Girls Guides have a lot of fun and enjoy craft, games, cooking, outdoor activities and involvement in community based activities.

Parkes’ Girl Guides are back up and running in 2025 and are looking to spread the word to get more girls involved. They are current­ly offering girls aged 7-10 years old, some­thing unique – access to a great variety of activities throughout the year. Activities will be held within school terms and on Monday afternoons 4.30pm to 5.30/6.00pm.

The first Guide company in Parkes was formed in 1927 but was disbanded a few years later. In 1942 a public meeting was held to reorganise the Guide movement and the 1A Girl Guides was inaugurated and the first Parkes Brownie Pack was established in February 1942.

Meetings were held in various locations until 1956 when a hut from the migration camp was purchased and installed behind CWA. This hut remained in use through to 2005 when a new hall built in Cecil Street.

Girl Guides ceased in March 2020 due to COVID restrictions and was placed in recession as a result of declining numbers and the retirement of Guide Leader Joanne Buerckner.

Shirley Russell, District Manager and Support Group, was instrumental in finding New District Manager Jen Harris and with her contacts was able to seek new leaders.

The Girl Guides movement assists girls to develop their skills in a safe environment while having fun and finding friends.

Through a series of fun activities and opportunities, girls have the opportunity to discover new interests, develop their tal­ents, and share the experience with a group of friends. Guides work together in small groups while assisted by volunteer adult Leaders who encourage Guides to learn new skills and take on new challenges in a safe environment.

If you missed the “Come and Try” day on 1 March, please contact Jen to register your in­terest via email ParkesDM@girlguides-nsw actnt.org.au

2025 VIEW Committee members are L to R: Sue Pietch, Noelene Toohey, Pat Phillips, Therese Davis, Carol Whatling and Heather Mackinnon, Di Finlay, Judy Kerr and Helen Pitt. (Absent: Loris Malloy, Diane Huggett and Sue Cunningham.

At the first View Club lunch meeting for 2025 held on 13 February at Club Forbes, mem­bers were welcomed back after the Christ­mas break by new President, Helen Pitt.

During the meeting, Helen introduced the incoming committee for 2025 to View Club members. There are 12 committee members comprising a combination of ex­perienced members and those new to the committee, to help guide the club through the coming year.

Judy Kerr, a past District Councillor, presented long service badges to three members, with Helen Lupis and Helen Pitt receiving their twenty-year badges and Jen­nifer Purdy receiving her thirty-year badge.

Congratulations to these three ladies for a combined total of 70 years of service to the community.

After a tasty meal provided by Club Forbes, members listened to an interest­ing and informative presentation from guest speaker, Wendy Broome, from Forbes Sal­vation Army. Wendy spoke about her back­ground and provided a little history about the Forbes Salvation Army, her role and experi­ences in the community and how their pro­grams support people needing assistance.

Forbes View is one of 280 clubs around Australia and its members add to the 13,000 members Australia wide who support chil­dren’s education and the Smith Family.

The next View Club lunch will be held on 13 March at Club Forbes at 12 noon for 12.30pm start. Guest speakers for this meeting are Trish Humphries who will pro­vide information about Forbes Meals on Wheels. The second speaker will be Pauline O’Neill, talking about home modifications and maintenance services available. These ladies have a wealth of experience in sup­porting the community, they work at Forbes HaCC (Home and Community Care) Centre in Harold Street.

All members are requested to please RSVP to their new contact member on or before Thursday 6 March.

The ‘Welcome to the Parkes Shire’ event will take place at the Cooke Park Pavillion .

Parkes Shire Council is welcoming new res­idents with a special event designed to con­nect newcomers with the local community.

The Welcome to the Parkes Shire event will take place on Wednesday 5 March 2025, from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Cooke Park Pavilion in Parkes. Doors will open at 5:00pm.

This free event provides an opportunity for new residents to learn about local servic­es, meet Councillors and Council staff, and engage with community groups in a relaxed and friendly environment. Attendees will also have the chance to win exciting prizes and raffles throughout the evening.

Deputy Mayor of Parkes Shire, Cr Marg Applebee, said the event is a fantastic way to help new community members feel at home.

“Moving to a new town can be both excit­ing and overwhelming. We want to ensure our newest residents feel welcome and connected by introducing them to the many wonderful services, opportunities, and friendly faces that make Parkes Shire such a great place to live,” Cr Applebee said.

Council encourages all new residents to attend and take advantage of this oppor­tunity to learn more about our shire. So if you are new to the Parkes area or know someone who is, then this will be a great event to attend. To rsvp, complete the on­line form at https://bit.ly/WelcomeToTheP­arkesShire2025 or you can email council@parkes.nsw.gov.au or call our office on 02 6861 2333.

Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) will secure new mobile coverage across regional Australia.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has welcomed an announcement that the Federal Government has committed to in­troducing a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obli­gation (UOMO).

If enshrined by legislation, the world-first proposal means telecommunications com­panies will be legally bound to guarantee basic, outdoor voice and text mobile cover­age across every corner of Australia.

NFF President David Jochinke, who had attended the announcement at the NSW Rural Fire Service HQ, said the obligation would both create and safeguard a right for every Australian to access basic calls and text services from any location.

This announcement is made possible due to Low Earth Orbit Satellites (LEO­Sats) and the arrival of ‘Direct to Device’ technology.

“Mobile black spots are a huge source of frustration for people in the bush. Coverage gaps can compromise safety and make it harder to run a business,” Mr Jochinke said.

“This new obligation will ensure that the safety of rural Australians, and their access to basic mobile services, cannot be put in the too-hard basket.

The obligation would secure new mobile coverage across an estimated 5 million square kilometres of land, including more than 37,000 kilometres of regional roads.