Maggi Barnard

Maggi Barnard has been with the Parkes Phoenix since it was established in March 2016 and loves writing about her community.

Snippets…

January 22, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

Senior Constable Baldwin from Parkes Highway Patrol warned there would be more Police on the roads over the long weekend.

Five Days Of Double Demerits: Double demerit points will be in force from today (Friday, 22nd January) to Tuesday, 26th January (inclusive) for all speeding, seat belt, motorcycle helmet and mobile phone offences for the Australia Day long weekend. Key double demerit points that will be in force are: Exceed the speed limit by 10km/h and under; Exceed the speed limit by over 10km/h; Exceed the speed limit by over 20km/h; Exceed the speed limit by over 30km/h; Exceed the speed limit by over 45km/h; Driver not wearing seatbelt; Driver penalty for each passenger not wearing a seatbelt; Rider on a motorcycle not wearing a helmet; Rider penalty for passenger on a motorcycle not wear- ing a helmet; Using a mobile phone while driving. Parkes Highway Patrol Sergeant Martin Ling warned drivers they were at the greatest risk of losing their licence during this five-day period. “Remember to slow down, schedule plenty of breaks during your trip, don’t drink and drive, limit distractions in the car and ensure all your passengers are wearing their seatbelts.”

Craft Corner Closed: Following the storm and flooding on 2nd January, Craft Corner Parkes will be closed until further notice.

Arts Revival Exhibition Closed: As a result of the recent storm damage to the Parkes Library & Cultural Centre, Council decided to close the Art Revival Exhibition. The exhibition titled ‘Revival,’ showcased a wide variety of artists and artistic mediums from the Parkes Shire. Scheduled to run until Australia Day, it was the first exhibition to be held in the newly painted and carpeted Coventry Room, following the Library refurbishments last year. Cultural Education & Library Services Manager Kerryn Jones thanked all the artists who contributed their work and the volunteers who helped to make it such a success. “During the two weeks the exhibition was open, it had been extremely successful, with over 400 people in attendance, and the sale of 13 artworks. For information about the Arts Revival Exhibition contact the Parkes Library on 6862 9101.

Cubby House Raffle: The winner of the Rotary Club of Parkes Cubby House raffle was drawn on 23rd December last year, and the winner was Sue McLellan of Parkes. She donated her prize to the Vidler family of Parkes. Rotary thanked all the sponsors: Parkes Hardware, Glassplace, McCabe Constructions, Handi Steel, Langlands Hanlon and Astro Dish Motel.

Sarea, Nate and Ryder Vidler with the cubby house installed at their home by Potts Removals of Parkes.

Storm Closes Parkes Library

January 22, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

The storm cell event in Parkes on 2nd January caused severe flooding and damage all over town. Here is a river of water coming down Bogan Street surrounding the Parkes Library.

The Parkes Library & Cultural Centre, including the Parkes Country Universities Centre, will remain closed to carry out the flood damage repairs following the storm event on Saturday, 2nd January.

“Repairs have commenced and at this stage we hope to reopen on Monday, 15th February at 9:30am, pending the completion of the repairs,” said Council’s Director of Planning & Environment, Brendan Hayes.

Despite the closure of the facility, the following services will still be available: Online Collection for all members with eBooks, eAudiobooks, Beamafilm, emagazines, StoryBox, Computer School; Local and family history enquiries via phone or email 6861 2339 or dan.fredericks@parkes.nsw.gov.au; Returns chute is available at the Bogan Street entrance – there are no overdue fines and current loans can be kept past the due dates until the library reopens; One computer is available for free public use at Parkes Shire Council’s Administration Office at 2 Cecile Street. This includes accessing the Internet and Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Use will be limited to 30 minutes – bookings can be made by calling 6861 2333.

Manager Cultural, Education and Library Services, Kerryn Jones said: “The Parkes Library is an integral hub for our community, and it is disappointing to see the doors closed as a result of the recent storm. We look forward to being able to reopen this fantastic space for our community members to enjoy again.”

