Special Interests Archives - Page 2 of 114

Healthy Vision Month

May 14, 2026 By Roxane Manley

Eye health is not just about seeing clearly, it’s also about protecting your long-term eye health. Many eye conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, often develop without obvious symptoms in the early stages. By the time vision changes are noticeable, damage may already have occurred.

That’s why regular eye examinations are so important, even if your vision seems “fine.”

A comprehensive eye test doesn’t just check if you need glasses; it allows us to assess the overall health of your eyes and detect early signs of disease.

Simple habits can also support lifelong eye health:

• Wear sunglasses outdoors to protect against UV damage

• Take regular breaks from screens.

• Maintain a healthy diet rich in leafy greens and omega-3s.

• Stay up to date with your eye examinations.

• Good general health has a positive flow on effect for our eyes.

At our Parkes practice, we provide advanced imaging technology that allows us to look deeper into the eye than ever before enabling us to detect issues before they affect vision.

Book an eye examination, encourage a family member to do the same, and remember early detection is the best protection.

Forbes Farming Family Makes History

May 7, 2026 By Roxane Manley

Guy Webb (cofounder and agronomist), Guy Hudson (cofounder & Loam CEO), Steve Nicholson (Garema carbon farmer), Mick Wettenhall (cofounder and Trangie farmer). Photo credit: Rachel Lenehan

A celebration breakfast was held at Garema Hall south of Forbes on Tuesday 5 May to celebrate the issuance of the world’s first Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU’s or soil carbon credits) to the Nicholson family.

The ACCU’s were grown in his soil using a specialised extensively researched fungal inoculum called CarbonBuilder, an Australian technology developed right here in Central NSW by Loam Bio, cofounded by local agronomist Guy Webb.

Loam Bio to date have raised $155 million to develop the technology for Australian, US and Brazilian growers. Steve Nicholson and his family signed up for the Australian Government soil carbon project in 2024 with the help of Loam Bio through their ‘SecondCrop’ soil carbon program.

This marks one of the largest broadacre cropping projects that has met the strict requirements of Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator, demonstrating that carbon farming has moved from concept to a commercial and scalable reality.

“We knew we couldn’t keep farming the same way,” owner Steve Nicholson said. “If we didn’t adapt, the future of the farm wasn’t sustainable.”

“From year one we saw a measurable increase in soil carbon. It was a seamless integration and offered something the industry doesn’t often get – a new income stream. In effect we are now growing a second crop from the same paddock,” said Steve.

The Nicholson Carbon Project, part of a 4,000ha grazing and cropping operation, has successfully generated an issuance of 4,867 tradeable ACCU across 881 hectares. Becoming the first broadacre cropping operation in NSW to successfully

generate Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU) using an innovative carbon-sequestering fungal seed treatment, a breakthrough that unlocks a game-changing win for farmers to get paid for capturing carbon, while building healthier, more productive soils for their existing cropping operations.

Steve Nicholson and his family have been farming at Garema for 27 years, Steve said that he judged the technology on three simple metrics. “Does it work, is it simple, does it make money? The answer is yes to all three.”

After extensive research they rolled out a suite of farm management changes, including modified crop rotations across wheat, barley and canola, pasture and pulse rotations, reduced tillage, and improved residue management. In 2024 the Nicholsons

added Loam Bio’s CarbonBuilder™ to their program, a world-first fungal seed treatment that integrates into existing farm operations to boost productivity.

In Steve’s case, an initial investment of $40,000 for treatment and seed related equipment has seen him turn that into $200,000 worth of ACCU’s.

The fungal based technology also increases soil structure allowing greater rainfall infiltration and storage, and also stores nitrogen in the soil profile more effectively, allowing a grower to improve his soil health whilst literally growing two crops in the one paddock, a grain crop above the ground and a soil carbon crop below the ground.

For information on the projector to explore similar benefits through soil carbon projects, visit www.loambio.com.

