STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Mr CHAFFEY (Parkes) (16:24): It's a blessing to be the member for the Parkes electorate, which covers 51 per cent of the great state of New South Wales. It means that every month, every day, in just about every community, there are milestones to celebrate. From late September through to October, there are many anniversaries and events, including the Cobar Miners Memorial weekend, the Tooraweenah Show, the Goin' to Gil weekend and the Narromine Dolly Parton Festival, which celebrates the late, great Dolly Parton.

Dubbo also has something going on every single day, including the launch of its very own edition of Monopoly and the 110th anniversary of the Dubbo Scouts Group. A big congratulations to the Barwon group of the CWA, who are celebrating a 100-year anniversary in Pilliga next month. The Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society is marking its 75th year with a show called ICONIC.

Australia's first distance education, the Broken Hill School of the Air is having its 70th birthday this month, which is an anniversary dinner and dance. In Narrabri, the Chamber of Commerce held its business awards over the weekend, recognising those who helped make Narrabri a great place to live, work and do business. West Wyalong Lions marked their 10-year anniversary charity concert on 10 October.

I'd like to pay tribute to a man who knows the Darling River better than anybody, Scott Gladman, who is swimming 1,650 kilometres for his mates and families fighting MND and Parkinson's disease. Well done, Scott, and well done to the Parkes electorate.