Monday,
8 September 2025
Politics and Government
Chaffey's Corner: Roads, renewables and future parliamentarians
Politics and Government

Chaffey’s Corner: Roads, renewables and future parliamentarians

By JAMIE CHAFFEY, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR PARKESLast week, I shared with Parliament the frustration experienced by councils throughout the Parkes electorate with securing roads funding for roads network that have repeatedly been hit by floods. Narrabri...

Forbes Advocate  >  
07 Sep 2025
From classroom to Canberra: High schoolers urged to speak up
Politics and Government

From classroom to Canberra: High schoolers urged to speak up

The floor is yours. Students across the Parkes electorate are being challenged to imagine their first day as a Member of Parliament and deliver a 90-second speech on the issues that matter. The winners get to take their words all the way to...

Forbes Advocate  >  
24 Aug 2025
Highway patrol in heavy vehicle crackdown
Politics and Government

Highway patrol in heavy vehicle crackdown

Police have charged 12 people following a crackdown on heavy vehicles during a five-day police operation in and around Forbes and Parkes. Operation Convoy was launched from Monday, 11 August by officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command...

Forbes Advocate  >  
24 Aug 2025
Highway patrol in heavy vehicle crackdown
Politics and Government

Highway patrol in heavy vehicle crackdown

Police have charged 12 people following a crackdown on heavy vehicles during a five-day police operation in and around Forbes and Parkes. Operation Convoy was launched from Monday, 11 August by officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command...

Forbes Advocate  >  
24 Aug 2025
Chaffey steps up to serve Parkes
Politics and Government

Chaffey steps up to serve Parkes

In his first speech to Parliament on 30 July, Federal Member for Parkes and Assistant Shadow Minister for both Agriculture and Resources Jamie Chaffey has pledged to serve the electorate of Parkes. Mr Chaffey spoke about his upbringing in regional...

Mid West Media  >  
10 Aug 2025
Donato's Matters of State: Sports grants now open
Politics and Government

Donato’s Matters of State: Sports grants now open

Boost for budding nursesIt was a pleasure to welcome Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan to our electorate last week to announce a major upgrade for our Diploma of Nursing students and their teachers. Funding of $635,000 will...

Contributed Article  >  
27 Jul 2025
Chaffey's Corner: Welcome to vast new region
Politics and Government

Chaffey’s Corner: Welcome to vast new region

This is my first column as the Federal Member for Parkes, an electorate that covers more than 400,000 square kilometres of New South Wales. It’s an area bigger than Japan, Germany, or even Great Britain. I follow in the footsteps of some great...

Contributed Article  >  
27 Jul 2025
Deadline extended, farmers urged to have say on land management code
Politics and Government

Deadline extended, farmers urged to have say on land management code

Call to action leads to a win for farmers

Mid West Media  >  
21 Jul 2025
Good news for Forbes in budget
Politics and Government

Good news for Forbes in budget

By PHIL DONATO, STATE MEMBER FOR ORANGEForbes Hospital theatre upgradeFollowing a tour of Forbes Hospital and its ageing theatre with Health Minister Ryan Park last year, I made the funding of a new operating theatre a high priority request for this...

Mid West Media  >  
13 Jul 2025
Deadline extended, farmers urged to have say on land management code
Politics and Government

Deadline extended, farmers urged to have say on land management code

Call to action leads to a win for farmers

Mid West Media  >  
21 Jul 2025
Good news for Forbes in budget
Politics and Government

Good news for Forbes in budget

By PHIL DONATO, STATE MEMBER FOR ORANGEForbes Hospital theatre upgradeFollowing a tour of Forbes Hospital and its ageing theatre with Health Minister Ryan Park last year, I made the funding of a new operating theatre a high priority request for this...

Mid West Media  >  
13 Jul 2025
Flood funding welcome
Politics and Government

Flood funding welcome

Critical water and sewer infrastructure destroyed by floods has received State funding, but the Recovery Minister says she’s “still on the case” for a resilient land package to develop flood-free land for housing in Cabonne. Cabonne Council and...

Mid West Media  >  
06 Jul 2025
Police petition, workers compensation legislation on agenda
Politics and Government

Police petition, workers compensation legislation on agenda

POLICE MINISTER RESPONDS TO FORBES’ PETITIONNSW Minister for Police, The Hon. Yasmin Catley MP, has now responded to the Forbes Neighbourhood Watch’s petition, which called for a 24-hour manned police station at Forbes, to reduce crime in the...

