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ABC News
29-04-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Parkes bypass leaves business community facing months of downturn
Business owners are pondering what price to put on peace following the opening of a new $287 million bypass in the NSW Central West town of Parkes. Before the upgrade, more than 1,200 trucks thundered through the town's main street each day on the main inland route between Melbourne and Brisbane. The noise may have been annoying, but it might be something business owners will come to miss. Parkes Chamber of Commerce president Geoff Rice said businesses, such as motels and service stations, were "definitely" being impacted by the new bypass and three months of road works needed to build a link to the old Newell Highway. "It is the same with any sort of road works, you're more inclined to drive past than try and work it out," Mr Rice said. "The sooner we can get the southern and northern entrances finalised and finished, it will be a definite advantage to the town." Businesses battling Troy Thompson runs a caravan dealership on the old Newell Highway, which before the bypass was the entrance to the town. That road will remain shut for the next three months as work is carried out to connect it to the new highway. Troy Thompson says the new bypass will significantly impact sales at his caravan business. ( ABC Central West: Hamish Cole ) "It will impact us quite severely until everything gets sorted," Mr Thompson said. "Until then, we will just have to sit on our hands and wait. "We were always pretty busy before the bypass because the Newell Highway brings a lot of customers into town." After years of discussions about a bypass around the town, famous for the annual Elvis Festival and Parkes Telescope, the new road opened in April after construction started in 2021. Parkes Shire Council Mayor Neil Westcott said businesses on the old entrance to the town faced a very "tight and tough" time while the upgrades were carried out. He said the work would be beneficial for the town in the long run. "I am well aware of the businesses that are on the old highway that will be feeling a real impact at the moment," Cr Westcott said. "We do have to go through this period of adjustment to come out the other side, I think in the long term though it will be fantastic." Before the bypass, a heavy vehicle passed through Parkes every minute. ( ABC Central West: Hamish Cole ) Improved signage needed Complaints about the new bypass include the lack of signs encouraging motorists to divert into Parkes. The Parkes Shire Council has set aside $1 million for improved signage at the bypass to entice people to enter the town. Meanwhile, the federal Nationals have promised $465,000 if elected to go towards the project. For Mr Thompson, the infrastructure should have been built before the opening of the bypass to prevent confusion amongst tourists. "That needs to have been done yesterday, it just goes without saying because if no one knows how to get here then who is going to come in? "There is just a bit of difficulty for people to get into town and work out where we are with how much of a rat race it is." Neil Westcott believes the bypass will bring long-term benefits to the town. ( ABC Central West: Hamish Cole ) Cr Westcott said the downturn was consistent with the experience of other communities that have had a bypass built. "There is an initial lull in business activity and then it picks up pretty quick, I don't think Parkes will be any different," he said. "Particularly as people discover the way into town and the fact that it is a quiet, more peaceful town." Road train reduction Before the opening of the bypass, more than 1,200 trucks and road trains would pass through Parkes. The town is on a main transport route for vehicles transporting goods between Melbourne and Brisbane. The Parkes Bypass opened in April after construction started in 2021. ( ABC Central West: Hamish Cole ) Mr Rice believes the reduction in trucks will eventually result in more people stopping in town in the future. "If you were hoping to pull up and there was a road train sneaking down behind you, you did go 'Oh well, maybe I'll just keep going'. " There is definitely the ability to actually pick-up some of that passing trade that will be able to stop and park. " The number of trucks entering the town was projected to more than double over the next 15 years with the completion of the Inland Rail project. "Those movements were untenable, we were going to have to have the bypass for that alone," Cr Westcott said.
