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Forbes Phoenix

Smoke Testing Helps Sewer System

October 28, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

Smoke testing of stormwater and sewer connections in south Forbes has been completed by Forbes Shire Council and the results will now form the basis of future works. 

Council, in conjunction with a contractor, conducted smoke testing of almost 400 sewer connections last month and found less than half had minor issues, according to Manager Water and Sewer Melanie Slimming. 

Sewer manholes, used for access to the sewer system, were also inspected, and the majority were found to be in reasonable condition. A few manholes were found to have minor issues, and ten manholes were in poor condition and will require refurbishment. 

“Our sewer crew will use this information to prioritise and schedule their works program to address all of the defects,” said Melanie. 

“Additionally, all properties with defects will have letters sent to home owners requesting they address the non-conformance. In most instances this could be as minor as taking a photo of your boundary trap and sending it through to Council’s team,” she said. 

“In a few instances, there may be some plumbing redirection required. Council will work with individuals as needed.” 

Mayoral Notes

October 21, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

What a great community we have. Everyone has worked so well together during these trying times and we will need to again as we brace for potentially more rain and flooding. 

The roads everywhere around our shire are extremely damaged – please be careful, slow down and do not drive through floodwater. Drive to the conditions of the road – which is mostly very poor after all the water over them. 

Another reminder to stay clear of the flood water – there are all sorts of dangers under the surface, and given how much water is about that is flowing fast, makes for very dangerous conditions. 

As always it is a privilege to see the professional emergency operators working through the major flood and preparing for potentially more flooding. Don’t forget to give a hand at the SES to help fill sandbags. Call the SES if you need sandbags or flood assistance on 132 500. 

Forbes Shire Council is here to help and advice, make sure you are signed up to our SMS Flood Warning System – you can all on 6850 2300 or email communications@forbes.nsw.gov.au 

Our website is being updated regularly and all road and other updates are being shared on social media and through our other channels. 

Our thoughts are with the Bedgerebong, Jemalong and Condobolin communities which are now at very high flood levels. 

This is a time when our community works well together – I am so proud of how everyone pitches in to support 

Mayoral Notes

October 7, 2022 by Phyllis Miller

You will have no doubt by now seen some unsettling rainfall predictions for the remainder of this week, and we know that things are already very wet. I can tell you that whatever rain does come our way, Forbes has faced floods before and as a community we are in a great position to face again with our trademark resilience and community spirit.

It is perhaps a timely reminder to have an emergency plan prepared, move your stock, pumps and other items above flood level, and if it is likely that you will be isolated, make sure you have enough essential items.

I encourage you to subscribe to Council’s emergency Flood Warning SMS system for the latest updates on road closures and areas of concern. To subscribe, email communications@forbes.nsw.gov.au or contact Forbes Shire Council office and one of our friendly staff will be more than happy to help. If you are in need of emergency help in floods and storms, the SES can be contacted on 132 500, or in life threatening emergencies, ring 000. On a lighter note, wasn’t it amazing to take a little step back in time with all the vintage cars in town over the past week. The love and care put into restoring and showing these vehicles never ceases to amaze me. It was wonderful to see so many visitors to our town and the warm welcome they were greeted with.

Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

Mayoral Notes

September 30, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

What a fantastic day on Saturday for the Wiradjuri community celebration. Everyone who attended really enjoyed the stalls, amusement rides and food vendors – it was especially appreciated that we supported our local indigenous vendors.

Thank you also to the Forbes Junior AFL Club for organising the Marngrook games for the community. What a unique sporting event – playing with a possum skin ball. Don’t worry I was reassured this was New Zealand possums!

It really is wonderful to support the longest living culture in the world and I am incredibly proud to be living on Wiradjuri country.

Hasn’t it been great to see all those amazing Chevrolets in town? What a great bunch of people too. Not only did we have the National Festival here on the weekend, we have had the vintage and veterans members here all week for the 55th Chevrolet Rally. They are such a wonderful crew and they are also sticking around for our Forbes Motorshow on Sunday. Gates open at 8am for registration, and the show will be on South Circle Drive from 10am to 2pm.

