SURAT BASIN
NEWS
27 August 2015
INSIDE Girl Power....Gemma Hartwig has good reason to smile Page 8
Pumpkins, planets, skinks and choppers... What’s eating Gravel Road
Page 10
Five trends in transport for the Surat Basin Pages 16-17
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SURAT BASIN NEWS
THE NEWSPAPER
EDITOR'S
NOTE
W
ELCOME to the August 2015 edition of Surat Basin News. In the last edition we posed the question “what will the Surat Basin region look like in five years time?” We want to continue this 2020 Vision discussion over the coming months, looking at industries, trends and sectors we believe will play a significant role in shaping our future. This month we look at transport and logistics. There was a timely conference in Toowoomba this month which discussed this topic and various speakers outlined exciting opportunities for the region. The region already has good infrastructure as a result of the oil and gas construction phase and more is to come. We look what vision speakers to the conference brought on pages 3 and 4. I’m particularly excited by the vision of an inland port which could use expanded rail facilities to turn the region into a nationwide cargo hub. On pages 16 and 17 we look at the five key pieces of transport infrastructure in the region and how they will interact. They are Wellcamp Airport, the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing, the Warrego Hwy, the western rail line and Inland Rail. Individually they are vital to our future prosperity. Together they can transform the Surat Basin into a transport hub that will drive the nation. By 2020, all bar the Inland Rail will be in place – and that won’t be far behind. Throw in the NBN and we are on the cusp of an exciting interconnected future.
THE VISION
The Surat Basin News publishes every Surat Basin News will allow local month and will be delivered via the four businesses to network and dominant newspapers of the region: the communicate with everyone in the 1200 Chinchilla News, Western Star, Dalby sq km basin, providing unprecedented Herald and The Chronicle. It will reach access to new clients and markets. It the homes and offices of almost 50,000 will give a revealing insight into major people living, working and playing in the industry while lifting the veil on current Surat Basin, connecting the business and and proposed developments. It will be mining communities throughout the there for each and every announcement booming region. Surat Basin News is a shaping the region's future while necessity. It was born out of a passion for profiling the colourful characters that Australia's fastest growing communities define our communities. — a passion for a region of unbridled potential and a future of vast economic growth and opportunities. The newspaper, professionally designed and regionally The Surast Basin News is inserted into topical, will be a must read for anyone the four dominant local newspapers for associated with the exciting Surat Basin. the region: the Chinchilla News and Murilla Advertiser, Western Star Roma, Dalby Herald and The Chronicle Toowoomba. Surat Basin News has gone online to ensure our readers in every corner of the country has the latest news sent directly to them. Newsagents in - Chinchilla, Roma, Dalby, Gladstone, Moura, Toowoomba, Calliope
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SNAP OF THE MONTH
Low lying early morning fog near the Warrego Hwy at Kingsthorpe. Photo Derek Barry
THE
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THE
Claire Morris Roma 07 4578 4105 clairemorris@westernstarnews.com.au
INDEX THE BIG PICTURE Toowoomba transport forum....................3 Roma TSBE evening...................................5 FIFO Inquiry.................................................7
ACROSS THE REGION
DOWN TO BUSINESS Five trends in transport...........................16 Master builders..........................................18 Powerlink updates.....................................20 QMDC news.................................................21
EDITOR
Derek Barry - Dalby 07 4672 5500 Derek.barry@apn.com.au
PAGE DESIGN Beth Walker
OPINIONS
Gemma Hartwig..........................................8 Cameby Downs coalmine..........................9 Gravel Road.................................................10 Solar future.................................................11 Santos GLNG news....................................12 Origin APLNG news..................................13 Chinchilla news..........................................14 Farmer Ian Geldard..................................15
Nicole Boyd-Taylor Dalby 07 4672 5500 nicole.boyd-taylor@dalbyherald.com.au
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
THE BIG PICTURE
Toowoomba Transport and Logistics Symposium
The road (and rail) ahead is bright
Shane Charles introduces Michael Kilgariff at the Toowoomba Transport and Logistics Symposium.
Inland Rail brings great possibilities for the region Shane Charles and John Wagner at the Toowoomba Transport and Logistics Symposium. Photos Derek Barry / Surat Basin News "One train would take 110 trucks off the road," Mr Keith said. The line will be future-proofed to allow even longer trains at 3600m and the line’s benefits would include easing the congestion around the Sydney bottleneck, using one third of the fuel used by road transport and completing the national network. The Inland Rail has a ten year delivery plan started in 2013 with work already started in some New South Wales sections. Inland Rail senior project adviser Dale Budd said the federal government had already allocated $300 million to the project and a suppliers meeting a day earlier in Toowoomba was oversubscribed. “Our message to suppliers is: get ready to work with us now,” Mr Budd said. Work already undertaken includes early design work, land acquisition and the development of a business case for
independent assessment by Infrastructure Australia. The most complex part will be a 6km tunnel down the Toowoomba range. Another 116km of new track would be needed between the NSW border and Oakey to connect farming regions to the Port of Brisbane. Mr Keith said that when fully built in 2023 the freight connection would see rail become competitive with road transport between Brisbane and Melbourne on transit time, reliability and price and would provide important development opportunities for regional Australia. TSBE chief executive Shane Charles said Toowoomba would be at the epicentre of those opportunities. “It is evident that Toowoomba is set to become a major transport and logistics hub for the nation opening up import and export possibilities never seen before,” Mr Charles
said. The symposium’s keynote speaker discussed one of those possibilities: that of an inland port. Mr Charles introduced Parsons Brinkerhoff’s Blair Garcia as a “supply chains guru” and Mr Garcia discussed how inland ports worked in the United States. Mr Garcia said cargo was quickly unloaded from maritime ports and delivered to a strategic inland location where it was efficiently unloaded and then delivered quickly across the country by train. “Maritime port capacity can be quickly increased, simply by increasing rail lines to agile inland ports,” Mr Garcia. “Intermodal efficiencies are reducing the gap between road and rail transports costs and journeys greater than 500 miles (800 km) are now cheaper by rail.” See page 4 for more from the transport symposium. 5942152ac
THE Toowoomba and Surat Basin region are about to become “a corridor of opportunity”, a transport forum heard this month. The Toowoomba Transport and Logistics Symposium attracted a high calibre of speakers all of whom were enthusiastic about the region’s potential. THE looming Toowoomba Second Range Crossing and Inland Rail, allied to the already existing Wellcamp airport will create many opportunities. Mayor of Parkes in New South Wales and Inland Rail lobby group chief Ken Keith told the forum the Inland Rail project was coming in the next decade and had the potential to transform the region as well as being a nation-building project. Mr Keith said the Federal Government had committed $300 million to the Melbourne-Brisbane rail project and the line would be future-proofed to enable the movement of 1.8km-long trains with an axle loading of 21 tonnes at maximum speed of 115 kmh.
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
PAGE 3
THE BIG PICTURE
Mayors Ken Keith and Paul Antonio at the Toowoomba Transport and Logistics Symposium.
John Wagner speaks at the Toowoomba Transport and Logistics Symposium. Photos Derek Barry / Surat Basin News
City well placed to become transport hub: Mayor Antonio
Toowoomba is ready for business New KPMG report shows Toowoomba region is 75 percent cheaper to operate than Brisbane TOOWOOMBA Mayor Paul Antonio welcomed visitors to the symposium by positioning the region as a major player in world logistics, and one that was 75 percent cheaper to do business than Brisbane. “The Toowoomba Region is within 24 hours drive of more than 85% of the nation’s population,” Cr Antonio said. “More importantly the city is within a 12 hour flight to more than 50% of the world’s population.” The Mayor quoted a new KPMG report which showed Toowoomba’s cost advantage. “These include cheaper industrial land already zoned for transport and logistics locked in and ready for development,” he said. “The Toowoomba Region also has a significant existing support industry for this sector including diesel mechanics, transmission, wheels, motor bodies, and electrics.”