ABC News
24-04-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Andrew Regan walks 100 metres after rugby tackle leaves him a quadriplegic
When Andrew Regan was tackled in a rugby union game three years ago, he knew something had gone catastrophically wrong. The impact broke his neck and he lost all sensation. "I was instantly paralysed," he said. "It's one of those things you've replayed in your mind a million times and everything's happening so slowly but also so quickly. "You weigh up your decisions — should I have gone left, should I have gone right?" An ambulance arrived at the Emus Rugby Club's Endeavour Oval in Orange NSW, and drove him to the hospital. The second rower was flown to Sydney, where he was declared an incomplete quadriplegic. Andrew Regan says he wanted to reclaim the day his injury happened. ( ABC Central West: Lani Oataway ) Three years to the day, the 38-year-old returned to the site of his injury to walk 100 metres, and raise money for others injured playing the game. "I wanted to do something to essentially reclaim the day," Mr Regan said. Road to recovery Mr Regan thought he would never walk again after the tackle. "I was just a head in a bed," he said. Andrew Regan takes part in physical therapy. ( Supplied: Andrew Regan ) "The first priority was just breathing again and being able to survive." He slowly started to experience feeling in his upper body during the first few months in hospital. "There was a point where my hands stopped feeling like blocks of wood," Mr Regan said. "I could move my thumb, and that was a huge cause for celebration. "I thought, 'I'm starting to get movement from parts of the body that aren't supposed to be moving. Where's this going to end up'." About seven months after his accident, he started feeling spasms in his legs. The twitches were encouraged by electrodes sparking his muscles during treatment, while he tried to push pedals on an exercise bike. He also went through significant physical treatment, including hydrotherapy, to create a connection between his mind and his limbs. Andrew Regan with his family celebrate his graduation from hospital care to rehabilitation. ( Supplied: Andrew Regan ) Two years after the accident, he was able to stand up with support. "I'd always faint and black out and have to sit down, but after a while that just sort of went away and didn't cause issues anymore," Mr Regan said. "I was getting so good at standing up that your thoughts naturally go, 'If I can stand, can I walk'. Andrew Regan has attended specialist rehabilitation centres and exercised daily. ( Supplied: Andrew Regan ) "We've got to the point now where it's actually realistic to say let's try and walk 100 metres." Flight of the Emu After exercising every day and attending physiotherapy twice a week, Mr Reagan set out to conquer Endeavour Oval in Orange. He was flanked by supporters running on either side of him, yelling words of encouragement. Mr Regan took breaks along the way to wait out the spasms. "Everything was seizing up — we're talking back, arms, legs, hips — it was really hard going," he said. Andrew Regan spent an hour walking 100 metres across Endeavour Oval. ( ABC Central West: Lani Oataway ) "Spasms are incredibly destabilising … it was really hard towards the end." His supporters formed a corridor and waved sparklers below the floodlights as he crossed the try line. "It was incredibly hard to stay focused and not get emotional," he said. " It really is the culmination of three years of recovery and hard work, and to have so many people surrounding me, it was a really nice moment. " The event raised $28,000 for the Emus Foundation, which was launched after Mr Regan's accident. The organisation was created to financially support regional players who were injured on the rugby field. "I'm very lucky, but other people aren't as lucky as me," Mr Regan said. "There's just so many unknown costs. "For example, I'm about to run out of funding in my NDIS budget for physio for the year — I've put everything into this walk today." Support team members lift Mr Regan's foot with a purpose-built handle. ( ABC Central West: Lani Oataway ) Mr Regan's physiotherapist, Robert Thorburn, said he was elated to watch his client achieve his goal. "To be honest when he said it, both myself and Simon [exercise physiologist] were a bit doubtful," he said. "And to his credit, he's just amazing." Mr Thorburn said the next step in his client's journey would be trying to walk unassisted. "When we're working with him it's always an unknown but it's always so amazing when he achieves what he has," he said. " Not all patients are as determined as Reegs is. " EDITOR'S NOTE: Andrew Regan is the husband of an ABC employee.
ABC News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
'Violent' vandalism targets women vying for election in federal seat of Calare
Two female candidates vying for the federal seat of Calare say they believe their campaigns have been "violently" targeted due to their gender. Corflutes belonging to male candidates have been stripped from fences at Orange in the NSW Central West but those belonging to Labor's Julie Cunningham and Independent Kate Hook have been torn up. Two poles were also put through an image of Ms Hook's face, while racist remarks were written on another poster. Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on "It is disappointing when it seems to be conveying a bit of violence," Ms Hook said. " If one person has a bit of an issue with a woman running in the election then maybe that would drive them to do that. " Ms Hook believes the vandalism may be gender-related. ( ABC Central West: Hamish Cole ) It is the latest act of vandalism in the area during the election, with NSW Police investigating the theft of corflutes and drawings of Nazi-symbols on billboards. Ms Cunningham agreed the latest incident was a "violent" act, which was "unacceptable". "Some of the features of the damage and vandalism that occurred is really concerning and was very clearly directed at female candidates," she said. "We have already seen within Australia the high rates of women being killed and subject to violence and we don't need this in an election campaign." Read more about the federal election: ANALYSIS: ANALYSIS: Want even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 More than a dozen corflutes were vandalised on the corner of Summer and Woodward Street in Orange. The seat of Calare is seen as critical in the Coalition's bid to win the election, after incumbent MP Andrew Gee defected from the Nationals to the crossbench in 2022. More than a dozen corflutes have been damaged on the corner of Summer and Woodward streets. ( ABC Central West: Hamish Cole ) Vandalism within the election Earlier this year, Photo shows The word Swingers lit up as a neon sign followed by how to win an election. The ABC iview logo is below it. Australia has never had more swinging voters. Casey Briggs takes stock of how we vote and how that's changing politics. Stream now on ABC iview. "That is inexcusable by anyone … an election is a contest of ideas and it is part of the great democracy that we have in this country," Mr Farraway said. " Whether it was the Swastikas put over my corflutes or people's corflutes being stolen or defaced — it's not on. " Ms Cunningham has reported the latest act of vandalism to police. "It is really important that we adhere to and protect all aspects of the democratic process," she said. "They (the corflutes) are an important part of the democratic process … [so] that voters can understand who is available to vote for — it (vandalism) is just unnecessary." A sign at the entrance to Orange linking Independent Kate Hook with the prime minister. ( ABC Central West: Hamish Cole ) Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
