A hail storm near Tullamore and Peak Hill left paddocks white as snow on Sunday afternoon. Farmers are relieved the hail did not cause serious damage, although it blanketed winter crops. (Photo: Nicole Ross)
45 More Services For Parkes Bus Network
The Parkes bus network will offer more routes to residents from Monday.
The bus network in Parkes will be expanding as part of the NSW Government’s 16 Regional Cities program.
From Monday, 20th July there will be 45 additional services to the bus network to enable travel to and from employment, TAFE, the CBD and Parkes Hospital.
NSW Upper House MP Sam Farraway said they had spoken to operators and the local council about what services would be of benefit and implemented changes to improve connectivity. The new network is aimed at making public transport a valid option for people going about their daily tasks. The Parkes Network changes are:
Route 550: Parkes South Loop, Parkes Hospital (anti-clockwise)
• Same streets but in the reverse direction of Route 552 for return travel options from the hospital.
• Operates in the afternoon. Travel to the hospital in the morning is on Route 552
• Additional trips from the hospital to the CBD in the afternoon
Route 551: Parkes East Loop
• Additional morning and evening trip between Parkes CBD and Danilenko St.
• Minor adjustment to some trip times.
Route 552: Parkes South Loop, Parkes hospital (clockwise)
• Additional trip from the CBD arriving at the hospital before 8am.
• Operates in the morning, adjustment to trip times during the daytime.
• Return travel in the afternoon provided on Route 550.
Route 553: Parkes North Loop
• Additional trip from the CBD in the afternoon.
• Adjustment to trip times.
Route 554: Parkes West Loop
• One additional morning and two additional afternoon trips.
• In the morning Route 554 becomes Route 552 for improved access to Parkes Hospital from Parkes West.
• In the afternoon Route 550 becomes Route 554 for improved return travel from the hospital. No need to change in the CBD.
• Adjustment to trip times.
Snippets…
The management and delivery of the Trundle ABBA Festival is currently being reviewed during the COVID-19 downtime.
Trundle ABBA Festival Future: The Trundle ABBA Festival might have been cancelled this year, but the committee has not stopped working. The committee is taking the COVID downtime to plan the way ahead, and review its management and delivery. “Trundle ABBA Festival Inc. acknowledges Executive Event Solutions and associated event stakeholders for their work at the helm of the Festival over the past two years and wishes them the best with their future event endeavours,” the committee said in an issued press statement. Any enquiries can be directed to: trundleabba@gmail.com
New Visitor Hours At Parkes Hospital: Visiting hours will now be between 10am and 1pm and 4pm to 7pm daily. Visitors may not enter if they have; returned from overseas in the last 14 days, returned from the greater Melbourne area in the last 14 days or have been in contact with a per- son confirmed to have COVID-19 within the last 14 days. All visitors and staff must pass all applicable screening processes in place including temperature checking at all entrances to the facility. If you are unwell do not visit. If you have even the mildest cough, fever, runny nose or difficulty breathing, please visit a COVID-19 clinic or call your doctor. For more information about COVID-19, call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 088 or Health- direct on 1800 022 222.
Nursing And Midwifery Award: Nominations for the ‘peoples’ choice’ award at this year’s NSW Health Excellence in Nursing & Midwifery Awards are officially open. The Healing Heart Award is nominated by patients, families or carers, and honours a nurse or midwife for providing exceptional care. The annual awards ceremony was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be a virtual event this year, and patients, families and carers are invited to nominate a nurse or midwife by visiting health.nsw.gov.au/nursing/enma. Nominations close on 27th July.
Young Actors Invited: Aspiring young actors from regional Australia have the chance to audition for a fully-funded scholarship to learn from some of the country’s most respected actors, directors and educators at the theatre company Bell Shakespeare. Up to four high school students will travel to Sydney in January 2021 to take part in the intensive week-long program. More details at www.bellshakespeare.com.au/jbs
Bruce Cauley and his dog Tina enjoyed a walk around Bushman Dam in the sun last week.
