Parkes Shire Council: Parkes Shire Council proudly congratulates Susannah Davey, who has been recognised as the Family Day Care Educator Award winner at the Central West Early Childhood Awards held in Bathurst. Congratulations also to the wider Central West Childcare Services – Bangala-la Preschool and Family Day Care team for their nominations across multiple categories, a true reflection of their passion and commitment to early child­hood education.

NSW Government: Heading into the city from Sydney Airport? From 3 November, you can pay a flat $60 taxi fare (or $80 if travelling in a maxi taxi) to the CBD for the next 18 months. It’s part of a new trial to make things simpler, and it only applies from the airport to the CBD (not the other way around). Some first-time visitors have been overcharged with fares over $150, so this gives travellers peace of mind with clear, upfront pricing.

Forbes Shire Council: Community Fund­ing Program applications now open. Notfor-profit groups in Forbes can apply for up to $5,000 to support projects in: Sport & Recreation, Culture & the Arts, Community Services and Rural Village Enhancement. Find out more or apply: www.forbes.nsw.gov.au. Applications for this round close 31 January 2026. Need help with your ap­plication? Book an appointment 6850 2300 or at community@forbes.nsw.gov.au

Central West Local Land Services: Got box gum or grey box grassy woodlands on your property? We are seeking landhold­ers in the Central West LLS region to help protect and restore these threatened eco­systems. Eligible landholders will receive technical support and assistance to carry out on-ground conservation works. EOIs close Tuesday 18 November 2025 Find out more – https://bit.ly/3I78sfT Not sure if you have these woodlands? Use the NSW Trees Near Me tool to find out: https://bit.ly/4ouHs9J

NSW Road Safety: In NSW, there are thousands of informal school bus stops (just like this one!), particularly in rural and regional areas. They may not be marked with signage or infrastructure, so drivers must, look out for flashing lights on the back of the bus advising that school kids are being picked up or dropped off, slow down to 40km/h, be aware that kids may run onto the road from in front of or behind the bus.

Described as a typical “out-west country lad”, third-year agricultural machinery ap­prentice, Zac Payseno, took his skills to the fast lane when he joined the Red Bull Ampol Racing team at the Repco Bathurst 1000 last weekend (9-12 October).Zac’s dedication through his apprentice­ship at McPhersons Parts and Service in Parkes earned him top honours and the opportunity to experience motorsport ac­tion up close at one of Australia’s most iconic events.

Zac joined the pit lane crew on the tools as part of New Holland’s apprenticeship program that recognises the exceptional contributions and work ethic of its service apprentices.

Zac said it was a big personal achieve­ment to be recognised as part of New Hol­land’s apprentice program.

“I felt pretty honoured to be named, and joining the Red Bull pit crew for the week­end was a massive eye opener,” he said.

“Their attention to detail and profession­alism was mind blowing, I can see why they are one of the top teams, everything is done 100 percent effort at 100 percent speed.”

Zac said he had always been interested in becoming a mechanic and started by do­ing after-school work. “I found out that I re­ally liked it, and just thought that’s what I wanted to do as a career.

“I really enjoy working on combines. I’m doing header repairs at the moment, which means doing header checks at the start of the year, identifying what needs replacing, and carrying out preseason repairs to get the machines ready for harvest.

“Getting ready for harvest is like getting ready for race day, but on a much bigger scale.”

Zac is one of six apprentice service tech­nicians that experienced race day action at Supercars races across Australia and New Zealand this year thanks to New Holland’s sponsorship of the Red Bull Ampol Racing team.

Parkes PCYC: On Friday 29 August the Parkes Leagues Club proudly donated $5,040 to support the PCYC Safer Driver Course. This generous contribution will help 35 local young drivers gain essential road safety skills, making our roads safer for everyone.

Rural Women’s Network: Time to nomi­nate someone you know for the NSW Com­munity Hero Award. This category is part of the NSW Women of the Year Awards and shines a light on the accomplishments of an extraordinary woman who works tirelessly to contribute to the prosperity of those in her local community. Nominations close on 9 September. Give someone the recogni­tion she deserves: nsw.gov.au/wotya26

Trundle Bush Tucker Day: This coming Saturday, 6 September will be a big day out in Trundle, full of family fun. Casey Barnes & The Bushwackers per­forming LIVE Get your entry tickets now https://www.123tix.com.au/…/trundlebush-tucker-day-2025

R U OK? R U OK? Day is Thursday 11 September, but any day is an opportunity to check in with those you care about and ask how they are going. Learn more and access free resources at ruok.org.au/join-r-u-ok-day

Central West Police District: The NSW Police Force Academy Open Day will be held on 27 September in Goulburn. Explore interactive displays, meet specialist units, and discover if you’ve got what it takes to wear the badge. Entry is free but you can download your ticket at www.eventbrite.com.au/e/new-south-wales-police-academy-open-day-tickets-1579312890369

Forbes Shire Council: FSC, in partner­ship with the NSW Environment Protec­tion Authority and NetWaste, wants to hear from you! They’re looking to better understand community awareness and at­titudes around the Food Organics, Garden Organics (FOGO) service. Have your say by completing a quick survey, it only takes a few minutes: www.surveymonkey.com/r/HTDQ2RM Survey closes Sunday, 21 September.

