It is Heritage Week! Forbes has a unique mix of heritage and new and I believe our town is equally excited about and supportive of both. 

This week we focus on our valued heritage, celebrating our history and origin stories and bringing some of the past alive with our celebrations tomorrow. Join us for the Forbes Heritage Festival on Saturday in Victoria Park (delayed a week after last week’s rain) and later to launch the Forbes Heritage Digital Trail. 

Talking rain – it is hard to believe the rain from last week. Unfortunately, it has caused delays on some of our major development projects, but while the road base and larger earthmoving tasks were pulled up, our teams are working ahead on other parts. Forbes Shire Council is in an unprecedented stage of development and it really is all systems go in every department. 

I am very pleased to say the rain did not hinder or cause unnecessary damage at the winter sports grounds. It was just great to see everyone back into winter sports, and it was very pleasing to see all the off season work on the grounds ensure they held up very well. 

As was discussed at last week’s Council meeting the contractor at the heated pool has had more delays. Council is working towards expediting the end of this stage so we can begin work on the toilets and amenities. 

Council is very aware of the importance of this asset and the strong community need for this facility, so we are doing everything we can to make sure it is finished as soon as possible. 

Despite another two short weeks, it is still go, go, go at Forbes Shire Council.

Our Elvis festivities begin this week with the ever-popular Amazing Forbes Street Breakfast on Friday morning. There is no better way to start the day with an excellent choice of breakfast options, plenty of music and a bit of a jive to get you into the mood for a fabulous day in the Central West.

Forbes cafés and businesses will be open and ready to serve up a fabulous Friday morning feast or a spot of shopping before you head off for a day of Elvis fun.

Also part of the Parkes Elvis festival celebrations is the Swingin’ on the Speedway event that we are hosting at McFeeter’s Motor Museum on Saturday night. There is a tribute artist and plenty of entertainment.

There will also be the Presley Gala evening at Club Forbes and Elvis entertainment at the Golfie.

Forbes is very proud to be an event partner for the Parkes Elvis Festival – there will be buses operating between Forbes and Parkes so we can again welcome visitors to our region to Forbes as well.

As for the rest of the town, the outdoor team is working hard to put all the finishing touches on the playing fields in time for the start of the winter sports season.

All the playing fields are looking fantastic with fencing and irrigation updates, lines are being marked, everything has been top dressed and is lush and ready for a season of sport – everyone in Forbes loves our sport.

All our school holiday activities continue and have been very well supported by the community. This week there is more craft and activities so check our web page or What’s On on our Facebook page to register.

Mayor Phyllis Miller
Forbes Shire Council

From everyone at Forbes Shire Council we wish you and your families a happy and safe Easter. I think for many of us, it will be a chance to catch our breath as it has been a very busy start to 2022.

At council we have several major projects going on as well as our everyday shire responsibilities. It is a busy time with deadlines, weather and supply issues but our dedicated crews are working hard to continually meet these deadlines. Behind the scenes we are working hard to ensure Forbes continues to forge ahead.

Please enjoy the time with your families and travel safely if you are going away. Don’t forget it is double demerits on the roads over both Easter and Anzac Day. Enjoy your well-earned break.

Talking holidays, many families are already enjoying the school holiday programs. It is another full program of events and activities for children, if you haven’t booked one yet, look at our website under community/ family and youth services/ youth programs. (Youth Programs | Forbes Shire Council (nsw.gov.au))

Next weekend Forbes will be hosting two Elvis Festival additional events with the Amazing Forbes Street breakfast on Friday, 22nd April. It has become a bit of a favourite for Elvis goers with a range of breakfast options, good coffee and a bit of music to get your groove on. We are also hosting the Swingin’ on the Speedway dance at McFeeter’s Motor Museum. I look forward to welcoming plenty of visitors to our beautiful town.

Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

What a fantastic weekend for the Rural Women’s Network Gathering it was so exciting to showcase Forbes and have all of those amazing women coming together and supporting each other. I know I am completely biased but Forbes was shining like a new button over the weekend and I was very proud to welcome our guests to the many events.

It is another busy weekend, beginning with the Forbes Community Indigenous Celebrations at Lions Park from 4.30pm on Friday. What a great way to finish the end of term one and beginning of school holidays. Remember there are plenty of very popular activities planned for the school holidays, see our Forbes Youth Action Page facebook page for all the event details.

Our Senior Celebrations draw to a close with the Keith Potger concert on Saturday night or you might be heading out to catch the amazing head

Council’s teams are very busy at the moment with our major projects well underway, as well as our ongoing maintenance and upgrading works conducted year round in a shire this size. Goldridge Estate land continues to sell well with blocks in the Stage Two now available for purchase, there is only one large 1333m2 block left in phase I while several already smaller blocks have already sold in phase II. It really is all happening in Forbes and I’m so proud as your Mayor of what we are achieving.

Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

First of all, my thoughts go to those in northern NSW who, while still working to overcome the results of the last major flood, are now facing more rain and further river inundation. We send our love and support to each and every one of you.

A final reminder to complete our housing survey which closes on Thursday for your input into our community’s future. Talking future Forbes, I am very pleased to announce just this month alone there have almost 50 development applications submitted – a figure which is normally around 120 a year. I’m excited this confidence and economic development is now growing well beyond council driven projects.

Forbes Shire Council is full steam ahead with many events continuing this week for Seniors Festival. We ask everyone to take a minute and celebrate with a senior in your life. Remember the final concert is on Saturday, 9th April with the Lightfoot Band.

We are looking forward to welcoming the many visitors to town for the Rural Women’s Gathering for the three days of events and activities. This gathering is an opportunity for rural women to come together to build resilience, network, learn, share experiences and support each other while gaining inspiration from decision makers and leaders.

Please check our social media pages for the many events that are part of the Rural Women’s Gathering, Seniors Festival, Youth Week and get your dancing shoes ready for mini Vanfest on Saturday, 9th April.

Your Mayor,
Phillis Miller

So many events are coming up in Forbes. This week is Harmony Week – a celebration of our multicultural past and future. Forbes has a long history of diversity in our community and I think we can all reflect on it this week with a focus on eliminating racial discrimination.

Harmony Day was established as a day of cultural respect, from our traditional owners to our newest arrivals. With the current war in Ukraine, we all appreciate just how lucky we are to live and work in Australia.

Forbes Shire Council is embracing the Give it a Go – 2022 Senior’s Week with workshops for weaving, croquet, talks, tai chi, family history, pen and wash sketching, fishing, yoga and social chess.

The Seniors Variety Concert on Sunday at 2pm kicks off the program, and over the next two weeks there will also be a drumming workshop, a men’s shed open day, a sculpture tour around Forbes, and Keith Potgear’s Gordon Lightfoot Sundown Concert on 9th April is the final event.

We also have a full calendar of events for Youth Week, which will coincide with the school holidays with a safer driver course, movies, obstacool, a fishing workshop, laser tag, cultural art, games and more.

Council is calling for nominations from community members to nominate for our Council Committees for the aerodrome, Heritage, Events and Tourism, Floodplain, Saleyards and Trees.

Nomination forms are available on Council’s website or from the front desk, and nominations need to be submitted before 5pm on Friday, 1st April.

Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

Another week and another award for Forbes Shire Council at the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) last weekend.

Our Load Restraint Education Project, run in conjunction with Parkes and Lachlan Councils last year, won an IPWEA (NSW and ACT) Excellence in Road Safety award. Since this project we have seen load restraint breaches decrease by 69%.

Our fabulous outdoor team has been spraying for mozzies to keep our much-loved lake area, sportsgrounds and facilities safe for everyone. Council also has a two-pronged monitoring system in place to track risks.

Residents interested in our community’s future are urged to complete the Forbes Future Housing survey. It is available online with links on our website or Facebook page, or pick up a printed copy at the Council offices. Take time to tell us what you want our community to look like and include in the future.

Talking about our future, I am very excited to announce earthworks started on Monday at the Central West Industrial Park, adjacent to our state of the art selling facility, the Central West Livestock Exchange.

This next stage of development is expanding the industrial complex area and the number of blocks with access to utilities necessary for a top tier industrial zone, including electricity, natural gas and a good water supply.

There is already interest in the new sites, in what will become a prominently positioned industrial hub on the Newell, halfway between Melbourne and Brisbane.

Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

First of all happy International Women’s Day for this week. We are so proud of how Forbes represents in terms of the involvement of women in leadership. We have a fabulous Council team indeed.

We were honoured to be able to celebrate this with our cocktail event on Saturday night with a range of legendary ladies. This event sold out completely and we all had a wonderful time.

Then on IWD itself on Tuesday – we celebrated with the business Chamber on the shores of Lake Forbes with the amazing Rose de Jong.

Congratulations to our Business Chamber friends on the success of this event.

Councillors Webb and Willis and I also attended the IWD Local Government event at Luna Park, off the back of the Local Government conference last week, where Forbes Councillors continued to push local concerns. As a team we are very strong at forums such as these.

So sad to have Spotlight damaged by fire this week. Rest assured that Council is working with this great business to see how we can help.

This week we were also so pleased to have some great success in the Keep Australia Beautiful Awards.

We were recognised for our innovation and efforts in sustainability, winning two awards for Litter Prevention and Recycled Organics as well as being Highly Commended in the Habitat and Conservation Award. Well done to our team – it’s a fabulous effort.

Until next week – God Bless

Phyllis Miller