Scholarships Help Bring New Skills Back To Shire
Molly Wright, Emma Rice and Mikaela Dart.
Three female students in the Parkes Shire made it to the final cut to receive scholarships from the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Foundation (RASF).
Emma Rice from Parkes and Peak Hill’s Mikaela Dart and Molly Wright are among the 21 recipients from the Central West and Orana. A total of 73 scholarships were awarded under the 2020 program.
Emma (21), who grew up on a mixed livestock and cropping property in Parkes, is doing a Masters of Teaching at the University of New England (UNE). She has always been interested in combining agricultural science and the education of young people in rural areas. Emma completed her Bachelor of Agriculture also at UNE. She believes the longevity of regional communities is reliant on quality schools and educational facilities.
Mikaela (23) is enrolled at UNE in Armidale and is studying a Bachelor of Nursing via distance education. She is passionate about health and in particular emergency nursing and mental health. She is hoping to work in Peak Hill after graduation to help support the much-needed services of rural towns.
Molly (20) is in the second year of her Diploma of Agribusiness Management through Wagga Wagga PIC. She also works in the family enterprise of sheep, beef, cattle and cropping. Wanting to promote agriculture and her regional community, Molly is focused on the business and management aspects of running a property, along with sustainable techniques. She hopes to use her education to help others in regional areas.
The RASF scholarships, awarded to regional and rural students who are studying at a NSW university or TAFE, support students seeking further education with the goal of injecting their new skills back into rural areas.
The scholarships offer financial grants of $6,000 for full-time study and $3,000 for part-time study to give students the freedom to study without the stress and financial challenges brought about by the need to relocate.
Pandemic Does Not Stop Community Investment Program
A collage of some of the recipients of round one of the Northparkes Community Investment Program announced recently.
Sixteen community groups were successful in the first round of this year’s Northparkes Community Investment Program.
The successful recipients from Parkes, Forbes, Condobolin and Bogan Gate will share in $40,000 donated each round. Since its inception, over $760,000 has been invested in the Parkes and Forbes Shires.
“To achieve our vision of ‘A century of mining together’, we invest in the future of our community through meaningful partnerships,” said Northparkes Managing Director Hubert Lehman.
“Despite the COVID-19 health pandemic, we want to ensure we are still able to support our local community through this investment program.”
The successful applicants are: Aruma (formerly House With No Steps), Bogan Gate Golf Club, Central West Astronomical Society, Condobolin High School P&C Association, Condobolin Pony Club, Forbes District Soccer Club, Forbes Golf Association, Forbes Rugby Union Club, Mitchell Conservatorium, Parkes & District Historical Society, Parkes Aero Club, Parkes Early Childhood Centre, Parkes High School, Parkes Painting Group and The Sprouts Project – Parkes Shire Early Intervention.
Applications are reviewed by an independent committee, made up of community members from Parkes and Forbes. Round two of the Community Investment Program is now open. Visit www.northparkes.com to apply. For more information, please contact Ali Standen on 02 6861 3621 or ali.standen@au.cmoc.com.
‘Have You Ever Seen The Overflow?’
BEAUTIFUL… For the first time in four years Lake Endeavour filled up to capacity and water started running over the spillway on Monday morning. (Photo: Bill Thomas)
The water at Lake Endeavour started running over the spillway on Monday morning for the first time in four years signalling a final break from the worst ever drought in the region.
Good rainfall over the past four months saw the lake going from a mere 10% of capacity in late March to reaching 100% on Monday.
Parkes recorded a record 154.8mm of rain in April this year compared to no rain at all in April 2019. So far this year, a total of 486.8mm of rain has been recorded, which is more than double the total for the whole of last year of 229.8mm.
According to the latest Seasonal Conditions Update map of the NSW Department of Primary Industries some of the hardest hit areas in the Central West, including Parkes, Forbes, Condobolin and West Wyalong, have been classified as no longer being in drought.
But while conditions are improving in most regions, 86% of the state is still in some form of drought according to the map.
