Double Demerits: A reminder to all motorists that double demerit points will come into force this long weekend from today, 10th June until Monday, 13th June (inclusive) for all speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle helmet offences. Parkes Highway Patrol Sergeant Martin Ling said Police would also be targeting the ‘four Ds’ – drink, drug, dangerous and distracted driving. “Our message is to be patient, obey the road rules and drive to conditions. “There will be more Police on the road which means a greater chance of drivers being caught if they are doing the wrong thing.” The illegal use of a mobile phones will be picked up with mobile phone detection cameras with fines of $352 and 10 demerits. Restricted licences holders including learner, P1 and P2 drivers and riders are not permitted to use their phone at all, including the use of hands-free and Bluetooth functions. 

Mayors Agree On Changes for Rural Health: A total of 15 positive changes were agreed upon when the Mayors of Central NSW met at the end of last month for the Country Mayors Association (CMR) Rural Health Forum in Sydney. They discussed the recommendations of the Legislative Council report into health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote NSW. Chair of the Country Mayors Association Cr Ken Keith OAM of Parkes said: “We would like the government to consider including short-term measures to improve rural health including the development of systems to maintain the retention of internees in rural areas and to get international doctors into rural communities. In the long-term, we need to look at establishing more medical schools to train doctors in rural regions.” It was resolved that the government will collaborate on the issue of doctor shortages in the rural health system. 

Nominate A Tradie: Our popular Tradie of the Month competition, sponsored by Totally Work Wear, continues for the month of June. Make sure to send in your nomination to us by email: editor@parkesphoenix.com.au stating your favourite tradie’s name, workplace and contact number. You can also pop into Totally Work Wear to nominate someone. We would love to see some female tradies going in the draw too! The winner each month wins a fabulous prize from Totally Work Wear, Parkes! 

New Number For Women’s Health: The Western NSW Local Health District Women’s Health Service has a new 1800 number. You can reach the service by calling 1800 008 422 between Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm to get in contact with your local women’s health nurse, and to book appointments directly. A referral is not required. 

Real-Time Weather Forecast For Farmers: Farmers and regional communities in the Central West can now access detailed, real-time weather observations received by the new Doppler radar at Yeoval. The radar’s information will revolutionise how weather-dependent decisions are made, and will enhance the productivity of rural communities. The new radar enables the Bureau of Meteorology to provide accurate, real-time data, determining rain and wind velocity, raindrop and hail size, and the height of bushfire plumes up to 200km from the radar site. Primary producers, emergency services and rural businesses will benefit from the vital information for timely and informed decision making. The addition of Yeoval to the radars at Brewarrina and Hillston-Ivanhoe means an area covering approximately 30% of NSW now has access to real-time weather warnings and forecasts. Data from the Yeoval Doppler radar is available by downloading the Bureau of Meteorology weather app or at www.bom.gov.au. 

Yard Dog Trials At Showgrounds: The Parkes Yard Dog Trials will take place at the Parkes Showgrounds on 18 & 19 June with a variety of trials including maiden, novice, junior, encourage, local and open. Entries for the event close on 9th June. Contact Bernard Dwyer 0428 653 233. Participants must live withing a 100km radius of Parkes and must not have won any form of yard dog trial. Junior handlers under the of 12 years must have an adult assistant in the ring with them. The public is welcome to attend the free event run under the NSW Yard Dog Association Rules. For more info go to yarddogsnsw.com. 

Testing And Research City at Cudal: The NSW Government has unveiled its vision for regional NSW to become the Southern Hemisphere hub of cutting-edge autonomous vehicle technology, with a testing and research ‘city’ to be built at Cudal, near Orange. The government announced a $9.5 million upgrade to the Future Mobility Testing and Research Centre – once the local airstrip – which opened in 2019. The goal is to develop Australia’s first certification site for driverless vehicles. 

Nominate A Tradie: Today is the last day to enter our Tradie of the Month competition for May. Simply send your nomination to us by email: editor@parkesphoenix.com.au stating your favourite tradie’s name, workplace and contact number. We would love to see some female tradies going in the draw too! The winner each month wins a fabulous prize from Totally Work Wear, Parkes! 

