Shift Miner Magazine_SM81

14 HOUR SLOG SHIFT MINER

Monday 1st March 81st Edition 2010 The Queensland mining community’s best source of local news

M A G A Z I N E

Why not consider a career in health and aged care?· Flexible work rosters· Industry leading pay· Seeking medical officers, midwives, nurses, carer’s, Allied professionals

· Excellent career prospects· Across all mining areas including Rockhampton, Mackay, Gladstone, Bundaberg and Yeppoon

Go to www.mercycq.com/careersor call our recruitment team on (07) 49317481

(SPQs excepted)$1.00

NewsHow safe is your job » page 4

NewsMt Isa breathes a sigh of relief » page 5

NewsNew dust monitoring for Moranbah » page 5

Around TownMini MX stars » page 11

CQ BusinessThe Mac’s record results » page 12

Money MattersPrivate health cover going up » page 21

MINING giant BMA is yet to spell out why it has drawn up a new fatigue manage-ment standard if it doesn’t intend to apply it to central Queensland mines.

The region’s biggest employer says it has no plans to make miners work 14 hour shifts - despite the corporate document outlining it as the new maximum limit.

The document, which sets out the com-mon requirements across all BMA sites, says employees can now work for 14 days straight, do 14 hour shifts, and work seven consecutive night shifts.

But the company insists there will be no change to shifts at central Queensland mine sites.

“It does not impact hours of work arrangements at BMA’s existing opera-tions as all BMA employees are covered by Fatigue Management Procedures on a site by site basis,” said CEO Marcelo Bastos in a statement prepared for Shift Miner.

CFMEU district secretary Jim Valery is more than a little skeptical.

“If I go and buy a television I’m pret-ty sure I’m going to want to use it at some stage,” he said.

“These 14 hour shifts are outrageously dangerous and I don’t know why you want to put these fatigue standards in a docu-ment if you don’t intend to use them.”

The CFMEU is so concerned about the possible ramifications of the document that last Monday Mackay district union inspec-tor Tim Whyte did something he has never done before.

Locally Owned and Operated - www.shiftminer.com

THE rain has been steadily falling in CQ, and if the weather forecasters are right, there is plenty more on the way. This picture, taken by one of our readers, shows the trouble it has caused at Moura mine. Over the past fortnight three mines have breached strict water discharge rules, but the state government department that handles water quality says the impact will be minimal.

» Turn to page 7 for more details.

RAINING HAVOC

» continued page 8

THE INVESTMENT THAT GIVES SOMETHING BACKRockhampton Showgrounds 11th April 2010 starts 10:30 amGet a catalogue at www.cqtba.com or call Adrienne McCosker on 0434359931

11 million reasons to invest at the Capricornia Yearling sales at Rockhampton

All registered QTIS and all eligible QTIS 600 horses

- 111 select Yearlings on sale

- All registered for the Queensland Thoroughbred Investment Scheme (QTIS)

- All eligible for the highly lucrative QTIS 600 program

- TOTAL PRIZE POOL OF MORE THAN $11 MILLION (for QTIS & QTIS 600 registered horses)

- Learn how you or a group of your friends can invest in the sport of kings

Page 3 - Shift Miner Magazine, 1st March 2010

81st EDITION. 2010

Bolognaise is a true family fa-vourite that can’t be beat. This recipe is rich and saucy just like it should be. The secret to good bolognaise is to cook the sauce slowly over several hours to get it rich and thick in consist-ency. Serve with your favourite pasta topped with good parme-san cheese, or if the smell is too much for the little ones a nice cheddar is good also. A green salad goes well with this dish too.

INGREDIENTS:450g premium minced beef8 rashers of smoked bacon sliced and chopped1 large onion, chopped2 cloves of garlic, fi nely chopped1 level tsp salt1 glass red wine1 tsp dried oregano1 tin of tomatoes1 cup of tomato pasteBlack pepperOlive oil

Handful fresh basil500g of your favourite pastaWater for boiling

METHOD:In a large pan, heat oil and brown the minced beef, bacon, onion and garlic. Add the wine and reduce to nothing, add the oregano, tinned tomatoes and tomato paste.

Add some salt and freshly ground black pepper, bring it to the boil and then gently simmer for 2-3 hours. Add some ripped up fresh basil just before serv-ing.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil and add the pasta. Cook for 15-17 minutes or un-til al dente.

Divide pasta into serving bowls and top with sauce and cheese.

Zest EateryOpen 4.00pm – 8.00pm dailyThe MAC Coppabella, Dysart, Middlemount, Moranbah & Nebo

Bolognaise bonanza

Zesty Eating_newlogo Mar 1 2010.1 1 15/02/2010 10:40:29 AM

CONTENTS

MINING magnates Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart both have grand plans for Alpha and the Galilee Basin.

They are, in many ways, very similar plans: enormous mines, with a hugely expensive private railway connecting them to Abbot Point near Bowen.

While the plans are alike, their plan of attack couldn’t be more different.

Clive Palmer has been in the media spotlight for months promoting his project.

Most recently he was forced to clarify exactly what export deal he had struck with the Chinese - after confusion emerged over the contract.

On the other hand, Gina Rine-hart has been quietly going about her business without the cameras.

Her company, Hancock Coal, has released its ambitious plans for a $2.2 billion railway that would be the state’s first privately owned track.

Whether or not the two mining mag-nates will decide to join forces and share infrastructure costs remains to be seen.

It will also be interesting to see which of the two projects gets off the ground first - if indeed either do.

While there is a lot of buzz about the Galilee Basin at the moment, any con-crete decisions are still a long way off.

The public has until late March to have a look at Hancock’s rail plans and make a submission to the Co-or-dinator General.

That is just the first step in an extremely long and complicated jour-ney to get the project off the ground.

FROM THE EDITOR17

Alex Graham

MINER’S TRADER

16

8

JAMES’ STORY

BOLOGNAISE BONANZA

20

LATEST HOTROD

The Bowen Basin’s premier magazine

SHIFT MINERM A G A Z I N ELocally Owned

and Operated

REGULARS

14 FRANK THE TANK

17 MINER’S HEALTH ADVICE

18 PUZZLES

19 BAITSHOP BANTER

21 MONEY MATTERS

NEWS 6 Private railway

Hancock’s $2.2 billion plans

6 Eagle down? Coal project problems

7 Leaking skills WA poaches Qld talent

11 Need to know Business news fast

Numbers YouCan Count On*

*When audited by the CAB

For more information visit www.auditbureau.org.au

Proudly Audited by

www.shiftminer.comM A G A Z I N E




Proudly Audited by





Proudly Audited by





Proudly Audited by


Phone: (07) 4921 4333 Fax: (07) 4922 6908 [email protected]: Alex Graham Advertising: Angus Peacocke 0428 154 653

Published fortnightly by Fitzroy Publishing Pty Ltd A.B.N 72122739879 PO Box 1440, Rockhampton Q 4700www.shiftminer.com


81st EDITION. 2010

THERE are rumours around this week that BHP is pushing the worlds’ biggest steel makers in Japan for a 55 per cent increase on the current price of coking coal.

No one is saying anything on the record while negotiations continue, but the price does seem plausible given that coal has recently sold on the spot market for between $220 and $230 a tonne.

The spot market is where coal that is not sold under an annual contract is traded.

Whatever the case may be, the boom in demand for steel making coal and mining generally would seem to be back.

But how long will it last and how safe will your job be?

Well, the normally conservative Reserve

Bank of Australia (RBA) is even saying that this could be “a very big boom” which means the outlook for jobs is about as posi-tive as it can get.

Ric Battelino, second in charge at the RBA, gave a presentation where he com-pared the current mining boom to the five other major Australian mining booms that have occurred in the last 160 years.

Those booms were the gold rush in 1850s, the late 1800s mineral boom, the late 1960s boom, the late 1970s boom and the current episode.

These events have all been similar in that they were periods when the price of commod-ities was historically high, implying high prof-its for those that were able to sell overseas.

On the ground that meant there was

high demand for people, machines and other things you need to mine, and as a result the price for all those products went through the roof.

For example, in Victoria during the 1850s gold rush wages rose 250 per cent - which sucked thousand of people into mining and away from other sectors like manufacturing.

The number of manufacturers fell from 165 to 140 during that time as a result.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? All the booms had a large effect on the

broader Australian economy; however, the nature of the effect has changed over the years as the machinery of the Australian economy has changed.

The major difference today is that we have a floating currency, which is the rea-son that the Australian dollar has been hovering around 90 US cents for the last six or so months.

While not wanting to get into the finer economics of it - the high Aussie dollar acts as a brake on mining development, which lowers the chance of the Australian econo-my going into a bust cycle.

However, the Queensland Resourc-es Council has poured cold water on talk of the mother of all booms saying the out-look could quickly change if government gets its policies wrong.

“The collective value of major Queens-land resource projects either under study, committed or under construction is more than $115 billion, but with a significant $107 billion still subject to final investment deci-sions,” said QRC’s Michael Roche.

“All that proposed new capital expenditure is at the mercy of market conditions and importantly from a gov-ernment perspective, adverse changes to domestic policy setings.”

Mr Roche added that in the last five or so years starting in about 2004, Queensland has missed out on global demand because of a lack of infrastructure and people.