The KPMG modelling shows that a company building a top-tier, industry average transport and logistics business, such as for Coles and Woolworths in the Toowoomba Region would reap $7.4 million more in benefits over a 15-year period compared to Brisbane. “The report also indicates this advantage will be even higher when the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing is built,” the mayor said. “The inland rail network will also significantly improve returns for these businesses.” Port of Brisbane trade manager Peter Keyte said their dedicated freight corridor project would continue regardless of inland rail but he hoped the inland rail project would succeed. “We’ve got first class roads but a poor rail network remains a fatal flaw in the supply chain for the Port of Brisbane,” he said. The Inland Rail is expected to link up with
the western line at Oakey and will dovetail with $60m of upgrades to the Warrego Hwy and the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing, to be built by 2019. Queensland Treasury Second Range Crossing project director Damian Gould said the Second Range Crossing would generate $2.4 billion economic activity for the region in 30 years. Mr Gould said the project would use innovative design with grade-separated interchanges, two lanes each way between the eastern and western ends of the Warrego Hwy and an extended viaduct on the eastern side of the range which would give improved environmental outcomes. Mr Gould said he expected the winning bid team Nexus to start work in the next couple of months once the paperwork was signed. Meanwhile Wagners boss John Wagner told the forum about the business park next to Wellcamp airport and he also announced the
airport had now received international designation from the Federal Government which will allow it to start freight services bringing agricultural produce from south-west Queensland direct to markets throughout Asia. Mr Wagner said another advantage was no curfew at the airport. Cathay Pacific’s Australian cargo manager Nigel Chenoweth also discussed the airport’s potential saying the North American experience of chasing cargo traffic was a good model for Wellcamp. Mr Chenoweth said the free trade agreement between Australia and China promised major benefits to Australian air freight including fresh vegetables and the live cattle trade. “Wellcamp is well placed to become an international destination,” he said. “Cathay Pacific modelling shows a 60 tonne base load is needed for a successful freight operation at Wellcamp.”
Queensland well placed to meet global gas demand, says analyst QUEENSLAND is about to become a global force in gas but red tape was a major issue within companies, according to Deloitte’s Consulting National Director on Oil and Gas, Geoffrey Cann. Mr Cann writes a informed weekly blog post about the industry and his entry last month said global demand for gas was growing. “The populations of big nations such as China and India are modernising and urbanising, which drives demand for gas in heating and cooking,” Mr Cann said. “Second, greeenhouse gas emissions targets adopted by the US and China are displacing coal from power generation, and the only fuel that can quickly and cost effectively replace coal is gas.” Mr Cann said global supply was growing strongly and the industry was evolving with Queensland in a promising position. “The three active LNG projects will shortly produce about 24 million tonnes of LNG per year which in 2014 would account for almost
PAGE 4
10% of global LNG trade,” he said. “If LNG was oil, Queensland would be the second largest OPEC member, after Saudi Arabia.” However Mr Cann said if Queensland was to significantly enhance the value of its gas
industry, it should give consideration to accessing wet basins with natural gas liquids that feature a greater range of hydrocarbons which would trigger another investment phase. “There will not likely be adequate
Geoffrey Cann, Consulting National Director on Oil and Gas for Deloitte.
Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
infrastructure available to process wet gas, and this will trigger fresh investment in processing capability,” he said. He predicted the oil price was likely to stay low in 2016 which would defer investment and high Australian costs were a concern. “The regulatory burden in Queensland is a specific concern,” he said. “Excessive levels of overlapping rules, burdensome reporting and high compliance costs, are all a drain on the economics of the industry. “Deloitte published a landmark study on the cost of red tape to Australia’s businesses and I estimate that the cost to Australia’s LNG sector to be about $4b per year, and about $1.1b of that is in Queensland.” Mr Cann said three quarters of that red tape was self-imposed by companies. “ Unconventional resources need more of a manufacturing approach, not a traditional oil and gas development approach,” he said. Mr Cann’s blog is called “Fuel Up” and can be found at http://www.geoffreycann.com/
THE BIG PICTURE
When in Roma...
T
Mayor Rob Loughnan talks about the airport precinct at the TSBE event in Roma. Photo Derek Barry
Maranoa develops precincts Roma Airport and Saleyards set for industrial transformation
M
aranoa Mayor Rob Loughnan and councillor Cameron O’Neil outlined the council’s strategic plans for the Roma Airport Industrial Precinct and the Saleyards at the August TSBE forum in Roma. Cr Loughnan said both facilities would become a major growth corridors in the coming years. He said that while the construction phase of LNG may be over, the region’s net gains had been very pleasing with 1000 new residents, 100 new homes, a new airport terminal, new roads and sewerage, and further growth predicted over the next 20 years. “The Roma Airport Industrial Precinct will capitalise on the airport’s operations and vehicle accessibility on the Carnarvon Hwy, the main thoroughfare between Roma and the north,” Cr Loughnan said. “This will be outlined as a component in the new regional planning scheme set to be
released early in 2016, that document has been a long time coming but it’s well on the way.” Cr Loughnan said the airport industrial precinct would have a streamlined development approval process for priority planned users. “Numerous industries would benefit from their operations in the airport precinct such as aviation services, freight and logistics, bulk commercial ventures, car wash, fuel tanks and storage space” he said. “We’re keen to progress this without jeopardising our commitment to the CBD and the industrial precinct in Roma but it is an area which has got great future capacity.” Cr Loughnan said they anticipated industries being pre-approved in the planning scheme or self-assessable. “This will reduce red tape and create job opportunities,” he said. The Mayor then handed over to Cr Cameron
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oowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise chief executive Shane Charles praised Roma as their “favourite venue” for their monthly enterprise evenings. Speaking in front of almost 200 people at the August event at Roma Explorers conference centre, Mr Charles said they had a record number of Roma businesses attending the event. “You can have a beer down the pub anytime but people are genuinely willing to talk about work here,” Mr Charles said. “Times are tough out there so it is all about opportunities and connections.” Mr Charles said despite the recent tough times, it was good to see the Maranoa region and community looking to the future. TSBE chair Matt Ostwald also praised the “fantastic roll-up” for the event and said there were some great opportunities coming up, especially in agriculture. The event was sponsored by BOC, which is part of The Linde Group which supplies compressed and bulk gases, chemicals and equipment around the globe Chris Garland of BOC gave an overview of the services they performed across the Surat Basin including a supply agreement with QGC who provide coal seam gas to be processed by BOC into LNG on a site next to the Condamine Power Station near Miles. TSBE’s next enterprise evening will be held in Chinchilla on September 10. For more information regarding this event visit http://www.tsbe.com.au/events
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
PAGE 5
THE BIG PICTURE
TSBE CEO Shane Charles speaks at the Roma event in Peter Sharpe of Sharpe Engineering Roma asks a question about Achilles at the TSBE event in Roma. Photos Derek Barry / Surat Basin News Roma.
Achilles aims to save time, money
A
CHILLES has been a buzzword in the oil and gas industry for a couple of years and attendees at TSBE’s Roma evening had an opportunity to learn more about the supplier information management tool. TSBE chief executive Shane Charles said the four big gas companies have said they want to use it as a common induction program. He introduced Achilles Australia account manager David Eason to explain the impact on suppliers and buyers alike. Mr Eason said Achilles’ aim was to introduce a collaborative approach to pre-qualification. “We’ve got nine buyers who are looking to save time and save money and we’ve got 1300 suppliers in the system,” Mr Eason said. “They can pre-qualify before a tender, whether it is for Origin or Santos.” Mr Eason said Achilles were a global operation in 12 different industry sectors and originated in the oil and gas business. “But in all these sectors, we find that 80 percent of all pre-qual information is the same, the last 20 percent is regional
legislation and sector specific stuff,” he said. “So we thought that if we collected all that information once and supplied it to everybody, that would save some money.” Mr Eason said there was a lot of duplication of effort and one-on-one interaction between buyers and suppliers. “That results in a narrow view of the market, buyers don’t have full view of the suppliers in the sector and vice versa,” he said. “Achilles comes along as a third party and we collect all that pre-qual information and we do it once, cutting out that duplication and effort in pre-qualification and audits” Mr Eason said Achilles also gave buyers a full view of the market. “They are not only looking at their supply chains but the supply chains of their competitors and suppliers who may have had a relationship with one company can now market themselves to others,” he said. “At the moment we’re dealing with Origin and they’ll be inviting their suppliers to put their information into the system.”
Achilles account manager David Eason speaks at the TSBE event in Roma.
