Local businesses are invited to take part in the ‘Free Cuppa for the Driver’ scheme that will run again from 1st March to 31st May.

This year’s ‘Free Cuppa for the Driver’ scheme will run again from 1st March to 31st May and local businesses are invited to take part.

Entering its 12th year, the multi award-winning scheme provides for partnerships between participating councils and local businesses. The councils provide the marketing and administer the scheme while the participating businesses provide the free cuppas.

“We find that the majority of participating businesses give away between 15 and 30 free over the three-month period. Most travellers that claim free cuppas want to support the participating businesses and will buy extra coffees or food,” said Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor.

She said since its inception the scheme had given away more than 27,000 free cuppas in 265 participating businesses across 91 towns, villages and cities in regional NSW.

“Just being part of the network of participating businesses is already helping to raise awareness of the dangers of driver fatigue. Our deepest thanks to all of the businesses that have participated previously – we quite literally could not have run this program without your support,” Melanie said.

Drivers are entitled to a free cuppa at participating businesses if they are more than 100km away from the address on their licence.

Registrations for the 2022 scheme are open until Monday, 31st January. Go to www.freecuppa.com.au to sign up and find more information about the scheme.

Parkes Shire Mayor Cr Ken Keith OAM and Sam Farraway MLC at the site where the pump track will be constructed next to the skate park.

Four projects totalling almost $900,000 will be delivered across the Parkes Shire to deliver new and upgraded facilities, infrastructure and programs that make a big difference to everyday life in the bush.

“In the Parkes Shire, we’re going to see over $843,584 invested across four projects,” said Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier Sam Farraway. Turf 1 hockey field will receive $483,584 for stage 2 of the $3 million redevelopment of the field. Tullamore Pool will receive $100,000 for upgrading the pools fibreglass shell.

A $200,000 grant has been allocated for a new pump track to be constructed next door to the skate park providing an all age and ability course for the community. The fourth project is $60,000 for Trundle Ladies Flex Their Muscles to purchase new exercise equipment.

COVID-19

The new year has started with a stark COVID reality check for Parkes Shire residents as the third and largest wave of the outbreak did not spare our town this time round.

On Wednesday another 14 positive cases were added to bring the total number of COVID-19 cases in the Parkes Shire to 336, of which 220 were still active with the Omi-cron variant proving more contagious and difficult to contain.

The highest daily rate so far for Parkes was recorded on 15th January with a total of 35 new cases.

The COVID situation was discussed at the Parkes Shire Council meeting on Tuesday. Chief Operating Officer Anthony McGrath reported that while a total of 24 staff members had contracted COVID so far, it had not yet impacted Council’s services.

“We’ve put special management procedures in place to ensure water and sewage staff do not have to be in contact at work,” Mayor Ken Keith said.

Deputy Mayor Neil Westcott highlighted the positive effect being vaccinated had with 67% of all hospitalisations were of people not vaccinated at all. “We need to remain vigilant and make sure to get vaccinated,” he said.

Parkes has been earmarked for a special vaccination hub for booster shots and children aged five to 11. The date of the hub will be confirmed soon.

Jane Rutter, known as Australia’s Flute Queen, has been named the 2022 Australia Day Ambassador for the Parkes Shire.

Internationally acclaimed concert soloist Jane Rutter will be the Parkes Shire’s 2022 Australia Day Ambassador.

Jane received the prestigious Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (‘Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters’) award from the French Government in 2016 in recognition of her significant contributions to arts and literature in France.

Jane studied under the great French flute players Jean-Pierre Rampal and Alain Marion, and has become one of the few flautists in the world who has successfully crossed over into the world of jazz, pop and cabaret.

Known for her onstage warmth, she brilliantly conveys passion, sparkling technique and elegance of expression through her beautiful flute playing.

Jane is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Music, an award-winning TV presenter and multi-ARIA (Australian Grammy) nominee and has appeared as soloist with many orchestras including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and on the same bill as Pavarotti, Carreras, The Manhattan Transfer, Tina Arena, Tommy Emmanuel, Michael Crawford and many others.

Jane is renowned for her relaxed onstage charm and musical imagination, and is also an inspiring music educator and lecturer in performance pedagogy, flute and chamber music. She spends time on environmental issues, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, she created a series of online meditations to assist those with stress.

Jane is in demand as an artistic director and composer. Her Live at Lunch series at The Concourse, Chatswood is one of Australia’s most successful concert series. Jane has become a household name in Australia and has been featured on 60 Minutes, and in Vogue Magazine.

“We are honoured to have Jane attend our special Australia Day activities at Peak Hill and Parkes, as well as present the Citizenship, Cultural and Sporting Awards during the official ceremonies,” said Parkes Shire Mayor, Cr Ken Keith OAM. “We look forward to hearing about Jane’s worldwide experiences, travels and performances.”

Last Friday saw an exciting event at the Parkes Early Childhood Centre (PECC). It was the premiere of a song and video clip called Fire Heart and was the culmination of a several years-long project.

Children from PECC and invited guests attended with the Welcome to Country, delivered by Geoff Anderson.

The project arose from discussions between Lindy Farrant, much-loved Centre’s previous director and Sean James Cassidy, local artist and former pupil of PECC. The idea was to create an installation to introduce the young children of Parkes to the culture of this area’s First Peoples, the Wiradjuri.

The concept Sean developed, took the form of six story branches which had been shaped and patterned by the natural world, growth, the weather, animals and insects. These were then added to with carvings of Wiradjuri iconography by Scott Sauce Towney and Scott Turnbull.

Children at PECC explore the six new carved story branches.

Each of the six story branches represents a word encapsulating PECC’s values; care, create, kind, truth, respect, share. It is hoped that the story branches and their textures will help to stimulate interest and imagination, providing a different avenue for learning.

The video clip that accompanies the song features the voices of some of the children at PECC. Under the tuition of Kelly Thompson, the children were recorded speaking the six words in Wiradjuri. These were then highlighted with animated sign language, creating a video clip in three languages, English, Wiradjuri and Auslan (Australian sign language). Sean’s uncle, Paul Cassidy, who was born deaf, provided his expertise for the signing actions and said it was a privilege to be included in this project. The song Fire Heart was written by Jason Murchie with the backing of the Parkes Wiradjuri Language Group and features Drew Farrant-Jayet, Lindy Farrant and Bill Jayet’s son, playing lead guitar. Other elements of the music include sound samples of locally played didgeridoo and bull-roarer mixed to produce the sound of a human heartbeat.

The song Fire Heart now joins its part-ner song Nuganirra which was released previously and was selected to represent Mother Tongue Day in 2021.

You can access the song and video clip on Ub Ubbo Exchange’s Facebook page.

By Kerrie Peden