Sometimes We Forget That Rest Matters Too

April 30, 2026 By Rachel Kerin

I made an impractical decision as a farmer’s wife. But I am too far in to let him know that he was right and I was wrong.

I bought a gorgeous outdoor furniture set for our verandah, with cream white cushions.

“How do you think that will stay clean?” he asked, eyeing it off as it arrived.

And so it began.

My ongoing mission to prove him wrong.

The work dogs would take full advantage of not being tied up at night, and I’d find them curled up there in the morning, their black bodies a stark contrast against the cream cushions.

But there was one kelpie I felt had earned the right to a little luxury.

Pete. He was retired, and my favourite.

He could shoot around a mob of sheep at record speed, then stand quietly while my baby sprawled all over him, using his back as a cushion.

He’d mustered goats in Queensland. Burnt his paws on hot ground moving thirsty stock closer to water. Found lambs alone

and hungry beside a creek bed. Taught pup after pup how to work. Then shared his kennel with them at night to keep them warm.

And so, I let him have his warm patch of sun on my outdoor lounge.

To sleepily gaze over hills he knew well.

The white dots of sheep he’d moved up the laneway.

The glimmer of dams he’d swum in at the end of a hot day.

At sunset, I’d often walk past the window and see a tired farmer and his trusty dog sitting together, on the outdoor lounge.

A hand gently stroking a soft ear. An easy silence.

A decade of shared moments between them.

A fading pink sky stretched above them.

Deep green hills before them.

And cushions, that used to be cream white, beneath them.

And I think there’s something in that for us too.

We are very good at admiring hard work.

Especially in the country.

We respect grit.

We notice endurance.

We get on with it.

But sometimes we forget that rest matters too.

Not because all the work is done.

But because bodies need it. Minds need it.

Hearts need it.

Sometimes health looks like movement.

Sometimes it looks like strength.

And sometimes it looks like sitting on the verandah at sunset, beside someone who knows the road you’ve walked.

And so I am learning that;Maybe wellbeing isn’t always found in doing more.

Maybe sometimes it’s found in the pause.

Let’s make room for that kind of health too.

The kind that knows real rest is not laziness,It’s part of being well.

I hope you find a moment this weekend to sit, and just be.

By Rachel Kerin

Old Girls Nursing Provide Personalised In-home Support

April 30, 2026 By Roxane Manley

Pictured in pink are Elita Coughlan and Dayle Penny from Old Girls Nursing.

Old Girls Nursing aims to provide dedicated in-home nursing and support specifically for rural clients, with a mission to deliver high quality care through a team of highly trained, professional staff.

The business was started in April 2025, by Registered Nurse Dayle Penny. Based in Eugowra, this venture began after hearing many concerns throughout the region regarding the lack of available support services.

Dayle Penny is a registered nurse of twenty years; with the bulk of her nursing completed in residential aged care/nursing homes. Aged care is a specialised field of nursing and Dayle is extremely compassionate to the elderly.

“As a small business, we truly feel that we can make a positive impact by providing dedicated and personalised support.

We are committed to ensuring our clients receive the professional support, assistance and care the need, within the comfort of their own home,” said Dayle.

Elita Coughlan has worked in the aged care and NDIS sector for only a few years but finds it extremely rewarding.

“Aged care, NDIS and mental health support has been a very rewarding career choice emotionally. We have absolutely amazing clients and I love being able to help people as a job,” said Elita.

Old Girl Nursing services include medication management, complex clinical care, wound care, diabetes management, and support for those living with dementia, age related illnesses, behavioral challenges and mental health conditions.

They also provide respite care, giving families and carers peace of mind while ensuring their loved ones receive atten

tive, high-quality support and care. Support services extend to transport to and from appointments or social outings, domestic assistance, and personal care such as showering and toiletingContact Old Girls Nursing to discuss how they can help you. Call Dayle Penny RN 0425 411 122, Elita Coughlan 0423 910 011 or email oldgirlsnursing@gmail.com

Colonel Michael Robert Mudie Will Be Guest Of Honour At Parkes 2026 Anzac Day Celebrations

April 23, 2026 By Roxane Manley

Former Parkes resident, Colonel Mudie received his commission in the Australian Army in 2000, graduating from the Royal Military College of Australia as a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Corps of Signals.

