Council is inviting expressions of interest from community members who would like to contribute to informed discussions and provide local input on the proposed energy to waste facility through the new working party - as stated in last week's Champion Post.

Why do this now?

A community party as suggested to "consider a broad range of viewpoints and contribute constructively to discussions" would have been great to properly gauge public opinion BEFORE council made their hasty and pressured decision to oppose the facility.

I see no value in this committee as it can only reinforce council's stance, and is certainly not a committee for supporters of the project, as their views are now irrelevant following council's decision to oppose the project.

This is a case of council putting the cart before the horse.

Ian Chambers, Parkes

New crossing on Great Western Highway

This comment from the Parkes Champion Post's Facebook page is in response to the article 'GWH work to start July with expected road reopening 2027' published on our website on June 26 and in the 2 July edition of the paper on page 5:

This is a band-aid solution, building a road over the top of the old road and using the Convict Bridge as a base is absolutely ridiculous.

This is not a back road or a laneway, it is the Great Western Hwy that's supposed to serve the Central West of NSW from Sydney.

The tunnel should never have been shelved.

Governments knew that the Convict Bridge was never going to last, but now is the opportunity for governments to do it properly and permanently so it then can last the next 100 years.

Fix it properly, this is the only way a new road over Victoria Pass is going to meet future needs, four lanes not two.

John O'Dwyer