TAFE NSW Forbes enjoyed a lovely NAIDOC morning tea on Tuesday 22 July.
Thanks to our local Aboriginal Education and Engagement Coordinator Katie for organising the event.
The amazing grazing table was popular amongst those who attended the morning tea.
We’ve all heard it. We’ve all said it. “It’s fine, I’ve done it a hundred times before.” As National Farm Safety Week continues, Farmsafe Australia is turning its attention to one of the most stubborn, and underestimated, risks in agriculture: complacency.
Farmsafe Chair Felicity Richards says complacency often doesn’t look like a risk at all because it wears the mask of routine, experience, and efficiency.
“Complacency isn’t about being careless,” says Richards. “It’s about being too comfortable. Too familiar. Too confident that things will go as they always have. And that’s when the cracks start to show.”
This year’s Safer Farms Report shows the confronting truth: despite new tech, better gear and more awareness, serious injuries and near misses are not going down.
In 2024, 72 people lost their lives on Australian farms which is more than double the year before, and the highest fatality figure in over two decades.
Many of those incidents involved common, everyday jobs; moving vehicles and equipment, operating tractors, handling stock. “These aren’t extreme, one-in-a-million scenarios,” says Richards. “They’re ordinary jobs. The kind we do all the time. And that’s exactly what makes them dangerous.”
Parkes Shire’s annual Waste 2 Art Exhibition and Competition officially opened on Saturday 28 June at the Parkes Library and Cultural Centre, with over 100 attendees joining Mayor Cr Neil Westcott to celebrate.
Parkes Shire’s annual Waste 2 Art Exhibition and Competition officially opened on Saturday 28 June at the Parkes Library and Cultural Centre, with over 100 attendees joining Mayor Cr Neil Westcott to celebrate 79 imaginative entries from across the region.
Waste 2 Art is open to all residents of the NetWaste region and showcases creative works made from reused waste materials.
The aim is to challenge peoples’ perceptions about ‘rubbish’ and to celebrate the reuse and recycling of waste through arts and crafts.
Waste 2 Art provides an innovative approach to waste education, and invites individuals, schools, and community groups to take up the challenge to create a new life for materials that would otherwise have been thrown away or considered useless.
This year’s theme – Toys – encouraged participants to explore how discarded or pre-loved toys can be reinvented, repaired, or repurposed into powerful visual statements. Many works delivered strong environmental messages, highlighting the role we can each play in reducing landfill by repairing, reusing, and sharing.
The exhibition will remain on display until Thursday 31 July, after which winning works will progress to the Waste 2 Art Regional Showcase in Dubbo.
“To everyone who contributed, congratulations,” said Mayor Neil Westcott. “This exhibition is a wonderful celebration of creativity, talent, and commitment to sustainability in our community.”
We thank all artists, schools, and community groups who participated in this year’s competition. Your creativity and passion are helping to raise awareness about sustainability and the importance of giving waste a second life. We encourage everyone to get involved again next year.
The W2A theme for 2026 will be officially announced at the Regional Waste 2 Art opening which will be on Saturday 27 September at the Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo – and everyone is invited to attend.
A de Havilland Vampire dual seat version on display at the HARS Parkes Aviation Museum.
The Forbes Vampire, ‘the aircraft on a pole by the lake’ is a much loved icon for Forbes and attracts aviation enthusiasts travelling the Newell Highway, to see the aircraft.
The aircraft has recently been refurbished and restored to its former glory by Forbes Council and volunteers from the town.
Now, there is a de Havilland Vampire dual seat version on display at the HARS Parkes Aviation Museum, that you can get up close to and learn about the history and development of this unique aircraft.
The Vampire flew at the end of WW2 and adopted the design influence of the de Havilland Mosquito the ‘Wooden Wonder’ that the fuselage pod is constructed of timber.
This design was enormously strong but it was not destined to survive for so long outside. This feature was the subject of the restoration of the Forbes Vampire.
The Museum has over 15 aircraft on display that range from a 4 engine Orion surveillance aircraft that took part in the search for MH370 to a replica of the Red Baron WW1 German fighter and aircraft engines from early jet trainers to a Boeing 747.
Should you have an interest in aviation, preserving history, hands on restorations or tour guiding and would like to volunteer, you can call the museum or speak to any one of our volunteers on duty about the opportunity.
The HARS Parkes Aviation Museum is open from 9.30am to 3.30pm on Thursdays and Sundays. Admission is only $30 for a family of 4, adults $15, children under 16 $5. Eftpos is also available. For more information call Mike on 0418 473 175.
Parkes Shire Council is progressing with plans to transform Parkes’ former wastewater treatment ponds into a biodiverse, naturalistic landscape that will provide recreational, environmental, and cultural value to our community.
Jointly funded by Council and the Commonwealth Government, this exciting project will result in an aquatic boardwalk, two purpose-built bird hides, public art installations, interpretive signage, extensive revegetation, and engineered habitats to promote ecological diversity.
These upgrades will build on significant earlier works, which included reshaping the former ponds into a hydrologically diverse wetland system and creating a 2.5-kilometre walking track around the site. Subject to further funding, Council plans to connect this track with Parkes’ existing walkway network, eventually linking it to the track that terminates at Billabong Creek on Eugowra Road.