Central West Is Best: The annual Region­al Development Australia Photo Competi­tion is back for 2025 with entries now open. This year’s theme – Central West in Colour – invites you to showcase the region in all its colourful glory. The competition is open to all residents across the RDA Central West region, with categories for Juniors (Under 18) and Opens. For more informa­tion and to submit an entry, visit: www.rda­centralwest.org.au

Parkes Panthers AFL

It was a very close game on the weekend for the Parkes Panthers, who held it right to Ba­thurst Bushrangers for the entire game un­til the final minute, conceding a goal which sealed the win for Bathurst club. Parkes Panthers went down 32-26. The Manildra Hotel hosted some post-game festivities be­fore the teams return to Parkes

Parkes Services Squash Courts

It is not long until girls squad starts. It will be an afternoon to have fun, make friends, get fit and build confidence! We would love you to join, starting 7 August, 4.30pm – 5.30pm then each following Thursday for the 6 week program. For more information or to register contact jayandjudycross@hotmail.com

Parkes Services Railway Bowling Club

Sheets will be on the board soon for nomi­nations for the 2025/26 Club Champion­ships. The Mid West Region Triples finals draws are out for the 23 and 24 August at west Dubbo. The club have three teams representing. There will be Social Bowls on Saturday 2 August at 1pm. Everyone is wel­come and loan bowls are available at the club.

Parkes Little Athletics Club

Parkes Little Athletics Club was recently supported through a Parkes Shire Council Evolution Mining Northparkes Sports Grant. The funding they received helped the or­ganisation upgrade their high jump mats. Get your sports grant applications submit­ted before they close on 30 September! www.parkes.nsw.gov.au

Parkes Spacemen Rugby League 

Parkes Spacemen Rugby League are cel­ebrating our old boys and ex-players on Sunday 10 August. Please join us at Pio­neer Oval on the day to catch up with those who have helped to make this club great, and cheer on all those who are the future of it. We will be setting up fire buckets in front of the old boys grandstand next to the can­teen.

Rural Aid is proud to launch the 6th annual Spirit of the Bush Photo Competition, invit­ing Australians to share striking images that capture the strength, resilience, and beauty of life on the land.

Running from 14 July to 31 August 2025, the much-loved competition provides a powerful platform for rural and regional Aus­tralians to tell their stories through the lens, stories of rugged beauty, resilience and community spirit in the face of hardship.

This year’s competition comes after an­other challenging season of natural disas­ters, with floods, fires, and droughts once again testing the resolve of the nation’s rural heartland.

Entrants are invited to submit a high-res­olution, landscape photograph that repre­sents the true Spirit of the Bush. Photos can be submitted via Instagram or Facebook by tagging @ruralaid in the image and us­ing the hashtag #SOTB2025. Entries can also be submitted, and all of the competition terms and conditions can be reviewed via our website at https://www.ruralaid.org.au/spirit-of-the-bush/.

A panel of judges will select ten winning images, each of which will receive a $250 prepaid Visa card. Winners will be an­nounced on the 15th of September 2025.

Talk2MeBro Forbes! Talk2mebro’s Con­scious Connection is coming! Unearth hid­den traumas, release emotions, & embrace well-being with Talk2mebro’s Conscious Connection Workshop. Join our intensified workshop and experience breathwork & ceremonial cacao like never before. Limit­ed spots available 6:30 PM – 9:45 PM Date: Fri, 30th May 2025. Get your tickets today: https://events.humanitix.com/talk2mebro-conscious-connection-workshop-forbes-fri-30th-may-2025

Central West Police District: Operation Amarok X is a statewide offender focused operation with Central West Police Dis­trict actively working to arrest outstanding offenders, serve Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs) and conduct compliance checks. This operation underscores our unwavering commitment to preventing and addressing domestic and family violence.

Parkes Shire Council: Council is advis­ing that a temporary shoulder closure will be in place to facilitate the construction of kerb and gutter from the intersection of Bogan Street through to the intersection of Ward Street, Parkes. Works are scheduled to take place from 7:00am on Monday, 19 May 2025, through to 5:00pm on Friday, 1 August 2025, weather permitting. For infor­mation visit: bit.ly/44ZZ2vN

Volunteering Australia: Join us for an online celebration as we shine a spotlight on the millions of volunteers making an extraordinary impact on their communities. Friday 23 May, 12pm – 1pm. Register now and be part of this special event. events.humanitix.com/connecting-communities

Parkes Picnic Races: The Parkes Picnic Races committee are thrilled to announce that local legends EasyGoin’ will be hitting the stage at the Parkes Picnic Races on Saturday 7 June. So dust off your picnic rug, gather your mates, and get ready for a fun-filled day of racing, relaxing, and rock­ing out. Book your tickets now at https://bit.ly/parkespicnicraces

Central West Police District: Lock it or Lose it! Please lock your doors at night, fur­ther stealing incidents have been recorded in Forbes and Parkes where opportunistic offenders have gained entry through un­locked doors.