Mid West Media  >  
29 Jun 2025
Minister says no to increased policing hours
Politics and Government

Minister says no to increased policing hours

There are no plans to changed the manned hours at Forbes Police Station, the NSW Police Minister has said in formal response to a 2760-strong petition for an increased and 24-hour police presence in the town. Forbes has 24-hour police coverage...

Mid West Media  >  
22 Jun 2025
Hard work will continue, says reelected Gee
Politics and Government

Hard work will continue, says reelected Gee

There has been a 54 per cent swing towards Andrew Gee in Eugowra as the Independent retains the seat of Calare in the Federal election. Thanking supporters and communities on Monday morning, Mr Gee said the work of fighting for the region would now...

Mid West Media  >  
11 May 2025
Land and people our common interest: Candidates
Politics and Government

Land and people our common interest: Candidates

The unsuccessful candidates who ran for the seat of Parkes this federal election have tipped their hats to an enjoyable and respectful campaign. Libertarian candidate Sally Edwards and Labor candidate Nathan Fell conceded defeat in the days following...

Christine Little  >  
18 May 2025
Change in how some voted in Parkes, Forbes
Politics and Government

Change in how some voted in Parkes, Forbes

Some voting booths in the towns of Parkes and Forbes saw a considerable shift in first preferences this federal election, particularly away from who people have traditionally voted for in the past. For Parkes the swing was against the Nationals and...

Christine Little  >  
18 May 2025
Chaffey retains seat for Nationals
Politics and Government

Chaffey retains seat for Nationals

Jamie Chaffey has retained the seat of Parkes for the Nationals. While Labor candidate Nathan Fell recorded a 5.19 per cent swing in Saturday’s federal election, Mr Chaffey and the Nationals had almost 63 per cent of the two-candidate preferred...

Christine Little  >  
11 May 2025
JE vaccine free in Forbes LGA
Politics and Government

JE vaccine free in Forbes LGA

By PHILIP DONATO MEMBER FOR ORANGEFREE ACCESS TO JE VACCINENSW Health is further expanding and simplifying free access the Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine to ensure residents are protected as the mosquito season continues. In NSW, A Japanese...

Mid West Media  >  
11 May 2025
Pre poll opens at Town Hall Saturday
Politics and Government

Pre poll opens at Town Hall Saturday

Local pre-polling in the Federal election opens this Saturday 26 April. Those needing to cast their votes ahead of election day, Saturday 3 May, can attend the Forbes Town Hall from 9am Saturday. The Town Hall polling centre is open: Saturday 26...

Mid West Media  >  
04 May 2025
Chaffey backs greater support for families, businesses
Politics and Government

Chaffey backs greater support for families, businesses

2025 Federal Election advertorialJamie Chaffey The Nationals candidate for ParkesWe know Parkes is by far the biggest federal electorate in NSW, with some of the most isolated communities in the country. With Mark Coulton MP retiring at the next...

Mid West Media  >  
04 May 2025
Water infrastructure is critical, mayors argue
Politics and Government

Water infrastructure is critical, mayors argue

“Water infrastructure is critical” is the argument our region’s mayors and State MP are having to make as they call for it to be included in disaster recovery funding. Member for Orange Philip Donato stood amongst pieces of broken pipeline as he -...

Mid West Media  >  
27 Apr 2025
Ten candidates contest seat of Parkes
Politics and Government

Ten candidates contest seat of Parkes

Ballot paper positions have been drawn across Australia for this year’s federal election. As the Australian Electoral Commission officially declared nominations at public events on Friday, 10 candidates contesting the seat of Parkes were revealed...

Mid West Media  >  
27 Apr 2025
Cost of living crisis needs immediate action: Donato
Politics and Government

Cost of living crisis needs immediate action: Donato

By PHILIP DONATO MEMBER FOR ORANGE2025 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards - nominations openVolunteers epitomise the spirit of community. Without volunteers many activities we enjoy, and services we benefit from or rely on would come to a grinding...

Mid West Media  >  
27 Apr 2025
Voters to head to polls on May 3 in new seat of Parkes
Politics and Government

Voters to head to polls on May 3 in new seat of Parkes

With AAP Australians will head to the polls for a federal election on May 3. After months of speculation, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the election date following a visit to Governor-General Sam Mostyn last Friday morning. A five-week...

Mid West Media  >  
13 Apr 2025
State MP opens Forbes office
Politics and Government

State MP opens Forbes office

It’s a meeting point for the MP in the western part of his electorate

Mid West Media  >  
10 Mar 2025
Rex may be nationalised if no private buyer for airline
Politics and Government

Rex may be nationalised if no private buyer for airline

Connectivity vital for quality of life, regional economies, says Albanese

Mid West Media  >  
20 Feb 2025
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