That suggests those of you with the expe-rience and skills the sector needs should feel pretty confident about the future.

NEwS

CAN THIS BOOM LAST?

Allsteel Transportable Homes & Cabins.Now available in Regional Queensland.

For further information 07 4921 0477or visit us online ... www.busbygroup.com.au

“How long will it last and how safe will your job be?”


81st EDITION. 2010

GLADSTONE AIRPORT UPGRADE The Federal Government will chip in $5.5 million to upgrade the Gladstone airport. The number of people using the airport has doubled in the past seven years - and that will only increase given the town’s population is expected to surge to 100,000 within two decades. The funding is part of the Federal Government’s stimulus package. .....................................................................

CARBON SAVVY Rockhampton businesses had the oppor-tunity to find out exactly what the carbon friendly future hold for them recently. Rockhampton Regional Development held a forum on climate change and the cost of carbon. The forum will also be held in Biloela and Emerald. .....................................................................

GOLD ROBBERY The small Perth-based mining company Troy Resources is reeling after a robbery at its gold mine in Brazil saw $2.3 million of gold stolen. According to the company, three employees were taken hostage, and 2000 ounces of gold was taken. The employees weren’t harmed - and in good news for the company - the gold was also insured. .....................................................................

ROBOTS EXPAND Rio Tinto has selected three partners as it expands its “Mine of the Future” program. Aker Wirth and Atlas Copco will work with Rio to develop two new tunneling concepts and Herrenknecht will work with them to develop a new shaft boring machine. Rio says its all part of its program to pioneer new technologies.

FAST NEWS

NEwS

BMA will install an air monitoring sta-tion in Moranbah to help combat dust levels in the future.

Over the past 12 months there has been growing concern in the town about the amount of dust caused by mining.

In particular, some locals are worried about several mine expansions or new developments on the edge of town that they say would increase dust levels.

As a response to that feedback, BMA has decided to install a monitoring sta-tion to provide ongoing measurements of the type and level of the dust particles in the air, wind speed and direction, tem-

perature, humidity and rainfall. An independent third party will col-

lect, analyse and report the results, and that has pleased the region’s Mayor Cedric Marshall.

“The results will be presented in an easy to read technical report and summary docu-ment,” he said.

“The report will then be made available to the community.”

BMA CEO Marcelo Bastos said the

decision to go ahead with monitoring showed BMA was serious about listening to community concerns.

“The quarterly data from the air quali-ty monitoring station in Moranbah will pro-vide BMA with important information for future dust control and mitigation meas-ures,” he said.

It’s yet to be decided where the station will be located and exactly what will be published in the reports.

BMA monitors air in Moranbah

IT was a nervous wait for the Mt Isa com-munity last week, after the Climate Change Minister announced lead levels in the town were found to be above safe levels during the final three months of last year.

The Minister Kate Jones put Xstrata on notice that her department was preparing prosecution action and the company would “face the full force of the law”.

Ms Jones told a media conference that one of the mine’s six air monitoring stations had recorded an average level of lead of 2.1 micrograms per cubic metre for the period - 0.6 higher than the allowable limit.

She gave the company 48 hours to explain its case.

“If Xstrata’s explanation doesn’t stack up, then under the law in Queensland, there are a number of enforcement actions the department can and will pursue,” she threatened.

“For instance, Xstrata could face fines of up to $2 million.”

Turns out there was an explanation. Xstrata has been using a new laboratory

to collect and interpret the data - and they

misread the results. The mining town let out a collective sigh

of relief to hear it was a reporting error and not unsafe lead levels.

The Opposition has slammed the Minis-ter for her handling of the situation, saying she “jumped the gun” by issuing threats.

Opposition spokesman Glen Elmes wants the monitoring figures made public all the time.

“If that was the case you wouldn’t have a Minister going off half-cocked and grabbing media headlines,” he said.

“A responsible minister makes sure she has all of the information so that the announcements, if any, that she makes are based on fact, not based on something that is proven to be something of a fault.”

“This is not the actions of a Minister who’s in charge of her job.”

But Ms Jones has defended going public with the initial results.

“The data has never been wrong in the past, there was no reason to think the data was wrong.”

Minister accused of juMping the gun Mt Isa lead levels declared safe

BMA will install an air monitoring station in Moranbah to help combat dust levels in the future.

MISREAD: A reporting error lead to concern that Mt Isa’s lead levels were not safe late last year


81st EDITION. 2010

“By the Treasurer opting to put all his eggs in the basket of bundling the trains and track in one publicly floated business, industry has been locked out from making a bid for the coal track business.”

NEwS

Hancock on track to Abbot Point MINING magnate Gina Rhineart appears to be setting her company, Hancock Coal, up to be the first private owner of a railway in Queensland.

Her plans for a $2.2 billion, 500-kilometre stretch of track from Alpha to Abbot Point near Bowen are now open for public comment.

The plan is for a “standard gauge” rail-way line - which carries coal cars more than twice the size of Queensland’s current coal network which operates on “narrow gauge”.

The line would also offer third par-ty haulage - meaning it is capable of mov-ing move than the 60 million tonnes of coal each year that the company’s two Alpha mines [Alpha Project and Kevin’s Corner] are expected to produce.

The fact the line would be free to haul well beyond Hancock’s capacity has fuelled speculation that Ms Rhineart is getting ready to bargain with another mining mag-nate Clive Palmer who is also trying to develop an enormous mine in the area.

Both Ms Rhineart and Mr Palmer have

similar plans for a private track to get their coal to port, but as yet there has been no discussion about shared infrastructure.

The plan, which can be found on the Hancock Coal website, details the preferred route for the line, but the final alignment is yet to be determined.

The company says some river and creek crossings are still being worked through, and there are two private landholders who want significant changes made to the route.

There are currently 40 landholders along the route, and Hancock Coal has not entered into land acquisition discussions yet.

No native title holders are impacted by the plans, but there are three claims pend-ing on various areas.

The network will be able to carry 24,000 tonne cars that can be loaded and unloaded in four hours; currently Queensland’s coal network carried 10,000 tonne cars.

Interested parties have until 22nd March to lodge a submission to the Co-or-dinator General.

THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has warned that the State Govern-ment’s current plan to bundle QR’s coal track and trains into the same publicly list-ed company, will stop mining companies from investing it.

When it was first announced that parts of QR would be sold off, the Treas-urer said the trains would be sold sepa-rately to the tracks.

But that decision has been reversed. “By the Treasurer opting to put all his

eggs in the basket of bundling the trains and track in one publicly floated business, indus-try has been locked out from making a bid for the coal track business,” warned QRC chief executive Michael Roche.

Mr Roche said the decision would per-

petuate a policy that has locked compe-tition out of Queensland’s coal freight business for 12 years.

“It makes neither commercial or policy sense,” he said.

In other states trains and wagons are separate businesses from the track.

For example, in the Hunter Valley, QR competes against other operators like Pacif-ic National on a track network owned by a third party – the Federal Government’s Australian Rail Track Corporation.

“Under the Treasurer’s model for Queensland, the one company will have monopoly control of the track and own-ership of one of the competing freight services requiring access to that track,” Mr Roche said.

QRC warns don’t lock miners out of QR sale

Servicing the mining industry for over two decades.

www.micomm.com.au Phone: 07 4922 3322

Surface WaterGround WaterSoilContaminated WasteOdourDust

Water Quality Water Level & FlowAir Quality WeatherNoiseData Management

SAMPLING | AUTOMATIC MONITORING | DATA MANAGEMENT

Providing an environmental monitoring service to mining, industry & government sectors.

Gladstone - (07) 4973 3619 - Mobile 0448 666 487 - www.environmine.com.au

Environmental Monitoring Specialists

THE $2.3 billion Eagle Downs coal project near Moranbah could be delayed because of a dispute between joint partners Vale and Aquila Resources.

The two companies had originally signed up as foundation customers for Queensland Rail’s Northern Missing Link that would connect the Bowen Basin to Abbot Point Terminal near Bowen.

But Brazilian miner Vale now want to consider using Dalrymple Bay Terminal - a move that would put the mine back at least two years.

As for the Northern Missing Link, QR has vowed it will still be built regardless of

the outcome of the Vale-Aquila dispute. “We have a number of customers for

the GAPE project, including the Northern Missing Link, and at this stage the project remains committed to proceeding, with con-struction expected to start in early April,” Mr Carter told ABC radio.

“We have a range of customers, our project is on schedule, it’s aligned to a 50-million-tonne per annum project and we’ll have that ready to go in early 2012.”

At the time of print, Aquila had issued a statement saying it still wanted to go ahead with plans and considered Vale’s decision to be a default under the joint agreement.

Vale & Aquila at loggerheads over port BIG LOAD: Hancock’s coal cars could carry more than twice as much coal

as Queensland’s current coal cars

“Both Ms Rhinehart and Mr Palmer have similar plans for a private track to get their coal to port, but as yet there has been no discussion about shared infrastructure.”


81st EDITION. 2010NEwS

CENTRAL Queensland could be leaking valuable skills to Western Australia as a grow-ing number of people become disenchanted with entering the local mining industry.

Following our recent stories on the forecast skills shortages in mining, Shift Miner has been inundated with calls from people saying they had seen no sign of a serious skills shortage.

While some of these comments came from those without the skill set the mining industry requires, others - like Rick Da-Re - certainly did.

