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

Last week I attended the Australian Livestock Markets Association Saleyards Conference in Bendigo with Councillors Graeme Miller and Brian Mattiske and Director Engineering and Technical Services, John Zannes. One of the highlights was having Tess and Andrew Herbert speak about the relationship of saleyards to feedlots. Tess gave a great presentation and did us all proud on behalf of the region.

On Wednesday night we held our meet and greet night for our new General Manager, Danny Green. It was great to see so many community members come along to join us in welcoming Danny.

Next Tuesday is Census night! Please help us to make sure everyone in Forbes is counted by completing your form. Council is hosting three fill in a form sessions to help residents complete their forms. These will be held on Monday, 8th August at Forbes North and Thursday, 11th August and Wednesday, 17th August at the Forbes Library. Sessions will be between 9am to 12pm and 1 to 4pm. If you are having any problems completing your Census form, give us a call or come along to one of the sessions.

The Council elections are on 10th September and nominations are now open for candidates. Nominations close on 10th August and if you have any questions about becoming a Councillor, don’t hesitate to contact me or any of the current Councillors. The website for a range of information is www.votensw.info

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

We have had some minor flooding across the Shire this week and a number of roads have been closed. Please remember that it is not only an offence to drive through a road closed sign, it is also dangerous as the condition of the road is not known and there could be submerged logs in the water.

Before our July Council meeting last Thursday, Councillors and executive staff had lunch with John Cobb and his wife Lisa to give our thanks and appreciation for his time as our Federal Member. John was always at the other end of the phone when we needed him and always did his best for Forbes and for that we are very grateful.

We are now looking forward to working with Member for Riverina Michael McCormack, who is also our new Small Business Minister. I am sure that he also will be there to assist us when required. We presented some of our top foodies with their five star Scores on Doors certificates at the Council meeting last week.

This program is a great initiative that rewards excellence in food handling and hygiene. Free sample testing, to find out if your home contains loose-fill asbestos, is currently taking place for owners of pre-1980s residential premises in our area. To register, or for more information, call 13 77 88. Don’t forget our meet and greet night for our new General Manager, Danny Green is on next Wednesday, 3rd August. RSVP for catering purposes by Monday by calling 6850 2361.

Here’s hoping the sun begins to shine and the rain lets up long enough to prevent any further flooding!

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

Wasn’t the weather on the weekend great? It was so nice to sit in the sun and feel alive again. The sun didn’t last long though with more rain upon us. Just a reminder for when you are driving around the shire, there are a number of roads that have been affected by rain creating soft edges and potholes so please make sure you travel with care. We will be completing the repairs as quickly as possible.

Our July meeting was held this week and it was our new General Manager Danny Green’s first Council meeting since arriving in Forbes. Please mark Wednesday, 3rd August in your diaries as we are having a welcome function for him at the Forbes Services Memorial Club from 5.30pm to 7pm.

This is a great chance for everyone to come along and say hello, enjoy a nibble and drink. Everyone is welcome, please RSVP for catering purposes by calling 6850 2361. Another event to mark in your calendar is the Forbes NAIDOC Week celebrations on 23rd August. NAIDOC Week is a great opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate with our traditional owners as one united Australia.

As you know, the Census is being conducted on 9th August and field officers are still needed for our area. If you are interested in these paid positions visit www.abs.gov.au. Last Thursday, Evolution Mining announced $12,500 in funding for Forbes Wheelchair Basketball. This is fantastic news and will allow for five specialised wheelchairs to be purchased as well as other equipment.

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

Oh dear, we have had more rain this week and there is a lot of water around. Please do not drive through any flooded roads. Whether you are in a 4WD or a little Echo, they all float so please don’t do it. The NSW Junior Squash Championships were on the weekend with the finals held in Forbes on Sunday. The Golfie was a spectacular venue and there was standing room only for spectators. The presentation that afternoon upstairs was superb. There was great talent on display, especially from our local juniors who did very well and we are very proud of them.

