Sowing Cyber Seeds: Free computer skills workshops are being offered across the Parkes Shire during September and October to help farmers access vital online services. “This course offers them the chance to expand their skillset and tap into opportunities that exist in the digital world,” said Parkes Shire Drought Response Officer Roger Kitson. Access to the technology also helps farming families to stay connected with family and socially. All participants will receive a course manual to take home, and eligible farmers will be given a free tablet. All sessions run from 10am to 4pm. Numbers are limited to 20 per session. Farmers must register by calling Roger Kitson on 0428 868 200. Workshop days are: Trundle Library 23rd September; Tullamore Library 24th September; Peak Hill Neighbourhood Central Hub 28th October and Parkes Neighbourhood Central 29 & 30 October.

Sports Grants Open: The Parkes Sports Council is calling for applications for the CMOC Northparkes / Parkes Shire Council Sports Grant Program. A total of $57,000 is available. Funding is split between two project types: participation projects that deliver a sport or physical activity participation experience to an identified group of people, and facility development projects building new or upgrading sport and recreation facilities to support increased participation. Applications close on 30th September. Grant Writing Workshops: Two workshops will be held for community and sporting groups wanting to learn more about applying for grants on Thursday, 19th September at the Parkes Shire Council Chambers. A lunchtime session from 12 to 2pm and an evening session from 6 to 7pm. Visit Parkes Council’s website or contact the Grants Officers on 6861 2398 for more details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Grants Officer: Parkes Shire Council’s Grants Team has undergone a number of changes recently relocating to Council’s Administration Building, and welcoming a new member to the team. Jenny Short has previously worked in tourism at the Parkes Visitor Information Centre, and the RMS for 20 years. The grants team has been extremely successful over the past 12 months helping to secure more than $20 million in grant funding for projects, events and initiatives. Jenny and Sally are available to meet individuals and groups from Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm to provide assistance. Please book to ensure they are available by email grants@parkes.nsw.gov.au or calling 6861 2395. For the latest funding opportunities, register your interest at grants@parkes.nsw.gov.au to receive the monthly grants newsletter.

Harrison Kennedy (Year 6) and Indianna Kennedy (Year 4) represented Middleton Public School at the Parkes Action Club Public Speaking Competition. Indianna took out first place in her division with her speech “It Wasn’t My Idea!” receiving a perpetual trophy and $100 for the school.

Pink Hill: The Peak Hill Community Health Team at the Peak Hill Multi-Purpose Service (MPS) is urging the community to turn Pink for the month of October to raise awareness about Women’s Health and in particular breast cancer awareness. “We encourage our community to also participate and to ‘Pink’ up your venue, host a ‘Pink’ morning tea, decorate shop fronts, dye your hair, wear pink clothing or whatever takes your fancy,” said Primary and Community Health nurse Louise O’Leary. All money raised will go to the McGrath Foundation and the support of breast care nurses. If you have an idea or want to get involved, call 6861 7100 and ask to speak to Pam, Rae, Michelle or Louise.

Nominate Your Town For A Makeover: As the drought continues to take its toll, Rural Aid is launching a campaign to give 10 country towns impacted by drought a makeover. The 10 towns will receive a minimum of $100,000 each over five years. Working with town leaders, the money will be spent developing plans, workshops, and to support the long-term sustainability of the town and local community. Rural Aid’s Farm Army of volunteers (usually between 50 – 100) will also spend a week in the town undertaking a range of infrastructure projects. Applications close 30 September. To nominate a town go to: https://www.ruralaid.org.au/nominate/.

Spring Photo Comp: The Parkes Phoenix is once again running its Spring Photo Competition with a great prize to be won! Send us your Spring photos on our Facebook page or email your photos to editor@parkesphoenix.com.au Entries close on Thursday, 31st October.

Take the Road Safety Pledge: Locals are encouraged to take the pledge to help reduce road related incidents as part of Rural Road Safety Month during September. Last year over 700 people were killed on rural roads, while one in two rural drivers admitted to speeding, using their mobile phone or driving distracted with their children in the car. Statistics show that rural drivers are more likely to drive under the influence and drive whilst tired compared to their city counterparts.  Rural Road Safety Month calls on road users to make the pledge to: Always be fit to drive; Scan the road ahead; Know their limits and plan their trip; Stay sharp and take regular breaks; Not drive through flooded waters; Be alert for wildlife and livestock; and Drive to suit the conditions. Take the pledge today by visiting www.arsf.com.au/take-the-pledgefor-rrs/

Natika Smith with her six-month-old blue and gold macaw called Bindi. She has run the Birds pavilion for the past six years and this year received a record of 85 entries.

