Behind the scenes: Progress on big projects in towns

STATE MATTERS By Member for Orange Phil Donato PROGRESS OF FORBES ART SOCIETY GALLERY I got a behind-the-scenes tour to see the progress of the Forbes Art Gallery development at the site of the old Forbes ambulance station. There’s been a lot of progress and it’s going to be impressive when complete. This project has been a challenge, and I applaud the Forbes Art Society and Forbes Shire Council on their efforts for what will be a huge asset to the town. Well done. SES SOD TURN It was fantastic to see works started on the new SES Unit building at Parkes. I have lobbied for the last few years for this much-needed building, and I am pleased to see it’s now happening. Thanks to Minister Jihad Dib MP for his support of our SES and the Parkes community. Thanks to all our SES volunteers. You are so appreciated and this infrastructure, along with new rescue equipment, is deserved - and essential - to help you answer the call in our community’s hour of need. NAIDOC AT PARKES I recently celebrated NAIDOC Family Fun Day with the Parkes community at Bushman’s Hill Reserve. There were lots of events for the whole family bringing the community together. It was also great to catch-up with the Parkes RFS crew on their Get Ready Weekend. The team were out and about at Parkes NAIDOC Family Fun Day festivities. A timely reminder to clean gutters, mow lawns around dwellings and minimise litter and fuel around properties to reduce the risk of fire impacting your property this season. SPORT DEFIBRILLATOR GRANT PROGRAM NOW OPEN The NSW Government has now opened the 2025/2026 Local Sport Defibrillator Grant Program. This program aims to improve safety at community sport by increasing access to life-saving equipment. Eligible sport and active recreation organisations across NSW can apply for grants of up to $3000 to purchase and install an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at their facilities. Key details: Applications close: When funds are exhausted or by 1 December 2025, 1pm (whichever comes first). Funding available: $500,000 total. Grant amount: Up to $3000 per AED package. Be sure not to miss out. Funding is allocated on a first-in, first-served basis and demand is high! For program guidelines, eligibility criteria, approved AED packages and how to apply, please visit the link https://shorturl.at/3N9kL.

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