Rick is a 24-year-old fitter, welder and machinist by trade and has done his coal board medical, and all the generic mining induction courses.

He has a good understanding of the industry as his father works in the mines around Biloela.

But despite all that, he has applied for doz-ens of jobs over the past two years and hasn’t been able to crack it into the mining game.

Rick says if there were genuinely no jobs in the area he could understand it, but the frustrating part is that he keeps reading how many jobs are around.

Worse still, despite spending time and

money jumping through hoops for various job applications, most of the employment agen-cies he deals with do not even extend him the courtesy of saying they are not interested.

“Most of them, probably 90 per cent of them, don’t give you any indication of where your application is up to,” he said.

“You don’t even know if they have recieved it.”

“I can’t tell you how many ads in the paper or on the web that I have spent hours applying for only to hear nothing at all back from the company.”

“In almost all cases it will be an employment contractor, and I ring them direct, and try and speak to the actual person who employs people.”

Rick says when he has tried to speak to the companies themselves, he is usually referred back to the recruitment agency that lodged the ad on its behalf.

“On the odd occasion where I have been

able to actually speak to someone, usually when I have callled them, they tell you they have received your application and say they have put you on file.”

One of his worst experiences was with a company based in Alice Springs.

“The agency had an ad on the internet - but the actual company who they were recruit-ing for did not know about the ad at all.”

“They had the salary advertised at $50/hour, and in this case they actually offered me the job.”

“But then they turned around and said $26/hour, and I said hang on your ad said $50.”

“The actual company had no idea that there had been an ad placed, and the lady at the recruitment firm said that the $50/hour was what you got if you worked all the extra overtime.”

“It’s what you could possibly earn, not what you did earn.”

Rick decided not to take the job. By comparison he says dealing with

resource companies in Western Australia has been a dream, with lots of personal contact and, for the most part, plenty of feedback about where the application is up to.

In fact, Rick’s feedback has been so pos-itive that as this edition of Shift Miner went to print, Rick was on his way to WA to fol-low up on employment opportunities.

“I have had heaps of people ring me back and confirm that they have got my resume - they won’t offer me anything from here, but they reckon if I head over there within a week I will have a job in the mines.”

At least two prospective employers have given him their direct name and number, which is something that he said had never happened in Queensland.

“ I would prefer to stay over on the east coast closer to my family and home,” he said.

“For the right opportunity I would defi-nitely come back.”

WA poaches skilled Queenslanders

TM

0242

trilbymisso.com.au

Workplace & Motor Vehicle AccidentsMedical Negligence & Asbestos Claims

THE constant rain during February has caused headaches for mines across central Queensland.

Xstrata’s Rolleston mine (pictured) has been one of the worst affected after a dam wall broke and flooded a pit.

Over the past month more than a doz-en mines have pumped contaminated water from their pits into the Fitzroy River system.

While most of those discharges have been made within the acceptable limits, a handful have been in breach.

But the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) said those breaches have been minimal.

“The main condition that was breached was slight exceedence of electrical conduc-tivity levels under the new regime of a lot tighter limits than what were in place previ-ously,” said DERM’s Mark Evans.

“There should be very limited impact on the Fitzroy River from these releases from mines.”

At the time of print, investigations were still continuing into the breaches, and it was not known was penalties the mines would face - if any.

The new water quality conditions were voluntarily agreed to by all 42 coal mines last this; this is the first wet season the new regulations have come into play.

DERM says mines discharge of “limited impact”

“Most of them, probably 90 per cent of them, don’t give you any indication of

where your application is up to.”

“There should be very limited impact on the Fitzroy River from

these releases from mines.”

CAN’T GET A START: Rick Da-Re is a qualified fitter who can’t get work in CQ, but can in WA


81st EDITION. 2010NEwS

JAMES Wood was just 21-years-old when he was thrown from the work vehicle he was driving.

The young mechanic wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and he is now a paraplegic and will have to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

In an effort to improve safety, BMA organised for James to tell his story to Nor-wich Park miners and more than 150 Dysart students and community members.

Norwich Park general manager Gus

Gomes said his story had a big impact. “Hearing first hand from somebody

involved in a workplace accident and seeing the life changing reality because of an unsafe choice, really hit home for all of us,” Gus said.

“BMA is continually looking for ways to remind our workforce about the impor-tance of working safely.”

“James’ story is real, and it reinforces our commitment to end each day injury free.”

The company has taverns at Coppabella, Nebo, Dysart and Kambalda, which continue to contribute materially to the business.

Call our team today we specialise in structuring easy to understand insurance packages for Miners!!!!

If you died last night would your family be debt free?

www.liddellfs.com.au LFSLiddell Financial Solutions

Corporate Authorised Representative No. 253573 ofAon Wealth Management Limited AFSL No. 239187

James’ story helps

safety message

FROM PAGE 1

He issued a directive to all staff at all nine of central Queensland’s BMA mines to stop work.

“This decision was not taken lightly but these new guidelines represent an unac-ceptable level of risk to workers,” he said.

A Queensland Mines Inspector was called in to consider the matter, but found the new policy did not change the existing procedures.

Miners were ordered back to work six hours later, but the union says it will con-tinue to fight on issue.

“What will happen is BMA will use this document to make 14 hour shifts the stand-ard at new mines,” said Mr Whyte.

“What they want is for equip-ment to run 24 hours a day and that is

a recipe for disaster.” In fact, the company has already flagged

14 hour shifts at the proposed Daunia mine near Moranbah.

Documents contained in the Envi-ronment Impact Statement for Dau-nia state that 14 hour shifts would be the maximum allowed.

But BMA’s CEO says the decision on working hours at any new mine will be covered by individual site Fatigue Manage-ment Procedures as required by law.

“These Procedures will be produced in consultation with a cross section of our workforce and take into considera-tion the many and varied working envi-ronments and duties performed on a daily basis,” said Mr Bastos.

Strike off but CFMEU still worried


Then get ready to reclaim page 9.Shift Miner Magazine is seeking CQ’s

hottest men and women who work

in mining and industry. It doesn’t

matter whether you’re the boss of

a mine, or the cook in an SPQ we

want to hear from you.

Email a brief bio about what

you do & where you live, along

with a photo of yourself to

[email protected]

The best of the best will feature on page

9... there might even be a calendar that’ll put

fire fighters across the state to shame.

So strike your best blue steel pose,

and make Derek Zoolander proud.

(Shift Miner encourages and respects non serious entries into this competition).

ARE YOU REALLY, REALLY RIDICULOUSLY GOOD LOOKING?


81st EDITION. 2010arOuNd TOwN

Peta Hanney and Alex Szemes

THank GOd fOR THe SaLvOS

Jordan-Lee Raines, Jolene and Andrew Gibson

John and Karen Jackson with granddaughter Isabelle Miller and Trainers IanMiller and Brad Jones standing beside the Emergency Trailer

Brian Lloyd and Neil Thompson

The Salvation Army ran their emergency

services training day in Blackwater recently.

Simon, Lynn and Tom McKay with Brad Wiggington

Time ManagementManagement of Priorities

People Management . Project Management . Focus on goals

Plan - Organise - Delegate - Control

“Craig Martini Time Management Diary”

Visit website: www.timeman.co.za or Call (07) 5471 3222


81st EDITION. 2010arOuNd TOwN

Overachievers

Four-year-old and first time racer Jett Paterson received his first MX medal in Dysart

Nelson, Bella & Mitchel Fenlon had a great morning at the track Bailey Quinlane came and gave it his best

The Moranbah BMX Club held a fun day

in February, and despite the track

being a little wet it was still an enjoyable

day for the riders.Moranbah East State School students of the week!

Honda CRF 50 rider Braydon Hudson of Moranbah with his medal

Alex Jarrett came to support her friend Sammy Lovett in the AVT Class

Victoria Warmsley-Taylor with her award for her great stories

Prep Student of the week Tate Bell recieved a certificate for “great effort with letters and sounds”

www.shiftminer.comBUY THIS AND MANY OTHER IMAGES AT

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.

Registrar Terilee Powter, Secretary Pam Jaente & Coach Paul Powter along with members Miceal Kyle, and Nicholas and Ashley Powter

MINI MX Dysart Central Highlands Mx Series Round One - for the littlies!

“COMe & Have a GO”


81st EDITION. 2010CQ BuSINESS

Big apple for Mt Morgan miner Norton Gold Fields - the company

behind the proposed reworking of tailings at the old Mt Morgan gold mine site - has hit New York trying to raise money.

The company met potential investors and, among other things, told them the project was feasible, and they had the peo-ple and the plant needed to make it happen.

It also said it will undertake more drilling for coal at its tenements near Moranbah in June.

The company says so far it has an inferred resource of 57 million tonnes with high coal thickness, and strip ratios.

Tinkler tickled by float prospects

Nathan Tinkler has flagged plans to rasie $300 million through the partial float of his company Aston Resources.

Mr Tinkler will use most of the money to develop the Maules Creek coal project near Gunnedah, which he recently purchased from Rio Tinto.

However, some of it might find its way into the development tenements he has south of Dingo in central Queensland.

After starting his career as an electrician in the coal mines around Newcastle, Mr Tinkler made his fortune when he bought and sold the Middlemount coal tenement to Macarthur Coal.

