The $1 million funding received in April last year has been used for ten projects in the Parkes Shire to support communities, local businesses and farmers.

The funding came from the Federal Gov-ernment as part of their Drought Communities Program.

Parkes Shire Council advised Federal Member for Riverina Michael McCormack of the completion of the projects when he was in town on Monday.

Michael said the $1 million investment had employed local tradespeople, apprentices, specialist tradies and general helpers, and provided a vital economic stimulus during the tough times of drought.

The construction projects were identified through strategic planning, drought forum meetings and direct contact with local representatives from each township.

The projects included a drought response officer position, Parkes Library refurbishment, Bogan Gate Hall maintenance, Cookamidgera Hall upgrades, Pola Park amenities in Tullamore, portable stage for the Cooke Park Pavilion, Berryman Oval in Trundle changerooms upgrade, shade shelters at Memorial Park in Peak Hill, bollards in Cooke Park for markets and events and the completion of the local Adverse Event Plan for the shire.

Roylances Forbes

For 66 years the Roylance name has been synonymous with the automotive and agricultural industries in Forbes, but more recently their focus has been on farming with the development of their Tractor Replacements business in Sam Street.

Now regional distributors for such iconic names as Kubota and Krone, they also added the globally recognised JCB brand to their list of products in 2020. Renowned for their earthmoving equipment – the iconic yellow and black backhoe, and their great selection of skid steers – JCB’s range of
agricultural equipment is also well recognised around the world: the Fastrac range of tractors, the fastest on the market, and the Agri Telehandler range providing farmers with immense flexibility across a range of applications.

Of importance for Roylances – who pride themselves on customer service – was to ensure that they had complete customer support for all their products.
From initial contact with Justin Roylance (grandson of company founders Jim and Nea Roylance) and Sales Manager Barry Cusack, to their after-sales service department and team of service technicians that can provide not just first-class service at their Forbes work-shops, but also valuable on-site service in case of setbacks on the farm.

For anyone looking to upgrade their existing machines, or looking to take advantage of the various financial support packages on offer from the Federal Government and JCB, call Roylances Tractor Replacements in Forbes on 6852 2020, drop into Unit 10, 42-46 Sam Street, Forbes or email enquiry@roylances.com.au

Cr Neil Westcott is also a farmer and said agriculture would play a key role over the next decade to sequester carbon which would form an important part of farming profit.

Parkes has placed itself firmly on the map as a model others can look to following a forum hosted by the Parkes Shire Council recently on the global move towards a circular economy.

The 20 speakers at the Activating the Low Carbon Economy in Regional Australia forum held over 150 attendees, who joined in online, captivated for the whole day.

“It is exciting to be part of the solution and to know Parkes is heading in the right direction,” said Cr Neil Westcott, who was a main driver behind the forum.

He said the purpose of the forum was to build a platform for knowledge sharing and innovation. There were many fantastic ideas shared that could be relevant to not only Parkes and regional NSW, but all of regional Australia.

“The key drivers for the day were urgency, empathy and opportunity. It is a very unique time in our history as there are some enormous problems, however a fantastic opportunity to make better use of the resources we have available to us and to set a mode of operation built around the circular economy.”

Topics covered included the role and impact of renewable energy in the regions, the nature and benefits of a circular economy and what this means for business and government, the importance of a low carbon economy to regional and rural Australia, and how all of these will combine to embrace new industries and create local employment in Parkes, accelerating a transition to a prosperous low carbon future.

Multiple speakers applauded Parkes Shire Council for its strategic vision in hosting the forum and the work that Council is doing to champion a low carbon and circular economy to boost regional productivity and opportunities.

Beyond the forum, Council plans to develop a white paper to guide future projects, opportunities and embrace new industries and create local employment in the Parkes Special Activation Precinct.

Neil said the forum had also led to many spin-off meetings between the speakers that would hopefully lead to many more great outcomes.

Farmers, contract harvesters, transport companies and agricultural machinery retailers are invited to attend the Be Road Ready for Harvest Virtual Field Day via Zoom on Wednesday, 15th September from 8am (and not Tuesday as reported in last week’s paper).

The event will be held online for the second year in a row due to the current COVID-19 restrictions.

“It’s looking like we are going to have a good harvest again this year, and it is important to refresh people’s knowledge about the current rules and regulations for legally and safely moving harvest equipment and trucks on the road,” said Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor.

“Safety and compliance during harvest is very important. Opera-tors need to be aware of their responsibilities and ensure that all warning devices and travel requirements are adhered to.”

Topics to be discussed include access, permits, fire safety, fatigue, load restraint and more.

Registration is free but spaces are limited. Register online at www.eventbrite.com and search ‘Be Road Ready for Harvest Virtual Field Day’. All attendees will receive an information pack.

If you have a specific question that you would like answered, contact Melanie on 6861 2364 or Melanie.Suitor@parkes.nsw.gov.au so that it can be covered in the presentations.