Council Comments Archives - Page 24 of 47

Mayoral Notes

October 23, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

Last week we had our October Council Meeting, and it was a very productive one. There was a lot of talk about solutions for our rubbish bins in our parks as well as the bins in Meaghers Lane.

The Ninja Park was discussed, we are looking into ensuring the equipment remains safe from flood waters. We know how excited everyone is for this to be built and we want to make sure it serves us for a long time.

Unfortunately, Australia Day 2021 will not be like previous years, but we will still celebrate. In the coming months we will be ask- ing you to nominate our amazing citizens. The fireworks will also go ahead, but from a different location, to ensure everyone can see it from their backyards.

You may have heard about the regional roads review the State Government is conducting. Council will not be handing back any of our regional roads to the State Government and we want you all to know we intend to keep these jobs in our community and keep our roads to a standard we need them to be.

Lastly, I would like to extend a huge congratulations to one of our local businesses, Woolerina, who have celebrated Ethical Clothing Australia Week this week. They have been accredited since 2013, meaning they ensure their workers receive fair pay, safe working conditions, and most of all, are appreciated. Well done Woolerina, we are very proud to have you in our Shire.

God Bless.
Your Mayor, Phyllis Miller

Mayoral Notes

October 16, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

October is Small Business Month, and you all know how much I champion the small businesses here in Forbes. I hope you all support the Forbes Business Chamber in the events they have lined up. The Business Visit was on Thursday and next week is the Tradies Night at the new Mitre 10. Then, last but not least, is our event with Kristy Withers from Incy Interiors.

Networking events like these are so important for our businesses and as you will all know 2020 has been like no other year, and we need to support each other where we can. Due to COVID places are limited and registration has to be lodged before attending.

Templar Street is coming along nicely with both sides now complete with new drainage. The new planter boxes will be planted in the coming weeks and these will act as barriers between the cars and pedestrians on the footpath when the road and footpath are at one level. The planter boxes can be relocated when events are taking place to open up the street and it’s going to look amazing!

Have you all had your say on the naming of Edward Street subdivision? We were out and about last week getting suggestions but if you missed the opportunity you can jump online to inform us of your suggestions at: www.yoursay.forbes.nsw.gov.au. Council is meeting this week and I will report back with the decisions next week.

Until then, God Bless.

Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

Mayoral Notes

October 9, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

The Federal Budget was delivered this week and it has delivered tax cuts for everyone, more support for our aged and welfare recipients and interestingly, incentives for creating jobs. This is great for our Shire in sectors such as manufacturing, infrastructure, medicine, recycling, farming, and tourism. Incentives are being offered to encourage employers to hire staff and invest in growing their businesses. It is a real win for infrastructure, our youth, and small business.

We are asking the community for names of our new subdivision in Edwards Street and we would like to know what you would like to call this estate. Given agriculture is such a strong and important part of the fabric of our community we are honouring that with the street names being grain types. You do need to voice your suggestions through our “Your Say” portal to have your suggestions count. There is a link on our website at the bottom of the homepage, www.forbes.nsw.gov.au.

How great are school holidays in Forbes!

The children have had so many fun activities to go to like laser tag, rock painting, tie dye workshops, and making flower crowns and scrunchies. The Forbes and District Soccer Club held a two-day workshop as well. Having a family in Forbes is made so easy with these wonderful activities available, not to mention all the wonderful parks and playgrounds we have too.

There has been a new sculpture installed in Albion Park and you must all go and have a look. It is beautiful and the message behind it is one we must all take on board. “I Welcome You with Love”, it represents loyalty, love and a sense of belonging, a beautiful message we would like to present to our Shire.

I would like to finish by wishing all the Year 12 students the best of luck with the HSC next week. God Bless.

Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

Mayoral Notes

October 2, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

What crazy weather we are having this week. It is like four seasons in one week! All the lovely rain we have had is making the region look so wonderful and our sporting fields are looking magnificent. Congratulations to the two football teams who won their Grand Finals on the weekend, well done.