Market Day: The congregation of St. Georges have been praying for rain to assist our district. If it rains on our Market Day on Saturday, 7th of September still come as we have huge halls to keep you dry, but wouldn’t it be great to be dancing in the rain? The famous plant and cake stalls will be abundant, there will be a delicious Devonshire tea, games for the kids, white elephant stalls and BBQ with dessert. Tour the beautiful interiors of the heritage building and come and have a great day out.

Recycled Water For Green Parks: Construction on the Recycled Water Rising Main is complete, with the 12km purple pipeline connecting selected public greenspaces around Parkes. The project also included the construction of a reservoir on Nash Street and pump stations at Nash Street, Renshaw McGirr Way and the Recycling Facility. Commissioning and testing started at Armstrong Park last week. Other parks and sporting fields will be switching to recycled water in the coming months. Parkes Shire Council’s Director Infrastructure,

Andrew Francis said: “We are on track to turn on the purple taps as we move into summer, so our parks and ovals will be irrigated with recycled water during peak water demand. The scheme ensures our sporting amenities are maintained through dry times, and will ease pressure on our drinking water supplies.” Irrigation will be scheduled at night, although testing may
take place during business hours during commissioning. While recycled water is safe for irrigation, it is not suitable for human consumption and direct contact with sprinkler sprays should be avoided.

Grants To Protect Local Environment: Local communities in the Central West and Riverina can share in $150,000 of funding in the Communities Environment Program. Each electorate can receive funding for up to 20 projects, with the minimum grant being $2,500 and the maximum grant set at $20,000. Expressions of interest (EOI) are now open and should be returned before 27th September. To be eligible you must be a community organisation, which is a legal entity and able to enter into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth. Community clubs, scouts and guides groups, sports clubs, not-for-profit organisations, schools, councils and other community and conservation groups can apply. An EOI form can be obtained by calling 6921 4600, online at https://www.michaelmccormack.com.au/s/ SCP-expression-of-interest-form-withfactsheet-and-FAQ.pdf or emailing michael.mccormack.mp@aph.gov.au.

Benjamin Doughty (2) could not wait to get a taste of this huge lolly at the Parkes Show on Tuesday.

Congratulations: to Valmai Westport on celebrating her 80th birthday this week!

National Police Remembrance Day: Central West Police District Commander, Superintendent Chris Taylor is inviting the community to join police in paying tribute on National Police Remembrance Day. A service will be held at 10am on Friday, 27th September at Holy Family Catholic Church in Parkes. National Police Remembrance Day, traditionally held on 29th September each year, holds a special significance to police throughout Australia and the Pacific region, and is one of the most important events on the NSW Police Force calendar. On this day members of the NSW Police Force and the community remember those officers who have given their lives in the course of their duties.

Choose Tap Water: Parkes residents are urged to replace plastic bottled water with tap water during Keep Australia Beautiful Week in a bid to shift our obsession with bottled water. Every year Australians spend more than $736 million on bottled water, with almost 375 million bottles ending up in landfill and waterways, impacting the environment and marine life. At 2,000 times the cost of tap water, plastic bottled water is an expensive convenience, which is also much pricier than basic expenses like milk and petrol. Facts about bottled: It takes more than three litres of water to produce one litre of bottled water; a plastic water bottle takes around 450 years to break down; Australia’s annual use of bottled water generates more than 60,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions; In Australia alone, we manufacture almost three million tonnes of plastic every year.

New Medicines On PBS: The Federal Government’s listing of four new medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) will help patients to fight aggressive forms of cancer and inflammatory conditions. The $56 million investment will slash the costs of Avastin, Sprycel, Actemra and Somatuline Autogel – saving patients thousands
of dollars. Without the subsidy, patients would be paying $31,200 for Avastin, $51,900 for Sprycel and $10,200 for
Actemra. Under the PBS, the medicines drugs will be available for $40.30 per script, or $6.50 with a concession card.

Forbes news in Parkes: Are you interested in what’s happening in Forbes? You can pick up a free copy of the Forbes Phoenix at the Parkes Newsagency every Friday.

Successful Campaign: Parkes Shire Council received a Highly Commended for Excellence in Communications at the RH Dougherty Awards in Sydney last week for the delivery of the Parkes National Logistics Hub Business Attraction Campaign. Business Development Manager, Anna Wyllie said the success of the Hub campaign exceeded all expectations. Some of the key opportunities generated for Parkes as a result of the campaign included the inaugural Inland Rail Conference, the international trade mission led by the NSW Deputy Premier, the establishment of the State’s first Special Activation Precinct (SAP), as well as an investment of nearly $8 million by the NSW Government under the Growing Local Economies Fund (GLEF) to deliver crucial service infrastructure extensions to the Parkes Hub precinct.

Reconciliation and Remembrance: Australians will share in the pride rightly felt by Vietnam Veterans this Sunday at 10:50am when they celebrate their annual Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day. It is not a memorial about issues, about glorification of war, or the justification of political decisions. Rather it recognises sacrifice and suffering, the honour and sense of duty carried out by 50,000 young men and women in the biggest conflict Australia has been engaged in over the past two generations. Those who returned from the war did not find a nation taking them to its bosom as heroes. Today’s dedication of the Vietnam Forces Memorial should and will continue the healing process.

Road Safety In Regional NSW: Motorists are more likely to crash on country roads. This is the sobering message of this month’s Rural Road Safety Month. Of the 223 people killed in road crashes in NSW so far this year, 147 were on country roads – which is five more than the same time last year. NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said at the launch in Bathurst: “Too often, people think it’s okay for them to quickly check a text, to drive faster than the speed limit because they know the road or they get behind the wheel when they’re tired. It’s not.”

Daffodil Day Appeal: Cancer Council NSW is urging Parkes residents to support the Daffodil Day Appeal this month. Daffodil Day is on 23rd August, and for the first time ever, EFTPOS devices will be available to make it easier for people to donate. Visit www.daffodilday.com.au or call 1300 65 65 85 for more information.

Parkes residents streamed to Orange last weekend to have fun in the snow as a result of the town’s two coldest days on record.

See this very special certificate from NASA signed by the Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins on exhibit at the Henry Parkes Museum. (Read full story on front page.)

Forbes News: Are you interested in what’s happening in Forbes? You can pick up a free copy of the Forbes Phoenix at the Parkes Newsagency every Friday.

Coffee With A Cop: Parkes Police are hosting Coffee with a Cop on Monday, 19th August at the Roasted Kombi from 10:30am. It is a golden opportunity to meet local officers and discuss community issues with them over a coffee. It is an informal event at a neutral space to help build relationships. All community members are invited to attend and use this unique opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the Police work in Parkes and the Central West Police District. Coffee with a Cop breaks down barriers and allows for relaxed, one-on-one interaction.

Flu Still Prevalent: There have been 1,521 cases of influenza in the Western NSW Local Health District so far this year, compared to only 85 last year. People are urged to remember simple hygiene precautions to avoid spreading the flu. It is not too late to get a flu shot. Flu shots are free for pregnant women, people over 65 years, Aboriginal people and those with medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart problems.

Helping Women In Need: The August Dignity Drive of Share the Dignity has begun and for the first time Woolworths Supermarkets across the country will be collection points for all sanitary product donations. Over three million Australians are currently living under the poverty line, more than half are women and young girls who are unable to afford sanitary products. Share the Dignity is asking Australians for every sanitary product bought, to also buy one for a woman or girl in need. Donations can be dropped off at any Woolworths supermarket.

$100 Kids Vouchers: Arts OutWest is encouraging parents of school aged kids to make use of the Creative Kids vouchers. The program provides $100 for each school-aged child in NSW to get involved in creative and cultural activities. Vouchers can be used for registration, participation and tuition costs for performing arts, visual arts, coding, languages, literature, music and other creative and cultural activities. Across the Central West 70 providers have registered to accept the vouchers. Parents apply for the vouchers using their MyServiceNSW account and need to provide their child’s Medicare card details. The vouchers can be used any time during the calendar year.

Enter our Parkes Show competition on page 8 to win a show ride pass.