Special guests of honour at the Parkes Anzac Day 2026 commemorations this Saturday 25 April, will be Australian Army Colonel Michael Robert Mudie and his wife Kelly.

The day will commence with the traditional dawn service at 5.30am held at Parkes Memorial Hill. Colonel Mudie will lay a wreath on behalf of the Australian Army. This event will see students from the Parkes Christian School MC the morning’s event.

Following the dawn service, an Anzac Day breakfast will be held at the Parkes Services & Citizens Club.

The Anzac Day March will commence at 8.35am under the watchful eye of Parade Commander Sgt Wayne Skinner. The march will depart from the front of the club in Short Street and it progress up Welcome Street to Chamberlain Square in Clarinda Street, where it will then turn right and proceed down Clarinda Street, before turning right into Short Street and coming to a halt outside the Parkes Services & Citizens Club.

At 9am the Anzac Day commemoration service will be held in Cooke Park in front of the Cenotaph. Assisted by Parkes Shire Council, the commemoration service will feature an address from both local youth and the special guest of honour, Colonel Mudie. Wreaths will then be placed at the Cenotaph.

At approximately 10.30am a small delegation of returned service personnel and local dignitaries proceed to the war graves section at the local cemetery for a brief service and laying of wreaths.

Colonel Mudie will attend and address the traditional Anzac Day luncheon which is held at the Parkes Services & Citizens Club commencing at 12 noon.

The Colonel’s final duty on Anzac Day will be at 5pm for the “Retreat” and this event takes place once again at the Cenotaph in Cooke Park, with the Parkes Services Club to sound the ODE at 6pm.

Men’s Health Education Rural Van (MHERV) To Visit Parkes

April 23, 2026 By Roxane Manley

The MHERV Project has been operating for over six years, travelling regional and rural NSW offering free health checkups to people who haven’t seen the inside of a doctor’s room since they don’t remember when! ln that time, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels may have reached seriously high levels and there are no symptoms, until it’s too late and a heart attack or stroke strikes.

Saving local lives is the objective of the Rotary Men’s Health Education Rural Van, and thanks to the Rotary Club of Parkes, MHERV is coming to our local area. MHERV is operated by the Rotary Club of Warners Bay in collaboration with local NSW Rotary clubs and other local community organisations.

The program is focussed on men because unlike women, they are not good at caring for their own health. The service is offered in a relaxed, confidential and informal setting and nobody is turned away. The MHERV registered nurse conducts the tests and discusses any health concerns seated in the privacy of the van.

You’re invited to take the opportunity to have a quick, free health check. Just ten minutes invested with MHERV can save your life or the life of someone you love. The MHERV will be located in Short Street opposite Parkes Services Club Monday 4 May and Tuesday 5 May from 9.30am – 3.30pm on both days.

Our Rotary team this year is proudly supporting DV Safe Phone.

All that is required is for people to drop their used phones into the box when MHERV is in town. Rotary will collect them at the end of the tour and send them on for refurbishment and distribution.

Refurbished phones are then provided to women’s shelters and similar organisations. Your old phone could save a life.

Applications Open For Variety Heart Scholarships

April 23, 2026 By Roxane Manley

Variety – the Children’s Charity NSW/ACT is calling on families to apply for a 2026 Variety Heart Scholarship, offering life-changing support for young people living with disabilities, chronic illness or financial hardship.

The scholarship provides practical, financial assistance to help children aged 8 – 18 years reach their full potential in sport, music and the creative arts.

Whether its funding for specialist equipment, competitions or training programs, the scholarship is designed to empower children to pursue their passions, build their talent and participate fully in their chosen field.

Variety NSW/ACT CEO, Tony Warner, said the program continues to deliver meaningful, long-term impact for families doing it tough.

