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.

 

Remember To Turn Your Clock Back: Daylight Saving ends on Sunday, 3rd April when we turn our clocks back one hour from 3am to 2am. Sunrise and sunset will be about one hour earlier on Sunday.

Trimming Trees: Essential Energy will begin vegetation management in Parkes this month as part of its routine maintenance on more than 200,000km of powerlines covering 95% of NSW and parts of Southern Queensland. According to Essential Energy they are committed to doing everything to preserve the natural environment, however some management of trees and other vegetation is required to maintain a safe and reliable network. Essential Energy uses directional pruning techniques that remove branches growing towards a powerline and encourage re-growth away from the power network, techniques that are considered best practice throughout the arboriculture industry and are used by most power companies in Australia. Residents can download Essential Energy’s Tree Planting Guide at essentialenergy.com.au/ trees for helpful tips on appropriate species for planting near powerlines or contact 13 23 91 for more information.

Have Your Say: Parents, carers and educators are invited to take part in the consultation for the Department of Education’s Parent and Carers Engagement Framework that will outline how the education sector can work more closely with parents and carers to improve student outcomes. Parents can have a say about the best ways for their school to communicate with them and what can be improved on. The new framework will help parents and carers to better understand their rights, responsibilities and choices in the education system and have access to timely information about their child’s learning, development and wellbeing. To have your say, visit the NSW Government ‘Have Your Say’ website www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/engagement-framework to 30th April.

Give Your Input: Much has been said and written about the parks in our town and what people would like to see. Parkes Shire Council is currently asking for your input into a water play space at Kelly Reserve to help create a detailed design. You can also share your ideas with the development of a masterplan for the Middleton area in Parkes. ‘Your Say’ Parkes is Council’s online community hub where you can provide real input into the direction of projects and decisions that affect our community. Visit https://yoursay.parkes.nsw.gov.au/ for your input.

Help Design Water Play Space: Parkes Shire Council has received feedback from the community about building a water play space in Parkes. Kelly Reserve has been identified as the most suitable location. Council is seeking feedback from the community on your preferred style of the water play space to help create a detailed design. There are two options to choose from and you can say why it is your preferred style. Voting close on Friday, 8th April. For more information and to vote, visit: https://yoursay.parkes.nsw.gov.au/help-design-the-kelly-reserve-water-park.

Middleton Master Plan: Parkes Shire Council is inviting members of the Parkes community to share their ideas to assist with the development of a master plan for the Middleton area in Parkes. The master plan will focus on many areas of development, including recreational and open spaces, sewage and water infrastructure, roads and walkways, vegetation, hazards, access to public facilities and commercial usage. You can share what you love about Middleton, what you don’t like and any ideas for improving the area. To have your say, visit www.yoursay.parkes.nsw.gov.au to submit your comments and ideas via the mapping tool. Feedback closes Sunday, 24th April. Alternatively, you can submit your comments in writing via email to council@parkes.nsw.gov.au or by mail to: The General Manager, Parkes Shire Council, PO Box 337, Parkes NSW 2870.

Calling Artists: Creatives from across regional NSW have the opportunity to develop artwork that shares their perspective on the future for the regions. Regional Futures is a two-year statewide creative project. An Expression of Interest process is currently open and applications close 28th March. For more information go to www.regionalfutures.net.au

Checking Fuelcheck: The NSW government is encouraging customers to check the NSW FuelCheck app to help find the state’s best value fuel before filling up at the bowser. The app is easy to use and allows you to compare prices at local petrol stations to find the best deal by location, price or fuel type. The app displays the price for more than 2,400 petrol stations across NSW with users also able to set up alerts for when the price drops under a certain threshold. For more information on FuelCheck and to download the app visit: www.fuelcheck.nsw.gov.au/app

Healthy Kids Bus Stop: Project Sprouts is once again bringing the Healthy Kids Bus Stop to the Parkes Shire from Monday, 21st March to Friday, 25th March to provide a free health screening for children aged three to five. Clinicians will assess your child’s fine and gross motor skills, speech, oral health and hearing. Screenings will be in Parkes from 21st to 23rd March at Parkes East Public School; 24th March at Tullamore in the morning and Trundle in the afternoon; and 25th March at Peak Hill at the hall next to the preschool. Registrations are essential. Ask your local preschool or school for a form, or Google Healthy Kids Bus Stop for the online form, or call Royal Far West on 0408 555 249.

Country Arts Support: Arts OutWest is calling for people with exciting small local arts projects in mind to apply for the Country Arts Support Program (CASP).