Macarthur’s near record 09 A slow start to the wet has allowed

Macarthur Coal to upgrade its profit foreast for the last six months of last year to around $40 million.

The stronger result reflects that the com-pany had its second highest coal sales ever in the last half of 2009.

The company says it is unlikely to repeat the performance in the first six months of this year, and says development of the Mid-dlemount project is still being delayed by disagreements over the cost for the compa-ny to use other people’s infrastructure while it builds its own facilities.

need to know...MINE accommodation supplier the Mac Services Group (MAC) has reported record revenue during the second half of last year.

Net profit after they paid tax was up nearly 14 per cent on the same time the year before and again underscores how well the local mining industry has weath-ered the world recession.

The Mac is Australia’s largest mining accommodation provider and has Single Person Quarters (SPQs) in Moranbah, Dysart, Middlemount, and Nebo in cen-tral Queensland.

Over the past 12 months they have rolled out extra services at their sites, which CEO Mark Maloney says has helped to increase revenue.

“Not withstanding a relatively qui-et phase in terms of room expansion, the company successfully managed to adjust

its operating overheads in response to the flat trading conditions which prevailed during the reporting period,”he said.

“The company continued the rollout of ancillary services at each of its sites and the MAC now has retail outlets estab-lished in each village.”

“The company has taverns at Coppabella, Nebo, Dysart and Kambalda, which contin-ue to contribute materially to the business.”

In the future the company says it still plans to develop an SPQ in Gladstone - despite the fact that the project was can-celled in 2009 at the height of the recession.

They have an option to develop more land at Moranbah, and have development approval for an SPQ at Wandoan.

They are also considering expand-ing their other operations Middlemount, Nebo, Moranbah and Dysart.

MAC achieves record revenue

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

THE decision by the Busby family to become a distributor of All Steel Trans-portable Homes is probably a natural pro-gression after being in the building and

construction business in central Queens-land for the past 40 years.

Anyone who works in the mining sector knows just how difficult and expensive find-

ing accommodation in the region can be. For a mining family looking to build a

house the waiting time for builders and council approvals can be frustrating.

Not surprisingly then, a new genera-tion of transportable homes has emerged in recent years to meet this demand.

Don’t think of the old donga you used to see sitting in the paddock - these have all the bells and whistles anyone could want in a family home.

According to Mick Busby, his range of new All Steel Transportable Homes and Cabins are unique.

“The new All Steel Homes comple-ment what we have always done [moving houses] and give people another option,” he told Shift Miner.

“Some people prefer the old Queens-lander that can be moved on site - but others prefer new, and with the new transportable homes there are 17 patent-ed building components which adds to their popularity.”

“We think it is these unique patent-ed engineering features that puts these particular homes in front of their com-petition.”

Of course the other benefit is that even after years of use - if a company or indi-vidual wants to move away these type of houses can be relocated again.

The Busby family business has been around for almost 50 years.

It was founded by Ray Senior, and now a new generation is continuing to grow the business by grabbing hold of new opportunities that have evolved in an ever-changing world.

One son, Michael, operates the new and old housing removal and another son, Raymond, runs the transport business.

A third son, Patrick, has long been in the civil construction sector and - along with the other directors Kevin Surman and Don Stephen -has completed major projects at BMA’s Gregory Crinum mine, Rio Tinto’s Kestrel mine and has an ongoing relationship with Wesfarm-ers Curragh mine.

Away from work, the Busbys have had a long involvement with Queensland rug-by league and union.

Two boys - Patrick and Raymond - played for the Brisbane Broncos while Michael played for Queensland Country in union.

But even a love of sport comes a dis-tant second to work and family.

“I guess like a lot of family business-es, work revolves around family, and fam-ily revolves around work, so outside of that we don’t have enough time for much else,” said Mick.

NEW & MOVEABLE: One of the many homes available from the Busby Group’s All Steel Transportable Homes

NEW HOMES A 50yEAR EVOLUTION

“The company has taverns at Coppabella, Nebo, Dysart and Kambalda, which continue to contribute materially to the business.”


Quality people deserve quality accommodation

The Jolly Collier Hotel MotelQueen Elizabeth Drive, Dysart Qld, 4745 Ph: 49 58 1155

Tieri Brolga Hotel Motel11 Malvern Avenue, Tieri Qld 4709Ph: 4984 8555

The Blackwater Hotel Motel16 Railway St, Blackwater Qld, 4717Ph: 4982 5133

The Coal & Cattle Hotel Motel63 Dawson Hwy, Moura Qld 4709Ph: 49 971 511

�e Central Queensland Hotels Group can provide you and your staff with:

www.duncans.com.auPromotion starts 1/3/10 and ends 14/3/10

CARLTON MID STUBBIES

XXXX GOLD CANS30 PACKSXXXX GOLD CANS

$36.99eachCARTON

HAHN SUPER DRY STUBBIESDRY STUBBIES

CARLTONDRAUGHT STUBBIES

LINDEMAN BINRANGE750ml

BANROCKSTATION 2ltCASK

MONTANA SAV BLANC750ml

ANGOVES LONGROW RANGE750ml

Golden Beach Tavern - Cnr Baldwin St & Bowman Rd, Caloundra 5492 8300Golden Cellars - Shop B4 Stockland Centre, Caloundra 5491 8444

Village Cellars - Shop 5 Ormuz Village Centre, Caloundra 5438 1861Salty Dog Cellars - Shop 1, 1802 David Low Way, Coolum Beach Phone 5446 5105Salty Dog Cellars - Shop 5, 21 South Coolum Rd, Coolum Beach Phone 5446 4599

Imperial Hotel - Memorial Drive, Eumundi Phone 5442 8609Emerald Cellars - Emerald Street, Cooroy Phone 5447 7599

Village Cellars - Corner Elm and Diamond Streets, Cooroy Phone 5442 6911

WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml

CASCADEPREMIUM LIGHT STUBBIESPREMIUM LIGHT

$28.99eachCARTON

BALLANTINES SCOTCH700ml

$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62

JACOBS CREEK SPARKLING750ml

$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml

SPECIALS VALID UNTIL 6/07/09

$13.99$13.99

2 for $25

JACK DANIELSBOURBON700ml

$36.99each700ml

SPECIALS VALID UNTIL 6/07/09Local. Independent. Competitive Price.

Bottleshops inCALOUNDRA NOW OPEN

$35.99eachCARTON


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$41.99eachCARTON


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$33.99each700ML

SMIRNOFF VODKA700ml


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$31.99each700ml

100 PIPERS SCOTCH WHISKY700ml

ANGUS BRUT SPARKLING750ml


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$6.99each750ml

BANROCK STATIONBUDGET RANGE750ml


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$11.99each

4 ltrs

LINDEMAN’S BIN RANGE750ml


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$7.99each750ml

PENFOLDS KOONUNGA HILL RANGE750ml


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$12.99each750ml

BROWN BROS. CROUCHEN REISLING750ml


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$7.99each750ml


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$11.99each750ml

LOCAL INDEPENDANTS AT COMPETITIVE PRICES

CORONA STUBBIES


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$42.99each30 CANS

XXXX GOLD 30 PACK

TOOHEY’S NEW STUBBIES

COOLABAHWINE CASK

4ltr Cask

BACARDI & COLA CANS6 PACK CANS


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$23.99each6 PACK

5


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$15.99each6 PACK


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



6 for $42


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$55.99eachCARTON


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



2 for $30


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



$80.00eachCARTON


$36.99eachCARTON











WWW.DUNCANS.COM.AU

$40.99eachCARTON

$38.99eachCARTON

KARLOFFVODKA700ml

$26.99each700ml

$6.99each750ml

$13.99each750ml

$7.99each750ml


$28.99eachCARTON


$31.99each700ml

700ml

$31.99$31.99

2 for $62


$9.99each750ml

$6.99$6.99

6 for $38

$12.99each2 LITRE

PREECE RANGE750ml

$11.99each750ml


$13.99$13.99

2 for $25


$36.99each700ml



3 for $20

Clean modern air conditioned units Nutritious, fresh continental or full breakfast service. Wide range of recreation and entertainment services. An optional laundry service. �e best steaks in town! Fast internet and phone service to keep you connected with home.

And consistent, reliable and integrated accomodation across Central Queensland.

WHAT’S ON

Visit us at: www.cqhg.com.auBooking No: 1300 CQHOTELS or call your nearest outlet direct

Our Venues are your home away from home.

LOCAL INDEPENDENTSAT COMPETITIVE PRICES

BLACKWATERThe Blackwater HotelFri 5 March - Clown Attack

Sat 6 March - Karaoke with Steve “O”

Fri 12 March - Disco Nights

Sat 13 March - Karaoke with Steve “O”

DYSARTJolly Collier Hotel MotelFri 5 Mar – DJ Shaun till 2am + big screen in the courtyard

Sat 6 March – Live entertainment from 10pm to 2am

Sun 7 March – Live entertainment in the courtyard from 2pm + free sausage sizzle

Fri 12 March -Clown Attack (heavy rock) till 2am + big screen in courtyard

Sat 13 March - Live entertainment from 10pm to 2am

Sun 14 March - Live entertainment in the courtyard from 2pm + free sausage sizzle

MOURACoal n Cattle MotelSat 6 March - Clown Attack

Thursday nights - APL Poker 7.30pm

Friday nights - steak special $12.00

Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday - pool comp 8.30pm

TIERITieri Hotel MotelFri 5 March - Free juke box & pool

Sat 6 March - Live entertainment

Fri 12 March - Free juke box & pool

Sat 13 March - Live entertainment

Group Accommodation

SPECIAL

per night with

three meals.