Students In Parkes: Some of the country’s brightest young engineers are doing student placements with Parkes Shire Council for the fourth year. They are participants in the University of Sydney’s Engineering Sydney Industry Placement Scheme (ESIPS). During the six-month placement students undertake high-level investigative research. The two students are Hassi Al Kabanchi and Anjana Hariharan. Hassi is studying a combined Bachelor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and Bachelor of Science and was placed at the Parkes Water Treatment Plant to develop tools for water resource management. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering student Anjana’s research project characterised the chlorine decay in the Parkes Recycled Water Distribution Network to identify the chlorine residual at end user sites.

Tidy Towns Finalist: Parkes is one of 11 NSW towns to be named as a finalist for the 2019 Tidy Towns Sustainable Communities Award. An assessor will be visiting Parkes to inspect our sustainable infrastructure and assess the overall presentation of the town. The results will be announced at the much-anticipated Tidy Towns Awards Weekend in Cessnock, from 1 – 3 November. CEO of Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Val Southam said: “The submissions received continue to show that many towns are developing innovative and resourceful ways of being sustainable in the face of a host of financial, environmental and social issues.”

Grants For Schools: Schools in the Central West are encouraged to apply for a share in up to $200,000 in funding under the Local Schools Community Fund. Schools will be eligible for funding from $1,000 to $20,000 that includes anything from a small-scale refurbishment or extension to a classroom, playground equipment and sports facilities to mental health and counselling services, new computer facilities and library resources. Applications opened on 25th July, and are to be submitted through the Department of Education’s SchoolsHUB portal at https://schools.education.gov.au by 5pm on 30th September.

Cash Prize For Best Float: CMOC-Northparkes Mines will continue to sponsor the Elvis Street Parade for a further three years, and once again offer a $1,000 cash prize for the Best Float in the 2020 parade, to help schools, sporting and community groups. The 2020 Festival theme is from the 1966 movie Frankie and Johnny where Elvis stars as a riverboat gambler and performer with his girlfriend Frankie. The Street Parade will take place on Saturday, 11th January with registrations opening in September.

Tiffany Steel, Elvis Festival Sponsorship and Marketing Coordinator with Parkes Mayor Ken Keith and Northparkes Managing Director Hubert Lehman.

President of the Red Cross Norma Oliver (left) and Red Cross member Joyce Mulligan would like to thank the Parkes Boars for their generosity for the charity game they played on Saturday, 6th July. The money will go towards getting the kitchen updated. Norma reminded residents of the parents’ room at the Red Cross in Church Street that is open Wednesday to Friday. Any volunteers are welcome to join.

New History Blog Post: How do you cover the most defining moment of the 20th Century in one blog post? According to Local and Family History Officer of the Parkes Shire Library, Dan Fredericks, there’s so much humanity behind the story of the landing on the moon – and some fascinating twists and turns to Parkes even getting a radio telescope in the first place! Read the latest blog entry The Dish – Connecting Parkes & The World to the Moon at https://historyparkes.org/2019/07/18/the-dishconnecting-parkes-the-world-to-the-moon/

Opportunity For Young People: Would you like to have a real say in the things that matter to young people in regional NSW? The NSW Government is recruiting for the Regional Youth Taskforce. For the first time, the NSW Government is offering regional young people the opportunity to share their voice on issues such as getting a job, mental health and wellbeing, getting around and having things to do. A sitting fee will be paid and flights and accommodation will be covered. The taskforce will meet about four times a year, twice in person and twice through Skype. Two young people from each NSW region will be selected including Central West and Orana. Applications close at 11:59pm on 5th August.

Printer Gremlins: In Issue 172 (two weeks ago) the inside pages of The Parkes Phoenix were in fact from The Forbes Phoenix as a mistake crept in during the assembly stage of our paper. Our apologies to our readers for the confusion.

New Lions District Governor: Forbes Lion Peter Bright will take over as District Governor of District 201 N4 (that includes Parkes) at the annual Changeover event on 20th August. The appointment follows 15 months of intensive training, culminating in a week-long event in Milan, Italy from 5th to 9th July, when around 800 District Governors from around the world were officially sworn in. “I want to make sure we can continue to help our communities through tough times, and I’m keen to involve younger people in the idea of voluntary community service,” Peter said. Peter and his wife, Elaine, have been active Lions since joining in 2006. In 13 years, Peter has twice served as Club President, and is committed to spreading the message that kindness matters. He will lead a membership of around 1,000 Lions in 48 clubs across Central, Northern, and Southern NSW.

