
Sergeant Martin Ling from the Parkes Highway Patrol reminds members of the public that police patrols will pay more attention to drink drivers over the long weekend.
Double Demerits: Don’t spoil your very first road trip after isolation by not sticking to the road rules. This is a reminder that this long weekend double demerit points will be in place from today, 5th June to Monday, 8th June.
Parkes Highway Patrol Sergeant Martin Ling said officers would be targeting excessive speed, alcohol and drug driving, fatigue, seatbelt, helmet and mobile phone offences.
“With the opening of pubs and clubs, we will be paying more attention to drink drivers.” He reminded the public to take advantage of the local taxi service or use a designated driver.
Power Outage for Tottenham and Tullamore: To enable work to be safely completed on the electricity network, a planned power outage will affect Tottenham, Tullamore and the surrounding area on Sunday, 14th June between 9am and 3:30pm. The planned power outage was originally scheduled for mid-May, but had to be postponed after heavy rain. Crews will replace seven cross-arms, two insulators and one power pole, along with other maintenance tasks. As part of Essential Energy’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, all maintenance work requiring a power outage is carefully assessed, however these works do need to be completed to ensure the network remains safe and reliable for customers.
Make Staying Connected A New Daily Routine: R U OK? is calling on Australians to include staying connected in their daily routine as they deal with the lasting impact of the Coronavirus. “The pandemic has inspired some wonderful examples of how caring our community can be and we need to hold on to that because that sense of genuine care and concern can be life changing for those grappling with the impact of recent events,” said R U OK? CEO, Katherine Newton. “In the morning think about who in your world might be struggling and make a plan to reach out to them and ask ‘Are you okay?’. That simple question and a conversation has the power to change someone’s life for the better.”
To #StayConnected:
• Think about who in your world might be struggling.
• Make ‘time to ask’ as part of your daily routine.
• Make a phone call, send an SMS, video call, email or chat over the fence, go for a walk together or catch up for a cuppa. If you need guidance on how to support someone, visit ruok.org.au
Do The Poo Test! Cancer Council NSW is encouraging all NSW residents to stay on top of their routine health checks, in particular those that are eligible for the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program. “We are urging eligible Australians to participate when their screening invitation or reminder letters arrive in the mail. Be sure the kit is still valid by checking the expiry date on the back of the envelope.”
Blood Donations ‘Essential’: Donate now. Make an appointment online or call 13 14 95.
Parkes VIC Re-opens: With regional travel in NSW back on the cards from 1st June, the Parkes Visitor Information Centre (VIC) and Henry Parkes Museums have reopened.
The VIC will be open on weekdays from 9am – 4pm, while the King’s Castle Elvis Exhibit and Parkes Motor Museum will also re-open on weekdays with physical distancing and hygiene measures in place.
The Parkes Historical Society will also re-open at the same times and manage their patrons in line with Government regulations.

The Parkes Dragon Boat Club members are enjoying being back on a much fuller Lake Endeavour, and are using kayaks to keep fit until they are allowed to paddle in a dragon boat again.