Minimum four night stay$125


81st EDITION. 2010STuff TO ThE EdITOr

Got somethinG to share? send us your text messages or phone photos to 0428 154 653 or email to [email protected]

Our front page story about new protection for underground workers had people talking:

Magnetic bubbles? Sounds kinda fun. I don’t usually look forward to my shift, but this could change things. Ron, Macka

Good to see this issue is still mov-ing along - better late than never. R.T, Rockhampton

And 14 hour shifts has caught the atten-tion of the LNP candidate for Dawson:

Dear Sir/Madam,

WorkChoices is dead and that’s a good thing. As a Liberal National Party member, even I thought WorkChoices went too far and gave too much power to big business bosses. Now, as a pro-spective representative for Dawson, I can give some firm guarantees to work-ing people in this region on how I will vote on industrial relations matters:

• I guarantee I will never vote to remove penalty rates;

• I guarantee I will never vote to reintro-duce AWAs or individual contracts;

• I guarantee I will support a safety net of minimum conditions that cannot be taken away from workers; and

• I guarantee I will support a ‘no disadvantage’ test so that no work-ers are worse off when they renegoti-ate employment conditions.

It’s the Labor Party who has sold out its working class origins in order to chase the green vote and the do-gooder vote. Labor now supports job-destroy-ing policies like the Emissions Trading Scheme as well as soft border protec-tion laws which have led to Australia being flooded with illegal immigrants once again. Personally, my sympathies lie with working people. My first job was sweeping an engineering work-shop floor and I have been a member of two different unions in my lifetime, including the Australian Metal Work-ers Union.

If elected, my door will always be open to union members and union leaders. Already, I agree with the CFMEU about the prospect of 14 hour shifts at BMA’s mines. These long shifts pose a danger for mine workers with the threat of fatigue hanging over them while they’re operating machinery or driving back home to Mackay or else-where. This is an issue I will raise with Liberal National Coalition leaders.

I’m proud to be Liberal National Party because we stand up for the indi-vidual and their rights. And to that end, I can also give the commitment that I’ll always stand up for the little guy.

George Christensen

Liberal National Party candidate for Dawson

stuff to the editor

“Extra rope training for mines rescue over some beautiful scenery” Sent in by John Stewart from Emu Park

Is there a better job for you earning more money with a better roster?

Register for Shift Miner Job alerts at www.shiftminer.com or call 0749214333

TRADIES LOOK HERE!

Email: [email protected]

Phone photo send to 0428154653

Include a brief description of the picture and your contact details

Prizes for the best pictures

Send in your beSt mining photo uSing either mobile phone or digital camera

GOT A GREAT MINING PHOTO?


81st EDITION. 2010glOBal IdIOTS

IN DARWIN - A man mowing his lawn turned around to discover a water buffalo walking towards him.

47-year-old Karl Stowers said the enor-mous beast didn’t seem the least bit inter-ested in him, and continued on his way towards his pool.

Moments later the buffalo was in the water doing laps - Mr Stowers ran inside for his camera and caught the incident on film.

Mr Stowers said he tried smacking the buffalo on the bum and yelling at him to

make him leave - but in the end he was enticed with bread rolls.

He trotted off across the freshly cut grass - stopping to roll in a mud pile as he left.

IN AMERICA - A man has come up with an alternative to neutering or spaying dogs - he has invented a canine chastity belt.

The PABS or Pet Anti Breeding Sys-tem is a polypropylene belt with 8 buckles and a washable pad for female dogs.

The slogan is “When the heat is on, lock it”.

IN BRITAIN - A self-confessed sex addict had to move towns after he ran out of women to sleep with.

The 27-year-old tattoo artist has told Britain’s The Sun newspaper that he has slept with more than 500 women.

Once he ran out of possible new targets in the small town of Lytham St Annes, he started catching cabs to nearby towns, and eventually moved.

You’ll be pleased to know that he has now been to sex therapy, and is happily settled with a partner.

global idiots

Wow, Frank really hit a new low. After his chauvinist rant about how dogs are better than women he then descends into shameless self-promotion for a ridicu-lous dog version of Star Wars. Ian, I’m not sure I have much advice for you. I do however have some for your wife: I think it’s time for Ian to “go to sleep”.

My missus wants to get rid

of our dog. I told her that

dogs are man’s best friend.

She told me that she was my

best friend. I then said “Well

you must be a dog then. Or

perhaps the better word to

describe you is a bitch”. Now

I’m in the dog house.

Help. – Ian

Dear Ian,

Since time immemorial, dogs have been

the best companion a man could have.

Through thick and thin, dogs have been

there to fight our enemies, provide com-

fort and warmth and in some cases made

the ultimate sacrifice and provide food.

They never nag or judge us, never disown

us or complain to their mothers about us.

When you come home drunk, instead of

locking the door on us they help clean up

by eating your sick. Instead of scream-

ing at you when you dip some tampons in

metho, set them alight and throw them on

an ants nest, they instead encourage you

and support you by running around in cir-

cles and barking loudly. Truly, the com-

mon dog is a friend to all. Why women

can not see this is beyond me, I can only

attribute it to some sort of innate defect

of character that all of the gentler mem-

bers of our species seem to possess.

Y’know Ian, I love dogs so much I

have begun to pen a screenplay about

them which I hope will be made into a

major motion picture. It’s called “Dog

Wars” and is an epic sci-fi fantasy set a

long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

In it, a young cat-herder called Rex

Dogwalker embarks on a titanic battle

between good and evil. He is a “Dog-

eye”, a special kind of dog that has power

over something called “The Woof”. Under

the guidance of a Master Dog-eye called

Olde-wan Bulldoggy he is tutored in the

ways of The Woof and soon becomes an

expert in the use of a “Toothsaber”: the

Dog-eye weapon of choice.

Along the way he meets fellow adven-

turers Hound Solo, Princess Labrador

and Chewboxer and with them he fac-

es off against The Intergalactic Pound

and his evil nemesis Darth Vet who prac-

tises a corrupted version of The Woof

called “The Bark Side”. With the help of

two robots they attack “The Dog Star”

the greatest weapon ever assembled by

The Pound and win the day for dog-kind

everywhere. I’ve even got some ideas for

future sequels: The Pound Strikes Back

and Return of The Dog-eye.

After merchandising and T-shirt

sales I should have enough money to

build my dream home: a 26-room pal-

ace made entirely from beer bottles. I

think I’m onto a winner here. And by

the way, if any of my loyal readers hap-

pen to be big time film producers then I

am open to offers.

Anyways, my advice Ian is this: put

your missus on a leash unless you want

your family life to go to the dogs. May

The Woof be with you, always.

Frank

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

Sensible Susan

Frank the Tank’s “Streakin” good love advice

Email: [email protected]

Phone photo send to 0428154653

Include a brief description of the picture and your contact details

Prizes for the best pictures

Send in your beSt mining photo uSing either mobile phone or digital camera

GOT A GREAT MINING PHOTO?

youth issues on Josh’s agenda THE young people of Blackwater now have a go-to man.

His name is Joshua Cltterbuck and he’s just moved to town as the new Youth Development Officer with the local council.

His role will be co-ordinating youth events and forums in Blackwater and the nearby towns of Duaringa, Dingo, Bluff and Bauhinia.

Joshua previously worked in a chaplain-cy program at a Toowoomba High School, and he says he is looking forward to encour-aging and promoting a positive image of

young people in local communities. “Primarily, the role is to connect young

people to the range of important services available to them as well as supporting them to become involved in a variety of social, sporting and cultural initiatives,” he said.

Central Highlands Mayor Peter Maguire said the role would be pivotal in improving the quality of life for young people in the region.

The position has been created with fund-ing from the council, Queensland Depart-ment of Communities and BMA.

NEW ROLE: BMA’s Peter Dowling with Youth Development Office Joshua Clutterbuck, BMA’s Leah Fay and the Council’s Lynda Connell


BOAT FOR SALE

4 mt F/G Savage,

Tasman, half cabin .

extra canvas cover. 115

hp Evenrude late 1980

motor.deep sounder some

safe gear, trailer & elect

winch, all good condition

and registered.

$7,000 O NO

Phone: 0000 0000

EXCELLENT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

5 Canning Street Rockhampton Queensland ideal for

miner doing fly in and fly out work

5 minutes to Rockhampton Airport

Great investment in high growth medical precinct

Suitable for high density housing

Mult story devlopment possible with approval.

$520,000 negotiable

Call me on :49277836 or 0448046844

BOAT FOR SALE

17” TIMBER SKI BOAT

351 Cleveland motor

15hrs since new

Immac. $25,000 obo

Phone: 0408 101 247

Heading here000 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 herePhone: 0000 0000

Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


HOUSE FOR SALE -MT

MORGAN

52 James St Mt Morgan

$223,000.00 renovated,

new paint, floors,

stumps, electricity etc,

4 bedrooms, sunroom,

office and more, 1/4 acre

Phone: 49382484 /

0409570589

MOTORBIKE FOR SALE

2006 Kawasaki Ninja

ZX-R6 636

New Condition with only

4200 kilometres on clock

6 months rego

$10,200 neg.