Parkes M & D Box Office: Get your theatre tickets at the Little Theatre’s box office every Sunday between 10am and 12pm. Discover and Parenting vouchers welcome. 

Lightweight Bag Ban: The NSW Government’s ban on lightweight plastic bags will come into force from 1st June, and from November more problematic plastics, such as cutlery, plates and polystyrene food ware and cups will be banned. Single-use plastic items and packaging make up 60% of all litter in NSW. Stopping the supply of problematic plastic will help prevent it from entering our environment as litter, or going into landfill. The ban will prevent almost 2.7 billion items of plastic litter from entering the environment in NSW over the next 20 years. So-called “compostable” and “bioplastic” alternatives are also being banned. For more information about the NSW plastics ban, visit www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plastics-ban 

More Return And Earn Points: More return points are being added to the NSW Government’s popular Return and Earn scheme after a new contract was signed with network operator TOMRA Cleanaway. The container deposit scheme has seen more than 7.4 billion containers returned since it began in 2017, and more than $30 million raised for charities and community groups. This resulted in a 52% reduction in the volume of drink container litter and recycling more than 672,000 tonnes in materials. TOMRA Cleanaway will expand the network with 48 new return point locations. More information on Return and Earn is available at www.returnandearn.org.au. 

Birth Certificate Blitz: Hundreds of free birth certificates will be made available to vulnerable people in NSW, including people experiencing economic disadvantage, Aboriginal people and survivors of domestic and family violence. A new agreement will provide up to 700 free birth certificates for vulnerable people, particularly in regional and remote NSW. The free birth certificate blitz will run up to 30 June 2022. 

Road Safety Storytime: Next week’s Storytime at the Parkes Library on Tuesday at 10:30am will focus on road safety for young children and be led by special guests from Kids and Traffic. Come along and join in the fun with stories, songs, rhymes and craft. Kids and Traffic are early childhood road safety education specialists based at Macquarie University and funded by Transport for NSW. Team Leader Louise Cosgrove said Storytime was a great way to engage with children and families in talking about all the things that they could do together to keep safe when they’re out and about. 

Nominate A Tradie: Remember to enter our Tradie of the Month competition by Friday, 27th May. Simply send your nomination to us by email: editor@parkesphoenix.com.au stating your favourite tradie’s name, workplace and contact number. We would love to see some female tradies going in the draw too! The winner each month wins a fabulous prize from Totally Work Wear, Parkes! 

Vote Tomorrow: The Federal Election is tomorrow, 21st May and voting takes place from 8am to 5pm at the following venues in the Parkes Shire: Parkes East Public School, Parkes High School, Parkes Public School, Middleton Public School, Assemblies of God (7 Rees Ave); Soldiers Memorial Hall (Alectown), Tullamore Central School, Peak Hill Central School, Bogan Gate Public School, Trundle War Memorial Hall. COVID-19 safety measures will be in place at polling stations. Remember voting is compulsory for Australian citizens aged 18 years and over. For more information visit aec.gov.au 

Seniors Travel Card Very Popular: Less than four months after applications opened for the third year of the NSW Regional Seniors Travel Card, more than 300,000 people are on board. Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the program, which gave recipients a $250 prepaid Visa card to use on fuel, taxis, pre-booked NSW TrainLink Regional trains and coaches, and select community transport services, had received a record customer satisfaction rating of nearly 100%. Fuel continues to be the most popular purchase on the card, followed by taxi trips and then train and bus fares. Eligible seniors have until 30 November 2022 to apply for this year’s card. More information can be found at: service.nsw.gov.au/regionalseniorstravel. 

