Maggi Barnard

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

Lake Endeavour Fills Up For First Time In Four Years!

July 17, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

At full capacity the water has reached trees that used to be far away from the water’s edge. (Photo: Beth Thomas)

A moody shot of clouds over Lake Endeavour. (Photo: Beth Thomas)

The water from the spillway cascades over the rocks to the creek below.

With the water going over the spillway the lake looks like an infinity pool.

This was about three weeks ago when the lake was at 92% of capacity. (Photo: Ian Griffey)

The water going over the spillway when the lake filled up to 100% on Monday. (Photo: Bill Thomas)

A Willie Wagtail enjoys sitting on a floating tree stump.

Northparkes Launches E-Newsletter

July 17, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Residents can sign up to receive the the new monthly Northparkes Mines e-newsletter at www.northparkes.com.

CMOC-Northparkes Mines announced the launch of the first edition of the Northparkes Newsletter on Wednesday. The e-newsletter will be distributed on a monthly basis.

“The aim of the newsletter is to create another channel to connect with our local community members,” said Community and External Relations Advisor, Ali Standen.

“The newsletters will include updates about our operations, our people, career opportunities, scholarship programs, up-coming events and our investment pro- grams and partnerships.” Stacey Kelly Manager People, Safety and Environment said: “This e-newsletter is another way for us to ensure our local community members are aware of our current job vacancies, including our traineeship and scholarship programs, that are designed to support the local communities in which we live and work.” We also invite the community to connect with Northparkes on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Ali invited residents to keep up to date with all the latest news by signing up to the e-newsletter. Visit www.northparkes.com to sign up and get the e-newsletter delivered to your inbox.

New Break Fees For Fixed Term Agreements

July 17, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Changes to the Residential Tenancies Act came into effect on 23rd March this year. Today I thought we should discuss the new break fees for fixed term agreements.

When a tenant signs a lease, they should be committed to staying for the entire fixed term, otherwise the tenant may need to break their fixed term lease which will incur a penalty. This is called a break lease fee.

For tenants that have signed a lease from 23rd March onward, and the lease is for a term of three years or less, their break lease fee will be calculated based on what stage of the agreement they are in.

• Four weeks rent if less than 25% of the agreement has expired.
• Three weeks rent if 25% to 50% of the agreement has expired.
• Two weeks rent if 50% to 75% of the agreement has expired.
• One weeks rent if 75% or more of the agreement has expired.

For example, if two months of a six-month tenancy agreement has expired, that would be 33% of the lease term. Therefore, the tenant would need to pay a fee equal to three weeks rent to the landlord to end their agreement early.

However, if the tenant signed the lease before 23rd March, before the new legislation came in, these fees are not applicable to them. These tenants would still be bound by the former agreement rules.

For more information go to the Fair-Trading website or alternatively, contact us at Century 21 Central West.

Gripping Club Champ Final

July 17, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Eighteen keen bowlers started the day in foggy conditions on Tuesday, with music of The Carpenters softly playing. With COVID rules in place, we weren’t ‘Close To You’ at any time!

Two games of pairs and one of triples took care of the social bowlers with a first day out of hibernation for some.

The match of the day (no, of the year) saw Liz Byrne and Rhona Went contest the Club Championship Singles Final. Wow! These two superstars played their hearts out. Too many magic moments to mention, but with the score 24-all, Rhona holding shot, and Liz with her last bowl to deliver to win, ‘A Kind Of Hush’ settled over the crowd. And win it, Liz did! Huge accolades to both, congratulations and thank you for the entertainment. Liz was last seen ‘Dancing In The Street’ heading home!

In social matches, Chris Cox and Maja Iffland were looking for ‘A Place To Hideaway’ after their loss to Carol Reed and Rosemary Mitchell. Maureen Miller and Kim Evans were ‘On Top Of The World’ defeating Chris Curteis and Lea Orr who just wanted ‘This Masquerade’ to end.

‘Solitaire’ was not the way to win the triples. Heather Harvey, Di Howell and Betsy Johnstone got their team rhythm going and enjoyed a win over Kay Craft, Lorraine Baker and Maureen Baillie. Club Championship Pairs nominations will close 21st July.