“Every child deserves the chance to follow their dreams and feel included, regardless of circumstances,” he said.

“The Variety Heart Scholarship is about recognising potential and providing the support needed to help children thrive – on the field, on the stage, and beyond.”

Parents, carers and guardians of eligible children are encouraged to apply now with applications open until Thursday 21 May at 4pm. For information visit https://nsw.variety.org.au/variety-heart-scholarships/.

Labor’s Energy Crisis Hits Families In Parkes Electorate

April 16, 2026 By Roxane Manley

New data has revealed the impact the Albanese Labor Government’s disastrous energy policies are having on local families.

According to the Australian Energy Regulator, over 70,000 families in New South Wales were unable to pay their power bills over October to December 2025.

Since Labor was elected in 2022, 72,914 households have recorded hardship. Nationally, 230,000 households are in energy distress – up by nearly 70 per cent in just 3.5 years, the highest level of hardship on record.

Federal Member for Parkes Jamie Chaffey said the energy crisis was heaping pressure on local households.

“It is heartbreaking to hear of the impact rising power bills, together with inflation, climbing interest rates and the fuel crisis, is having on families in the Parkes electorate. Many are at breaking point,” Mr Chaffey said.

“Behind this new data are people in our community who are really struggling to make ends meet, yet all they get from the federal government are broken promises.

“I’ll keep fighting for a more stable, reliable energy grid that puts the needs of Australians first, not one-size-fits-all mandates and targets that we can’t practically achieve.”

$2 Million Investment To Support Climate-smart Flock Management

April 16, 2026 By Roxane Manley

Sheep producers across NSW and Victoria facing increasing climate variability will benefit from a new $2 million project delivering demonstration sites, workshops and case studies showcasing climate-smart flock management.

Led by Central West Farming Systems (CWFS), in partnership with Riverine Plains, Holbrook Landcare Network, Monaro Farming Systems, Tablelands Farming Systems, Local Land Services, Birchip Cropping Group, and Agriculture Victoria, the initiative will engage more than 500 producers over the next three years.

The project will trial a range of precision livestock technologies including in-paddock livestock weighing and satellite-based pasture monitoring, which can provide producers with real-time insights into flock performance and feed availability.

Combined with strategic grazing and nutrition practices, these tools can support informed decisions on stocking rates and feed allocation, helping producers reduce methane emissions, improve soil health and water retention, enhance animal productivity, and build resilience in their businesses.

CWFS Executive Officer Diana Fear said the project is an important opportunity to bring the latest innovations directly to farming communities. “This project will establish demonstration sites across different farming systems, backed by workshops and extension activities that give producers the confidence to trial and adopt climate-smart practices themselves.”

“Ultimately, we hope this project empowers producers to improve productivity and resilience while contributing to a low-emissions future for the sheep industry.”

The project runs from October 2025 to June 2028 and is funded from the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program under the Natural Heritage Trust.

Sign The Petition To Fuel The Bush

April 9, 2026 By Roxane Manley

Servos across rural communities are running out of diesel. Farmers are rationing fuel. Truckies are walking off runs they’ve done for generations. And it’s spreading.

If this keeps going, the harvest stops. The trucks stop. The food chain breaks.

Keep the Sheep is stepping up and launching Fuel the Bush. A new campaign to force the Albanese Government to guarantee fuel security for rural Australia. Ben Sutherland from Keep the Sheep said “It’s all connected. The same bureaucrats in Canberra who shut down live exports are the same ones leaving rural communities to run dry. The same people who don’t understand farming don’t understand why diesel matters.”

Keep the Sheep are calling on the Prime Minister to: Prioritise fuel supply for agriculture as a critical industry, Guarantee fuel deliveries to rural communities, Fast-track Australian refining so we’re not at the mercy of broken supply chains and Ensure fertiliser is sourced from additional avenues so Australian farmers can grow the food we need.

“We need to show Canberra that rural Australia is watching, and that we’ve got the numbers to back it up,” said Ben. Sign the petition at www.fuelthebush.com.au

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