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Successful Heavy Vehicle Breakfast Forum

August 3, 2023 By Roxane Manley

Ron Finemore shared his company’s experience with Seeing Machines’ Driver Monitoring System.

Heavy vehicle safety was in the spotlight recently at a breakfast forum hosted by Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils. The Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, says the forum has become a regular fixture since its inception in 2012.

Presenters were from NHVR, Transport for NSW, Ron Finemore Transport, National Transport Commission and NSW Police.

“Thank you to all the guest speakers who made the forum informative and thought provoking for participants. And thank you to everyone who attended,” said Melanie.

“A special mention to Ron Finemore who so generously shared his company’s experience with Seeing Machines’ Driver Monitoring System. The effective use of this technology will profoundly reduce the frequency of fatigue and distraction events while driving.

“There were lots of questions and engagement with all of the speakers – especially around access, rest areas, work diaries and fatigue rules.

“Since the forum, I have received lots of requests about how to order the free Fresnel lenses from Transport for NSW. A Fresnel lens is a thin plastic lens attached to the passenger side window on a heavy vehicle. It gives the driver a wide-angle view as they look through the lens. The driver can see in their blind spot and notice other road users who may otherwise have been hidden,” Melanie said.

NSW transport operators can order free lenses at https://shout.finsbury.com.au/ustore/67/Home with stock code: 45097620. Please note eligibility criteria applies.

The forum was recorded and the videos of each session can be viewed online.The links are as follows:

• Session One: Heavy Vehicle Access: https://youtu.be/BPtpwu50ICI

• Session Two: Driver Fatigue: https://youtu.be/J3z0IBABknQ

• Session Three: Legislation, Enforcement &; Road Safety: https://youtu.be/liSvqtHM5Y8

Ron Finemore Transport Case Study: https://youtu.be/aMNr6jCuPd8

Sounds Of Country On Lake Forbes

August 3, 2023 By Roxane Manley

Rising stars of Australian country music – and the new backing band for Lee Kernaghan – Hurricane Fall is the headlining act at Sundown Sounds

Forbes’ inaugural Sundown Sounds will take place at the picturesque Lions Park on 5th August, with music starting at 5:45pm.

Hurricane Fall, a high energy country rock band will be joined by the amazing Katie Jayne and band, and the town’s very own Gracey Denham-Jones.

Forbes Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said “This is an exciting and free event we are hosting on the lake at Lions Park, the perfect setting to dine at one of our amazing food vans, BYO esky and attempt the bucking bull with friends and family,” Mayor Miller said.

“I am looking forward to pulling on the boots for an evening of good food, good music and great times with old and new friends.”

For those wishing to do their homework before the event, check out Council’s Facebook event to listen to the Sundown Sounds Spotify Playlist.

Sundown Sounds is a free community event that has been funded by the NSW Government.

“We thank the government for their support to help our precious regional communities stay connected and build new connections. These connections are so important when we are faced with so many challenges in our livelihoods, grab your mates, grab your esky and join us by the lake for what is sure to be an epic evening of live music” said Mayor Miller.

All ages are welcome. Tickets are free, but essential and are available at www.123tix.com.au/events/37984/forbes-sundown-sound

3 Million Loaves And 2 Million Tins Of Milo – All In A Year’s Work For Our Grain Farmers

August 3, 2023 By Roxane Manley

Sweeping paddocks of grain crops are a familiar sight across much of regional Australia, but how many stop to think that those crops end up in their sandwich or breakfast bowl?

In fact, the average Aussie wheat farmer produces enough grain to make 3 million loaves of bread and 2 million tins of Milo.

In the final week of a crusade to better connect consumers with where their food comes from – and to value that food – the NFF-led campaign under the Australians Farmers platform aims to connect those dots.

NFF President Fiona Simson, hoped the Australian Farmers campaign had opened people’s eyes to the work farmers invested into growing food sustainably.

