From the mayor’s desk

We heard from a number of speakers regarding the heavy vehicle industry and regulations and it was very informative for those in attendance. 

The Forbes Sportsperson of the Year Awards were held on Saturday night and I congratulate the winners, especially Darcie Morrison who was awarded the Forbes Advocate 2016 Sportsperson of the Year.

The Forbes Seniors Festival has been a great success and we had a fantastic turn out for the Seniors Variety Concert on Sunday at the Town Hall.

Thanks to Neil and Jane Gilmour for the great job they did in helping to organise the concert.

The last event for the festival is on today with the Forbes Men’s Shed opening its doors from 10am-12pm at the Forbes Showground.

Forbes has been announced as a Celebration Community for the Queen's Baton in the lead up to the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

The Baton arrives on Monday, January 29 and we are currently organising the festivities for the day. 

This event is going to offer great exposure for our town and we look forward to welcoming the Queen’s Baton Relay to Forbes.

On Wednesday Council organised an International Women's Day Breakfast by the Lake and from all reports it was a great success with 90 tickets sold.

Last week was the opening of the Forbes High School Wellness Hub and I would like to thank those Councillors who attended the opening. I was also in attendance but a late arrival due to another commitment.

The Wellness Hub is a great initiative with Forbes High partnering with local services to support students and families by offering professional support programs and counselling. 

Yesterday I went to Bedgerabong Public School and along with Councillor Jenny Webb, handed out reusable water bottles to the students.

As previously mentioned this initiative is to encourage students to reuse water bottles rather than using disposable bottles that end up in landfill.

All primary school students in the shire will soon have a Council water bottle with Forbes Public the remaining school to receive theirs.

Mayor Graeme Miller