Even more excitement! – our club is the winner of a $2,500 grant from Essential Energy Community Choices Program. Thank you, Essential Energy, and to all our members who voted!

To play social bowls next Tuesday, ring the club on 6862 1446 between 9 and 9:30am, with play to begin at 10am. Social roster – Lorraine Baker. See you at the club on Friday night. Delicious meals from Dev’s Kitchen available!

By Lea Orr

Ride On The Sheep’s Back

July 17, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

A soldier wearing a sheepskin vest during World War I. (Photo: Australian War Memorial)

The winters during World War I were bitterly cold. The trenches did not provide any warmth. Everything froze from clothing to blankets to food. Many soldiers died from pneumonia or froze to death in the flooded and muddy trenches.

When the Australian troops went off to war, they had no idea what was to await them. Not only were they a long way from home, they had to fight in extremely difficult circumstances.

One Australian woman wanted to help them keep warm and had an idea to make sheepskin vests. Eleanor MacKinnon managed to rally Australians for money and bought sheepskins to be turned into vests for the Australian, British and Canadian troops.

Wool brokers collected the skins and tanned them, while the Red Cross co-ordinated an army of volunteers to stitch the ‘Digger’s Vest’, as they became known, together. By 1916 over 75,000 vests and 61,000 insoles had been sent to soldiers at the front. The vests helped to save thousands of lives.

One of these historical vests is now on display at the Henry Parkes Museum. Rosemary Prior of the Parkes and District Historical Society came across the 100-year-old vest when she was sorting out the archives during the COVID-19 lock-down.

Rosemary was so stirred by the discovery that she decided to expand the display to honour local troops from the Parkes Shire who went to war and recognise what they went through.

She tapped into the army records of John Daniel McGee and Frederick Packham to detail their experiences during World War I and John Turner in World War II.

The display also include many other items including army uniforms, a gas mask, tobacco pouch, RAAF sewing kit, army dixie and even a pattern book to knit socks, gloves, vests, balaclavas, scarves and knee caps for soldiers.

Hail Storm Looks Like Snow

July 17, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

A hail storm near Tullamore and Peak Hill left paddocks white as snow on Sunday afternoon. Farmers are relieved the hail did not cause serious damage, although it blanketed winter crops. (Photo: Nicole Ross)

45 More Services For Parkes Bus Network

July 17, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

The Parkes bus network will offer more routes to residents from Monday.

The bus network in Parkes will be expanding as part of the NSW Government’s 16 Regional Cities program.

From Monday, 20th July there will be 45 additional services to the bus network to enable travel to and from employment, TAFE, the CBD and Parkes Hospital.

NSW Upper House MP Sam Farraway said they had spoken to operators and the local council about what services would be of benefit and implemented changes to improve connectivity. The new network is aimed at making public transport a valid option for people going about their daily tasks. The Parkes Network changes are:

Route 550: Parkes South Loop, Parkes Hospital (anti-clockwise)
• Same streets but in the reverse direction of Route 552 for return travel options from the hospital.
• Operates in the afternoon. Travel to the hospital in the morning is on Route 552
• Additional trips from the hospital to the CBD in the afternoon

Route 551: Parkes East Loop
• Additional morning and evening trip between Parkes CBD and Danilenko St.
• Minor adjustment to some trip times.

Route 552: Parkes South Loop, Parkes hospital (clockwise)
• Additional trip from the CBD arriving at the hospital before 8am.
• Operates in the morning, adjustment to trip times during the daytime.
• Return travel in the afternoon provided on Route 550.

Route 553: Parkes North Loop
• Additional trip from the CBD in the afternoon.
• Adjustment to trip times.

Route 554: Parkes West Loop
• One additional morning and two additional afternoon trips.
• In the morning Route 554 becomes Route 552 for improved access to Parkes Hospital from Parkes West.
• In the afternoon Route 550 becomes Route 554 for improved return travel from the hospital. No need to change in the CBD.
• Adjustment to trip times.

Snippets…

July 17, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

The management and delivery of the Trundle ABBA Festival is currently being reviewed during the COVID-19 downtime.