In Parkes there is one team who was overwhelmed on Monday. Witnessing the Lake Endeavour spillway turning into a beautiful waterfall, was Bill Thomas. As president of the Parkes Dragon Boat Club he and his team members despondently watched the lake level drop every week at their training sessions over the past two years.
The Parkes Dragon Boat Club members love hav- ing so much water to paddle on again after seeing the lake level drop every week for the past two years. (Photo: Ian Griffey)
When training stopped in March with the COVID-19 lockdown there was not much room left for paddling. As the rain started falling, Bill begun monitoring the inflow with eagle eyes on Council’s website.
“To see the water flowing over the spillway and cascading down the rocky slope will be a treasured memory for me after seeing a dry creek bed for over two years,” he said.
“Having this magnificent lake at capacity is a wonderful feeling for the Parkes Dragon Boat Club, but more importantly it will bring to life the waterway with the habitation of so many birds and wildlife. The lake has become a special place for our members and it is so good to be back both on and off the water after months of shutdown.” He said the club members had a great respect for the lake as it is a reservoir for the town water supply.
Director Infrastructure at Parkes Shire Council, Andrew Francis said when the lake was full it significantly improved water security for the Shire. “Lake Endeavour is an integral part of the Parkes Shire’s water supply reserve. After two years without dam water availability, we will now head into the peak summer period with adequate supply.”
He said though that water restrictions would remain at Level 2. “Council will continue to monitor the situation as we approach the warmer months, the peak water supply period.”
As for the quality of our drinking water, Andrew said while the new state-of-the- art Water Treatment Plant used the latest technologies for water production and water quality monitoring, the use of dam water (rather than bore water) does result in ‘softer’ water. “Some users find this more desirable.”
At its June monthly meeting Council also decided to remove the Standpipe Usage Scheme and Drought Response Measures for Farming Enterprises framework returning to normal system operation and usage charges.
By Maggi Barnard
Upgrade For Parkes Station
Image Credit: wikipedia.org
The heritage-listed Parkes station has become a focal point of activity during the annual Elvis Festival when hundreds of festival goers meet the Elvis Express and Elvis Blue Suede Express.The station building is currently receiving very welcome improvement work that will not only improve accessibility and safety for customers, but is also creating 30 local jobs.
The upgrade to the footpath, car park and toilets will make it easier for customers, including people with a disability, to access public transport services from the station.
“It will provide a welcoming gateway to all those who travel by train to visit the Parkes region for great events like the annual Elvis Festival,” said Nationals Upper House MP Sam Farraway.
The project includes upgrading the existing footpath; upgrading the car park; new ambulant toilets and a family accessible toilet; a formalised bus stop at the station entrance; and improvements to CCTV, lighting and wayfinding.
The upgrade is delivered under the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program.
Winter Wellness
It can be difficult to stay motivated about your health in winter. The colder weather and limited sunshine make it hard to stay in a routine and can have a damaging effect on your heath as we enter the cold and flu season.
But don’t let winter get you down, here are a few helpful tips to staying healthy.
• Remember to hydrate – in winter we tend to be less thirsty – aim to drink around two litres of water per day.
• Fill your diet with fruit and vegetables; eating a nutrient rich diet can help boost your immunity.
• Get some exercise; studies show people who engage in regular, moderate exercise have an increased immunity.
• If appropriate, take a vitamin or supplement – it isn’t a miracle cure, but can have a positive effect in treatment and prevention. The popular ones are vitamin C, zinc and echinacea.
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient needed for growth, repair and immunity. Evidence is limited in its effective protection from colds, but some studies have shown it can reduce a cold by 24-36 hours. (recommended product: Blackmores BIO C)
Zinc is a naturally occurring element, which we only need in small amounts. Similar to vitamin C, evidence suggests that zinc may be able to reduce your symptoms by about a day. (Recommended product: Blackmores Immune + Recovery. This product also contains vit c and echinacea.)
Echinacea is a herb that has been used to treat colds for centuries. While evidence is mixed, experts are certain that it has a positive effect when treating colds. (Recommended product: ArmaForce)
Pop into store today to have a chat about which products are right for you!
