Parents NSW Vouchers: $250 worth of vouchers, thanks to the State Government’s Parents NSW program went live on Monday. Eligible families will receive five $50 vouchers which can be redeemed at Discover NSW and Stay NSW registered businesses. In addition, the Stay NSW voucher program, providing every adult aged 18 and older with a $50 voucher to spend at registered accommodation providers, will be progressively rolled out from 21st February. Both programs will be implemented using the existing Dine & Discover NSW infrastructure. It is easy to apply via your Service NSW app, the Service NSW website or by calling 13 77 88 for assistance. For more information, visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/parents-nsw-vouchers

Surrender Your Illegal Gun: This year’s National Illicit Firearms Campaign will keep Australians safe by removing illegal guns from the community. The three-month campaign will target illegal gun owners by encouraging families, friends and anybody else who may have information to speak up and share what they know with Crime Stoppers before it’s too late. There are over 260,000 unregistered guns estimated to be in circulation in Australia. To share information about an unregistered or illegal gun, contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or go online at www.crimestoppers.com.au/illegalguns.

Escape To Nature: Motorists will in future be able to pay their vehicle entry fee to National Parks via a new Park’nPay app. The app will be extended to allow people visiting national parks to use it when purchasing their vehicle entry fee on-line. The technology is seen as a game changer that gives drivers the power to easily pay and top up for parking from their phones in a few simple clicks. Motorists can use the Park’nPay app across numerous councils as well as find real-time parking availability for Transport for NSW Commuter Carparks, locations of EV charging stations and more than 18,000 private driveways to rent. For more information on where the technology can be used, including which national parks, visit: https://parknpay.nsw. gov.au/

New Board Members: The Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) has welcomed David Pheeney and Louise Johnson as new board members. David, a Wiradjuri man, has a strong history working in communities in Western NSW. He currently operates his own legal firm out of Dubbo and previously, for six years, was the managing solicitor at the Aboriginal Legal Service in Bourke. Currently working with Australian Rail Track Corporation Inland Rail, Louise has more than 20 years’ experience in community engagement, including a number of years in Western NSW communities. She has also worked with the Warrumbungle Shire and Brewarrina Shire Councils.

Peak Hill will benefit from a new clinical placement partnership with the first two physiotherapy students to start at the end of the month.

Project Sprouts, in association with the committed and collaborative staff at the Peak Hill Preschool and Central School and Parkes Neighbourhood Central, have partnered with Three Rivers Department of Rural Health (DRH) to develop a clinical placement partnership. The partnership is supported by local Aboriginal elders, who have graciously named the clinical placements ‘Raising Healthy Boori’. Project Sprouts have received funding from ALKCANE to support the funding of supervision.

As a result of the partnership, the schools will be welcoming physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy students from various universities during three separate clinical placements. The students will work with pre-school and kindergarten students in need of allied health intervention, and also facilitate capacity building for educators.

During their placement the students will develop and present resources to assist the schools in supporting students to meet developmental goals. Students will be supported by discipline specific supervisors, school staff and Three Rivers DRH clinical educators.

The first placement will commence on 28th February with two physiotherapy students. This first clinical placement will also be the focus of Monash Masters of Physiotherapy student, Cara van Wyk’s research project. Her dissertation focuses on how clinical placements contribute to educator capacity. It is hoped that her findings will contribute to evidence-based advocating for regular clinical placements in rural communities.

Project Sprouts, a Parkes community-led initiative, facilitates the screening of children for developmental health before they start school, to support parents and upskill local people to better identify children needing early intervention support.

The Parkes Aero Club Inc received funding of $9,522 under the Community Building Partnership 2021.

The funding will be used for fencing, lighting and a shade cover over a lawn area, which will also become a commemorative garden, honouring the memory of soldiers trained at Parkes RAAF Training Base.

Phil Donato PM (second left) was in Parkes on Monday to hand over the funding to club members. Present were (L-R) Warwick Tom, Scott Green, Adrian Butler, Ella Butler, Jordan Powter, Ella Ross and Dusty Powter.