Phone: Steve

0749213985

0437232280

CAR FOR SALE

TYPHOON BA MK II

Low 48,000 km

Like new

$40,000 ono

Phone: 0408 101 247

Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


HOUSE FOR SALE -STANTHORPE

9.188 acres freeholdFully furnished, w stock

proof fencing240v power

Wood burning Heater2 x 8000l water tanks

security bars on all windows, gas electric hot

water, 3 TV channelsCreek through Property

$215,000 neg.Phone: 0427694495

BOAT FOR SALE12’ (3.85M) Heavy Duty

Stessl Aluminium20HP Mariner OutboardGal. Trailer 13” Wheels

plus spareHumminbird 150SX

SounderFolding Canopy Safety

Gear 2 Swivel Seats and

25 Litre PlasticFuel Tank $2,800

Phone:0419 020 948

UTE FOR SALE

TOYOTA Hilux, 11/05,

3ltr auto turbo diesel,

140l tank, old Man Emu

suspension warranty

11/2011, 74500kMs,

no beach,

$34,000,

Phone: 0417 268555

Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


BEACH HOUSE

FOR SALE

Stanage Bay 3 Bedroom

High Set Home For Sale.

Best Fishing In Australia.

Close To Boad Ramp

Helen Bernard

54453723

0413 386 013

[email protected]

HOLDIAY RENTALPrivatley Owned

Executive Suite in the Treetops Resort Port Douglas, walking to

Beach. Great Deal 50% Saving. $175.00 per

Night Min. Stay 5 Nights. Ideal for Couples or small family. All linen supplied. Exc. Cond., Ground Floor.

Big Verandah.Phone: Suzanne

0414-999410

BOAT FOR SALE5.5 m Caribbean open runabout. 135 Mercury

Optimax (V6) fuel injected motor (30 hrs)GPS, Colour sounder,

VHF radio with loads of fishing space & extras

On Dunbier multi-roller trailer

All in as new condition$29,500 neg

Phone: 4935 4099

Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


Heading here000 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


Holiday Rental Accommodation.

Privately Owned Exec. Suite in the Treetops Resort Port Douglas,

Walk to Beach.50% Saving @ $175.00/Night

Min. Stay 5 Nights. Ideal for couples/family.

Big Verandah.

Suzanne 0414-999410

Is there a better job for you earning more money with a better roster?

Register for Shift Miner Job alerts at www.shiftminer.com or call 0749214333

DIESEL FITTERS LOOK HERE!

Numbers You Can Trust**When audited by the CAB


Proudly Audited by



81st EDITION. 2010YOur hEalTh

p 07 4927 3789f 07 4927 3705m 0408 625 532

ANYWHERE... ANYSIZE... ANYTIME...For all your urgent and general freight requirements.

Delivering in Utes,Vans,Body trucks and SemisWe understand the cost of delays in mining and Industry

email: [email protected]

16 Robison Street North Rockhampton Queensland 4701

Bolognaise is a true family fa-vourite that can’t be beat. This recipe is rich and saucy just like it should be. The secret to good bolognaise is to cook the sauce slowly over several hours to get it rich and thick in consist-ency. Serve with your favourite pasta topped with good parme-san cheese, or if the smell is too much for the little ones a nice cheddar is good also. A green salad goes well with this dish too.

INGREDIENTS:450g premium minced beef8 rashers of smoked bacon sliced and chopped1 large onion, chopped2 cloves of garlic, fi nely chopped1 level tsp salt1 glass red wine1 tsp dried oregano1 tin of tomatoes1 cup of tomato pasteBlack pepperOlive oil

Handful fresh basil500g of your favourite pastaWater for boiling

METHOD:In a large pan, heat oil and brown the minced beef, bacon, onion and garlic. Add the wine and reduce to nothing, add the oregano, tinned tomatoes and tomato paste.

Add some salt and freshly ground black pepper, bring it to the boil and then gently simmer for 2-3 hours. Add some ripped up fresh basil just before serv-ing.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil and add the pasta. Cook for 15-17 minutes or un-til al dente.

Divide pasta into serving bowls and top with sauce and cheese.

Zest EateryOpen 4.00pm – 8.00pm dailyThe MAC Coppabella, Dysart, Middlemount, Moranbah & Nebo

Bolognaise bonanza

Zesty Eating_newlogo Mar 1 2010.1 1 15/02/2010 10:40:29 AM

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

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

Over the last few editions we have

looked at what role the prostate plays

in your body and the potential prob-

lems men can experience with the pros-

tate. We now want to focus on the tests

you need to do in order to maximise the

chance of early detection and minimise

your risk of problems.

Firstly let us look at the facts. Accord-

ing to the Australian Institute of Health

and Welfare, prostate cancer is the most

common cancer diagnosed in Australia

and the second greatest cause of cancer

deaths in men. Up to 20,000 men will be

diagnosed with prostate cancer this year

and more than 3300 will die as a direct

cause of prostate cancer. Our greatest

concern is that prostate cancer can exist

without any symptoms. Please take your

health seriously.

The two tests required are performed by

your GP and are referred to as:

• The Prick Test

(PSA Level – Prostate Specific Antigen)

• Rectal Examination (DRE)

• Biopsy

• Gleason Score

The prick test and the DRE put together

will take you no longer than three min-

utes, so please DO NOT let time be your

excuse. We are a nation of time poor

individuals, but when it comes to your

health, you don’t have the time to get

sick either, so do yourself and your fami-

ly a favour and go see your GP.

Many people ask how you would know

if you are at risk of prostate cancer.

According to the Cancer Council of the

Australia the greatest indicators are:

• Family history

• Age

Start asking the family about their med-

ical history. If your father, uncle and/or

brother have been affected then you are

more likely to be at risk as well. Com-

munication between family members is

necessary when it comes to preventative

health. Your age also increases your risk

factor, the older you are the higher the

risk of developing prostate cancer.

So what should YOU do?

• Get tested regularly if you are 50 or over

• If there is a family history of prostate can-

cer in your family, get tested from the age

of 40 or if you have any symptoms

Until next time, stay healthy, stay

informed!


81st EDITION. 2010Off ShIfT

Send your gigs to [email protected]

monday 1st march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Patch

tuesday 2nd march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Patch

Wednesday 3rd march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Keaton

thursday 4th march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Keaton

Friday 5th march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Mark Roberts Blackwater Mineworkers Club Local band Crank Blackwater Hotel Clown Attack Rockhampton The Criterion The Bottom Line Dysart Jolly Collier Hotel DJ Shaun

Saturday 6th march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Mark Roberts Blackwater Mineworkers Club Double Trouble Blackwater Hotel Karaoke with Steve O Rockhampton The Criterion The Sugar Daddies

Moura Coal n Cattle Hotel Clown Attack

Sunday 7th march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Keaton

monday 8th march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Bevan Spears

tuesday 9th march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Bevan Spears

Wednesday 10th march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill Bevan Spears

thursday 11 march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill David Flower

Rockhampton The Great Western Deb Webber - psychic

Friday 12 march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill David Flower

Blackwater Mineworkers Club Dan Miller Blackwater Hotel Disco Nights

Rockhampton The Criterion Velocity

Dysart Jolly Collier Hotel Clown Attack

Saturday 13th march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill David Flower

Rockhampton The Great Western CRCA 4B Rodeo The Criterion Velocity Blackwater Blackwater Hotel Karaoke with Steve O

Sunday 14th march Airlie Beach KCs Bar & Grill David Flower

Shift MinerHandy 15A blank gridShiftMInerHandyblank.pdf©Lovatts Publications 2010

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10

11

12 13

14 15 16

17 18

19 20 21

22 23

24 25 26

27 28

29 30

37 #MUIDEM

5 65 1 89 2 7 1

1 53 4 1 7

6 84 6 5 8

2 3 43 9

1. Mildest

2. Even though

3. Loathed

4. Steeling (self)

6. Colliery passage (4,5)

7. Perching

8. Everlasting time

11. Taj Mahal city

15. Dampness

17. Portable (of phone)

18. Sat untidily

20. Bring up (kids)

21. Spanish sailing ship

22. Pivoted

23. Climb

26. Dilapidated castles

aCROSS 1. Tuition

5. Come into view

9. Thugs

10. Anybody

12. Defrauding

13. Shiny fabric

14. Self-satisfied

16. Opposed to

19. Less full

21. Internal organs

24. Jumped

25. Hayfever & hives

27. Sung rhythmically

28. Pavlova base

29. Pungent root

30. Biased (3-5)

dOWn

SHIFT MINERHandy Cross 508 - (15A grid)ShiftMinerHandy080s. pdf© Lovatts Publications 27/01/2010

B A L L O O N S W I N N E RA Y T U N E EM A R C H E R S S T I C K SB I E S A R K PO C C U R R I N G I M B U EO S N E C A C

F E N G D R A G N E TS C P T D SQ U A L I T Y O V E NU T C A R R AI N A N E R E A W A K E N SR P N N T L S IM O U N T S F I N A N C E DE L R O M U ED I T H E R U N C O V E R S

# 72 8 5 1 7 2 4 6 9 36 7 3 1 5 9 4 8 29 4 2 6 8 3 1 5 72 9 4 3 1 6 8 7 53 1 6 5 7 8 2 4 97 8 5 9 4 2 3 1 65 2 9 8 3 1 7 6 41 3 7 4 6 5 9 2 84 6 8 2 9 7 5 3 1

05 Jun 05

LaST edITIOn’S SOLUTIOnS


81st EDITION. 2010

fISHInG In GLadSTOne

Michael at the Compleat Angler in Gladstone also says the banana prawns have started down his way too.