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THE BIG PICTURE
Chinchilla winners of Easternwell grants are grinners
C
Moteliers speak out against the camps Dalby FIFO Inquiry session hears issues
W
ESTERN Downs moteliers say the oil and gas camps are having a devastating impact on their business, the state government fly-in, fly-out inquiry heard. At a Dalby hearing Country Pathfinder motelier Jane Grieve they had been struggling deeply since the boom ended. "The drop-off came suddenly," Ms Grieve said. “Everyone went away at Christmas and no one came back in the new year." Ms Grieve said occupancy was down 91% in 12 months but the problem was the industry was putting its remaining workers in camps not housing them in town motels. "It's not just the mining companies, government contractors are staying there," she said. "They are bypassing the motels where people are working their socks off, some investing $1 million in life savings." Ms Grieve and fellow motelier Carol Dregmans told the inquiry they wanted the council not to approve the Ausco Stayover camp in Dalby when its lease comes up for re-approval. "There are 400 beds empty in this town because of that camp," Ms Dregmans said. "Many people stay in the camps because they think the motels are full and they are the overflow, the reality is (the camps) are
FIFO Inquiry terms 1. Inquire into FIFO work practices in regional Queensland. 2. Consider health impacts, families, growth, cost/benefit, housing quality, travelling time and other impacts 3. Seek public comments 4. Report back by September 30. getting the bread and butter." Chinchilla motelier Kevin Vinall had similar concerns about an Ausco Stayover camp in his town which he said was operating unlawfully for two years. Mayor Ray Brown also addressed the inquiry, saying resource companies needed to implement "live locally" policies. "Our objective is for people who work here to live here, not fly in from Melbourne or Geelong," Cr Brown said. "The expectation is that the companies will contribute to those communities." Cr Brown said he understood the need for companies to keep personnel in camps during construction. "But for the operations and maintenance phase we want them to stay in the towns,” he said.
Easternwell. “All attendees also received a current rule book and the recommended finger whistle.” Since the launch of the grass roots initiative in 2011, Easternwell has provided more than $73,000 to 43 groups in the Surat Basin region. Easternwell’s Chief Operating Officer, Tim Phelan, said the program was specifically developed to provide much needed support to local grass roots organisations who do so much within our communities. “There are countless community groups, clubs and associations in our operating areas who provide important services to their communities,” Mr Phelan said.
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Moteliers Jane Grieve and Carol Dregmens give evidence to the FIFO Inquiry in Dalby. Photo Derek Barry.
ommunity groups in the Surat Basin region have received more than $9,000 through the latest round of Easternwell community grants. Much needed funds are going to Dulacca & District Kindergarten Playgroup, Wandoan & District Community Kindergarten, Roma & District Motorcycle Club, Miles and District Show Society, Chinchilla Junior Netball Association and the Dunkeld Memorial Golf Club. Karlee Amor from Dulacca & District Kindergarten Playgroup said the funds allowed them to update their facility and adhere to current building legislation. “We were very excited when we found out we were a successful recipient as we will now be able to install a shower facility in our building, enabling us to diversify our service offering to the community,” Ms Amor said. “Being a small community with lots of new babies in the region this is a major boost in support for families.” Chinchilla Junior Netball Association’s Kelly Statham said the grant was extremely well received by the club. “The Easternwell grant enabled us to bring a Queensland netball umpire coach to Chinchilla to train and upskill 20 parents, players and other volunteers on umpiring basics.” “This training would not have been possible without the assistance of
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PAGE 7
ACROSS THE REGION
Dalby's Gemma Hartwig has been selected to be a judge at this year's Regional Queensland Training Awards.
Former Dalby apprentice now judging at Queensland Training Awards
Q
Gemma sets a great example for girls
ueensland School-Based Apprentice of the Year Gemma Hartwig is well on the way to achieving her goal of becoming “the best diesel fitter I can possibly be”. The 18-year-old began her apprenticeship as a school-based apprentice in 2013 while a student at Our Lady of the Southern Cross College in Dalby. Since then her career has excelled and for the past two years she has been employed as a fulltime apprentice diesel fitter with mining services company, Ostwald Bros in Dalby.
Gemma said she had initially planned on becoming a hairdresser but when her career counselling results indicated that she would be more suited to diesel fitting she decided to give it a go. Gemma won the Queensland School Based Apprentice of the Year Award in September last year saying at the time she hoped her success will inspire other women to follow in her footsteps. “There is plenty of opportunity out there for women and I hope that winning this award will encourage other women to work in
male-dominated careers,” she said. Gemma had originally sought a hairdressing apprenticeship but when the diesel fitter apprenticeship came up at Ostwald Bros she discovered a true passion for the job. Her advice to other women is to work hard, be a team player, and enjoy what you do. “If you have a passion for what you are doing then you just need to prove yourself,” she said. Now Gemma has relished the opportunity to be a judge at this year’s regional awards. “It’s been a great experience seeing how
“A mAn who stops Advertising to sAve money is like A mAn who stops A clock to sAve time.”
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things work from the other side and learning about what the judges are look for,” Gemma said. BUSY At Work are again be major sponsors for this year’s Queensland Training Awards. The Darling Downs South West Regional final presentation were held on Friday August 7 at the Armitage Centre, Toowoomba. Winners of the regional awards will become finalists in the state final presentation to be held on Friday, September 11 in Brisbane.
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
Print Media Ph: 4672 5500
ACROSS THE REGION
Chinchilla coal mine sets down mark for 150 years
Cameby Downs long future George staying put
G
Yancoal still see a future in coal applying to extend the lease of Cameby Downs by 162 years.
A
T LEAST one company sees a bright future for coal, with a Chinese company applying to extend the operation of its Western Downs mine, Cameby Downs, to a further 162 years. The mine located 30km northwest of Chinchilla is an open cut coal mine operated by Yancoal and owned by the Yanzhou Coal Mining Company. Anti-coal group Stop Brisbane Coal Trains said the company lodged the application to have the Environmental Authority amended to an additional 162 years several months ago, according to their spokesman John Gordon. "That's to the year 2177,” Mr Gordon said. “In an era when coal has tanked and become a world energy pariah? "This is nothing more than resource
sand-bagging, so as to shore up Yancoal's bottom line, which has been haemorrhaging without so much as a tourniquet over the last year or so." A spokesperson from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection confirmed Yancoal had applied to amend their EA to "allow mining to continue at the current rate". The DEHP said the proposed mine plan was to allow mining to continue at the site for a "further 150 years or so.” SBCT expressed alarm over the company's plans to divert Columboola Creek, the waterway located on the site. "Traditionally, mining creek diversions in Queensland have been an unmitigated [disaster]," Mr Gordon said. Cameby Downs produces a low ash export
thermal coal and has port allocation through the Queensland Bulk Handling facility in Brisbane. The coal deposits are located in the Juandah Coal Measures. Yancoal acquired the mine in 2011 when it purchased previous owners Syntech Resources. Yancoal’s extensive tenement portfolio in the region has the potential to contain at least a further one billion tonnes of coal. Mr Gordon believed the application for 162 years was preparation for an "on sale". "They get this application through and they'll have their resources secure to sell Cameby Downs," Mr Gordon said. Yancoal have yet to publicly comment.
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EORGE Bender made no bones about it when he came to talk to Surat Basin News. “You asked what will the Surat Basin look like in five years,” Mr Bender said. “Well, I can tell you what my future looks like – it will be full of gas wells.” Mr Bender and his family are crop farmers on a couple of properties near Chinchilla with a long and proud family history in the region. “My mother Florence was the head teacher at Hopeland school in the 1940s,” he said. Mr Bender’s Hopeland property is on Origin and QGC tenements but he does not want any drilling on his land. “I’ll see them in the land court first,” he said. While he has not signed any land access agreements yet there is a “make good” agreement in place which he said the gas company has not yet carried out. Mr Bender said Origin had made an offer for his land but he didn’t want to move. “It’s only 16km from town and the school bus stops outside,” he said. “Besides, I’m 68 now, where would I go?”
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PAGE 9
CAUTION: Gravel Road Ahead There are highways and by-ways and then there are gravel roads. Gravel Road will take a leisurely look at the road less travelled across the region. We would have caled it Dirt Road but we are far too clean for that – most of the time.
Cam Do attitude
You may recall in last month’s Surat Basin News, TSBE chief executive Shane Charles complimenting Maranoa Mayor Rob Loughnan for his pumpkin growing exploits that won him second place at this year’s Roma Show. At the August TSBE event in Roma, Mr Charles raised the matter again, forcing Mayor Loughnan to admit he was goaded into entering the competition by fellow councillor Cameron O’Neil. Cr O’Neil said the Mayor’s pumpkin was better than his own Show entry in the cake baking competition. Perhaps Cr O’Neil will soon have need to leave cake baking in the hands of the experts as the Mayor also spilled the beans on Cameron’s engagement to Laney McLaren, who is a campaign manager for the Liberal Party in Canberra. Gravel Road congratulates the couple. It may even be possible that Cr O’Neil will be joining her in Canberra with The Australian newspaper reporting him as one of two candidates favoured to replace Bruce Scott in the seat of Maranoa (the other is David Littleproud of Warwick Chamber of Commerce). Gravel Road has heard on the bush telegraph that it is line ball between the pair. No one is commenting publicly but all will be revealed in the coming months after the LNP conducts a postal pre-selection ballot.
and was last seen heading north of $20,000 in bids. Included in the sale are a set of user instructions from Eddie Maguire to “warn people before expressing your culture" and it comes complete with an "imaginary framed certificate of authenticity.”
