Last week Forbes Shire Council staff and I participated in the RUOK? campaign. I thought it was very beneficial for all our staff members to understand that sometimes a person might not be having a great day and it’s good for others to notice and ask “how are you going?”

The Lachlan Regional Orchestra School Tour visited our shire last week, in which we were a joint sponsor with Northparkes Mines. I attended the Forbes North Primary School performance and the children there all had a wonderful time. I thank the councillors who attended the various other performances which toured around our region.

Grazing Down the Lachlan is on again this weekend which I am looking forward to. I will be attending the Q&A tonight as well as Sunday’s breakfast in Templar Street, which will be closed off for the day.

It is a great morning especially if you were unable to get one of the sold-out tickets for the event on Saturday. You will be able to hear the reports first hand from the people who did attend.

The National Veteran Car Rally is also headed our way this weekend, which is something close to my heart as I love the old cars. With over 100 cars all over 100 years old, it is truly not to be missed. On Wednesday from 1pm they will be showcased for public display in Victoria Park.

Have a great week!

Mayor

Graeme Miller

It was wonderful to receive grant funding last week as part of round two of the NSW Government’s Stronger Country Communities Fund.

Over $1 million will be spent on upgrades around the lake, including Lions Park which will see a new rotunda and barbeque area, as well as new toilets in two locations. To activate the main street masterplan in Templar Street $573,000 will be used and $150,000 will be used to upgrade the Wirrinya Aquatic Centre. For a new equestrian facility in Forbes, $220,000 is earmarked.

There are also various community groups that will benefit, such as the Rugby Club and Croquet Club.

I would like to thank our staff, councillors and the Riverside Community Gardens volunteers who made our stand at the show look great and win the “Best Outdoor Exhibit”.

Forbes hosted both Junior Rugby Union and Rugby League finals in town last Saturday. It was great to see on Sunday the Forbes Magpies win their grand final in a real “nail-biter” match. Congratulations to all teams!

Our Naidoc Day on Wednesday was a fantastic event and it was wonderful to see the various cultures coming together to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I would like to commend the recipients of this year’s awards. We have joint winners for Person of the Year; Codie Smith and Joy Russell. Our Youth of the Year is Kaiden Haynes. Congratulations to you all and I commend your work in our community.

Mayor Graeme Miller

Life as a Councillor isn’t what most people think it is. I’ve been in the job for two years now and I can tell you it is very time consuming but also very enjoyable. It can be disheartening to hear negative comments from the public regarding the progress of things being done around town, whilst Council is very busy getting things done for our beautiful town.

I want to use my time here to explain how a week in local government looks. It involves talking to many groups in our community as well as other councils and governments.

To start the week, I attended a meeting with the Forbes Bird Show committee. The next day, I chaired a meeting with the Infrastructure committee regarding Spooner Oval, Lake Forbes, toilets at Grinstead Oval, heated pool, mobile grandstand to name a few.

Next, was a meeting with the Traffic Advisory committee as well as meetings with the Forbes Netball Association, the Jockey Club and with a disgruntled resident.

Being a Councillor is very busy and there are many things happening every single day. I do this job because I want to make a difference to the community and make it a better place for my family.

The Mayoral election is coming up this month and I will work with whoever is elected. I believe if Councillor’s are united, we can achieve great things for our community.

Councillor Steve Karaitiana

This evening I will be attending the annual Small Winemakers tasting. This year saw an increase in entries, with 40 additional winemakers showcasing their wine.

In regards to the Federal Government’s announcement for $1 million to local councils, we are still waiting on the formal guidelines as to how we can use the money to help our drought affected community.

I attended the Reading Downtown day last Friday in Victoria Park. It was a beautiful, nearly Spring day, with hundreds of children dressed as pirates or their favourite book character. It was great to see our local member, Phil Donato dressed up as a pirate for the occasion and read stories to all of the children.