Although the Parkes Country Universities Centre (CUC) is closed, the Centre Manager Jacob Cass, is still available to assist students to navigate their study options for 2021. Head to the CUC Parkes Facebook for more details.

The branch libraries at Peak Hill, Trundle and Tullamore will continue to operate as normal.

Create From Waste

January 22, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

The annual Waste 2 Art Competition and Exhibition will be back this year as a collaboration between NetWaste and Parkes Shire Council.

The aim of the event is to challenge perceptions about ‘rubbish’ and to celebrate the reuse and recycling of waste through arts and crafts. It also provides an innovative approach to waste education, invites schools and community groups to take up the challenge and create a new life for materials that would have been thrown away.

“This exhibition and competition give aspiring and professional artists the chance to explore and share their waste reduction messages whilst showcasing their artistic ability,” said Manager Cultural, Education & Library Services, Kerryn Jones.

The 2021 theme is aluminium and steel cans, but any type of material normally considered waste are welcomed. The competition is open to all community members, artists and schools who currently reside in the NetWaste region.

The local competition entries will be on display in the Coventry Room in the Parkes Library & Cultural Centre from Tuesday, 18th May until Friday, 11th June. The Outback Arts Gallery in Coonamble will be hosting the regional exhibition in July, featuring the winners from the local competitions in the NetWaste region.

Entry forms are available at www.visitparkes.com.au or pick up a form at Council’s Administration Office. Entries close Friday, 30th April. For more information, contact Roxanne Gallacher, Council’s Creative Learning Programs Coordinator on 6862 9101.

11 Clubs Receive Sports Grants

January 22, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

At the handover event were at the back (L-R) Anthony McGrath (Parkes Sports Council), Scott Knights (Parkes Cricket Association), Chris Hig- gins (Parkes Little Athletics), Dan Wilson (Parkes Hockey), Hubert Lehman (Northparkes Mines) and Clr Bill Jayet (Parkes Shire Council). In front are Angela Bottaro-Porter (Parkes Soccer), Megan Hutchison (Parkes School of Dance), Stacey Kelly (Northparkes Mines), Jorja Mann (Parkes School of Dance), Sue Tait (Parkes Early Childhood Centre) and Sharon Jeffries (Parkes & District Kennel Club).

The successful applicants for the latest round of the Sports Grants Program of CMOC-Northparkes Mines and Parkes Shire Council were announced recently.

A total of $28,680 was distributed to a range of different sports programs across the Parkes Shire. This round, which closed in September last year, included an $8,000 grant to the victorious Parkes Rugby Club for a new scrum machine. The Boars took out the rugby New Holland Cup title in Mudgee and will use the new scrum machine to hone their scrummaging techniques before defending their title this year.

Other projects receiving grants included: Parkes and District Kennel Club to upgrade lighting at the kennel club grounds $2,500; Parkes Hockey Inc for a Bola hockey ball machine $2,000; Parkes Bowling and Sports Club for retractable screens for outdoor seating at each end of the bowling rinks $1,000: Parkes and District Soccer Association for public address equipment at the Harrison Park sporting fields $2,632; Parkes and District Cricket Association for helmets to be in compliance with COVID-19 hygiene requirements $1,235; PCYC Parkes for space savers and coacher’s helpers for the uneven and single bars $1,350; Trundle Progress Association for new strapping tables $4,028 and a $4,028 contribution towards the changeroom upgrade project; Parkes Early Childcare Centre for six bikes and six helmets $400; Parkes School of Dance for an air track and cylinder to enable students to learn new skills and techniques in a safe manner $1,235; Parkes Tennis Club Inc to erect three commercial shade umbrellas $3,000.

The next round will open in March.