Another chopper read
Completely authentic is the RACQ CareFlight helicopter. Gravel Road is a big fan of their work, and they have saved countless lives across the region in recent years. However, we did wonder if their latest campaign was well timed. August, according to CareFlight, was designated “Chopper Awareness Month”. Alas, this was announced in the middle of former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop’s flying shenanigans which attracted widespread condemnation. There would be very few people left, it seemed to us, that wouldn’t be aware of helicopters. But we wish Chopper Awareness Month well, nonetheless. Since it was first held eight years ago, the event has raised more than $200,000, helping to fund lifesaving rescue missions.
Pluto pup
Being a road, not a chopper, we get to enjoy a lot of time looking up at the sky where there has been groundbreaking news this last month. The object we call “Pluto-formerly-known-as-a-planet” is not the easiest thing to spot in the night sky so we loved the beautiful fly-by pictures from On to national affairs, and Gravel Road was NASA probe New Horizons. One of the best unimpressed by the racist booing of photos we saw was this one below of Pluto footballer Adam Goodes. However we did superimposed on a map of Australia to give find amusing the E-Bay item of the imaginary an indication of just how big (or small) it is. spear Goodes used in a goal celebration But what struck us is the fact that not only is routine that sparked the ire of some it the same size but also roughly the same commentators. According to the seller, the colour and complexion as our interior. We spear which had a starting price of $8.50 was wonder how much bauxite, gas and iron ore “capable of terrifying an entire small-minded is on Pluto and if that’s what the “P” stands crowd with an implied lob in their direction” for in BHP?
The Goodes, the bad and the ugly
Congratulations to Laney McLaren and Cameron O'Neil who announced their engagement this month.
Hard yakka
Speaking of mines, Gravel Road misheard the news of why the Federal Court overruled approval for Adani’s Carmichael coalmine in the Galilee Basin. The Court ruled federal environment minister Greg Hunt ignored departmental advice about the impact on two vulnerable species. While we were surprised to hear of the existence of the “ornamental snake” and wondered was it something your grandmother would have put on her mantelpiece, it was the other animal that really turned our head. What exactly was a yakka stink? Was it how your armpits smelled after a hard day’s work, we wondered? Later of course, we found it was a ‘skink’ not ‘stink’ and it was a creature (Latin name: egernia rugosa) the environment department described as endangered and hiding under rocks. A bit like Gravel Road, really. Though no one ever stopped a mining project on our account. Maybe we should
kick up more of a stink, or even a skink.
Hangin’ on the telephone
We don’t know how many phone calls were involved in the Adani decision, but we suspect it was a lot. We read recently that people look at their phones on average 216 times a day, that’s almost 10 times every hour of the day. GR has never actually counted but imagines it is well below average and would be very surprised if it look at its phone more than 30 or 40 times a day. This means there must be people out there that look at their phone even more than 216 times. How do they have time to do anything else? And who conducts this kind of research any way? And while we’re on weird facts, we also found out this month that of the 270 London Underground railway stations, that St John’s Wood (the nearest station to Lord’s cricket ground) is the only one that does not have any of the letters of the word ‘mackerel’ in it. Bit fishy, if you ask me.
The Dalby Herald celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. We loved this Herald exclusive from January 1866 which predicted the end of the world in 98 million years. Stock up your larder now!
Pluto compared to Australia. We don’t know how big its moon Charon is compared to Tasmania.
PAGE 10
HIT THE ROAD Got something we should know about? Contact us on gravelroad@suratbasin.com.au
Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
ACROSS THE REGION
Will the Milmerrin project stimulate interest in resurrecting Chinchilla’s Solar Dawn project?
Bulli Creek set to become solar central in Queensland
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Milmerrin solar project set to rise
S Solar giant SunEdison has obtained planning approval from the Toowoomba Regional Council to develop the world’s largest solar farm in Bulli Creek. The first stage of the project could start construction in mid 2016, depending on negotiations for a power purchase agreement with retailers and industrial consumers. SunEdison has partnered with Solar Choice to co-develop the Bulli Creek Solar Farm in Australia, signing a shareholder agreement
with Bulli Creek Solar to power up to 700,000 homes. Chinchilla Community Commerce and Industry Incorporated Vice President Rachel Pascoe said the SundEdison project was a great opportunity for further development in the region. She said that solar energy is very energy efficient, and is better than coal seam gas. “This project will create new jobs in the community and create low cost finance for solar projects,” she said.
Ms Pascoe said she was disappointed the Solar Dawn Project in Chinchilla did not go ahead. “The project would have provided employment and training opportunities and showcase Chinchilla at the forefront of solar power projects,” she said. She said large scale solar energy projects are one of the major growth areas in for demand in Australia, due to its solar resources. Angus Gemmell the head of Solar Choice said the project is progressing well. He said
the projects were boosted by numerous “uplift factors”, peak events which were enhanced by horizontal axis trackers in the afternoon, and also the bankability of the sun rising every morning. Meanwhile Ergon Energy said it would soon run a regional solar battery trial with US renewable energy company Sunverge in a $2.6 million renewable energy trial. A 4.9kW SunPower PV array and 12kWh/5kW Sunverge battery storage and control system will be installed at each site.
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
PAGE 11
ACROSS THE REGION
What is the cloud?
Santos GLNG gas compression Hub 04 at Fairview. near Injune.
Santos almost ready to start Santos GLNG will produce first gas by end third quarter
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antos GLNG remains on track to produce first LNG around the end of the third quarter this year, according to Santos CEO David Knox. “All upstream facilities are commissioned and fully operational, and we are making excellent progress on Curtis Island,” Mr Knox said. Santos VP Queensland Trevor Brown said the construction and commissioning of their three major gas compression hubs was a significant milestone “This is a year of delivery for Santos GLNG,” Mr Brown said. “Our gas field facilities are complete, our wells are performing strongly, our pipeline is supplying gas to our LNG plant, and we’re approaching first LNG around the end of the third quarter.”
Santos GLNG Maranoa Regional Manager Andrew Snars said their Surat and Bowen Basin gasfields had been a hive of activity. “In the gas fields, our three major gas processing hubs – one north-east of Roma and two north-east of Injune – are now all fully operational,” Mr Snars said. “Together, these facilities service an area of about 7000 square kilometres. “Construction began in 2012 and required 18.6 million work hours to complete construction and commissioning.” Mr Snars said that with the first phase of construction work complete, they were transitioning to long-term, sustainable operations and field development, which would continue for decades to come. “This means there will be ongoing opportunities to work with us in the region,
as we develop our gas fields and maintain our existing resources into the future,” he said. “Our focus on working with regional Queensland communities remains strong. As always, we want to develop and maintain partnerships that help us make sure we continue to be a valued contributor to the areas where we operate.” When fully operational, the Santos GLNG plant will have a nameplate capacity of 7.8 million tonnes of LNG each year, worth billions of dollars to the Queensland economy over many decades. Santos GLNG will ultimately deliver about 11% of Korea’s domestic gas needs and around 9% of Malaysia’s gas needs for the next 20 years.
Yes we all know it’s something white and fluffy in sky, but when someone says cloud computing or cloud storage what do they mean? Cloud computing or cloud storage means the data is stored or a program is run from another computer server that you connect to over the internet, these servers are usually located in data centres, or Server Farms (large data centres). Data Centres have very fast internet connections, and have very specific environmental variables for example the temperature, Humidity and power will be regulated to specific guidelines. So the cloud is where you access anything that is not directly stored on the hard drive in your computer that you access over the internet. Things that you already use that are in the cloud are your email, a virtually any webpage you go to. QuickBooks, MYOB, and Xero all have cloud based versions, the advantages of these are you can work from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection. You may have an on-premise server that is getting old and needs replacing. Typically nowadays you wouldn’t replace the server, you would move all that data to the cloud and forget about that old clunky tower in the corner. Moving to the cloud is not for every business, you may not have a good reliable internet connection, your specific program you need to run may only be able to run locally and not from the cloud. However if you’re looking for access from anywhere, and you have good reliable internet then the Cloud may be the way forward for you. Your local IT Company will be able to answer many of these questions for you.
