The grants were announced in Forbes on Wednesday by parliamentary secretary for Western NSW Rick Colless.

There’s just over $1 million to install solar lighting along the Lake walkway, build or upgrade public toilets at the rugby club and Dreaming Centre, resurface tennis courts and build new cricket nets.

Within the funding, Lions Park will get a makeover including a rotunda, improved barbecue facilities and toilets.

Lions president Ray Judge is looking forward to the park’s transformation, and seeing more people enjoy the space either casually or for events such as Australia Day.

Rugby president Tracey Prior said the club had been campaigning for an amenities upgrade for a long time. 

The lake-side club hosts local rugby in the winter and cricket in the summer, but junior gala days with hundreds of players as well as community events like the Relay for Life, NAIDOC Day and President’s Lunch.

The funding announcement means the bowling greens at Forbes Sports and Recreation Club will get their irrigation system.

Men’s bowls club president Geoff Williams said it was great news, as volunteers have for many years rolled out heavy irrigation piping manually every Monday morning.

He thanked the club members who had gone out at 6am every Monday to keep the greens in good condition.

There’s $573,000 to get Council’s CBD masterplan rolling, and $220,854 for a multi-purpose equestrian facility that will be able to host Forbes rodeo.

Forbes Rodeo Inc secretary Damian Price said the funding for a multi-purpose equestrian event would give the rodeo a permanent home. 

The set up and pack up for the annual event are very labor-intensive for the volunteer committee, and the funds will be used to build a permanent arena in the race course, showground area. Details are still being finalised. 

Wirrinya Aquatic Centre has received $150,092 to improve the amenities as use of the ski dam continues to grow both with regular visitors and events. 

Delighted committee members said the ski dam was increasingly popular, a place for the rural community members as well as people from town to spend a day or afternoon relaxing together. 

A happy Mayor Graeme Miller welcomed Mr Colless to Forbes.

“This funding will go a long way towards providing upgrades to sporting equipment and building community facilities which are greatly needed and will support Forbes into the future,” he said.

Mr Colless congratulated the community groups represented on their dedication, which led to the success of their funding applications.

He said it was a pleasure to allocate the funds from the “poles and wires” sale to community projects. 

All organisations represented thanked Council’s grants officer Andrew Rawsthorne for his work in preparing the applications.