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.

Dress like a Farmer Day: On 2 July, Parkes Public school held a ‘Farmers Day’ to support the drought-stricken farmers. Students were allowed to come to school dressed up as farmer and bring in a gold coin donation, which will go to the charity ‘Buy a Bale’. We raised over $600 on the day which is an amazing amount for our school community. We got the idea from learning about drought and watching Behind The News and seeing other schools doing similar things to help out. Lucy Hall and Nina Richardson-Bartley, who are in Year 6, thought to do this farmers day and asked Mrs Ruckley and 6 Red before going to Mrs O’Neill for her approval. When we put the whole plan into action it was a great, fun day. Thank you to everyone who participated and brought in a gold coin donation!
By Lucy Hall & Nina Richardson-Bartley

$250 Regional Seniors Travel Card: Travel is one of the most significant household  costs for residents living in our region. The State Government is set to ease this cost for rural and regional travellers from January next year, through the rollout of the $250 Regional Seniors Transport Card. Seniors will be able to use the $250 to purchase fuel and pay for taxi fares from participating providers in rural and regional NSW, and pre-booked NSW TrainLink train and coach services.

Find a Cheaper Energy Bill: The energy industry welcomes the introduction of a comparison tool that makes it easier to assess energy deals in the market. From today every offer in NSW will be compared against an independent benchmark called a Reference Bill. Customers will be able to rate the value of a new offer by the size of the discount against the Reference Bill. All customers are encouraged to go to thegovernment’s EnergyMadeEasy website (https://www.energymadeeasy.gov.au) to help find a cheaper deal.

Recycled Water Rising Main Construction Update – Nash Street Rail Crossing: Underboring will be undertaken at the Nash Street Rail Crossing for the recycled water pipeline to be installed beneath the tracks. Works will commence from 27 June and are expected to be completed by 7 July (conditions permitting). Nash Street will remain open during this period, however variable speed limits will be enforced to ensure the safety of construction workers working alongside the road.

Petition to Save Parkes Maternity Ward: Over 500 baby outfits were donated for the Rally to support the Parkes Maternity Unit last Friday. If you were not able to attend the rally, there is also a petition circulating in Parkes and Forbes asking the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales to stop the downgrading of health services in Parkes and Forbes Hospitals. 10,000 signatures are required to have the petition considered for a debate in Parliament. The petition is available at some of our local businesses. If you have a business and would like to include the petition for your customers to sign, please contact the Parkes Chamber of Commerce at chamber@parkeschamber.com.au.

Ag in Education. Combating the City/ Country Divide: The NSW Farmers’ Parkes/Forbes Branch Annual Meeting will be held at 6:30pm at the Forbes Services Club on Wednesday, 3 July. The Special Guest for the meeting will be Sarah Thompson, beef and grain farmer from Cassilis, with a long record of representation within the Association, as an Executive Councillor and on the Rural Affairs Policy Committee. Following the Annual Meeting a General Meeting will be opened. Please note, ten voting members are required to attend to form a quorum and the branch is entitled to send five delegates to conference. Please RSVP to Gavin Tom, Chair on 0438 678 916, gaveltom@hotmail.com, or Catriona McAuliffe, Regional Services Manager, 0488 100 005, mcauliffec@nswfarmers. org.au

Restrictions Reminder: Level two water restrictions are still in place across the Parkes Shire. Under level two restrictions, residents are only permitted to water outside the hours of 10am and 5pm with odd numbered households allowed to water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and even numbered households on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. For more information about Level 2 water restrictions, visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au

Urgent call to support St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal: With just days until the end of the financial year, Vinnies is only halfway towards its Winter Appeal fundraising goal. The charity is urgently calling for donations to support its work with people experiencing poverty, homelessness and disadvantage. “Sadly, more and more people are turning to us for help with very basic needs. Our aim is to raise $1.2 million to ensure that we can continue to be here for the growing number of people needing our help,” said Jack de Groot, Vinnies NSWCEO. You can make a donation at 13 18 12 or visit vinnies.org.au.

 

Ten student leaders from Middleton Public School travelled to Dubbo to participate in the GRIP leadership training day recently. Pictured are standing (L -R) Harry Kennedy, Riley McMaster, Elsie Orr and Mackenzie Pabis; kneeling are Kaleb Gould and Sally Medlyn, and sitting Ryan Snyman, Jaylen Kelly, Georgie MacGregor and Nell Smith.