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ACROSS THE REGION
Reverse Osmosis plant at Talinga APLNG gasfield.
Part of APLNG’s massive Condabri gasfield. Photos Derek Barry / Surat Basin News
Surat Basin News tours Talinga and Condabri sites
Origin APLNG on show
Chinchilla
State of the art facilities ready to deliver gas to Gladstone
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in 2014. Condabri is actually three adjacent sites. We visited Condabri Central which hosts a 400-bed workers camp named the “1844 Village” in honour of the year explorer Ludwig Leichhardt came through the region. The camp is equipped with all the mod cons with tennis courts, gyms, cinema, cafeteria and games room. Origin’s Community Engagement Manager Scott Bird said they try to purchase locally as much as possible and bus workers into Miles for community events. Condabri Central is right next door to Miles Airport and Origin charters 12 flights a week to and from Brisbane. Condabri is also home to Binda-Nalkana (which means “place of learning” in the local Aboriginal language). Binda-Nalkana is a regional learning centre equipped with teleconferencing and video conferencing facilities and will longer term become a major training facility for Origin and industry partners so that inductees can be trained to work in all gas sites not just APLNG’s.
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HIS month Surat Basin News was taken on a tour of Origin APLNG’s facilities at Talinga and Condrabri. Talinga is on the Kogan-Condamine Rd and was opened in 2008 now containing 104 gas wells and 120km of water and gas pipelines. The 90 TJ a day gas processing plant is capable of supplying 25% of Queensland’s energy needs and feeds the Darling Downs Power Station and the Wallumbilla Gas Hub. Water from the gas fields is gathered and temporarily stored in ponds prior to treatment using reverse osmosis where all impurities and dissolved salts are removed, making the water potable. Closer to Miles is the massive newer facility at Condrabri, which is one of APLNG’s two largest upstream sites along with Reedy Creek. The state of the art facility even has horizontal flares which residents in the area can no longer see and therefore not mistake for bush fires. Condabri is a 150 TJ plant with 470 wells and it was opened
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APLNG workers must register a zero blood alcohol reading before signing on for work each day.
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
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ACROSS THE REGION
Defending DIDO Cypress Pines encourages local spending
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OT all local tourism operators think Drive In Drive Out is a bad thing. Kym and Rob Walters of Cypress Pines in Chinchilla have had high occupancy of DIDO workers carrying out QGC contract work in Miles. “The first company to house their staff was Toll Energy and they were very dedicated to supporting the community even to the extent of donating an expensive piece of gymnasium equipment to the Chinchilla Aquatic and Fitness Centre,” Kym said. “They often rewarded their staff with social lawn bowls days which resulted in additional Kym and Rob Walters, managers of Cypress Pines in Chinchilla are happy with the DIDO workers that stay with them. income for the local bowls club.” Cypress Pines accommodation has room
cooking facilities and a large recreation room with barbecue, pizza oven, cooktop, microwave and commercial oven so workers are able to prepare their own meals. Cypress Pines have set up accounts at the local IGA Supermarket, the butcher and health food shop for workers to purchase products with their weekly allowance. They can also dine at restaurants in town on a charge back basis, a feature that offers considerably more variety than eating in the one place every day. “Over $10,000 per week is spent at local businesses so there is a real positive side from these DIDO workers,” Kym said.
Workers group come out in protest against Leightons in Chinchilla is now running behind schedule. They claim Leightons have created a $1 shelf company called “Sustaining Works” which hatched out a deal with a small group of workers with little wider consultation. Workers on the project have been engaged in industrial action since July 14. Leightons did not respond to queries, while QGC said it was a matter between Leightons and its workforce. QGC said conditions had tightened but they and their contractors were paying workers at established market rates for their work.
Sustaining Community Works have taken out ads on the Warrego Hwy at Withcott. Photo Derek Barry.
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GROUP calling themselves Sustaining Community Works are picketing Leightons worksites at Chinchilla. The group says Leightons and QGC have stripped workers’ wages by 30% on their latest CSG project and have casualised the entire workforce. The group said this has made the workforce too scared to speak out on safety issues for fear of losing their jobs. They said that because they are paying below industry rates, the project is no longer attracting quality tradespeople and
ACROSS THE REGION
Water scheme is transforming crops
Fairymeadow Road Irrigation Pipeline a success
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HE Fairymeadow Road Irrigation Pipeline (FRIP) is transforming fields across the region and making many local farmers happy. The FRIP project is now delivering high quality, treated CSG water to local landholders via a purpose-built pipeline along Fairymeadow Road, near Miles. Underpinned by reverse osmosis water treatment technology, the project converts CSG water into a valuable resource. Treated water is delivered by pipeline from reverse osmosis water treatment facilities at Talinga and Condabri and stored in Monreagh Dam, an 1873 megalitre irrigation storage dam on the Monreagh property. There is also a pump station at Monreagh, a pipeline along Fairymeadow Road, and offtake points for participating landholders. Landholders participating in the scheme use the water to develop increased irrigated cropping and livestock watering, boosting agricultural production, with economic flow-on opportunities and community benefits. Ian Geldard who farms cotton and other crops at Riverside, on a tenement boundary, has been using recycled water from Origin APLNG for 12 months.
.
(FRIP) has enabled us to expand our irrigation Ian Geldard farmer “We had small-scale irrigation here before, but what the FRIP water, along with the QGC Sunwater water out of Chinchilla Weir, has enabled us to do is expand our irrigation,” Mr Geldard said. “One of the big advantages is the security going forward, we can plan up to two years in advance.” Mr Geldard said FRIP water had doubled his production. “A normal irrigator would get his water, and plan how much he could water in cotton, whereas here we come out of the winter crops last year back into mung beans, back into winter crops this year, go into cotton next year – it’s a repetitive process which is very good for the soil, building up organic matter, we’ve got worms we’ve never had before.” Mr Geldard is putting 25mls a week onto his barley but will increase the frequency towards the end of the season to put on 40mls a week.
Ian Geldard is happy with his use of recycled water from the Fairymeadow Road Irrigation Pipeline on his field of irrigated dryland barley. Photos Derek Barry / Surat Basin News
Pivot irrigator at Simon Drury's Condabri property also uses recycled water from the Fairymeadow Road Irrigation Pipeline.
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PAGE 15
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Five ways in which our transport systems will transform the region
Planes, trains and automobiles The Surat Basin will depend on these lifelines 1. Warrego Highway
The Warrego Hwy remains the lifeblood of south-west Queensland. The much-maligned road is no longer the goat track of old and is mostly looking in great shape since the flood works. Further improvements are in the pipeline with commonwealth and state funding to add further passing lanes between Toowoomba and Miles. The upgrades at Troys Rd will make it easier for roadtrains to access Wellcamp while further west, type 2 roadtrains will be able to access the Roma Saleyards without decoupling, saving the trucking industry millions of dollars.
2. Toowoomba Second Range Bypass
Opening in late 2018 or early 2019, this is also set to transform the region in ways we can barely imagine. As well as slashing the time of shipping freight between the west and Brisbane, it opens up major tourism opportunities to the Surat Basin. Drivers heading west from Brisbane wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hit a traffic light until they get to Dalby and the journey could be done in around two hours. Day trippers to the Downs, anyone? Some experts are tipping that traffic to the region The federal government has awarded the first contracts on the inland rail project as Toowoomba looks to become a might not just double, but triple or even logistics hub. quadruple once the bypass is in place. The
Five key transport hubs: 1. Warrego Hwy 2. Toowoomba Bypass 3. Inland Rail 4. Wellcamp Airport 5. Western Rail tolling will be important in terms of incentives or disincentives but it is easy to imagine attractions such as the Oakey Air Museum, the Jondaryan Woolshed, Lake Broadwater and the Bunya Mountains all benefitting from easier access.
3. Inland Rail
Perhaps the most exciting of all the transport initiatives in the region, the Inland Rail may take another decade to see the light, but it will be worth the wait. The project linking Brisbane with Melbourne is truly a nation building project with many benefits. They include ending the congested Sydney bottleneck, using one third of the fuel of road transport, construction employment and completing the inter-capital network. The project also opens up the possibility of creating an agile inland port in Toowoombaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hinterland, where cargo would arrive direct from the Port of Brisbane before being re-routed to destinations across the country.