The CASP 2022 round is focused on community-based, locally developed arts and heritage activities to benefit people in the Central West. Applications can be for $500 up to $3,000 for projects happening between 1st June and 31st December. Applications close at 5pm on Thursday, 21st April. To apply check the guidelines at artsoutwest.org.au and call Arts OutWest to discuss your proposal on 6338 4657.

ZAVSWAT-1 On Facebook: The Zombies, Aliens, Star Wars and Trekkies (ZAVSWAT) Festival planned for next year in Parkes has created a Facebook group. Simply type in ZAVSWAT. The group is looking for more committee members willing to serve on a volunteer basis for monthly meetings. Message your interest on the Facebook page, or leave comments or suggestions.

7 Billion Containers Returned: More than $700 million in container refunds have now been earned by NSW residents through Return and Earn as the state reaches the 7 billion drink container mark. It has become part of life with 78% of adults having participated and two-thirds doing so once a month or more. The Return and Earn network has achieved a 52% reduction in the volume of drink container litter in NSW and delivered more than 625,000 tonnes in materials recycled. More than $30 million has already been raised for charities and community groups.

Healthy Kids Bus Stop: Project Sprouts is once again bringing the Healthy Kids Bus Stop to the Parkes Shire from Monday, 21st

March to Friday, 25th March to provide a free health screening for children aged three to five. Clinicians will assess your child’s fine and gross motor skills, speech, oral health and hearing. Screenings will be in Parkes from 21st to 23rd March at the Learning Centre at Parkes East Public School on Reid Street; 24th March at Tullamore in the morning and Trundle in the afternoon; and 25th March at Peak Hill at the hall next to the preschool. Registrations are essential. Please ask your local preschool or school for a form, or Google Healthy Kids Bus Stop for the online form, or call Royal Far West on 0408 555 249.

Primary Health Service Survey: Residents from Parkes, Condobolin and Forbes can share their experiences of primary health care services through a community survey. The Lachlan Valley Community Primary Health Service Survey asks community members about their experiences when accessing care delivered outside a hospital by a range of health professionals. It includes general practitioners, allied health professionals, primary care and community nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers. The survey is open to all members of the community 15 years and above, and takes around 10 minutes to complete. The survey closes on Friday, 1st April. Access the online survey at https://nswrdn.engagementhub.com.au/lachlan or for a paper copy contact Wellington.Digwa@health.nsw.gov.au or 0438 210 323.

Free Menstrual Hygiene Products: Female students at public schools across NSW will soon have free access to menstrual hygiene products, following a successful trial in 31 schools pilot schools that included the Dubbo region. The $30 million program will provide schools with dispensers, tampons and pads for free and is supporting young women’s health, engagement and attendance at school. Ahead of International Women’s Day on Tuesday, Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell said this was an important milestone for female students. The statewide rollout is what many young women have been calling for, and ties in well with this year’s NSW Women’s Week with a strong focus on providing better health outcomes for women. The program is expected to be rolled out to every school by 30th June.

Linger Longer: Patrons at the Parkes Elvis Festival will be able to enjoy longer trading hours at hotels and registered clubs this year. The NSW Government has extended trading hours during special sporting and cultural events in 2022 to give patrons extra time to socialise and enjoy major entertainment events while opening more trading opportunities for businesses. “We understand that it has been tough for hospitality venues recently which is why we are extending trading hours for certain events,” said Minister for Hospitality and Racing, Kevin Anderson. “This will create jobs and put valuable dollars back into the tills of small businesses.”

Wetter-Than-Average Autumn: Autumn started on Tuesday and the days are likely to be wetter and warmer than normal for much of Australia. According to the Bureau of Meteorology’s Autumn Climate Outlook for 2022 above-average autumn rainfall is likely for most of Australia. While La Niña has led to increased rain in eastern and northern Australia, it is likely at or past its peak and expected to end in mid-autumn. Autumn days are likely to be warmer than normal, while night-time temperatures are predicted to be higher than normal. For more details on this and other climate out looks and summaries, visit the Bureau’s website: www.bom.gov.au/climate

New Leader For Arts OutWest: Arts OutWest, the Regional Arts Development Organisation for the NSW Central West, announced the appointment of their new Executive Director, Kylie Shead. Kylie has been creative producer at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre for over 15 years and during this time she has run festivals for all ages, developed new programs, and supported theatre makers in the region as well as producing new work. Kylie has a long association with Arts OutWest: as a contract project manager prior to working for Bathurst Regional Council and as a past board member. She will begin at Arts OutWest on 21st March. She has most recently been busy producing the Inland Sea of Sound Festival.

Small Business Month: Small Business Month kicked off on Tuesday and the theme this year is Rebuild, Recharge, Renew to help operators bounce back from the economic impacts of the pandemic. There are more than 800,000 small businesses employing over 1.6 million people contributing $400 billion to the NSW economy each year. Further information on Small Business Month is available at: smallbusinessmonth.nsw.gov.au

Extra Help To Phase Out Single-Use Plastics: More than 40,000 businesses across NSW will be supported to phase-out single-use plastics in line with the NSW Government’s recently announced Plastics Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021. The NSW Government is partnering with the National Retail Association (NRA) to co-design and deliver a campaign to help businesses transition away from single-use plastics. Almost every piece of plastic ever made is still with us. More than 2.7 billion plastic items end up in NSW waterways each year – wreaking havoc on the environment and endangering wildlife. Over the next nine months the NRA will visit more than 650 retail precincts providing factsheets, signage and advice. The supply of lightweight plastic shopping bags will cease from 1st June, with the supply of single-use plastic cutlery, straws, stirrers, plates and bowls, cotton buds, expanded polystyrene food containers, and products containing plastic microbeads ending from 1st November. The program will also focus on supporting distributors, importers, manufacturers and not-for profit organisations. The NRA has launched a free hotline 1800 844 946 to offer businesses, community organisations and consumers advice on the single-use plastic bans. For more information visit www.dpie.nsw.gov.au/plastics-ban

Representative Sport Returns: School representative sports events returned this week, allowing students to travel to compete after an almost year long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The return of school representative sport provides much-needed stimulus to regional communities with statewide championships and trials adding up to almost $20 million for local communities annually. More than 100 statewide championships and trials involving 28 sports are held across NSW each year.

Record Number Of Scholarships: A record number of scholarships have been awarded to early childhood educators in NSW to boost the availability, accessibility, and quality of early learning and care. More than 100 educators across the state will receive up to $20,000 each to support their study of a Bachelor-level Early Childhood Teaching qualification. The scholarship program is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to increase the number of early childhood teachers working in the sector in NSW. Further details are available on the department’s website 2021- 22 Aboriginal Early Childhood Education Scholarships and Early Childhood Education Scholarships Program (nsw.gov.au)

Upgrades For Men’s Sheds: The NSW Government will contribute $1.62 million to upgrading a significant number of Men’s Sheds across the state. The funding from the NSW Government’s COVID-19 stimulus program will provide improvements to more than 20 Men’s Sheds in Sydney and regional areas. A study by Beyond Blue found Men’s Shed members can fare better with general health, vitality and mental health. Australian Men’s Shed Association NSW President John Sharples said the upgrades would empower men and create renewed interest in the initiative. “We have 377 sheds in NSW with about 20,000 members.”

Cane Toad In Dubbo: Dubbo residents have been urged to keep their eyes peeled for possible cane toad sightings after a male cane toad was positively identified in the area. The toad is believed to have been brought into the area on a moving truck and was quickly captured and reported through the NSW Department of Primary Industries exotic pest helpline. Cane toads are a serious biosecurity threat as they can cause devastating impacts on native wildlife and biodiversity, and pose serious threats to domestic animals. A suspected cane toad should be immediately reported to NSW Department of Primary Industries Biosecurity on 1800 680 244, online, or emailing a photo of the face and details to invasive.species@dpi.nsw.gov.au.

Frogs Return: Frogs are striking up a chorus in the Central West, taking advantage of wet weather and environmental flows to hatch a new generation. Breeding activity has been detected at multiple sites in the Macquarie Marshes near Coonamble following three years of drought, with frogs heard calling for mates throughout the wetland system. Scientists from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment visited 14 sites and heard frogs calling at 12 of them. The species detected include the Barking marsh frog, Broad palmed frog, Eastern sign-bearing froglet, Peron’s tree frog, Salmon striped frog and the Spotted marsh frog. To find out where you can experience wetlands in NSW national parks, visit https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/environments/wetland-environments

Sport Clubs Champions Of Mental Wellbeing: The NSW Government is calling on sporting organisations to step up and serve some ace ideas for delivering mental health and wellbeing activities as part of a $2.8 million Mental Health Sports program. Clubs can apply for grants until 6th March for activities that provide mental health, resilience and wellbeing benefits to individuals and groups. All NSW-based sports bodies are encouraged to apply. To start your application, visit: https://bit.ly/34HgU1f

Zombies, Aliens, Vampires, Star Wars and Trekkies: An alternate festival is being planned for Parkes called ZAVSWAT -1 in 2023. ZAVSWAT stands for Zombies, Aliens, Vampires, Star Wars and Trekkies, and the festival aims to bring together groups from the acronym to come in their dress up and visit Parkes for a weekend of fun. The lead organiser, Conrad Mill, is looking to form a ZAVSWAT committee to plan the festival. If you would like to be on the inaugural commitee call 0481 472 845.