Congratulations to the Parkes Elvis Festival team, committee and volunteers on being inducted into the Hall of Fame at the 2018 NSW Tourism Awards, having won the Festivals and Events category for three consecutive years. This is recognition of all the hard work and dedication of our fantastic volunteers, supporters and staff who have made the Festival what it is today.

The festive season is upon us with the annual Shop Parkes campaign commencing this week. The theme of this year’s
campaign is to ‘give a gift to the community’ by shopping locally. Throughout the festive season, we will be unwrapping 12  local Christmas special offers via the visit Parkes website and the Shop Parkes Facebook and Instagram pages. The campaign also coincides with the popular Sparkles Illuminations, Christmas Street Parade, Markets and Movie Night tonight.

For all details about the Shop Parkes campaign, and Christmas events, visit www.visitparkes.com.au.

Christmas is also a time to celebrate, so Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer is encouraging locals to have a Plan B in place. Plan B is a state-wide initiative encouraging punters to think about an alternative to driving home after a night out. During December, patrons at participating pubs, clubs and bottle shops will be invited to enter a competition to nominate a Plan B for getting home to go into the draw to win a swag.

Lachlan Health Council is encouraging local business, community and sporting organisations to register their Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) machines through the St John Ambulance defibrillator register, aed.stjohn.org.au. The St John’s defibrillator register is a national register to record the details and location of AEDs
throughout Australia, making the life saving devices more accessible.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

Congratulations to the organisers of the Band Together Farmers concert that rocked Parkes over the weekend. Thousands flocked to the Showground on Saturday to enjoy the Hoodoo Gurus headline, in addition to a swag of other Australian music legends. All monies raised donated to the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health.  Special mention to the RAAF Roulettes who wowed the crowd during their spectacular appearance over the fundraiser.

Council’s Parks and Gardens team, in partnership with Derrick Hoe Excavations, have completed the new rock pool garden and Remembrance section at the Parkes Cemetery. The new seating is designed as an area for quiet reflection.

Work has also finished on the first stage of sealing on Station Street. There is another stage of sealing works to be undertaken prior to Christmas. Council will advise of any changes to road conditions prior to work commencing via our website, www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.

Lachlan Health Council is calling on residents to provide their input into the health care planning process, by becoming a Health Council member. The Lachlan Health Council is made up of local community representatives, clinicians and managers from Parkes and Forbes, all passionate about the health of our community. To become a member, contact Jo Suffolk on 6850 7103.

The festive season is just around the corner, with the annual Shop Parkes campaign commencing next week to coincide with the Sparkles Illuminations, Christmas Street Parade, Markets and Movie Night.

This year, locals are encouraged to ‘give a gift to the community’ by shopping locally. Throughout the festive season, we will be unwrapping 12 local Christmas special offers via the visit Parkes website and the Shop Parkes Facebook and Instagram pages. For all details about the Shop Parkes campaign, and Christmas events, visit www.visitparkes.com.au.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

It has been a big week for our water team, having received three major accolades. Council received a Project Management award for the recent upgrades of the towns’ urban water network at the 2018 Institute of Public Works Australasia conference.

Parkes was then awarded two Tidy Town Sustainability Awards – the Community Spirit and Inclusion Award for the Water and Sewage Treatment Plant Community Open Days, as well as the Renewable Energy Award for the integration of solar systems at the new facilities.

Marking the start of the next stage in the water infrastructure renewal project, Leed Engineering and Construction has been awarded a $7.43m contract to construct the Recycled Water Rising Main that will deliver recycled water to irrigate selected parks and sporting fields around town. In order to undertake this project, a number of temporary road closures will be implemented on a progressive basis around town. These will be advertised on Council’s website and social media pages.

The western walking trail at the Peak Hill Gold Mine will be temporarily closed to allow for the drilling of core samples by Alkane Resources. During this period, visitors can access the Open Cut Experience from several alternative walking trails. Site maps available from the Parkes and Peak Hill Visitor Information Centres or at the entrance to the Open Cut Experience.

The new temporary dining platform has been installed adjacent to Smeaton’s Bakery on the western side of Lower Clarinda Street. The platform is the second to have been installed in Parkes, allowing businesses to increase their dining capacity and expand the outdoor dining options in the town centre.

Parkes will welcome thousands of visitors to town this weekend for the Band Together Farmers concert at Parkes Showground. Tickets can be purchased via 123tix.com. To coincide with the concert, ABC Radio Sydney presenter Simon Marnie will broadcast a special NSW state-wide program that morning live from 10am to midday at Cooke Park in Parkes.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

Congratulations to the five members of Council’s water team who were formally awarded their Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA) certification. The certification recognises the key role our water operators play in public health, certifying their competency to manage drinking water quality, as well as identifying and responding to water quality risks and incidents.

Work has commenced on the repurposing of the one building remaining on the old hospital site. The old hospital was demolished in 2016 following the opening of the new hospital along the Forbes Road. Council contractors have started stripping out the old community hall, the one remaining building on the site, with work also well advanced on a new carpark. The building is earmarked as a child care centre.