Parkes Pharmacy
Metro Plaza, Parkes
Ph: 6862 2411
www.parkespharmacy.com.au
Snippets…
Cherie Lovett and Karen Willis of Currajong with Kristy Harvey (centre) of Target Parkes.
Target Donates: With the sad news that Target stores in Parkes and Forbes will be closing, Parkes store Manager Kristy Harvey donated excess stock to Currajong Disability Services (CDS). The donation included everything from Christmas decorations to homewares. Kristy and Target have established a relationship over the years with CDS with numerous donations and support. “We love Target and all they do for us and the community here in Parkes,” said Cherie Willis of CDS. “It will be sad if they go and a big loss to the town.”
Get the test, then get the text: In the last four weeks, there were 9,033 tests per- formed across the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD), with no positive cases identified. WNSWLHD Health Protection Manager, Priscilla Stanley is urging anyone having a test to consider receiving negative test results by text message, within 24 hours for many. “Everyone who has a test is asked to isolate until they receive their results. If people have a positive result, they are contacted by a public healthcare worker who will provide information on what happens next. With school holidays, restrictions easing and more people travelling again, it is extremely important that we remain vigilant. If you have family or friends coming to visit, be mindful of COVID-19 symptoms and encourage them to get tested if they have any.” Testing is available at hospitals and from mobile services, as well as from many GP surgeries. If you’re in doubt, speak to your doctor or call our Western LHD’s Public Health helpline on 1300 066 055.
A Safe Road Trip With A Caravan: Caravanning is more popular than ever, however, towing a caravan is far more complex than simply hitching one to your vehicle. “Towing a caravan adds significant weight to your vehicle,” said Transport for NSW Deputy Secretary for Safety, Environment and Regulation Tara McCarthy. “It requires careful planning and loading and puts additional responsibilities on a driver to manage safety. Remember to weigh your vehicle and your caravan at a weigh station, correctly load your caravan to meet safety ratings and requirements and do any necessary safety checks before and during your trip.” For more information on how to safely tow a caravan please visit the Centre for Road Safety website roadsafety. transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/drivers/caravan-safety/index.html
Two-year-old Tanner Peden had lots of fun in the park with his mum on Tuesday.
Why The Art Of Resilience?
Nathan Tessmann and Roger Kitson.
Before my role as Drought Response Officer I worked with disabled and special needs youth, and saw first-hand the benefits of art as a tool to overcome mental health problems.
The process of engaging with art is in its self very calming. However, it also provides time and space for people to process the internal monologue attached to mental health problems. It can help to find reason within the chaos.
Nathan Tessmann comes to mind. He was born with a severe degenerative condition, and doctors are still not sure exactly what the problem is. Nathan needs assistance with the basic things in life. As a result, his outlook on life was extremely bleak.
He was “the boy in the wheel chair” and he felt a burden on society and his family. Nathan did not want to live any more, but did not even have the capabilities to take his own life which threw him into a spiral of depression.
I was running music workshops at the local high school and Nathan approached me one day with a hip-hop song he wrote. I was extremely impressed. The content of this song was so heart-felt and a real window into Nathan’s life. This started our six-year journey, coaching him as much as I could with song writing and performance.
This led to other hip-hop artists jumping on board to take Nathan to the next level. He ended up on stage in front of 16,000 people at Australia’s largest hip-hop festival, Sprung Fest. He shared the stage with the Hilltop Hoods and Bliss n Eso, two of Australia’s biggest hip-hop bands.
Nathan found his gift. He found his sense of place and purpose as well as using hip- hop as a platform to express emotions and feelings that had been locked up all his life. Nathan went from wanting to end his life to living a life he could never have imagined, simply by having the courage to express himself and try something new.
These experiences inspired me to use art as a way to deal with the emotional impact of drought, bushfires and COVID-19. The Art of Resilience Competition provides a platform for Parkes Shire Youth to process these unprecedented events and to try and make sense of complex issues and challenges.
By Roger Kitson
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