Six months to Christmas: The Christmas Parade and Cooke Park Christmas Carnival will take place on Friday, 13th December at 6pm. This year there will be something new and something old. The Action Club Christmas Parade will go for the whole length of the Parkes business centre starting in Clarinda Street at Bushman Street and finishing in Short Street. All schools, businesses, sporting clubs, associations and community groups are invited to take part with a $330 prize each for best business float, best school float and best community float. The new addition will be a carnival in the park with entertainment on stage and the opportunity for local clubs and associations to show the Parkes community what is available in their town. There will also be food stalls run by Parkes clubs and retailers. Contact parkesactionclub@gmail.com to take part in these events.

Operation Armour: The NSW Police Force launched Operation Armour recently to target firearm theft across regional NSW. General duties officers will be assisted by specialist police from the Firearms Registry, Rural Crime Prevention Team, the Drug and Firearms Squad, and the Criminal Groups Squad’s Strike Force Raptor throughout the operation and focus on preventing, disrupting and reducing firearm thefts. Firearms Prohibition Orders and Weapons Prohibition Orders will be conducted, as well as safe storage inspections.

There are hefty penalties for those who possess unregistered or illicit firearms. Information on the responsibilities, licences, permits, sale and purchase, and safe storage of fire arms can be found at the Firearms Registry page on the NSW Police Force website https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/online_services/firearms Anyone with information concerning gun crime is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.

Masterplan For Parkes: The state’s leading town planners and industry experts converged on Parkes recently for an enquiry by design (EBD) workshop led by the NSW Government’s Department of Planning to develop the masterplan for a Special Activation Precinct in Parkes (SAP). It is a new way of helping businesses establish in specific regional locations in NSW. Each location is chosen for its unique regional offering, services and competitive advantage.

The Parkes SAP is the first to be declared in NSW and is designed to take advantage of the unique economic opportunities of its strategic location at the epicentre of the national freight and logistics network.

Rhonda Brain (right) and Barbie Bates made it to the east coast after starting the Perth to Pacific Book Relay in March travelling over 7,000km spreading the all important message of reading to your baby from birth.

 

 

STUDENT LEADERS IN PARLIAMENT… Phil Donato met with year 12 leaders from Parkes High School and
six other schools in the Orange electorate at the NSW Parliament last week as part of the Student Leadership Program. Students had the opportunity to ask attending MPs about leadership, making decisions and representation.

Winners: Congratulations to the winners of the two recent competitions in The Parkes Phoenix! Emily McQuie won a double pass to the Parkes Picnic Races, and Candace Smith won a family pass to the Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Moonwalk Into Parkes: Be out there in the Parkes Region this winter season and be amazed by all things space and science, when Parkes and the world celebrate the 50th anniversary of man landing on the moon. In July 1969, the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope played an important role in history, when it received and broadcast the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon for the first time. The Dish received television signals that allowed six hundred million people,
one fifth of humanity at the time, to watch the broadcast. In celebration of this 50 year milestone, CSIRO will be hosting an open day weekend at The Dish on the 20-21st July. Parkes Shire Council has launched a ‘Be out there’ winter campaign featuring Apollo 11 Deals to encourage visitors to explore more of our region during their stay. The campaign launched on 1st June and will run until the end of July. Visitors can view all the special offers and open
day event details at www.visitparkes.com. au/apollo11

History Blog: Is it possible to go from life in the country to the highest level of government in NSW? James McGirr went from a dairy farm in Parkes to the Department of Premier and Cabinet. His political career coincided with the 1930s – a decade that commenced with the Great Depression and ended with the world in the throes of a second world war! McGirr then helped the state deal with post-War issues, such as a severe housing shortage. Read about “Big Jim” on Parkes Library’s history blog https://historyparkes.org/2019/05/31/james-mcgirr-from-parkes-to-premier/

Scholarships For Rural Students: Students are invited to apply for scholarships under the expanded third round of the $58.1 million Rural and Regional Enterprise Scholarships program. Eligible students could benefit from up to $18,000 which could go towards the cost of their university or vocational education. The scholarships cover courses including certificate IV through to a PhD. For more information or to apply, visit https://www.education.gov.au/rural-and-regional-enterprisescholarships. Applications close on 14th June. Regional
and rural students can access more assistance through the $53.9 million injection to Youth Allowance.

