The Local Government NSW Annual Conference was held earlier this week and I am pleased to report that four motions submitted by Forbes Shire Council were successful.
The motions are:
• That Local Government NSW requests the Minister and Premier to consider the decentralisation of the RFS to the rural/regional area.
• That Local Government NSW requests the NSW Government provide local government with access to the LiveTraffic.com website portal or an alternative local roads website or portal that councils can access to upload information regarding local road closures, for example due to flooding or accidents.
• That Local Government NSW lobbies for increased funding to rural and regional areas for more reliable mobile and internet services.
• That Local Government NSW makes representation to the Minister to ensure that local government is represented and consulted on the new water sharing plans.

Last Friday, NSW Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair was in Forbes and met with General Manager Danny Green, Deputy Mayor Grant Clifton and some of the local farmers who have been affected by the recent floods. He was able to gain an insight into just how hard the flood has been for our farmers.

On an exciting note, I am pleased to announce that the world premiere of the feature film, The Legend of Ben Hall, will be held at the Forbes Showground on Saturday, 12th November at 8pm. To purchase tickets visit
www.stickytickets.com.au/44586

Mayor Graeme Miller

The Lachlan River continues to drop and the water is receding very slowly. Most of our arterial roads should be open by the end of the week, which will be a relief for all involved. Last week I attended the Newell Highway Taskforce meeting in Dubbo. The taskforce will send a delegation to the Federal Government with the aim of seeking funding to flood proof the Newell Highway at Marsden and Lake Cowal. The Newell Highway is now closed and will remain closed for some weeks. This is having a detrimental effect on towns along the highway.

Next week a number of Councillors and the General Manager will be visiting the Local Government Association Conference in Wollongong. This is an important occasion and one of our new Councillors, Councillor Jenny Webb, will be attending. We will report back when we return. Council business is back in full swing after the induction of our new Councillors and our first briefing session.

The new briefing sessions have replaced Works and Services Committee meetings and I was very pleased to see the interaction between new and old Councillors. Our Grants Officer Andrew Rawsthorne has recently been successful in gaining significant funds for projects in the Forbes community. This financial year Forbes Shire Council has successfully gained grants for five projects totalling $2,416 million. There are over 30 grant applications pending with a total value of almost $2 million. It looks like being another good year for grants in the Forbes Shire.

Mayor Graeme Miller

Last Thursday we had our first meeting with the newly elected Council and our Mayoral Election. I am very privileged to be your Mayor and I look forward to working with the Councillors, Council staff and the community for the next two years. Our first Council meeting was very productive and we had good discussions surrounding our Section 355 Committees. All Councillors contributed, which was very pleasing to see. We also had a briefing on
some exciting development potential for the town.

On Sunday morning, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Grant Clifton and I inspected the floodwaters in the Forbes Shire. There is still a lot of water flowing and from the air we could see a lot of crop damage. We really feel for the farming community and the losses they have experienced. All of the agencies involved with the flood response and recovery are working tirelessly to respond to the needs of the community and are doing a wonderful job.

Information on the assistance available in response to this disaster is available at disasterassist.gov.au and emergency.nsw.gov.au.

On Tuesday, Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, the Hon Duncan Gay MLC visited Forbes to inspect our roads, including sections of the Newell Highway that have been affected by floodwater. Once the water recedes, we will know exactly how much damage has been done. I know some of our roads have been closed for quite some
time and we appreciate your patience as we wait for the water to recede.

Mayor
Graeme Miller

It has been a hard week for many residents who have been affected by the flooding. We are still on flood watch. Please remember to call the SES on 132 500 if you need help. The Emergency Operations Centre has been open in the Town Hall since Saturday. I would like to thank the services involved for doing a great job. It is heartening to see
all of the support. There have been many visits to Forbes this week. On Sunday, NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant and Deputy Leader of the Nationals Senator Fiona Nash visited. On Monday, NSW Premier Mike Baird, Minister
Emergency Services David Elliott and SES Commissioner Greg Newton were here. Minister for Justice Michael Keenan arrived with Troy Grant and Greg Newton on Tuesday and announced disaster assistance for
flood-affected communities across NSW including Forbes.

Information on the assistance available is at disasterassist.gov.au and emergency.nsw.gov.au. Retired NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Owens, has been appointed as the Regional Recovery Coordinator to oversee the clean-up and recovery efforts. We have received many calls of support. Once the recovery process commences, we will know what is needed.

Danny Green
General Manager

At the time of writing this column, the declaration of the Forbes Shire Council election is this morning. Which also means the first Council meeting and the election of the Mayor has been postponed until later in the month. We will keep you updated when this meeting will be. We have had a lot of road closures due to the flooding over the past week and I know that it has been difficult for those affected, but please remember under no circumstances
can Council allow people to travel through closed roads.

The Forbes Show on Friday and Saturday was a fantastic event despite the wet weather. Our council stand won the Forbes PA&H Association Best Commercial Display – Outside for the second year in a row, which was great. Thanks to everyone who stopped in at our stand while at the show.