Media SaleS ConSultant Local knowledge Local staff Local business Local service
loCal knowledGe Elouise loCal Staff loCal buSineSS loCal ServiCe Greg latta Phone 4672 9927
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The Warrego Hwy is still the main route for all kinds of traffic to the region.
Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Brisbane West Wellcamp airport will become a cargo hub for Asia.
From Wellcamp to the west 4. Brisbane West Wellcamp 5. Western railway The Brisbane-Quilpie line is our most Airport underused and neglected transport system. With the airport closer to Dalby than some parts of Toowoomba, the region has not yet begun to feel the effects of this major development. With the recent announcement the airport has received international designation, Wellcamp is set to become a major international player. It may be a while before people can pack their bags for Asia from Wellcamp (but it will happen some day), however the more immediate impact is in cargo. Already companies are queuing up to move their businesses and warehouses close to the airport. The ability to send fresh produce from the Darling Downs and Lockyer Valley quickly to vast Asian markets has great appeal. Wellcamp will be massive. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a case of if but when.
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sad sight to see Dalby railway station completely deserted in the middle of a busy day. Passenger traffic is down to a twice-weekly dribble and the freight trade is almost entirely reliant on coal. But the State Government has flagged more movement of agriculture and gas equipment by rail. They will need to provide incentives and also cut the red tape strangling the rail system. Major funding upgrades are necessary as well as investment in staff. Australia has allowed its rail systems to deteriorate but in conjunction with the Inland Rail, the western line has the potential to be great again. With a little imagination, faith and money, stations like Dalby could become active community hubs.
The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing is set to transform the west.
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
PAGE 17
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Downs and Western Housing and Construction Awards 2015
H
Hutchinson Builders shows style
UTCHINSON Builders has enjoyed a rewarding few weeks, with the company receiving two prizes for separate Surat Basin projects at the recent Downs and Western Housing and Construction Awards 2015. Its Condabri IOC and Camp Extension job claimed the award for Best Commercial Building over $5 million, while the QGC Chinchilla Warehouse project was named Best Industrial Building. The QGC Warehouse, which cost $8.5 million to build, was completed in March this year – well ahead of schedule. Project manager Sean Lees said it was always pleasing to be recognised for hard work. “Master Builders is a well respected organisation and to be acknowledged by them is a good feeling,” he said. Mr Lees said up to 100 people had been working on the warehouse project at any one time. “A lot of hands went into putting it together and I was lucky to have a really good team,” he said. He said the warehouse and other developments at the Surat Basin Industrial Park were positive signs for Chinchilla. “It’s a very good show of confidence from QGC,” he said. The Condabri IOC and Camp Extension project, valued at $22 million, was completed in November last year. While he wasn’t involved in the job, Mr Lees said its recent award further highlighted Hutchinson Builders’ ability to deliver key projects.
Hutchinson Builders won an award for their design of QGC’s Warehouse.
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PAGE 18
Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
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PAGE 19
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Custom built sheds for any purpose
A
S
heds are a common part of life in the Western Downs region and Brendan Wirth and the team at Western Downs Sheds can build a new one to suit any of your needs. Brendan is a born and bred Dalby local and a registered builder who understands the needs of shed owners throughout the entire Western Downs region, including Dalby, Chinchilla, Tara, Miles, Moonie, Roma, Wandoan, Taroom, Mundubbera and beyond, travel is no object. It is a particularly popular time for sheds, with their construction to house your important cars or machinery considerably cheaper than attaching a carport to your house. Western Downs Sheds offers inhouse ability to do ground prep, gravel, pads, concrete slabs, supply of stud frame sheds as well as custom designed portal sheds. The company also does patios, rainwater tanks and roofing products. Western Downs Sheds are also agents for A-Ok sheds and Aussie Outdoor sheds. Brendan said one of the best advantages of the company was its ability to accommodate any customer requests. Brendan can guide you through the process to work out correct sizing to fit your valuable possessions into your new shed. Brendan can turn offices into sheds and is a qualified builder as well.
See Brendan and the team at Western Downs Sheds for a great deal.
Want a shed â&#x2013; If you are looking for a company who can custom build your shed, give Brendan and the sales team a call on 0438 848 275. He has been constructing sheds for many years and has a vast knowledge to cater for a range of shed types. The Western Downs Sheds team can also take you through the process from start to finish, including any council approvals required for construction. If you are looking for a company who can custom build your shed, give Brendan and the sales team a call on 0438 848 275.
AUG SEPT OCT
Catalogue Out Now!
Substation complete
nother piece of the jigsaw of Queensland's $60 billion gas industry has been put into place with the completion of construction on a vital hub substation in the north-west Surat Basin. Treasurer Curtis Pitt said the Yuleba North Substation will act as the central point for more than 200 kms of new high voltage transmission lines, supplying power to six gas processing facilities owned by Santos GLNG and Australia Pacific LNG. "The completion of Yuleba North Substation marks another significant step in our work to extend the existing high voltage transmission network in the North West Surat Basin," Mr Pitt said. "Powerlink's construction work has injected over $14 million into the North West Surat Basin local economy in the first five months of this year." Mr Pitt said electricity demand in the northwest Surat will increase from about 100MW to 600MW before 2016 which is more than peak demand for the whole Sunshine Coast and surrounding hinterland. Powerlink has completed construction of six of its seven substations in North West Surat, with Blythdale Substation due for completion in August this year. Minister for Energy Mark Bailey said the final section of transmission line was due for completion by early 2016. "The transmission lines between
Yuleba North and Blythdale substations will be the last link in the network," he said. "This electricity network provides crucial support for Queensland's coal seam gas industry, generating significant economic benefits for the state." Powerlink Chief Executive Merryn York said this new substation represents a key milestone for Powerlink having taken three years of planning and construction to deliver. "When the substation becomes operational it will be the central hub for our transmission network in the region, connecting 217 kilometres of transmission lines in an area bounded by Wandoan, Roma and Injune," she said.
Powerlink have completed work on Yuleba North Substation.
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New guillotine service at Miles Engineering!
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY GROUP Not all products are available at all locations
Prices are valid while stocks last and are subject to change without prior notification. ISG takes no responsibility for printing errors and omissions. Prices are subject to freight where applicable.
PAGE 20
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
DOWN TO BUSINESS
QMDC-Santos GLNG partnership helps prevent spread of weeds
Washdown message is being heard Big investment in biosecurity in the Maranoa region
A
PARTNERSHIP between the Queensland Murray-Darling Committee (QMDC) and Santos GLNG has resulted in more than $250,000 invested in projects to prevent weed spread across the Maranoa, reinforcing the strong commitment to biosecurity from both landholders and industry. Through the initiative, 22 landholders and Roma businesses invested $140,000 cash (plus time and equipment) to match Santos GLNG’s $120,000 contribution for the joint ‘Weeds on Board? Wash your vehicle!” project which offered incentives toward private wash down facilities. The project helped 18 landholders and four businesses upgrade or build new clean down sites such as concrete slabs, tanks and storage units, or buy pressure cleaners for existing clean down sites. QMDC Special Project Officer Janet Barker said it was a remarkable response given the economic pressure of drought. “The uptake of funding and the scale of investment was impressive considering it was extremely dry, which demonstrates a real commitment from the rural and business community to preventing the spread of weeds in the Maranoa,” Ms Barker said. Ms Barker said ensuring vehicles, machinery and equipment ‘come clean and go clean’ from a property was a critical first step in making sure weeds don’t enter the farm gate. “Preventing the introduction and spread of weeds is a lot more cost effective than trying to control them,” she said. “QMDC would like to thank Santos GLNG for its significant contribution to these facilities, which will have a long lifespan and add value to properties in the Maranoa.” Ms Barker said Santos GLNG demonstrated a high commitment to weed spread prevention on its own properties and had shown their efforts extend across the region.
