An upgrade of Kiewa Street in Manildra will deliver safer, smoother journeys for all mo­torists driving on the main street of the small Central West town.

Transport for NSW will remove and re­place the existing road surface right through the centre of town, starting on the western side of the Mandagery Creek Bridge and stretching to 50 metres west of the intersec­tion with Boree Street.

Work will get under way on Friday 28 Feb­ruary with crews starting at the eastern end of the project, tying into the asphalt installed in June 2024 as part of the Mandagery Creek Bridge replacement project.

“We expect the $2.5 million of road re­surfacing work to take five weeks in total, weather permitting, with a mix of day, night and weekend shifts planned to limit the im­pact on motorists, businesses and residents in what is a very busy area in Manildra,” Transport for NSW Acting Regional Director West Holly Davies said.

“Kiewa Street not only provides access to businesses and services in the Manildra town centre, but also acts as an important regional thoroughfare linking Orange and Parkes for tourists and freight operators travelling around the Central West.

“However, those high traffic volumes – including many heavy vehicle movements – have left the existing road surface badly damaged in some areas and a complete re­moval and replacement of the main street through Manidra will be welcomed by all motorists.”

The first section of work between the Mandagery Creek Bridge and Goimbla Street, which takes in most of the business­es in Kiewa Street, will be done at night be­tween 6pm and 6am from Monday to Friday, with some weekend work also required.

Crews will then revert to day shifts be­tween 7am and 6pm from Monday to Satur­day for the section of work between Goim­bla Street and Boree Street to avoid noise keeping nearby residents awake at night.

Changed traffic conditions including a re­duced 40 km/h speed limit and single lane closures will be in place during work hours, with two-way traffic flow in place outside of work hours.

The northern side of the Duff Street, De­rowie Street, Goimbla Street and Boree Street intersections will be closed during work shifts where each intersection is di­rectly impacted, and there will be temporary restrictions to vehicle and pedestrian ac­cess to properties while work is carried out in front of the business or home.

Vehicles will need to be parked off-street by 6pm on evenings when night work is planned.

The youth crime crisis is escalating across parts of regional NSW, with the Minns La­bor Government’s limited bail reforms prov­ing unsuccessful at keeping communities safe.

Shadow Minister for Police Paul Toole said a lack of leadership and action has led to a law and order breakdown.

“Youth violence and street crime contin­ues to wreak havoc and it’s hard to ignore the growing chaos in NSW. The police are stretched thin and it seems the Minns Gov­ernment isn’t prioritising public safety,” Mr Toole said.

“Recent incidents highlight just how out of control things are. Public spaces and homes aren’t as safe as they used to be, leaving people questioning if enough is being done to address young reoffenders racking up rap sheets similar to hardened criminals.

“Our regional communities have had a gutful. Residents tell me they are scared and crime has never been as bad as it is right now under a weak Labor Govern­ment. How many more innocent lives will be turned upside down?“Community safety should be the num­ber one priority – not the criminals.

The Opposition will continue to fight for stronger laws and interventions to protect communities.

The new electric vehicle charging station will be located at the Parkes Library carpark.

Parkes Shire Council is pleased to an­nounce the installation of four electric ve­hicle (EV) charging stations in the Parkes Library carpark, supported by funding from the NSW Electric Vehicle Destination Charging Grants program.

The works were completed last week, and the stations are now in the final stages of configuration and registration. They are anticipated to be operational within the next fortnight, providing a convenient and sus­tainable charging option for all residents, visitors, and Council staff who need to charge their electric vehicles.

This initiative is part of the NSW Govern­ment’s Net Zero Plan Stage 1: 2020-2023 and the NSW Electric Vehicle Strategy.

These strategies aim to reduce transport emissions and establish New South Wales as the easiest and most affordable place in Australia to purchase and to operate an EV.

Deputy Mayor of Parkes Shire, Cr Marg Applebee said that the project demon­strates Council’s commitment to sustain­ability and innovation. “The installation of these charging stations is a key step in sup­porting our community with the transition to electric vehicles and outlines Parkes Shire Council’s commitment to creating a more sustainable future. We’re proud to be a part of this significant state-wide push towards reducing emissions and promoting cleaner, greener transport solutions,” Cr Applebee said.

The charging stations will be available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis and will not be designated exclusively for EVs, making them accessible for everyone.

Council will charge a minimal fee for us­age, which will be determined annually by the average cost of electricity at the Parkes Shire Library and Cultural Centre over a 12-month period.

This project will enable Parkes Shire Council to future-proof the community while ensuring we keep pace with evolving tech­nology and sustainability trends.

For further information, please contact Council’s Manager Environment and Sus­tainability, Michael Chambers, on 6861 2333.

Motorists are advised of changed traffic conditions on the Newell Highway between Tichborne and Daroobalgie from Monday 3 February for heavy patching work.

Work will be carried out between 7am and 5pm and is expected to be completed by Friday 28 February, weather permitting.

For the safety of workers and road users, single lane closures and a reduced speed of 40 km/h will be in place during work hours. The speed limit will return to 60 km/h outside of work hours. When the work is completed, the speed limit will return to the posted speed.

Motorists are also advised of changed traffic conditions on London Road in Parkes from Wednesday 29 January to support the Parkes Bypass project.

There will be changes to the way road us­ers access London Road between Baller­dee Lane and the Parkes Golf Course.

Traffic will be diverted onto the newly constructed London Road offset intersec­tion while the bypass alignment is con­structed over the current London Road traf­fic alignment. The current temporary traffic signals will also remain in place for several weeks to allow for completion of work in this location.

Intermittent stopping and a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h will be in place dur­ing work hours and may affect travel times.

Work will be carried out between 7am and 6pm from Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm on Saturdays and is expected to be complete in eight weeks, weather permit­ting.

For the latest traffic information, visit live­traffic.com, download the Live Traffic app or call Transport Management Centre 132 701.

Our team enjoyed the Parkes Elvis Festival atmosphere and fully embraced it by dressing up, and stepping back in time to celebrate his iconic influence.

The Quorn Park Hybrid Farm, on Back Trundle Road, Parkes NSW, is progressing the construction phase of the project.

Initial construction activities started with material import for temporary tracks and working pads, soon to transition for perma­nent internal access roads. Vehicle move­ments towards the solar farm have remained monitored and under control, whilst the final road upgrade in Henry Parkes Way and McGrath Lane are completed. Once the up­grade is underway, additional construction activities will begin, including piling (support structures for the photovoltaic panels), pe­rimeter security fencing and foundations.

Light and heavy vehicles are transiting on Henry Parkes Way, Mc Grath Lane, Back Trundle Road as goods and personnel are transported to site, generally between 7.00am – 5.30pm Monday – Friday.

Quorn Park project team recently took part in the Parkes Elvis Festival in January 2025.

Potentia Energy had a stall at Cooke Park from 8-11 January 2025, where our team was able to share information about Quorn Park Hybrid and solar and renewable en­ergy more generally, answering questions about our project, who we are and what we do, while giving away resources on renew­able energy, and Potentia Energy branded merchandise.

Potentia Energy and Beon Energy Solu­tions (EPC contractor for the project) aim to maximise opportunities for local contractors and suppliers to participate in the project through the provision of goods and services to the project site and workforce.

Beon Energy Solutions will seek to em­ploy a local workforce to support the con­struction of the project. Opportunities will in­clude labourers, truck drivers, cleaners and plant operators. The specifics of these roles will be made publicly available in early 2025For further queries or feedback about Quorn Park Hybrid we encourage you to reach out via email quornparkhybrid@po­tentiaenergy.com.au