Agricultural machinery owners and opera­tors are invited to pick up a free “Moving Harvest Machinery” USB from all agricul­tural machinery retailers and rural supply stores in the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shires areas. The USBs will also be availa­ble at the Councils’ Administration Offices.

The ‘Moving Harvest Machinery’ USBs contain all the relevant notices for safely and legally moving agricultural machinery, combinations and trucks on the road, along with other useful information.

Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Coun­cils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said the Councils develop and distribute the USBs each year to help farmers and contract harvesters have all the relevant information at their fingertips – and they are usually extremely popular.

“Safety and compliance during the busy harvest period is very important. Operators need to be aware of their responsibilities and ensure that all warning devices and travel requirements are adhered to. Regu­lations do change and these USBs help to ensure that people have up to date infor­mation.

“The USB contains the relevant notices, operator guides and other useful informa­tion. The USB also contains a live “link’s” document, which provides the web address for the documents on the USB and other useful tools and information. It is advisable to regularly check the National Heavy Ve­hicle Regulator’s website (www.nhvr.gov.au) for updated notices and/or changes to operating conditions,” Ms Suitor said.

There are over 800 USBs available – so call into your local agricultural machinery retailer, rural supply store or the Parkes, Forbes or Lachlan Shire Council Adminis­tration Offices to collect yours before they are gone.

“This year we also have a limited num­ber of windscreen stickers to give away.

You can attach these to your machinery as a quick reference guide for travel require­ments such as pilots, lights and signage.”

Ms Suitor said.

Aussie Croquet was played on Saturday 30 August, with only 10 in attendance. Only the bravest played because of the cold winds. However those who played enjoyed the morning despite the cold.

All three games were won by Rex Toole whilst two game winners were Russell An­derson, Cheryl Toohey, Peter West and Elvy Quirk. Well done to those players.

On Tuesday 2 September Golf Croquet was played with 38 in attendance. It was a beautiful spring day, and it was great to see Marie Spry back playing after a break away.

A gentle reminder that the Annual Gen­eral Meeting is coming around during Octo­ber and please take time to think what posi­tions you would like to hold for the coming year. Membership renewals of $20.00 are due before 30 September.

Spring is here and the weather is getting much better so should you be interested in a game of croquet, then come down to Hal­pins Flat on a Tuesday by 9.15am and you can try your luck, whilst being paired with an experienced player to get to know the ins- and-outs of the game.

By Elvy Quirk.

A Coalition Government will triple capacity at the new Eugowra Children’s Community Centre in long day care, increasing avail­able places for 0-5 year-olds from 15 chil­dren to 45 children.

Leader of The Nationals David Littleproud said the Coalition would deliver $1 million to fully fund the long day care component of the new Eugowra Children’s Community Centre, ensuring local families have child­care availability and affordability.

“This exciting announcement is about making sure Eugowra families – who’ve al­ready been through so much – can access quality childcare close to home,” Mr Little­proud said.

“We know regional childcare isn’t just about affordability but availability. Increas­ing placements to an extra 30 children in long day care is significant and will help many families in Eugowra.

The new facility will replace the temporary modular building that’s been in use since the devastating 2022 floods and marks a major step forward in Eugowra’s recovery.

The Nationals candidate for Calare Sam Farraway said the announcement was a huge win for local families. “I’m proud to announce that the final million dollars has been secured to fully fund the long day care component of the new Eugowra Children’s Centre.

“Access to childcare shouldn’t be a bar­rier for any family. This investment means Eugowra’s youngest residents have a safe, modern place to learn and grow, while giv­ing local parents the chance to work, study and contribute to their community. Getting Eugowra back on track means backing families,” Mr Farraway said.

The Elvis Festival in Parkes, renowned for its vibrant celebration of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, will see SEQ-based musician Rheanna Leschke on the Cambridge Hotel outdoor stage. With her signature blend of pop, rock ‘n’ roll, and country, Rheanna is very excited to be back, as a band, at the Cambridge Hotel, with their good vibes and enthusiasm.

“I love the energy in Parkes for the Elvis Festival,” says Leschke. “The people here really make it something special. The fa­miliar faces I see in the audience and new faces in the crowd when I’m playing, put sparkles in my heart.”

Having shared the stage with some of Australia’s music icons, including Normie Rowe, Pixie Jenkins and Carter & Carter, Rheanna has continually impressed audi­ences with her smooth tone, soulful de­livery, and engaging performances. Her strong musical roots, deep connection to her audience and a growing body of origi­nal work, makes Rheanna an artist for mu­sic listeners and lovers of all ages.

Her original compositions have been fi­nalists in the Tamworth Songwriters Asso­ciation Competition, reflecting her skill as a writer and performer.

This March, Rheanna is set to release her own original music, marking an excit­ing new chapter in her career. “It has been a journey bringing my music to life. I’m so excited for the upcoming release and I’m stoked for when everyone will be able to hear it too.”

Rheanna Leschke is proudly endorsed by ProMusicAustralia. Make sure to catch her at the Cambridge Hotel, find her and follow on @rheannaleschke instagram/fa­cebook — stop by and say hello!

The Homegrown Parkes event is an op­portunity for local and regional businesses and individuals who are processing, repur­posing, sewing, propagating or producing fabulous local products, to share their skill and products with the community.

