Dear Editor,

Abhorrent. This is the only word that comes to mind to begin to describe the current state of both the unsealed and sealed roads in the Forbes Shire.

With no end in sight to the situation of the roads and with harvest looming, the deterioration of these roads will only be exacerbated once headers and trucks and chaser bins start using them on a regular basis.

The potential for an accident is imminent. The potential for severe damage to a vehicle is imminent.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand that Mother Nature is having an irrefutable hand in what is happening to the roads. I understand that nothing can be done about what nature will throw at us and that with so much water lying around it does make it difficult to be able to access some roads to begin vital repair work.

What I don’t understand is the lack of trying, or that when an attempt is made it appears to be a waste of wages and diesel as the roads only turn out worse and require more effort to repair.

If all roads lead to Forbes for tourism and spending what happens when those roads stop being travelled?

What happens when our farmers can’t get contractors to harvest or cart their grain because a contractor is fearful for damage to his asset travelling those roads?

Fixing roads is a necessity for safety and access and continuing financial stability for everyone in the region.

I ask, is Council able to show when and how the path to repairing our roads will begin?

Michelle
(Letter shortened. Ed)

Dear Editor,

Residents of Brolgan Road, east of the Newell Highway bypass currently being built and Hartigan Avenue extension, are objecting to a name change.

A meeting of residents held recently was attended by four Parkes Shire Councillors. The consensus reached was that we retain our addresses in Brolgan Road, and Hooley Street retain its addresses and Hooley Street retain its name.

It was agreed Brolgan Road, west of the bypass and Hartigan Avenue extension, be renamed Brolgan Road West. There are 78 addresses in Brolgan Road west of Middleton Street. There are five addresses in Hooley Street.

The name Brolgan was derived from the aboriginal name for a beautiful Australian bird, the Brolga. Hooley is an Irish word for a wild party. Hooligan was derived from the same source.

The inconvenience of a name change to residents and the cost to ratepayers is unjustified. Emergency Services have GPS technology. Our neighbour called the ambulance which found him easily. A horseman came from Bathurst on Sunday and drove directly to 58 Brolgan Road, using GPS.

Yours faithfully
Jim Cassidy

Dear Editor 

Time for change! We watched the TV debate at the National Press Club between our Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and the Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers. 

The treasurer harped on about the Labor policies in the last election and just offered more of the same old ones under the Coalition. 

The shadow treasurer quickly pointed out that Labor had discarded the unpopular policies from the last election and went on to discuss some of Labor’s new initiatives which would make a better Australia for us all. What a contrast! 

Change is needed right now if we are going to enjoy fairer and better lives, so please on 21st May, even if you’ve never done it before, do not vote for the present Coalition government. 

Malcolm & Pam Nankivell
Parkes 

Dear Editor

Following negative publicity from the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal of 2021, and the Red Cross Telethon Flood Appeal held on 12th March on Channels 7, 9 and 10, I would like to explain to your readers how donations are being distributed to people.

We raised $25.2million for people impacted by the floods in Queensland and NSW. We are currently disbursing two types of grants: a bereavement grant of $20,000 per grant, and relief grants of $500 each.

So far $8.8M has been distributed leaving a balance of $16.4M. for distribution.

Our grants team is working around the clock to process grants as quickly as possible. Applications that have all of the correct information, identification and bank account details are being processed faster. We are getting high numbers of incomplete, ineligible and duplicate applications that are slowing down the approval process. All applications are checked and approved by our grants team to ensure donors money is going to eligible people impacted by floods.

All donations from individuals via our website and the telethon have been received. We are in the process of collecting donations from businesses who pledged during the telethon.

The dashboard for these grants is up-dated daily on the following website: www.redcross.org.au/cashassistance/

Sue Strahorn
Red Cross Zone Representative
Parkes/Forbes

Dear Editor

Parkes turned back the clock on Sunday to present in a brilliant way two very different but compelling sporting events which served to showcase the importance of sport and tourism to our local economy.

The time honoured Woodward park, host to the cricketing greats of Fiji, South Africa and England in years past, took centre stage for a classic contest between the might of the reborn and reconfigured Bogan Gate Rabbits and the Parkes first eleven.

The Rabbits pinched the Chocolates by five runs in an epic encounter, the best Grinsted cup match in years watched by hundreds of ardent fans aged three to 96.

A kilometre away on the Jock Colley Field and the Pioneer Oval precinct, which have served Parkes and the region for almost 70 years, some of the most promising league players from Western and Monaro combined to showcase the best of young rugby league talent. The Monaro team also stayed overnight and contributed greatly to our sports tourism economy.

Congratulations to Parkes Cricket and the Spacemen Rugby League Club on reaffirming the high profile enjoyed by Parkes in delivering special sporting moments for the benefit of a very wide audience

Sincerely
Michael Greenwood

Dear Editor,

I write on behalf of the Parkes Prostate Cancer Awareness and Support Group to thank the community for enabling our work this year.

With many men and families in the local area impacted by prostate cancer, we assist newly diagnosed men and long-term survivors by providing friendship and support.

We also proudly promote PCFA Specialist Nurses and their new telenursing service, which offers information and expert advice to those affected in our local area.

Over the past 25 years we’ve successfully boosted survival rates from 73% to 95%, and we couldn’t have done it without your donations and support.

Over the Christmas period, please consider making a donation to PCFA for men and families facing prostate cancer.

To talk to a PCFA Specialist Nurse or join a support group, call 1800 22 00 99 or go to www.pcfa.org.au.

Our best wishes to you and your loved ones for a healthy, safe, and happy festive season.

Michael Lynch
Chairperson

Dear Editor,

I am extremely disappointed to see that we have six people standing as a group for this week’s council elections. To me, a group is a faction, and factions in politics bring with them dissension and trouble.

Our Parkes Council is one of the best in Australia, and I believe this is because it is non-political, being made up of individuals who work harmoniously together to further the best interests of all the residents of the shire.

Look around and see how many homes have solar panels in Parkes and the district, many due to the excellent scheme put in some years ago by Council to help residents buy these at a really good price.

See also our many excellent playing fields and our beautiful swimming pool.

Visit our amazing library which not only has an extensive range of books, but also a study centre for our university students, computers for use by us all, exhibitions of all kinds, book groups, story times for young children and so much more. Despite our current extremely wet weather, be grateful that our Council has upgraded our water and sewerage with a new grey water system to ensure that in the next drought our parks and playing fields will stay green without using our precious drinking water.

We are very lucky, so let’s keep it this way. There are excellent individuals standing for election. Let’s vote for them.

Pam Nankivell
Parkes

Regarding the Parkes Phoenix dated Friday, 8th October, the section titled DID YOU KNOW. Your article indicated that no one knows who named the earth or where the term came from.

I would point you to the opening verses of the Bible in Genesis 1:1-2 which says: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

These words were penned by Moses around 1450BC under the inspiration of God’s Spirit. Genesis means ‘beginnings’. Hence, since God inspired the book of Genesis [and the whole Bible], it was the God of the Bible who named our planet earth and revealed that truth through Moses.

I am sure your readers would be interested in knowing there is an answer to the question raised.

Regards
Pastor Greg and Judy Willis

Dear Editor,

Following on from the photo in last week’s issue of the painted water tower in Walgett. It would be great if Parkes Shire commissioned our silos to get painted.

It would be interesting to see what other members of our community think about that. And if we were to get one, which subject would be preferred by the community.

Would the Council seek the population’s preferences? Just some thoughts. Apparently, they attract tourists.

Kind regards
Beverley Drabsch