immediate need – things like warm blan­kets, clothing, and food. It also helps fund long-term solutions, such as housing as­sistance, counselling, and job training pro­grams.

Parkes Que Club: Parkes Que Club are fortunate in having three fine painters in their Club, and with the help of other not so artistic members, they give painting les­sons to residents of Southern Cross Aged Care Home. They recently spent an after­noon learning how to paint under the guid­ance of Que artists. With tea and scones to keep everyone going, it was an afternoon of great fun and merriment, and the group produced some pretty good artwork too.

If you enjoy helping others, making new friends and having fun as well, please give Parkes Que Club a call on 0407 894 498.

R U OK?Day: It’s OK to sit together in silence. Sometimes people just need to know you’re there for them.

Forbes Youth Action Team: Join Forbes Shire Council on Thursday 18th July for two great watercolour workshops by @Ka­ren Ritchie Art. It will be a day for children to let their inner creative speak. Registra­tion is essential as there are only 10 spots in each session. Make sure to register your child to the correct time slot based on their age. Register via www.forbes.nsw.gov.au

Parkes Shire Libraries: Bookings are now open for the screen printing workshop to be held in Trundle on Wednesday 17th July. Open to students in year 6 to year 12.

Bookings are essential through Humanitix.

https://events.humanitix.com/screen-print­ing-workshop-in-trundle

NSW Department of Primary Industries: Have Your Say on Pest Animal Management in Regional NSW! Find your region here: https://shorturl.at/Ec5h0.

Submissions close on 8th July 2024. Feedback is welcome on the draft 2024-2028 Regional Strategic Pest Animal Management Plans for 11 re­gions across NSW.

Trundle ABBA Festival: “Love isn’t easy” but attending the Trundle ABBA Festival on Saturday 19th October is! We’ve got you sorted for an amazing weekend in Trundle.

• Tickets: bit.ly/ABBAtickets2024

• Camping: bit.ly/ABBAcamping2024

• Bus transport: bit.ly/ABBAbus2024

For more information, visit www.Trundle­ABBAfestival.com.au

Forbes Shire Council Public Notice: As anticipation builds for this Saturday’s Frost and Fire, the Forbes Ski Dam will close to the public until Sunday 23rd June. Please note the Walking Track is still open to the public. Purchase your tickets today via www.123tix.com.au/events/42630/frost-and-fire

Parkes High School: There is exciting news for Parkes High School Yr 12 student Matty Price, who has qualified to swim in the NSW All Schools Swimming team, af­ter coming second at the qualifying meet.

He will swim at the Schools Sports Austral­ian Championships on the Gold Coast. We wish him the best of luck.

Amazing Forbes NSW: Celebrate 50 years of Arts Outwest with The Plinth Show.

Come along and discover the unique works of artist Ronda Sharpe at the Forbes Visitor Information Centre this June. Ronda’s art intertwines Wiradjuri culture and contem­porary environmental themes, showcasing the beauty of repurposed materials and traditional weaving. Visit us and experience history and modernity through Ronda’s stunning art pieces.

Trundle ABBA Festival: Want to arrive at the Trundle ABBA Festival in absolute style? Step on board the Railway Adven­tures ABBA Express and experience a fun 5-day, flamboyant, fully escorted tour of Central NSW and the Trundle ABBA Fes­tival by private heritage train. Trip details are 18th – 22nd October: Sydney, Orange, Parkes, Trundle, Dubbo, Wallerarang,The Great Zig Zag Railway, four breakfasts, three lunches, three dinners. For more in­formation you can visit railwayadventures.travel or call 1300 800 977.

Woodfired Eugowra: Woodfired Eugowra is returning in 2024, and we’re thrilled to announce that applications for stallholders are now open. Join us on Saturday, August 3rd, for a spectacular free event supported by the Eugowra Events & Tourism Associa­tion. With over 1,000 visitors expected, it’s the perfect opportunity to showcase your products and connect with our vibrant com­munity. Interested? Register your interest by emailing secretary.etta@gmail.com Don’t miss out on being part of this excit­ing day.

Forbes Shire Council: Forbes, Parkes and Lachlan Shire Councils are working together to develop a Regional Drought Resilience Plan and we want your valu­able insights and ideas to help prepare the plan. The purpose of the plan is to consider the opportunities available to mitigate and alleviate the impacts of drought now, (QR code below) before drought is upon us. An online survey is open now and a series of local drop-in sessions and workshops will be held in:

• Bedgerabong Public School drop in session on Thursday 4 July 8.30am – 9.30am.

• Forbes at the Town Hall for a workshop on Friday 5 July from 9am – 11am.