It was Australia Day yesterday and I am very pleased to announce our Forbes Shire Citizen of the Year is Rob Willis and Forbes Shire Junior Citizen of the Year is Aidan Clarke. Both Rob and Aidan are very deserving of these awards. A number of outstanding nominations were received this year and I thank all the community members who took the time to submit nominations. It was an absolute pleasure to have our Ambassador, Sandra Bates in Forbes. Sandra was the Governing and Artistic Director of the Ensemble Theatre and retired last year after 30 years at the helm. I presented Sandra with her Australia Day Ambassador pin at the Rotary Community Breakfast and she attended all our events with her daughter Susan.
The foundations have started to be laid for the AMAZING sculpture on the stock route along the Lachlan Valley Way (South Condobolin Road). The committee is looking forward to announcing when the letters are in place and ready for the community to see. I will keep you updated on dates when they are announced. The support from local businesses has been unreal and the sculpture is a fantastic cultural asset for Forbes, which will bring tourism and economic benefits to our town.
Last Wednesday, our new Member for Orange, Phil Donato, hosted a meet and greet at the Forbes Town Hall. He was very welcoming to all community members. We look forward to seeing more of Phil when he visits each month.
Mayor Graeme Miller