Arts OutWest in Canowindra: Arts OutWest invites creatives and community members to join them for their annual regional gathering and AGM on Sunday, 5th June in Canowindra. The day starts with coffee at 11am at Perennialle Plants, co-owned by musician Nerida Cuddy. Then visits to local galleries: David Isbester Gallery, Canowindra Arts Gallery and Melissa Barder Galleries and Café. A light lunch at The Old Vic Inn and the AGM at The Age of Fishes Museum. The day ends around 3:30pm at the Canowindra Historical Museum. The event is free but places are limited to 50 people. RSVP via Eventbrite or artsoutwest.org.au or call Arts OutWest on 02 6338 4657. 

Prepare For Flu Season: Seniors and other vulnerable people across NSW are encouraged to protect themselves against the flu by getting vaccinated, given COVID-19 is also circulating in the community. People aged 65 and over can book in a free flu shot at pharmacies and GPs, as well as pregnant women, children aged under five years, Aboriginal people and those with  serious health conditions. Influenza cases have more than doubled in recent weeks. NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said: “Alongside the increase in flu cases, we are seeing more people with flu being admitted to hospital, including young children. This can be very serious especially for young children who have had little to no exposure to flu over the last two years.” People are also encouraged to continue to keep up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. It is safe and convenient to get both the COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine at the same time. 

Aboriginal Ancestors Reburied In Wellington: The remains of four Aboriginal ancestors have finally been laid to rest in a traditional ceremony after being returned to the Wellington Aboriginal community at the Wellington caves. The burial ceremony last week completed the repatriation process for 13 Aboriginal ancestral remains that were taken from the area from the late 1800s to the 1970s. Local community members conducted a cultural ceremony for the remains after they were repatriated from the Australian Museum. The repatriation process was led by Heritage NSW, in line with the wishes of the Wellington Aboriginal community. Local elder Uncle Barry Smith welcomed the repatriation saying: “This is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to Wellington.” 

HSC Exam Timetable: The HSC exam timetable was released this week marking the final stage of the school journey for Year 12 students. HSC written exams will start on Wednesday, 12th October for 76,000 NSW students with English Paper 1 and finish on Friday, 4th November. Management of the HSC is no small feat, with this year’s schedule running across 18 days, for 126 exams and 780 exam centres. NESA CEO Paul Martin said planning the HSC exam timetable was a complex process, designed to ensure every student has an opportunity to show what they know. 

Seedling Bank Grants: Applications are open to school and community groups around Australia for National Tree Day grants and close on Friday, 27th May. Just log in and add your application to your registered 2022 National Tree Day event. If you’ve applied for a grant in the previous round and were not successful, your application will be re-considered in this round. The Seedling Bank funds projects of all sizes. There is no upper limit to the amount of funding you can request! To register your event, get more information on The Seedling Bank or apply for a grant, visit treeday.planetark.org. 

Seniors Scams: Senior Australians are urged to stay vigilant against scams, as the total cost swindled from older consumers skyrocketed to over $11 million last year. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) received 16,915 reports from seniors in 2021. A total of $6.7 million had been lost through false billing scams, while online shopping scams cost Australian seniors $1.8 million last year. A common example is the purchase of a motor home online via fake websites. NSW Fair Trading guide with up-to-date information for seniors about their consumer rights and how to deal with unscrupulous operators are here visit: www.fairtrading.nsw. gov.au/help-centre/youth-and-seniors/seniors. The Aging and Disability Commission available resources are here www.ageingdisabilitycommission.nsw.gov.au 

Observation Survey Results: The 2021 observation surveys measuring seatbelt wearing rates and illegal mobile phone use in Parkes, Forbes and Condobolin are in with mobile phone usage improving 2%. Only 13 people were observed using a mobile phone compared 85 from the previous survey. The seatbelt wearing rate decreased 3%, with 84 people observed not wearing a seatbelt. The best advice when you are driving is to put your mobile phone on silent or activate the ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ function on your phone. 

Forbes Heritage Festival: The festival takes place in Victoria Park in the heart of Forbes’ heritage district on tomorrow (Saturday) from 10am to 2pm. The park will transform into a scene from days past, with live demonstrations from heritage trades including blacksmiths, cheese making, woodturning and more. Learn more about the town’s rich heritage with displays from the Forbes Historical Society and Forbes Family History Group, and settle in for some tall tales at the Bush Telegraph stage. Get up close and personal with some amazing vintage vehicles from the Forbes Historical Machinery Association and sample freshly cooked, award-winning damper from the Annual CWA Damper Competition, cooked over real coals on site! Roving bushrangers from the interactive theatre troupe Convict Footprints will set your heart racing with their daring adventures, while Swamp Dawkins Bush Band are sure to have you up and dancing. Enjoy a fun-filled, free family day out.

Flood Waste Turned Into Mulch: Rural Aid has helped Northern Rivers farmers turn rotting flood waste into a healthy by-product for soil improvement, through a partnership with Multikraft Probiotic Solutions. Multikraft’s MicroBalance product was sprayed by helicopter onto 33 farms in northern NSW last week. The probiotic solution is a multi-strain microbial product, that benefits soil health by quickly decomposing flood debris and organic matter into useful mulch. Wardell Macadamia grower Robbie Commens described the past few months as ‘incredibly overwhelming’. “We had about a metre and a half of water over all of our trees.” The product and its aerial application were distributed to Rural Aid farmers free of charge. More than 4,500 acres were sprayed.

Renewable Energy Projects In The Bush: The NSW Government is urging farmers and people in regional parts of NSW to provide input into the Agriculture Commissioner’s review into on-farm renewable energy facilities. Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders said he was pleased the Commissioner was making strong progress in considering the issues associated with growing the renewable energy sector whilst still protecting agricultural land. The Agriculture Commissioner Daryl Quinlivan is inviting submissions from all parties involved in or impacted by the development of the agricultural renewable energy sector to have their say by making a submission. To access the issues paper and to provide a written submission, visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/lup. Submissions close 5pm, 23rd May.

The Parkes Phoenix Photo Booth: Get a printed memento to take home to the family! We are very excited to be launching our photo booth this year at Packed Cones Gelato in the main street (Coles carpark). The photo booth will be open on Friday, 22nd April and Saturday, 23rd April from 10am. Come dressed in your best outfit, we will take your photo in front of a Speedway banner and print the photo on the spot! Various sizes available, from postcard to poster! You will also receive a special folder for your photos to keep them safe. Get a memento of your time at the Parkes Elvis Festival, and put it in a frame when you get home.

Devonshire Teas: The Red Cross Rooms in Church Street will be open on Thursday, 21st, Friday, 22nd, and Saturday, 23rd April festival offering coffee, tea, sandwiches and slice from 9am to 3pm. Take away also available. Come and support the volunteers at the Red Cross.

Free Entertainment At Cooke Park Pavilion: The new Cooke Park Pavilion is ready for its very first Elvis Festival and there is going to be a massive program of entertainment on offer for everybody to enjoy for free! Some of the fabulous artists to perform on the Cooke Park main stage are Dean Vegas, Damion Mullin, Soul Movers, Jack Gatto, and also the Parkes trio Amitie, and lots more.

More Free Entertainment: The Parkes CBD will be transformed into a giant party with music around every corner during the five days of the Elvis Festival. Apart from the performances at the Cooke Park main stage, there is also the Memphis Satellite stage in Festival Boulevard featuring a wide range of artists, including Parkes’ very own Gracie Jones, Barry Green and Amitie. In addition, you will meet buskers on just about every street corner and in between as you wander the main street following your fabourite tunes.

Call Out To Bearded Humans: There will be a Parkes Elvis Festival Bearded Photo Shoot outside Inkredible Tattoo Studio in Clarinda Street on Friday, 22nd April at 6pm. All beards are welcome – long or short!

Follow Us: Stay up to date with photos of events at the festival by following The Parkes Phoenix on Facebook and Instagram. You can also sign up for a digital copy of today’s paper at www.parkesphoenix.com.au.

Club Forbes Movies: It’s holiday time and there are fantastic movies to see at the Club Forbes Cinema.

Country Mayors Association: Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith has been re-elected as chairman of the Country Mayors Association of NSW (CMA). Councillor Jamie Chaffey (Mayor of Gunnedah Shire Council) was elected deputy chair. Kent Boyd PSM, General Manager Parkes Shire Council, was elected secretary/public officer. Priority areas for the CMA include working with the State Government to close the gap between health services in the regions and metropolitan areas, ensuring towns have sustainable water supplies and to ensure the financial sustainability of local government.

Bush Photography: Rural Aid’s hugely popular Spirit of the Bush photography competition has returned with more than 250 entries already received in the first week of the competition. A set of 12 photographs will be picked for Rural Aid’s 2023 calendar. Entries can be made here: www.ruralaid.org.au/spirit-of-the-bush or by tagging #SOTB2022 in your Instagram or Facebook posts. The closing date is 30th May.

Tradie Of the Month: Remember to nominate your favourite tradie (male or female) before Tuesday, 26th April in our new competition. Simply send your favourite tradie’s name and workplace to editor@parkesphoenix.com.au or drop your nomination at TWW.

Five Days Of Double Demerits: Double demerit points will apply on NSW roads from today, 14th April until Monday, 18th April (inclusive) for the Easter break. Double demerit points will apply for all speeding, seatbelt, motorcycle helmet and mobile phone offences. Police will also be targeting other high-risk driver behaviour, including the four D’s – drink, drug, dangerous and distracted driving. Parkes Highway Patrol Sergeant Martin Ling said with COVID restrictions all but gone and state borders re-opened Police were expecting people to take full advantage of being able to holiday across NSW and interstate this year. “We want everyone to arrive at their destination, to enjoy Easter with loved ones, and return home safely. That’s why all available Highway Patrol Officers will be working. Remember to slow down, schedule plenty of breaks, limit distractions in the car, don’t mix drinking with driving and ensure you and all your passengers are wearing seatbelts,” Sergeant Ling said.

Tradie Of the Month: Remember to nominate your favourite tradie (male or female) before Tuesday, 26th April in our new competition running for six months. Simply send your favourite tradie’s name and workplace to editor@parkesphoenix.com.au or drop your nomination at TWW.

Wagga Wagga Medical School: The $21 million Wagga Wagga Medical School has been given the green light to start works with development approval granted. “The very first thing I did when I became Deputy Prime Minister was to establish the Murray Darling Medical Schools Network, which comprises of schools in Dubbo, Orange and Wagga Wagga in NSW and Bendigo, Mildura and Shepparton in Victoria,” said Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack.

CSIRO To End Plastic Waste: CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, will tackle Australia’s plastic pollution challenges, pledging to help Australia reduce its plastic waste by 80% over this decade. Australians consume one million tonnes of single use plastic each year – with just 12% recycled. Three-quarters of the plastic found along Australia’s coastline is single-use plastics. CSIRO’s Chief Executive Larry Marshall said the challenge was far bigger than any one institution and needed a Team Australia approach. “By turning plastic waste into a renewable resource, the Mission will deliver collaborative scientific and manufacturing capabilities to drive new technologies across the entire plastics supply chain and grow Australia’s circular economy.”

Free Online Holiday Fun: Code Camp is offering two free build-your-own games this school holiday for kids living outside of major cities. In the free online tutorial kids can choose to make the game Super Slimer, guiding a friendly slime blob collecting coins and avoiding baddies, and Firewall, where a heroic wizard or witch wards off evil spirits. To access the free online lessons visit www.codecampworld.com

New Employment Program In Parkes: Not-for-profit employment, training, education and apprenticeship service provider VERTO has been selected to deliver Workforce Australia services in Parkes and the Central West for the next six years from 1st July. Workforce Australia is the Department of Education, Skills and Employment’s new employment model, that will replace the jobactive program, and will deliver simple and efficient solutions to assist local job seekers and employers. Workforce Australia will enable local job seekers to self-manage through new, interactive digital services, while those with greater needs will be supported by experienced VERTO consultants. For more information visit www.dese.gov.au/workforce-australia.