From September 26 to 30, Council is running its scrap metal, organics and bulky waste clean-up. This service is for all Council residents who are currently receiving a waste and recycling collection service. For the full list of acceptable items and for any enquiries, call Netwaste Customer Service on 1300 725 415.

Danny Green
General Manager

A quick reminder that it is Council Election Day tomorrow and polling will be open from 8am to 6pm. Polling places are Forbes Town Hall, Forbes Tennis Club, Forbes High School and Bedgerabong Public School (at the time of writing depending on road closures and flood water). If you can’t vote tomorrow, please remember prepoll voting is open until 6pm tonight at the Forbes Shire Council Chambers.

The engagement strategy for the review of the Community Strategic Plan will be underway next week with the surveys released online. We will keep you posted with the link to the survey in the next column. The survey will also be sent out with the September Community Newsletter, which will be distributed to all households the week commencing 26th September.

Thanks to all of the residents who helped the SES filling sandbags this week. It was great to see so many people there when I went along on Saturday. Please remember not to drive through flood water. It may not look very deep but the condition of the road underneath the water could be very poor.

At the time of writing this, the Forbes Show is still going ahead today and tomorrow. I hope everyone enjoys the day. Remember to come and visit our Council stand while you are there.

General Manager
Danny Green

The Meet the Councillor Candidates evening organised by the Forbes Business Chamber was a successful night with all 17 candidates presenting their ideas and views to the community. Pre-poll voting for the election is now open in the Council Chambers. Election Day is next Saturday, 10th September and polling places are the Forbes Town Hall, Forbes Tennis Club, Forbes High School and Bedgerabong Public School from 8am to 6pm.

Forbes is one of the LGAs receiving a Natural Disaster Declaration for storms and floods on 20th July. We will be able to apply for funding to help repair the roads that were damaged due to the amount of rain we received. This declaration also means that residents, such as producers, who were affected by the storms and floods can also apply for assistance. Applications are due before 28th February 2017. For more information visit http://www.raa.nsw.gov.au/

Council is preparing its engagement strategy for the review of the Community Strategic Plan. This review will take place over the next six months and looks forward to the next ten years to capture what the community views as its top priorities for the future of Forbes. There will be a number of public meetings, as well as surveys sent out to all households as part of the engagement process. We will keep you updated once the process begins.

The Forbes Show is on next Friday and Saturday. Council will have a display stand with a range of information available. Make sure you visit our stand!

Council’s NAIDOC celebrations were well attended on Tuesday despite a venue change because of wet weather. Congratulations to the winner of the Forbes Indigenous Person of the Year Award, Donna Bliss, and the winner of the Forbes Indigenous Youth of the Year Award, Ethan Markwort. Donna is one of the main driving forces behind Yoorana Gunya Family Healing Centre, while Ethan has shown his love of learning and teaching about his culture by participating in a range of activities.

Last Thursday was the last meeting of the current Council before the election on 10th September. Thank you to all the councillors for their hard work over the past four years. It was Councillor Graeme Falconer’s last meeting as he is retiring after 25 years of service. On behalf of all of Council, we wish Graeme all the best in his retirement.

Pre-polling for the election starts on Monday in the Chambers. There will be a meet the candidates evening run by the Forbes Business Chamber on Tuesday from 6pm at the Forbes Services Memorial Club.

On Sunday the Forbes Golf Club hosted 96 golfers in the Golf NSW Sands/Grass Greens Championships. It was a great event and the course was in pristine condition. We look forward to an ongoing partnership with Golf NSW and Grenfell Golf Club.

Next Thursday, Council is hosting a Prostate Cancer Awareness Night in partnership with CanAssist at the Forbes Services Memorial Club at 6.30pm. For more information contact Blake on 6850 2300.

Danny Green
General Manager

Census night was on Tuesday, 9th August, but don’t panic if you haven’t received your form yet or have not completed it as there is still time left until 21st August as long as it is a reflection of Tuesday night. The last Council session to help community members with their Census will be next Wednesday at the library from 9am to 12pm and 1 to 4pm. If you need any assistance, call Amy or Blake at the Council on 6850 2300.

Council is currently updating its text messaging system as another means of communicating with the community. The messages will include information such as closure of sporting fields, upcoming event notifications, road closures and important information in times of flooding. If you want to be on the text message database, contact Amy on 6850 2361 or email amy.millerd@forbes.nsw.gov.au.

As the Council election is on 10th September this will be my last column due to the rules and regulations of the Office of Local Government. You will be hearing from the General Manager, Danny Green until after the election of the Mayor on 15th September.

I would like to thank everyone for their support during the past four years. Please remember to take voting seriously as Local Government is the government closest to the people. So make sure to vote on the 10th on your way to the Forbes Show, or on your way home.

Have a great week, stay safe and God bless.
Mayor, Cr Phyllis Miller OAM