Following the success of the first temporary outdoor dining platform installed at Bella’s along Church Street, a new platform is set to be constructed adjacent to Smeaton’s Bakery on the western side of Lower Clarinda Street in the coming weeks. The outdoor dining platforms are an initiative of the Parkes Main Street Vibrancy Strategy 2016. The dining platforms have been exclusively designed for Parkes Shire Council as modular and transportable infrastructure that will allow businesses to increase their dining capacity and expand the outdoor dining options in the town centre.

This weekend the Parkes Shire will join the rest of the nation in marking the Centenary of the end of the First World War. The Parkes RSL Sub-branch is holding a dinner to mark the 100-year anniversary at 6:30pm on Saturday, 10th November at the Parkes Services Club. The community is then invited to commemorate the Armistice and Remembrance Day on Sunday, 11th November with a service at the Cenotaph in Cooke Park from 10:30am.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

I was delighted to join my fellow councillors and staff to turn the first sod on construction of the Recycled Water Rising Main, a purpose-built pipeline that will transport high-quality recycled water to irrigate selected public greenspaces around Parkes. The project, funded under the National Stronger Regions Fund, provides a new water source for the town, allowing the council to maintain parks and sporting grounds all year round, while reducing the
demand on potable water.

Council will wrap up the Parkes 2030 mid-term workshops next week, with the last workshop to be held at the Cookamidgera Hall on Wednesday, 7th November from 6pm to 7:30pm. Thank you to those residents who attended the workshops and joined the conversation. For more information, visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.

Council’s works team is currently constructing a new footpath along Hooley Street, beginning on the corner of Bogan
Street and Hartigan Avenue, finishing at the Middleton Street intersection. They’ll be working on that section up until the Christmas period, weather permitting. Residents are encouraged to be out there in the Parkes Shire this weekend. Parkes Rotary Club will host the Wiradjuri Cloaks and Headdresses exhibition at the Coventry Room in Parkes, showcasing artwork of importance to local and regional Wiradjuri people. The exhibition will be officially opened tomorrow evening at 6pm, with funds raised going towards the ‘End Trachoma by 2020’ initiative.

Tullamore will host Centre Stage Scripts’ production of ‘Carpe Diem’ – a theatre event that delivers mental health messages in a way that is entertaining, immediate and highly relevant. Doors open 7pm tomorrow, Saturday, 3rd November at Tullamore Hall. Tickets are $20 and available from Casho’s Cafe, 123tix.com.au or at the door on the
night.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor Parkes Shire

Thank you to those residents who participated in the Parkes 2030 mid-term workshops this week in Bogan Gate, Alectown, Tullamore and Peak Hill. Having reached the mid-way point in the current term of council, Councillors and staff will be visiting each township to ‘check in’ and speak with the community about the projects that have been delivered thus far, and what’s currently in the planning. Next week we will host workshops in Trundle and Parkes, with Cookamidgera to be held the following week. For more information, visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.

Nominations are now open for the Parkes Shire Cultural, Community and Sports Awards to be presented at the Australia Day celebrations next year. These awards recognise the hard work and achievements of community members and groups within our region. To nominate an individual or group, visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au or pick
up a nomination form from Council or one of our libraries.

Small Business Month will wrap up next week, with business owners and operators invited to take part in the last workshop delivered by Id Solutions. The free Data, Finance + Your Business workshop will focus on how businesses can best utilise their local online economic profile to transform their operations. To find out more or to register,
visit www.parkes.nsw.gov.au.

This week Council staff teamed up with Central West Lachlan Landcare to host two Environmental Workshops at Kelly Reserve to celebrate National Water Week.

Kindergarten students from Bogan Gate Public School, Holy Family Primary School, Parkes Christian School and Parkes Public School learned about wetlands, waterbugs, waterbirds, water sources, recycled water and water saving, and got the opportunity to get a hands-on, outdoor learning experience about all things water and the environment.

Thank you to the volunteers from National Parks Association Lachlan Valley Branch and Parkes Garden Club for their assistance.

A reminder that Council’s Learn to Swim program commences next week. Enrolment forms can be downloaded via our website.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

Council has been selected as a finalist across three categories at 2018 NSW Tourism Awards for excellence in Festival
& Events, Destination Marketing and Visitor Information Services. This recognition highlights the successful initiatives that have been implemented to grow the visitor economy of the Parkes Region. The winners will be announced at a gala night held at the Big Top, Luna Park Sydney on Thursday, 22nd November.

Business owners and operators are invited to learn how to maximise their digital marketing efforts at a Digital Health Check Workshop on Monday, 22nd October. The free workshop, part of Small Business Month, will be facilitated by digital and social media expert Holly Gailbrath who will discuss the importance of a website, Google
My Business, TripAdvisor, Facebook and an email database. To register for the workshop, visit www.visitparkes.com.au

Congratulations to those local businesses named as finalists in the 2018 Parkes Business Awards. Hosted by the Parkes Chamber of Commerce, The Henrys are held annually to celebrate our hard working, dedicated, and innovative business community and acknowledge their achievements over the past year. The winners will be announced at a Gala Dinner held this evening at the Parkes Services Club.

