Shift Miner Magazine_SM85 by Shift Miner

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Monday 26th April 85th Edition 2010

M A G A Z I N E $

The cost of sleeping in the Coalfields THE cost of a bed for miners and their families has again reached stratospheric levels across Queensland. The mining industry is surging on the back of doubling coal prices, and as a consequence so is demand for accommodation in mining towns. Currently a standard four-bedroom home in key mining centres like Moranbah and Blackwater are being listed for rent at more than $1200 a week. Meanwhile in Emerald, people are being asked to pay more than $200 a week per bedroom, or more than $600 a week for a modern three-bedroom home. For miners renting in the coastal cities the story is slightly better, but rents still remain very high. The Rental Tenancy Authorities (RTA) figures for the first three months of the year show the median cost of renting a three-bedroom house in Mackay is around $420 a week. However, houses in high demand coastal areas are being listed for as much as $850 a week. In the Whitsundays, Rockhampton and Gladstone the figures are slightly less daunting, with the RTA median rental figures for a three-bedroom home ranging from $300 to $350 a week. But again, many single properties are being listed for far more than the median price.

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News Mining towns planning for the future » page 4

News Who is in the ring to buy Macarthur? » page 4 News Qld’s greenhouse gases go underground » page 7 CQ Business MEM makes strategic sale » page 14 Around Town A good day at the footy » page 10

» continued page 2

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Money Matters Tax crackdown on DIY super » page 27

News

85th EDITION. 2010

FROM PAGE 1

$1200/week to rent in the Coalfields

SUCCESS STORY: Moranbah’s affordable housing project will most likely be mirrored in other mining towns

To put it into perspective, that means the cost of renting a house in the Coalfields is about the same as in the most elite suburbs in Brisbane, and far more that many inner city residential areas. What makes it more astonishing is there is no shortage of land in Central Queensland. To address this very issue, back in 2008 the Premier Anna Bligh went to Blackwater to announce a $100 million infrastructure fund called the Sustainable Resource Communities Agreement.

This money was to be allocated to infrastructure projects in towns like Blackwater, Dysart, Moranbah and Emerald to ease the cost of living in mining communities. “The boom has also created its fair share of challenges, including increased demand on health and education services, housing availability, rental costs, labour availability and increased traffic on our roads,” Ms Bligh said at the time. “The [Bowen] Basin’s population has increased by over 1700 people in 12 months, and this is placing immense pressure on the

region’s social resources, particularly housing.” However nearly two years on, with just under $2 million left in the kitty, the housing problem remains severe. Central Highlands Mayor Peter Maguire says he is pleased the money has been spent, but says the decision to invest more than a third of it on fixing and building roads has meant some social issues have missed out. “During the recession last year, they ended up fast tracking how the money was spent,” he said. “By my calculations we got a bit less than $4 million, the Isaac Regional Council got a bit over $6 million, Banana shire got $1.5 million and Mt Isa, the Western Downs and the Maranoa Shire got about $15 million altogether,” he said. “Nearly $40 million was spent on roads,

and don’t get me wrong the money needed to be spent, and I am glad it was, but I thought the agreement was more about dealing with some of the social issues.” Cr Maguire said some of the money was spent on housing solutions with great success. “Some of the funding went to Moranbah’s affordable housing project which was so successful we are looking to replicate it here in Emerald.” “But that was just over $3 million out of $100 million.” “There is still a lot of money to be spent on childcare facilities, more affordable housing, allied health, and just attracting more doctors to town.” “It is about making these regional towns attractive to all the young people working in the mining sector.” Text us your thoughts on 0428 154 653

“To put those prices in perspective, that means the cost of renting a house in the Coalfields is about the same as for the most elite suburbs in Brisbane, and far more that many inner city residential areas”

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CONTENTS 85th EDITION. 2010

7 12

FROM THE EDITOR

YOUNG FUN BBQ BLISS

MOTOR ENTHUSIAST

MINER’S TRADER

WHEN it comes to issues like housing in Central Queensland coal towns it can feel a bit like Groundhog Day. In any commodities-based industry, there will be boom times and there will be busts. It seems that when we’re not reporting about job cuts we are reporting about a lack of housing in mining towns - and as a result, how it will cost you an arm and a leg to live there. Once again, rents have sky-rocketed in Central Queensland, with people in towns like Blackwater forking out $1200 every week for a basic house. It felt like a breakthrough back in 2008 when the State Government committed $100 million to fixing some of those big problems in regional mining towns like housing and health care. But two years down the track, with nearly all the money spent, and there has been no dramatic changes in those key areas. Almost $40 million of the funding ended up being spent on the region’s roads - large-

ly thanks to last year’s economic slowdown and the desire to pour money into programs that would keep people in work. Certainly no-one begrudges that, and the roads funding was needed, but it has meant some other areas missed out. There have been some admirable and successful projects launched as a result of the funding - like Moranbah’s sustainable housing project, which was so successful it’s looking to be replicated in other towns like Emerald and Nebo. What is evident is that fixing such deepseated problems isn’t cheap and it isn’t easy. Hopefully the new social impact management plans that councils are in the process of drawing up will guide mining and development in other areas like Alpha. At least in those communities there is still time to get it right and make sure essentials such as housing, water and health care are appropriately provided for if and when new projects get the go-ahead.

Alex Graham

Numbers You REGULARS Numbers Numbers Can CountYou On** You 5 Welfare woes 9 * SMM’S PAGE 9

NEWS

Canturn Count OnCount On Can Dole recipients miners? *When audited by the CAB Numbers You

16 STUFF TO THE EDITOR audited * by the CAB the *When CAB On 6 Railed *When in audited CanbyCount QR fight continues *When audited by the CAB

6 Oresome resource Teachers mining forum

14 Need to know

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Page 3 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

News

85th EDITION. 2010

Macarthur miners wonder who’ll be new boss?

THE future for more than 700 miners in Central Queensland is in limbo as the battle for control of Macarthur Coal continues. Over the past month, several different mining companies have shown interest in taking over the Queensland-based Macarthur to capitalise on the value of its unique steel-making coal. While a change in ownership is unlikely to mean sweeping changes to the current workforce at Macarthur sites in CQ - it does not mean there will be no change at all. A new owner could bring with it a new style of management, and it could also reconsider the use of contractors on Macarthur mine sites; however, this is purely speculative. At the time of printing, the only bid left on the table for Macarthur was from giant US-based coal miner Peabody, whose $16 per share bid values Macarthur at about $4 billion. However there have been strong and persistent rumours that Xstrata was also in the process of developing a competing offer

for the company. The battle for control of Macarthur Coal actually started months ago, ironically when Macarthur itself was seeking to buy a smaller coal miner called Gloucester Coal. Gloucester is majority owned by the Noble Group, who agreed to sell Gloucester to Macarthur for both cash and about 24 per cent of Macarthur’s shares. However, Noble abandoned this deal after Macarthur stalled on negotiations in light of the other offers being made. Peabody currently operates three Bowen Basin mines - the Millenium, North Goonyella and Burton mines. The company has another coal mine in the Surat Basin, as well as two mines in New South Wales. Peabody currently employs directly and indirectly about 3500 people across Australia, and the purchase of Macarthur would add to that the 750 strong workforce at Coppabella, Moorvale and Middlemount mines.

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Page 4 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

Think tank nuts out social impact plans MORE than 40 representatives from local councils and state government departments met in Moranbah last week to discuss growth and regional development. The Regional Growth and Development Forum was the brainchild of the Isaac Regional and Central Highlands Councils. High on the agenda was discussions about the EIS process and putting together social impact management plans - as councils are required to do by mid-May. “I guess some of the impacts to do with mining and development are going to be very similar across a lot of these councils,” said Isaac Mayor Cedric Marshall. “This meeting means we are all reading off the same hymn sheet.” Cr Marshall said the new social impact management plans will map out guidelines to do with vital infrastructure like housing, roads and water. “It will be a very useful document because when companies come to develop or start up in the region we say - here is our social impact management plan, these are things we want you to address.”

“It’s too late when they have already come in and set up and we suddenly have housing and water shortages.” “This is about forward planning and not playing catch up all the time.” Central Highlands Mayor Peter Maguire said key social impact issues had been identified by councils in the Bowen Basin area five years ago. “We need to all be working together to ensure our communities are sustainable in the long term.” Local governments that attended the forum included Isaac Regional Council, Central Highlands Regional Council, Banana Shire Council, Barcaldine Regional Council and Western Downs Regional Council. The State Government was represented by the Departments of Infrastructure and Planning (DIP), Environment and Resource Management (DERM) and Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) , as well as the Office of Economic and Statistical Research and the Urban Land Development Authority.

REGIONAL APPROACH: More than 40 people attended the first Regional Growth and Development Forum in Moranbah last week

News

85th EDITION. 2010

Out of the dole queue FAST NEWS and into the mines? GROSVENOR DETAILS

THE Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has controversially suggested that unemployed Australians who are under 30 should be off the dole and working on mine sites. Mr Abbott made the suggestion during a meeting with 15 mining industry leaders in Perth. “I had a very free ranging discussion with people who were complaining bitterly about the difficulty of getting people to work,” Mr Abbott told ABC Radio. “And we were canvassing about whether changes to the social security system might help to create more incentives to work.” While the idea of banning the dole for under 30s is not coalition policy, it is believed the coalition is considering limiting the time spent on the dole for people in that age bracket,excluding those who are vulnerable. “There has got to be a system which encourages people to take up work where that work is available and certainly the idea

of having people on the dole where there is relatively unskilled work freely available, I think the Australian public don’t like that idea very much.” But the idea has not been well received by the mining industry or union officials who have dismissed it out of hand. “Mining is a hi-tech industry often requiring very specialised skills,” said Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Mitch Hooke. “It is not a simple matter of picking someone off the street and sending them over to Western Australia or wherever to work in a mine.” Those thoughts were echoed by Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche. “If he thinks you can translate an unemployed young man or woman from Townsville or Cairns or wherever overnight into the resources sector, then clearly we need to give Mr Abbott a good briefing on the

Holy Kalgoorlie! What was that?! BET you were glad you work in CQ and not Kalgoorlie when a giant earth tremour hit the Western Australian mining town last week. Those who were unlucky enough to be at work at the enormous Super Pit gold mine were evacuated after the 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit.

The roof didn’t cave in at the mine, but there was enough damage to keep the mine shut for 24 hours before it was given the all clear. If you thought after a work day like that it might be nice to slip down to the pub and have a quiet one - well, you’d have been out of luck there too.

workforce’s needs and the fact that we need skilled people that have done some training,” Mr Roche told ABC Radio. Australian Workers Union boss Paul Howes has ridiculed Mr Abbott, saying the comments were a “Sarah Palin moment” for the Opposition Leader. “You can’t just pluck any old Joe out of an area of chronic unemployment, dump them in a mine and think that that somehow is going to solve the skills shortage, because the shortage is about skills,” he said. “To take people and say ‘right, you can go and work with expensive equipment in an open cut or underground mine without training and no regard to skills is totally disastrous - no-one in our industry would come out in favour of this idea.” “It’s crass politics at its worst. It’s the type of thing we heard from Pauline Hanson.” Text us your thoughts on 0428 154 653

Six of the town’s historic pubs had their reinforcements tested - the second storey verandah of one hotel completely collapsed and many others now have huge cracks running down walls. On top of all that, the local school’s ceiling collapsed and there is some concern that some of the town’s historic buildings will have to be condemned. But the good people of Kalgoorlie seem to be copping it on the chin. “As far as earthquakes go, aren’t we lucky?” said publican Laurie Ayers, whose pub The Recreational Hotel suffered fallen facades. “We’re complaining about a few cracked walls and facades.”

Anglo has released its terms of reference for its $1.1 billion greenfields underground mine near Moranbah. The Grosvenor project would employ 1000 people, and would be built in 2012 if all the necessary approvals are gained. The mine would be next door to the company’s Moranbah North mine, and would produce five mtpa of coking coal for export. The public has until 9th June to comment on the terms of reference. .....................................................................

FASTER PROCESSING New laws passed by State Parliament recently will speed up the process of approvals for new mines in Queensland. The Land Court will no longer need to assess mining lease applications unless there is an objection lodged. Another change will be that case managers are appointed to guide applicants and keep track of progress. The Mines Minister is confident the changes will speed up the process by as much as six weeks. .....................................................................

BLACK SPOTS FUNDING The Gladstone area will have two dangerous black spots on roads after a Federal government injection of $265,000. The intersection of Rossella St and Lord, Side and Murray Sts will be turned into a single lane roundabout with $165,000. The other $100,000 will be used to put in a roundabout at the intersection of Beltana Dr and Brin St at Boyne Island.

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Page 5 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

News

85th EDITION. 2010

Teachers clued Coal companies up on mining hounding QR MORE than 100 teachers attended a forum in Brisbane recently aimed at getting more knowledge of the resources sector into the classroom. The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) put on the “Powering the Future” forum, which included presentations on low emissions technologies, energy from gas and renewable energy. “With the emergence of new industries and evolution of existing industries, new jobs are emerging,” said QRC chief executive Michael Roche. “Students need to be prepared for this, and the best way to ensure a future workforce for the resources sector is by providing teachers with information about the latest advances in our industry.” The forum also supports the ‘Powering the Future’ series of on-line professional development opportunities that QRC has been offering over the past 12 months. The on-line series provides opportunities

for regional and remote teachers to increase their understanding of the resources sector through participation in interactive forums and live seminars. The forum also officially launched the QRC’s educational website OresomeResources.com. OresomeResources houses hundreds of teaching resources aligned to both the Queensland and draft National Curriculum documents. The resources and free supporting professional development opportunities are designed to enhance teachers’ knowledge and confidence in teaching this area of the curriculum. “Industry’s $1 million dollar investment in the OresomeResources website is testament to our support of education in Queensland, not just in mining towns, but across the state,” said Mr Roche. All participants at the forum were provided with additional teaching materials to enable them to implement units of work related to the resources sector in their classrooms.

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THE group of 14 coal companies that wants to buy part of Queensland Rail (QR) is maintaining the pressure on the State Government over its decision to sell off the track and rolling stock together. In a sign that they haven’t given up on owning QR’s coal track system, the companies have been holding talks with Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) in New South Wales. The ARTC operates train tracks in every state except for Queensland, and in New South Wales it operates the Hunter Valley coal network. Pacific National and QR compete to provide the rolling stock that carry coal to port in that region. So far in Queensland, Premier Anna Bligh has refused to consider an offer from mining companies to buy the rail infrastructure, preferring instead that the business be sold as one entity that includes the rail and the rolling stock. From a political perspective, the pri-

vatisation of QR is already a very difficult proposal for the Labor government, with key unions and many QR employees dead against the idea. It could become an even more poisonous proposal if QR is sold to mining companies, which might be why the Premier dismissed the idea before a price had even been dangled in front of her. However, QR chief Lance Hockeridge told media at a briefing in Mackay last week that the core reason why they wanted the business to be sold in its current form is because it will prevent self interest among several owners. “The successful railways around the world are vertically integrated because its the best way to align interests from an investment point of view,” he said. “If you’re injecting another player in there you have the potential for more self interest and bottlenecks in the system.” Text us your thoughts on 0428 154 653

News

85th EDITION. 2010

Searching for gassy space CSG thresholds protect water QUEENSLAND has taken the next step to establish safe, long-term underground storage of greenhouse gases from coal-fired power stations. Mines Minister Stephen Robertson has today released a tender to explore land in central and south west Queensland that may be suitable for underground storage of carbon dioxide gases. “We are committed to a clean energy future and progressing with carbon capture and storage of greenhouse gases is the way of the future,” he said. The 13 areas of land that industry can explore as potential storage sites are located in the Blackall–Tambo area, near Emerald, in the Roma–Wandoan area and in the Chinchilla–Moonie area, covering the Galilee, Bowen, Surat and Adavale Basins. The land release covers a total of about 66,000 square kilometres and is subject to a call for tender available to all explorers. “Sufficient land has been released to accommodate special criteria in the tender giving preference to Queensland-based ventures which have lodged applications with the Commonwealth’s Carbon Capture and Storage Flagship program,” Mr Robertson said.

Mr Robertson said Queensland and Australia will continue to rely on coal as a major source of power generation. “The Bligh Government is focused on protecting our environment from the impacts of climate change while securing a reliable low-cost energy supply and supporting the growth of Queensland’s coal industry,” he said. “With growing electricity demand and an abundant supply of low-cost, high-quality thermal coal, Queensland is well placed to pioneer low-emission coal technology.” “When combined with the capture and storage of carbon dioxide, low emission coal technology will be capable of achieving greenhouse gas emission cuts of more than 75 per cent.” “This land release will enable the development of a carbon storage industry in Queensland to ensure greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, further strengthening the future for Queensland’s billion dollar coal industry and the 25,000 people who work in that industry,” he said. Tenders will close on Monday 14 June and details are available on the department’s website: www.deedi.qld.gov.au

THE Queensland Government has released new guidelines to ensure the burgeoning coal seam gas (CSG) energy sector contributes to a sustainable future. Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Minister Stephen Robertson announced new regulatory triggers to help protect groundwater in areas where CSG is extracted. “The laws introducing the new trigger thresholds are expected to commence in August, with the independent Queensland Water Commission having oversight,” Mr Robertson said. “This will be supported by a $2 million CSG groundwater unit we are setting up within the QWC, initially with eight officers dedicated to the task.” The extraction of CSG is dependent on first removing large amounts of groundwater from coal seams. “Much of the area under development for CSG lies within the Great Artesian Basin and the aquifers there provide vital bore water for stock, domestic, industrial and agricultural use – often in areas where there is no alternative water supply source,” Minister Robertson said. “It is important we have arrangements

in place to detect and respond appropriately where large-scale CSG extraction may be impacting on groundwater.” “To do this, the government will implement a groundwater management regime.” “Where the impacts from individual CSG operations overlap, the regime will manage the cumulative impacts,” Mr Robertson said. Mr Robertson said an important part of the management regime would be new “trigger thresholds”. These can be used to investigate both individual CSG operators’ impacts and overall impacts on bore water. The new trigger thresholds will be a fivemetre drop for consolidated aquifers such as sandstone and a two- metre drop for shallow alluvial aquifers. “If these trigger thresholds are exceeded and a water supply bore is affected, the CSG operator will be required to investigate.” “If the problem is caused by the CSG operator, then the operator will need to negotiate acceptable solutions with the bore owner,” Mr Robertson said. There will also be a trigger threshold in relation to springs.

Saraji mine reps Mike & Jasmin Preistly showed off their chef skills

Isaac Regional Council CEO Mark Crawley throws another prawn on the barbie

Dysart Kitchen Rules! THERE aren’t many events in the coalfields that you could where a cravat to and not feel out of place, but this was one of them. The recent “Dysart Kitchen Rules” competition held at the town’s Garden Plaza Shopping Centre saw sporting groups, accommodation providers, BMA mine managers and Isaac Regional Council employees showing off their skills behind a barbeque. The competition celebrated the end of the “Measure Up” program and also raised some funds for the children’s cancer research. The “Measure Up” program had been running since February and provided an

opportunity for BMA employees, their families and the local community to receive specialist advice from a dietitian in order to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle. “We want to provide opportunities for our employees and communities to be fit and healthy and what better way than providing the services of a professional dietitian,” said Norwich Park mine manager Gus Gomes. “BMA was proud to partner with the Dysart Lions Club and the Dysart Community Support Group to deliver this event and present the Dysart Lions Club with new barbeques for future fund raising activities.”

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Page 7 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

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PAGE 9 85th EDITION. 2010

What’s your name? Danah Charlene Wheatley Where are you from? Sydney. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? I worked at a hotel for a little while. Worst job ever. Even when people were rude to you, you just had to smile and take it. Grr. How do you spend your Sundays? Pole dancing actually - for fitness!

h a n a D

What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on? Haven’t had a worst date yet. But when I do I’ll be sure to tell you!

What miners do you prefer - undergound or open cut? I’d say underground, just cause it’s a lot harder I guess. But then again, isn’t gold mined from open cutting? ;) Do you find a man in a hard hat sexy - and why? Depends really. I just like laborer overall - all dirty and stuff, it’s heaps cute haha!

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HARLEY NOW OR IN THE FUTURE? Bert’s been mining for 20 years. 19 years ago he sold his beloved Harley to start investing for the future. He took the money to Steve Taylor and Partners for advice.

TODAY HE HAS 6 HOUSES, NO DEBTS - AND A HARLEY What’s your future going to be like?

Call Steve Taylor on 0749807733 or google “Steve Taylor”

Page 9 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

around town 85th EDITION. 2010

A DAY AT THE FOOTY What could be better than a cool Autumn day at the football? Supporters were out cheering on their team at a recent Blackwater Crushers vs Emerald Tiger game recently.

Shay, Kelly, Emily, Nikita, Tash and Shania-Louise

Courtney Napper, Rebecca Pope and Jenny Napper

Brad Gorman, Geoff Anderson, Chris and Luda Little

Kym, Pandora and “Avatar” Kez

George and Rorie Elliott

Shannon Green and Kelsey Ford

Isaiah Brown and Corban Phillips

Storky Campbell and Jamie Hawkey

Maddi Brown and Maddy Munns

Randall Miller and Glen Finning

Quincy Ryan, Jay Allen, Ash Burnell and Jess Burnell

BUY THIS AND MANY OTHER IMAGES AT

www.shiftminer.com Shift Miner magazine – bringing the mining community closer together 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.

Page 10 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

around town 85th EDITION. 2010

FUN RUN RAISES FUNDS!

Moranbah State School held its annual Fun Run recently. Â The event raised $8000 which will be used to buy new sporting equipment for the school. Â The champion team of the day was Pegasus, followed by Orion and Taurus [photos contributed by Tina Daniel].

Callighan Neven, Will Simmons, Callum Lemke

Jaydah Noonan, Lily Hannay and Emily Dodd

Khy More - 6 and sister Keeley Moore - 4

Proud mother Libby Humphrey cheers for her daughter Eden

Brianna Ganter

Harrison McLean

Prep students Damon Peters and Cayley Daniel enjoy ice blocks after the fun run

David Jimenez

Laird Roughan - 1st place

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Page 11 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

News

85th EDITION. 2010

Something to O’Sing about HAYDEN O’Sing was planning to become an apprentice diesel fitter. But after taking part in an “engineering challenge” for school students at a Dysart mine two years ago, he changed his mind and is now studying engineering. The Queensland Mines and Energy Academy (QMEA) was set up to inspire young people to consider a career in the resources sector. Its “engineering challenge” is a weeklong event where students and teachers travel to Dysart to work at BMA’s Norwich Park and Saraji mines. Each mine’s two teams are supervised and mentored by BMA employees. Hayden O’Sing is one of the program’s success stories. “Hayden is the youngest of three boys and the first to go to university out of his whole family,” QMEA co-ordinator Delaney Nugent said. “This was a huge undertaking for both

INSPIRED PROGRAM: Hayden O’Sing is now studying engineering at CQUniversity.

Hayden and his family and one that he has never regretted. “ “He looks forward to vacation work with BMA and eventually finishing his degree and returning to the Bowen Basin as a mechanical engineer for BMA.” Along with the Engineering Challenge, the QMEA also runs the Adopt-A-Student program where high school students workshadow engineers on site at Norwich Park and Saraji Mines.

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A scootin’ good time in Blackwater WHAT do scooters and BMX bikes represent? Young people of course! That’s why they were a pivotal part of the activities organised to celebrated National Youth Week in Blackwater recently. The week is aimed at getting young people between the ages of 12 and 25 to get involved in their region. Blackwater held a town pool party and then a BMX and scooter competition at the community skate park. The week was capped off with a dive-in movie at the pool. All the events were run with support from BMA’s Community Partnerships Program, and the region’s Youth Development Officer Joshua Clutterback says he plans to run more worthwhile activities for young people throughout the year. “I hope that young people can feel comfortable enough to be involved in events during Youth Week, but I also encourage them to get active in their community in events during the year,” Joshua said. General Manager of BMA’s Blackwater Mine, Steve Badenhorst, said BMA was pleased to support National Youth Week in Blackwater. “Developing youth activities for Blackwater adds to the liveability of our town and offers a real benefit to our youth and their families,” Steve said.

GOOD TIMES: Blackwater’s young people took part in a BMX and scooter competition for National Youth Week recently

Page 12 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

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CQ BUSINESS 85th EDITION. 2010

Need to know... Safety for small mines and quarries The Queensland government will soon introduce new laws that will require all small mines and quarries to develop a health and safety management system. The new laws will apply to mines with 10 or fewer people working on site, and will mirror the systems that currently apply to larger mine sites. According to the Mines Minister Stephen Robertson the decision to impose the laws follows a rise in the number of people being killed on smaller sites.

$90 million QR project A consortium of companies including Macmahon, Aurecon Hatch, Parsons Brinckerhoff and MVM has won a $90 million contract to build a new railway to Abbot Point coal terminal. The group of companies will design and build the final stages of the QR owned Jilalan rail yard project,including the construc-

tion of two bridges and some rail duplication. The new rail service is needed so QR can supply the required to coal to Abbot Point coal terminal whose output will increase by 50 million tonnes by 2012.

Bundy mining hub Bundaberg could become home to more than just rum, with the Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation (BIEDC) discussing the possibility of becoming a mining services hub. BIEDC chief executive Linda Silburn says they are well placed to service the mining sector. “We’re not for a moment suggesting that we want to start up a thousand mines here, but there’s a brilliant opportunity for this region to become a service centre,” she said. “So for example, we can increase our trades and manufacturing and service capacity so that mines can draw on this region and start to access business here that can provide the service they need.”

A15284 consortium has won Basin a $90 million contract 25/2/10 to build a 11:30 new railway to Abbot Point. Informa Surat Ad_SM P10R15 AM Page 1

MEM still running from sold site The DPSA Group will continue to operate its recently purchased Mine Equipment Maintenance (MEM) business out of Rockhampton, despite selling the industrial land on which it operates. MEM has been operating from the site for nearly 15 years, but DPSA Group CEO Neill Clur says selling the land was a strategic decision and doesn’t signal a change in how or where the business operates. “No, not at all,” he said. “In fact quite the opposite, the whole intention is to develop that block of land so it better serves us in the future.” The site needs considerable redevelopment, and we could have done it ourselves, but we would prefer to have someone else do it.” “We bought the land with the business as part of the deal in 2008 [when MEM was purchased by DPSA].” “We are not land developers, we are engineers, and we sold it for a good price and we are happy to have someone else help us develop it.” DPSA will continue to run its business from the site under a five-year lease

arrangement, with an option to extend it for another five years after that. During that time DPSA expects significant work to be undertaken in developing the site’s sheds, cranes and overhead work areas. The land was bought by the Followmont Transport Group, and while the pricetag has not been revealed Shift Miner understands it sold for less than the price it was valued at when DPSA bought it two years ago. Mr Clur says he remains positive about the future of mining in Central Queensland, and says their business volumes have been maintained. “We have found mining production has been maintained or increased for our clients, and since our business is linked to production, it is a good sign.” DPSA started in 1997 as a drilling company but has since expanded to become an engineering and mine contracting business. Between 2006 and 2008 the company purchased the Power Electric Switchboard Company, Globe Compressors, Mining Equipment Maintenance, and cabling company Electcables.

“The whole intention is to develop that block of land so it better serves us in the future.” Servicing the mining industry for over two decades.

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Page 14 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

Proudly Audited by

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CQ BUSINESS 85th EDITION. 2010

CSG smaller player in global LNG industry

Barney swaps to Wiggins THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has approved the closure of the Barney Point Coal Terminal in Gladstone to coal exports. The new Wiggins Island Coal Terminal will now export the coal that was formerly exported via Barney Point. The application to transfer coal exports to Wiggins Island was requested by the Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) who is concerned about coal dust pollution from the old site. The ACCC says the location of the Wiggins Island terminal, and its use of more modern will mean the process exporting coal

through the new port will cause less pollution. Last year was a record year for the GPC, with exports reaching more that 80 million tonnes for the first time; just under 60 million tonnes of that were coal exports. The exact date that the Barney Point to Wiggins Island transfer will take place depends on the time it takes for the expansion of Wiggins Island to be completed. As soon as that happens, the board of GPC has pre-approved the transfer so the process should be swift. Grain and other exports will continue to be exported through the Barney Point terminal.

COAL seam gas (CSG) projects will only have a limited role in meeting the future demand for gas in the world, according to a respected energy research company. Head of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) consulting for Wood Mackenzie Frank Harris made the comments at a recent gas conference, where he said unconventional LNG supply projects would account for no more than 5 per cent of total global LNG supply in 2020. Mr Harris said unconventional LNG can be defined in a number of ways. “Firstly the feedstock can be unconventional gas rather than being supplied from conventional gas reservoirs, the projects will be fed with gas produced from unconventional gas reservoirs i.e. shales or coals, with multiple projects already proposed in Queensland, North America and Indonesia,” he said. “Or secondly the location of the liquefaction plant is unconventional - it is off-

shore, in the form of a floating LNG facility, or a modified LNG tanker.” “We fully expect unconventional gas feedstock to become a feature of the LNG supply industry, but its suitability as a feedstock for LNG appears limited and it will be geographically constrained - it is hard to see the next Queensland at the moment.” However, the comments don’t undermine the coal seam gas (CSG) buzz that has been sweeping Central Queensland over the past 12 months. The location of Queensland’s CGS makes us uniquely placed to be one of the unconventional gas provinces that will supply to the world gas market. So far there have been two major deals involving the supply of Queensland CSG as LNG to overseas customers. BG Group has signed a $60 billion deal to ship LNG from Gladstone to China, and another $20 billion contract to supply Japan with 1.2 million tonnes of LNG a year.

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Page 15 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

stuff to the editor 85th EDITION. 2010

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Re - Coppavillage. First they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want the miners. (Front page Daily Mercury 2007), with local shops even refusing to serve miners, and now they want us back? Even QR workers now stay at the camp across the highway. Â B.W, Mackay One reader wanted to express sadness about the explosion in a US mine

every day count and always play it safe on site. Â T.R, Mackay As usual, Frankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love advice has its regular fan mail: Frank, I would pay you good money to come to my place and sort out my life. Â While you do that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll go streaking past the gymnasium. Â Wayne, Rocky

Got something to share? Send us your text messages or phone photos to 0428 154 653 Or email to shift.miner@gmail.com

Page 16 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

SEEN SOMETHING WE HAVENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T? PRIZES FOR THE BEST MINING PHOTOS. TAKE IT ON YOUR PHONE OR CAMERA AND SEND IT IN

Text to 0428 154 653 Email shift.miner@gmail.com

Fair Dinkum! 85th EDITION. 2010

FAIR DINKUM! IN AMERICA - in the past teenagers have been known to communicate with a grunt, but now it seems texting is the new grunting. New research has revealed that a third of American teenagers with mobile phones text more than 100 times every day. The study by Pew Internet and American Life Project shows that texting is now more popular among teenagers than calling friends, social networks like Facebook and even just good old fashioned talking face-to-face. According to researchers, texting has exploded in popularity over the past 18 months, mainly because it can be done under the noses of teachers and parents. There are also differences between how males and females use their phones most boys won’t punctuate at all whereas for girls it is extremely important to use icons like smiley faces. IN Nepal - Mount Everest is set for its first spring clean to remove garbage that has sat on the mountain for decades. Twenty Nepali climbers are braving the “death zone” which is 8,000 metres above sea level - it’s the first time anyone has dared to try and clean the area which has notoriously thin air and treacherous terrain. What gets left behind on Mount Everest? No, it’s not coke bottles and KFC wrappers. It’s empty oxygen bottles, gas cannisters and old bits of tents and ropes. They hope to bring down 2000 kilos of rubbish and the body of a Swiss climber who died on the mountain two years ago.

IN VENEZUELA - a man and woman have been arrested for pretending to be plastic surgeons. The pair have actually performed surgery for silicon breast and buttock implants in an illegal clinic. Venezuela is known for its beauty queens, and is a country that is so image conscious that plastic surgery has remained popular despite the current recession. The pair was part of a group called “The Silicons” which attracted customers with rock bottom prices. IN JAPAN - wouldn’t it be excellent if someone invented a machine that would turn your scrap paper into toilet paper? I know it sounds scratchy, but it would be worth the pain to know you were using your telstra bill to wipe your.. well... you know where I’m going with this. Enter The White Goat (see picture). This machine, developed in Japan, allows you to do just that - it doesn’t get much more satisfying really.

Mount Everest is set for its first spring clean to remove garbage that has sat on the mountain for decades.

Are you really relaxing after work?

Frank the Tank’s

“Streakin” good love advice Dear Frank, my wife is a really good cook but so is my mum, and there are some things that never taste as good as mums. The other day when my wife made baked rice pudding (my favourite) and I told her it wasn’t as good as mummy’s she flew off the handle. Where did I go wrong - I thought women liked honesty? Jonesy. You want the truth?..... But women can’t handle the truth! As sure as the sun comes up in the morning, so too will your wife or partner see alternative meanings to the things you say. In this instance, you actually said: “Gee this rice pudding is excellent, but there are a couple of things that mum used to do, that I really liked - maybe you could try it?” What she heard is: “ This is not good enough, nothing you will ever do will be good enough and you are not half the provider mum was, and also I think you have put on weight.” Given that is what she heard, it is no wonder she got wound up. There seems to be no end to the ability of the female mind to scramble a sensible message. And you are not the only man to have been confused. Even I - with so much experience with women - have been confused at times. The most notable of these was the time my former girlfriend found me in bed with a Swedish pole dancer from a touring all girls show in Moranbah. At the time I said: “ Hello sweetheart, meet Ingrid she is telling me about the geography of Sweden, it is very interesting.” What she must have heard is this: “Hello my enemy, can you go outside and jump all over my car bonnet with your high heels, then throw my clothes onto the street and sue me for half my net worth under the de facto relationship laws?” To this day, this slight misunderstanding has never been cleared up.

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Dear Jonesy, While your wife’s attack may have seemed unprovoked, you need to remember that she had probably spent hours cooking something really nice for you and was just hurt by the comment.

On another occasion, for reasons that I still don’t understand, a former girlfriend went completely crackers when I asked whether she planned to eat the eggs and chase the rabbit again this Easter. She seemed to think this implied something about her weight. And that, my friend, is the heart of the matter. As a simple rule of thumb you can assume that anything you say to a girl regarding fashion or food will be interpreted by that same girl as meaning she has put on weight. You say : “That dress makes you look as big as a solar system.” She hears: “You are fat”. You say: “The button on those jeans has more tension that a dragline coupling”. She hears: “You are fat”. You just can’t win and, as I have always said, if you can’t win - lie - or pin it on someone weaker than yourself. Basically, everything a girl asks of you is a test, and with every test there is always a judgement. To avoid the unnecessary pain of judgement, you will just have to employ some good old rat cunning. So in the case of the rice pudding, if it isn’t very good, look for someone else at the table to pin the complaint on. For example, if you had your old Grandmother at the table, whose hearing is nearly gone, just lean over to her for a few moments and then lean away and say: “You are a tough judge Grandma”. When your wife spins around with an accusing look just say: “Grandma says your rice pudding is sour, and not nearly as good as what she used to make”. Grandma won’t have heard - and she will just smile with kind old eyes that have seen a hundred years, your wife will politely ignore the slight and you will have got the message across. “Grandma” can also be substituted with a “young child” quite effectively in most instances. Good luck and may the force be with you. Frank.

Most people do not like to be compared to others, no matter how minor the comparison. So maybe hold off on the comparisons - and present your critic as suggestions. This will mean you get the best of both worlds - all the rice pudding you can eat, with all the flavour of your mother’s childhood recipe. Also don’t use the word “mummy - it makes you sound like a nancy boy.

If you have a question for Frank and Susan Email Us at: franksusan.shiftminer@gmail.com

Page 17 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

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2003 Ford Falcon XR6 Sedan, Dark Grey metallic, 4 speed automatic, window tint, log books, genuine 38,000klms. 9 months rego, immac.condition $18,750neg. 0749364123 or 0458064123.

Two storey beach house 10 years old, immac throughout. Large block, ocean views, mins to harbour, walk to beach, photos avail neg. phone owner Top investmen $459,000 Bob 07 41595328

Phone: 0408 101 247

Phone: 0408 101

P/ABLE ACCOM FOR SALE New Modern design transportable acommodation 2 Bedroom. dual studio cabin, each room with ensuite and verandah, fully insulated, suitable for business rural or holiday setting $59,000 neg Phone: 0413 032 252

Heading here 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 Bottom Info here Phone: 0000 0000

CAR FOR SALE Dec ‘07 SSV Holden

247 CAR FOR SALE RHD 1981 Corvette. new 4 sp auto with B&M shift kit & B&M shifter. New diff, Ram Jet 350 Fuel Injected. Leather interior. real nice paint. Centreline wheels.Targa top. High ﬂow exhaust.body off resto 2 years ago. mak an offer. $44000.00 ono Rocky 0410091105

DRY ICE CLEANING/BLASTING BUSINESS FOR SALE Kaiser trailer mounted screwtype air compressor only 66hrs Buse dry ice machine only 40 hrs includes Australian Buse distributorship. Great Opportunity! genuine reason for sale. thermoblast.com.au $85000.00 ONO Rockhampton 0410091105

BOAT FOR SALE 1993 7meter NOOSA CAT, 200hp Volvo Penta Turbo Diesel. Launch Trailer. Exc. electronics, incl. auto pilot, New electric anchor winch and dive platform. Stored Rosslyn Bay Harbour. Excellent buying at $52000 ono Phil 0429633636 Heading here 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 Bottom Info here Phone: 0000 0000

KANGA KID FOR SALE KANGA KID with bucket. 16 hp Honda heaps of power good tracks. new battery ﬁts through a doorway. good condition. $20 thou new. $12500.00 ono Rockhampton. 0410091105 Heading here 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 000 00 00 000 000000 00 Bottom Info here Phone: 0000 0000

QUALITY GEAR AT THE RIGHT PRICE classies.shiftminer@gmail.comor call 07 4921 4333

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Page 18 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

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5 minute fiction

OFF SHIFT 85th EDITION. 2010

by Bernard S. Jansen

D ay s O f f

ACROSS

1. Decision

5. Preserved (meat)

11 12

9. Setting agent 13

10. Verse 12. Running (of stockings)

13. Hawk’s claw

“Besides,” said Jody, “with twelve hour shifts you’re not really at home when you’re working. You could just drive out from Mackay, work your tour, and then come home after your last shift.”

14. Glides on snow

17 19

16. Intermittent rain

21 22

19. Clergymen

21. Zodiac crossover

24. Swagger 25. Sent by flight post

27. Tripoli native 28. More old-fashioned 29. Arabic village head 30. Trusted in, ... on

5 2 4 7 9

k.pdf 2010

1 9

3 4 9 6 2 3

4 4 6 8 9

8 1

DOWN

1. Keep balls in air 2. Hoodwink 3. Bishop’s hat 4. Children’s nurses 6. Genetic alterations 7. More considerate

5 7 8

8. Lack of hearing 11. Hollandaise sauce dish, ... Benedict 15. Rejection (5-4) 17. Disciples 18. Introductory statement 20. Suddenly lose control 21. Revel 22. Tiled

MEDIUM

23. Loved 26. Emerge # 77

LAST EDITION’S SOLUTIONS S I C K N E S S C H A E OP I N I ON S T E L D A I N F E S T I NG A S N E SMUG S V S O A N Y T I ME O N N S A N GROU T S UG U P N Y O A I S L E S W I R I S N D E S I S T EG

SO I A N T M E A N T S S A R O Z A S G T

A K# U 76P N L GE L A E Y E CC A A C D P I T S S O S S B E E T L A RDR Y O E I ME R

1 7 6 8 3 5 2 9 4

4 5 3 2 6 9 1 7 8

9 8 2 1 7 4 6 3 5

7 9 1 5 8 3 4 2 6

6 3 8 4 9 2 5 1 7

5 2 4 7 1 6 3 8 9

8 6 7 3 4 1 9 5 2

3 4 5 9 2 8 7 6 1

Hal loved his family. He carried a photo of them with him, all the time. It was because he loved them that he agreed to his wife Jody’s pleas to move them all to Mackay. Emerald had been a great place to live, as far as Hal was concerned. He’d made some great mates there. But Jody’s friends and family were in Mackay, and she really wanted the kids to go to school there.

2 1 9 6 5 7 8 4 3

It made a lot of sense. He really only did sleep and eat at home during his tour. Lots of others did the drive-in drive-out thing. Anyway, he liked the coast. So, they moved. Hal found his tours to be more lonely then he’d thought he would. It was that hour or so when he got to the apartment and wound down before falling asleep. He missed the quick catch-ups with Jody, and looking in on the kids in their beds. He still fell asleep soon enough, and when Hal fell asleep, he was dead to the world. He missed them all when he woke up, too. It was like a dull ache; a longing to be somewhere else. It didn’t really make much sense. When they were all in the same house he’d only ever got up and dressed in the dark anyway. Still, he’d known that they were there, at home. On day-shifts, the drive out to the mine in the pre-dawn darkness always helped Hal to clear his head. It was his favourite time of the day. Sometimes he’d think about the work ahead, preparing himself for the day. Sometimes he’d think about his family. Sometimes, fishing. The end of each tour ended with two or three night shifts, depending on where he was in the roster. He had a kind of feeling of expectation, driving out to the mine in the evenings for his night shifts. It was almost time for his days off; almost time to go back home. It wasn’t the night shifts themselves that Hal liked. In fact, Hal hated working nights. What he liked was knowing that he would soon be going home to his family.

What he didn’t like was the effort it took to stay awake. He loathed that time from about three to four in the morning, when his body craved a warm bed; but instead he was two hundred and fifty metres underground, putting up roofbolts or driving a shuttle-car. For Hal, the next hardest part of night shift was the drive home. The drives back to Emerald wasn’t too bad. While some blokes felt better the more night shifts they did in a row, it only seemed to get worse for Hal. By the last shift of his tour, he seemed to be runing on adrenaline and willpower. It was willpower that made Hal drive straight home to Mackay after his last shift. He didn’t want to have another daytime sleep by himself in his Emerald apartment. He just wanted to get home. The mine was half an hour in the right direction anyway. As the great philosopher Meatloaf once said, “Like a bat out of hell, I’ll be gone when the morning comes.” Hal worked out ways to stay awake and stay on the road on that long, tired trip home. He’d turn the radio on or played a CD, loud. He’d turn the air-conditioner onto freezing, or sometimes open a window. He would stop at the servo outside Moranbah, scratching his scalp and rubbing his face. He’d get an iced coffee from the fridge packed full of them, and then hit the road again. Next stop: Nebo. If he found himself drifting off, he’d pull over for a minute and run around the car. Hal had it worked out. After six months, the car pretty much drove itself home. Hal cut out the Nebo stop, and sometimes Moranbah too. He got better at pushing himself through those sleepy moments. He’d focus. He’d talk to himself. He’d think about Jody and the kids. He’d keep going, going, going. Home. An elderly couple towing their caravan with an old Landcruiser were the first on the scene where Hal’s ute had been split in half by a huge gum tree about twenty metres from the road. The ambulance officers weren’t able to revive him. There were no skid marks, and tests showed his brakes were working fine. After six years, his family still miss him very much.

Bernard S. Jansen is 31, married has three young boys. He lives in Emerald, works as an engineer at a local coal mine and is active in his local church. Read more of Bernard’s writing online at surgebin.blogspot.com or email him at Bernard.jansen@gmail.com

Page 19 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

OFF SHIFT 85th EDITION. 2010

Bait shop Banter FISHING IN YEPPOON

around Corio Bay, while boats out around the usual haunts of Bangalee and Finleys can look forward to snaffling spotty mackerel with swarms of bait keeping them in close.

Adrian at the Secret Spot in Yeppoon says while there’s been a lot of breeze about, from the reports he’s heard the fishing is good if you can get some calm weather. His tip for the next fortnight was to have a look around the the gravel bars in Coorooman Creek for blue salmon and set a few crabbing pots. The mouth of Ross Creek is fishing well at the moment - serving up flathead, whiting and bream and even some small grunter. Good queenfish and trevally can be caught on the tides using lures or poppers

FISHING IN GLADSTONE Dylan at Pat’s Tackle World in Gladstone says blue water fisherman are reporting mixed catches at the moment, with grassy sweet-lip, red throat emperor, spanish mackerel and a few cobia about. Owing to the windy conditions, fisherman are having to pick their days, but it seems pretty consistent from 12 Mile all the

Adrian’s tip for the next fortnight is to have a look around the the gravel bars in Coorooman Creek for blue salmon

Tide Times

April/May

way out to North West, which is a two or three hour boat ride. In the estuaries, the winter salmon have arrived and activity has generally picked up with most of the freshwater now gone, thanks to some big tides. Everyone is still catching crabs, although they are dropping off a bit now in size - and prawns have dropped out altogether. Barramundi are still being caught at Lake Awoonga, with the warm part of the day being the best time to try the shallow water on plastic frogs. The bigger bream and jew fish are also present in the harbour.

FISHING IN MACKAY Wayne at Barra Pro Mackay says the wind has once again stopped anyone doing much out wide, but fingers crossed it might

improve for the May Day weekend. Therefore anglers have been focussing on the creeks and dams, and while there have not been huge reports from places like Kinchant Dam, there have been enough fish to justify the trip. Crabbers are still enjoying some good numbers, but there is the odd “floater” among them. If you can handle the wind and chop at the beaches, the big winter whiting and bream have arrived and can be caught on prawns and yabbies. He says the snapper have arrived at Rockhampton, which means they are on their way north, so if the wind eases off there could be some good winter fishing on the way. If you have a good photo or fishing yarn send it through to our resident bait chucker-

angus.peacocke@shiftminer.com

Your weather forecast

MACKAY Gladstone

Mon 26 Tue 27 Wed 28 Thu 29 Fri 30 Sat 1 Sun 2 Time Ht Time Ht

Time Ht

Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht

0122 0.76 0210 0.63 0254 0.58 0338 0.62 0420 0.75 0502 0.95 0545 1.18 0722 4.10 0806 4.04 0849 3.93 0931 3.76 1015 3.56 1057 3.33 1140 3.10 1341 0.49 1420 0.44 1459 0.47 1534 0.59 1608 0.78 1636 1.02 1659 1.26 1955 4.22 2036 4.36 2116 4.41 2158 4.37 2238 4.23 2318 4.02 0311 0.76 0358 0.68 0442 0.70 0525 0.81 0607 1.03 0014 5.67 0054 5.34 0902 5.64 0945 5.51 1027 5.29 1109 5.00 1151 4.65 0650 1.32 0735 1.63 1530 0.33 1607 0.29 1644 0.35 1719 0.52 1754 0.80 1233 4.28 1318 3.93 2135 5.78 2215 5.95 2255 6.00 2334 5.91

MACKAY Gladstone

Mon 3 Tue 4 Wed 5 Thu 6 Fri 7

1829 1.15 1905 1.54

Sat 8 Sun 9

Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht 0000 3.78 0045 3.56 0141 3.38 0247 3.29 0358 3.29 0500 3.36 0551 3.43 0631 1.39 0726 1.55 0830 1.62 0939 1.57 1039 1.45 1128 1.28 1209 1.12 1225 2.91 1318 2.78 1425 2.74 1543 2.83 1655 3.03 1747 3.27 1829 3.52 1726 1.49 1815 1.71 1945 1.87 2133 1.86 2247 1.74 2343 1.56 0138 4.97 0230 4.64 0340 4.41 0501 4.36 0610 4.45 0056 2.03 0143 1.79 0827 1.90 0934 2.06 1054 2.04 1202 1.86 1252 1.63 0700 4.58 0740 4.69 1413 3.65 1523 3.51 1650 3.57 1807 3.83 1900 4.16 1332 1.40 1407 1.19 1949 1.91 2054 2.23 2227 2.36 2354 2.25

Page 20 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

1942 4.49 2016 4.79

Warmer than average April nights WEEK 1 - Overnight minimums were warmer than average throughout the Coalfields this April. Emerald recorded an average minimum of 18.1C, Moranbah 18.8C, Collinsville 18.5C and Biloela 17.1C - all one to three degrees above average. This time last year Bilo was recording 10-14C minimums. The minimum this month has only got to 14C twice! Maximum temperatures have been fractionally lower with the humidity higher than average. Rainfall in the north has been below average for the month but close to average in the south. All this is due to the effects of the monsoon lingering a little longer. The current high in south eastern Australia (see map) is causing cold air to penetrate into northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. It will reach the Warrego but does it have enough push to reach the southern Coalfields? Isolated afternoon thundery showers will precede

the change; mainly south of Clermont/Jericho. Boaties - after last weekend’s brilliant conditions Monday’s moderate SE surge will be short lived south of Yeppoon/Heron Island but will continue in the Whitsundays. Then the upstream high will surge in Wednesday and cause moderate to fresh SE winds with squally showers; gusting to 28 knots at times, along the coast into the weekend. One or two brief showers could penetrate into the eastern Coalfields. WEEK 2 - The SOI has had a sudden jump to +10 on the 18th April and continues to rise. This may indicate a chance of one more cyclone developing in the northern tropics and means the proper “Dry Season” won’t start till after mid-May. These signs may be enough to suggest the above average overnight minimums to continue over the Coalfields with some moisture available for a late April/ early May last spin-off from the monsoon. Then the reality of the winter will appear. This means more winds for the coast but they should ease off by the mid-week.

OFF SHIFT 85th EDITION. 2010

Golden Mount comes to life!

DID you know that miners are actually behind an event that sets Mt Morgan’s Golden Mount Festival apart from others like it? It’s called the Running of the Cutter. The event is based on a tradition dating back to the early 1900s where beer was taken in billycans to miners after they had finished work. Today the festival honours this tradition in a relay race where teams of six competitors have to run between local pubs downing a glass of beer at each pit stop. The final team mate has to drink beer from a billycan. Sound like your sort of festival? Then make your way to Mt Morgan this May Day long weekend. On Saturday, visitors and residents alike can enjoy a street fair and market in the morning and the kids will love the “dig for gold” competition with $1000 up for grabs. In the afternoon the former gold mining

Send

SEARCH IS ON! Competition will be fierce in this year’s dig for gold competition with $1000 up for grabs

town will come alive with a street parade and then the event everyone is waiting for... The Running of the Cutter. The festivities continue into the night - with live entertainment and a fireworks display. If you’ve got the time to stick around, there’ll be a rodeo on Sunday and on Monday the fun moves to the banks of the dam where there is a fishing competition, bush poetry face painting for the kids, live music and more.

GOLDEN MOUNT FESTIVAL Make your way to

MOUNT MORGAN

MAY DAY WEEKEND THURSDAY, APRIL 29th to MONDAY, MAY 3rd FESTIVITIES Street Markets, Running of the Cutter, Jazz Evening

Live Bands, Street Acts, Concerts, Kids Rides

Monster Fire Works, Rodeo, Fun Days and More

your

to gigs

Tuesday 27th April

Sunday 2nd May

Moura Coal n Cattle Pool comp

Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Kieran McCarthy

Tieri Tieri Hotel Motel Pool comp

Monday 3rd May

Thursday 29th April Moura Coal n Cattle Pool comp

Friday 30th April Blackwater Blackwater Hotel Motel Disco Nights

Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Patch

Tuesday 4th May Moura Coal n Cattle Pool comp Tieri Tieri Hotel Motel Pool comp

Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Dysart Patch The Jolly Collier DJ Shaun & promo girls

Saturday 1st May Tieri Tieri Hotel Motel Live entertainment

Wednesday 5th May Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill David Flower

Thursday 6th May

Dysart Moura The Jolly Collier DJ Shaun & promo girls Coal n Cattle Pool comp Airlie Beach Capella KCs Bar & Grill Cultural Centre A14 Comedy Festival Blackwater Roadshow Blackwater Airlie Beach Hotel Motel Karaoke with Steve O KCs Bar & Grill David Flower

Friday 7th May Blackwater Blackwater Hotel Motel Disco Nights

shift

gigs.

.com

mail

r@g mine

Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Mark Roberts Dysart The Jolly Collier Double Trouble

Saturday 8th May Tieri Tieri Hotel Motel Live entertainment Dysart The Jolly Collier Double Trouble Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Mark Roberts Blackwater Blackwater Hotel Motel Karaoke with Steve O

Sunday 9th May Moura Coal n Cattle Mothers Day Luncheon ($20) Tieri Tieri Hotel Motel Mothers Day menu & live band Blackwater Blackwater Hotel Motel Mothers Day entertainment by “The Piano Man” Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Tame Eria

Street Procession, Truckin Ute Muster

Page 21 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

motorsports 85th EDITION. 2010

Burning rubber is the name of the game Mellissa Mackay with an Australian muscle car classic, a XY 350 GT

Sitting pretty for the CQ Offroad Club are Mark Thomas and Luke Ingram (from left)

BEVANS start your engines and prepare to burn into heaven. The Camco Group Motormania is going to be a cracker if the event’s recent launch is anything to go by. Come July 16 it seems that just about anything with a motor that can be revved is going to be gunning it to Central Queensland to be a part of this inaugural event. Hosted between Gladstone, Rockhamp-

Pirate Pete and his 1971 Chevy El Camino

Page 22 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

ton and the Capricorn Coast, more than 15 regional motor sporting and motor enthusiast clubs will be staging a raft of events as part of the 10-day program. At the event’s Rockhampton launch, Motormania’s deputy chair Russell Mackay burnt some rubber, fuel and coin to give a taste of what the feature drag race meet at the Benaraby Raceway on July 24 will be all about.

Together with his wife Mellissa, the Mackays are heavily involved in Central Queensland’s Drag Racing Association and are hoping to bring 12 cars, mainly of the American muscle variety, along to Motormania. A motor enthusiast of a different kind, Peter Allen, aka ‘Pirate Pete’, will be leaving his sword at home to participate with the All Classic Motor Cars and the Historical Motor Cycle Club of Queensland (HMCCQ). Collecting is also a family concern for the Allen family, with three generations - Pete, his son and grandson - sharing a passion for classic cars and Indian motor cycles. Pete regularly displays at Rockhampton’s Archer Street Tram Museum and attends Wintersun on the Gold Coast every year. As part of Motormania, Pete will be entering vehicles into the show and shine and super cruise events at the Rocky Showgrounds on Sunday 25 July. The Indians will also get a go at the HMCCQ display and gymkhana on Saturday 24 July.

Where Queensland’s mining industry meets to do business.

P r o fi l e

motorsports

Motor Enthusiast

85th EDITION. 2010

Rare & classy up for sale

IF you want to seriously up the ante on your style file, Shannons’ upcoming autumn auction is the place to be in early May. Embrace the elegance of a bygone era through the Sydney sale’s selection of prewar British and American vehicles. The standout vintage vehicle is a highly desirable 1913 Sunbeam 25/30hp Tourer –one of only two surviving examples out of 50 vehicles built between 1911 and 1914. Powered by a 6.1 litre six-cylinder featuring two plugs per cylinder, the Sunbeam 25/30 was one of the fastest production cars of its day, setting a record average speed of 92.45 mph (148.78 km/h) over 160km in 1912. Chassis number ‘5381’ was imported into Australia in 1913 by Brisbane agents McGees, where it was fitted with touring coachwork by Peel Ltd for its original doctor owner. However, in the early 1960s its body was removed by another owner to re-clothe the chassis of a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost he owned. The ‘naked’ Sunbeam then remained in storage until 2000, when it was reinstated to its former glory with a painstaking eight-

Name: Frank O’Neill Live & Work: Rocky Type of Car: 1937 Ford Woodie

year restoration by the current owner. Now ready to participate in a variety of VCCA events, the Sunbeam is expected to attract bids in the $170,000-$210,000 range. Also stunning and from the United States is a 1940 Packard 160 Super 8 Coupe – one of only five examples known to exist. Fitted with a 356cid Straight Eight engine and equipped with twin matching spare wheels, the Packard is being offered for sale with many spares available to the purchaser. Because of its original condition and impressive restoration, Shannons expects the Packard to sell in the $55,000-$65,000 range. Shannons’ autumn auction range is under the hammer on Monday 3rd May.

Daryl Watson Engineering

M: 0448 243 343 E: darylweng@gmail.com

dwe

What have you done to it? Started with a 4 door sedan, using the chassis, cowl, rear guards, bonnet and grille. Purchased fibreglass front guards and a stack of Silver Ash. Drivetrain is small block chev and auto. A/C, electric windows and a leather interior are on the list. Gloss black and clear will cover the outside. What has been easy and what is hard? Getting some mates around when you need a hand but it’s hard to stay motivated

What do you enjoy about car shows? The time and effort put into the vehicles on display. Would you ever sell it? Everthing has it’s price

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Page 23 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

Your Health 85th EDITION. 2010

EXPERT ADVICE For those too busy or embarrassed to ask the important questions about their health For the last two editions, our nurse Tammy Farrell gave you some hints on how to make sure what you put into your grocery basket is healthy. Here are some more tips to keep your trolley in tip top shape, and help you decipher the jargon on food labels.

Omega 3 Omega 3 has become very popular in the media over the past few years, but a lot of people have no idea what it actually is. Omega 3 is an Essential Fatty Acid important for a variety of health reasons including circulation, and is very good for your overall heart, eye and brain health. Omega 3 is broken down into EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). A good source of Omega 3 in a food will contain no less than 60mg of EPA & DHA per serve. You may notice some breads on the market that claim to be high in Omega 3, but in order to actually gain any of the benefits you would have to eat an entire loaf in order to consume the recommended amounts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so be wary!

High Fibre A food claiming to be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;high in fibreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; must contain 3g fibre or more per average serve. The most likely place you

will see this is in the breakfast aisle if you are buying quality grainy bread or even cereal. Fibre in your diet is very important to your bowel and heart so look for high fibre foods and ensure that you also keep up your fluid intake.

90% Wholegrain In order for a food to claim it is â&#x20AC;&#x153;90% Wholegrainâ&#x20AC;? then 90% of the food must be made from whole grains.

Cholesterol Foods claiming to be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cholesterol Freeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; or have â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No Cholesterolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; must contain no more than 3mg of cholesterol per 100g of food. A food claiming to be low in cholesterol can still have large quantities of fat, so read your food label carefully.

Light or Lite Your interpretation of what this means may just lead you to the wrong conclusion. Have you ever picked up a bottle of olive oil with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;â&#x20AC;&#x153;lightâ&#x20AC;? in the title and assumed it must be lighter in fat or kilojoules? Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not the only one to assume this - but it actually has nothing to do with the fat content it just means it is lighter in colour. These two words can refer to a food being lite/light in sugar, salt, colour, even taste. So donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be fooled and remember to read wisely the next to you go shopping.

Stay healthy, stay informed! (Reference: Milham, C. Australian Healthy Shopping Guide 2007 pp. 20-27)

Tammy Farrell is a registered nurse, nutritionist and author of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Real Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Toolbox â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A DIY Health Manual for Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. 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 thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when she began compiling the book, helping hundreds of men answer questions about their bodies.

ANYWHERE... ANYSIZE... ANYTIME... For all your urgent and general freight requirements. Delivering in Utes,Vans,Body trucks and Semis We understand the cost of delays in mining and Industry email: admin@transitresourcesocom.au www.transitresources.com.au 16 Robison Street North Rockhampton Queensland 4701

p 07 4927 3789 f 07 4927 3705 m 0408 625 532 Page 24 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

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MONEY MATTERS 85th EDITION. 2010

Housing recovery threatened by the rising cost of land prices? THE cost of residential land continues to rise with a new report showing the median price of raw land increased by 2.2 per cent to a record $185,222 in the December 2009 quarter. The latest residential land report from HIA, which represents the building industry, and rpdata.com, which provides property information and analysis, highlights the risk of the new home building recovery losing momentum in the second half of this year. The report shows the weighted median land price for Australia growing at an annual rate of 14 per cent at the end of 2009, the fastest pace since mid 2004. Meanwhile, the volume of land sales fell substantially in original terms in the December 2009 quarter. Land sales were down by 4.6 per cent in the December 2009 quarter compared to the same period in 2008. In the September 2009 quarter sales were 26 per cent higher when compared to the same quarter 12 months earlier.

HIA chief economist, Harley Dale, said that over the year to December 2009, new house prices (excluding land) grew by 2.8 per cent, building materials prices increased by 1 per cent, labour rates fell marginally, yet median land prices jumped by 14 per cent. “Throughout the last housing up-cycle, land values consistently grew at a substantially faster pace than construction costs and the general rate of inflation,” he said. “Only six months into a new home building recovery this situation is happening all over again.” “If this situation continues then the recovery will stall, the housing shortage will worsen, and there will be upward pressure on rents and on existing home values that could have been avoided.” Sydney remains the most expensive residential land market in the nation with a median price of $275,000. Outside the capital cities, the Sunshine Coast is the most expensive land market

(median price of $249,000), followed by the Gold Coast ($241,000), and the Richmond Tweed ($235,000) and Illawarra ($197,500) regions in New South Wales. There are still thirteen markets across Australia where median land prices sit below the $100,000 mark. The most affordable market is the Northern region of South Australia ($59,165), followed by Mallee in Victoria ($75,000), the Southern region in Tasmania ($76,000), Murray Lands in South Australia ($80,000), and Mersey Lyell in Tasmania ($85,000). According to rpdata.com national research director Tim Lawless, the recent fall in land sales volumes is likely to set

off a few alarm bells. “With Australia’s population growing at a rapid rate and housing undersupply worsening we should be seeing land releases and consequent sales volumes rising not falling,” he said. “The shortfall in available land is already being seen in higher land prices.” “Without further construction of homes we are likely to see affordability worsen and more prospective buyers looking towards an already very tight rental market for their accommodation requirements.” “We believe that policy makers must act to provide additional residential land which is affordable as well as being close to necessary amenities.”

“If this situation continues then the recovery will stall, the housing shortage will worsen, and there will be upward pressure on rents and on existing home values that could have been avoided.”

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Page 25 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

MONEY MATTERS 85th EDITION. 2010

Exit fees sting in the mortgage tail HOME loan refinancing continues to be an increasingly popular strategy for homeowners for a whole host of reasons. It may be to consolidate debt, access a lower interest rate and/or find a better deal from their existing or another lender, or to access equity to fund the purchase of other investments. As a result, Smartline Personal Mortgage Advisers estimate that 30 to 40 per cent of home loan applications are people looking to refinance. However, Smartline’s managing director Chris Acret has warned those considering refinancing to fully consider the exit costs associated with changing loan or lender. He said home loan exit fees had been introduced by the major lenders over the past few years, to try and stop them from refinancing. Exit fees are often referred to as ‘early termination fees’, which is the cost of closing the loan. Different banks use different terminology and early termination fees can also be known as deferred administration fees, deferred establishment fees or early repayment fees. You may also be charged ‘other fees’ which can include a discharge fee, administration fee and any other associated fees.

“If you look back five years or more ago, banks rarely charged exit fees,” Mr Acret said. “Now, there’s very few lenders who do not charge them.” “It’s really about forcing the customer to stay with them for as long as possible.” “A home loan doesn’t really make much profit for a bank for the first two years; those first couple of years are just ‘break even’”. “With the average loan term now about three-and-a-half years, banks only have a window of about one-and-a-half years to make a profit from that loan.” While many people are aware there can be significant costs if you refinance a fixed rate home loan, they are surprised by the costs they may face to refinance from a variable rate loan. As with many aspects of home loans these days, there is quite a disparity in exit fees. Some lenders, generally larger banks, charge a flat fee of $750 to $1000 while others, generally non-bank lenders, may charge in the order of 2 to 2.5 per cent of the loan balance. On the average $300,000 loan, this could mean a charge of more than $6000. Mr Acret said that while exit fees are one factor that you should take in to account when selecting a lender and product, the

level of importance placed on the exit fee will vary depending on your future plans. “Exit fees generally apply in the first five years of the loan, so think about your plans for the property and expected timeframes,” Mr Acret said. “If there is a real chance you may look to

exit out of the loan within a few years as a result of either selling or refinancing, it may be worth considering the issue of exit fees a little more.” “Home loans with a slightly higher interest rate often have lower or no exit fees, so may actually end up being a cheaper option if you are looking to repay early.”

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Page 26 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010

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MONEY MATTERS 85th EDITION. 2010

Taxman targets DIY super investors THE Australian Tax Office (ATO) has warned it will be cracking down on people who make excessive superannuation payments. The warning is really for people who manage their own super funds - there is a threshold known as a “contribution gap” which limits how much you can put into your fund each year. If you exceed the threshold there is a 93 per cent penalty tax. Specifically, the tax office is warning selfmanagers against putting in excess contributions via a scheme which splits the money into a separate trust account to avoid that tax penalty. In the eyes of the ATO this is dodging your dues, and the Tax Commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo has warned those trust accounts will face close examination this year. “These clauses are an attempt to avoid the excess contributions tax if they exceed the relevant cap, even though the amount in question was clearly intended as a contribution and was treated as part of the super fund by the trustee,” he said. “The ATO has reviewed these arrangements and considers that they are ineffective.” “The member may still have to pay

excess contributions tax on these amounts, even if the trustee repays the amount back to the member.” “They may also have to include the amount repaid to them in their assessable income for the year.” Currently the contribution caps sit at $25,000 per year for people under 25, and $50,000 for people over 50. But Daniel Butler from DBA Lawyers has told Smart Company that there is nothing wrong with the trusts and they have been used by DIY investors for years. “This is a complete blow out, and it’s like cracking a chestnut with a bulldozer,” he said. “This is an early warning trying to scare the market, and it isn’t fair because it isn’t appropriate.” “There is nothing wrong with these trusts at all.” “When you have a solid legal foundation, which the ATO conveniently disagrees with, they go to the courts and this has not been taken up in this matter, it’s been taken up in the form of a statement.” Mr Butler insists the trust are legal and if the ATO wants to dispute that it should go through the proper channels.

“This is absolutely nothing new, it’s not a scheme, it’s how people draft a deed and it’s not like they are gaining huge amounts of funds by drafting these extra provisions.” “It’s a popular feature in most deeds, there is nothing unusual about it.” “There is a correct avenue in order to dispute the validity of the trust deed, and it is not a taxpayer alert - firms are just supplying what most people want by giving out a prudent set of tools.” Meanwhile, the ATO has also announced it has requested information from banks which will be used to identify people who have undisclosed offshore income or over-claimed deductions involving international transactions. The information relates to the period between 1st July 2005 and 30th June 2009. “There is nothing wrong with holding an offshore account or investing overseas as long as you pay any Australian tax due,” said Mr D’Ascenzo. “Our aim is to identify people who may

be deliberately trying to hide income or assets offshore.” People can still come forward and make a voluntary disclosure - they will receive reduced penalties as a result. “People who choose not to come forward run the risk of being audited in the future, I urge people to come to us before we come to them.”

“This is an early warning trying to scare the market, and it isn’t fair because it isn’t appropriate.”

Page 27 - Shift Miner Magazine, 26th April 2010