A message from the desk of Parkes Mayor Neil Westcott.

It is my honour to extend a warm welcome to each one of you who has travelled far and wide to join us in this extraordinary event. 

As the new Mayor of Parkes, I must firstly pay tribute to our former Mayor Ken Keith OAM who has recently stepped down from this position after 16 years in the top job. Ken became almost as iconic as The King himself, all over the world, as he promoted and participated in the festival. No doubt Ken will be wearing the blue jumpsuit again this year so make sure you say hello and thank him for all he has done. 

As for myself, some would know me from the Elvis Gospel Service that I have helped organise since its inception and I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible over the coming days. Yes, big, but exciting shoes to fill! 

This year, the Parkes Elvis Festival once again promises to be a spectacular homage to the iconic Elvis Presley, a man whose music continues to resonate across generations. For Parkes itself, in its 31st year, we see the Festival continue to evolve from a local, to national and now International event that is run by a large group of people, professional and Volunteers, providing strength in numbers in the pursuit of excellence. 

Our community takes great pride in hosting this festival, knowing that it brings together people from diverse walks of life, all bound by a shared love of Elvis’ music. Attracting over 25,000 people, with a regional economic impact of over $13 million, you are all, as visitors to the Central West of NSW, making a real and vital contribution to the people and towns of the Central West. 

Beyond the skirts and jumpsuits, the Parkes Elvis Festival reflects the warmth and hospitality of our Shire. This is truly the friendly festival and our whole community welcomes you with open arms. May your memories and fun stories stay with you long after the festival concludes. 

Thank you for joining us in this celebration of Elvis Presley. I look forward to meeting many of you over the festival. On behalf of our fabulous staff at Parkes Shire Council and our wonderful volunteers, welcome to the Parkes 2024 Elvis Festival.

Pictured at his desk is the current Mayor of Parkes is Neil Westcott.

“As we come to the end of 2023, we are reminded of all that has been achieved over the past 12 months, and have a chance to look forward to all that a new year has to offer. 

Despite the challenges our community has faced this year, Parkes Shire Council and the broader community have had some impressive wins and have continued to show their resilience and unity. 

The Parkes Shire is on the cusp of some really wonderful things, and 2024 is looking to be a year of great promise. 

On behalf of myself, our Councillors, and the rest of Parkes Shire Council, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a happy and safe New Year.”

Cr Ken Keith OAM – Mayor of Parkes Shire

I would like to welcome our friends to the Parkes Shire for the 29th annual Parkes Elvis Festival.

The King may have left the building for a short while, but I’m excited to say that Elvis

is finally back. Now that communities are open and events are back on, it’s time to step out and support your local economy. Events like Parkes Elvis Festival provide a huge economic boost to our region and I thank you for visiting and supporting the Parkes Shire community.

I encourage everyone to be out there while visiting our region, by exploring the diverse range of tourism attractions including the world-famous Parkes Radio telescope ‘The Dish’, the Henry Parkes Centre, Quentin Alpaca Farm and the Peak Hill Open Cut Experience. The team at the Parkes Visitor Information Centre can help you plan your trip to Parkes to attend one of our many events such Trundle Bush Tucker Day. Head to www.visitparkes.com.au to view the 2022 Parkes Shire events calendar.

We are proud to bring you a jam-packed program of rockin’ n’ rollin’ fun. The five-day line-up features hundreds of events including much-loved festival favourites Northparkes Mines Street Parade, Renewal of Vows Ceremony, Goodsell Machinery Miss Priscilla Dinner, free Cooke Park main stage entertainment and Elvis Gospel Service.

Fans can also enjoy new events, including a Speedway Exhibit of rare and classic

race cars, memorabilia and virtual reality simulators, Sons of Sun rock n’ roll play, US guests including 2019 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Champion Taylor Rodriguez, Elvis’ tour manager from the 70s Charles Stone, Elvis’ Speedway co-star Victoria Paige Meyerink, famous host of Elvis Week after parties Jeff Lewis and the Speedway Special starring Mark Anthony.

On behalf of the people of the Parkes Shire, I welcome you to our region and wish you a safe, adventurous and enjoyable Parkes Elvis Festival experience.

Finally, a big thank you to our dedicated volunteers, valued sponsors, supporters, local businesses, community members and council staff who make the festival possible.

Thank you, thank you very much.

Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

This week we welcomed Parliamentary Secretary for Western NSW Rick Colless to Parkes to announce funding under the NSW Government’s Growing Local Economies Fund that will enable vital service extensions to the Parkes National Logistics Hub, including upgrades to road access, communications, powerlines, and gas connections.

For more information about the announcement, visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.

Following the severe storm event earlier this week, residents are being encouraged to deposit any green or mixed waste caused by the storm to the Parkes Waste Facility free of charge until close of business on Sunday. Waste disposal charges remain for all other general waste.