There is another new business that has opened in town with JD’s Glass and Glazing in Union Street. It is always great to see new businesses open and I wish them well.

A big congratulations to Margaret and Ken Nock for 30 years of great service to the Forbes community. For most of that time they were my newsagency and they gave me excellent service. I wish them health and wellbeing on behalf of the Forbes community in whatever their future plans are.

Our General Manager Danny Green and I travelled to Orange last Thursday for a consultation meeting on the Joint Organisation model and pending legislation. We have had a lot of consultation in regards to the Joint Organisations and we are now at the point where we’ve got to suck it up and see if it works in my view. Centroc as a pilot Joint Organisation has been highly successful and has delivered savings to our Councils.

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

On Tuesday we had a meeting with the Australia Rail Track Corporation in relation to the Inland Rail project. It is extremely exciting that this project is getting closer to becoming a reality. It was also heartening to see that community members visited the information sessions held in the Town Hall on Monday afternoon.

Our new General Manager Danny Green started this week and he is fitting in very well. Danny brings with him a range of experience and we are very pleased to welcome him to Forbes. At our budget meeting last week Council resolved to commit to a partnership with the Forbes Triathlon, providing $15,000 a year for the next three years towards the event, which is fantastic.

The Centroc Road Transport Technical Committee is in the process of developing a regional strategy to update crucial road links within the Centroc Council areas. This will be extremely beneficial when we are lobbying for funding.

I can’t impress enough that when our unsealed roads are closed to vehicles over 3 tonnes in wet conditions, if they are driven on your insurance is at risk if there is an accident. We are very mindful to do all we can to keep our roads open.

The Tai Chi classes Council sponsored with Cheryl Shirvington and Sandra Nicholson at the Uniting Church Hall have been very successful. The classes will continue on Tuesdays after the school holidays, with the first from 10am to 11am on July 19.

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

Earlier this week I had my first meeting as a committee member on the State Weed Committee. It was very interesting. On Tuesday, Riverina MP Michael McCormack was in town to announce funding under the Safer Streets Program for two CCTV cameras to be installed at the Wiradjuri Dreaming Centre.

Unfortunately I was unable to attend but this is great news as it should put an end to the acts of vandalism and theft that have happened at the dreaming centre over the years. We held our special meeting on Wednesday night to adopt the 2016-17 Operational Plan. It was also the last meeting we had with our Acting General Manager, Max Kershaw.

Today is Max’s last day at Council and he has done a brilliant job. On behalf of all of Council, we thank Max for his time and efforts to keep the clock ticking in Council land. We look forward to welcoming our new General Manager, Danny Green, on Monday. Census night is on the 9th of August and this year there is a new delivery and collection procedure, which will make it easier to complete. We are happy to help anyone who may have difficulty in filling out their forms. I cannot stress enough just how important the Census is. We want to make sure everyone in Forbes is counted this Census.

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

This week I attended the National General Assembly of Local Government in Canberra with Deputy Mayor Graeme Miller. There were many and varied topics on the agenda including NBN blackspots and mobile phone coverage issues as well as funding opportunities through the Federal Government.

On Thursday afternoon Riverina MP Michael McCormack was in town to announce $10,500 for the Forbes Amateur Swimming Club. This funding was made possible through the Stronger Communities Program and will help bring the clubhouse up to scratch. Our Grants Officer Andrew Rawsthorne did a great job in helping the swimming club apply for this grant. If you need any help with grant applications, don’t hesitate to give him a call.

I attended the official opening of the Parkes Regional Airport upgrade and the dedication of the late Robert Wilson Terminal on Thursday morning. Robert was a great Local Government colleague and a wonderful mayor of Parkes Shire Council for 23 years. It was lovely to see his family representing him at the occasion.

The Federal Election is just around the corner on 2nd July and pre-polling starts at the Town Hall on Monday. Absentee voting is also available during a Federal Election, make sure you don’t forget to vote. With the amount of rain we have had this week, please don’t drive in flood water and if you are driving in wet weather, drive very carefully.

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