Reports have come from all the way along the Calliope River, and in terms of size they have been in the range of 20 to 30 a pound - which is at the smaller end of the eating prawns range.

However he says the size and number of prawns is likely to improve over the coming fortnight.

Reports over the weekend have been that crabs are going off with one fisherman claiming 32 crabs from eight nets.

All the usual spots seem to be fishing well.

King salmon and fingermark are in

the harbour, while the usual suspects of bream, whiting and flathead are being caught.

Out in the deeper water it's a bit hit and miss which is a bit unusual for this time of year.

fISHInG In YePPOOn

Ian at Capricorn Sports at Yeppoon, says with the first bit of sunshine in weeks he is hopeful of being able to get out wide for some fishing.

His clients have said while it has been rough they have been catching some nice spanish mackerel, red jew and trout near the islands.

Barra are apparently “going off” in Cooraman Creek, at the Causeway and even Ross Creek.

Heaps of prawns around, and he is selling a reasonable amount of crab bait which is always a good indicator that they are around as well.

Bream, flathead and mangrove jack are all fishing solidly.

fISHInG In MaCkaY

Marty at Tackleworld Mackay, says it will come as no surprise to anyone that reports from deeper waters have been few and far between because of the rain.

However, for those able to venture out there has been mixed results - although one boat that went right out to Boulton Reef reported a great catch.

Perhaps as expected, the rain has sent a large flush through the creek and esturary system, and the crabs and prawns

have reacted accordingly. Good catches of banana prawns have

been reported in the Proserpine River, and in other nearby creeks and estuaries, while crabs are still running pretty hard.

Marty says while the rain can stop the crabs, it doesn't seem to have done it at the moment.

Following hot on the heels of the prawns have been plenty of king salmon and grunter, although they have tended to move away from the areas where there is excessive freshwater.

Barramundi are finicky at the moment, but if you are chasing them in the lakes and dams, try the run off areas where they seem to be hanging around.

bait Shop banter

Gla

ds

to

ne

Ma

CK

aY

Gla

ds

to

ne

Ma

CK

aY

tide timeSMon 1 Tue 2 Wed 3 Thu 4 Fri 5 Sat 6 Sun 7

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

0330 0.28 0412 0.32 0454 0.51 0537 0.82 0013 3.98 0101 3.73 0203 3.49

0938 4.69 1019 4.54 1100 4.26 1142 3.88 0622 1.20 0718 1.56 0842 1.79

1559 0.27 1636 0.34 1713 0.54 1747 0.83 1225 3.48 1316 3.10 1425 2.83

2204 4.27 2246 4.28 2329 4.18 1819 1.16 1856 1.48 2003 1.74

0514 0.16 0557 0.30 0021 5.69 0103 5.50 0149 5.19 0244 4.83 0401 4.54

1114 6.42 1155 6.14 0639 0.62 0723 1.09 0812 1.61 0916 2.07 1104 2.27

1745 0.17 1821 0.28 1235 5.66 1316 5.07 1403 4.44 1507 3.89 1649 3.60

2339 5.73 1857 0.56 1934 0.95 2015 1.40 2113 1.85 2248 2.12

Mon 8 Tue 9 Wed 10 Thu 11 Fri 12 Sat 13 Sun 14

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

0546 4.53 0032 2.01 0139 1.71 0226 1.44 0302 1.26 0333 1.14 0402 1.07

1249 2.04 0707 4.79 0759 5.08 0838 5.28 0911 5.40 0940 5.44 1006 5.44

1837 3.76 1350 1.67 1433 1.39 1508 1.21 1539 1.12 1606 1.06 1631 1.02

1942 4.12 2025 4.43 2100 4.64 2130 4.78 2158 4.90 2224 5.00

0546 4.53 0032 2.01 0139 1.71 0226 1.44 0302 1.26 0333 1.14 0402 1.07

1249 2.04 0707 4.79 0759 5.08 0838 5.28 0911 5.40 0940 5.44 1006 5.44

1837 3.76 1350 1.67 1433 1.39 1508 1.21 1539 1.12 1606 1.06 1631 1.02

1942 4.12 2025 4.43 2100 4.64 2130 4.78 2158 4.90 2224 5.00

If you have a good photo or fishing yarn

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

Off ShIfT

MoRe flooDing on the wAy Week 1 - Heavy rain has all the rivers and creeks flowing with minor to moderate flood-ing. Rainfalls already has been well above the average. Rolleston, which was flooded last week, had at the time of print 333mm so far in February which is already 362 per cent above the February average. Other February totals include: Collinsville 187mm up 14 per cent, Moranbah 169mm up 72 per cent and Emer-ald 170mm up 122 per cent. The Mackenzie River from Comet River junction to Binge-gang are expecting minor to moderate flooding to ease. Water is expected to rise downstream from Moura on the Dawson River with major flooding possible in the Baralaba area. The Fairbairn Dam has spilled over and will con-tinue to be full capacity for first part of March. This will change drastically if the heavy rain currently in Central Australia moves over CQ

during the later part of the week. The Mon-soon Low in the Territory is expected to cause 100-200mm rainfalls. Watch this closely!

Boaties have been only getting a small win-dow of opportunity, early each week. This week there could be squally showers and seas over 2 metres till Thursday. If the cloud from the west moves over then rain will be a problem.

Week 2 - The cloudy to overcast conditions gradually clear during the week. The heavy rain fall should ease as a strong ridge in the south moves north. This should wind down the effects of the Monsoon Low. Afternoon storms are a chance making things a little sticky. Hopefully the drier March air, herald-ed by early morning fogs, will make conditions more comfortable. Marine lovers - if the high in the Bight “behaves” then the next SE surge should not be till mid/late in the week.

yOUR WEATHER FORECAST


81st EDITION. 2010mOTOrSpOrTS

THE ute capital of the world needs your help. The tiny New South Wales town of Deniliquin is known far and wide for its annual Deni Ute Muster in October; in fact, in 1999 it entered the history books, claiming a Guinness World Record for the largest ute parade in the world with 2389 drivers taking part.

In recognition of this achievement, the council erected a WB V8 Holden Ute, mounted on a six-metre pole back in 2000.

Now, 100 years later, the town is look-ing for a proper name to give to its iconic landmark the “ute on a pole” that draws in thousands of visitors every year.

It’s launched a competition through the magazine Australian Automotive to do just that - and you can enter.

All you have to do is write down your suggestion and send it in - you can enter as many times as you like.

The winner will be announced in Sep-tember, just before the muster kicks off the following month.

By entering you could win tickets to the muster, a helicopter ride for two, or even a backstage meet and greet with some of the muster’s artists.

So get thinking - the “ute on a pole” needs a name, and it needs it now.

Daryl Watson Engineering

M: 0448 243 343 E: [email protected] dwe

Motor enthusiast

Name: Lance O’Dell

Where do you Live & Work: Parkhurst, Rockhampton

Type of Car: 1937 Nash Sedan

What have you done to it? Everything. I got the original car from the Yeppoon area. I converted it into a 2-door and used late model running gear.

What was easy and what was hard? The hardest bit was finding the time to work on it. The easy bit was having the vision of it finished in my head.

What do you enjoy about car shows and club runs? I personally find car shows boring. I really enjoy club runs because of the social side of things. I like that

everyone gets to drive their cars. It is enjoying the fruits of your labour.

Points of interest: Every one looks at it in a different light. A Nash is not the most common car for a hotrod.

Would you ever sell it? Everything is for sale at the right price.

p r o f i l e

CUSTOM FIBREGLASS

4" peep mirror

$40 each

Aah-Ooh-Gah horn - $75

1950s style Pontiac LED

taillight $170 pair

(includes rubbers)

Duo Flame taillight - $80 each

Guide Style Headlights - $450 a pair (no globes)

Spoon Pedal - stainless steel - $50

Builders of quality fibreglass hotrods and now supplying 100’s of parts

to suit your hotrod or custom car. Call us, or check out our website.

www.customfibreglass.com.au (07) 4926 6244

This column is brought to you by Custom Fibreglass

Queensland owned and operated since 1999.

“Now the town is looking for a proper name to give to its iconic landmark the “ute on a pole” that draws in thousands of visitors every year.”

What do you call a “Ute on a Pole”?

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Well the

prestige of having thought of it

yourself for starters!


81st EDITION. 2010mONEY maTTErS

Health cover to rise at twice the inflation ratePRIVATE health insurance will cost Aus-tralians close to 6 per cent more this year - that’s double the rate of inflation.

For most families, that equates to an extra $150-$200 when the new premiums kick in from April.

The nation’s biggest insurer, Medibank Private, lifted premiums 5.74 per cent, while smaller insurers have posted rises above 7 per cent.

It’s a double blow given premiums rose by 6 per cent last year as well.

