THE POST, Thursday, July 3, 2025 - Page 1
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ESTABLISHED 1891 Thursday, July 3, 2025
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THE FARMER
Farmers rally against energy from waste Inside
FOLLOW THE HEART: NEW SPACE FOR VITAL PROGRAM They’re calling it the “Heart of Parkes” and it’s pumping new life into not only an old building in our CBD but also a vital rural doctors program that’s been running in town for three years now. Evolution Mining has partnered with Charles Sturt University’s
School of Rural Medicine to provide a training space for the Central West Clinical School where students are studying to become doctors. On Tuesday that vision became a reality when Evolution officially opened a new, transformed premises at 24-28 Currajong Street that
houses the new Northparkes town office and, soon, its purpose-built training facility, and the rural doctors program. Until now the CSU program, that helps students to remain living and studying in the bush and aims to address the shortage of doctors in
National award for Council
regional areas, hasn’t had a facility to fully operate out of. It’s a significant step forward for all involved. Read the full story and more coverage on this opening in upcoming editions of the Parkes Champion Post.
Pages 15-18
Pipeline to start flowing again By MADELINE BLACKSTOCK The NSW Government has revealed where funds will be spent after allocating $27 million in the 2025-26 budget to restore vital water and sewer infrastructure in the Central West. The Lake Endeavour water pipeline that was washed away during the November 2022 floods will receive a significant portion of the
money with $22.9 million announced to reconfigure the pipeline to a safer, flood resilient location. Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin was in town on Tuesday morning to share details of the breakdown in funding that’s also going to Cabonne and Lachlan shire councils. Orange MP Phil Donato, who’s been helping the councils lobby government for
the funding was present for the discussion, as was Mayor of Parkes Neil Westcott, Lachlan Shire Mayor John Medcalf, Cabonne Mayor Kevin Beatty, and MLC Stephen Lawrence. “It’s taken three years and probably another 12 months to get us back to where we were three years ago but at least we’re back there and we are very grateful,” Mayor Westcott said.
7 DAYS A WEEK
Parkes pumps water from the Lachlan River with the Lake Endeavour water pipeline Parkes’ only gravity-fed pipeline, supplying 30 per cent of Parkes’ water supply and making it a critical part of the shire’s water infrastructure. “If anything does go wrong the Lake Endeavour pipeline is a security guarantee,” Cr Westcott said. The November 2022 floods
caused a two metre flow-over Lake Endeavour wall and significantly damaged the pipeline. “I certainly remember in February 2020 when the only water in the Parkes Shire was within the pipelines of Parkes Shire Council and to have 30 per cent of our water supply disconnected and our only gravity-fed water supply was a major loss,” Cr Westcott said.
Minister Saffin welcomed the budget announcement as she recognised it is necessary infrastructure and councils could not afford this easily. “I’ve seen the damage to Lake Endeavour firsthand. The risk of Parkes running critically low on water was simply unacceptable, especially with only one main supply left and with the ■ Continued on page 4
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22-36 Parkes Road, Forbes (Next door to Bunnings)