The 2021 round of funding under the Community Building Partnership Grants Program saw a total of $399,300 allocated to 17 community projects across the electorate.

Going for a free ride in a trishaw to get some fresh air and feel the wind in your hair will become a regular feature in Parkes from next month.

Parkes Cycling Without Age will officially launch by mid-March following $18,000 of funding from the 2021 Community Building Partnership.

Member for Orange Phil Donato MP was in Parkes on Monday to meet with representatives of Parkes Cycling Without Age and to get a ride in the trishaw e-bike that was purchased with the grant. “This is a fantastic initiative,” said Phil.

The purpose of Cycling Without Age is to provide a community service by connecting those no longer able to ride for themselves with their community, and the outdoors, by giving them free rides on trishaw e-bikes. These rides are piloted by volunteer cyclists.

Peter Guppy, who initiated the idea, said with about 20 trained volunteers they were ready to start regular sessions twice a week from the middle of March.

They will be following a set route starting from Lions Park and following the walking track along Wellington Road. Peter said each session would last about 30 minutes.

Anyone interested in booking a session, or interested in becoming a volunteer can contact Peter on 0448 166 016.

The YouTube episodes of six members of the Parkes multicultural community that was launched last week have already made a big impact in Australia and internationally.

The Parkes Rotary Club started a YouTube channel last year and decided to record six episodes to tie in with this year’s Australia Day theme of Reflect, Respect, Celebrate using a special grant from the Australia Day National Council.

The episodes were launched on Australia Day and had already well over 3,000 views by the weekend. “The episodes have been shared by Rotary clubs in Australia, and international Rotary clubs,” said Parkes Rotary President Robert Shore at the local club’s multicultural dinner on Saturday to celebrate Australia Day and the six people who shared their stories.

At the dinner Nancy Cayo from Peru thanked Robert and Ian Freestone, who produced the episodes, for the opportunity to share their story. “Some of us did not feel confident because of our lack of language skills, but Ian made us feel so comfortable. It is very important that we share our stories to make it easier for us to integrate into the community.”

Nancy said there were so many friendly faces in Parkes who had made her feel welcome. “Keep doing what you’re doing to make people feel welcome,” she said.

Roel ten Cate said Ian had done a fantastic job producing the videos. “It was a real privilege to tell our stories.” Roel was only six months old when he moved to Australia with his family from the Netherlands. “We only came for five years, and 70 years later we are still here.

“There are stacks of stories out there,” Roel said in response to a suggestion by Ian that a second series might be in the pipeline.

Rob, a former history teacher and lover of folk history, said oral history was very powerful, “so much more when the speakers are from our community”.

In his speech Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith looked at the history of Parkes and how its population had been multicultural from the very beginning. In the 19th century there were Chinese people tending the vegetable gardens at Billabong Creek to provide food for the mining community. “They were instrumental in getting Parkes established as a community,” the Mayor said.

The next big influx came after WWII when Polish immigrants were housed in the huts at the airport that was used to accommodate trainee pilots during the war. “Polish was the second most common language in Parkes for over 50 years.”

He named some examples including Danilenko Street that was named after the son of an immigrant who volunteered for the Vietnam War and never returned. “The street was named in his honour.”

The Mayor said it was sensational that Rotary had organised the multicultural dinner. “It would be lovely to see it continue every year.”

To access the six episodes on YouTube, simply search for Parkes Rotary.

By Maggi Barnard

More than 40 stores actively engaged in the Shop Parkes campaign, and over 100 businesses promoted the campaign in-store over the festive period last year. The campaign included a 12 Days of Christmas Competition that was a huge success with over 241 entrants.

Local businesses were invited to participate in the campaign by dressing up their shop windows. Parkes Shire Councillor Bill Jayet, who judged the competition, announced Terry Bros Parkes as the winner for a second year in a row. Special mentions went to Colouby Creations, Ron Dunford Chemist, The Red Chandelier and Parkes News & Gifts.