I have been in regular contact with members of the heated pool advocacy group since first corresponding with the Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier John Barilaro several times since last year, to whom I stressed the importance of funding upgrades to this important facility.

It was great to be present at the lunch when Ian Maccallum, John Smith and Murray White were honoured for their enormous contribution over many years to the heated pool.

The Forbes heated pool project is a fantastic reflection of how a community works together for a common goal, after they started fundraising for the pool fifty years ago with raffles. The pool was shut down earlier this year due to structural issues and Dianne Decker has invited a structural engineer from Maitland to look at the complex to identify what has to be done to open its doors to the community again. It was good news to hear late last week the pool has now reopened.

I think the community has done its fair share of fundraising and maintaining the pool, which is much needed for the rehabilitation of residents who come from surrounding areas, including Parkes, to improve their health outcomes.

I share Dianne’s disappointment for the lack of financial commitment from the NSW government so far, considering the strong case for returning this valuable resource to the people who want and need it.

I have supported funding through the application for the Stronger Country Community Fund, and in spite of the unsuccessful bid I want to assure the community I will continue to pursue funding so that this valuable resource is reopened to Forbes and surrounding district.

After contact from a constituent this week it seems residents of Forbes are being targeted in an elaborate scam demanding payments.

The resident informed my office on they had received a fake Optus letter demanding payment for an overdue account. However as the recipient of the fraudulent letter had never been a customer of that provider, they knew immediately it was a scam, but wanted to warn others in across the electorate.

The following day the same person received a fake court notice demanding payment for an outstanding account. With scams becoming more prevalent and more sophisticated I strongly urge everyone to be vigilant, and be careful to not hand over any personal details or pay accounts they may not have incurred. I recommend reporting to Police any detection of fraudulent occurrences such as these.

When I was last in Forbes I visited Binaal Billa to see the wonderful work they are doing in the field of prevention family violence and providing free legal services. They are a passionate team who deliver services across a large area. The work they provide contributes significantly to addressing the   issue of family violence in our communities and availing legal advice to those who experience difficulty when they need it most.

I am looking forward to visiting Forbes again on Friday to make presentations to several residents who have made an enormous contribution to the community.

Rosemary Lee, Robert Lee, Ray Lasserre, Charles “Paddy” Malloy, Nancy Parry and Veva MacCullagh will be presented with the Premier’s Volunteer Recognition Award to acknowledge decades of service. The presentation will be held at the Forbes Shire Council Chambers.