Changing Your Will

A will is a testamentary document. This means it takes effect upon your death. It appoints an executor (a person who administers and distributes your assets) and makes bequests (distributes your assets among beneficiaries).

A will remains valid until it is cancelled by you or if you marry after the will was made. Nothing is ever set in concrete, and, thus, your will should be a living document. It should be changed or updated as circumstances change. The rules are slightly different from state to state, so you should get legal advice if you want to make such a will.

You can cancel your will at any time provided you are of sound mind. This can be done in many ways, some of the main ones are:
• You make a valid new will. By law this revokes prior wills when the new terms contradict the old.
• You make a valid new will and expressly revoke the old one.
• You destroy your will with the intention of revoking it.

Estate planning is an area of the law of great family importance. We at Matthews Williams are able to give you competent professional advice on all estate planning matters. If we can assist you on any legal issue, feel free to contact me or one of our solicitors or call into our office for an appointment.

If we at MATTHEWS WILLIAMS can help you on any legal matter, feel free to call us.

By Mark Olson

From the small rural Queensland town of Esk come three odd-ball sisters who travel around the country performing their popular award-winning musical concerts. With kitchen pot, toilet brush, keyboard, musical saw, tuba, guitar and duelling tambourines, this peculiar trio marry their curious stories with a host of uniquely homemade arrangements of popular songs gleaned from their old wireless.

The Kransky Sisters will be at Trundle Memorial Hall for three shows on Friday, 3rd May at 6pm, and Saturday, 4th May at 10am and 12 noon, presented by St Patrick’s Parents and Friends. Tickets at www.123tix.com.au

St Patrick’s Parents and Friends are also conducting tours of three local farms departing from the Trundle Hall on Friday, 3rd May from 9am to 1pm. A great opportunity to meet farmers and experience country catering with Devonshire Tea provided. Tickets are $30, phone 6892 1073 to book. For more information visit the Facebook page.

A good audience of over 40 people came to listen to the son of one of Australia’s bestselling authors at the Parkes Library last Thursday.

Adam Courtenay was not in Parkes to speak about his famous dad Bryce, but to promote his own non-fiction book called The Ship That Never Was.

“I am honoured and overwhelmed by the good turn out,” said Adam who based his book on the memoirs of James Porter. “A convict, bit of a thief, bit of a rogue, only had one eye, and loved to lark about stating he was a beer machine maker.”

James could not stop trying to escape, but was not very good at it and ended up being sent to Macquarie Harbour, an extreme penal colony on Sarah Island in the former colony of Van Diemen’s Land, now Tasmania.

According to Adam it was a place where a man would be flogged for looking the wrong way. “You were not allowed to be unwell in a penal colony, and would easily get 50 lashes for being sick!”

James and his mates contrived a brilliant plan and managed to hijack a boat and sail it 6,000 nautical miles to Chile.
“James saw the corrupt system that was tantamount to slavery with great clarity and knew he was a cog in someone else’s economic imperative. He did not want to comply.

We are missing something if we think his story is not worth listening to,” said Adam.

By Maggi Barnard

The burgeoning relationship between Currajong Disability Services (CDS) and St. Vincent De Paul Parkes continues to go from strength to strength. St. Vincent De Paul, or Vinnies, donated material to the Currajong Disability Services Sewing Group. The Sewing Group turned the material into unique quilts and donated them back to Vinnies.

“Vinnies have been great supporters of Currajong and when we had the opportunity to do something for them it made sense,” said Currajong Disability Services support worker Deitre Jackson.

“These small acts of kindness and generosity accumulatively have a major impact on organisations like Currajong,” said Deitre.

CMOC-Northparkes Mines has announced a second major project creating more jobs and huge investment in the Central West. China Molybdenum Company (CMOC) and Sumitomo announced the approval of an expansion project with an investment of $72M spread over two years for Northparkes. The project includes a range of upgrades to underground mining, ore processing and infrastructure facilities to enable an increase in throughput capacity from 6.4Mtpa to 7.6Mtpa.

Earlier this year the mine announced the approval of a new block cave mine with an investment of more than $200 million and creating 180 new jobs.

Engineering work on the expansion project will start immediately. The full benefits are expected to be realised in late 2020.

Northparkes Managing Director, Hubert Lehman, said: “Following the announcement of our next block cave mine – E26 Lift 1 North earlier this year, this is another major investment in the future of our business.

It demonstrates CMOC’s confidence in the sustainability and longevity of our operations.” The Expansion Project will be managed by an owner’s team of Northparkes employees. A further 20 positions will be created to execute the project. During construction, there will be an additional 100 contractors onsite.

“It is surreal. I just could not believe it. I’ve resigned myself to not seeing him again…” It’s been four long and agonising months for pet shop owner Sean White searching for his beloved Eclectus parrot called Horace.

Horace disappeared from the Parkes Pet Barn in November last year. Security camera footage revealed a ‘customer’ took Horace from the shop when the attendant was not looking.

Sean reported the theft to the Police and mounted a massive search with Facebook posts, advertisements and followed leads all the way to Newcastle, Penrith and Sydney.

Last week he received the best news ever: the Police had found his parrot in Parkes! They went to a resident’s house for another reason, and saw a parrot there.

“It is the last thing I expected, and he was here in Parkes all the time!” said Sean holding his beloved pet of five years. “It is absolutely awesome. I cannot thank the Police enough.”

In the same week Horace was found, the person identified on the camera footage appeared in the Penrith court. The man who had Horace claimed he had bought it from the pet shop for $700.

In what is becoming an annual highlight Parkes joined significant buildings and landmarks across the world by lighting up The Dish in blue in celebration of World Autism Awareness Month.

The Central West Autism and Special Needs Awareness Group (CWASNAG) organised two events under the Blue Dish last weekend. On Friday night over 300 people enjoyed a family-friendly picnic night.

On Saturday night the weather remained perfect for another beautiful evening when about 50 people, all wearing something blue, enjoyed a cocktail fundraiser evening with live entertainment by Westland (Glen Westcott and Travis Boland), an informative and thought provoking panel discussion and lovely food by The Dish Café.

“The Blue Dish is a fantastic initiative, shining a spotlight on this important cause. A big thank you is extended to CSIRO for their support in making this happen,” said Mayor Ken Keith.

CWASNAG president, Angela Wilson said: “By lighting our Dish up blue during the month of April, we are creating an awareness of Autism and in turn, prompting conversations about it.”

Angela said feedback from the panel discussion was that everyone took something away from the evening that will stay with them for a long time and encourage them to ask more questions.

Iconic structures across the world lit blue in April include the Whitehouse and Rockefeller Centre in the United States, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, and the Opera House in Sydney.