Hamish has all the moves: Hamish Newham watched a full length Elvis movie when he was only two years old. At four he is featured as the new star, the next tribute artist as part of the Elvis Festival’s promotion for the 2017 event. “He loves dressing up in his white Elvis suit, doing his Elvis moves and watching Elvis concerts,” says mum Katrina Dwyer, Brand Marketing Manager at the Parkes Shire Council. She is involved in the Elvis Festival for her work, and Hamish started watching Elvis movies with her. “I have never taught him anything as I did not grow
up with Elvis, but he loves watching Elvis concerts. I don’t know where else he gets his moves from.” Last year Hamish was determined to busk with his toy guitar and microphone in the main street, and people started giving him money. So for next year he is learning songs to do some real busking and perform his favourite song, Burning Love. “He might even take part in one of the competitions,” said Katrina.

Local Artists Take 20: Arts OutWest ventured to Parkes last week to host a Winter Arts Networking Night at Bent. It was an intimate but animated talk, with a small group of local creative practitioners braving the winter chill to share their work. The presentations followed a 20 x 20 format; each presenter shared 20 images and discussed each image for 20 seconds. There was lively discussion about the upcoming Elvis Festival, Maralyn Nash’s local
art projects, and Elly Tom shared her passion for the Parkes Shire Concert Band. The Winter Arts Networking Nights aim to bring creative people together to celebrate their practice. Tracey Callinan, the Regional Development Officer of Arts Out-West, facilitates the events. This year the program visited Lithgow, Orange, Blayney, Grenfell, Canowindra, Bathurst, and will finish off the season at Oberon, with the final session at 3pm on Sunday, 18th September. For more information visit http://artsoutwest.org.au/

 

Music for everyone: The Lachlan Community Orchestra (LCO) played in the Parkes Shire Concert Band’s annual concert for the community on Sunday. It was the second year LCO took part in the concert. The concert ended with the LCO and the Parkes Shire Concert Band playing Amazing Grace together with Duncan, the Shire Band leader on the bagpipes. The LCO is a friendly group of about 30 players from around the Parkes area. Some members drive from Orange, Condobolin, Peak Hill and Trundle to be at the weekly rehearsal on a Tuesday afternoon at the AOG Church Hall in Parkes. Ben Macpherson from Orange is the conductor. The majority of players are under 20, and the remaining few over 50! Any new players are welcome. Please contact the Mitchell Conservatorium, Lachlan Campus on 6857 3266 if you are interested.

The LCO has two more concerts this month: The Mitchell Conservatorium Annual Scholarship concert on Friday, 16th September at 6:30pm at the Parkes Christian School Hall; the LCO concert on Sunday, 18th September at 3pm in the Forbes Town Hall.

Tax help in NSW: Tax Time 2016 is well underway and the Australian Tax Office has opened up its Tax Help centres in community centres across NSW. Assistant Commissioner Graham Whyte said that about 300 volunteers from 240 community centres across NSW would be supporting people who needed assistance completing their tax returns this year. “Tax Help is a free and confidential service provided by ATO-trained and accredited local volunteers.” “Tax Help volunteers can help you complete a simple tax return online with myTax, claim a refund of franking credits, or notify the ATO if you don’t need to lodge a tax return at all,” said Graham. The Tax Help service is for people earning around $50,000 or less each year with straightforward tax affairs. People who are interested in preparing their own tax return can also try out myTax before heading to a Tax Help centre. Tax Help is available until 31 October in all capital cities and many regional areas across Australia. To find out if you are eligible, go to www.ato.gov.au/taxhelp. To get the details of your nearest Tax Help centre, phone 13 28 61. To create a myGov account before visiting a Tax Help centre, go to www.my.gov.au

Tullamore Library open all hours: The Tullamore community will soon have access to an Australian first – the first public library to be available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On Wednesday, 7th September a self borrowing and 24 hour access arrangement will be launched at an Open Day at the library. The system will enable library members to borrow, return and use the library facilities at a time that suits them. Manager Cultural, Education & Library Services, Shellie Buckle said: “Parkes Shire Council and the Tullamore Community Consultative Committee have supported this project to offer the community access to the library when it suits them and their family schedules.” It is a very simple solution of using a computer setup where members can borrow items themselves, and members will be able to apply for a key to the front door. Library Assistant Mel Alvey will still be on deck the usual hours, 11am to 4.30pm on Wednesdays. The community is invited to join library staff for the 24-hour access launch at 11am on Wednesday, including a BBQ lunch provided by the Tullamore Men’s Shed at 12.30pm.

More youth take up traineeships: The future of the Parkes Shire looks positive as Council reported an increase in the number of traineeships taken up by local youth. Parkes Shire Council has more than doubled the number of traineeships offered over the past four years. Parkes Shire Council’s General Manager Kent Boyd said: “It’s encouraging to see these opportunities being taken up by Parkes Shire youth.” “Of the 176 Council employees, 15 of them are trainees. Based on the work ethic and enthusiasm being shown by these young people, the future of this region looks bright.” Council currently offers traineeships in engineering, information technology, finance, town planning, building surveying, tourism, horticulture, ranger services, human resources, business administration and water operations. Additionally, Parkes Shire Council has five school-based trainees across their departments including finance, mechanical services, library services, administration and water operations. “Council traineeships are a fantastic way to kick-start a career in your preferred field. Trainees are exposed to a broad and diverse range of opportunities to suit their background, skills and interests,” Kent said. For further information about the traineeships on offer, visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.