“This week we’re putting the spotlight on a household staple – bread. It’s main ingredient, wheat, is also a staple in the farming world,” she said.

Australia produces 23 million tonnes of wheat each year. This is used in bread, pasta, pizza dough, cake, instant noodles, dumpling skins and even animal feed.

Bread is one of the most wasted foods in Australia, bread is too precious to waste, store it properly and learn what to do if it goes stale

Help Save Little Lives By Getting Silly For A Serious Cause

August 3, 2023 By Roxane Manley

This month marks the 35th annual Red Nose Day, on Friday 11th August, with Australians encouraged to get on board to stop little lives being cut short and help grieving families get the support they need.

The first Red Nose Day, held in 1988, paved the way for today’s landscape of national charity fundraising days, urging Australians to wear a red nose and get “silly for a serious cause.”

35 years later, Red Nose Day is still a much-loved and iconic national fundraising event, with thousands of people taking part in Red Nose Day activities across the country each year.

Despite having reduced SIDS by 80% and investing more than $18 million into lifesaving research, Red Nose’s work is far from over. 3,000 babies and young children still die suddenly from stillbirth, SUDI and other causes each year, and it is estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage.

Red Nose Australia CEO, Keren Ludski, encourages everyone to show their support by buying merchandise, registering to hold a fundraising event or making a donation.

“From the beginning, Australians have embraced the silliness and seriousness of Red Nose Day to help stop little lives being cut devastatingly short,” Keren said.

“Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare. Red Nose Day is an opportunity for every Australian to offer their support to grieving families and prevent more little lives from being lost.”

Every dollar raised on Red Nose Day will directly fund around-the-clock support services for grief-stricken families as well as education programs for new parents to help keep their babies safe.

Donate now at rednoseday.org.au/donate

Time To Celebrate Our Caring Superheroes

August 3, 2023 By Roxane Manley

All Australians, Aged care providers, residents and families are invited to join the Aged & Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA) and say a giant ‘thanks for caring’ to our dedicated and compassionate aged care staff to mark Aged Care Employee Day on Mondayth August.

This will be the fifth time we have celebrated our thousands of aged care workers with Aged Care Employee Day (ACED).

ACCPA CEO Tom Symondson said workers in aged care had gone above and beyond the call of duty in this past year and continue to face immense challenges in providing care and support for older Australians.

“As we approach Aged Care Employee Day on Monday, we want to keep in mind the almighty effort put in by aged care workers and encourage the public to take a moment and say, ‘thank you for caring’,” Mr Symondson said.

“They all deserve our thanks for their professionalism, their warmth, and their enthusiasm to help older Australians live comfortably.”

ACCPA congratulates our aged care heroes for their dedication, compassion and their hard work and we encourage the public to give them the recognition they so handsomely deserve.

Diamond Celebration For Ladies’ Bowls

July 27, 2023 By Roxane Manley

Celebrating 70 years! The Central Western District Women’s Bowling Association recently gathered to mark the grand occasion at the Canowindra Bowling Club.

The Central Western District Women’s Bowling Association celebrated their 70th anniversary, with 18 ends of Triples Bowls and a special luncheon at the Canowindra Bowling Club on Tuesday, 18th July.

Both events of the day were attended by official guests including Sandra Jowett, Director of Bowls NSW, Roger Traves, President of the Canowindra Club, and A. Whyburn, President of the Canowindra Men’s Bowling Association. The history of the Central Western Women’s Bowling Association from 1953 until 2023 was presented to the visitors in addition to the cake cutting.

The Central Western District Women’s Bowling Association held its first official meeting on 9th October 1953, which was attended by Canowindra, Eugowra, Forbes, and Parkes clubs, with Cudal an apology for the first event. Gwynn Rice was appointed the first President at that meeting. The association started playing Pennants a month later.

In 1955, the assocaition elected a President, three Vice-Presidents, Secretary, and Treasurer, along with three delegates to represent each of the Clubs. Cudal and Manildra merged in 1957, followed by the Forbes, Parkes and Parkes Railway Clubs in 1958. Woodstock joined the association in 1959. In 1970, Gooloogong joined, bringing the District’s total number of Clubs to 12.

One of the favourite competitions held for the association is the Taber Shield. An inter -district competition that is contested annually in early September in Stella Taber’shonor. Stella Taber served as District President from 1956 to 1963 and again from1964 to 1967.

The District currently has nine Clubs: Cowra, Canowindra, Forbes, Parkes, Manildra, Molong, Millthorpe, Orange City, and Orange Ex-Services.

The Central Western Districts Women’s Bowling association is a very important part of our community, and we wish them great success for a further 70 years.

Parkes RSL Sub Branch Month Of Remembrance

July 27, 2023 By Roxane Manley

Korean Veteran Gordon Dickson about to lay a wreath at Remembrance Day last year.

Parkes RSL Sub Branch, at its July meeting decided it would honour the Korean Veterans in our community. The hardship of overseas service extends to the family and friends, our servicemen and women leave behind and we should commemorate their service and sacrifice.

Two dates have been set aside for the 50th Anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

On Thursday, 3rd August members of the Parkes RSL Sub Branch will conduct a Remembrance Service honouring the servicemen who lost their lives during the 10-year war. 536 servicemen will be remembered across Australia at services at all Australian towns and cities at graves or places of Remembrance.

The Parkes RSL Sub Branch will be honouring three former residents; Anatoly Danilenko who was killed on 25th April, 1968, Douglas Roy Powter, who died on 7th February, 1967 and Denis John Donnelly who died on the 9th August, 1967. Both Danilenko and Powter are buried at the Parkes Cemetery whilst Donnelly is buried at Mudgee.

The service will be held at the Cenotaph in Cooke Park commencing at 11am and it is hoped that as many Parkes and district ex-service personnel can attend as possible, especially those who served in Vietnam.

The fiannual Vietnam Veterans Day service will be held on Friday 18th August at the Vietnam Memorial on Memorial Hill commencing at 11am.

Following the Memorial Service, the Parkes RSL Sub Branch will be conducting a Commemorative Luncheon at the Parkes Services & Citizens Club commencing at 12 noon and tickets can be obtained from the Secretary, Mr Paul Thomas on 0427 624 683 for the cost of $40, which covers the Luncheon and drinks which are limited to beer, wine or soft drinks.

Elvis Revival INC Donate Funds To Parkes CanAssist

July 27, 2023 By Roxane Manley

Who doesn’t love a giant cheque? Members of Parkes CanAssist receive cheque for $6,870.07.

On Tuesday 25th July, members of Parkes CanAssist were delighted to gather at their store in Court Street, where they were presented with a cheque from the Parkes Elvis Revival INC committee.

The cheque was for the amount of $6,870.07, the total amount of funds remaining in an account being held by Elvis Revival INC. The committee is regrettably folding, following the toll resulting from COVID combined with the devastating loss of a number of key members.

Elvis Revival Inc (ERI) were a group of dedicated Elvis fans who rallied with the common goal to manage and grow the Parkes Elvis Festival.

Formed in 1992 with a few members and Festival Co-founder Bob Steel as President, the committee went on to have a hand in the Elvis Wall of Fame, Tent City, Home Hosting program, Elvis Central, Renewal of Vows, Miss Priscilla Dinner and finding for a dedicated Festival Manager in 2007.

The Elvis Revival INC committee discussed what to do with their remaining funds and it was agreed the entire amount should be donated to Parkes CanAssist, who provide much needed assistance to our local community and people who find themselves in desperate need of help. It was improtant to the committee that the funds filter back into the community to help local people.

Supermarket Consumer Ploys To Avoid

July 27, 2023 By Roxane Manley

The obvious answer to why supermarkets use these tactics is that “their purpose is to sell more, that’s their job, they are storing lots of goods. They want you to buy more than what you have on your list.

Ever walk into the supermarket to buy just milk – and come out with a trolley full of stuff you didn’t even know that you needed? Welcome to supermarket consumer behaviour, where supermarkets implement strategies to get consumers to buy more items unknowingly.

According to recent data from the Australia Bureau of Statistics, Australia is currently experiencing one of the worst cost of living crises recorded. With high inflation rates and stagnant wages, there is no doubt that working Australians are “very price conscious”, says Professor Nitika Garg, School of Marketing at UNSW Business School.

The rising inflation and increasing costs are impacting everyone in the supply chain, from manufacturers to retailers, and are then being passed on to consumers. Consequently, prices are a lot higher than they were a few months ago. How can consumers cope with these escalating costs and price hikes in the current economic climate?

According to Prof. Garg, there are some key tactics to watch out for when supermarket shopping:

Locked-in deals: These are commonly identified by bright red labels on items and typically present a capped price until a specified date. Consumers may be misled into believing that purchasing the item before the deadline offers greater cost-effectiveness due to the deal. However, the price of the locked-in deals is often the same as the original price of the item.

Store layout: Supermarkets design the layout of the store to purposely put staple foods such as milk and bread far away from each other – and usually at the back of the store. This tactic is designed to make a consumer walk through the store and spend more time.

Bigger-sized carts: Studies in the USA have shown that some trolley sizes in supermarkets have doubled in size since first being introduced. This has resulted in consumers typically buying 40 per cent more food items. The idea behind this is that consumers are tricked into thinking their shopping trolley appears to be missing food items.

Music: Have you ever wondered why supermarkets typically play more relaxed, slow-paced music instead of fast and upbeat tunes? It’s not a coincidence. Supermarkets strategically choose calming music to create a relaxed atmosphere and encourage customers to stay longer, enhancing their shopping experience and getting them to buy more.

Store deals: the ‘buy two, get one free’ deals and similar schemes may initially appear as an excellent opportunity and a cost-effective method of saving money if it’s an item you buy regularly. However, if it’s an item that has a short expiry date, is it realistic that a consumer will consume all three items before the expiry date? Furthermore, certain supermarkets show, for example, ‘buy two for $10.00’, making it appear as a deal and misleading the consumer by implying that you are saving on cost. However, upon closer inspection, you might find that the price of one item is just its regular price, that is, half of the price of two.

Author-Rised Special Guest

July 27, 2023 By Roxane Manley

Parkes Mayor, Cr Ken Kieth OAM addressed Selina and the crowd when awarding Selina the Sir Henry Parkes Medal.

Last Wednesday night, attendees at Parkes Shire Library were treated to a powerful In Conversation with special guest author Selina Win Pe, on the release of her new book “Untold Truths”.

Selina gave a passionate talk on her journey to self-discovery and strength through country connection, following the difficult loss of trust she suffered from the 2014 Lindt Café Siege in Sydney.

The healing nature of the country and country people were a particular focus of the talk, with Selina commenting that “the new memories I am creating in rural New South Wales are helping me heal”.

A driving force behind Selina first releasing her book in country New South Wales is to give back to the communities who have given to her.

To thank her for her contribution to the Parkes community, Councillor Ken Keith awarded Selina with the Sir Henry Parkes Medal on the night, remarking on the services she has provided the community. Selina Win Pe’s new book “Untold Truths” is available here www.selinawinpe.com.au.

Join the Parkes Shire Library at their next Author Talk on Wednesday 9th August with best-selling Australian author Gabbie Stroud. Call 02 6861 2309 to book.

If you have a passion for writing, head along to Author-Rised, Parkes Shire Library’s writing group where all writers from 18+ share their passion for writing over snacks and tea. The group welcomes writers of all stripes; poets, non fiction writers, fiction writers, scriptwriters.

Author-Rised meets at the Parkes Library on the first Tuesday of every month from 6pm – 8pm.

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