The recent Freight Focus Group meetings are proving a huge success. A wide range of topics have been discussed and much interest has been placed on how we handle the road trains and b-doubles traversing our Shire.

As Spring approaches, so too does the Forbes Show. Forbes Shire Council will have a stand at the show and we invite you all to drop in and say “hi”. It is important to support the local show as they are primarily run by local volunteers and they work tirelessly to keep the show going.

The Naidoc celebrations will be held on the 3rd September at the Wiradjuri Centre.

I look forward to being part of this event and then a second celebration on the 12th September.

Have a great week!

Mayor

Graeme Miller

Last Sunday the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull and Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack visited Forbes to announce the government’s $1 million drought assistance to 60 councils in drought affected states.

Forbes Shire Council being one of them, the funds will secure for projects that have the biggest impact on our community during these times of drought.

It was agreed at our Forbes Shire Council meeting last Thursday, to make water from our depot available to rural ratepayers free of charge. As it stands our standpipe at the depot needs upgrading to ensure it is safe for public use and the money from this government assistance will therefore be put to good use. A special mention must be paid to the hosts of Sunday’s announcement, HE Silos and the Morrison family, who did an outstanding job representing the Forbes business community, the farmers and manufacturers of grain handling equipment. The announcement was held at their premises in Forbes and I personally thank them for their hospitality and how they handled the situation.

Level 1 water restrictions are now in place for our shire. This level of restriction is more about time constraints than quantities but we ask that the community be considerate of this as well.

The wonderful Reading Downtown Day is on again this week. This year we have Philip Donato coming to Forbes to read to the school children in what should be a great day for all.

Have a great week!

Mayor

Graeme Miller

On Thursday, Outback and Country NSW and Destination NSW (the regional Destination NSW Board) along with notable tourist operators in town such as Grazing Down the Lachlan, Van Fest, Sculpture Trail, Carrawobity and others met to share their various tourist events and gain insight into how best to promote our area.

On Friday I will be attending the Mock Crash Demonstration in Parkes. This program is in its tenth year and it is amazing how well it brings awareness to young people. I recommend all adults to take a look at the mock crash demonstration next time.

This week’s Council meeting heard discussions on applying Level 1 water restrictions with 100 percent of NSW been declared in drought.

It was great to see the Men’s Shed roof being erected this week. I congratulate the committee and volunteers who have worked together on getting this wonderful project up off the ground.

Last Saturday, I presented the Forbes u8’s soccer team with awards for winning their division at the Young Gala Day. Credit must go to the young children on how wellmannered they all were.

Also, last weekend I attended the Central West Bird Sale at the Forbes Showground. It amazed me, the amount of birds that were for sale and the vast array of breeds present. People came from all over Australia to sell their birds and our pavilion was stretched to house them all. A new multipurpose facility to hold such events, is one to consider in the future.

Have a great week.

Mayor,Graeme Miller

CR JENNY WEBB

Drought is at the forefront of everyone’s mind at the moment. When farmers do it tough, the rural towns suffer as well. You have to be an optimist living on the land.

Many farmers have already made the decision to destock, keeping only a nucleus of sheep or cattle breeders, and feeding those remaining stock through the drought till it rains. The cost of keeping them alive comes at a financial cost and the commitment shown by our livestock stewards is something to behold. Many, like my husband, have been feeding stock daily for eight months now. Saleyards have also been extremely busy of late, with large volumes of stock numbers sold and record lamb prices seen. Last financial year the saleyards sold 74,000 cattle and 1,600,000 sheep at an income of over $400 million. Last month alone 9,000 head of cattle and 200,000 sheep and lambs bringing $50 million worth of stock through the yards. Our rural workforce, farm workers, agents, truckies and Forbes Shire Council should all be encouraged to keep up the good work.

It is timely to focus on the wonderful spirit of generosity and stoic resilience on display throughout our community. I am looking forward to attending our local Drought Relief Charity Auction tonight at Sylo.

The Federal Government has announced more drought support this week, which will provide relief for some households and communities. To find out more visit the Rural Assistance Authority website www.raa.nsw.gov.au or see Robert or Peni at Rural Financial Counselling Service.

Cheers Jen

Last week Councillors Phyllis Miller and Jenny Webb, along with the General Manager Steve Loane and Central West Livestock Exchange yard supervisor, Cassi Walmsley attended the ALMA Conference held in Casino. The conference highlighted the need for IT systems in relation to the saleyards industry. The other major element to come out was the Chain of Responsibility legislation in relation to the weighing of vehicles on site and leaving the Central West Livestock Exchange. Council has been speaking with lawyers and members of government on how to respond to the order we have recently been served.

Council welcomes the recent announcement for drought support from the State Government. Forbes Shire Council has strong connections with our farming community and seeing support being given to our farmers is one we celebrate.

Maureen and I are attending the Forbes Preschool 60th Anniversary dinner on Saturday night at the Forbes Golf Club. With their wonderful achievements in educating and preparing young people for school, Forbes Preschool has been and continues to be, a part of many households in our community.

Our Bulky Waste pick-up starts next Monday. We ask everyone to place all of their unwanted bulky items on the kerbside this weekend in readiness.

I will formally open the ‘Be Road Ready For Harvest Field Day’ at the Central West Livestock Exchange on the 8th August. This will be followed by a Performance Based Standards Demonstration for heavy vehicles.

Have a great week.

Mayor Graeme Miller

Council has been running a competition to find a name for the bronze dog outside the Forbes Post Office. The installation is part of the sculpture trail in conjunction with the Forbes Arts Society, the Agents Association and Council. We received over 200 suggestions all with names relating back to Forbes history or a past farm mate. After a social media blitz and over 190 votes the community has voted for… Rosa, after the wife of the architect who designed the Post Office. Thank you to Jemma McLennan for the suggestion!

Following on from a successful application to the Federal Government last year for $100,000 in funding to upgrade JREC to better accommodate the Yoorana Gunya Family Healing Service, Yoorana Gunya has just been successful in gaining an additional $280,000 in funding through the State Government. The work includes a range of building upgrades and office spaces.

The project will allow Yoorana Gunya to employ one additional doctor and also accept up to two Registrars per term.

There are a lot of great events coming up in the Shire over the next month with the Mitchell Conservatorium presenting The String Contingent at the Forbes Town Hall, Forbes Cup on the 6th August and Bedgerabong Show on Saturday, 18th August.

Big congratulations to the Grazing Down the Lachlan team who sold over 800 tickets to make this year’s event a sell out.

Have a great week.

Mayor Graeme Miller

Opening and running a café, small bar or restaurant in Forbes just got easier! Supporting and growing our local business economy is a priority for Council. We are delighted to partner with Service NSW and the Office of the NSW Small Business Commissioner to launch Easy to do Business.

Through one online portal you will receive step-by-step guidance and support across local, state and federal government requirements, to open and grow your business.

For more information on the Easy to do Business initiative, visit www.service.nsw.gov.au or call 13 77 88.

Maureen and I attended the Bowls tournament at the Forbes Sport and Recreation Club. It was a very successful and well organised event by Leisa Burton and Brian and Annette Tisdall. We had dinner recently with James Phillips, grandson to Yvonne Shaw, who was part of the crew from HMAS Warramunga, home after nine months in the Middle East. Since deploying last November, they’ve seized and destroyed narcotics from 16 vessels valued at more than $2.17 billion.

On Tuesday, the General Manager and I along with Hon. Mark Coulton MP Member for Parkes, the Hon. Michael McCormack MP Member for the Riverina and Deputy Prime Minister and Senator the Hon. Matthew Canavan, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia with Parkes Mayor Ken Keith and Mayor John Medcalf from Lachlan Shire visited the proposed mine site at Fifield as part of Clean TeQ Sunrise.

Have a great week!

Mayor Graeme Miller