This is the second time we have hosted the Chevrolet National Rally. They came to town 25 years ago in 1997 with 200 beautiful Chevrolets and around 500 guests.

It’s happening this weekend – the Forbes Olympic Pool is opening. Welcome to our new pool contractors and we can’t wait for you to enjoy the pool after considerable work has been completed during winter. It looks sparkling and we can’t wait for another successful pool season for all.

 

Mayoral Notes

September 16, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

First, my sympathies to everyone since the passing of our beautiful Queen, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Personally, I do not know life without her as our Queen, like many in our community. Her 70 years of selfless service was an inspiration.

Council has already received many messages of condolences which will be sent to the National Library and will become part of the lasting record of this moment in time.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement for the National Day of Mourning on Thursday, 22nd September, Forbes Shire Council will be holding a short service to commemorate Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We are inviting members of the community to join us at 10:30am to lay wreaths and flowers and observe the minute’s silence at 11am.

There is a lot of water and more expected at the end of the week. Forbes Shire Council will be meeting with key stakeholders to develop an emergency plan for medical and immediate needs of communities restricted by roads and floodwater at this time. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any concerns – we will be prioritizing medical requirements. Good luck to all the wonderful events this weekend. It will be wet but a bit of rain can’t dampen our spirits. Surely the riders at the Australian Dirt Track Senior Championships will love a bit of rain on the track.

Don’t forget to join the Forbes Wiradjuri Community Celebration on Saturday, 24th September from 10am to 2pm at Gaggin Oval for cultural games, arts, crafts, interactive displays and bungee trampolines.

Mayoral Notes

September 9, 2022 by Mayor Phillis Miller 

If any eagle-eyed residents noticed some extra scaffolding on the Vampire Jet it has been recommended to support the tail when work commences on the nose. The jet has now been inspected by a structural engineer and we are expecting the jet’s condition report and suggested best practice to repair it soon. 

Our hearts are with the poor family whose child was attacked by a dog last week. We send our support and well wishes for the child’s recovery. Our rangers are working hard to educate and enforce our rules around dog ownership. If you are a pet owner, please make sure you take this responsibility very seriously. Just as our very diligent rangers do. 

What a busy few weeks we have coming up. The town will be buzzing next weekend with Grazing and the first ever Amazing Grazing breakfast as well as the 2022 Australian Senior Track Motorbike Championships. 

On Monday, following these fabulous events we are honoured to be hosting the Lexus Melbourne Cup Tour. You are invited to don your Melbourne finery and join us for lunch in the Forbes Town Hall. You must RSVP to Jolene Jones at Council by Monday, 13th September. This is your chance to have your photo taken with Australia’s most famous trophy made from locally sourced gold. Very exciting. Hope to see you all out and about. 

Your Mayor
Phillis Miller 

Mayoral Notes

September 2, 2022 by Phylls Miller 

We know the roads are bad. This is the case everywhere in NSW. If you can afford the fuel to go on a trip, you will know roads are shocking well beyond the Forbes Shire. 

We are doing the best we possibly can, but we need your help to make sure we know about all the road damage. Particularly any new, large or dangerous potholes so they can be included in our works program and at least filled until the weather improves enough for us to properly patch them. Please be kind to our limited staff if there are delays to get through. 

To report a pothole phone 6850 2300 or leave your name, phone number and the location on our website at Report an Issue | Forbes Shire Council (nsw.gov.au) 

The former Spotlight building is almost completely demolished. Council was fully insured and is ready to rebuild to get businesses in place as soon as possible. 

News that the cement slab can remain is excellent for the project moving forward for cost and the rebuild timeline. 

Council has this week announced the new pool managers, Belgravia Leisure – the largest leisure management group in Australia and New Zealand (who also manages Parkes Pool). Our pool is a really important community asset and we are looking forward to another fantastic and safe season of swimming starting the October long weekend. 