Business Bouncing Back But Fragile

January 22, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

The state’s peak business organisation Business NSW says that while businesses have shown resilience and optimism in the face of COVID-19, this confidence can be quickly eroded by lockdowns and border closures.

“In our December Business Conditions Survey, NSW businesses said they were turning the corner following the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Business NSW Regional Manager – Western NSW, Vicki Seccombe.

“Business confidence was positive across the state for the first time since June 2018, however much of the survey was completed prior to the Christmas lockdowns.”

“TheNSWGovernmenthasdoneagood job in listening to business needs and responding as soon as possible by easing restrictions and opening up communities.

“The first quarter of this year will be crucial for many businesses as a number of Government support packages are reduced or come to an end.

“The other clear signal from our survey is that an increasing number of Western NSW businesses are looking to expand their capacity to meet demand, with more businesses prioritising expansion than planning to downsize their business.

Vicki said businesses across Western NSW faced hiring challenges and skills shortages, with agriculture, construction, manufacturing and accommodation and food services expressing the most concern.

Harvesting The Works Of A Youthful Endeavour

January 22, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

The creative team behind the video and its music are (L-R) Sean James Cassidy, Alex Gunn, Sean Lea, Jason Nacho Murchie and Kerrie Peden. (Photo: Marc Payne).

From sowing the seeds of creativity to harvesting the works, the cycle of the successful Art of Resilience competition from last year is continuing with its final product on show at the Henry Parkes Museum.

A video with animations of the winning entries, as well as interviews with the winners is on show in the Wongalea school building until the middle of next month.

Competition organiser Sean James Cassidy explains the inclusion of the museum as follows: “It is important we know our roots. The answers to the questions as we move forward, are often found from a knowledge and an appreciation of our past. Sharing this knowledge creates ideas, learning from these shared ideas, provides new options for everyone involved. In preserving knowledge from our history – we can enrich each other.”

Sean said it was important to preserve the knowledge of what the winners said so children in the future would know what they went through during these times.

Local historian and library officer Dan Fredericks supports the idea of bringing art and history together. “It is fitting that the ‘Art of Resilience’ is being shown in the Won- galea school building. This structure was used in the 1972 film Sunstruck, where Harry Secombe’s Welsh teacher tries to be resilient in the Australian outback. It again highlights how art can benefit the community, not just aesthetically but also therapeutically. The Wongalea school building being preserved and utilised this way not only highlights our local history, but also the importance of our social history.”

President of the Parkes and District Historical Society Bruce Hall sits at an old school desk in the Wongalea school building with the TV monitor behind him where the Art of Resilience video is being shown.

President of the Parkes and District Historical Society Bruce Hall said: “The video adds to the scope of what we offer at the museum. It is wonderful that Sean approached us.”

One of Bruce’s aims is to get schools and young people more involved in the museum. “We hope to restart our program with the high school again this year. There is so much students can do here from writing historical stories to helping to restore the old machines.”

He hoped the Art of Resilience video would not only bring more children to the museum, but would also inspire some of them to be creative.

The Art of Resilience competition encouraged young people in the Parkes Shire to create music, poetry, photography and art to express their emotions using the theme resilience in the face of drought, the bushfires and COVID-19.

Parkes artist Scott Turnbull, a founding member of Ub Ubbo Exchange, was very excited about the opportunities the competition offered to local talent. He said: “A good story will have struggles inside it, and stories of hard times often have hope in them. We can benefit from their knowledge and pass them on.

By Maggi Barnard

Parkrun Comes To Parkes!

January 22, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

FREE EVENT… Sports people in Parkes are eager for the launch of parkrun in our town and to make the weekly 5km event part of their fitness routine. Getting ready this week were cricket players (L-R) Brent Tucker, Luke Nash, Anthony Heraghty, Ben Coultas, Zac Bayliss and Jock Yelland.

The long wait is over and excitement is building for the launch of parkrun in two weeks’ time on 6th February.