This week we have opened a survey to the community regarding the tourism of the Forbes Shire. We are using the Council’s “Your Say” platform to gather the community’s feedback. It is so important we plan for tourism and ensure we have the right facilities and attractions to create a unique and sustainable holiday destination. We have always believed Forbes is best suited for year-round tourism, not just one or two events. That is where the sculptures and our beautiful waterways come into play, they are accessible all year round.

When the pandemic resolves and travel is again permitted, the competition will be fierce among destinations. We want to stand out from the crowd!

Plans have begun for celebrating NAIDOC this year. It will take place on 13 November and will be a little different with numbers limited to 150, and the schools will be unable to join the public gathering. They will celebrate the day at their respective schools. We are calling on award nominations so be sure to look at our website for more details. Until next week,

God Bless.
Your Mayor Phyllis Miller

Mayoral Notes

September 25, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

I want to start by thanking my fellow Councillors for giving me the chance to lead our wonderful Council again. I think we have a great team and all of us are so passionate about getting things done for our amazing town.

I am sad to see Councillor Susan Chau stand down from Council, I have loved working with her over the last four years. I do understand the distance and the COVID-19 restrictions have made it difficult for her to be a part of our Council and appreciate her efforts in zooming-in each month.

I would also like to thank Councillor Jenny Webb for her service as Deputy Mayor. Jenny had decided not to contest the position of Deputy this year with her work situation making it very difficult to stand in the Deputy position.

Councillor Chris Roylance is now my Deputy Mayor, and I think he will be great to work with as we have many projects in the works.

The Forbes Pool opens next week and I would like to thank our wonderful staff for their efforts in making sure the pool is ready to open and a special thank you to our user groups for their cooperation in setting the boundaries for a safe and successful season. With COVID-19 the rules are a little different and everyone will need to be patient when entering the Pool as there are new protocols in place.

Until next week, God Bless.
Your Mayor
Phyllis Miller

Mayoral Notes

September 18, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

It has been an exciting week this week with the preparation of Council elections for Mayor and Deputy at our Council Meeting. We were due for the term elections to take place this year but with COVID-19 the State Government has put this on hold until next year on September 4, 2021. At the time of writing this column the election has not taken place yet, so we will let you know next week the outcome of the votes.

The first round of Community Funding has closed, and the results were quite incredible with 40 applications received totalling around $163,000. Unfortunately, the round has only $50,000 in funding available to give, so the decision will be a difficult one. Applicants will be notified soon whether they were successful or not.

Next week the ‘Be Road Ready for Harvest Field Day’ is going to be a virtual experience as we can’t meet in person due to COVID. I invite you all to register online to be a part of this great event as it is looking like we are in for an amazing harvest this year. The crops are looking great after the recent rains and I think our farmers are breathing a sigh of relief after the years of drought we have had.

Templar Street works are well underway, as you would have noticed, and is on track for completion before December. We apologise for the noise and disruption people are experiencing at the moment, but we can assure you that it is all for a great cause, the street will be amazing! There will be 24 car parking spaces, so no loss there, and the traffic will remain two ways. Accessibility will be easier as the street will all be on the one level and the CBD will be transformed into an inviting and welcoming place for residents and tourists alike.

Until next week God Bless.

Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

Mayoral Notes

September 11, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

Hasn’t the spring weather been simply amazing! I do hope everyone has been outside enjoying it. This week I’ve been busy catching up on many things like the future tourism strategy, Forbes’ economic development and heritage conservation for the Shire. It is so important we continue to plan for future tourism despite what is going on with travel being discouraged. Forbes is situated in an ideal location on the Newell Highway with many accommodation options and wonderful attractions to draw people to stop and stay for a few days. We do however need to have a plan to ensure we can provide all the amenities to entice the intrepid traveller.

Last weekend the Cumberland Bird Observatory came to Forbes to visit our Gum Swamp Wildlife Reserve. They were blown away with the area and the diverse array of birds to be found there. Their words were “first class!” Currently Council is working with the Forbes Art Society to install new bird hides and the area has been closed off for the installation and construction stage.