Santos GLNG Social Performance Advisor Camille Johnson, Santos GLNG Land Management Advisor Jamie Gorry and QMDC Special Projects Officer Janet Barker celebrate the end of a successful weeds prevention program. Photo Contributed. “Additional Santos GLNG funds will also create a greater awareness about the issue of weed spread with signage being erected to alert people travelling through the Maranoa to the importance of cleaning vehicles,” she said. Santos GLNG Maranoa Regional Manager Andrew Snars agreed, “As landholders ourselves, we take our responsibility for managing key issues in regional Queensland – in particular weeds – very seriously”. “Our track record shows our efforts have been very positive. So far, we have
contributed around $1 million towards weed and pest management initiatives, and a recent departmental audit of our weed management programs verified the effectiveness of our approach.” Bill and Cecily Douglas incorporated an air and water clean down station into their cattle yards complex at ‘Mount Lonsdale’, Mungallala, and said the incentive scheme was well-timed. During drought you often don’t have the money to do these projects but it is also the critical time to get the work done,” Mrs
Douglas said. Trisha and Mark Iseppi of Outstation Contracting/Trench Tech, Roma, took the opportunity to invest in a stand-alone clean down facility and upgraded equipment for their contracting business. “All our work is on people’s places so it’s very important our vehicles are clean, it’s a big issue for everyone trying to protect their place from the spread or introduction of weeds,” Mrs Iseppi said. To find out more about “Weeds on Board? Wash your Vehicle!” visit www.QMDC.org.au
(266353)
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
PAGE 21
OPINIONS
Bruce Scott a strong advocate for region COMMENT Cr RAY BROWN Mayor, Western Downs Regional Council
O
ver the past 25 years the Maranoa region and its many communities have had the strongest of advocates in the form of our federal member Bruce Scott. His local knowledge and experience as part of his passionate representation of regional Queensland at the federal level will be a sad loss for the Western Downs and Surat Basin regions when he retires from parliament at the next election. As the Member for Maranoa, Bruce Scott has
contributed significantly to the growth of infrastructure in our region and has been a dedicated supporter of our agricultural sector, communities and landholders, particularly during times of drought. Throughout his long-serving term Bruce has been a passionate advocate for better agriculture, health and education outcomes for our region, as well as enhanced local telecommunications and road and transport networks, particularly the ongoing upgrades of the Warrego Highway. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Bruce for his contributions, commitment and continual support of the Western Downs and Surat Basin, and wish him and his family all the best. Though Bruce will take his long-term knowledge of the Maranoa electorate with
him, his retirement also opens up an opportunity for a new vision for the Western Downs, and we'll be watching this space and the next federal election with keen interest. Our region has come a long way over the past 25 years, and it was pleasing to see it come alive recently with Opera at Jimbour and the Tara Festival of Culture and Camel Races. These events highlight the strength of our communities, and celebrate our continual progress and growth throughout the challenges of the resource boom and hardships of drought. The Tara Festival showcased the diversity and multiculturalism from across the Western Downs, and the Opera shows the variety and breadth of cultural events our region supports.
COMMENT ANNE LEAHY MP Member for Warrego
W
elcome to the latest Surat Basin News and I am pleased to report updates on improvements to transport infrastructure in the region.
Warrego Highway Update
One of the major Highways in our region is the Warrego Highway and we all have a special interest in the upgrades of this important transport link. There are a number of projects which I am keeping a watching brief on - Chinchilla open level rail crossing, Jingi Jingi Creek upgrade and bridgeworks, Brigalow Chinchilla upgrade and widening, Dalby – Miles overtaking lane, Miles western access upgrade. I am pleased to confirm that Federal Government approval of the project proposal document has been granted for both the Brigalow – Chinchilla project and the Jingi Jingi Creek project. The tender
Type 2 Road Train Update
I have been actively pursuing widening to culverts east of Charleville and upgrades to intersections in Roma to enable Type 2 Road Train access to Roma Saleyards for livestock transport. I am pleased to advise through my representations and working with the Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Queensland that the State Government has agreed to fund these upgrades and works will commence as soon as possible with completion due December 2015. These upgrades will reduce the number of trucks on the road and increase safety of young children at Roma Junior school.
The community should take a bow for the wonderful hospitality they showed, and for continuing to grow our communities as welcoming places to live, work and play.
Good infrastructure is the key
Big improvements on roads and roadtrains .
for the Brigalow – Chinchilla project has been called and closed on 23 July 2015. I have also received representations from constituents about the intersection of the Macalister – Bell Road and the Warrego Highway at Macalister. I understand this intersection is being considered for inclusion in Warrego Highway Upgrade Program. I have been advised that the scope of the Upgrade Project is still being determined, including prioritisation of works at intersections such as this one.
Western Downs Regional Council Mayor Ray Brown with Federal Member for Maranoa Bruce Scott at Myall Creek, Dalby in July 2014, discussing the new Mercy Pedestrian Bridge and the region's road restoration flood recovery project.
.
COMMENT BARRY O’SULLIVAN Senator
I
t seems like a pretty simple equation – government increases its investments in modern infrastructure to lay the foundations for future economic development, growth and prosperity will follow. Government invests the capital required to build the roads, bridges and power transmission lines and this will help society increase its wealth and our collective standards of living. We know and appreciate that efficient infrastructure will underpin the future economic strength in the Surat Basin. We know government has a central role to play in this process. This has been a strong focus of the Federal Government and its “infrastructure” Prime Minister. After all, the Federal Government’s $1.285 billion funding commitment to the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing is the largest single contribution to a Queensland road project since Federation.
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But government cannot, and should not, fund all infrastructure projects that our nation requires to be competitive in the global marketplace. And therefore, finding the right balance between government and private sector contributions in major infrastructure projects is a challenge we must confront in the coming years. Perhaps I am biased as a proudly Toowoomba-based Senator, but I believe the recent opening of the Wellcamp Airport by the Wagner family is a visionary example of private sector initiated infrastructure that has wide reaching benefits to the surrounding community and businesses. As Sydney continues to debate and disagree about the placement of a second airport, the Wagner family has efficiently and effectively constructed a world-class airport on the Darling Downs. This progressive family was not going to die wondering. And in time, their efforts will reposition Toowoomba as a major logistics hub. Government must ensure that supportive regulations, transparent procurement procedures, and careful consideration of environmental and social impacts propel regional infrastructure are in place to private enterprise to take the wheel and steer our region’s future direction.
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
5799771ah
.
OPINIONS
Toowoomba to be a transport hub .
projects, and there has been significant traffic impacts during the intense construction phase, there is a broader and COMMENT longer term community and economic JOHN COTTER Chairman of benefit. the GasFields Additional road funding has also provided Commission Queensland new business opportunities for local Councils to engage their road construction and maintenance crews as well as for local he onshore gas industry has been an landholders supplying gravel and water for important driver for the revival of these road projects. vital road and air infrastructure for many rural and regional communities across The GasFields Commission understands future road funding from the major CSG the Surat Basin. operators over the next five years to 2020 is Over the past few years to June 2015, it is expected to reach $116 million. estimated that the major coal seam gas Every dollar counts for roads in regional (CSG) operators have collectively spent $360 areas especially when one considers the million on road infrastructure in the Surat Maranoa and Western Downs Regional Basin. Councils are responsible for more than 10,000 This includes approximately $278m spent on kilometres of rural roads - or greater than local roads via funding agreements with the driving distance from Brisbane to Perth Local Councils and a further $82 million in and back again. funding agreements with the Queensland The development of the onshore gas industry Government on State-controlled roads. While much of this funding has been directed in the Surat Basin has also been the catalyst for the $1.6bn Second Range Crossing. to roads specifically related to these energy
COMMENT SHANE CHARLES CEO Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise
T
here is absolutely no doubt that Toowoomba in particular will become a transport and logistics hub for the nation – an Inland Port if you like. Already we have seen brand new, world-class pieces of infrastructure developed in the form of the jet capable and internationally capable Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport, and the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing, which is about to begin construction. The third leg of the connectivity trifecta for Toowoomba and the region will be Inland Rail. Were you aware that Australia’s freight task is set to double by 2030 and triple by 2050? Sir Henry Parkes said on 24 October 1889 “if the four colonies could only combine to adopt a uniform gauge, it would be an immense advantage” – only 126 years later and we are still talking about it! Fortunately, it appears that the business case will shortly go to the federal government and it now
T
Necessary growing pains COMMENT PAT WEIR MP Member for Condamine
T
he Surat Basin has seen a massive expansion in the past decade with the construction phase of many CSG projects. This created pressure on roadways, accommodation availability, educational facilities, service industries and community organisations. Our community wasn’t prepared for the rapid population growth and increase in demand for services and goods. The strain on the existing infrastructure was evident and created a logistical nightmare for local government. Additional accommodation facilities where built and new businesses emerged out of the need to service the CSG industry and other closely associated
industries. Major flood repairs on the Warrego Hwy coincided with the peak movement of heavy loads carrying construction machinery, equipment and pipes to the gas fields. These roadworks took 12 months to complete and included the construction of several new overtaking lanes between Dalby and Jondaryan. Travelling time between Dalby and Toowoomba rose dramatically during construction increasing the usage and damage of local roads. This created opportunities for local bus companies to offer transportation to a large number of people in a single movement to decrease the number of vehicles on the highway. The completion of the roadworks has meant vastly improved traffic flow to allow timely transportation of supplies and equipment to the west of Toowoomba. Soon, four overtaking lanes between Oakey and Dalby planned by the previous government will begin construction.
