Roxane Manley

Parkes will host a Mini-Field community event on Sunday 4 October from 9:30am to 11:30am at the Parkes Lions Park to recognise those women and men within our community who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The Breast Cancer Network of Australia (BCNA) highlights the following statistics:

• On average, 56 people every day in Australia are diagnosed with breast cancer, approximately 20,336 people in 2025.

• The risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer over a lifetime is 1 in 7 for women and 1 in 612 for men.

As Breast Cancer is still our biggest cancer in women it is important to recognise the effect it can have on not only the person with the disease but also their loved ones as they try and support them.

The event is being co-ordinated by Parkes Health Service’s McGrath Cancer Care Nurse, Dianne Green, who said:

“Over the years of holding this event my family have been my biggest support as they rally to help me bring the event together and for this I am truly grateful.

“Breast cancer has touched my family as it has sadly touched most people’s families or friends.

“The mini-field silhouettes displayed on the day pay tribute to those diagnosed including women through the hundred pink silhouettes, men through the blue silhouettes and for those we have lost to breast cancer there is a white silhouette.

“For those who like to write a message to a loved one there is the opportunity to place this around a silhouettes neck and I have kept messages back to 2009 which are also out on the day.”

Morning tea will be available to the community for a coin donation which will go to the BCNA. A selection of BCNA and McGrath Foundation merchandise will also be available for purchase in support of these organisations.

Everyone is welcome to come together over a cuppa and show support.

Parkes Shire Council General Manager Kent Boyd PSM has announced he will not seek an extension of his current employment contract, ending more than 34 years of service with Parkes Shire Council, including 15 years as General Manager.

Correspondence from Mr Boyd was tabled by Parkes Shire Mayor Neil Westcott at Tuesday’s Ordinary Council Meeting, advising that he intends to take accrued leave from the end of October through to the conclusion of his current contract on 2 July 2027.

Mr Boyd said the decision represented an opportunity for a planned and orderly transition to the next generation of leadership.

“After 34 years with Council, including the last 15 years as General Manager, I believe it is an appropriate time for a planned and orderly transition to the next generation of leadership.

“It has been a rare privilege to serve the Parkes Shire community for such a substantial part of my career. I thank the Mayor and Councillors, past and present, for the trust and support shown to me during my tenure and remain committed to ensuring a smooth transition.”

On behalf of Council, Mayor Neil Westcott acknowledged Mr Boyd’s dedicated service and leadership and his significant contribution to the organisation and the broader Parkes Shire community.

“Council acknowledges the enormous contribution Kent has made to Parkes Shire over more than three decades,” the Mayor said.

As part of the leadership transition, Council resolved to appoint Director Infrastructure and Sustainability Andrew Francis as Acting General Manager from Friday 30 October 2026. Mr Francis will remain in the role until a new General Manager is recruited and appointed, or until otherwise determined by Council.

There were more than 20 attendees at the recent Be Road Ready for Harvest Field Day held at the Parkes Racecourse.

The event was organised by Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety Program and supported by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, Transport for NSW, McPhersons Parts & Service, O’Connors Forbes, Parkes SES Unit and Parkes Rotary Club.

Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said anecdotal feedback from attendees was very positive.

“Regulations are constantly changing, so events like these are important to ensure we provide information about how to safely and legally move agricultural machinery, combinations and trucks on the road network in the lead up to the busy harvest period.

“We had presentations about conditional registration, auxiliary plates, fatigue, load restraint, access, compliance, the National Class 1 Agricultural Vehicle and Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice and more.

‘We also discussed the operational requirements of the NSW Light Vehicle Agricultural and Indivisible Item Exemption Notice 2024.

This notice allows consent for drivers of light vehicles to tow certain agricultural implements like augers.

“The highlight of the event was the interactive activities, where we showed participants how to use the quick refer

ence guide for the Class 1 Agricultural Notice to work out what the travel requirements would be for a range of equipment.

Thanks to McPhersons Parts & Service and O’Connors Forbes who were very generous in loaning us the equipment for the display.

“Participants could take home windscreen stickers that can be attached to their machinery that acts as a quick reference for travel requirements such as pilots, lights and signage – these were extremely popular.

“We also conducted a weighing display which explained gross vehicle mass and gross combination mass. Thanks to Parkes SES for bringing along their ute and a boat for this exercise,” Ms Suitor said.

If you missed the event, it was recorded and the link to the recording will be published on the Councils’ Facebook pages.

The Central West Charity Tractor Trek is a group of approximately 60 volunteers that formed in 2017, with the objective to raise funds that assist families with children suffering from illness and/or disabilities.

All money rasised by the group directly supports children in the Central West of NSW. Their current beneficiary is the charity Little Wings, who fly sick children and their family to Sydney for medical treatment free of charge.

The group has an upcoming Trek being held from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September, that will be travelling in the Parkes area.

The people of Parkes and Forbes can support the Trek by cheering the team on as they pass, making a donation, sponsoring a tractor or buying a raffle ticket.

Long-standing group members Ray and Laurie McMahon will be in Parkes this week and in Forbes next week selling raffle tickets and merchandise, and raising awareness. If you see them, please show your support.

The public are also invited to attend the the fundraising dinner on Saturday, 26 September at the Parkes Leagues Club. Highlights will include a guest speaker whose family who has benefitted from Little Wings, an auction and the drawing of the major raffle. For ticket availability email cwctractortrek@outlook.com or phone 0417 447 790.