Forbes Phoenix

Clean Up Australia Day Registrations Are Now Open

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Clean Up Australia Day returns on Sunday 1 March 2026, and we’re calling on indi­viduals, families, schools, and community groups across the country to register now and get in on the action to be part of Aus­tralia’s largest environmental movement.

Since its inception, over 23 million vol­unteers have joined the Clean Up effort.

In 2025, over 800,000 people volunteered across 8,000 events nationally during the Clean Up Australia Day campaign period.

Registrations for Clean Up Australia Day 2026 are now open. Volunteers can receive a free Clean Up kit, containing gloves, bags and other resources, with packs for indi­viduals, families, community groups and schools available (businesses are asked to pay a small fee to cover costs).As an added bonus, if you register your Clean Up Australia Day event before 31 December, you will automatically be en­tered into an early bird competition to win one of five donated $500 Coles vouchers.

Terms and conditions apply.

With Business Clean Up Day on Tuesday February 24, 2026 and Schools Clean Up Day on Friday February 27, 2026.

Register now at cleanup.org.au for Clean Up Australia Day March 1, 2026

Forbes Ski Dam Nature Playground Expansion Ready For Play

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The new play equipment and 3 metre picnic table at Forbes Lake Ski Dam.

Completed just in time for summer, the expanded Lake Forbes Ski Dam Nature Playground is now open and ready to explore.

Forbes Shire Council invites the community to come along and celebrate the completion of this exciting project, which has trans­formed one of Forbes’ favourite recreation spots into an even more engaging and family-friendly destination.

The project included drainage improvements, installation of new play equipment and bark chip soft fall, refurbishment of existing equipment, new seating, and landscaping.

The space now offers more fun, age-appropriate play experi­ences for young children and is expected to attract more families and visitors to enjoy the Ski Dam and its surrounds.

Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said the project is another great exam­ple of investing in spaces that enhance liveability and community wellbeing.

“The Ski Dam is such a special place for our community – a spot where families gather, children play, and visitors enjoy the outdoors,” the Mayor said.

“This expansion has made it even better, offering more ways for everyone to enjoy this beautiful space.”

The project was proudly funded by the NSW Government through the Local Small Commitments Allocation Program and de­livered by Forbes Shire Council.

To celebrate, Council will be hosting a community opening event on Friday 7 November at the Ski Dam, commencing at 12 midday.

For more information about the Ski Dam Nature Playground, visit www.forbes.nsw.gov.au.

National Ag Day Photo And Video Competition Is Live

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The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is excited to announce that the 2025 National Agriculture Day photo and video competi­tion is officially open. With Ag Day on Fri­day 21 November, people have the chance to win a share in $5,000 cash thanks to competition sponsors Syngenta.

Ag Day is all about celebrating the peo­ple, places, and produce that make Austral­ian agriculture unique. And what better way to share your story than through your own lens? Whether you’re a budding photogra­pher, a videographer, or just someone with a smartphone and a keen eye, we want to see your take on life on the land.

Entries are open to all ages and skill levels, with prizes up for grabs, including $2,000 for first place, $1,000 for second, and $500 for four runners-up. The judges are looking for photos and videos that cap­ture this year’s theme, Stand with the Land.

To enter, upload your entries at agday.org.au/photography-video-competition and share your favourites on social media us­ing #AgDayAU. The competition closes 5pm AEDT on Ag Day, Friday 21 November 2025. For more information about Ag Day, visit agday.org.au.

Teddy Bears Picnic At Frogs Hollow

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The much-loved Teddy Bears Picnic will be held this Saturday, 1 November from 10am to 1pm. With redevelopment works un­derway at Lions Park, the popular annual event has been relocated to Frogs Hollow in 2025.

Forbes Shire Council Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said the event continues to be an im­portant day on the community calendar.

“The Teddy Bears Picnic is a special tra­dition in Forbes, giving families the chance to come together and enjoy a day of joy, play and imagination with their children,” the Mayor said.

“While Lions Park is currently out of ac­tion, Frogs Hollow is a wonderful setting to host the event and we look forward to see­ing plenty of teddies out and about.”

The picnic will feature children’s enter­tainment, activities and story time, with families encouraged to bring their favourite teddy bear, picnic rug and snacks. Food and refreshments will also be available for purchase.

