This week is Local Government Week and Forbes has so much to celebrate.
This annual event, this year from August 1 to 7, is designed to showcase and celebrate the work councils do in their local communities, including the wide variety of services they provide.
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Once again Forbes Shire Council has been recognised by industry peers, being named as a finalist in this year's Local Government NSW Awards.
Youth Week has already been declared a winner with our community - with 2908 participants in 12 events - and is a deserving finalist for the Best Small Council with the Most Outstanding Youth Week Program at this year's awards.
Events as diverse as the Youth Week mega fun day, cultural art sessions, lasertag, movies, fishing, clay workshops and tabletop games were all part of the fun for our young people during the week. They really did cater for all interests!
- IN PICTURES: Kids bounce into holidays with Obstacool fun
Forbes Shire Council has already been shortlisted more than seven times for its innovative and enthusiastically supported Youth Week and youth programs - and has been honoured with major awards in 2019 and 2021.
This year, Forbes Shire Council was also nominated for the R H Dougherty Awards for innovation in communication and events for its masterplan consultations and the Senior Festival events, as well as the Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Culture award for the partnership with Forbes Arts Society.
All finalists and winners are selected by Local Government NSW and winners will be announced at the Gala Awards night tonight (Thursday, August 4), where Forbes will be represented by Mayor Phyllis Miller and General Manager Steve Loane.
Did you know?
Did you know Forbes Shire Council manages:
- $433 million of community assets including some of our most iconic buildings and sports fields;
- 763 kilometres of sealed roads;
- 992km of unsealed roads;
- 24 kilometres of footpath;
- 3ML (million litres) of potable or drinking water every day - they've produced 936ML in the first six months of the year;
- 3283 tonnes of rubbish including 1469 of Green Food Bin and Garden Organics Waste and 479 yellow bin recyclables;
- 1.5ML of wastewater (sewage) every day - that's 436 ML of wastewater, equivalent to 436 Olympic sized swimming pools, so far this year;
- 550 bookings for 20 different user groups at the Youth and Community Centre in 2021;
- 167 Development Applications in the 2021/22 financial year - up from 118 in 20/21.
- Events and more.
But Forbes Shire Council has to do more than the day-to-day, it is also tasked with future planning for this dynamic shire, ensuring these services and our local infrastructure are sustainable into the future.
The Forbes shire is predicted to be one of the highest growth areas in NSW over the next 20 years, with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment projecting our population will grow by an incredible 32 per cent by 2041.
Planning for more than 3000 additional people to look to call Forbes home is a big task, and Forbes Shire Council identified the potential with its 2020-2040 Forbes Local Strategic Planning Statement.
