Bring your caravans, book accommodation or bring your friends! There’s an exciting event on the horizon that’s sure to make waves across regional Australia. Home Ground Sounds is bringing two incredible concerts to Cowra, NSW and Cohuna, Victoria, this February and March, combining live music with community fundraising efforts in a way that benefits everyone involved.

The ethos behind Home Ground Sounds is simple yet powerful—raise money for community groups through unforgettable live music events. With food trucks, market stalls, kids’ inflatable fun, and top-notch entertainment, these concerts promise to be an enjoyable experience for everyone. But it’s not just about the music—it’s about supporting and strengthening local communities.

With events like Home Ground Sounds, the power of live music and community spirit is taking centre stage across Australia. Get ready for an unforgettable experience this Summer—where the music is loud, the cause is strong, and the memories will last a lifetime.

Cowra: A Star-Studded Concert with a Touch of Hollywood

The first concert will take place on February 8th, 2025, at Sid Kallas Oval in Cowra, NSW. Featuring an exciting lineup of artists, this event promises an unforgettable night of entertainment and community spirit.

Highlights include:

• Furnace and the Fundamentals — Australia’s premier party band
• Rob Mills — performing the songs of Bon Jovi
• 19Twenty — a crowd favorite with their unique blend of folk, rock, and blues
• Large Mirage — indie rock at its finest
• Zak Armstrong — up-and-coming country talent to watch out for

Adding a very special touch to the day, Thomas Nicholas, best known for his role as “Kevin” in the iconic American Pie series, will be the emcee for the night. Not only will Thomas be engaging the crowd, but a few lucky ticket holders will also have the chance to meet him in person for a unique “Come and Have A Beer with Thomas” session—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share a drink with a Hollywood superstar!

For Cowra locals and visitors alike, this concert is more than just a chance to see some of the country’s best live acts—it’s a chance to help raise money for local community organisations that rely on events like Home Ground Sounds to fund vital services.

According to Bruce Wallace, President of the Cowra Magpies Football Club:

“Home Ground Sounds has been a game-changer for us. The concert brings people together, while at the same time raising much-needed funds for local charities and the Magpies Football Club. It’s an event where everyone wins—the crowd, the artists, and most importantly, our community.”

The event has also received the support of Magpies Major Partner Club Cowra who are proud to be associated with community activities. Club Operations Manager, Marc McLeish reiterated Magpie’s President Bruce Wallace’s comments:

“The wider community benefits from entertainment of this calibre in our town, we are very keen to support as much as we can.”

Club Cowra will be running courtesy buses to and from Home Ground Sounds throughout the day. Contact Club Cowra for more details on this service.

Cohuna: Two Days of Music, Food, and Fun

For those in Cohuna, Victoria, the Home Ground Sounds experience continues with a two-day festival at Cohuna Reserve on March 8th & 9th, 2025. This event promises to be a major drawcard for families, music lovers, and foodies alike.

The lineup for Cohuna includes:

• Zak Armstrong — kicking off the festivities with his country style
• Rewind 80’s — taking the audience on fun filled immersive trip through the best hits of the ‘80s
• Big and Horny — a 13-piece high-energy show that will have you on your feet
• Sam + Sam — a dynamic duo that’s sure to keep the crowd engaged
• 19Twenty — bringing their foot-stomping live energy
• Rob Mills performing the songs of Bon Jovi

And the headliners? Well, they are a surprise still to be revealed, but expect big names to grace the stage and cap off the weekend with performances that will have everyone talking long after the last note.

Like the Cowra event, the Cohuna Concert will feature food vans, market stalls, amusement rides, and plenty of kids’ entertainment, making it the perfect weekend out.

Wade Mathers, President of the Cohuna Kangas Football Netball Club, said:

“It’s about bringing the whole town together for a good cause. We’ve had so much support from Gannawarra Shire Council, local businesses and community groups, and the impact this will have on the fundraising efforts for the Football Netball Club along with the Cohuna Show, Cohuna Athletics and Nondies Cricket is huge. Everyone is looking forward to a weekend full of good music, food, and fun,”

More Than Just a Concert: A Community Movement

What makes Home Ground Sounds so special is its commitment to the local communities it serves. Each event is tailored to raise money for community groups.

“We’re not just putting on a concert. We’re partnering with community organisations to make a real difference in their towns,” explains Deb Clarke, the Director of Roundbox Group, the organising team behind Home Ground Sounds. “Our very experienced team take care of everything—the logistics, permits, and the event organisation—so that the community groups can focus on what matters most: raising money for their cause.”

The success of Home Ground Sounds is built on the belief that live music has the power to unite people, create lasting memories, and help fund vital services. Whether it’s a local sports club, a charity organisation, or a school looking to raise money, Home Ground Sounds works hand-in-hand with these groups to ensure that the benefits are felt by everyone.

And it doesn’t stop with Cowra and Cohuna. Home Ground Sounds is open to bringing this incredible fundraising event to other towns across Australia. If your community is interested in hosting a concert, Roundbox Group is eager to help bring the Home Ground Sounds experience to your area.

A Call to Action

If you’re looking for an incredible day of music, food, and community spirit—mark your calendars for February 8th in Cowra and March 8th & 9th in Cohuna. Not only will you be treated to world-class performances, but you’ll also be making a real difference in a regional community.

Get your tickets now and come along for an unforgettable experience!

For more information or to bring Home Ground Sounds to your town, visit www.homegroundsounds.com.au. Together, we can make a difference—one concert at a time.