Homegrown Parkes was recently award­ed the Community Spirit and Inclusion Award at the 2024 Keep Australia Beautiful Tidy Towns NSW Awards.

Demonstrations will again be one of the highlights of the 2025 events, highlighting processes for using locally produced food and products with the aim of encouraging locals to grow produce in their own back­yard – or at least increase their conscious­ness of food miles and purchasing locally.

Education is an important part of Home­grown Parkes, encouraging our commu­nity to grow and prepare their own produce and supporting local and regional small businesses is an important element of the event. The inclusion of a Crop Swap at the event allows locals to share excess pro­duce and encourage others.

Homegrown Parkes will provide an op­portunity for visitors and locals to fill their Saturday in Parkes with plenty of good food and local produce! The autumn event will be held on Saturday, 29 March and the Spring event will be held on Saturday, 11 October. These events are being held be­tween 9am and 2pm in Cooke Park.

The Homegrown Parkes Committee, consists of members of Central West La­chlan Landcare, Parkes Community Arts and Parkes Shire Council.

If you are interested in joining us for ei­ther Homegrown Parkes events, make sure you follow our social media, find out more information via our website at https://cen­tralwestlachlanlandcare.org/get-involved/homegrown-parkes/ or contact Marg Ap­plebee on 0418 611 053 or homegrown­parkes@gmail.com

This National Bullying No Way Week (12th-16th August), Triple P is reminding the community to help children stay safer online and stop cyberbullying before it impacts children.

Carol Markie-Dadds, Triple P International Country Director, high­lighted the urgency of this issue, noting Triple P’s largest-ever sur­vey of parents and carers found 8 out of 10 parents are concerned about keeping children safe from online dangers like cyberbullying.

“Bullying, whether it’s online through text or social media, or in person, has a significant impact on children’s emotional and physi­cal health, and puts children at greater risk of mental health con­cerns, like anxiety or depression,” Ms Markie-Dadds said.

Delivery of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program to parents and carers of children in Australia is supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. Par­ents and carers can access free, online parenting support 24/7 at triplep-parenting.net.au

Investing in the future of rural and regional communities, the RAS Foundation has se­lected a record 91 students for its 2024 Ru­ral Scholarship program, with nine scholars from the Central West named in this year’s cohort.

Now in its 14th year, the RAS Foundation Rural Scholarship program offers financial support to tertiary education students who are helping shape the future of regional NSW by forging careers within rural or re­gional communities.

Record funds of $516,000 will be distrib­uted among this year’s scholarship recipi­ents, with an aim to help ease the burdens associated with pursuing higher education such as relocating to urban centres, study costs, and the inability to work consistently due to study.

The scholarship program is open to stu­dents across NSW and the ACT who are currently enrolled or applying for study in an accredited tertiary course at an Austral­ian university, college, or TAFE, with no limits imposed on age or the types of de­gree that qualify.

Central West scholarship recipients are studying a range of courses, including vet­erinary science, psychology and agricul­ture, and are looking forward to applying their newly acquired knowledge and skills within their local regional communities at the completion of their studies.

The RAS Foundation awards up to $6000 to Rural Scholarship recipients undertak­ing full-time study, or up to $3000 for those studying part-time, made possible with the assistance of generous donors, including The Snow Foundation and UNE Founda­tion.

Over 900 scholarships have been provid­ed to students across Australia, including targeted scholarships for careers in both regional journalism and the Australian wine industry.

Applications for the 2025 RASF Rural Scholarship will open on 1 July 2024. For further information, visit www.rasf.org.au

Saturday 8th June saw the staging of the annual ‘Can-Assist Charity Golf Day’. This is a 4-person Ambrose event open to golf­ers and non-golfers alike, with a field of 116, comprising 85 golfers and 31 non-golfers.

The Scratch winners on the day were the team of Clint Hurford, Shane Sallaway, Damien Kennedy and Kell Becquet, with a score of 62.

The Nett Winners were Peter Mitchell, Andrew Grierson, Cindy Hillier and Grant Tranter, who managed a nett 51 5/8 off their 8 3/8 handicap, and who started the day with four birdies.

As usual, the community were generous in their sponsorship, so the prize list was quite extensive. Other Nett prizes included:

• R-up: C Banks, J Banks, N Morrison, J Sharkey.

• 3rd: D Ashton, Ash Davies, M Inder, N Inder.

• 4th: P Cowhan, L Cowhan, B Robinson, N Greenhalgh

• 5th: P Duke, M Duke, T Duke, Alf DaviesThe NTPs went to:

• Men: 1st J House, 3rd S Brindle, 9th S Sallaway, 18th P Mitchell

• Ladies: 1st nil, 3rd B Duncan, 9th G Bay­ley, 18th S Grierson.

• 2nd shot on 12th: Men Liam Fraser, La­dies Sharon Grierson

• Super Pin on 9th Shane SallawayAt the presentation, organiser Andrew Grierson thanked those who sponsored prizes, and the many players, both golfers and non-golfers, who had travelled to par­ticipate in the event. He also thanked the Can-Assist committee who ran the Half­way House and lunch BBQ and attended to all the other bits and pieces. The money raised amounted to over $3,000 which will help the work of the Forbes Can-Assist branch.

By Short Putt