SM135_Shift Miner Magazine

SHIFT MINERMonday 23rd April 135th Edition 2012 The Queensland mining community’s best source of local news

M A G A Z I N E

All accidents and personal injury claims:

Darren Sekac*

Call 4944 2000www.macamiet.com.au

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PERSONAL INJURY EXPERTS

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NewsNorwich Park fallout » page 4

NewsGas commissioner announced » page 5

NewsKomatsu goes big in Brisbane » page 8

Around TownBig questions answered » page 16

Off ShiftTime for a weekend away » page 23

Locally Owned and Operated - www.shiftminer.com

CANDIDATES are still struggling to find jobs in the resources sector despite the hype over the skills shortage.

Hardest hit are cleanskins and lesser experienced junior workers trying to move between jobs, or people who have been out of the industry for sometime and are now try-ing to re-enter.

This week, one worker with 10 years expe-rience spoke out to Shift Miner Magazine in the hope of getting some clarity surrounding the need for qualified people and if the skills shortage really existed.

She had just been through a particularly clumsy recruitment process for a role she was qualified for but missed out on.

“I just want to know where are the skills shortages they are talking about?” she said.

“Others will ask the same when they get knocked back for a job.”

The experienced operator spoke out on the condition of anonymity. She has since found another job but is still angered by the bungled and long-winded recruitment proc-ess and the behaviour of key recruiting staff.

Of particular frustration was the time and the energy she had to put into the applica-tion and interview for the operator role, only to see the selection process stutter because of the company’s inconsistent demands.

Thinkings caps on in Moranbah. » More pictures page 16

TRIVIA FUNDo you have CQ’s best tat?Win $500 of ink by joining our comp

» continued page 7

SkillS ShortagequeStioned

- Shift Miner Magazine, 23rd April 2012

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SHIFT MINERM A G A Z I N ELocally Owned

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NEWS4 Mine shuts

but jobs safe

5 New gas commission

7 What skills shortage?

10 Better coal and less dust

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CONTENTS

Regulars 18 Stuff to the Editor 19 Frank the Tank 20 Miner's Trader 22 Weather & Tides 26 Money Matters


135th EDITION. 2012

MORE Queensland coal mines could shut their doors in the middle of a mining boom - but there won’t be widespread job losses.

That’s the prediction of Mine Life resource analyst Gavin Wendt.

The BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) has announced it will shut down its Norwich Park mine near Dysart from May 11.

The company says the mine has been running at a loss for months, and has blamed wet weather, lower coal prices, high-er costs and ongoing industrial action for its decision to shut it down.

Mr Wendt said Norwich Park could be the first of several mines to close in the Bowen Basin.

“It won’t just be BHP that is putting its most marginal operations under the micro-scope,” he said.

“What this emphasises is that despite the boom, not every mine is doing extraordi-narily well.

“While the coal sector, as a whole, is per-forming because demand has remained strong we have seen declining prices.”

The price for coking coal now sits between $US150 to $180 tonne, well down on its 2008 high of $US300 a tonne.

While these prices are still considered historically high, it has changed the game for some mine operations - particularly older ones.

“The deeper you have to mine, the more expensive it gets,” Mr Wendt said.

“That means costs are rising, and com-

panies are still paying record high wages on top of that, and transport costs.

“It means that despite the boom, indi-

vidual mining operations can be doing it tough depending on where they sit on the cost curve.”

Mine shuts down, but mass jobs safe

BMA says it has no plans to reopen Nor-wich Park mine as a contract operation, and nor has it knowingly advertised for any new positions at the mothballed site.

IN a rare and lengthy statement to the media, BMA has come out with guns blaz-ing over union claims the company wants to use contract labour to run the mine.

CFMEU district president Stephen Smyth last week told the media the compa-ny wants to de-unionise the workforce.

“At the end of the day they don’t want a permanent workforce at Norwich Park, they want to de-unionise the coal

industry,” he told the ABC.“It is very apparent now that they want to

run the mine with contractors to introduce whatever shift length they see fit and have peo-ple living in single person’s accommodation.”

But BMA says contrary to those claims, the company has no plans to reopen the mine as a contract operation.

It also says it has not knowingly adver-tised for positions at the mine since its announcement on April 11 that production would stop next month.

The company says the union claims are part of a “continuing and increasing pattern

of misinformation about the sequence of events” surrounding the mine’s closure.

BMA says its workforce and the unions were given notice that the mine was having financial difficulties months before the final decision to shut it down.

“In early February, BMA briefed all employees at Norwich Park mine about the difficult continuing financial position face by the mine. Details of the losses incurred were provided,” the statement reads.

It says union officials, including Mr Smyth and Norwich Park CFMEU lodge president Brad Compton were involved in

discussions at this time. The unions were also asked to exempt the mine from ongo-ing industrial action that was happening across BMA’s Bowen Basin operations.

Over the next two months, the company says the unions were aware of BMA’s strate-gic review of the mine, and regular updates between the company and its workforce.

After the announcement to shut the mine on April 11, Mr Smyth suggested in media interviews the decision was a com-plete surprise to him.

“This is completely at odds with the facts,” said the statement.

Norwich Park won’t run on contractors: BMA

“Despite the boom, not every mine is doing extraordinarily well.”

News

FOR mine workers themselves, the Nor-wich Park closure has not triggered the widespread panic that was seen when com-panies started laying off contractors during the Global Financial Crisis back in 2008.

There are 1500 employees at Norwich Park mine - 490 permanents and close to 900 contractors.

BMA says it has significant vacancies at its other operations, and will redeploy its perma-nent workers to other mines where possible.

Currently, 90 permanent workers drive-in drive-out (DIDO) to the mine and the other 400 live in Dysart.

BMA says it will work to place former Norwich Park employees at the nearby

Saraji mine, so those employees and their families can keep living in Dysart.

However, a spokeswoman said it would not be possible in all cases.

Shift Miner Magazine also understands most of the 900 contractors have also been moved to other mine sites in the region.

MineLife resource analyst Gavin Wendt said even if other marginal mines did close, there would be limited fall out for workers.

“You won’t see widespread panic, because workers will be able to find a new job the next day,” he said.

“I don’t think anyone is really going to be that affected, other than you might have to drive a bit further for your next job.”

The Mackay-based industry group MAIN agrees the closure has not caused widespread concern locally.

“Certainly I don’t think there will be any industry wide implications, although there may be some individual businesses affect-ed,” said MAIN director Narelle Pearse.

Ms Pearse said there was $92 billion worth of projects under consideration in the region, and $32 billion of that was new or expanding mines.

“That’s a doubling of the Bowen Basin and a massive amount of investment and demand for skilled labour.

“The closure of one unprofitable mine does not mean the end of mining in the region.”

Job gone today, a new one tomorrow


135th EDITION. 2012

Exec donga for Mr Branson?FIFO may be the last frontier for Richard Branson.Virgin Australia has put up $8 million for a 10 per cent slice of airline Skywest which operates at home and overseas and has significant mining clients, particularly in Western Australia.The latest move signals increased competition for FIFO services and existing commercial services to mining centres. Last year Virgin started flying from Port Macquarie to Gladstone and Emerald.FIFO seems the only market left for Virgin as it has already made moves to go into space with its dedicated commercial space airline and more than 500 “astronauts” in training. .....................................................................

Loader becomes floaterA dozer driver had a lucky escape last week when his rig sunk into coal at the RG Tanna Coal Terminal in Gladstone.The driver was working at about 1am last Tuesday pushing coal around onto stockpiles when it sunk backwards and ended up partially down a feeder hole.The holes funnel coal underground and onto conveyor belts to be taken to the wharf.Nobody was injured in the incident......................................................................

Activists fined over graffiti protestThree activists that painted graffiti on a coal carrier in the Gladstone harbour last month have been fined.The Greenpeace protesters were last week fined $750 each in the Gladstone Magistrate’s Court but escaped conviction.The trio was charged with wilful damage and possessing graffiti instruments after painting reef in danger in large white letters on the carrier on March 7......................................................................

Royalties rise?Coal royalties could rise if the mining tax doesn’t deliver enough cash to Queensland.The Premier Campbell Newman said his government had not put the red pen through the possibility of raising royalties.He told reporters the government would adopt a “wait and see” approach to judge if the federal mining tax raised expected revenues for Queensland.Last year Western Australia and New South Wales increased mining royalties.

FAST NEWS

A Gasfields Commission has been estab-lished to reduce tension and misunderstand-ing surrounding CSG between landholders, industry and the community.

Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney announced on Thursday the Toowoomba-based Com-mission would work with the Government to ensure the CSG industry struck the right bal-ance to meet the interests of stakeholders.

“The Queensland Government fully sup-ports the CSG industry, but it must live up to the world’s best practice and work with the community, landholders and the Gov-ernment to achieve the best outcomes for

the state,” Mr Seeney said. “The Gasfields Commission will be

established to restore confidence in the CSG industry and meet the needs of the communities involved with and affected by CSG growth in Queensland.”

Former AgForce chairman John Cotter will chair the commission which will have six fellow commissioners to represent the community.

Mr Seeney said the commission would not be driven by a political agenda or cre-ate more bureaucracy.

“The commission will be about achieving

outcomes for communities, the CSG indus-try and for Queensland, and driving the agriculture and resources sectors to build the four pillar economy,” he said.

QGC Managing Director Derek Fish-er said QGC looked forward to working con-structively with Mr Cotter and the six new commissioners who were yet to be announced.

“We are delighted that Mr Cotter will continue his valuable work to foster co-ex-istence between the gas sector and agricul-tural communities through the Surat Basin Coal Seam Gas Engagement Group,” Mr Fisher said.

New commission to reduce CSG angst

NORTH Goonyella miners have quiet-ly signed a new workplace agreement with their employer American giant Peabody Energy.

It’s in stark contrast to the bit-ter 15 month dispute that has been rag-ing between the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) and its workers in the Bowen Basin.

Last week, more than 80 per cent of the North Goonyella mine’s 330-strong work-force voted in favour of a new three-year agreement, and the unions have praised the process.

“BHP should take a leaf out of Pea-body’s book and see how negotiations should be carried out,” said CFMEU dis-trict president Steve Smyth.

“We are happy with it [the agreement]... the members voted overwhelmingly to accept it.”

Peabody’s Australian president Eric Ford

said the 80 per cent vote was a clear sign of support from its workers.

“We believe the new agreement will provide benefits for both Peabody and our employees as together we build a sustaina-ble future for North Goonyella,” he said.

North Goonyella mine employs about 330 workers and produces 2.5 million tons of coking coal each year.

By 2014, Peabody plans to increase capacity at the mine by installing longwall top coal caving technology.

The company took over the former Queensland miner Macarthur Coal last year, making it the second largest metallur-

gical coal producer in Australia.“If Peabody are making negotiations run

this smoothly in a short period of time, you would think that it would flow on to their negotiations with other mines,” said Mr Smyth.

The company runs eight mines in Queensland and New South Wales, and expects to boost production to as high as 50 million tonnes a year by 2015.

Meanwhile, BMA workers will vote on a new workplace agreement later this month.

The poll will be carried out as a postal ballot, and the agreement isn’t recommend-ed by the unions.

Peaceful at Peabody while BHP blues

“We are happy with it [the agreement]... the members voted overwhelmingly to accept it.”

News


135th EDITION. 2012

THE multimillion dollar compensation claim by Gladstone commercial fishermen and businesses against the State Govern-ment and Gladstone Ports Corporation has been adjourned.

The matter was set for hearing in the Planning and Environment Court in Rock-hampton on March 22 but will now start lat-er this year.

The claim seeks damages over fish deaths in the harbour and closure of fish-ing areas and accuses industry and develop-ment for being to blame.

Anglers are being represented by Shine Lawyers.

Meanwhile, new State Environment min-ister visited Gladstone this week to see first hand the issues around the harbour and ongoing development.

Minister Andrew Powell was accom-panied by new director general of the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection Andrew Chesterman.

“The claim seeks damages over fish deaths in the harbour

and closure of fishing areas and accuses industry and

development for being to blame.”1800 45 71 45 skyreach.com.au

For All Your Rental Equipment Needs

Brisbane Dalby Gladstone Moranbah Mackay Townsville Cairns

News

THE use of proximity detection devices to protect Queensland mine workers both above and underground should soon be universally adopted.

The technology is used to avoid on-site collisions between mining vehicles and machinery and workers.

Speaking at the recent third annual Col-lision Avoidance in Mining 2012 conference in Fremantle, the Queensland Commission-er for Mine Safety and Health Stewart Bell said he expected the state’s mines to volun-tarily adopt available collision avoidance and proximity detection technology.

However, he warned the regulators were prepared to make its use mandatory across all surface and underground mines.

“The use of large vehicles and automat-ed heavy machinery at mine sites is increas-ing and the risk to human operators is significant,” Mr Bell said.

“We are committed to the goal that eve-ry mine worker goes home safe and healthy at the end of every shift.

“At the moment, there are too many vehicle-related incidents and accidents on mine sites.

“There is a serious need for sophisticated collision avoidance technologies to be used in all mining operations to improve safety and reduce the potential risks to workers.”

The move comes five years after 33-year-old Queensland miner Jason Blee was crushed to death underground.

The young father was killed when he was pinned to the wall by a shuttle car at Moran-bah North underground mine in April 2007.

A coronial inquiry into his death rec-ommended proximity detection devices be developed for use in underground coal mines.

Mr Bell said a system was now available.“This system uses magnetic-based technol-

ogy that will prevent personnel being crushed by vehicles in underground coal mines. There is a sensor on each worker’s helmet and each

piece of machinery has three levels of mag-netic detection fields around it.

“If a worker enters the innermost mag-netic field, the machinery automatical-ly shuts off and cannot be moved until the worker moves away from the vehicle.”

Mr Bell said collision avoidance technol-ogy had been available in Queensland sur-face and underground metaliferous mines for some time but had only been certified for use in underground coal mines late last year.

“To date, we have had good uptake from industry and most mining operations are either using or trialling this type of technology.

“We want all mines to voluntarily adopt this important technology because it can save lives as well as provide significant eco-nomic benefits for industry.

“However, if this is not the case I will ensure the technology is adopted by the industry by mandating the use of proximity detection.”

Proximity detection devices were a small price to pay to offer greater protection for mine workers and help reduce accidents and time lost through injuries, Mr Bell said.

Basic collision avoidance technology can be installed in a vehicle for under $5000.

“That´s a small price when you consid-er that mining companies outlay millions of dollars for vehicles and machinery on mine sites,” he said.

Anti-collision technology cheap

and effective

Harbour case delayed


135th EDITION. 2012

They also wanted her to work for a low-er rate of pay than what she felt qualified for and found the company could not give her specifics about why she was unsuccessful when the process fell over.

“I do everything right in the workplace and I’m good at my job and I’m not normally fired up like this but I’ve had a gutful,” she said.

Recruitment expert and managing direc-tor of The Resources Channel, Jody Elli-ott, said there are many variables in any one application, and while she couldn’t speak specifically about one selection process she could give general advice.

In her view most recruiters in the indus-try are overworked and under pressure to find the right people.

They are also forced to stick to company and government protocols when giving feed-back and dealing with candidates.

Candidates have to be patient, target the right job and company and follow the process to the letter, she told Shift Miner Magazine.

That will improve their chances of being shortlisted.

“Candidates need to be specific with their skills and experience in their applications and match those to the jobs they are apply-

ing for,” she said.“It is also not uncommon for the selec-

tion process to take months. There are many factors that have to be taken into consider-ation including how many have applied for the role and who is recruiting for the role.

“It’s so tight at the moment that companies are also reluctant to reject candidates straight up in case they might need them in the future.”

Ms Elliott also said that, on the whole, most recruiters are overworked and handling up to 30 roles each. At the same time, the resources sector continues to expand rapidly meaning more and more roles need to be filled by the existing recruitment staff and agencies.

That can lead to the frustrations being experienced like those highlighted by the female operator who contacted Shift Miner Magazine - and many others trying to change jobs without success or break into the industry.

The anonymous worker says her fear is that the pick of Australian talent will be used for the most skilled and high paying jobs and overseas workers will be used for the less experienced roles and paid at a lower rate.

She said projects using overseas staff should have hiring quotas for local to over-seas workers.

Candidate conundrum in mining boom

“Candidates need to be specific with their skills and experience in their applications and match those to the jobs they are applying for.”

h e i g h t s

News

FROM PAGE 1

Jody Elliott


135th EDITION. 2012

News

KOMATSU Australia has opened its new $55 million Brisbane headquarters.

Managing director of Komatsu Australia, Sean Taylor, said the Wacol facility, south-west of the CBD, was the company’s single biggest investment in Australia to date.

He described the building of the site as a significant milestone for the company.

“We have a very positive outlook for the local resource and construction markets, and have made the development of Wacol as a customer service facility a key infra-structure priority for Komatsu,” he said.

“Komatsu made the decision to invest in

this Queensland site, enhancing our capa-bility to meet the growing needs of custom-ers in the Australian marketplace.”

The facility houses the sales, service, assembly and remanufacturing of mining and construction equipment departments for Queensland customers.

More than 400 workers were employed dur-ing the 15-month construction of the site which is now office space for 150 permanent staff.

Komatsu says the Wacol site has 40 per cent more capacity and will assemble up to 70 mining dump trucks annually, with the facility strategically located and built to bet-

ter service customers in the rapidly expand-ing Queensland resource sector.

Mr Taylor said the Wacol site would play an integral role in the employment of up to 100 new trades-based apprentices by Komatsu over the next 12 months.

He added that the entire 61,000 square metre site, that has six main buildings, had been designed with a number of advanced, environmentally friendly features.

Three large central buildings house office, mining and construction machine assembly, service workshop and remanufac-turing functions, with a fully enclosed wash

bay building, boiler-maker and track press shop, and an extensive paint-shop building.

The paint-shop can accommodate two Komatsu 930E mining dump trucks, and is considered the largest spray booth of its type in the southern hemisphere.

RIO Tinto has committed to a three-year lease on 180 houses in Clermont, south-west of Mackay, allowing developers to start con-struction.

The leased homes will be offered to cur-rent fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) workers from the company’s Clermont mine, so they can join the local community with their families.

The remaining homes are being sold by the developers providing extra accommo-dation to the Clermont community.

The first residents will be able to move in by year’s end.

Isaac Regional Council Mayor Cr Cedric Marshall recently inspected the site and said that Rio Tinto’s initiative is an impor-tant step towards providing more housing in Clermont.

“Isaac Regional Council is pleased to continue its partnership with Rio Tinto through this initiative to address an impor-tant issue for our local community,” Cr Marshall said.

“These 108 houses will provide valuable housing capacity for the Clermont commu-nity and we look forward to working with Rio Tinto on future initiatives that continue to make Clermont a great place to live.”

The homes are part of the Clermont Pre-ferred Futures programme - a partnership between Rio

Tinto, Isaac Regional Council and com-munity members.

The programme was recognised at the 2011 Australian National Awards for Eco-nomic Development Excellence, winning the Highly Commended award for the Com-munity Economic Development category.

Acting General Manager Operations Clermont Region for Rio Ryan Harnden says employees are encouraged to live in the local community, through a rent, buy or build policy.

“At present, half of Rio Tinto’s work-force lives in Clermont and we have a wait-ing list of over 60 of employees who want to become part of this community,” he said.

“We have been working with local peo-ple and Isaac Regional Council on ways to provide more housing, not just for our employees but for the community as a whole.

“Over 50 per cent of our Clermont Region Mine’s employees live in Clermont and we are committed to increasing the number of employees who choose to make Clermont their home.

“Although it is expected that fly-in-fly-out employees will always be a part of Cler-mont Region operations, we have and will continue to advertise for residential only

positions wherever possible.“Obviously this depends on the availa-

bility of housing, but we are committed to helping address the issue and making extra efforts to enable employees to live locally in the community.”

“This initiative with independent devel-opers has allowed our employees to become part of the community while providing new homes for local residents.

“It’s a win win situation.”Clermont Mine Operator Sean Brax-

ton, who has two young boys under the age of three, said that more housing availabili-ty will mean he and his family can reside in Clermont, instead of being limited to fly-in-fly-out work.

“Being able to live in Clermont will make a big difference for me and my fam-ily,” Mr Braxton said.

“Not only will I get to spend more time with my family, but it gives us a chance to become part of the local community.

“The thought of bringing my two boys up in Clermont appeals to me as there’s a great sense of community and it’s a way of life that allows children to enjoy the out-doors.”

FIFO workers to call Clermont home

BUILDING FUTURES: Clermont mine’s Ryan Harnden and Isaac Regional mayor Cedric Marshall at the site

Komatsu goes big in Brisbane Queensland Treasurer Tim

Nicholls and Managing Director

of Komatsu Australia Limited Sean Taylor

at the opening of Komatsu’s new

facility in Wacol.


135th EDITION. 2012

$150M in CSG benefitsMORE than $150 million will be poured into Gladstone and smaller Surat Basin commu-nities, in what’s considered to be the most substantial private social investment pro-gram in Queensland’s resources industry.

Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) will pump the money into housing, jobs, train-ing, health and community services.

The $150 million package has now been approved by the state government, and is Queensland’s first Social Impact Manage-ment Plan (SIMP).

The Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney was in Glad-stone to make the announcement last week.

“As part of project approval requirements, the Coordinator-General requires QCLNG to manage the impacts of the facility and also ensure local communities have a chance to share in project benefits,” Mr Seeney said.

“This is a comprehensive road map of commitments that covers the entire life cycle of the facility – with local residents and businesses emerging as clear winners.”

Mr Seeney said highlights of the plan included $3 million towards the upgrade of Gladstone Hospital, a $2 million rural health initiative for the Western Downs, $14.1 million for affordable housing, $56 million for worker housing across the Glad-stone and Surat regions, an $8 million com-munity development fund and support for local employment and training.

QCLNG senior vice president Sandy Nairn said the plan was proof of the compa-ny’s commitment to the region.

“We are very proud of this substantial investment and the work that we’re under-taking in Queensland communities, in con-junction with local organisations, as part of this plan,” he said.

The company’s SIMP is the first of three plans under consideration for the LNG industry - with Gladstone LNG (GLNG) and Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) still working with the government to finalise their documents.

MINING company BHP Billiton Mitsui Coal (BMC) is helping central Queens-land’s regional schools get to the theatre without breaking the budget.

One of the biggest barriers to schools in towns like Clermont, Moranbah and Dysart in getting into the Mackay Entertainment Convention Centre is the cost of transport.

Now, BMC has a grant program for schools who travel either by bus or train - that covers the transport and show ticket costs.

All secondary schools within the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday regions are eligible to apply for a grant.

Schools need to reserve seats at performanc-es or workshops and then apply for the trans-port and ticket costs to be covered by the grant.Applications can be downloaded at www.mackayecc.com.auSome upcoming performances that are targeted for funding through the program are:

• Saturday26May-BigHart’sNamatjira• Tuesday3July-QueenslandBallet’sCloudland• Thursday5July-Taikozdrummingworkshops• Thursday2August-BellShakespeare-SchoolforWives

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News

“This is a comprehensive road map of commitments that covers the entire life cycle of the facility – with local

residents and businesses emerging as clear winners.”

Free pass to great shows


135th EDITION. 2012

News

NEW HEIGHTSThe Return to work Conference, Expo & Awards 2012

The Awards celebrate the achievements of injured workers who get back to work, and the people and organisations that help them get there.

Awards sponsors

You can showcase your own or othersí contributions to the rehabilitation and return to work of injured workers, by nominating at qcompconference.com.au, or calling 1300 389 177.

With categories celebrating the achievements of rehabilitation and return to work coordinators, case managers, employers, health providers and injured workers, who do you know that is raising the bar in rehab and return to work?

Nominations are now open for the Return to work Awards 2012!

Nominations close 8 June 2012.

A NEW product, designed in Queens-land, which suppresses coal dust and main-tains coal quality during transport is being snatched up by coal companies.

The Gold Coast-based Reynolds Soil Tech-nologies (RST) has just launched its Total Coal Control (TCC) technology, and the

company’s technical and operations director David Handel says the response from indus-try has been close to overwhelming.

“We expect this will gain widespread use in the industry,” said Mr Handel.

RST specialises in research into fine par-ticles, and its TCC technology works by

spraying a coating on coal at about 80 grams per tonne. This reduces the impact of water and movement on the coal.

Mr Handel said not only does it suppress dust, but it also means the quality of coal deteriorates less from pit to port.

“Our aim was to develop a product that not only did its job in terms of dust suppres-sion, better control and less escapement, but also treated the coal within containment to ensure the best possible product is deliv-ered at the end of the line,” Mr Handel said.

Dusty coal trains are a common site in Queensland.

“We have estimated Queensland pumps out around two million rail wagons of coal a year with 80 tonne of coal per wagon,” said Mr Handel.

“However, the quality of coal is often ruined during the material handling process.

“By using TCC we are able to stop deg-radation occurring, which in turn gives coal buyers a delivered product that has a higher calorific value than non-treated coal.

“This is very important as the calorific value measures the energy produced by the coal, a higher value will therefore maximize the coal’s worth.”

The company estimates that coal can be worth three per cent more upon delivery than coal not using the system as it hasn’t deterio-rated. Reduction in coal quality also means less coal is needed for fuel by the client and this has benefits for the environment.

The company says the coating has the ability to protect coal from moisture and oxidation, prevent self-combustion with-in stockpiles and control coal dust, rain ero-sion, slumping and material loss.

“As a dust suppressant it improves visi-bility, safety and saves large quantities of water,” he said.

“Benefits to coal stockpiles also include improvements to the control of self-com-bustion, minimisation of water penetration, reduced hang up and carry back during con-veying and transport, and the improvement of fines recovery at the coal washeries.”

Less dust, and better quality coal

“Our aim was to develop a product that not only did its job in terms of dust suppression... but also ensured the best possible product is delivered at the end of the line.”


135th EDITION. 2012

“It takes days to go through all the information we get sent.”

If you, or someone you know suff ers from these symptoms phone Clarity Hearing Solutions today for a free no obligation consultation.

Advanced Hearing Aid and Audiological Specialists

e [email protected] w www.clarityhearingsolutions.com.au Jodie Miles Audiologist B.SPATH(HONS)., M.AUDST., MAUDSA(CCP)Grant Collins Audiologist B.PSYCH(DIST)., M.AUDST., MAUDSA(CCP)

Hope for Industrial Deafness

Call now for your free no obligation consultation 4957 2000

Visiting Moranbah, Proserpine, Sarina & Northern Beaches

Frequently I come across people who have totally lost the hearing in one ear and have been told that there is nothing that can be done with either hearing aids or cochlear implants. They are told to just live with it and learn to adapt. What a lot of people don’t realize is that it is extremely debilitating to lose the hearing in just the one ear, in a way it is worse than losing hearing in both ears. First of all you lose all sense of telling which way a sound comes from. We rely on volume differences between our ears to localize, ie a sound coming from the left side is louder in the left ear than the right so we know to look that way. Without the second ear we have no idea which direction sounds comes from because it is

only heard in the one ear. Secondly and probably most importantly it is almost impossible to have a conversation in a group because you are not hearing anything from one side. Furthermore our ability to be able to focus in on the conversations you want to hear on your good side is further hampered. Another major problem with having a dead ear is in the car. If you are the driver and your left ear is dead it is almost impossible to have a conversation with the passenger. Particularly troublesome and the cause of major tension if going on long journeys. Furthermore telling which direction a siren or a car beeping it’s horn is coming from is very difficult.

Can a hearing aid help?Although it is true for certain populations you cannot treat a dead ear with hearing aids or implants, there are still devices around to specifically assist with these problems. In

particular a hearing device called a wifi CROS device. This works by wearing a discreet hearing aid in each ear and the aid in the dead ear called a transmitter picks up all the sounds from the poor side and transfers by radio signal to the hearing aid in the good ear, the receiver. Because these devices do not block up the ear the hearing in the good ear is still being used and it is then supplemented with the hearing aid receiving the information from the dead side. If the devices are set up correctly it is also possible to get a sense of direction by making the sound coming from the hearing aid different from the normal hearing. The success of these devices is sometimes determined by what age you begin to use them. Because the good ear is receiving twice as much information it can be a little difficult to get used to processing this extra information. The older you get the more difficult it is to retrain the brain to complete new tasks and the outcome of success with these devices is decreased.

Jodie Miles – Clarity Hearing SolutionsB.Sp.Path.(Hons).,M.AudSt.,MAudSA(CCP). Senior Audiologist

Call now for your free no obligation consultation 4957 2000Shop 6, 25-29 Evans Avenue, North Mackay

Visiting Moranbah, Proserpine, Sarina & Northern Beaches & Walkerston.

If you, or someone you know suff ers from these symptoms phone Clarity Hearing Solutions today for a free no obligation consultation.

Advanced Hearing Aid and Audiological Specialists

e [email protected] w www.clarityhearingsolutions.com.au Jodie Miles Audiologist B.SPATH(HONS)., M.AUDST., MAUDSA(CCP)Grant Collins Audiologist B.PSYCH(DIST)., M.AUDST., MAUDSA(CCP)

Hope for Industrial Deafness

Call now for your free no obligation consultation 4957 2000

Visiting Moranbah, Proserpine, Sarina & Northern Beaches

The effects of a hearing loss in only one ear:

“One Dead Ear”

News

CENTRAL Queensland graziers involved in ongoing consultation over proposed coal rail lines through their properties are becoming increasingly frustrated with the time lost and money drain to their business.

There are currently six proposed rail lines through central Queensland region, that would open up the Galilee Basin and allow coal to be moved to the Abbot Point coal terminal, near Bowen.

If they all go ahead, the lines would impact on more than 100 individual properties.

Grazier Danny Moran, who runs here-ford-red poll-brahman cross cattle on his 26,500 hectare Double-D property south of Clermont, estimates the ongoing con-sultation process is costing his farm up to $100,000 a year.

This is due to lost time studying reports and information on the proposed rail lines that would cut his property into four.

“It takes days to go through all the infor-mation we get sent,” he told the WINO.

“Hours and hours and hours going through all this bullshit. If we were compen-sated for lost time they wouldn’t put all this bullshit in for us to go through.”

One example of his frustration has been

sections of reports using dairy industry fig-ures to highlight the impact of rail lines on cattle. He says dairy data and behaviour is irrelevant to large scale beef producers.

Mr Moran said he is currently compen-sated per hour for face-to-face time by Hancock Coal, which is exploring a rail line across 18 kilometres of his farm, while QR National is also eyeing another part of the property for its rail corridor.

Landholders feel like they are in a state of limbo until a decision is made on what rail lines would proceed, he said.

They do hold hope that commonsense will prevail and only one rail corridor will be built, he added.

“You find your own work is lacking when you have to put so much time into this stuff,” he said.

“It has taken a lot to get our cattle to the quality they are and it doesn’t take much to knock that quality off.”

He is also concerned at safety issues sur-rounding movement of cattle across the rail line when cattle are grazed in mobs of 300 or so and it could take some time to get them safely across the rail in between the estimated 40 daily coal trains.

Farmers frustrated at time,

money wasted


135th EDITION. 2012

A BLACKWATER resident says last week’s community consultation meeting with the council about the future of the town was like a scene from the movie Groundhog Day.

The chairman of the Blackwater Com-munity Progress Group, Kev Cracknell, said

the meeting was poorly attended because of the time - 5.30pm - and the community is fed up.

“Concerns raised in previous meetings have fallen on deaf ears,” he said. “The per-ception is that the council sends in a con-

sultant, they listen, go away to present their findings and then nothing happens.”

The last consultation was three years ago, and Mr Cracknell said last night’s con-sultant had not been made aware of this previous work.

“People feel that things can’t happen for us, they happen to us.”

“People just want a say in their future and everyday needs, including affordable land, roads, controlling camps, water, community infrastructure, and quality sporting facilities.”

Like other mining communities, the main issue for Blackwater is the lack of res-idential land, and families being squeezed out of the housing and rental market.

Mr Cracknell said the consultant imme-diately saw the need for more land to be made available for better parks and land development, but this is the same issue trot-ted out previously.

“We need to make sure the mining com-munity is catered for, but we also need to cater for our communities and make sure they are not being trampled on,” Mr Cracknell said.

The mining boom is putting the town under pressure and residents are feeling it, he added.

Despite the fact current mining ventures have doubled in size over the past 15 years, and that more and more mines are opening in

the region with expected life of between 20-40 years, not much has changed in Blackwater.

“Since then, Blackwater has had one McDonalds open and now it is having trou-ble getting staff.

“Businesses are going to the wall and people are leaving in their droves.”

In the meantime, land that went to auc-tion before Christmas was sold to a private developer who is going to build a 500-per-son camp. This will bring the number of sin-gle-person accommodation to 4000.

Mr Cracknell said the community pre-sented a 1200 signature petition to the pre-vious Premier, Anna Bligh, asking for no more camp land to be sold in Blackwater.

“But now it has been sold and we feel the council has failed to back up its community.”

Mr Cracknell said he is aware these are the same issues for other mining towns in the regions, and that Blackwater is lucky that it has two primary schools, a high school and a hospital.

However, these are being run further and further into the ground.

“The Blackwater community has some good opportunities, but they need to be rec-ognised.”

With council elections coming up, Mr Cracknell - who is running for council - said this consultation should have happened earlier.

News

THERE may be some uncertainty in the voices of government workers these days, but the newly formed departments they work for have been given the thumbs up by industry.

Queensland’s peak industry body for the minerals and energy sector, the Queensland Resources Council, says the Premier Camp-bell Newman’s newly shaped government is better suited to assist and manage the resources sector.

QRC chief executive Michael Roche said the Newman government had clear-ly listened to the industry’s call to replace unwieldy super-departments with depart-ments focussed on outcomes, not process.

He said the sector was particular-ly pleased to see the return of the Natural Resources and Mines portfolio.

Andrew Cripps is the new Minister for Natural Resources and Mines after serving as shadow Minister for Natural Resources and Water and also Agriculture.

The QRC is seeking to meet with several of the new government’s ministers to learn

about their priorities and to brief them on some key issues in their portfolios of impor-tance to QRC members.

One government worker spoken to by Shift Miner Magazine last week con-fided that staff were still working out some of the new tasks and boundaries but were intent on getting on with the job as best they could.

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“QRC chief executive Michael Roche said the Newman government had clearly listened to the industry’s call to replace unwieldy super-departments with departments focussed on outcomes, not process.”

Blackwater concerns fall on deaf ears


135th EDITION. 2012

SHAREHOLDERS have overwhelming-ly backed a $5 billion takeover of Nathan Tinkler’s Aston Resources by Whitehaven Coal at meetings in Brisbane and Sydney this week.

As part of the takeover Whitehaven will acquire Boardwalk Resources, an unlist-ed company also owned by Mr Tinkler, that owns a $30 million to $40 million stake in the Dingo coal tenement bought from Aston for $10 two years ago.

Aston also holds an 85 per cent stake in the undeveloped Maules Creek project in the Gunnedah Basin. It is thought to be the larg-est undeveloped tier one deposit in Australia.

Production from Maules Creek, according to a company statement to the market, will comprise mainly of metallurgical coal and premium low ash thermal coal for export.

The deal will create Australia’s largest listed independent coal company.

Mr Tinkler will be the largest sharehold-er in the new entity with a 32 per cent hold-ing valued at about $1.1 billion.

Maules Creek was approved for develop-ment 25 years ago, but still requires New South Wales Government approval to begin produc-tion. It will produce an estimated 10 million

tonnes a year while Whitehaven’s other mines will produce another 15 million tonnes.

Mr Tinkler shot to fame in 2009 when he topped the Australian BRW Rich List for people under 40. His personal wealth at the time was estimated to be $441 million.

The former electrician from the New South Wales town of Inverell used to work in the Newcastle coal mines.

He made a large slice of his fortune sell-ing his stakes in several mining companies around Middlemount and he has now invest-ed much of his wealth into horse racing.

News

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Tinkler’s $5b fortune

AS the federal inquiry into FIFO rolls on across thecountry, it’s re-assuringminersaren’t takingthemselves too seriously out there in FIFO land.

To prove it, a rap song called simply “The FIFO song”hasjusthitYouTubepromotinganewFIFO-dedicated specials website.

The song and video is rude, crude and a little ordinary-butit’ssuretoraiseafewlaughsfromthose who work in mining as the FIFO life is explored through music.

More than 57,000 viewers had checked out the clip in its first couple of days.

The films opens with a man rapping about the highs and lows of FIFO while dressed in steel cap boots,ahigh-visvestandhardhatandwalking

through an airport.“Jetsetter, nah it ain’t that glamorous. This

high-visgeardon’tmakethechicksamorous,”isone of the killer lines.

It continues: “up here all you do is work and drink, and when that’s done well you just have another drink.”

“It ain’t romantic, this ain’t no Red Dog. Sure it can be a little like living in jail, but when I get home it’s like I’m on bail.

“Living the life, spending all me pay and you know what mate? I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

All this, while a scantily clad woman dances... the FIFO stereotype lives on through song.

It’s lewd, crude & FIFO rude


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XSTRATA Coal has turned its Baal Bone underground mine near Lithgow, in New South Wales, into a first-of-its-kind training facility.

New underground miners will now spend 12 weeks at the site learning their skills.

What’s different about the training site is that new recruits get out of the classroom and into the “real world” underground - operating equipment before they start their full-time careers.

The first group of 12 trainees graduat-ed last month, and are now working at the company’s Ulan West mine.

“The feedback we’ve received from them is that the Baal Bone training facility ena-bled them to have a better understanding and knowledge before going into produc-tion,” said Baal Bone’s Health Safety and Training Manager Mark Bulkeley.

“The program is an industry first, and what’s great is that it provides an opportu-nity for people without any industry expe-rience to learn and practise vital skills that will help them gain employment with us at a time of considerable growth.”

Rob Pattison, who was among the first group of 12, has now operated a shuttle car to cut his first coal.

Julie Tiggermann is one of three female operators currently undergoing training.

“It’s a whole new world for me,” she said“I expected to and have done the same

as the guys, using the same equipment, doing the same work.”

Eventually Queensland miners could be trained at the mine, with Xstrata plan-ning it to be used Australia-wide for training purposes.

“At present we have 12 crews on site at

Baal Bone, that’s around 110 people and all is running well,” said Mr Bulkeley.

“I believe turning Baal Bone into a train-ing facility has benefits for Xstrata but also the local community.

“It provides employment for trainers and assessors so they can stay in the com-munity they call home.

“It also ensures that the colliery will con-tinue to be an integral part of our communi-ty and that criticial skills will be kept there.”

Qld miners could train in Lithgow

NEW RECRUITS: Xstrata’s first trainees to go through its Baal Bone underground mine in NSW


If your local club has any news or

photos it wants added to this page,

you can submit your articles to

[email protected]

What’s happening in spoRt in your town?It’s raining men - hallelujah!SPORTING teams are bursting at the seams in Gladstone, as the city enjoys the benefits of a key pieceofCSGinfrastructure-theplayerpipeline.

More than 18,000 jobs are expected to be created in the coal seam gas sector, according to Energy Skills Queensland.

Importantly for sporting groups in the region, a large number of those jobs will be filled by people who are the ideal playing age.

Not surprisingly, they are flocking to join new teams in droves.

For president of the Boyne Island Tannum Sands (BITS) AFL club Damon Stebbing, it has meant registrations are up more than 50 per cent.

“Currently we have 32 new players who haveregistered with us this season,” he said.

“Usually we have around 50 to 70 players registered with us in a normal year, so it has been a major increase.

“But we needed it, because interestingly we lost 17 players from our two senior sides last year, with people leaving town for various reasons.”

Mr Stebbing said most of the new players had come fromTasmaniaandVictoria-andjoininganewteamcame with benefits.

“I guess one of the advantages of having a network of players like we do, is that everyone who plays for us generally knows someone, who knows someone, who is coming to Gladstone.

“Through our players and connections, we can offer that person a bed until they find their feet, and possibly a job if they need help on that front as well.”

It’s a similar story for the Gladstone Mudcrabs AFL side, the Gladstone rugby and rugby league teams, and even the Port City Power basketball side.

Despite the large number of new players, success on the field is not guaranteed.

Industrial rosters mean that some weekends, seeminglyover-stockedteamsstillstruggleforplayers.

“Shift work and inconsistency with players is a problem that is inherent to a region like this,” Mr Stebbing said.

“Even before CSG, a lot of our players were on shift work at the smelter or at the ports, so it’s nothing new.

“But we have been quite successful at managing that problem, although having said that we were three short last weekend.”

The coach of the Dawson Valley Drovers, a rugby team based in the coal town of Moura, agrees.

That club has picked up a useful bundle of players this season from the local mining sector, but coach JackWrightsaysyouneeda lotof registrations tofieldateamweek-to-week.

“We currently have 78 players on the books, but you need at least this many to field two sides in a mining roster environment,” he said.

“Not to mention the inevitable losses to injury and other things as the season progresses.”

Moranbah Miners recruiting Welsh internationalThe Moranbah Miners Rugby League club are close to securing the playing services of Welsh International Neil Budworth.

Budworth has an impressive pedigree both overseas and in Australia, and the connection with the Miners hascomeviahisfriendshipwithminerscaptainJoshHannay.

The couple played together for Celtic.If finalised, Budworth will join other start recruits

JustinRodgers-astarsouthSydneyjuniorandJohnFlint a sensational player from the Queensland cup competition.

HoweverleavingtheirranksisJimmyAhmattwho

retired at the end of last season.Whilethehigh-endrecruitmentisimportantforthe

club, president Marco Peters says they will be looking to its pool of local junior talent to fortify its playing list.

“There are about 75 to 85 players for A grade and reserve grade and we have 18’s on top of that as well,” he said.

“The 18’s are a really strong group of players, last year they won a final against Souths Mackay that was almost entirely made up of Cutters players.”

“Only four of the players in our team were over 18, so we will be seeing lots of them this year.”

“Balancing rosters is the hardest thing, but its an issue we have always had to manage so we are getting quite good at it.”

“Basically we look at everyones rosters, when they are available and who we are playing and what we need in which positions.

“The players are very loyal to the club, and will let us know their days off in advance and play part games if they have work commitments.

“What really helps is playing our home games at 7:30whichworksinwitheveryone’srosters,andit’swhy we treat home games as a fortress.

“Everyone hates coming to Moranbah because they know we can get everyone available.”

The next two weekends are home games for the miners against the Magpies and Sarina.

Itwillalsobeladiesdayonthe12thofMay.“I have to mention our major sponsors , Esco

Engineering, BAE engineering, G&S Engineering, Boom logistics, Auscoal super and Southern Cross Auto Electrics and all the other local sponsors, because nothing would be possible without them,” Mr Peters added.

www.riotintocoalaustralia.com.au

We support a range of local projects through the Clermont Region,

Kestrel Mine, and Hail Creek Mine Community Development Funds.

For more information contact:

• Clermont Region - Alissa Gordon on 07 4988 3505

• Kestrel Mine - Maureen Tutton on 07 4984 7694

• Hail Creek Mine - Marie Cameron on 07 4951 6437

The Kestrel Mine Community Development Fund is pleased continue its partnership with Central Highlands Development Corporation to support the Community Grants Offi cer and Outreach programme for the next two years.

This initiative provides the communities of Emerald, Capella and the Gemfi elds with the support to source, research, apply for and acquit vital community grants for local projects.

Since 2010, more than $1M has been brought back into these communities. One of the projects includes supporting the long term future of the Central Highlands Regional Resources Use Planning Cooperative (pictured) to help them continue their work in improving natural resource management practices in the community.

Rio Tinto Coal Australia is proud to be a part of the Clermont, Emerald, Capella, Nebo, Sarina, Mirani and Mackay communities.

W

ve

COMMUNITY CALENDARSport EvEnt DatE vEnuE

Rugby league Moranbah Miners v Magpies 28/4/12 Moranbah

Rugby League Moranbah Miners v Sarina (ladies day) 12/5/12 Moranbah

Rugby league Dysart v Springsure 28/4/12 Dysart

Rugby League Bluff v Middlemount 28/4/12 Bluff

Rugby League Emerald v Blackwater 28/4/12 Emerald

Rugby League Peak Downs v Emerald Tigers 28/4/12 Tieri

Rugby Union Emerald v Capella 28/4/12 Capella

Rugby Union Rolleston v Moranbah 28/4/12 Capella

Traithlon Capella May To be decided

Want your club details here? Call Shift Miner 07 4921 4333Megan MacDonald and Kait Crust

Matt, Charlotte and Shannon Green

Olivia Carsburg, Telia Hunter, Warren Hill, Denise, Latoya and Preston Byrne

Brydie Hughes, Ali Daniel and Kym Bourne

Jerri Thompson, Tammy Ingram, Rob Daniels and Dean Robe


135th EDITION. 2012

Holding a social event you want photographed? Call the Shift Miner office on 4921 4333 to let us know. You can also give our office a bell if you’d like a copy of any of the photos in this edition.

the lion, the rugby and good Friday!

After the footy game, it was time to relax.

A tipple with friends at the Wine and Trivia Night in Moranbah.

Charlie and Kelly Huxley

Jason and Derek Webley Robert Lammamoore and Les Phillips Chama and Kamalita Tasi

Shaylee Burke, Ashlee Hore and Hayden Latchford

Maddy Hatton, Shay Lyall and Maddie Roberts-Young

Gemma Hopes and Olivia Carsburg

Hayden Latchford, Yasmin Black and Michaela Donoghue

Kevin Ford and Michael Szabo

arouNd towN

Tune into the Michael J. Breakfast show from 7:35 am every Monday for 4RO's CQ Mining Update, with special guest Angus from Shift Miner.

Greg CaryMichael BaileyWeekdays 5am - 9am Weekdays 9am - 12pm

Weekdays 12pm - 1pmAlan Jones

Weekdays 1pm - 6pmLaurie Atlas

SALES ENQUIRIES: (07) 4920 2000PHONE: 1300 872 911WWW.4RO.COM.AU

NOW WITH MORE NEWS, MORE TALK AND THE MUSIC YOU LOVE


135th EDITION. 2012

www.shiftminer.comBUY THIS AND MANY OTHER IMAGES AT

Shift Miner magazine – bringing the mining community closer together

Lions markets were held on April 1 at the Blackwater Civic Centre.

A combined churches Good Friday service was held in Rotary Park, Blackwater.

Leanne Baillie and Remy Jellick

Felice, Taylor and Charlotte Kay

Lydia and Chloe Drew

Mick Gilligan

Ryleigh and Erin Godfrey

Mariah Moore

Cathy, Ben and David Drew

Sadie and Cec Owens

Bronwen and Mark Day

John and Karen Jackson

Shelley and Thomas Cox

Drew Richards enjoying her fairy floss

Quinton Pinth and Will Conway

arouNd towN


135th EDITION. 2012

Got somethinG to share? send us your text messages or phone photos to

0428 154 653 or email to [email protected]

Our article on the gas problems at the Collins-ville mine hit a raw nerve with one reader:

“It’s an easy fix, but it will cost them $$ and there will be no production.”

Boo hoo! Imagine the $$ it will cost with lawsuits if people keep being gassed, if peo-ple are affected in the long term! Some of these gases are cancer-causing gases!

Lives and safety over production! Get a grip Thiess, would they go out of their offices into the gases? I think not!

Coal Miner’s Wife

Next month’s meeting about the Peak Downs Highway had one reader thinking:

Just reading your article about the Peak Downs Highway future and present use.

Maybe they should try a study on company vehicles travelling with single occupancy.

The workers, for the most part have to use a bus - but most staff seem to be exempt.

Our front page story about FIFO not being a homewrecker received support from readers:

We have been doing FIFO for three years now, and my wife and kids love it. It means I get to see them more than I would if I worked at home. G.T, Brisbane

FIFO roster is the best thing that has happened for my family. Means I work when I am at work, and spend time with wife and kids at home. T.R, Townsville

The only people who whinge about FIFO are those who can’t get the good jobs themselves. F.R, Sydney

SHIFT MINERMonday 9th April 134th Edition 2012

The Queensland mining community’s best source of local news

M A G A Z I N E

NewsWet weather

costly » page 4

NewsCollinsville gas

woes » page 5

NewsHighway safety in

focus » page 6

Around Town

Bulls snipped in � rst

rugby clash » page 13

Off Shift

Forget the name - just

relax » page 21

Money Matters

Bowen Basin selling

spree » page 23

Locally Owned and Operated - www.shiftminer.com

HOW does FIFO and block shift work

affect your sex life or your ability to join the

local footy team?

A new study is hoping to uncover the

answers to those questions - and here’s the

scoop, researchers don’t expect the � ndings

will be negative.

“There has been a lot of media hype that

tends to suggest FIFO is all bad, apart from

the money, said CQUniversity researcher

Dr Karin Stokes.

“But we are interested in hearing from

mining families themselves, because the

ones we have spoken to so far seem fairly

happy with their lot. That � ies in the face of

a lot of media reports.”

Dr Stokes is looking to interview 60 cou-

ples over the next two months on how FIFO,

DIDO and block shifts affect their lifestyle

- and if the � ndings back up her hunch, the

research will be extended to a much larger

national study.

“We are looking at everything from

the � nancial decision to work in mining,

to how you parent if one half is away at

work,” she said.

The CSIRO-funded research comes off

the back of a study carried out last year

which found that, contrary to popular belief,

FIFO was not breaking up marriages.

» continued page 9

Food promotes harmony

» More pictures page 15

Highway safety in

focus

Around Town

Bulls snipped in � rst

rugby clash UNITED NATION

FESS UPWhat you really think about FIFO

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Sent in anonymously

SEEN SOMETHING WE HAVEN’T?PRIzEs fOR ThE bEsT MININg PhOTOs.takE it on your phonE or camEra anD SEnD it in

Text to 0428 154 653 [email protected]

stuff to the editor

The musings of a CQ miner...Redmond’s RantsDuringmyrides/drivesuparoundthefarnorth Queensland Tablelands, I’ve stumbled upon a true jewel. The Mt Molloy Cafe.

A few years back my mate Dr Fil and myself were returning from a dirt bike adventure up in the Daintree.

Dr Fil was driving the ute and telling me about his concerns of dehydration and how, if by chance we come across a rehydration station, the smart thing would be to load up and thus avoid the pitfalls of dehydration.

The proper way to rehydrate wouldbeeightglassesofwater-

so we agreed to seek it out.

Water is best when yeast, hops and barley are added.

As we drove into Mt Molloy we spied a XXXX water sign.

We casually screeched to a stop and raced into bar (last one in pays). Whilst taking on some fluid I went to check the ute, when I smelt something good. Forget the ute, I’m hungry.

A couple of doors up from the pub I found the Mt Molloy Cafe.

The smell was delicious, the place was neat, and then I heard a woman’s laugh. Proper, joyful laughter. Angela was laughing as she cooked.

The smell and the laughter put a really good vibe through the place. I approached the counter and was greeted by Rudy. I asked him the question that I have asked a lot of cafe owners, and only he has answered my question in the positive.

“Do you make vegi burgers?”

“Yes, homemade so will take a little while, do you want a beer?”

I smiled and felt like asking “Will you adopt me please ?”

It’s been about five years and a lot of vegi burgers since that first one.

I always look forward to the Mt Molloy Cafe.

Who is RedMond?Redmond was born in a cross-fire hurricane and now resides in Queensland. Former Golden Glove champ turned champion shearer, his shearing career was cut short when he entered the adult film industry and made 3467 films in three months. He now enjoys semi-retirement and lives happily on his 100,000 acre property with his seven wives. He has received the annual Golden Pen award from the Writer’s Guild four years in a row in the Truth Telling category...

STRIKES, mine closures, frustration over rail lines - another week in this great industry!

The closure of Norwich Park has been grabbing the headlines along with the impact on workers and, in particular, the residents of Dysart.

Any dramatic change at work or home is tough. The hard news is the closure. The better news is that most of the workers will find other jobs because their skills and experience are needed.

Questions remain around the timing of the May 11 closure in relation to ongoing strike action but mine owners BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) have been quick to point out the mine has been losing money and the closure is because of a com-bination of factors, not just one alone.

Dysart is a resilient community and there has been a sense of “getting on with the job” this week from those spoken to by Shift Miner. They are accepting the closure and

looking to make the best of the situation.On the fringes of this news story has

been questions over what the real skills shortage means in Australian mining. The experience in past months of one worker with 10 years experience driving trucks has been a little baffling. Continually knocked back for jobs she went seeking answers and found gaps in the way workers applications are processed, approved and acted upon.

On the land farmers are growing increasingly frustrated by the time and energy taken to deal with proposed multi-ple coal rail lines across their vast proper-ties. In the bush vernacular they have had a gutful and want some commonsense inject-ed into the debate.

It’s just one of the challenges raised again in a week that shows us all the indus-try needs to continually take stock and judge with a critical eye the opportunity and cost of the current boom on people.

Greg Sweetnam

FRoM tHE EDItoR

Stuff to the editor


135th EDITION. 2012

CLASSIC REVIEWBY JUSTIN CARLOS

Mel’s medieval marvelBEFORE Mel Gibson went completely crazy and revealed himself to be an anti-Semitic lunatic, glad for John Lennon’s death, he was a massive movie star.Now that he’s awash in a sea of perpetual scandal it’s easy to forget that nearly 20 years ago Mel directed and starred in one hell of a movie called Braveheart.If you haven’t seen the film there’s no way you haven’t heard its most famous line, “They may take our lives, but they can never take our freedom!”The film tells the story of William Wallace, a Scottish rebel seeking to unite his countrymen against vicious English king, Edward the Longshanks, who intends to rule Scotland himself.Having lost his father and brother to Longshanks’ cruelty as a boy, William Wallace returns to his childhood home with the intention of living a quiet life as a farmer and raising a family.After reuniting with his childhood sweetheart the two wed in secret, but when Wallace’s wife is captured and executed by a group of English soldiers he sets out to reclaim Scotland for the Scots.Essentially Braveheart is part medieval war epic and part love story; however the movie is well structured, providing a good balance between scenes of heavy dialogue and action-packed bloody battles.The fight scenes are particularly well choreographed, and the special effects and make-up used in the film still look amazing almost 20 years later.Looking back at Braveheart, if there’s one thing that’s disappointing it’s that the film is now somewhat tainted by Gibson’s off-screen antics.

You may find it difficult to immerse yourself fully in the storyline, considering his never-ending public gaffes.He did, however, take home the 95 best picture and director Oscars, so despite his foibles there’s really no denying that Gibson got things very right when he made Braveheart.Period movies (for example Gibson’s other period movies, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto) often fail to strike a pleasant balance between entertainment and authenticity.Braveheart achieves this largely through the use of what could be considered ‘modern’ sprinklings of humour, and the overarching love story designed to resound with audiences of any era.If you consider yourself a movie buff and you haven’t seen Braveheart, give yourself a stern talking to and go out and get a copy.

M: 0448 243 343 E: [email protected] dweDaryl Watson Engineering

www.dweonline.netSpecialising in the timely delivery of on-spec components for your business.

Quality doesn’t have to mean slow

General manufacturing and Fabrication

Motor sport, boating and leisure

Mining, Earth moving, Hydraulics and Agriculture

Transport

Andrew,I suppose ‘faking’ a spiritual side is

more a moral dilemma than anything, so I’m not sure that me telling you it’s okay will put your mind at ease.

What you should probably consid-

er, however, is that if you meet a woman to whom spirituality is important you’re probably going to have to go to church and other spiritual events quite a lot.

I’m fairly certain there are plenty of nice girls out there who aren’t necessari-ly devoutly religious.

My advice is to avoid gimmicks (i.e. trying to attract women by singing hymns at your local church) and try to meet a nice girl the conventional way.

Susan.

Frank the Tank’s “Streakin”

good love advice

Sensible Susan

If you have a question for Frank and susan Email Us at: [email protected]

fair diNKuM

The musings of a CQ miner...

Frank,I keep complaining to my friends about how hard it is to meet a nice girl, and recently one of them suggested I join a local church as a way of meeting good, wholesome women.The only thing is, I’m not religious at all; in fact quite the opposite - I guess you could say I’m kind of anti-religion.Is it wrong to ‘fake’ a spiritual side in order to meet a nice girl?Andrew, Emerald.

For someone who’s anti-religion you seem to have a lot of moral hang ups; per-haps you’ve been unwittingly indoctrinat-ed by organised religion.

It happens all the time. People claim to be anti-religion but wind up getting stifled by all the rules and regulations.

Not me though. I can tell you with no remorse that I’ve been coveting my neigh-bour’s wife with some vigour for about six months now.

That’s not to say I don’t have a spiritu-al side. In fact Jesus Christ once appeared to me in a vision.

I was on a construction site and he was screaming at me, pointing to his hand, which had a nail through it.

Actually…disregard that…I used to go to work drunk a lot in those days, so I may have accidentally just shot a bearded guy with a nail gun.

Having said all that, I do like your

angle. These church girls are often so repressed they’ll get looser than grandma’s undies after half a glass of communion wine. I know from personal experience.

During the whole ‘Jonestown’ thing, cults were pretty trendy, so I figured who better to lead their own religion than Frank the Tank?

Things were going great, but the wheels fell off at about the nine-month mark when I got buried in an avalanche of paternity lawsuits.

Thank god most of the women who sued me went blind from drinking home-made moonshine and were unable to identify me in Court.

Anyway, back to the topic hand.I don’t see anything wrong with faking

a spiritual side.I’ve faked stigmata on five different

occasions in an attempt to seduce attrac-tive nuns.

However, it does all depend on what religion your future girlfriend is.

If she worships at some kind of weird voodoo cult, maybe faking it isn’t such a good idea.

I had a friend who took up with this Korean gypsy who used to cook him these crazy stews made from donkey meat.

One day she caught him badmouth-ing her cooking to some friends and next time we saw him she’d put some curse on him and his testicles were the size of cricket balls.

True story.Frank.


İnk running in your blood

HOUSE FOR SALESUNSHINE COAST

SACRIFICEBuy before 30/4/2012Get $10000 govt bldg

boost Brand New impressive Level, 4bed 2

bath, DLUG,Fenced, Side accessRoom Shed/Van Nth

EntertWalk shops/schoolFantastic Buy

Offers NEAR $400,000Ph. 0409 055 062

HOUSE FOR SALE

Agnes Water, 4

acres, 3 Bed, 2 Bath.

3Metre verandah’s,

Carport, 4 Day Shed,

Fenced yard, Dam.

7.5 k to town and beach

$485,000

Phone: 0409 254 525

LAND FOR SALE

Land for sale, Hervey Bay. Turtle Cove Estate.

views of Fraser Island. Cannot be built out.

Underground power, phone and water at front

barge to Fraser. About 10min to Town. ono.

$262,000 ono

Phone: 0411 098 241

BOAT FOR SALE

Flybridge cruiser, chart plotter, radar, auto pilot, bow & stern thrusters, zodiac, RFD, 5 berths,

shower, toilet, 250 lt fridge, 300 lt freezer, air con &

much more. Immac cond. Gladstone.

$155,000 ono.Phone: 0437 657 433

HOUSE FOR SALEFully furnished fully a/c modern home on 7.5 acres 500 metres

from Midge Point beach, 2 bedrooms 2

or 3rd bedroom large carport 3bay shed fully

equipped workshop

Phone 0428 476 001

CAR FOR SALE4X4 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Z71 Crew Cab

Diesel Engine, Allison Transmission 75,354klm, leather

owner vehicle loaded with options. $89,700egc.

[email protected]

HOUSE FOR SALEEungella, 90 mins

from Mackay.

award winning 3 bdrm home on 5 acres, 2 yrs old, 4 bay shed,

stunning views. Adjoining optional

174 acres of improved pasture also for sale.

$749,000. Phone: 0420 104 278

CRANE TRUCK FOR SALE

Nissan Atlas Crane Truck

988 model, 79,000 k

4495 GVM, Tadano 2T crane

RWC, Only car licence

needed to drive

$13,500

07 4941 7147 or

Phone: 0427 824 880

BOAT FOR SALE

Only used in FRESH water.Mercruiser Black Scorpion 330hp Engine with MPI.

Meticulously serviced and cared for.

for the serious skier/ boarder.

Phone: 0418 794 525.

PLOUGH FOR SALE

Grizzly S24 plough very

good condition new

bearings discs about 1/2

worn located near rocky.

$17000 plus gst ono.

Phone 0429 948 198

HOUSE FOR SALEHouse on 40 acres near

Agnes water QLD. Unique pavillion style home, 4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms

Partially cleared and fenced, waterhole and a small dam. Large deck

and breathtaking views. 15 km from surf beach

and town of 1770. $510,000

Phone: 0400 797 075

JET SKI FOR SALE

08/09 Honda F15GPX Turbo

3 Seater 1500cc Turbo

3 Red Genuine

Honda Lifejackets

85hrs

$15,500 ono

Phone: 0447 606 727

CAR FOR SALE

SLT Lonestar Edition Heavy Duty

5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel Allison auto trans. Wood grain

inserts 5th wheel hitch, tow bar 4 door dual cab

Dula Wheels104000klms

$89 000 oboPhone: 0432 429 264

CAR FOR SALE2002 Ford F250 XLT King Cab 4 X 4, 7.3ltr turbo

diesel/gas.Vic. rego March 2012.

fridge, 4 burn gas cook,

shower, water, deep cycle batteries, 800W inverter, loads storage. STACER boat 3.9m 25HP motor,

$80,000Phone: 0417 587 425

CLASSIC FOR SALE

1970 ht Holden ute

immaculate original

condition

buy

$26,950.

Phone : 0422 377 385

LAND FOR SALE

Rural land 15 min cbd

lots good grazing land

and house sites

$520,000 the pair will

sell seperatly POA

Phone: 0447 031 588

COMBINE FOR SALE

24 run Horward bagshaw

combine 12 new 12 old

hoses ram rebuilt good

condition.spare boots.

$3000 plus gst.

Phone 0429 948 198

CLASSIC FOR SALEChev 1955 factory right hand drive

two door wagon V8 three speed manual with overdrive,All

new upholstery New whitewall tyres,All new glass and chrome,New fuel tank,New cd player

and speakers, $49,500

Phone 07 5523 0330 or 0409 209 246

GEARBAGS FOR SALEAUSTRALIA’S TOUGHEST Ideal for Shift WorkersSuperior quality canvas

gearbag. Duraproof canvas, internal zip

up pockets, reinforced seams, heavy duty carry handles & zip, 7mm s/s

resistant.$187 + P&H

www.bilja.com.auPhone: 0407 027 565

MOTORBIKE FOR SALEHARLEY DAVIDSON

100th Anniversary XL 1200s Sportster Sports. Always

garaged and covered. Windscreen, saddle bags, cruise control. Plus many

keep. RELUCTANT SALE. 14500 km\’s. Lady owner

$13500 onoPhone Sue 0427570619

HOUSE AND LAND FOR SALE

piggery. 3Brm partly renovated home.

Photos & details our website:

http://countrymilefarm.webs.com/

Phone: 0741689226

CHEV PACK FOR SALE CAR,TRUCK & TRAILER

Only 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo factory S/S drag car

$35,000.00

2005 18 foot full tilt beaver tail tandem trailer– FREE

with package salePackage Price $65,000.00

Phone 07 5424 6694

BOAT FOR SALE Cruising catamaran, solid GRP. Built 2001.

Well appointed and very comfortable with full

amenities for living aboard and cruising. For full

particulars see www.catspaw2011.

blogspot.com

$125,000

Phone: 0468 389 300

BUSINESS FOR SALEInterested in Interior Decorating?

Curtains/Blinds etc in Airlie BeachOwner has operated this business for 17yrs and wants

to retire.Largest showroom in the area. 120sqm air con shop

Established clienteleLarge stock holding. Assistant of 12yrs prepared to

assist with take over. POA to genuine enquiries Phone: 0409 898 430

UNIT FOR SALE100sqm renovated open plan unit with a HUGE

balcony overlooking the Sunshine Coast’s best point break!! Austar,

gym, 150m lagoon pool. Great investment BETTER

lifestyle! More info/pics avail. Be Quick!

Phone: 0424 108 784HOUSE FOR SALE

YEPPOON, New 4 bedroom 2 bathroom brick home.

Aircon in main bedroom & Media room.

Fans throughout.

Double garage with elec roller doors & separate laundry

Security screens. Fully turfed & fenced

$449,000 minus

$17,000 government grants if eligible

Ph: 0421 601 710

HOUSE FOR SALE

HOUSE & 43 acres 3 B/Rms, lounge etc,

double garage & double carport,

2 water tanks & pump.

7kls from Rosedale town which has Hotel, P.O,

handyman & general store, primary & high schools.

Price $270,000 partly furnished.

Phone: 07 4151 4500

HOUSE FOR SALE

BUNDABERG. For Sale at Auction on 12th May

or consider offers before. 23 acres Prime Land +

House + Sheds + Water Alloc. 5 mins to CBD.High

Investment Opportunity to Land Bank for the Future.

Phone: 0428 739 682


135th EDITION. 2012

off shift

GETTING inked.It’s no longer the exclusive domain of

sailors and jail bait.A walk down the red carpet reveals

A-list celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Rihan-na and David Beckham proudly displaying their ink alongside Armani and diamonds.

Closer to home, and in Australia researchers have found while older genera-tions are not fond of tattoos, they are now increasingly popular among the young.

The days of small, discreet tattoos tucked away behind singlets and belts are on the wane, as Aussies embrace the bold and col-ourful in brash designs on arms, legs and

necks - in full view of all who care to stare.UMR Research carried out a sur-

vey in 2010 found it was women under 30 who were most likely to find tattoos highly attractive.

Wondering where your tat will appeal most to the ladies? Well, 62 per cent of women like tattoos on men’s arms the most.

For the blokes, the back is where it’s at: 43 per cent find tattoos on the back the most attractive place for a woman to have a tattoo.

When the research was released, UMR managing director John Utting said times had changed, and tattoos were here to stay.

“This research confirms that parents have every right to be worried that their child will come home with a tattoo,” said.

“In years gone by, tattoos were strict-ly for the bogan, sailor and criminal sub-cultures, but they’ve now escaped into the wider community.”

If you’re wondering just how popular tat-toos have become - look no further than the great social barometer that is Barbie.

Last year, the woman who has every-thing finally got inked when Mattel released its first tattooed doll.

Some parents were outraged, but most did not bat an eye.

While the next generation of young ones always like to think of themselves as bound-ary pushers, tattoos have been around for more than 5000 years.

Otzi the Iceman, who lived around 3300BC, and whose mummified body was found in the Austrian Alps in the 1990s, bore 57 separate tattoos.

In ancient China, the tattoo has been associ-ated with criminals and bandits since 1045BC.

In Samoa, the tradition of applying tat-too, or tatau, by hand has been unbroken for more than 2000 years.

The skill is often passed on from father to son, and the tools and techniques have changed little.

So while the concept might not be novel, tattoos have certainly enjoyed a massive reviv-al in Western culture over the past decade.

Now it’s your turn to play a part in history.Just like Otzi the Iceman, we want to

document your tats - so archeologists can discuss your art in another 5000 years.

Which CQ miner has the best tattoo? It could be you. Join our competition, and win a $500 gift certificate to use at Tattoo Tattoo in Yeppoon.

You’re not on your Pat Malone.Tattoos are so socially acceptable these days, it wouldn’tbesurprisingifJuliaGillardhadtheSouthernCross tattooed on the small of her back.But before you run off and get the Chinese word for ‘courage’ tattooed on your forehead, there’s a few things you may want to consider.Let’s start with the basics: why are you getting inked?You don’t need to get all profound on us and write a 1000 word essay on the meaning behind the art.But you do have be happy with the fact this tattoo is going be a part of your skin forever (unless you want to fork out for expensive laser removal).Are you going for a more traditional, pre-designedtattoo, or will you have an artist design a custom tattoo for you?Thiswillhelpyoudecidewhattattooisttovisit-somespecialise in custom designs, while others stick to the tried and true popular designs and colours.And that leads us to the cardinal rule of tattooing: make sure you visit a licensed tattooist.The internet has made it extremely easy for amateurs who don’t know what they’re doing to get a hold of tattooing equipment.The last thing you want is a nasty little gnome like this calling your leg home.

So you want to get a tattoo?

İnk running in your blood


135th EDITION. 2012

IN a second part of our barramundi for beginners series, Gazza from Pat’s Tack-le World in Gladstone explains the rules of hunting and fishing when it comes to this feisty fish. Actually, he talks about lures. And for the rest of you experienced fisherpeople, we will have fishing spot updates from the around the regions in the next issue.

Over to you, Gazza.Hi to all my hard-working friends in the mining world. I hope this finds you all well, and if you didn’t work over Easter I hope you had a good break with your family and friends. The weather was a peach.

What I would like to continue on with from the last issue is what are the best hard-bodied lures to use for the barramundi. The range is enormous, and Im talking in the thou-sands. I have selected the ones that have stood the test of time and I have used over the years. The most important thing to remember when buying or using a good barra lure is:

• Casting• Action• Depth• Size• Floatorsink• Application.What you are looking for is a lure that has

body roll that darts, has a tight shimmy and, in most cases, a rattle .The rattle sometimes spooks the fish. The secret to all this is work-ing the lure by slowing the retrieve or pausing, cranking fast or twitching, to make it react like a wounded baitfish. Depth will determine what lure to use as well, especially in the case of troll-ing. Surface fishing is very effective as well.

Here is a list I have put together. It is only a guide showing what I have had success with. Ask your local tackle shop staff for assist-ance; they are the ones who will have the local knowledge of the area you want to fish .

• Classic120Barra• ClassicF18• B15BomberLongA• B52Reidys• TheBloopa(surface)• XpapRapala• ClackinMinnow• StormThunderBarra• KoolieMinnow118LSebile• FuzzBug(surface)• MadMullet3&4inch• ArafuraBarra120&130This will get you a good range of lures to

start you catching these iconic fish. Incorpo-rate these with good tackle and flouro lead-ers and you are well on the way to catching a trophy fish.

Fishing around GladstoneThe weather has played a major role in the fishing in the last month with the wind blowing the pea out of a whistle.

The harbour is still producing barra off the points of the rocky banks. Fishing the making tide is getting the results.

The Boyne has slowed somewhat but is still producing fish from Pikes crossing to the mouth.

The Calliope River at the Power Station has slowed but the occasional fish is still being caught.

The top of Curtis island is still fishing well, tide is the key fishing the top and the run out for the first two hours.

Now that the cooler weather has set in we should see a good run of salmon coming on.

Till next time be safe,tight lines, burnt thumbs. Gazza.

BAIt sHop BAntER

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Ma

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Gla

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Ma

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tIDE tIMEs April/MayMon 23 Tue 24 Wed 25 Thu 26 Fri 27 Sat 28 Sun 29

Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht

0405 1.03 0436 1.13 0509 1.26 0547 1.40 0015 3.59 0111 3.47 0222 3.43

1004 3.41 1032 3.26 1101 3.10 1136 2.96 0634 1.54 0738 1.61 0856 1.56

1555 0.96 1618 1.09 1643 1.25 1713 1.42 1226 2.83 1340 2.77 1510 2.86

2223 4.00 2256 3.89 2332 3.74 1758 1.61 1922 1.76 2107 1.73

0551 1.42 0619 1.59 0026 5.04 0101 4.83 0147 4.62 0255 4.48 0421 4.53

1133 4.42 1159 4.20 0650 1.78 0730 1.97 0827 2.12 0947 2.12 1111 1.89

1741 1.19 1806 1.38 1229 3.98 1308 3.77 1409 3.59 1543 3.57 1717 3.84

2358 5.22 1835 1.60 1912 1.84 2008 2.08 2137 2.20 2314 2.05

Mon 30 Tue 1 Wed 2 Thu 3 Fri 4 Sat 5 Sun 6

Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht

0338 3.51 0446 3.66 0546 3.82 0040 1.00 0132 0.76 0222 0.56 0310 0.45

1012 1.37 1115 1.12 1210 0.85 0640 3.95 0729 4.01 0817 4.02 0905 3.97

1630 3.10 1734 3.43 1828 3.78 1259 0.62 1346 0.44 1430 0.34 1514 0.33

2232 1.54 2341 1.28 1916 4.09 2001 4.35 2047 4.53 2133 4.62

0537 4.76 0028 1.71 0130 1.34 0224 1.02 0316 0.77 0406 0.59 0455 0.51

1217 1.51 0638 5.06 0730 5.31 0818 5.48 0905 5.53 0952 5.50 1040 5.36

1825 4.28 1311 1.10 1400 0.74 1446 0.45 1531 0.24 1614 0.13 1658 0.14

1919 4.77 2008 5.24 2053 5.65 2138 5.99 2223 6.23 2310 6.31

If you have a good photo or fishing yarn

send it through to our resident bait chucker- [email protected]

off shift

FISHING PARADISE

FOUNDCalling all serious fisherman to the best fishing

location on the coast. Close to mining areas (You have probably driven

past the turn-off!)Fully s/c accommodation silly season, 2011 & 2012

Crew bookings available

Phone: 49373145email: [email protected]

web: www.stanagebay.com

YOUR WEATHER FORECASTWith Mike Griffin

Foggy mornings – storms then coolerFoggy mornings – storms then coolerAfter the heavy autumn rain the last two years the conditions in the Coalfields has finally dried out. Back to the normal drier autumn conditions. Minimums are much cooler with April recordingagooddegreebelowaverage.Biloelahad3-4daysof 10C minimums or less this April for the first time since 2010. Other towns south of Emerald had similar conditions.But not for long! A trough in the west should arrive in the Central West Mon then cause storms in mainly the southern and central Coalfields on Tue. Heralded by some decent early mist and fog conditions. The storms should be followed by cooler dry air for Anzac Day. Mild to warm sunny days tofollow.Boaties! Great weekend conditions – see exclusive offshore winds below:Mon:WSW/WNW 2-3 ( mist/fog??) tending E/NNE 7-10 avoandESE/NE8-6OFFTue:W/NW2-3tendingNNE8-13avoCISandE/ENE/NE7-11.Afternoonstormssquallsto35-45knotsinlandcouldreachcoast by the evening.

Wed:NW/W12-18gustingto35-40knotsinsquallystorms

duringtheday.WindstendrapidlySW10-15overnight.

Thr:SSW/SSE15-12tendingSE/E10-12bytheafternoon/Squally showers offshore.

Fri:W/SW-3-4tendingE’ly5-10duringtheafternoonCloseInshore.W’ly5-10OffshoreearlytendingE’lybrieflylater.Squally showers north of Shoalwater bay.

Sat/Sun:W/SW3-4closeinshoretendingE/NE5-10afternoon.OffshoreSE/E/ENE5-10

The SOI has taken a huge plunge. Last year at this time it was 25+nowithasplummetedto-8.Thelowestvalueinover2years. Does this mean La Nina is over?

Light winds continue across the Coalfields. So cool mornings with warm sunny days to follow for the early half of the week. Early mist and heavy dew could be a feature. This could be a pleasant start to May.

Marine Lovers!LighterwindsMonincreasefromtheSE10-15intoWed.TheyseemtoeaseThr/Friinthesouthbutcouldberathermoderateabout the Whitsundays with an easing trend into the weekend.


135th EDITION. 2012

MELBOURNE may seem a city too far away for a weekend break but make the effort to go there and you will be well rewarded.

The city has a never ending list of options for visitors from the fever pitched excitement of the AFL at the MCG - known simply as The G - to the chic inner city shopping and the trendy food haunts around Richmond.

Truth be told, every suburb close to the CBD has its own story and attractions, whether on the high street or in narrow lane-ways that will surprise you and make you wonder why you hadn’t done this before.

Shift Miner Magazine recently spent a long weekend living it up at the Hilton on the Park in cognito so we would get the real taste and feel of the city.

The Hilton is old school, down to the his-toric paintings of cricketers and sport stars in the lobby and the politeness and charm of the staff. It’s located across the road from The G and has train and tram stations right outside.

Arriving on the Thursday afternoon we enjoyed a glass or three of New Zealand and Australian whites in the expansive lob-by that was buzzing with the suits and skirts of the corporate set also intent on grabbing a drink after work.

With the first Melbourne game of the 2012 AFL season across the road that evening there was no better way to experi-ence Melbourne than to grab tickets online and get across to watch Richmond take on Carlton. With 73,000 people on hand the singing of the national anthem the goose-bumps on our skin and was worth the price of admission alone.

The AFL is great if you have the ability to suspend the rational part of your brain and

imagine what it was like to be at the Colosse-um watching the Christians being devoured by the lions. It’s more theatre than sport.

The man beside erupted into a scream at the referee over a decision when the ref was at least 200 metres way.

“Do you think he heard you,” I asked. “Don’t care,” he said. “He’s a moron.” Fair enough.

And then later the same man was applauding the same decision by the same referee that was in favour of his team. This is raw Australian but the laughs continued all night. The games are family friendly (but more family friendly in the upper tiers).

For the record Richmond went down valiantly and half the crowd went home happy. We didn’t understand much of the game but it was a thrill to be there.

The rest of the trip was devoted to exploring the city’s food and fashion when not relaxing by the pool.

Shoppers will feel there just isn’t enough time to get to all the best places to hunt out a bargain in between coffees, meals and the occasional wine at a local cafe. Swanston Street, Chapel Street, Queen Victoria Mar-ket, Bourke Street Mall - try them all if your stamina and bank account allows.

Returning home you can do much worse than finding a cafe through word of mouth and a chat to the concierge. Indian before the footy and Vietnamese the next night. Both were the best we have ever had with prices that hurt a lot less than the beer prices at The G.

To get the best from Melbourne stay in or near the CBD, grab a cheap fare on any one of the major airlines and fly into Tullamarine - not Avalon. Plan to be there when there are major sports events on. Take your appe-tite, spending money and sense of humour.

off shift

Accommodation starts from $189 per night (min 3 nights)

Stay 3

nights or more and

receive a complimentary

$100 restaurant

voucher.

Come and enjoy a private, romantic getaway in one of our tree houses and cabins in either

of our two beautiful locations.

As a bonus, book the above special and you will receive

which you can prepare at your leisure

TREETOPS seaview CABINS or

TREETOPS rainforest CABINS

MONTVILLE

OFFSHIFT SPECIALSMelbourne - closer

than you think

YOUR WEATHER FORECAST


135th EDITION. 2012

For those too busy or embarrassed to ask the important questions about their healthEXPERT ADVICE

Tammy Farrell is a registered nurse, nutritionist and author of ‘The Real Man’s Toolbox – A DIY Health Manual for Men’. Tammy grew up in the Hunter Valley with two brothers in the local coal mines. In 2007, she started to give health talks in the Hunter, and that’s when she began compiling the book, helping hundreds of men answer questions about their bodies.

dear Tammy,

i’ve just been told i have high

blood pressure. i don’t feel

unwell so should i be worried

and does this mean i might have

a heart attack?

Mine Man

Dear Mine Man,

Count yourself lucky that you have had the diagnosis. So many people go around their daily lives unaware they have high blood pressure until they have a heart attack or stroke. The only way to find out if your blood pressure is high is by having it checked by your GP, so good on you for having a regu-lar check-up.

If you weren’t already aware, blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in the arteries as it is pumped around the body by the heart. Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers (120/80). The higher number indicates the pressure in the arteries as the heart squeezes blood out during each beat. This is called the systolic blood pres-sure. The lower number indicates the pressure as the heart relaxes before the next beat. This is called the diasto-lic blood pressure.

Normal blood pressure is usual-ly recorded as 120/80 – this is what we should all aim for. If, however, your blood pressure comes in above 140/90, this shows your heart is work-ing harder to do the same job.

And yes, if left untreated, this can lead to serious health problems such as stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney disease.

Not surprisingly, the major causes of high blood pressure are lifestyle related!

So if you are overweight, drink, smoke, don’t exercise regularly, eat a diet high in salt and you can’t remem-ber the last time you ate a piece of fruit, it’s time for you to put in the effort to bring your levels back down. Your life-style can have a huge influence!

If you smoke, quit – it’s just not worth it.

Reduce your salt intake – use herbs to add flavour to foods instead.

Get your weight down to a health number.

Limit your alcohol intake.

Exercise regularly (at least 30 min-utes on most days) but don’t lift heavy weights.

Eat a diet high in vegetables, fruits and legumes (beans and peas) and wholegrain foods like wholemeal bread and brown rice.

Until next time, Stay healthy, stay informed.

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Your health


135th EDITION. 2012

IT is a truth universally acknowledged that property market will always move in cycles.

“What is not certain is when, where and by how much,” says the April report by val-uers Herron Todd White, which takes an independent look at the property market.

“If we all knew that, life for the property buyer/seller would be a bed of roses.”

And the most volatile markets in Queensland at the moment are the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and the Fraser Coast.

Real estate commentator and journalist

Terry Ryder said these areas are driven by tourism and retirement.

“There have been too many develop-ers and too many high-rises and these have been the worst investment performers in Queensland,” he said.

“Capital growth returns have been very poor. These areas have been outperformed by Toowoomba, Gladstone, Mackay, where there is employment from the resources sector.”

The Herron Todd White report backs this sentiment.

The Gold CoastBeing able to spot trends and changes in the market direction on the Gold Coast is as much a black art as it is a science, says the report.

“The Gold Coast has one of the more diverse ranges of property types in Australia as well as one of the most volatile markets.”

So when the times are good, they are great, and when times are bad, they are extremely grim - which makes it very diffi-cult to know when to strike.

At the moment, the high rise unit market in Southport, Surfers Paradise and Broad-beach is very depressed, particularly for new and and near new stock.

The HTW reports warns buyers to be cau-tious about buying straight off a plan during a property boom, as a major project can take five years from conception to completion.

Four or five years down the track at set-tlement, there may be adverse consequenc-es if the market has taken a turn for the worse, which is has done at the moment.

So don’t buy in the here and now, but look into the future; this does come with its own problems.

“The further into the future you have to look, the more uncertain you will become!”

There are some activities that can give a would-be punter into looming changes in the market, and one of these is to watch for

any signs that land is being developed.This includes the construction of roads

and infrastructure, which is an indication that there will be a looming increase in the market.

Sunshine CoastThe Sunshine Coast’s residential market, which has been in decline for the past four years, is still a tough one, and in March the Herron Todd White report asked when will the bottom be felt?

It is too early to tell if we are seeing the bottom, the report says, but there is a glim-mer of hope.

“A bit more of a positive vibe is present as people have become increasingly more likely to do things with a bit more confidence, sens-ing the bottom of the market must be close.”

Herron Todd White valuation staff are also starting to see more sales happening.

“Properties are starting to move again. The big caveat is that it is only for properties where there has been a decline in values and the buyers are getting perceived bargains.”

There is still a high level of mortgagee possessions and there is a high level of sup-ply for property in general.

However, the increased volume of sales is helping to absorb a number of pressured vendors and properties, allowing them to exit the market.

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Russian roulette on property market?


135th EDITION. 2012

MoNeY Matters


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So you like a good night’s sleep? Then investing in Moranbah real estate is proba-bly not your thing and Toowoomba may be more in line with your portfolio.

That is the observation of Terry Ryder, a journalist and real estate commentator from hotspotting.com

“Mining towns have the highest rent-al returns and capital growth, but they also have the highest level of risk,” he explained.

“You only have to look at BMA’s announcement that it is closing Norwich Park mine, and its stance about signing new leases at Moranbah because rents were too high.”

These events show just how precarious it can be if you invest in a town that relies on just one industry, such as Moranbah, Dysart and Blackwater.

If you want to benefit from the resources boom, then towns that service the resources industry, but are not solely reliant on it, are a better bet.

“Mackay, Gladstone and Toowoomba are safer because they are more diverse and they also have good, steady growth,” Mr Ryder said.

“They are less risky and good performers.”Towns outside of Toowoomba, includ-

ing Chinchilla, Miles and Roma, are getting

a boost from the resources sector and are a bit more risky, he said.

“Chinchilla had a surge on the back of the construction of its power station a few years ago, but real estate has come back since then.

“But now it is on a surge again on the back of coal seam gas. Although it is more an agricultural town, it is a risk because of the surge in resources.”

Roma is a bit more of a solid performer because it is a farming town with resources.

“It all depends on your risk profile. If you had bought in Moranbah four or five years ago, you’d now be getting up to 50 per cent returns on your investment and would be feeling pretty happy. But it could also go the other way, which is happening now.”

However, investing in any of these are-as is far better than the Sunshine, Gold or Fraser Coasts, which have been the worst investment performers in Queensland, he added.

And don’t forget Rockhampton - a solid performer that gets a bit of a spin-off from the resources sector.

“It’s a good, solid regional centre and the economy is more to do with the farming industry and a bit of tourism.”

here’s the rundown from the latest report from valuers herron Tood White

ToowoombaNew home construction has been slow since January 2011, according to the Herron Todd White April report.

“Local builders are now looking at west-ern towns in the Surat Basin for work as competition for new home construction work in Toowoomba increases.”

Speculative house and land developers have been attracted to satellite areas with-in a 20km vicinity of Toowoomba’s centre - including Kingsthorpe, Gowie Junction, Cambooya and Helidon, however these have been slow in the past 12-18 months despite speculation.

Developers are constructing new, 4 bed-room, 2-bathroom dwellings that are bought off the plan by interstate investors based on rental return, with contract prices in excess of what locals are prepared to pay.

Developers are attracted to these are-as giving their comparatively low land costs, however the rental market would not appear to be able to support the expected level of returns given the strong supply of this prod-uct and comparatively low demand.

GladstoneHistorically, Gladstone’s property market has cycles of high demand with the com-mencement of large projects during con-struction. When these projects are finished, this is then followed by by periods of low-er demand.

Modern residential areas tend to be pop-ular in either scenario, as they make up the majority of buyers, and in a rising market investors are looking to purchase modern properties that are easy to maintain.

RockhamptonGladstone’s pain is Rocky’s gain - due

to the large industrial projects under con-struction in Gladstone, recent signs of recovery have also become evident in resi-dential areas which are still easily accessible to Gladstone.

“Investors who have been priced out of the Gladstone market are looking towards Gracemere (10km south of Rockhampton) and suburbs located south of the Fitzroy River as an affordable alternative.

Investors have been a driving force in the Rockhampton market for a number of years due to consistent low vacancy rates throughout the region.

Sleepless in Moranbah? Then invest afield


135th EDITION. 2012

MoNeY Matters

ONE of the most valuable skills you can pass on to your children is good money management. Showing kids the basic steps, such as how to budget and shop around for the best price, will establish good money habits for life.

The federal government’s Money Smart website provides these tips on teaching your kids to be savvy about how they earn, spend and save their money.

Start earlyIt’s never too early to start teaching your kids about money. Children can learn how to save coins in a piggy bank before they understand how to count the right change.

Even very young children, including pre-schoolers, can learn the value of money and saving for small goals.

Try showing them how much $2 or $5 can buy in the supermarket. Talk to them about the difference between the things they need and the things they want.

These fundamental financial and life skills will serve them through to adulthood.

Encourage savingFind out what your children want to buy.

Then help them think about ways they could earn pocket money and save for the item: toys and games if they are young; or books, movies or a special event if they are older.

Discuss how much they will need to set aside from their pocket money or their pay each week to reach their target. Encourage your children to stay on track by offering to add to their savings if they achieve a partic-ular savings goal.

Pocket moneyPocket money is a great way to teach chil-dren that money has to be earned - it doesn’t magically appear from ATMs.

Set age-appropriate tasks for your chil-dren like helping with the gardening, wash-ing up or putting the bins out.

Pay them a small amount like $1 for each job they do. Draw up a job chart to let your kids tick off their tasks.

Budget timeLearning to budget is an important skill. Teach your kids how to budget by:• Givingthemacombinationofnotesand

coins in their pocket money. This teach-es them how to handle different sums of money, and they can immediately put a few coins or notes aside for saving.

• Showing them how to read householdbills and bank statements.

• Sending your older kids to the groceryshop with a shopping list and a fixed sum of money. Tell them that they need to buy everything on the list, and can save any money left over. They will need to consider branded products, bulk buying and even where to shop.

• Lettingthempayforsmallexpensesandasking them to check they get the right change at the checkout.

• Giving them a fixed amount of spend-ing money for family holidays. Show them how much they can afford to spend each day to avoid running out of money before the holiday ends.

Part time jobTeenagers can benefit from having a casual job. It provides valuable experience in find-ing and applying for a job, and teaches them the responsibilities involved with employ-ment. Having a job also gives your child an

independent source of income.Get your child to draw up a spending

budget for their wages, allocating part of the money to spending and part of it to sav-ing. Running out of money before pay day is a great lesson in the value of sticking to a budget.

Encourage them to set specific and real-istic long-term goals and to save some of their pay each week towards their goals.

Teaching your kids how to manage mon-ey from an early age provides valuable skills for budgeting and saving, and establish-es sensible money habits that will stay with them for life.

For more information and tips go to the federal government’s Money Smart website:

www. moneysmart.gov.au

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135th EDITION. 2012

FOLLLOWING the recent Queensland state election there is now a wave of opti-mism and enthusiasm sweeping the state with an anticipated increase in the inter-state and overseas migration.

Our office has been asked to identify the “Property Hot Spots” for investment. The answer depends on whether you are look-ing short term or long term investment.

There are several short term “Hot Spots” in “resource boom” areas, but they are generally unstable.

Accommodation shortages generally occur during the construction stage of new mines, power stations, L.N.G plants etc which often take several thousand persons to construct but only hundreds to operate. These short term booms are usually fol-lowed by a “bust”.

A core part of our investment policy is not to buy and sell, but buy and accumu-late. A target for many of our clients is to retire debt free owning six high quality

residential properties in solid sustainable growth areas.

Two such areas we have identified are North Lakes on Brisbane’s north side and Brightwater in the heart of the Sunshine Coast.

The trend towards fly in / fly out (FIFO) is here to stay and will have an impact on property markets. Most FIFO personnel will enjoy an income that will allow them to reside in high quality areas, but they will want easy access to airports. The other essentials are quality education, shopping centres, recreation facilities and health care. Both North Lakes and Brightwater tick all the boxes.

North Lakes when completed will have a population of 20,000. The population is currently approx. 15,000, with the entire estate completed in approx. 3 years. Dur-ing the early stages a magnificent golf course was created. It is regarded as one of the very best in Australia. The West-

field Shopping centre is fabulous and the education facilities are second to none. Recently commenced are a huge Ikea out-let and Masters Hardware store. These alone will create employment for approx. 2,000 people.

Brightwater (between Buderim and Mooloolaba) is a relative new estate with man-made lakes, tavern, shopping cen-tre, child care facilities and state of the art primary school that opened this year. My exclusive builder Mancorp Quali-ty Homes is currently building the latest Mater Prize Home in the estate. This cen-tral part of the Sunshine Coast is under-going a huge expansion. Apart from the

plans to spend $250M expanding the local airport to cater to FIFO and international flights, the health care industry is receiving a huge boost. The Ramsay Private Hospital is now under construction and by late 2013 this 200 bed hospital will have 700 permanent employ-ees. Next door the Sunshine Coast Uni-versity Hospital is to start next year and is due for completion by 2016 with 450 beds and expanding to 738 beds in 2021. There will be 3,150 permanent jobs once com-pleted.

Whilst unsustainable house prices and rents do occur in short term “Hot Spots” our clients look for long term sustainable growth.

MONEY TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS

MoNeY Matters

Property hot spots for investors

If you have further questions on investment “Hot Spots”, or any other questions regarding

property investment, google Steve Taylor.

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