.
Beware the rise of ‘lawfare’ COMMENT MICHAEL ROCHE CEO Queensland Resources Council
A
small but significant legal loophole has shone a light onto a much larger problem for business in Australia. What activists gleefully called a devastating blow to Adani’s Carmichael Mine and Rail Project after a glitch in the Commonwealth approvals processes may be a blessing in disguise. The stalling tactics to disrupt and delay major projects have come to the attention of everyone. They’re asking: how can we have a situation where a paperwork glitch halts a $16 billion project? The protection of the yakka skink and the ornamental snake is of legitimate concern.
In 2014 Queensland’s Coordinator-General reported at length on the implications for the reptiles of the Carmichael project. Field surveys failed to find the skink and made two sightings of the snake. Nevertheless, protection recommendations were made to the Commonwealth. Federal Minister Hunt responded accordingly but a legal loophole caught him out because his statement of reasons did not reference specific paperwork. Catching out Ministers on an administrative oversight is one of the wrecking tactics being deployed by anti-fossil fuel activists, causing obvious concern for a rich energy province such as the Surat Basin. More than a thousand people have left their heartfelt comments when signing an online petition calling for Parliament to fix this legal loophole. Both sides of politics must work to fix it.
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
6117165aa
.
appears a question of when – not if, the line connecting Melbourne to Brisbane (through Toowoomba) will be built. I am told that 30% of the cost of grain is actually getting it to port. We need better and more efficient freight lines. Beef exports out of Queensland have increased by over 350% in recent years. That being the case we need a reliable and cost effective rail system to ensure that we can get the product from our region to market. This is not a question of road -v- rail. Both can, and will, continue to exist and prosper. Goods will always need taking on and off trains and to be transported to their final destination. For us to survive and flourish we need to have effective freight solutions that give all of us in regional Queensland a chance to get our product to market. The development of the new Brisbane West (Wellcamp) airport outside of Toowoomba, and the major upgrades to the Roma and Miles airports over recent years has created additional air transport options for both industry and general passengers and freight. Roads and airports are just two important legacies from the onshore gas industry in the Surat Basin which will benefit tourism and agriculture long term.
SERVICING THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY SINCE 1994
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Gas helps drive road and air transport revival in Surat Basin
PAGE 23
PLACES & FACES
D
Roma TSBE
elegates from across the Surat Basin and wider region came to Explorer’s convention centre in Roma on August 13 for this month’s Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise evening. Surat Basin News was there to capture the action. 1. TSBE CEO Shane Charles, Rob Hart of Origin and Cr Cameron O'Neil 2. Haley Heilbrom, Carmen Roberts and Peter Sharpe 3. Bobbie Gorring, Erika Brayshaw and Patrick Wilson 4. Rolly Frizzell and Helga Bennett.
1
5. Peter Hirst and Nicholas Bourdy. 6. A big crowd attended the TSBE event in Roma. 7. Maranoa Mayor Rob Loughnan, Brendan Goleby and Gary Davis. Photos Derek Barry / Surat Basin News
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PLACES & FACES
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8. Bruce Holmes and Greg Schmidt. 9. Mark Bedggood, Tim Goodea, Nick Badyk and Les Sutton 10. Mark Miller and Matt Ferrie. 11. Greg Latta and Claire Morris. 12. Dan Shepherd, Helga Bennett and Tammy Andrews of IOR. 13. Brad Swain, Ursula Keating and Steven Keating. 14. Ben Lyons and Joe Regan. Photos Derek Barry / Surat Basin News
14
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PAGE 25
PLACES & FACES
Toowoomba hosts Ag in the Asian Century conference
Future of ag up for debate China crying out for traceability
C
hina’s 527 million mobile users are crying out for commercially available traceability systems. And who should know that better than Gennady Volchek, Founder and CEO of Authenticateit, an advanced serialisation and track and trace solution to ensure product confidence. Mr Volchek is one of many industry leaders and Australian business success stories that delegates at TSBE’s 2015 Ag in the Asian Century Conference will hear from as the conference explores some of the emerging realities and opportunities to be found in the Asian Century. “The future of the global food industry is the seamless integration of all links of the food supply chain from manufacturing right through to consumers, utilising exiting mobile infrastructure, new developments in cloud based IT technologies and consumer friendly mobile apps,” Mr Volchek said. Authenticateit is revolutionising this idea, with a back-end
Program and Registration ■ To view the official program and register for the conference, visit www.agintheasiancentury.com.au – Early Bird discounts are available until 28 August.
.
Although imported products are in high demand, the key concern of an Asian consumer is, is the product they wish to buy safe and genuine? Mr Volchek platform allowing Australian businesses to manage their brand protection, regulatory compliance and supply chain integrity, while the front-end, a free Smartphone App, allows consumers to check product authenticity, safety, recall status, warranty information and access further information. “With huge profits at stake, increasingly sophisticated food criminals are exploiting both Chinese consumer demand and authority’s supervisory capacity issues in China to great effect,” Mr Volchek said. “Although imported products are in high demand, the key concern of an Asian consumer is, is the product they wish to buy safe and genuine?” To view the official program and register for the conference, visit www.agintheasiancentury.com.au – Early Bird discounts are available until August 28.
Gennady Volchek will be speaking at the Ag in the Asian Century conference in Toowoomba next month.
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Surat Basin NEWS Thursday 27 August 2015
PAGE 27
PLACES & FACES
Maranoa gears up for Food and Fire Fest
Chilli gets ready to rock A big line up for a big day in Roma
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SURAT BASIN NEWS Published by Chinchilla Newspapers Pty Ltd, 12 Mayne Street Chinchilla Q4413 Printed by APN Print Toowoomba 50 Industrial Avenue Toowoomba Q4350 2013
Chilli, the friendly dragon, busts a move with Roma dance group St John's Stage Traffic, who will be performing at the Maranoa Food & Fire Festival.
T
he hot line-up of entertainers and musicians at this year’s Maranoa Food & Fire Festival will see a variety of performers from across the globe descend on Bassett Park in Roma this September. Set for Saturday September 12, the festival will feature both local and international artists, with groups showcasing talents from Tonga, Brazil, India, Australia and much more. Highlights include: Family band The Twine, will perform a dynamic show that is sure to get your hair raising, feet stomping and energy pumping. A crowd favourite on Australia’s Got Talent,
the trio use up to five different instruments in their show to wow the audience. Bringing some raw, singer-songwriting talent to the festival, is local songstress Tamika Taylour, who was the supporting act for the Wolfe Brothers at last year’s Easter in the Country. Australian band The Vernons will be there with a blues-rock sound that will leave you wanting more. The band of four have played at the Big Day Out Festival and supported bands such as Wolfmother, the Rubens and Wolf & Cub. Get your dancing shoes on for the drumming beat of the Samba Blisstas, a large carnival
General Manager – Erika Brayshaw 12 Mayne Street Chinchilla Q4413, PO Box 138 Chinchilla Q4413, Phone 07 4662 7368
style percussion band with a wild and whacky style. The group have performed at festivals across Australia such as Splendour in the Grass and Surfers Paradise Festival. Sacred Circus Entertainment will also be dancing through the festival lanes with their fiery performances and stilt walkers. These quirky entertainers are always a fantastic sight and sure to please with their unique and colourful costumes. Other performers you won’t want to miss are Venice on Fire, St John’s Stage Traffic, 2PH Tongan Dancers and Maranoa Music. There will also be lots of entertainment for
the kids, with Roushini’s Bollywood conducting dance workshops in the Kids’ Zone, camel rides and laser skirmish to get your adrenalin pumping. To keep up to date with the latest news about the festival, like the Facebook page ‘Maranoa Food & Fire Festival’ or visit www.maranoa.qld.gov.au/maranoa-food-andfire-festival. The event is presented by Maranoa Regional Council with thanks to platinum sponsor Santos GLNG, gold sponsor Powerlink and silver sponsors FB Contracting, Telstra Store Roma, The Western Star and Woolworths.
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