The Trundle Library Junior Book Club were all smiles after speaking with author Jackie French during a recent book club session. The children were all given the chance to ask Jackie a question. She was overwhelmed by some of the questions and how they were articulated.

Bogan Gate CWA News: Parkes, Forbes and Condobolin held their Annual Bridge Day at Bogan Gate on 7th April, with players from West Wyalong joining in. The CWA catered for everyone for the 12th time making it a thoroughly enjoyable day. President Marion McIntyre laid a wreath on behalf of the CWA at the local Anzac Day Dawn Service. Ten members attended the May meeting. International officer Heather Veal provided interesting information on the country of study this year, Papua New Guinea. Some members have started writing their life stories after attending a workshop at the Parkes Library. As this drought is still crippling the community, the CWA will be helping Bogan Gate and Gunningbland farmers and their families by hosting a free bbq night at the Railway Hotel in Bogan Gate on 29th June at 6:30pm. “We hope many will come to this night as it is very important in these times to mix with friends and all help each other,” said the organisers. The next meeting is on Thursday, 20th June at 1:30pm at the hall. Visitors are always most welcome.

On Track For Better Rail: Member for Orange Phil Donato tabled a 10,000 signature petition in the NSW Parliament this week for improved rail services in the Orange electorate. The petition was originally created by the Orange Rail Action Group, who have been fighting with Phil for regional rail improvements. “The whole community has rallied behind improving our rail services in Orange and the broader Central West,” said Phil when tabling the petition. “I will be asking for an early morning express passenger train direct from Orange to Sydney and return. In addition, I am fighting for rail infrastructure upgrades of the Main Western Line to support fast passenger and freight rail services, as well as early commissioning of the Regional Rail Fleet on the Main Western Line.”

Restrictions Reminder: Level two water restrictions are still in place across the Parkes Shire. Under level two restrictions, residents are only permitted to water outside the hours of 10am and 5pm with odd numbered households allowed to water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and even numbered households on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. For more information about Level 2 water restrictions, visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au

 

Last week was National Volunteer Week and many organisations, businesses and groups in Parkes acknowledged the generous contribution made by volunteers to keep our community vibrant and supportive. The time and effort put in by volunteers are vital to keep many services and events going, like the large group of volunteers (pictured above) for the annual Parkes Elvis Festival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

McCormack Re-elected: Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has expressed his gratitude to voters for putting their trust in him for a fourth term in the Federal Parliament.
The Deputy Prime Minister said it had always been an honour to serve the Riverina and Central West. “I am privileged and humbled to be able to be the voice in Canberra for all of you throughout the Riverina and Central West,” said Michael. “I am also honoured to be the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development. This enables me to be around the Cabinet table when decisions are being made which really affect regional communities. Michael praised those who supported him through volunteering their time on polling booths and helping with the organisation of the local campaign effort.

Competition: Enter our Western Plains Taronga Zoo competition on page 6 to win a family pass. Closing date for the competition is 30th May.

Cultural Grants: Local groups and organisations are encouraged to apply for a Parkes Shire Council Cultural Grant. The aim of the Parkes Shire Council’s cultural grant program is to encourage and support the development of local community organisations, services and strategies which make a positive contribution to the community and cultural life of the Shire.
“The grants can be utilised in a variety of ways, including to develop a new project, extension or enhancement of an existing project, purchase of equipment, or minor capital works,” said newly appointed Manager Cultural, Education & Library Services, Kerryn Jones. Application forms are available at www.parkes.nsw.gov.au, or at any Parkes Shire Library (Parkes, Peak Hill, Trundle and Tullamore). Applications close 21st June.

Grow Your Business: The Next Stage Growth Program is a six-month program for existing businesses wanting to accelerate and grow in sales, revenue, people, skills, knowledge, capacity, markets and more. Led by experienced leaders in entrepreneurship, marketing and managing the growth process, business owners will assess their business strategies and growth expectations, conduct competitive analysis with real data, develop market strategies to target growth opportunities, and learn how to exploit digital and social media. Register for the event on Tuesday, 4th June at the Forbes Town Hall from 12 to 1pm. Open to businesses in Parkes and Forbes. Go to eventbrite.com.au/e/61411619808.

More than 80 motorcyclists took part in the annual Ironbark Dice Run held by the Midstate Motorcycle Club last Saturday. Participants came from all over the Central West and helped to raise $1,730 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Pictured are riders at the first stop at the Cross Roads Hotel, Tomingley.