The NSW Government has launched the Lachlan Regional Water Strategy, a longterm plan to meet the water needs of the re­gion and support water security for Parkes, Cowra, Forbes, and other communities across the Lachlan for the next 20 years and beyond.

The strategy provides a clearer pathway for a more resilient and sustainable water future, progressing a range of solutions to shore up water for residents, farmers, busi­nesses, Aboriginal people and the environ­ment.

We have consulted widely with the com­munity throughout the plan’s development, and we’ve received significant input which informed the final strategy and its actions.

The strategy is also underpinned by new, groundbreaking climate data and state-of-the-art modelling, allowing us to better un­derstand and plan for future water security risks.

New environmental data for the Lachlan Valley is now available on our online portal, showing modelled streamflow and storage volume data under different climate sce­narios, including long-term projections. This will help local water utilities, industry, and community groups better plan for their wa­ter futures.

Further information is available at: https://water.dpie.nsw.gov.au/our-work/plans-and-strategies/regional-water-strategies/final/lachlan-regional-water-strategy

Unwanted textiles will be saved from land­fill thanks to a recycling initiative Forbes Shire Council has started. Forbes Shire Council has partnered with Reuse Repur­pose Recycle Australia in a 12-month trial to provide recycling bins for textiles at the Forbes Recycling and Waste Depot.

While residents are still encouraged to donate textiles to local op shops, the new bins at the waste depot/landfill will mean items not suitable for an op shop, such as damaged clothes can be recycled.

RRR Australia runs a program that keeps textiles out of landfill and will collect items placed in the textile recycling bins and re­use, recycle or repurpose them.

Good quality items are donated to chari­ties, op shops and shelters to be reused, while items that cannot be reused are recy­cled and made into items such as blankets, throws, caravan and outdoor mats.

Poor quality items are repurposed and donated to the RSPCA, arts and crafts stores for off-cut material to be used, while damaged items are made into industrial rags.

All clothing, shoes and boots, blankets, towels, backpacks, handbags and material offcuts can be placed in the textile recycling bins. Items that can­not be recycled include sheets, pillowcases, doonas, pillows and cushions, wet or soiled items and industrially stained items.

The average Australian disposes of 23kg of textiles per year to landfill, Forbes Shire Council Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM, said “Forbes Shire Council is committed to sustainability and this pro­gram will help preserve our landfills and ensure textiles stay in the circular economy”.

Textiles can be recycled at the Forbes Recycling and Waste De­pot during its trading hours, 8:30am – 5pm seven days.

More medicinal blister packs will be kept out of landfill thanks to a recycling initiative between Forbes Shire Council, Flannery’s Pharmacy and Life Pharmacy.

Forbes Shire Council has partnered with both pharmacies to have Pharmacycle recycling bins at both locations, and residents are being asked to keep their blister packs and recycle them in these bins instead of placing them in their normal rubbish bins.

Blister packs are the packaging most medicinal tablets and cap­sules come in and cannot be recycled in the yellow lid bin due to the aluminum and plastic in them being bound together. This means many end up wasting landfill space.

Pharmacycle separates these two materials and recycles them to make a range of products such as fences, building and construc­tion materials. Since Pharmacycle began in 2022 it has saved 8 million blister packs from landfill.

Forbes Shire Council Mayor, Phyllis Miller OAM, said “This initia­tive is another great step Forbes Shire Council is taking to reduce waste in our landfills and I encourage everyone to place their blis­ter packs in the blue bins provided at both pharmacies,” she said.

“Forbes Shire Council is committed to sustainability and I’d like to thank Flannery’s Pharmacy and Life Pharmacy for partnering with us.”

The Pharmacycle bins can be used during the opening hours of both pharmacies.

“Shoes on kids!” He’d yell as we all grabbed a Zooper Dooper and piled in the car to drive to town.

It was a Christmas tradition.

A summer night spent staying up past our bedtime to walk around town and see the Christmas lights. We knew the streets that pulled out all the stops, and we’d walk up and down, gazing at the twinkling lights, smiling Santas on a sleigh on rooftops and the smell of cinnamon in the air.

Dad loved it just as much as we did. An evening stroll, chats with people out the front of their houses and no doubt a strat­egy to wear out his three kids ready for bedtime. We’d run ahead, excitedly find­ing the next light show, zigzagging our way through our little town.

Legs moving, faces red from the exer­cise, hearts full with the thrill of Christmas.

What are your Christmas traditions? See if you can swap out screen time for family connection, balance indulgent eat­ing and drinking with active fun, and create joyful memories together this Christmas season. From an evening walk to backyard cricket, it’s the perfect time to embrace movement and connection.

We hope you have a happy and safe Christmas, from the Kerin Health Team.

The Forbes Community Strategic Plan is a ten year plan for the whole of the Forbes Shire.

It’s an opportunity to share your ideas, hopes and plans for future Forbes. Your ideas will help set the goals and plans for the Council and ensure Council services can meet your wants and needs. This in­cludes major infrastructure projects, attrac­tions and events in our shire, services you want for your home, things our town could do better.

The Forbes Community Strategic Plan community survey is now open and closes on 31 January 2025. All community mem­bers are encouraged to have their say to plan for our town at https://yoursay.forbes.nsw.gov.au.

Council will clarify any survey results and prioritise items, collate all data and use the information to create the new Community Strategic Plan.

Find out more by attending a Town Hall drop in session on Wednesday 18 Decem­ber, 1pm – 3pm.

For details contact Council’s Communi­ty and Tourism Team on 02 6850 2300 or community@forbes.nsw.gov.au