Come along to this free event on Friday 1 November from 10am – 1pm at Frogs Hollow, corner of Riley and Lawler Streets (next to Forbes Sports and Recreation Club bowling greens). For more informa­tion, visit www.forbes.nsw.gov.au.

Tips For Itchy, Watery, Red Eyes This Spring

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If you’re one of the estimated 20% of Aus­tralians that suffer with hayfever, Spring is not a time for celebration but rather a time of sneezing, mucous and the dreaded itchy eyes! Allergic conjunctivitis is the bane of many a hay fever sufferer so what is the best way to manage your itchy eyes?

1. Avoid your allergy triggers. Plants, grasses or pollens that trigger your al­lergy symptoms should be avoided. Try saving outdoor activities to evening or just before dawn when the pollen count is lower.

2. Keep allergens away. Regularly wash­ing your face, hair and around your eyes, frequently changing your clothing and linen can help to remove the little al­lergen particles that accumulate.

3. Treat your itchy eyes with medication. Over the counter antihistamine eye drops can provide relief for the symp­toms of allergic conjunctivitis. Avoid us­ing the “red eye” drops. These temporar­ily hide the redness without addressing the cause of your red, itchy eyes. For persistent allergy, use a mast cell stabi­liser eyedrop leading up to and during spring to act as a preventative. These are available as a combination drop alongside an antihistamine.

4. Treat any concurrent dry eye disease. Having dry eyes will exacerbate your al­lergic conjunctivitis symptoms and our tears act as a natural means of flushing allergens out of our eyes. Watch out with taking oral antihistamines as these can cause dry eyes.

Book an appointment at Hansens Optom­etrists where we can formulate a personal­ised plan. We can prescribe more effective eye drops and treat other eye problems that might be masquerading as allergy symptoms.

Fresh Fight For Right To Repair

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NSW Farmers has welcomed calls from the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Compe­tition, Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh to introduce a legislated right to repair for agricultural machinery.

NSW Farmers President Xavier Martin said commitment to legislate this was long overdue. “Right now, much of our modern farm machinery can only be fixed by an ‘authorised repairer’, but this often costs a fortune and there’s the likelihood of costly delays,” Mr Martin said.

“We can choose who fixes our cars and trucks, but can’t choose who fixes the ag machines that help us feed and clothe the nation – and that’s costing our industry time, money and productivity.

“Farmers should be able to choose to use and support a qualified local repairer or do repairs and maintenance work them­selves if they’re qualified, so they can get their machinery fixed without huge costs or wait times.”

According to the Productivity Commis­sion, legislating a right to repair agricultural machinery would boost agricultural produc­tivity by $97 million annually.

“We need our tractors, headers and other machines to be fixed efficiently if we’re to keep putting clothes on backs and food on tables,” Mr Martin said.

Forbes Garden Club: September Report

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Noel and Joy Hocking were hosts for the September meeting.

Forbes Garden Club President Marg Dent welcomed 42 members to the September meeting with nine apologies. The minutes of the previous meeting were read by Sec­retary Robin Lyell, and Treasurer Lloyd Gerdes presented us with his report.

Michelle Mahlo informed members that we have two Facebook pages and en­couraged members to share their pictures on the Forbes Garden Club page. Show flower convenor, Bev Green acknowledged many members who had won prizes at the recent Forbes Show which added to make a beautiful display.

Our hosts were Noel and Joy Hocking who made their garden open for our meet­ing. Members were amazed to see this beautiful garden of irises, roses and flow­ers in bloom of all colours. Several times it has been hit with floods and is very well cared for with lots of fertilizer. Noel gave us tips on pruning and white fly control. Noel and Joy will also be opening their garden twice more during the month of October for those wishing to view more iris flowers in bloom. Janette Thomas thanked our hosts with a small gift.

Flower of the month winners were first Denise Thurston (Ranunculi), second Lee Sanderson (Freesia) and third Robyn Liebich (yellow Tulip).There was plenty of raffle winners drawn, winners included Lee Sanderson, Meg Scholefield, Loris Stewart, Denise Thurs­ton, Marian Murray and Robin Lyell.

