Inland Rail Skills Academy graduates (from left) Hamilton Currie, Brett Whyman and (far right) Lawrence Button with Inland Rail’s Cathy Duncan, Senior Program Skills and Training Advisor, and Adam O’Sullivan, Rail Superin­tendent, Martinus (second right).

A trio of Inland Rail Skills Academy gradu­ates have used their new-found skills to find employment with Inland Rail contractor Martinus Rail and make their own contribu­tions to the project.

The three graduates: Brett Whyman, Lawrence Button and Hamilton Currie, each completed a five-week Certificate II in Rail Infrastructure course through the Inland Rail Skills Academy earlier this year. The course, provided by First Na­tions training provider Yakka Training, took place over five weeks in March and April in Wagga Wagga.

The graduates then started work with In­land Rail contractor Martinus Rail and were assigned to the Stockinbingal to Parkes (S2P) section during the September pos­session, a 100-hour period where the rail line was closed and an intense period of construction took place.

Inland Rail is an approximately 1,600km freight rail line that will connect Melbourne and Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, enhanc­ing Australia’s national freight network and supply chain capabilities, connecting exist­ing freight routes through rail, roads and ports, and supporting Australia’s growth.

The Inland Rail sections between Bev­eridge in Victoria and Parkes in New South Wales are prioritised for completion by 2027.

Brett Whyman, Martinus employee and Inland Rail Skills Academy graduate, said “The Inland Rail Skills Academy appealed to me because it gave me an opportunity to put my foot in the door and start in the rail industry. The advice I’d give to locals about the Inland Rail Skills Academy is: go for it.

It’s very rewarding once you get into the in­dustry and the Inland Rail Skills Academy will help you with everything to get into the industry.”

Australia’s 3G networks will shut down from 28th October and the Australian Mobile Tel­ecommunications Association (AMTA) is urging all Australians to act now and “Check Your Tech” to ensure they will stay connect­ed once the networks are switched off.

Telstra and Optus will switch off their 3G networks from 28th October 2024. TPG Telecom-owned Vodafone has already closed its network in January 2024.

This means that devices that depend on the 3G network will no longer work. 3G de­vices will no longer be supported and will not be able to make calls, including emer­gency voice calls to Triple Zero on any Aus­tralian mobile network.

This closure will also affect some 4G de­vices that default emergency calls to 3G.

While these devices can make normal 4G voice calls, they push emergency calls to 3G and so won’t be able to make an emer­gency call after the closure.

In addition, devices that have been pur­chased overseas or from a retailer selling imported phones, might not be fully sup­ported once the 3G network shuts down Impacted devices may also include smartwatches, tablets, in-home personal emergency alarms, EFTPOS terminals and fire and security alarms.

The recent unveiling of ‘Brumbies Run’ by Brett Mon Garling, the final sculpture completing the Sculpture Down the Lachlan trail after 13 years.

What’s 100km long, took 13 years, and fea­tures brumbies, goannas, birds and lovable dogs?After 13 years in the making, the worldclass public art trail ‘Sculpture Down the Lachlan’ is complete with the final work ‘Brumbies Run’ by Brett Garling installed.

Featuring 25 installations over 100 km from Forbes to Condobolin in Central NSW, the bush’s version of Bondi’s ‘Sculpture by the Sea’, attracts thousands of road-trippers who marvel at the quirky and unique largerthan-life artworks which follow the Lachlan River along the Lachlan Valley Way road.

‘Brumbies Run’ is a bronze sculpture lo­cated at Warroo Reserve off Lachlan Valley Way. It features wild horses running, kick­ing, flaring nostrils and leaping, and repre­sents the freedom, spirit and enthusiasm of so many Australians.

The trail launched in 2011 and aimed to celebrate the diversity of the rural commu­nity, its artistic edge, culture, people and stories. Over the years it has gained inter­national recognition with visitors enjoying the trail, nestled amongst golden grasses and majestic red river gums.

Other recent installations are ‘Waiting for the Rain’ by Jimmy Rix (April 2024) and ‘Be­tween the Silence’ by Clancy Warner (May 2023). Plus, don’t miss Stephen King’s the ‘Tower’, the original ‘amazing’ sign at Forbes, a 12-metre steel goanna ‘Varanus’ and the 6-metre ‘Heart of Country’.

The brainchild of Sculpture Down the Lachlan is local artist Rosie Johnston who was unrelenting in her passion to see art embedded in nature by some of Australia’s leading creatives.

At the end of the Sculpture Down the La­chlan trail, travellers will find themselves at Condobolin’s iconic ‘Utes in the Paddock’.

The unique collection of 20 Holden Utes is such a drawcard that Lachlan Shire Council constructed its new Visitor Information Cen­tre at the site.

For more information you can contact the friendly staff at Amazing Forbes NSW