Correction: We reported last week in the story on the Battle of Long Tan that Harold Amor had lost his battle with cancer in Queensland recently. This was unfortunately incorrectly stated on the commemoration program, and Harold passed away peacefully at his home from a heart attack. We apologise for any distress this has caused the family.

 

Mens Shed fired up for another year:
The Parkes Men’s Shed recently elected a new committee at its AGM. The new president is Bernie Crowe with George Pratt as vice president, Trevor Gilbert as secretary, Les Aherne as treasurer and committee members Trevor Rowney, Michael Pettit, Don McIntire, Alex Mill, Tom Kearney, Peter Guppy, John Banham, Ben Lam and Rowley Pengilly. The aims of the Men’s Shed are to promote self-worth, work ethics and health and companionship among men, while developing and sharing skills. Tools are available to members for woodwork and metal work, as well as the opportunity to have a chat over a cuppa on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There is a guest speaker on the first Wednesday of the month, and once the swimming pool reopens members have exclusive use of the pool for one hour from 9 am on Tuesday mornings. Membership is only $15 per year.

Candle light vigil at Bushman’s Dam:
A vigil will be held in Parkes on Saturday, 10th September at 5:30pm to remember those who have been lost to suicide and to support those who have been affected by the loss of a loved one. The event is organised by the recently established Lachlan Area Suicide Prevention Network as a first function. Everybody is welcome.

Chemical clean up:                                                                                                                                                                            Parkes Shire residents are encouraged to dispose of unwanted chemicals when Chemclear visits the region in October. Local farmers and agvet chemical users will be able to dispose of any old or unwanted chemicals for free during a state-wide operation. Collection will be free for chemicals with a readable product label, not mixed with any other product and within two years of the expiry date or deregistration. A quote will be provided upon registration for any chemicals that do not meet the free eligibility requirements. Waste holders must take an inventory and register with the program before 2nd September to be included in the October collection. To register call the hotline on 1800 008 182 or visit www.chemclear.com.au.

Best Selling Australian Author in Parkes:                                                                                                              Parkes Shire Library invites the community to join them for lunch and a talk with bestselling Australian author Karen Viggers on 6th September at 12pm. Her talk is titled Finding Stories in Australian Landscapes. Call 6861 2309 to register.

Historical Aircraft in Parkes: Parkes residents have the opportunity to see an historical Convair aircraft at the Parkes Aviation Museum from 10am to 12pm this Sunday. The Convair 440 Metropolitan Airliner in Trans Australian Airlines livery is on a delivery flight from South Africa to it’s new home at Illawarra Regional Airport. Another new and interesting exhibit at the museum is a Vietnam era ex RAAF Caribou that is open for inspection. Visits to the museum are by gold coin donation.

Census back online: Parkes Shire residents who were unable to complete their online Census last week can now do so with the 2016 Census website back online. Last week thousands of Australians logged on to complete their Census causing a hardware failure when a router became overloaded. At the time of these events, more than two million forms had already been successfully submitted and safely stored. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) assures residents that no data was lost during the outage. Parkes Shire Council’s General Manager, Kent Boyd encourages residents to persist in their attempts to complete their Census. “Data collected from the 2016 Census is extremely important for the work we do at Parkes Shire Council. The data is used to support funding decisions for services and infrastructure across the Parkes Shire including housing, transport, education, industry, hospitals, and the environment.” Alternatively, Parkes Shire residents may request a paper version of the Census by calling 1300 820 275. No fines will be imposed for completing the Census after August 9, however it must be done by 23rd September 2016.

Parkes Chamber of Commerce: Parkes Chamber members were invited to meet with Small Business Minister and Federal member for Riverina, Michael McCormack, recently and given the opportunity to share their thoughts and concerns. There is a renewed focus on improving the atmosphere and enhancing the Parkes Upmarkets for visitors and stallholders alike. Anyone interested in joining the organising committee should get in contact with Geoff Rice or email chamber@parkeschamber.com.au

The Sparkles Promotion will be back in 2016. Information regarding this year’s promotion will be available shortly. The Christmas Upmarkets and Movie Night will be held in conjunction with the Street Parade to be organised by the Action Club. The Parkes Chamber of Commerce (PCC) AGM will be held on 14th September at 7pm at the Parkes Services Club. The review to the Constitution will be presented for ratification.

Questions were asked of Councillor Alan Ward regarding the local content portion of PSC Project tenders. It is important to ensure Parkes businesses particularly and other local businesses have the best chance at any possible opportunities. PCC will support a young women’s networking/mentor group to be organised by Suzie Hill.