Neighbourhood Central: Keast Park was bursting with colour, laughter and commu­nity spirit at Healthy Harold’s Colour Run. It was fantastic to see the whole community connect to celebrate health and wellbeing. A huge thank you to our local community partners who volunteered and to all that came along and joined in the fun.

The construction phase of the Quorn Park Hybrid Farm project, on Back Trundle Road, Parkes NSW, is progressing. Initial construction activities have started onsite, with materials delivered for access tracks and working areas. Further road upgrades to Henry Parkes Way and McGrath Lane, including an upgrade to the intersection, are scheduled to commence shortly.

Piling works have also commenced on site and are expected to continue for approximately four months. These works involve steel posts being driven into the ground by a specialised piling machine, forming the framework for panel installation. Due to the hammer-like nature of the piling machines, there will be some noise associated with these works. Construction hours are Monday to Friday 7:00am to 6:00pm, and Saturday 7:00am to 1:00pm. All construction works are undertaken in accordance with the conditions of the Develop­ment Approval and relevant legislative requirements.

Vehicle movements are being continuously monitored to minimise impacts to local road users where possible. Light and heavy ve­hicles will continue along Henry Parkes Way, McGrath Lane, and Back Trundle Road as materials and personnel are transported to site, generally between 7.00am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday.

Potentia Energy intends to work closely with the local community to enhance the economic and social conditions in the local area and proactively share benefits within the local community.

Also committed to local sourcing throughout the project’s opera­tional and construction phases, where it’s possible. It is expected that the project will create significant local employment and supply opportunities during construction, and work closely with the main contractors.

Election day is Saturday, 3 May. You can vote at any polling place on polling day, just don’t forget to vote. Polling places are usu­ally located at local schools, churches and community halls, or public buildings. Voting locations can be found at aec.gov.au On election day you’ll receive two ballot papers: a green one for the House of Rep­resentatives and a white one for the Senate.

On the white ballot paper you can choose to vote either above or below the line. On the green ballot paper, you need to number every box for your vote to count.

Major centres in the Parkes Electorate include Moree, Walgett, Narrabri, Coona­barabran, Coonamble, Gilgandra, Dubbo, Forbes, Parkes, Condobolin, Cobar, Broken Hill, Bourke and Brewarrina.

Candidates for the Parkes electorate will appear on the ballot paper in the following order:

Mark Carter (Pauline Hanson’s One Nation)Stephen Pope (Shooters Fishers and Farm­ers Party)Trish Frail (The Australian Greens Party)Petrus Van Der Steen (Trumpet of Patriots)Bob Wilson (Independent)Nathan Fell (Australian Labor Party)Jamie Chaffey (National Party of Australia)Maurice Davey (Family First Party)Stuart Howe (Independent)Sally Edwards (Libertarian Party)

The Central West Greens this week an­nounced Councillor Trish Frail the candidate for Parkes and Ben Parker as the candidate for Calare at the upcoming Federal Election.

Cr Trish Frail, the Greens candidate for Parkes, is a Ngemba woman who calls Brewarrina home. Trish is a Councillor on Brewarrina Shire Council and is currently working with the Council and the community to put the Biami Ngunnhu Fish Traps on the world heritage list as the oldest man-made structure in the world. Previously, Trish led a successful campaign against the establish­ment of a nuclear waste facility in the shire.

“Parkes is in need of a change. We don’t need a local member from a party pushing the nuclear fantasy as a solution for our en­ergy needs. We need someone who cares for the whole electorate, for our environ­ment, and for our future generations,” she says.

In Calare, the Greens candidate is Ben Parker, a university student studying Infor­mation Technology at Charles Sturt Univer­sity. Ben’s primary goal is to inspire young people to get involved in politics and show them how powerful their voice really is.

‘With Gen Z and Millennials set to out­number Baby Boomers in this upcoming federal election, I believe my perspective as a young candidate makes me uniquely po­sitioned to connect with and represent the younger voters in our electorate. By advo­cating for urgent action on key issues like climate change and the cost of living crisis, I am committed to fighting for policies that put people and the planet first,’ he says.

In the Senate, electors in Calare and Parkes can re-elect current Greens Sena­tor and Deputy Greens Leader, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, for a second term. Mehreen is a civil and environmental engineer and life-long activist for social and environmental justice.

In 2013, she joined NSW State Parliament, becoming the first Muslim woman to sit in an Australian parliament. In 2018, Mehreen became Australia’s first Muslim Senator.

Mehreen is a hard-working and passionate advocate against racism and misogyny.