 

$100K Injected into Local Economy: Over $105,000 has been generated for local businesses through Shop Parkes Gift Cards since the program launched in December last year. The shop local program aims to stimulate economic activity and support our local business community, by encouraging people to look local first. There is no cost for the card, as little as $1 to as much as $1,000 can be loaded onto a single gift card. To find out more about the program, and to view the list of Load Up and Participating Stores, head to www.visitparkes.com.au.

More amazing Young Farmer Business Program news! The Young Farmer Business Program has announced grants for groups who support young farmers and fishers, locally and regionally in NSW to deliver training for their members. A grant of up to $10,000 (excluding GST) is available per eligible group and examples of projects include (but are not limited to) farm tours, commercial fishing business tours, workshops, events, business skills coaching, training and guest speakers. Learn more about the program, eligibility and application at: http://farmtable.com.au/grant-group-training/ There are also a range of additional grants, funding and support programs across NSW and Australia for young farmers and fishers to take advantage of. The Young Farmer Business Program has handpicked a selection of subsidies, rebates and more and brought them together in this one easy and convenient location. Young farmers and fishers may be eligible for funding through a diverse range of organisations, from the Rural Assistance Authority, Regional Development Australia, Jobs for NSW, the Regional Investment Corporation, Local Land Services and Austrade.

Central West Arts Groups Don’t Miss Out! Regional Development Australia (RDA) Central West is calling on all arts practitioners, groups and communities across the region to not miss out on their opportunity to apply for support through the Regional Arts Fund. The Regional Arts Fund’s community grants aim to support sustainable cultural development in regional and remote Australia and meet the strategic priorities of supporting participation in, and access to, the arts and encouraging greater private sector support for the arts. Go to http://regionalartsnsw.com.au/ grants/raf/ for more information.

Tough Conditions for NSW Business Owners: The latest Business Conditions Survey conducted by the state’s peak business organisation, the NSW Business Chamber, highlights that many businesses across the state have been doing it tough, however there are preliminary signs that businesses in certain regions think tax cuts and interest rate reductions will provide a welcome boost. “Our businesses in the Far West and Orana reported some of the worst business conditions in the state, with one of our business noting it was the hardest climate that they have operated in 24 years. Unfortunately, that sentiment is widespread.” said Western NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager Vicki Seccombe.

 

NAIDOC Celebrations at Parkes Public School: Parkes Public School held an assembly last Wednesday 3 July to celebrate the school’s NAIDOC activities. The assembly was hosted by the school’s Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG), with a Welcome to Country performed by Lionel Lovett and his daughter Carly, chaperoned by local elder Aunty Pat Oliver. Lionel also spoke about this year’s NAIDOC theme, Voice, Treaty, Truth and how this theme foregrounds Indigenous Australians’ strive for recognition for their knowledge and culture. The assembly continued with performances by the school’s choir and cultural dance group and presentations of weekly awards.

Regional Tourism Awards: 25 leading Country and Outback tourism businesses, events, and visitor experiences have been announced as finalists in the 2019 Destination Country and Outback and Destination Riverina Murray Regional Tourism Awards. Congratulations to local finalists in Trundle – the Trundle ABBA Festival, and in Forbes – Grazing Down the Lachlan. Winners will be announced at the gala awards ceremony on July 27 in Dubbo. The winners gain finalist status upon entering the NSW State Tourism Awards, and if successful, go onto the National Tourism Awards.

Kids Helpline – 71,533 contacts go unanswered: Kids Helpline, Australia’s only free confidential 24/7 national children’s counselling and support service, has today released statistics showing 51% of requests for help to the service went unanswered over the first 6 months of 2019, due to funding shortfall. Responding to concerns children and young people have in relation to their mental health, general well-being and other developmental issues is a major area of Kids Helpline’s work. Kids Helpline relies heavily upon your town’s charitable art union and donations from the community to continue its operation. In order to meet the extra demand, an additional $5 million annually would be required to enable employment of additional professional counselling staff.

Book Launch by local Doctor: Dr Rick Newton, retired from his general practice in Tullamore, has written a small book of humorous short stories about his farming experiences, after moving from Sydney to the Central West. The Tullamore launch is on Saturday 13 July at the Tullamore Bowling Club. Then there will be a Parkes launch at the Parkes Library on Tuesday 23 July at 6pm. All funds raised go to Brain Cancer and Stroke Foundations, in memory of Geoff Williams and Geof Horsburgh.