In the coming months you will hear many helpful hints and encouragement from Council to join in throwing your scraps into the green bin and not in the red bin. I hope you will all join me in trying to reduce organic waste going into landfill and instead, be processed into beautiful organic soil for our farmers.

Until next week God Bless.

Mayoral Notes

September 4, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

Wow what a week it has been! Firstly, I am extremely humbled by the award I received on Monday from the Minister for Women in Local Government, Shelly Hancock, for Elected Representative for Regional/Rural Category. It was lovely to be nominated by the staff at Council for starters and I would like to thank the wonderful team of Councillors I work with in Council. To do the important work we do, it really is a team effort, not just one person.

I would also like to encourage women to get involved in local government as it is important that we have equal voices being heard on issues relating to our community. I strongly believe if we all work together great things can be achieved.

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Your Say poll on naming the Edward Street subdivision. Please continue to use the Your Say portal often to let us know your input into the direction of projects and decisions that affect our community. The more voices the better!

It is so simple to register and it will allow you to contribute your ideas, participate in surveys, discussion forums and quick polls. Simply go to our webpage www.forbes.nsw.gov.au and down the bottom of the page click on the “Have Your Say” and this will take you to the page where you can share your thoughts with us.

Until next week God Bless.

Your Mayor
Phyllis Miller

Mayoral Notes

August 28, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

Winter has most certainly made its presence felt last week and with it brought more welcome rain which we are ever so grateful for. I would like to remind everyone that the Community Funding Program round is due to close on Monday, 31 August 2020. If you have not already applied for the grant, you need to get your applications in as soon as possible. With limited funds and a highly competitive process you must get in quick to ensure your project or service is in the running.

Some of you may have noticed the red garbage bins being audited last week in the early hours. We did not intend to alarm any of you at all however, this investigation was important for us to conduct and it had to be done unannounced to ensure that we achieved the most authentic results.

It was found that there are large amounts of food scraps going into landfill which could be placed in the Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) bins. The investigation was conducted in order to achieve a baseline for which we hope to improve on. The scraps decomposing in our landfill goes on to release excess methane gases into the atmosphere and we wish to reduce this significantly. I beg you to take a small amount of time to dispose of your waste considerably. If you do not have a Kitchen Caddy, please contact our Waste and Environment Officer and he will arrange a new one for you. If you have chooks, which a lot of you do, or maybe a neighbour does, you can also feed them. We must all do our part to stop excess waste going into our landfill.

I recently had to call on the Forbes hospital for an unexpected ailment. I am so glad we have this wonderful facility in our town as I was looked after so quickly and well. I cannot speak highly enough of the wonderful treatment and service I received whilst I was there.

On behalf of all the residents in Forbes I would like to thank the staff at the Forbes Hospital, you truly are amazing!

Once again, I would like to remind you all to shop locally. We are working extremely hard here at Council to ensure our retail sector is the best in the Central West, if not in the whole of NSW, but we need your help to keep our businesses thriving during these tough times.

God Bless.

Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

Mayoral Notes

August 21, 2020 by Maggi Barnard

This week is our August Council Meeting and I am excited to see all the wonderful projects Council has been busy with. You would have noticed work has begun in Templar Street with the new sewer pipes being installed. This work will be staged so traffic can continue to travel through the street without too much disruption.

I have inspected the new planter boxes which are going in as well. These are being manufactured locally and they look amazing!

Work has begun in Lions Park with new toilets and a car park on Junction Street. This Park never ceases to amaze me, it is such a lovely place to have a picnic, watch the local bird life, or to grab a coffee. The new parking bays will hold 20 spaces.

This month I have written to the National Cabinet calling on the NSW Premier to help ensure Local Government is represented on the National Cabinet. It is important our voices are heard on a National level. Local Government is on the ground and we know the issues in our community.

In the Business Paper we have a paper on the three-way split for our Road Safety Officer that the Forbes, Lachlan, and Parkes Council’s share. A record of $350,000 has been allocated for 10 projects over the next three years which include road safety issues. It is great we can work together with our neighbours to tackle these important issues.

God Bless.
Your Mayor,
Phyllis Miller

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