Level two water restrictions are now in place across the Parkes Shire, after storage levels at Lake Endeavour Dam reached the capacity trigger. Under level two restrictions, residents are only permitted to water outside the hours of 10am and 5pm, on alternate days under an ‘odds and evens’ arrangement. For more information about level 2 water restrictions and some handy water saving tips, visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.

Parkes Shire students undertaking their first year of full-time university studies in 2019 are encouraged to apply for a Jack Scoble Scholarship. The scholarship offers local students the chance to receive $2,000 – $3,000 to be put towards their tertiary studies. To apply, download an application form from Council’s website and return to marie.
wyatt@parkes.nsw.gov.au by Monday 28 January 2019 at 10am.

Residents and visitors are invited to a full day of community activities this Saturday as we come together to celebrate Australia Day. For more information about the 2019 Australia Day events in the Parkes Shire, visit www.visitparkes.com.au.

A reminder to motorists to slow down, pay extra attention, and be patient when school resumes in the coming weeks. The 40km/hr school speed zone will come back into effect next week, with more police on our roads during this time to enforce the speed limit. Please also be mindful of the no parking and stopping signs around schools which are in pace to help to help keep children and pedestrians safe.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend,
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

I would like to welcome our friends to the Parkes Shire for the 27th annual Parkes Elvis Festival.

Over the past 12 months our Shire has experienced one of the worst droughts on record. Events, like the Parkes Elvis Festival, provide a huge economic boost to our region and I thank you for visiting and supporting the Parkes Shire community.

I encourage everyone to Be Out There while visiting our region by exploring our tourism attractions including the world famous Parkes radio telescope ‘The Dish’, the Henry Parkes Centre and the Peak Hill Open Cut Experience. The team at the Parkes Visitor Information Centre can help you plan your next trip to Parkes to attend one of our many quirky events, including the Trundle ABBA Festival or the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

We are proud to host the 27th Parkes Elvis Festival, set to be the biggest and best to date. We are excited to launch the new user-friendly Festival website. Expect to get All Shook Up with the new events, new venues and new experiences, including rock n roll dancing lessons, ukulele workshops, Elvis yogalates, and a burlesque workshop.

A big thank you to our dedicated volunteers, valued sponsors, supporters, Elvis Revival Incorporated, local businesses, community members and Council staff who make the Festival possible.

Thank you, thank you very much.
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

This week two of our newest recreational spaces were officially opened, just in time for the Christmas break. The ribbon was cut on the Pac Park rejuvenation project in Parkes and Lindner Oval project in Peak Hill, both projects co-funded by Council and the NSW Government’s Social Housing Improvement Fund.

As part of the Lindner Oval project, new play equipment, a new shade cloth, and a new outdoor exercise station were installed. The Pac Park project included the construction of two shelters, two table settings, a double electric barbecue and lighting. Both projects aim to support and encourage our residents to head outdoors and lead healthy and active lifestyles.

Council has signed two monumental documents this week. The first, a Voluntary Planning Agreement between Clean TeQ Sunrise and Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils, which will deliver a $340,000 contribution per annum towards community enhancement projects once construction of the mine commences. The second, CMOC Northparkes Mines and Council have renewed a Joint Funding Agreement to extend the Parkes Shire Grants and Aboriginal Project Officer positions for a further three years. Both agreements are set to deliver a range of positive outcomes for our community.

Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer is urging locals to be patient and take care when travelling these Christmas holidays. Double demerit points will be in force for 12 days over the Christmas and New Year period, with increased police presence on our roads targeting speed, seatbelt, motorcycle helmet and mobile phone offences.

Parkes Shire Council’s Administration building will close for the Christmas break today, 21st December, and re-open on Wednesday, 2nd January 2019. With 2019 only a few weeks away, a reminder to get your tickets and make plans for your 2019 Parkes Elvis Festival experience from 9th to 13th January. For all event details visit www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au

On behalf of the Councillors and Council staff, I would like to wish our residents a very merry Christmas and a safe and happy 2019.

Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

A community workshop was held this week for locals to provide feedback on the draft Kelly Reserve Masterplan. Residents who could not attend can view the draft Masterplan at www.parkes.nsw.gov.au and provide input by Thursday, 20th December.

Council will soon replace the existing lighting infrastructure at Woodward Oval with new state-of-the-art LED lights. View the proposal and provide feedback at www.parkes.nsw.gov.au

Trundle Library will open its doors to the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week from today. Members will be able to borrow, return and use the library facilities at a time that suits them.

Parkes Waste Facility is holding a free tip weekend on Saturday, 15th and Sunday, 16th December for general domestic waste including green waste, mixed recyclables and general household waste free of charge. Everyone is encouraged to attend the annual Carols in Cooke Park event on Sunday, and reminded it starts from 4:30pm.

The annual Shop Parkes retail campaign is unwrapping 12 local Christmas special offers on the Visit Parkes website and the Shop Parkes Facebook and Instagram pages. You can win a $500 Shop Parkes Region Gift Card simply by shopping at any Parkes Shire retail outlet and complete the survey at www.visitparkes.com.au.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire