ABOVE: Phil Donato MP speaking to ride organiser, Grant Nicholson before the group departed from Bunnings carpark in Forbes to make the trip to Parliament House.

An estimated 4.2 million Australian adults (21 per cent) have expe­rienced violence, emotional abuse or economic abuse by a part­ner, according to information released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Women are more likely than men to have experienced this type of abuse by a partner, and when Forbes woman Molly Ticehurst was murdered by her ex-partner on 22 April, 2024, it didn’t just shake the Forbes community, it rocked the nation.

Forbes’ Grant Nicholson was inspired by the loss of Molly to lead 120 motorcycles on a Ride Against Domestic Violence. The ride kicked off on Friday 11 April from Bunnings carpark in Forbes, with local member Phil Donato MP in attendance to farewell the riders.

“There were many failures in the system that should have pro­vided Molly more safety and security,” said Mr Donato.

The group rode 280km, picking up riders along the way, to hold a meeting in the assembly area of Parliament House in Canberra to demonstrate their concern over “The lack of action by our leaders to combat DV in our communities,” said Grant. The date, 11 April was chosen as it was the day before Molly’s birthday.

Grant spoke in front of the crowd in Canberra, with the intent to be loud and peaceful, in an attempt to show society that domestic violence of any kind will not be tolerated.

The event was covered by television crews including Channel 7, Channel 9 and ABC, but Grant wont accept praise for raising awareness to this cause, humbly stating, “We’re trying to do some­thing, it’s the only thing I know how to do.”

Grant, who is part of the Central West Riders Forbes group, says in a few weeks he will meet up with fellow riders from Dubbo in an effort to start planning next year’s ride.

BELOW: One of the riders clearly demonstrating their support of this important cause.

Parkes Shire is among the four Local Government Areas (LGAs) receiving support, with $3.3 million allocated for vital infrastructure projects damaged by the catastrophic flooding. The funded initiatives will focus on restoring essential community assets, ensuring they are better equipped to withstand future severe weather events.

Minister for Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty, outlined the importance of the program. “The Community Assets Program is not just building back for now – we’re building back better for the future by improving the resilience of these essential assets.”

Parkes Shire projects include:

• New facility for NSW SES Parkes Unit: $1,310,530

• Berryman Oval Flood Repair (Trundle): $636,300

• Bushman’s Dam Flood Repair: $668,252

• PAC Park Flood Damage Repair: $701,545

General Manager of Parkes Shire Council, Kent Boyd, welcomed the support from theAustralian and NSW Governments.

“This significant investment is important for Parkes Shire, allowing us to not only restore flood damaged infrastructure but also build resilience against future floods.

“We will be particularly delighted to see our dedicated SES volunteers move into a new, purpose-built facility, which they so richly deserve”, Mr Boyd said.

For more information on the Community Assets Program 2024 and a list of funded projects, visit: www.nsw.gov.au/communi­tyassetsprogram2024

Over 300 residents from across the Central West region have participated in commu­nity engagement sessions, facilitated by the NSW Reconstruction Authority, which were held across the Parkes, Forbes, Lachlan and Cabonne Shires over three weeks, giving residents the opportunity to view flood risk information, hear about proposed measures to make their homes more flood resilient and talk directly with flood experts about how new flood maps were developed.

Residents were encouraged to share their feedback on the proposed approach for the Program, with many supporting measures that will help them minimise future flood damage to their property.

Support services, including Legal Aid, Red Cross, Lifeline and Catholic Care, were also on hand to help residents navigate the more complex challenges many still face.

The Central West’s Resilient Homes Pro­gram aims to build stronger, safer commu­nities with measures that help households most at risk from future floods.

Proposed measures include grants for a range of resilience measures, such as raising and retrofitting, home rebuilds and home relocations and a voluntary scheme to buy back properties in the highest flood risk zones.

Member for Orange Phil Donato said “Nothing will ever undo the damage caused by the 2022 floods, but we can make sure that we’re better prepared for future disas­ters. Community information sessions are one way we can empower residents to have a say about a program that will have a pro­found effect on their future.”

Essential Energy will commence work next week on a major maintenance program on the electricity network that supplies power to Parkes, Lake Cargelligo, and the surrounding areas.

Operations Manager Central, Andrew Hinchcliffe, said that the major works would see more than 130 tasks completed across the area over five consecutive days. “Crews will be replacing 30 power poles, 18 pole crossarms, upgrading and refurbishing 14 transformers and replacing various other network components that have reached end of life,” Andrew said.

A series of planned power outages will be necessary for the works to be completed safely, and these have been scheduled to occur daily from Monday, 1 May to Friday, 5 May 2023. Customers will receive Essential Energy’s standard outage notifications, advising the dates and times of outages affecting them.

“We are bringing in additional crews and equipment from Condobolin, Forbes, Griffith, Lake Cargelligo, Leeton and West Wyalong depots to work with our local Parkes crews to help complete this large program of works,” Andrew said.

“Significant planning has been undertaken to complete the large program of works as quickly and safely as possible, with a significant amount of work being completed in a relatively short time across the area, to reduce the overall inconvenience on affected communities.”

The scheduled works are reliant on suitable weather conditions and may be postponed if the conditions are unfavourable or any unforeseen circumstances arise.

“We appreciate that planned power outages may cause inconvenience for some customers, but they are vital to ensure a safe and reliable power network for these communities,” Andrew said.

Flood-impacted residents across the Cabonne Shire can now apply for modular homes, with the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government expanding its temporary accommodation program following last year’s successful caravan rollout.

Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said modular homes are now being installed. “These pods will complement the 110 caravans we already have in place, giving residents more options and more support while they continue their recovery journey.”

“It’s important people remain as close as possible to their own home and connected with their community while they undertake the difficult clean-up and rebuilding process, that’s what the modular homes will allow,” said Steph.

Flood-impacted residents in the Cabonne Shire can apply for the Pods on Private Property Program by visiting their local Recovery Assistance Point, calling Service NSW on 13 77 88 or sending an email to: housingtaskforce@resilience.nsw.gov.au.

Caravans are continuing to be provided through a partnership between the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government and accommodation provider Camplify. Flood-impacted residents who have previously received a caravan and are eligible for a modular home will be able to transition.

More information at: www.nsw.gov.au/floods/recovery/temporary-housing.