Residents are invited to celebrate National Bird Week at the official opening of the renewed PAC Park Amenities this Sunday, 21st October. A free community barbeque breakfast will commence from 8am. The project, funded by the NSW Department of Community Services Social Housing Improvement Fund, included the installation of a new shelter with two table settings, a double electric barbeque, a smaller shelter and new lighting.

The popular Parkes Aqua Aerobics classes will commence for 2018 next week. Classes will be held every Tuesday at 7.15pm and Thursday at 6.15pm. Cost is $10 per class payable on the day.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

Council has been successful in receiving a $13,000 grant from the Central West Councils Environment and Waterways Alliance to facilitate site remediation around the new Water and Sewer Treatment Plants. The project is set to improve biodiversity, habitat connectivity and visual amenity at both sites.

Council crews have commenced works on the Henry Parkes Way on behalf of the Roads and Maritime Service to provide a safer road environment for motorists. Works will include widening and strengthening the road in four sections starting 15 kilometres west of Parkes. There will be some temporary traffic changes to ensure the work zone is safe, so motorists should allow for extra travel time during this work.

Business owners and operators are invited to learn about the five essential digital tools for your business marketing as part of the Digital Health Check Workshop on Monday, 22nd October. The free workshop, part of Small Business Month, will be facilitated by digital and social media expert Holly Gailbrath, who will discuss the importance of a website, Google My Business, TripAdvisor, Facebook and an email database and how these five tools can be used to propel your marketing efforts. The following day Holly will be visiting seven local businesses instore to deliver one-on-one sessions. Spaces are limited. To register for the workshop and to apply for a one-one-one session, visit www.visitparkes.com.au

Residents are invited to celebrate National Bird Week at the official opening of the renewed PAC Park Amenities on Sunday, 21st October. Council, in partnership with Central West Lachlan Landcare Inc and the National Parks Association of NSW Lachlan Valley branch, will host a free barbeque breakfast start from 8am. The project, funded by the NSW Department of Community Services Social Housing Improvement Fund, included the installation of a new shelter with two table settings, a double electric barbeque, a smaller shelter and new lighting.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend

Cr Ken Keith OAM

Mayor of Parkes Shire

This week marked the start of Small Business Month. Throughout October there are a number of events and initiatives that business owners and operators are encouraged to take part in, enabling them to tap into online resources, learn new skills and access business support. For the full list of Small Business events, visit visitparkes.com.au

Council has also teamed with Service NSW to deliver the Easy to do Business program. Residents interested in setting up a new business in the Parkes Shire can now sign up to access free personalised assistance to help you get started, including advice on licensing, regulations and what approvals are required. To find out more, or to register, visit mybusiness.service.nsw.gov.au

We had a fantastic start to the swim season this week, with gates opening to the Parkes Aquatic Centre over the long weekend. With all Parkes Shire pool facilities offering free entry this swim season, parents and carers are reminded to keep a close watch. Children up to the age of 14 years must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. The township pool facilities will open on Saturday, 3rd November.

Residents are invited to celebrate National Bird Week at the official opening of the renewed PAC Park amenities on Sunday, 21st October. Council, in partnership with Central West Lachlan Landcare Inc and the National Parks Association of NSW Lachlan Valley branch, will host a free barbeque breakfast starting from 8am. The project, funded by the NSW Department of Community Services Social Housing Improvement Fund, included the installation of a new shelter with two table settings, a double electric barbeque, a smaller shelter and new lighting.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire

Council’s Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer is reminding motorists that double demerits commence today, marking the start of a four-day blitz. Police will be targeting speed, seatbelts, mobile phone use and motorcyclists not wearing helmets over the October long weekend, with more police on the road throughout the Parkes Shire.

With school holidays commencing this afternoon, locals and visitors are being encouraged to ‘be out there’ in the Parkes Shire with plenty of affordable and memorable experiences for the whole family to enjoy within the region. Council has compiled a fantastic list of special offers for families to take advantage of via the Visit Parkes website, visitparkes.nsw.gov.au

Parkes Aquatic Centre opens its gate this weekend, with all Parkes Shire pool facilities offering free entry this swim season following a resolution made by Parkes Shire Council. Parents and carers are reminded to keep a close watch this swim season, with our lifeguards expecting the 2018/19 swim season to be their busiest to date. There will be a sign in register at the gate this year, to enable our staff to keep track of how many people are using the facilities.

A number of projects have wrapped up recently. The newest addition to the Parkes Shire Public Art Trail has been unveiled in Trundle. The Community Wall celebrates the cultural and artistic diversity within the community. The installation of tiered seating at the Parkes Little Theatre has also been completed this week. The project, funded by the NSW Government, has significantly enhanced the performance space. Council staff have also completed the kitchen replacement at the Peak Hill Leisure Centre for the community to utilise.

Next week marks the start of Small Business Month, with business owners and operators in the Parkes Shire encouraged to take part in a number of free localised events and workshops where they will gain valuable and innovative tools to take their business to the next level.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire