Economic benefits of the Inland Rail project are starting to roll in for the production and transport sectors.

Twenty new jobs were created at Rocla’s Braemar concrete sleeper plant in Mittagong after the company was awarded a $20 million contract to produce 200,000 sleepers for the first stage of the project in NSW.

“The 200,000 concrete sleepers required for the Parkes to Narromine section of Inland Rail is the first of 1.5 million that will be required to build the full 1,700 km length of the Inland Rail from Brisbane to Melbourne,” said Inland Rail Programme Delivery Director Simon Thomas.

Rail company Pacific National is also benefiting by making the first delivery of sleepers to Peak Hill last month. Over the next six months, Pacific National will run a train once a week from Mittagong to Peak Hill carrying around 9,000 concrete sleepers each trip. “When it comes to hauling bulk freight, rail is the safest, most efficient and environmentally- friendly mode of transport – to move 200,000 concrete sleepers by road would take a thousand B-double trucks,” said Pacific National President of Freight Andrew Adam.

International Wrestling Australia (IWA) Pro Wrestling Live is returning to Forbes tonight on the Wild West Tour as part of its 20 Year Anniversary celebrations. It promises to be a great family fun filled two-hour show that is a slick combination of comedy, athleticism and drama – the physical embodiment of comic book superheroes and villains! The performance includes crowd favourite Cowboy Chris Abbott, who grew up in the western region of NSW, as well as Australia’s most talented and accomplished performers, some of whom have performed for the global juggernaut WWE, along with other major wrestling companies from around the world. The cast of characters will appeal to the whole family from terrifying heavyweights, to awe-inspiring aerial artists, tag team specialists and even battling femme fatales!

All the glitz, glamour, pageantry, posing and spandex of wrestling’s yesteryear remain, but presented in a fresh, family-friendly format relevant to modern audiences complete with gripping storylines of tragedy and triumph and stage production that provides an experience you’ll never forget.

Don’t miss out tonight at the Forbes Services Club at 7:15pm VIP doors, and 7:30pm general doors, show at 8pm. Tickets $25 VIP, $18 adults and $14 kids.

MAJOR UPGRADE… The long-awaited refurbishment of the Little Theatre in Parkes has started. All the chairs, which were installed in 2000, had to be removed for the installation tiered seating. The old chairs will be used in various community halls. The new theatre will be opened with a gala concert series in October.

The annual free child restraint check day is next Thursday, 28th June from 10am to 2pm at Lions Park.

Checks will be conducted by RMS authorised child restraint fitters.

Parkes Shire Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor said it was important to have the checks done to ensure the safe travel of young children. “Research shows that two out of three child restraints are not used properly and this puts children at risk in the event of a crash.

“Most of the restraints checked last year had minor problems, such as tightening straps, checking clips and replacing loose bolts,” said Melanie.

Bookings are essential, phone 6861 2364. There will also be a free bbq and a colouring- in competition with a $50 prize.

Wet weather did not stop the social highlight of the year with about 2,000 people from all over the Central West attending the Parkes Picnic Races on Saturday. In the afternoon the weather cleared and the ever popular Fashions on the Field were hotly contested with a large number of entries for each category. The winners were Elegant Lady – Karlie de Kaste (Geurie), Contemporary – Aimee Hay (Tathra), Millinery – Melissa West (Forbes) and Stylish Man – Ben Terry (Parkes). The Coradgery Cup was won by Naoko ridden by Ken Dunbar and trained by Connie Grieg from Dubbo.

Fourteen learning institutions received a valuable package from the Galari-Lachlan Reconciliation Group last week.
“As part of our desire to share culture and knowledge with the community, we put together a Wiradjuri Cultural Exchange package with a grant we received from CMOC NorthParkes mines,” said David Acheson, co-chair of the group.

The package includes material for the teaching of Wiradjuri and includes a Wiradjuri to English Dictionary, a DVD titled “Yindyamarra Yambuwan”, which is a 15-minute film in Wiradjuri language, a book containing a transcript of the film, an animated DVD with children’s songs in Wiradjuri language and a DVD of common phrases in Wiradjuri.

At the presentation event with representatives of the institutions, the DVD “Yindyamarra Yambuwan” was shown with introductions from Dr Uncle Stan Grant and his  sister Aunty Flo Grant. They talk about the importance of respect in the Wiradjuri culture.

The project was initiated with a donation by the Sisters of Mercy who funded the donation of dictionaries to schools. Sister Florence Kinsela of the Parkes Sisters of Mercy was present at the occasion. The packages were handed over to Nurture  One Children’s Centre, Parkes High School, Parkes Public School, Parkes East Public School, Holy Family Primary School, Middleton Public School, Parkes Early Childhood Centre, AECG, Parkes Christian School, Bluebird Early Education Centre, Central West Daycare, Parkes Shire Library, TAFE Western Library Parkes, Forbes Wiradjuri Language Group and Bedgerabong Public School.

Guinea Pigs
Guinea pigs can be lovely pets, but there are a few things you should know before making the big commitment.
1. Guinea pigs are hardy. When cared for and fed properly, guinea pigs are generally very healthy.
2. Guinea pigs are easy to care for. They require hay, fresh water, fresh vegetables and some pelleted food for guinea
pigs that includes a vitamin C supplement. They need a fairly large cage that needs to be cleaned regularly.
3. Guinea pigs are great pets for children. Not as fragile as rabbits and generally less skittish than smaller rodents.
4. Guinea pigs live long lives. Most guinea pigs live five to seven years. This is important to consider if you are thinking of adopting a guinea pig.
5. Guinea pigs are unique. They have a lot of personality. Some are shy; others are bold and dominant.
6. Guinea pigs purr! Just like cats, guinea pigs make a quiet yet audible vibrating sound often when they are petted gently.
7. Guinea pigs like to pop. “Popcorning” is commonly seen in young guinea pigs when they are happy or excited: They jump up straight into the air over and over.
8. Guinea pigs are colorful. Short-haired, long-haired, even hairless – there are 13 breeds and 10 basic colors of guinea pigs.
9. Guinea pigs like people. Many squeal with delight when they see their owners or try to climb up the sides of their cage to greet them. They are as interactive and friendly as dogs and cats.

The Parkes Pet Barn has guinea pigs, including long-haired ones, and all the necessary accessories and food to keep your new pet well cared for.