The Local Community Food Drive organised by Woolworths in Forbes and Parkes will help deliver food relief to those experiencing hardship in the lead-up to Christmas. 

The initiative started on Wednesday, and Forbes and Parkes Shire customers are encouraged to donate non-perishable food items. A specially marked Local Community Food Drive trolley has been placed in each store, and donated items can include: breakfast cereals, pasta, rice and instant noodles, canned fish or meat, spreads (peanut butter, honey, jam); and baked beans and spaghetti. 

Food insecurity is a harsh reality for many Australians with more than half a million households struggling to meet food needs, and more than two million households having gone hungry in the last 12 months, according to the 2022 FoodBank Hunger Report. 

Within these households, the number of children affected has increased by 100,000, resulting in 1.3 million children grappling without having food on their plate. 

Woolworths stores are working closely with local food charities to ensure Forbes and Parkes Shire residents in need will receive the donated items, along with fresh food to the value of $250 in time for the upcoming festive season. 

The Food Drive is a frontline community effort to help provide a solution for hunger relief, which has been exacerbated by the rising cost of living and changes in household living arrangements. 

“We’re asking Forbes and Parkes Shire customers who are in a position to do so, to join us in donating to the Woolworths Local Community Food Drive on their next grocery shop, by simply adding non-perishable items to our trolleys. By making a small donation, you will be helping the wellbeing of our local community, providing them with the essentials they need,” said the managers of the two stores. 

Customers can donate in-store until 15th November.

There is a lot in the media about food waste, but do we really know why we need to recycle our food scraps?

Parkes Shire Council will be rolling out the Scrap Together Campaign to help residents understand what happens to food waste collected in the green lid bin as part of a partnership with NetWaste.

Orange City Council and Bathurst City Council are also part of a NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) grant of $40,000 that will help households become top food waste recyclers. 

Parkes Shire Councillor George Pratt said the Scrap Together campaign would not only help residents understand what happened to food waste, but also encouraged them to use the green lid bin well. 

Parkes Shire Council’s $10,000 share of the funding will help keep food and garden waste out of landfill to be processed into compost that will improve soil health. 

“It will enable Council to roll out an engaging campaign that will remind residents of the environmental benefits of recycling your food waste and how to use the service to your advantage,” said the Councillor. 

The campaign was piloted in Forbes, Clarence Valley and Kempsey local government areas last year and proved popular with residents, resulting in an average 10% increase in food waste recovered for recycling. 

Head of EPA Organics Unit, Amanda Kane said: “This funding round will enable 25 councils to deliver the Scrap Together campaign materials, which includes videos, radio adverts, mailbox drops and print advertising.” 

“The NSW Government allocated an additional $69 million over the next five years to further expand FOGO (food organics & garden organics) services and support councils to meet new requirements under the government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 to provides services to all NSW households by 2030,” she said. 

For more information visit www.epa.nsw.gov.au/fogo.

Old Pine Estate is a unique 105ha property located in the beautiful shallow rush area on the western limit of Parkes NSW that is being developed into a residential area for families looking for the beauty of country living. The locally owned and established subdivision is done by Giles Land Development and will comprise six lots of 1.3ha each and 23 lots of 4ha each.

Peter Giles, Project Manager, said the development was named ‘Old Pine’ after the original farm. The development is located adjacent to Moulden Street, Cookapie Street, Back Trundle Road and Gold Rush Road.

Peter said the large blocks were targeted at the family looking for the freedom and lifestyle of country living. “The joys of watching your kids grow up, riding horses or motorbikes, enjoying the outdoors or the older couple looking for a quiet community to retire into, with the added convenience of the town centre only minutes away.”

With the current shortage of property available across the Parkes region and the Central West, Peter and Nartayliah decided it was the perfect time to release this subdivision to the public. “There is currently no other affordable 4ha or 1,3 ha lots available in the area,” said Peter. 

“We are very excited to present this affordable and desirable land to the Parkes community.” 

All the blocks will have power, sealed road access, new fencing and estate style entryways. There will be no house design or style restrictions, but the standard council regulations for the R5 Zoning code will apply. The 1.3ha lots have town water and street lighting, and all the lots can have a bore installed. 

Peter said the response had been great so far, and he and his family were also going to build and live on the estate. 

To register your expression of interest and to receive an information brochure scan the QR code in the below image. For up-to-date news, like and share their Facebook page @gileslanddevelopment.