The footings for one of the new bird hides at Gum Swamp are being driven in by Midpro Engineering & Irrigation.
Good News For Bird Lovers: Gum Swamp in Forbes has been a hive of activity with the installation of three new bird hides. The existing hide has also been refurbished as part of the redevelopment project. Located just four kilometres from the Forbes CBD on the Newell Highway, Gum Swamp is a nationally significant site for ornithology (study of birds). Once the project is complete, avid and amateur twitchers will have four, unobtrusive vantage points from which to observe over 150 bird species. Work on the new bird hides is anticipated to be complete by April.
Register For Parkrun: Parkrun will launch in Parkes next Saturday. It is important to register before the time to get a barcode and print it out as you will need it for every run to show and scan. Go to www.parkrun.com.au and register for free. Be there at 7:50am for a start at 8am. Bring your phone to scan the COVID QR code. Park-ing at Northparkes oval from where the 5km route starts.
Back To School Road Safety: With the new school year starting, road users are reminded about children’s safety around schools. Children are vulnerable road users. They are at risk because of their size, their inability to judge speed and distance, as well as the fact that they may behave unpredictably. Drivers are reminded to slow down, pay extra attention and be patient. When the orange (wig wag) lights on the back of a school bus are flashing, you must slow down to 40km/h. There are 40km/h school speed zones at all schools between 8 – 9:30am and 2:30 – 4pm on school days. The school zone in Bushman Street, Parkes, is operational all day from 8am – 4pm. Police will be targeting school zones to ensure drivers obey the 40km/h speed limit when school returns. Always make sure your children wear a seatbelt or use a child restraint. Always drop-off and pick-up your children on the school side of the road. Never call your children across the road to you. Use a pedestrian crossing where possible and avoid being distracted by friends, mobile phones or listening to music on headphones. Children up to 10 years old should always be supervised when near traffic. Children up to eight years old should always hold an adult’s hand when crossing the road or walking near traffic.
Schools started this week with an increase in traffic. Taj Lovett, Charlie Warren, Katie Brennan and Lucy MacGregor demonstrate crossing a road safely.