Parkes will be joining the worldwide phenomena of 409 events in Australia and over 1,400 events in 22 countries with the first official running of the Northparkes Oval parkrun.

If you’ve never heard of parkrun, it is a free, weekly, community event on a 5km set course every Saturday morning at 8am with no time limit and no one finishes last. It includes all ages, all demographics, all levels of fitness and everyone is welcome to walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate.

Three local volunteer organisers have been working on getting a parkrun for our town for over two years. In May last year they achieved their final goal with a grant, but then COVID restrictions meant the wait was extended by another eight months. The 5km route for Parkes will start at Boulder Hill Park on the corner of Wentworth Street and Alexandra Street and follow the walkway around the ovals. If you would like your time recorded it is vital to register on the parkrun website (www.parkrun.com.au), print out your personal barcode and bring it to the event. The barcode will be valid to take part in any parkrun anywhere in the world.

The parkrun event is run by volunteers, and any individuals, clubs and organisations are invited to help out. The Northparkes Oval parkrun Facebook page will go live just before 6th February and volunteers can register their interest on the page.

Positive Changes For Agriculture

January 22, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

A loan program to support the next generation of farmers has opened for applications. The AgriStarter Loan Program received an additional $75 million from the Australian Government to assist new entrants to farming looking to purchase, establish or develop their first farm business and to support farming succession arrangements. Individual loans of up to $2 million can be used for a range of purposes, including purchasing a farm business and other farm business assets, as well as putting it toward costs associated with the succession planning process. For more information visit www.ric.gov.au

Other benefits for the sector include significant tariff cuts and improved market access on a range of commodities traded across the Americas and Asia that took effect at the start of 2021.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack the cuts deliver a huge opportunity for Riverina and Central West primary producers. Tariffs on lamb and beef to Korea and some wine products and barley to Mexico will all fall in 2021, while exporters to Peru will benefit from tariff cuts on beef and sparkling wine as well as increased quotas for rise, dairy, sugar and sorghum.

Editor’s Note

January 22, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

I was in the shop this week at the end of a tiring day trying to reach something at the back of the top shelf but it was just too far, even when I jumped… a tall stranger came by and asked what he could get for me. It was a small gesture of kindness, but it made me smile and instantly lifted my mood.

The year certainly started on a stormy note for Parkes, and with COVID remaining in the daily news headlines, it is easy to get discouraged about what lies ahead for us in 2021. Last year taught us about the value of kindness, and my hope is that all of us will aim to perform as much kindness as we can this year to make our community even better.

Please let us know about your stories of kindness. We would love to publish them!

Maggi

Upgrade For Spicer Oval

January 22, 2021 By Maggi Barnard

Attending the announcement at Spicer Oval last week were (L-R) Ken Keith, Cath Ryan, John Barilaro, Sam Farraway, Ken Oliver, Alan Ryan and Bill Jayet.

The region’s sporting capacity has received a major boost with the announcement of $1.6 million to improve facilities and amenities at Spicer Oval.

The funding from the Resources for Regions Round Seven will go towards the redevelopment of Spicer Oval, including a new modern amenities block, clubhouse and canteen for footy and cricket players. It also includes upgrading the carpark and building a new viewing platform with more than 300 seats for spectators to view sport year-round.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro and NSW Nationals Duty MLC for the Central West Sam Farraway were in Parkes last week for the announcement.

“These new facilities and amenities will provide a dedicated rugby union facility for Parkes and accommodate junior, senior and women’s rugby league matches as well as cricket matches of all grades and ages,” Sam said.

“The new amenities block will enable Spicer Oval to host regional sporting events and accommodate both male and female competitors at the same time, and they will be cheered on by fans seated on the new viewing platform.”

John Barilaro said the project would help stimulate the local economy by providing work for local tradespeople and suppliers, while increased numbers of competitors and spectators attending regional events in Parkes would spend money in local shops.

Maggi Barnard

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