Parkes Shire Councillors met and voted to oppose the proposed Energy-from-Waste facility.

Parkes Shire Council has unanimously sup­ported a motion by Mayor Neil Westcott to formally object to the proposed Energyfrom-Waste (EfW) facility within the Parkes Special Activation Precinct.

“This means that Parkes Council, in total­ity, is against the EfW project, we are op­posed to it, we will not be supporting it. We are not the determining body, but whatever influence we can bring to bear it will be in the form of absolute rejection,” Mayor Neil Westcott said.

Mayor Westcott said the decision reflects the strong community sentiment. Critically, Council’s objection will require the NSW Government to refer the planning assess­ment to the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC).“Our first duty is to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents, the integrity of our environment, and the reputation of our agricultural sector. When government pro­vides no credible information to demon­strate safety, the community can only con­clude that these risks may exist, and that is a failure of leadership,” the Mayor said.

The motion was amended during the meeting and passed unanimously. Each Councillor present had the opportunity to speak about the project during the consid­eration of the motion. Watch in full on Coun­cil’s website https://parkes.infocouncil.biz/

State Member Phil Donato has previously issued a statement on the proposal; “I will not be supporting this project, and I will con­tinue to stand with the people of Parkes to ensure their voices are heard by the govern­ment.”

Council’s resolution will be communicat­ed to the NSW Premier, the NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, the NSW Minister for Environment, the Independent Planning Commission, the Local Member and the Parliamentary Inquiry into Energyfrom-Waste Facilities.

Chair of the Parliamentary Inquiry into Energy-from-Waste facilities Nichole Over­all MLC confirmed subsequent public hear­ings will be held in Parkes and Goulburn in April and May 2026.

Member for Parkes Jamie Chaffey has shared Parkes Shire Council’s concerns over an Energy-from-Waste project pro­posed for Parkes. Parkes Shire Council voted unanimously to formally object to the proposed Energy-from-Waste facility within the Parkes Special Activation Precinct.

Mr Chaffey said despite very clear con­cerns from the Parkes community, Regional Growth NSW Development Corporation (RGDC) had entered into a project devel­opment agreement with Parkes Energy Re­covery Pty Ltd to establish the facility.

“Although the approval process is a mat­ter for local and state governments, I made the commitment during the election cam­paign that one of my first tasks if I was elect­ed, would be to get more details on the pro­ject and to meet with the proponent, Parkes Shire Council and concerned members of the community.

“There is tremendous opposition to this project in Parkes, largely due to the lack of information about the technology and its implications,” Mr Chaffey said. “The first hearing of the Parliamentary inquiry into proposed Energy-from-Waste facilities has already heard information that shows some concerning contradictions and information gaps. There have been concerns about the regional locations approved to host these facilities. Why should regional areas be dealing with Sydney’s waste?

“Health concerns including emissions and potential health impacts, along with ques­tions about the government’s ability to ad­equately monitor and assess these types of facilities remain. In addition, many of the recommendations of a 2017 inquiry appear to have been ignored.

“As Mayor Neil Westcott has stated in his letter to NSW Premier Chris Minns, the development has fractured the Parkes com­munity and left them without answers to sig­nificant questions about health and safety.

The Parkes Shire Council is the level of government closest to the community, and I trust it to have a finger on the pulse of the level of concern about this development.

“I support Parkes Shire Council and the Parkes community in calling for a referral of the project to the Independent Planning Commission and for the proposal to be called-in as a State Significant Develop­ment.

“This plan could mean 700,000 tonnes of Sydney rubbish is imported to Parkes every year – that’s an astonishing amount to be transported to a Shire with a population of about 15,000. It’s time for the NSW Govern­ment to listen to the people of Parkes.”

The Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship is proud to announce the launch of its fourth annual program. The initiative from Façon Australia, proudly supported by Greater Bank, is dedicated to empowering emerging Indigenous creatives who are passionate about sharing their stories through diverse creative mediums.

Greater Bank will again award one out­standing recipient $10,000 to support their creative journey. For the second consecu­tive year, Greater Bank will also recognise the remaining eight finalists with $1,000 each.

All nine finalists will also receive invalua­ble mentorship from industry leaders across a wide range of creative disciplines, includ­ing writing, fashion design, accessory de­sign, art, music, dance, digital art, film and photography.

In 2026, the initiative is also proudly sup­ported by Orica, Regional Development Australia (Hunter) and Reconciliation NSW.

The Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship is open to Indigenous applicants aged 16 years and over, residing in NSW.