Go the Magpies in Dubbo on Sunday against Dubbo Cyms – they are playing at Apex Oval in Dubbo from 3pm. Wishing you all the best of luck. 

Your Mayor
Phylls Miller 

Council Comments

August 26, 2022 by Deputy Mayor, Cr Chris Roylance

Please be aware of the current situation with flood waters rising in our shire and do not drive through water, it may be deeper and faster flowing than anticipated or the road may have suffered damage and large potholes may be hidden beneath the water. Plan your trip to ensure that you do not enter water. 

As we are again experiencing low level flooding, it is quite timely to share your thoughts and input to help revise the Forbes Flood Risk Management Plan. The revised plan will also guide evacuation plans during floods and development controls on flood-prone areas. Flood Risk Management Plans need updating with each new flood event to make sure they stay current and take current conditions into consideration. 

We are looking for information, stories and images from the 2016 and 2021 floods to help inform the revised Flood Risk Management Plan. All the information we gather will help us to better understand more recent flood behaviour. 

The community has a wealth of knowledge and experience, so please share your thoughts. You can complete the survey online at yoursay.forbes.nsw.gov.au. 

Copies of the survey can also be collected from Council offices or attend a drop-in session on Friday, 2nd September.Another fantastic event has been added to the busy Forbes calendar. The 2022 Australian Senior Motorcycle Track Championships, hosted by Forbes Auto Sports Club, on 17th and 18th September. It will attract the fastest competitors in Australia to compete in Australia’s fastest flat track racing. 

By Deputy Mayor,
Cr Chris Roylance 

Mayoral Notes

August 19, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

I want to start this column with an apology for the state of our local road network. We know the roads are bad and we know with all this rain and water around they are only getting worse. I’m sure that those of you who are farmers would appreciate how hard it is to get onto anything at the moment! 

Rest assured, we are doing our best. We are continuing to assess the roads and have prioritised where the work needs to be done. As soon as it is dry enough to get machines and teams in place, we will be getting on to grade, patch and improve them. We manage almost 1,800 kilometres of sealed and unsealed roads and like everywhere in the state (and possibly beyond) our roads have been hammered and need serious attention. 

Demolition continues at Spotlight which is great news, as it means the sooner we can rebuild. 

It’s footy finals season, a big shout out to the Magpies whose first grade side won and the reserves and under 18s will play this week in Orange. Congratulations to Forbes Junior Rugby – 2022 Central West Junior Club Champions. It is a delight to see the sporting grounds and facilities brimming with players and supporters on the weekends. 

Finally, I hope you all get a chance to enjoy the Bedgerabong Show tomorrow – it really is the best little show in the west. It is so great to see the shows returning this year. Looking forward to the Forbes Show in September. 

Mayoral Notes

August 12, 2022 by Maggi Barnard

Another year and another win for Forbes Shire Council! We were a winner again at the Local Government Awards announced last week. Council won the prestigious Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Cultural Award – Division A (population less than 30,000). The award is for the partnership between community, industry and Local Government for the Sculpture Down the Lachlan project. 

It is an honour to be a part of this partnership fostering an inclusive, creative and culturally rich community. This just goes to show how much partnerships between the community, industry and Local Government can achieve. This world class permanent art trail is almost complete and the next major achievement will be the Forbes Cultural Centre Development. 

With more rain predicted this week, I want to reassure the community we are working very closely with State Water and monitoring the Bureau of Meteorology to stay informed about the Wyangala Dam releases. 

It is very wet here at the moment and we are acutely aware of the impacts of these releases and will keep the community informed. 

Talking about staying in touch, I pride myself on being accessible to the whole community. I am often at the office and happy to talk over the phone but please know, I will not respond to the public on social media. Council has very specific civic and procedural obligations on how we report to enquiries and information requests. So, if you want to talk to me, pick up the phone or email me anytime to make an appointment. My door is always open! 

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