While the site remains closed to the public until the completion, residents can visit the wetlands on National Tree Day, Sunday 27 July. This annual event, jointly hosted by Parkes Shire Council and Central West Lachlan Landcare, has been held at the wetlands site and surrounding land since 2018.
People interested in participating in National Tree Day are asked to register at www.treeday.planetark.org/
Parkes Meals on Wheels hosted its annual Christmas in July luncheon, volunteers and clients came together to reconnect and enjoy each other’s company over a beautiful lunch prepared by the Parkes Services Club.
The luncheon included several great lucky door prizes and included a wonderful raffle which was very well received with some great prizes up for grabs.
Everyone who attended participated in the Secret Santa activity with many funny Christmas gifts being received, putting enormous smiles on everyone’s face.
That’s a wrap for Nations of Origin 2025. Shout out to those young people who competed over the four thrilling days of competition.
Nations of Origin 2025 was held on 14-18 July in Western Sydney. The event held each year in conjunction with NAIDOC week, sees teams compete in four sports, over four days.
This is the second year the Parkes PCYC has competed and they took two boys and one girls rugby league teams, two basketball teams and two gymnastics teams.
Parkes PCYC Club Manager Kimberlly Sherrit said, “Nations of Origin isn’t just an event – it’s a program, the lead up is just as important as the main event.
“Children have to meet the criteria to attend, for example they must have 80% attendance at school, so it’s a great incentive to keep these young people on track.
“In regional towns like ours, it’s important to have these opportunities for our youth, for some it could just be the only opportunity of its kind they are presented with. It’s all about learning, empowering our youth, building strong relationships and embracing culture.”
The kids also got to have a bit of fun and went to aqua golf and an amazing cultural night held at the zoo in Sydney.
“This event was to showcase the many nations coming together and they were all given the opportunity to bring something from their culture from art, to dance to didge playing. Tyrese Robinson represented Parkes PCYC by playing the didge” said Kimberly.
EOI’s will go out again for participants and coaches, Kimberly said “We try our best to get to as many businesses as possible for sponsorship but it was incredible to have some reach out to us. We were thrilled to have 2025 as the first year of our major sponsor Evolution Mines. Without this sponsorship we would not have been able to attend the event or deliver the program the way we did.”
The 2025 crew jumped at the Berry patch on Saturday 12 July. Donations were made on behalf of each person who was brave enough to jump in a freezing cold swimming pool.
For a decade now, Parkes local Kristy Berry and her extended group of friends and family have been raising funds and awareness for MND through The Big Freeze. For the last nine years the group have taken to Kristy’s family pool, with the family donating for each person brave enough to take the plunge.
Kristy’s grandfather, great grandmother and a cousin all passed away from MND.
Kristy said “I have very vivid memories of what this beast actually puts sufferers through.”
“I mainly wanted to help not only raise money but awareness of MND. Prior to Neale Denier and the AFL starting the Big Freeze 11 years ago, there wasn’t much awareness around MND”.This year Kristy wanted to up the ante, so she spoke to Terri and Tony from The Coachman Hotel and both were on board to get involved, and make a night of it.
“Then we approached Bella Thomson and Sammy Dwyer from the Parkes Spacemen to see if they would take to the ice water, and neither hesitated. We auctioned off a 2025 signed Spacemen Jersey and a framed Saint George photo collage.
The Parkes Spacemen Old Boys held their meat raffles and donated the takings on the night,” said Kristy.
There evening was well supported by the Parkes Spacemen, family, friends and the community. Bella, Sam, John and Tony all took to the iced pool and freezing water was poured over them. It was topped off with the band Hope Held Hostage. An impressive $2,750 was raised and plans are already in place for a bigger event in 2026.
If you want to help you can still donate to the cause by following the link https://support.fightmnd.org.au/s/5655/6228.
John, Tony and Krisy on Friday 11 July at The Coachman Hotel. Tony and John both put their hands up and braved the ice cold.
On Tuesday last week Parkes PCYC held a community event to showcase their 2025 Nations of Origin team.
We saw the gymnastics girls perform and our football teams play some games against Cowra.
Thank you to the local community that that either donated or came and showed their support of this program.
If you’ve ever thought about giving back to your community, learning real rescue skills, and being part of an awesome team — now’s your chance.
The VRA Rescue NSW is currently recruiting across western NSW in an effort to recruit Volunteers for Squads in the western area as well as a State Rescue Group.
The State Rescue Group will consist of multi-skilled Volunteers from communities across NSW western area.
VRA Rescue NSW, formerly known as the NSW Volunteer Rescue Association, is a volunteer-based organization that provides emergency rescue services across New South Wales, Australia. They are dedicated to community safety and play a vital role in emergency management and response. VRA Rescue NSW affiliates include various rescue squads specializing in different areas like motor vehicle rescue, maritime search and rescue, and wilderness rescue.
VRA Rescue NSW is composed of volunteer members who dedicate their time and skills to assist the community in times of need. They offer a diverse range of rescue services, including motor vehicle accidents, maritime incidents, wilderness and cave searches, and more.
Full training will be provided and no experience is needed. People of ages 18+ are welcome.
VRA Rescue NSW covers Road Crash Rescue, Land Search, Flood Rescue, Vertical Rescue and much more. Whether you are keen to get hands on or want to help behind the scenes, there’s a role for you!
If you live in the western area and you are interested in finding out about becoming a volunteer then you can place an expression of interest by visiting the VRA website www.rescue.org.au