The Parkes Clean Future Alliance had hoped for a big turnout at their community information night but were absolutely blown away by the response. Just under 600 peo­ple filled the club and some people had to stand. It really showed how deeply this “En­ergy from Waste” issue is affecting our com­munity and how much people want honest, independent information.

MC Kaitie Nash was amazing and the speakers on the night were, Councillor Joy Paddison Parkes Shire Council, Nicole Blin­co, Dr Amanda Cohn, Scott Barrett MLC, Chris Hanson No More Incinerators Eastern Suburbs, Geoff Rice and Bruce Maynard.

Ben Stead of the PCFA described the at­mosphere as “Engaged and respectful; you could have heard a pin drop the entire night.

People told us they were there because they hadn’t been given a chance to ask questions or understand what this proposal really means for Parkes.

“There’s a lot of concern not just about health and agriculture, but about how this has been allowed to progress without prop­er consultation. People were grateful for a space where they could be informed and heard.

“The night ran for around 2.5 hours, and covered a lot. Some of the information was a bit complex, but the speakers tried to break it down as much as possible. We couldn’t cover every detail, we focused on the key risks, the gaps in regulation, the alternatives to incineration, the parliamentary inquiry and what people can do. What struck me the most was that people walked away in­formed and really empowered to act.”

This was just the beginning. The best way to stay updated is through the website parkescleanfuture.org or by following the Parkes Clean Future Alliance on Facebook.

The Mayor of Parkes Shire, Neil Westcott, has expressed strong support for the NSW Nationals’ push to establish another Parlia­mentary inquiry into Energy-from-Waste.

The previous 2017 inquiry, which included participation from the current Environment Minister Hon. Penny Sharpe MLC along with representatives from the Greens and Liberals, led to several rec­ommendations. One of the recommendations was for the Chief Scientist and Engineer to ensure that international best practices were followed in Energy-from-Waste initiatives, which was ad­dressed in the subsequent Chief Scientists report. However, many of these recommendations appear to remain unaddressed.

The Mayor said; “While the 2017 inquiry provided a founda­tion, there remains important questions that are yet to be fully ad­dressed. A renewed Parliamentary inquiry could help clarify these issues and provide the transparency our community is seeking.”

Mayor Westcott has raised the question about the rationale be­hind the proposed location of Energy-from-Waste facilities and that it needs to be clearly explained to the community. Further, Mayor Westcott applauded Geoff Rice’s call for respectful debate which was timely and necessary. “Whether someone holds a different opinion on EfW or simply is not ready to form a view at this stage, that position deserves to be respected. People should feel safe to ask questions, seek information and take the time they need to understand the issue without fear of judgement or pressure.”

To view all correspondence with the State Government on the concerns of Parkes Shire Council regarding this development, please visit https://www.parkes.nsw.gov.au/Council/News-mediaand-projects/Projects-and-works/Energy-From-Waste-Facility and refer to the State Liaison section.

Parkes Shire’s annual Waste 2 Art Exhibi­tion and Competition officially opened on Saturday 28 June at the Parkes Library and Cultural Centre, with over 100 attend­ees joining Mayor Cr Neil Westcott to cel­ebrate 79 imaginative entries from across the region.

Waste 2 Art is open to all residents of the NetWaste region and showcases creative works made from reused waste materials.

The aim is to challenge peoples’ percep­tions about ‘rubbish’ and to celebrate the reuse and recycling of waste through arts and crafts.

Waste 2 Art provides an innovative ap­proach to waste education, and invites in­dividuals, schools, and community groups to take up the challenge to create a new life for materials that would otherwise have been thrown away or considered useless.

This year’s theme – Toys – encouraged participants to explore how discarded or pre-loved toys can be reinvented, repaired, or repurposed into powerful visual state­ments. Many works delivered strong envi­ronmental messages, highlighting the role we can each play in reducing landfill by re­pairing, reusing, and sharing.

The exhibition will remain on display un­til Thursday 31 July, after which winning works will progress to the Waste 2 Art Re­gional Showcase in Dubbo.

“To everyone who contributed, congratu­lations,” said Mayor Neil Westcott. “This exhibition is a wonderful celebration of creativity, talent, and commitment to sus­tainability in our community.”

We thank all artists, schools, and com­munity groups who participated in this year’s competition. Your creativity and pas­sion are helping to raise awareness about sustainability and the importance of giving waste a second life. We encourage every­one to get involved again next year.

The W2A theme for 2026 will be offi­cially announced at the Regional Waste 2 Art opening which will be on Saturday 27 September at the Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo – and everyone is invited to attend.