Our next meeting will be held in the gar­den of Jane and Darryl Burley at 11 Church Street on Tuesday 28 October at 2pm. Our guest speaker on the day will be Elsie Ma­hon. Everyone is invited to come along, and new members are always encour­aged. Please bring along a chair, hat and cup and have a cuppa with members after the meeting. See you all there.

By Green Thumb

New Stock Management Tool For Farmers

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The Albanese and Minns Labor Governments are continuing to ensure regional communities are able to thrive with a new powerful online tool to help NSW farmers better prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters including fire, flood, and drought.

The agriculture industry is the engine room of the New South Wales economy, contributing around $20 billion each year. This tool will help farmers safeguard their livelihoods during the climatic variations impacting their farming operations.

The platform, called myStockPlanner, enables farmers to pro­vide details of their farm, risks and resources so they then in return can access tailored actionable response options to consider and implement with their feed and livestock.

myStockPlanner enhances and brings together the functions that previously existed in a suite of existing tools so they are up­graded into a smarter and single platform. The old tools such as the Drought and Supplementary Calculator, DroughtPack, Feed Cost Calculator and Drought Feed Calculator have been collated into a one stop shop myStockPlanner.

This platform is designed to empower farmers with real-time in­sights, scenario planning, and recovery tracking so they can make better and quicker decisions. Importantly, myStockPlanner allows users to save their business information to a farm profile, which they can access and update anywhere, anytime even if their busi­ness records are destroyed in floods or fires.

Farmers use the free platform to calculate livestock require­ments, develop feed plans and evaluate projected annual costs of livestock sale and retention options to improve the farm’s per­formance. To learn more or sign up – myStockPlanner – https://mystockplanner.dpi.nsw.gov.au

Forbes Set To Sizzle This Weekend

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Make the BBQ Championships a family affair – the two days are free to attend. Bring the whole crew down.

Forbes is set to sizzle as the National BBQ Championships return to Grinstead Oval on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October. The two day event promises a feast of flavour, fun and fierce competition, drawing top grillers and smokers from across Australia.

There’s no better time to come and cel­ebrate Australian BBQ culture while spend­ing some time in the recently awarded Tidy Town Forbes, NSW, an AMAZING regional destination? This year’s National BBQ Champion­ship’s highlight guest chef is the world renowned live fire chef Patrick De Leon, known for his fusion of American, South American and South African BBQ styles.

Chef Patrick will host live demonstrations, showcasing his mastery of coal and wood fire cooking.

Local and Australian competitors will bat­tle it out across protein categories including brisket, chicken, lamb and pork in the grill­ing and smoking competitions. Saturday’s Grilling Champions will be declared Aus­tralia’s National Champions while Sunday’s smoking competition is sanctioned by the Australian Barbecue Alliance, so smokers can gain national circuit points. There is a total $20,000 prize pool up for grabs.

Beyond the grill, attendees can enjoy food trucks, market stalls, live music and children’s entertainment.

Mayor Phyllis Miller says the event “Cel­ebrates the flavours and passion that make BBQ such a beloved tradition.” Come and enjoy Forbes for one of our trademark events on Saturday 18 October noon to 6pm and Sunday 19 October 10am to 4pm Location: Grinstead Oval, Forbes. Entry is Free.

Tidy Towns Success For Forbes

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Forbes is looking amazing after it was an­nounced as the winner of Tidy Town (Cat­egory C) award.

Forbes was awarded several wins and highly commended for its heritage, youth and community spirit. The honour reflects the town’s commitment to community pride and environmental excellence. Forbes has taken two wins and two Highly Commend­ed awards in the 2025 Tidy Towns Sustain­able Communities Awards in Parkes.

• Winner – Overall Tidy Towns (Population Category C: 5,001–12,000)

• Winner – Community Spirit and Inclusion award for the Welcome to Forbes events (population category C).

• Forbes Youth Action Team received High­ly Commended in the 2025 Tidy Towns Young Legends (population category C).

• The Ben Hall Trial play was also awarded Highly Commended in the Heritage and Culture category.

The program celebrates the incredible councils, communities, schools, business­es, and individuals leading the charge for a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.

This achievement celebrates the amaz­ing collaboration, creativity, and commu­nity pride that make Forbes such a special place to live, work, and visit.

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