Trundle ABBA Festival Future: The Trundle ABBA Festival might have been cancelled this year, but the committee has not stopped working. The committee is taking the COVID downtime to plan the way ahead, and review its management and delivery. “Trundle ABBA Festival Inc. acknowledges Executive Event Solutions and associated event stakeholders for their work at the helm of the Festival over the past two years and wishes them the best with their future event endeavours,” the committee said in an issued press statement. Any enquiries can be directed to: trundleabba@gmail.com

New Visitor Hours At Parkes Hospital: Visiting hours will now be between 10am and 1pm and 4pm to 7pm daily. Visitors may not enter if they have; returned from overseas in the last 14 days, returned from the greater Melbourne area in the last 14 days or have been in contact with a per- son confirmed to have COVID-19 within the last 14 days. All visitors and staff must pass all applicable screening processes in place including temperature checking at all entrances to the facility. If you are unwell do not visit. If you have even the mildest cough, fever, runny nose or difficulty breathing, please visit a COVID-19 clinic or call your doctor. For more information about COVID-19, call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 088 or Health- direct on 1800 022 222.

Nursing And Midwifery Award: Nominations for the ‘peoples’ choice’ award at this year’s NSW Health Excellence in Nursing & Midwifery Awards are officially open. The Healing Heart Award is nominated by patients, families or carers, and honours a nurse or midwife for providing exceptional care. The annual awards ceremony was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be a virtual event this year, and patients, families and carers are invited to nominate a nurse or midwife by visiting health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/enma. Nominations close on 27th July.

Young Actors Invited: Aspiring young actors from regional Australia have the chance to audition for a fully-funded scholarship to learn from some of the country’s most respected actors, directors and educators at the theatre company Bell Shakespeare. Up to four high school students will travel to Sydney in January 2021 to take part in the intensive week-long program. More details at www.bellshakespeare.com.au/jbs

Bruce Cauley and his dog Tina enjoyed a walk around Bushman Dam in the sun last week.

Scholarships Help Bring New Skills Back To Shire

July 17, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Molly Wright, Emma Rice and Mikaela Dart.

Three female students in the Parkes Shire made it to the final cut to receive scholarships from the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Foundation (RASF).

Emma Rice from Parkes and Peak Hill’s Mikaela Dart and Molly Wright are among the 21 recipients from the Central West and Orana. A total of 73 scholarships were awarded under the 2020 program.

Emma (21), who grew up on a mixed livestock and cropping property in Parkes, is doing a Masters of Teaching at the University of New England (UNE). She has always been interested in combining agricultural science and the education of young people in rural areas. Emma completed her Bachelor of Agriculture also at UNE. She believes the longevity of regional communities is reliant on quality schools and educational facilities.

Mikaela (23) is enrolled at UNE in Armidale and is studying a Bachelor of Nursing via distance education. She is passionate about health and in particular emergency nursing and mental health. She is hoping to work in Peak Hill after graduation to help support the much-needed services of rural towns.

Molly (20) is in the second year of her Diploma of Agribusiness Management through Wagga Wagga PIC. She also works in the family enterprise of sheep, beef, cattle and cropping. Wanting to promote agriculture and her regional community, Molly is focused on the business and management aspects of running a property, along with sustainable techniques. She hopes to use her education to help others in regional areas.

The RASF scholarships, awarded to regional and rural students who are studying at a NSW university or TAFE, support students seeking further education with the goal of injecting their new skills back into rural areas.

The scholarships offer financial grants of $6,000 for full-time study and $3,000 for part-time study to give students the freedom to study without the stress and financial challenges brought about by the need to relocate.

Who is your soccer hero or who inspires you to play?

July 17, 2020 By Maggi Barnard

Hayley Lawrence (9): My best friend Lyla. She’s not scared to get in there. Also my dad who played indoor soccer. I enjoy all sports.

Ryan Went (8): Ronaldo, because he has cool tricks. I like running around and kicking the ball, and would like to play like Ronaldo one day.

Makayla Soane (13): I like anyone who really gets into playing and who has good technique. I enjoy soccer to help me stay active, and have played it for about seven years.

Maggi Barnard

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