The Wonderful Women Photographic Exhibition will be launched by Tracey Callinan, Executive Officer of Arts Out West at 6.30pm on Saturday, 20 March at the Platypus Gallery, 111 Lachlan Street in Forbes. The event has been co-organised by the Forbes Business Chamber to coincide with the International Women’s Day celebrations.

Wonderful Women showcases women from Forbes and surrounds. Our photographer, using black and white film, has photographed 27 groups of like-minded women and/or individual shots of women with up to four generations in one frame.

Participants are from all cultures and will include: Women who have strived to make Forbes home, women of colour, those with disabilities, women that work in male dominated industries, are aboriginal or Torres Straight islanders, lesbian and gay women, and women from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Each photograph is accompanied by a story of these wonderful women.

Drink and nibbles provided. COVID restrictions will apply. Please enter through the Lachlan Street door of Platypus Gallery where you will be required to sign in. No refunds apply to all tickets purchased.

Immersive road safety exhibition, SafeT360, recently came to Forbes to educate young road users around the state about how they can share the road safely with trucks. Statistics show 16-25 year olds are the most overrepresented group of drivers involved in crashes on our roads. SafeT360 puts young road users in the virtual driver’s seat to show them how to stay safe on the road, giving insight they don’t get from learner driver logbooks.

Proudly supported by Transport for NSW and Interlink Roads, SafeT360 visited students at Forbes High School on Wednesday 17 March as part of the exhibition’s NSW tour. Developed by the Australian Trucking Association, SafeT360 is an interactive custom-built road safety exhibition that uses virtual reality and interactive messaging all packed into a real travelling truck and trailer.

SafeT360 Marketing and Engagement Coordinator, Kayla O’Brien said that 16 to 25 year old road users are the most over-represented group of people involved in crashes on our roads. “This must change,” Kayla said.

“SafeT360 has one clear goal – to save lives. Whether in a regional or urban area, we all have a role to play in road safety and need to understand how to share the road safely with trucks.”

In a real bonus for organisers, Pauly Fenech of Houso’s and Fat Pizza fame, has been confirmed as one of the special guests for the second edition of Australia’s Biggest Bogan Festival (ABBF) at Bedgerabong Racecourse from June 11-13.

The event, which was previously held at Bogan Gate in 2019, like many events was postponed in 2020.

“We have been lucky that we have many who want to see this work and this year’s event happen from business operators to volunteers and more including Pauly Fenech,” said co-owner/ organiser Luke Acheson in Forbes for a promo shoot on the weekend.

“We are calling on all bogans far and wide to get behind this event. With your support, your ticket purchase allows you entry into up to 15 events, see some live music and comedy as well as go into the draw for a number of prizes,” said Mr Acheson.”

“Plus we will be doing some fundraising for charity so it’s a chance to donate to those less fortunate.”

Already the event is shaping into something sensational with Chris Franklin, Hype Duo, Benny Bogan – the fairdinkum Aussie, Balls N All and The Noll Brothers plus other special guests.

“We may have some more surprises yet,” said Luke. With rumours abound of a bogan wedding, lawnmower racing and more special guests Mr Acheson advises punters to get their tickets early.

“Tickets are going like pies at Spooner’s Oval on footy day and ticket prices include options such as bus travel and camping.”

“There’ll be a number of stalls there as well as new events and some old favourites,” he said. “It should be a cracker and we can’t wait to see you all there!”

Australia’s Biggest Bogan Festival is an 18+ event

In a real win for the Forbes community, Kmart will be opening a new “K hub” in the old Target Country building in Rankin Street.

Kmart confirmed the news in late February and over the next five weeks Target Country will vacate as Kmart will look to take over the space.

A K hub is a smaller styled format store with the most popular Kmart products across necessities such as kids wear and needs, homewares and clothing. K hub specialty stores are proving popular in smaller towns as the brand grows.

“We are strategically setting ourselves up as a retail hub,” said Mayor Phyllis Miller. “It’s great news for the Forbes community! And it is fantastic that we can fill that space and open up more opportunities for residents in Forbes.”

The store will be located in the current Target Country Forbes building and all current Target team members in the store will be offered roles at the new K hub.

The closure of Target Country was announced last year with the nominated closing date of April 17 advertised around town.

International Women’s Day (IWD) should be a time to reflect over the past 110 years on what we have achieved as women. After all, it was not so long ago that we were not even recognised as citizens but property with no rights. Nothing we may take for granted such as higher education or equal opportunity to employment has been handed to us; women before us fought for the liberties we enjoy today and that we never give a second thought.

IWD is a chance to honour those women, celebrate how far we have come and unfortunately an unwieldly reminder of all we have to do.

Who would have thought that in 2021 we would still be fighting the very same thing as when the suffragettes protested against sex discrimination in the workplace in 1911, the year that IWD was first celebrated?

According to International Women’s Development Agency: “IWD is a day to recognise how far we’ve come towards gender equality, and also how far we have left to go. In 1911, only eight countries allowed women to vote, equal pay for equal work was unheard of – if women were allowed to work at all – and reproductive rights were non-existent.”

Let’s recognise the women in our lives, celebrate how far we’ve come and never take our liberties for granted. Let’s take this moment to thank the women in our lives (past or present) who have made our world a fairer and more equitable place for all of us.

Here’s to strong women – may we be them, may we know them and may we raise them!

By Therese Faerie

Skillset has launched a free career advice support service, Skillset CareerLink Central West, for residents across Central West NSW.

The Australian Government has recognised Skillset’s expertise and experience in career development programs by selecting them to receive a $600,000 project grant from the National Careers Institute to deliver a career information, advice and support program.

The Skillset CareerLink Central West program is supported by Regional Development Australia Central West and will be delivered across eleven local government areas covering more than 180,000 residents and a local economy supporting 74,000 jobs. The eleven local government areas are Bathurst, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.

Craig Randazzo, Chief Executive Officer at Skillset said that this program will close the gap for local residents in accessing local and relevant career advice.

“We know that a person’s career is a journey, not a destination with McCrindle research showing an Australian will have 17 different employers, and an average of 5 separate careers in their lifetime.”

“We believe Skillset CareerLink Central West will create an immediate impact for in-person career services for our primary target group of 25 – 44 year olds. This program will close that gap and become a key service for local residents to access career guidance.”

Forbes Shire Council are thrilled to welcome a new program to the regional area and support the prosperity and the skills of local people in the region.

Local Forbes residents who are interested in accessing career advice are encouraged to visit the CareerLink Community website at www.skillset.com.au or call 1300 853 525.