Applications close 7 May 2026, with the successful recipient announced at a special NAIDOC Week event on 9 July 2026. For full application details, visit Façon Maga­zine at www.faconaustralia.com/apply/ and Greater Bank at www.greater.com.au.

Come along and see what help is available for your club or community group.

Parkes Shire Council’s Grants Team is in­viting all community groups and sporting clubs across Parkes Shire to attend a free Grants Information Session to help organi­sations strengthen their grant applications and unlock funding for current or future projects.

The session will be held on Thursday, 12 March from 6.00pm to 8.00pm in the large meeting room at the Parkes Shire Library, with supper provided.

This practical and interactive session will cover the key do’s and don’ts of grant ap­plications, provide insider tips from Coun­cil’s Grants Team, and give participants the chance to ask questions about their own projects and funding ideas that they might have.

Council’s Grants Team said the session is a valuable opportunity for groups who may be new to grants, as well as those wanting to improve their success rate.

“There are many grant funding opportu­nities available for community and sporting projects, but many groups miss out simply because they don’t apply or don’t know where to start.

“This session will give local organisa­tions the tools and confidence they need to put in strong applications and compete for funding.”

The information session is open to all not-for-profit community organisations, vol­unteer groups and sporting clubs in Parkes Shire. Council encourages all community groups and sports clubs to take advantage of this free opportunity to build skills, ask questions and improve their chances of se­curing future funding.

Those who attend the session will learn where to find current and upcoming grant opportunities, what makes a strong grant application, common mistakes to avoid, how to clearly describe their project and community benefit and how Council’s Grants Team can support them through­out the process. Anyone who is wishing to attend the Grants Information Session is asked to RSVP by Monday, 10 March by emailing grants@parkes.nsw.gov.au.

One of QantasLink’s Fokker F100 jet aircraft has begun a new chapter, with the airline donating the retired aircraft to the Histori­cal Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) in Parkes.

The aircraft completed its final flight from Perth to Parkes, via Kalgoorlie, on Tuesday 10 February, where it will now become a tourist attraction at the HARS Museum. It will help showcase regional aviation to visi­tors from around the country.

HARS President and Chief Pilot Bob De La Hunty said “This generous donation from QantasLink will enable hands-on aviation learning experiences for students and visi­tors, while supporting our broader vision for a world-class regional aviation museum.”

HARS is recognised as a major aviation and tourism attraction, and the addition of the QantasLink F100 is expected to further strengthen its collection and support grow­ing interest in regional NSW.

HARS in Parkes is also on the lookout for volunteers. “A lot is happening with a new site, and new planes, we need tour guides.

Come and talk to us if you’re interested in donating your time to preserve aviation history, we need volunteers to guide tours and help restore displays.” said Bob De La Hunty.

Important milestones in Parkes and Peak Hill to lift digital connectivity as households are consuming more data than ever for the things they love, like streaming 4K on multiple devices, online education, next-level gaming, conference calls, and uploading and downloading large files for work.

The 1000th premises in Parkes recently upgraded to full fibre via nbn Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) and in Peak Hill more than 250 homes and businesses have recently become eligible to upgrade to nbn full fibre.

Upgrading to full fibre can enable access to a faster, more reliable nbn broadband service, delivering a range of benefits, in­cluding smoother, higher-resolution video calls, enhanced streaming, faster down­loads, and the ability to connect more de­vices simultaneously.

In Australia, data demand and usage have doubled in the last five years, with the aver­age household consuming 443 gigabytes per month across 22 internet-connected devices.

Marg Applebee, Central West Lachlan Landcare said “With more and more health and community services accessible online, it’s really important for community members across the Parkes and Forbes region to en­sure they are optimally connected at home.

This means being on the best technology available, on a suitable plan and with the right in-home set-up.”

“Being able to access health services and stay in touch with friends and family online are new, but important, ways to do this. Es­pecially for our older residents who can feel more isolated at times”

Come and talk with nbn local at:

• Forbes Crop Swap, Saturday 21 February 2026 between 8am and 10am, Riverside Garden, 59-71 Reymond St, Forbes

• Trundle From Country to Community, Saturday 21 February, between 10.30am and 12:30pm, Trundle Children’s Centre, 1 Railway Parade, Trundle

• Peak Hill Community Garden Open Day, Saturday 21 February, from 12.30pm, Peak Hill Community Garden, 93 Caswell St, Peak Hill

• Homegrown Parkes, 21 March, 9am – 2pm, Cooke Park,158-176 Clarinda Street, Parkes