In November last year, a long dormant block of land next to my residence was suddenly excavated.

I received no council notice and some contractor from Orange was sent up to do the work,

I reported it to council as did my far neighbour.

Council said they knew nothing and the work was swiftly shut down.

The contractor excavated three metres below my retaining wall before quickly filling it up and stomped all over it with his caterpillar tracks.

In January after the super storm happened, the retaining wall collapsed into my yard.

It had been there since 1920.

My insurer is baulking at replacing it because of the history.

So I went to council to get all the paperwork for the shut down for a civil action suit.

All I was told was "we entered the premises un-authorised (an empty block of land) and we took some photos but I can't give them to you because of privacy issues you will have to apply to have them released".

They won't even give me the name of the previous owner who contracted the excavation because of "privacy issues."

I have five tons of broken concrete in my yard which destroyed our garden.

A guava tree I had planted 10 years ago was flattened and is dead.

I believe not having any paperwork on the incident by council borders on negligence and I'll have to pursue this through the courts.

When it comes to residents' and ratepayers' rights it's just put in the too hard bin.

And was told by council the excavation was to remove asbestos by an unlicensed, unqualified, excavator from Orange. The tons of dirt he dug with asbestors fragments was not covered.

My family and I have been exposed to asbestos and the neighbours with the potential to getting asbestosis from this unauthorised clearance and council doesn't even have a shred of paperwork about it.

Despite all their alarm and brochures about asbestos clearance which they charge a bomb for at the local tip for disposal, council seemed unable to control or document this unauthorised excavation.

Dear Editor

I would like to tell you about 50 years ago, I was expecting my baby. It was late at night watching on TV, with my flask of tea and food, watching the marvellous pictures, in England.

Baby was born three weeks later, a boy Andrew Newton.

A chance in a million he now lives in Parkes a few miles from the telescope, would you believe it?

We have fond memories of visiting the telescope on our visits to Andrew's and Sharne's.

Thank you for reading my story.

I believe you were asking for memories of man walking on the moon.

I am Andrews mam.

Paint Australia REaD, Perth to Pacific book relay

Dear Editor

I write to acknowledge the outstanding work done by the Family Support Services' team at the Neighbourhood Central in staging the wonderful event for the Parkes leg of the PAINT AUSTRALIA REaD book relay that ran from March to May.

Such events don't just happen, of course.

They require huge, behind-the-scenes efforts.

Family Support Services, the control centre of PAINT PARKES REaD, worked tirelessly and creatively to stage two, most significant events in the ongoing challenge of raising awareness of the vital importance of a language-rich environment, right from birth.

Since Birth to Kindergarten/Paint The Town REaD began, results of copious research projects on brain development, prove the necessity of spreading the simple, but crucial message of read, sing, talk, rhyme to babies from birth.

THANK YOU, Neighbourhood Central.

And also thank you Parkes Shire councillors, Northparkes Mines, Parkes Leagues Club and Parkes Champion Post for the valuable support given to the movement.

Please give a big THUMBS UP to the Neighbourhood Central for their outstanding work for the Across Australia Book Relay.