Men’s Shed working for the birds: The Parkes Men’s Shed have been making several hundred bird nesting boxes for mining companies in the region and the Roads and Maritime Services over the past couple of years. They currently have a contract to build sugar glider nesting boxes, which is keeping a group of the men busy on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. While this work is going on there is always a group of men sitting at the table of knowledge discussing the problems of the world. There are also members who use the vast selection of tools to make toys for their grandchildren or to restore furniture. Morning tea at 10:00am is an important time in the shed when all work stops for half an hour and the men enjoy tea, coffee and nibbles. For $15 membership per year, this is a golden opportunity to enjoy a chat and make use of all the available equipment to be creative.

Help Kris walk 35km: On 4 September Kris Kent, Spinifex Regional Manager, is taking on a 35km Bloody Long Walk challenge from Palm Beach to Manly in Sydney for the Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (AMDF). “I am taking on this challenge to raise money to help find a cure for mito – a debilitating genetic disorder that robs the body’s cells of energy, causing multiple organ dysfunction or failure and potentially death,” said Kris. One Australian child born each week will develop a severe or life-threatening form of mitochondrial disease. Kris aims to raise $100 for every kilometer walk to raise a total of $3 500 and gives a shout out to businesses to support her. Please follow the link below to make a donation on her fundraising page: https://blw-sydney-north2016.everydayhero.com/au/kristie All donations over $2 are tax deductible and you will be sent a receipt after you make your donation.

New Tourism Destination Networks in NSW: Six new Destination Networks have been created throughout NSW. The Parkes Shire will now form part of the Country and Outback NSW network. Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, Stuart Ayres said the new networks would work closely with local government, tourism organisations and operators, as well as collaborate on campaigns with Destination NSW. Tourism produces $58 million gross regional product per year, with the tourism and hospitality industry employing around 6% of the Parkes Shire workforce.

Small Business Minister meets Parkes Chamber: The new Minister for Small Business and the Federal Member for Riverina, Michael McCormack, met with members of the Parkes Chamber of Commerce last week. From the left are Alice Milne (Pink Orchid Florist), Geoff Rice (Langlands Hanlon), Michael McCormack and Suzanne Hill (Parkes Diagnostic Imaging).

Meals on Wheels have moved: The Meals on Wheels office relocated last week from Neighbourhood Central to 78 Clarinda Street. Some people will know this as the old lolly shop. Fiona Graham,service manager, said the new venue had a lot more space and easy parking off the lane at the back. “We will be able to host morning teas and other events now,” said Fiona. She thanked Rotary for helping with the move, and CanAssist for helping to deliver the furniture. “Everyone is welcome to pop in and have a look around!” The grand opening of the new office takes place today at 10:30am.

Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy: Let your imagination run wild in a series of free art workshops, Journey into Mystery, to be held at Parkes Library and run by Maralyn Nash. The workshops will cover all genres of horror, science fiction and fantasy art from painting dragons, zombies, monsters and superheroes to cyberpunk characters and other imagery. The workshops will run on Tuesdays from 4 – 7pm on 23 August; 6, 13, 20, 27 September and 4 October at the Parkes Library. Places are limited to 12 participants aged 12 +. During the workshops six completed artworks will be created that will be exhibited on the community wall public art mural in Parkes. Topics covered will include graphic design illustration, photomontage, air bushing and surrealist fantasy style painting techniques. The workshops are the first events being held for the Library’s Curiosity + Wonder Festival to celebrate literacy. No previous experience is necessary as full instruction will be given and all art materials supplied. Bookings are required. Please call Parkes Library on 6861 2309.

Parkes Shire moves online for Census 2016: Residents of the Parkes Shire are encouraged to join millions of people across Australia to participate in the country’s largest and most significant online event. The 17th national Census of Population and Housing will move online for the first time, making it easier for people in regional and remote areas to be counted. It is expect 16 million people will complete the survey online. The ABS has delivered 10 million letters to every household around the country in preparation for Census night. Parkes Shire Mayor, Ken Keith said: “The 2016 Census will provide the Parkes community an opportunity to make a difference”.
He emphasised the importance of Census data in enabling Council to gain a better impression of what the community needed, and would support funding decisions services and infrastructure including housing, transport, education, industry, hospitals, and the environment “. For more information visit www.abs.gov.au.

Safety at Children’s Crossings: During recent school zone observations it has been identified that there is confusion about how ‘Children’s Crossings’ operates. The Council has started a new initiative with all schools in the shire with a Children’s Crossing near their grounds to set out the roles and responsibilities of both the Council and schools. There are five crossings in Parkes, two in Trundle and one in Tullamore. “Children’s Crossings are legally the strongest marked pedestrian crossing for managing traffic and road safety in local streets around schools. During the school-zone operating hours they are an inflexible traffic regulation which allows drivers no other option but to stop,” said Logan Dolbel, Parkes Shire Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer. As Children’s Crossings are marked by bright orange flags, Council has agreed to supply new flags to each school every two years, to develop and implement local education campaigns regarding children’s crossings, and provide educational material to the school principals for distribution amongst parents and students. For further information contact Logan Dolbel on 6861 2364.