Your bill could soon be even bigger if the Federal Government succeeds in its push to means test the 30 per cent private health insurance rebate.

The Health Minister Nicola Roxon wants to axe the rebate for singles earn-ing over $75,000 and families on more than $150,000.

She said the move would save $100 bil-lion by the 2050; but the Opposition is

refusing to support its axing in the Senate. “This year’s increase is lower than last

year, lower than industry expectations and it is significantly less than the last five years of the Coalition Government where the average increase was 6.63 per cent,” she said.

The disagreement could be a possi-ble election trigger - with the Opposition claiming that without the rebate people will pull out of private cover and that will send premiums skyrocketing.

Ms Roxon said 474,000 people had taken out private hospital cover since the Rudd Government came to power in 2007; she said 44.7 per cent of Aus-tralians have private cover - its highest rate since 2001.

Last year, payouts by private insurers rose by 9.3 per cent to $11 billion.

Health and medical costs rose by 5.9 per cent in the Consumer Price Index.

Ross O’Reilly 0418 757 097 [email protected] www.orre.com.au

Kev Doolan (07) 4939 6411

0408 192 883 [email protected]

www.professionalsemupark.com.au

LAST CHANCE! Apartments starting at $195,000

“Your bill could soon be even bigger if the Federal Government succeeds in its push to means test the 30 per cent private health insurance rebate.”

RISING COST: Health insurance is once again on the rise, costing families up to

$200 a year more than 2009


81st EDITION. 2010mONEY maTTErS

the coSt oF buying So how much do you need to budget to buy your first home? The Real Estate Institute of Queensland suggests the following when budgeting for the costs of buying real estate.

BoRRoWING CosTs: It is a good idea to obtain pre-approval (or at least have an idea of how much the bank with lend you) for a loan before starting the search for your dream home. When borrow-ing money from a financial institution, buy-ers are likely to encounter costs such as the loan establishment fee and mortgage insur-ance (if borrowing more than a nominated percentage of the property’s value). Buy-ers will also need to budget for ongoing fees and interest repayments on top of the loan amount borrowed. Fees will vary between financial institutions and buyers should shop around for the loan that best suits their needs. All financial institutions must pub-lish a comparison rate for their loans which takes into account all fees and charges and any introductory loan rates.

sTAMP DuTy: The Queensland Government introduced legislation in 2008 to ease the financial burden of stamp duty on first home buy-ers. First home buyers pay no stamp duty on a home valued up to $500,000; and no stamp duty on a vacant block of land up to $150,000. Your solicitor will obtain the appropriate rate of stamp duty pay. The buyer pays the solicitor the amount paya-ble who then arranges payment to the Gov-ernment authority. For more information about stamp duty, go the State Govern-ment’s website at www.osr.qld.gov.au or phone 07 3227 8733 or 1300 301 342.

VALuATIoN REPoRT : An independent valuation report on a property can be of assistance to the buyer

to indicate a property’s current market val-ue. In Queensland, contact the Australian Property Institute on Ph 3832 3139 for the names of licensed valuers.

LEGAL CosTs AND sEARChEs: The REIQ strongly encourages buyers to seek independent legal advice before sign-ing a Contract for Sale. After a buyer has signed the appropriate forms and the Con-tract of Sale, they are advised to under-take certain searches - these include a Title search verifying the ownership of the prop-erty, a local government building report on the legality of existing structures on the property, and a local government search on the zoning of the property indicating any restrictions on the property and encum-brances on the property easements. Solic-itor’s fees are negotiable - it is advisable to compare the fees being charged by a few different solicitors. Good referrals and past experience is valuable when choosing your legal representative. It is possible for a buy-er to undertake these activities on their own however the REIQ strongly recommends using qualified solicitors for conveyancing. Contact the Queensland Law Society for further details about how to contact a quali-fied solicitor: www.qls.com.au

BuILDING AND PEsT INsPECTIoN REPoRTs: Buyers can make their Contract of Sale conditional on the basis of a satisfactory building and pest inspection report from a licensed professional. See the Building Serv-ices Authority website www.bsa.qld.gov.au for more information. The cost of these can vary but it is required under Queensland law that the inspector must be licensed by the Building Services Authority. Termination of a Contract under the five-business day cool-ing-off provision. If a buyer terminates a Contract of Sale at any time during the stip-

ulated five-business day period, they will (may) have to pay the seller 0.25% of the property price on the Contract. If the buy-er has elected to waive the cooling off peri-od provision they will not incur any cost and consequently cannot terminate a Contract.

the coSt oF Selling Selling your property can incur costs such as the real estate agent’s commission and legal fees when using a solicitor. The Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) recom-mends sellers take into account the agent’s commission, advertising and marketing costs, a valuation report, pest and building inspection reports, as well as legal and finan-cial fees when selling their property.

AGENT’s CoMMIssIoN: The Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000 regulates the real estate industry in Queensland.

The Queensland Government has set the real estate agent’s commission for the sale of a residential property at a maximum of 5 per cent of the first $18,000 of the sale price and 2.5 per cent of the balance of the sale price. Ten per cent GST is also payable on the agent’s commission.

FoR ExAMPLE: Sale Price Agent’s commission GST payable by the seller $200,000 $5,450 $545 $300,000 $7,950 $795 $400,000 $10,450 $1,045

ADVERTIsING AND MARkETING CosTs: Real estate agents will present an advertising and marketing program for your property designed to achieve for you the highest pos-sible price. This can involve advertising your property through signboards, local news-papers, on property websites, or dedicat-ed property magazines. Remember that the agent must itemise these costs - before the

Appointment of Real Estate Agent (Sales and Purchases) PAMD Form 22a is signed by the seller - and both parties must sign the advertising schedule agreeing to the adver-tising and marketing items and their costs.

LEGAL CosTs The REIQ strongly recommends the use of a qualified solicitor in property matters such as conveyancing. Solicitor’s fees are negotiable - it is advisable to compare the fees and services being offered by a few dif-ferent solicitors. Good referrals and past experience is valuable when choosing your legal representative. Sometimes sellers are required to procure the Title Deed to their property through a solicitor.

FINANCIAL INsTITuTIoN FEEs: As the seller of property your bank or finan-cial institution may charge you for their attend-ance at the settlement to receive and discharge the mortgage. Fees vary between institutions.

VALuATIoN REPoRT: In some cases the seller may wish to pro-cure a valuation of their property to give to potential buyers. In Queensland, contact the Australian Property Institute on Ph: 07 3832 3139 for names of registered valuers.

INsPECTIoNs AND oThER MIsCELLANEous ITEMs: Miscellaneous costs to the seller can include preparing the property for sale through gar-den and painting service providers and oth-er attendant costs of making the property look its best for potential buyers. Some-times real estate agents will encourage sell-ers to procure a pre-sale building and pest inspection report from a licensed profes-sional (see www.bsa.qld.gov.au for more information). This can help to save the sell-er time when it comes to selling the proper-ty as buyers are able to appreciate upfront the condition of the property for sale.

Buy USA Properties for 50% downAs seen on TV“Free” Weekly Newsletterwww.housebuyersusa.com Contact John 0411 221 426

Fishermen’s Paradise!

Unique opportunity to purchase a 607 square metre residential block 50 metres from the boatramp. Bitumen road access. Electricity and telephone available. Garage and rainwater tank on site. The last one of only 12 beachfront blocks. Located one hour by road from Mackay.

Beachfront LandCarmila Beach

$325,000 Contact Owner: 0417-645268

neXt edition oF ShiFt miner

magaZine iS 15th

march 2010

The cost of buying and selling a guide to what you’re up for if you’re wanting in - or out - of real estate


Bowen - Northern Queensland

*LOOK* BIG BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL

CORNER BLOCK NEW ESTATE $449,000 2 RENTS IN ONE $379,000 NEG3 BRM HUGE ENSUITE AND SHED 5 ACRES

CLOSE TO AIRLIE BEACH $450,000 NEG5 ACRES 3 BRM PLUS LIVEABLE SHED4 BRMS 5 ACRES 4 BAY SHED + GARAGE

BEAT THIS FOR VALUE $350,000 NEG12 MINS TO AIRPORT $390,000 NEG

7 BRMS 4 BTHS 1/3 ACRE FULLY AIR COND 3 BRMS 2 BTH DUPLEX BOTH FOR SALE

I’M NOT JOKING2 PROPERTIES FOR THE PRICE OF 1 AT CALEN

3 BRM HOME ON ONE BLOCK 1012M2OLD MECHANICS WORKSHOP AND HUGE SHED ON

THE OTHER 1012M2 ZONED VILLAGE$299,000 NEGOTIABLE FOR BOTH

**ACT NOW OR LOSE OUT**

REDUCED BY $250,000 NOW ONLY $600,000GET AWAY ON YOUR DAYS OFF $239,000 NEG EA5 ACRES MANICURED WITH SEA VIEWS

WAS $295,000 NOW $250,000

✆1300 REAL ESTATEVOICE PROMPT WHITSUNDAYS OR 4799, 4800, 4802, 4805E: [email protected] www.realestatewhitsundays.com.au

AIRLIE BEACH AND WHITSUNDAY REAL ESTATE

CALL TERRY TODAY ON 07 4947 6269 0408 760 994

INGROUND SALT WATER POOL

BRAND NEW 4 BRM 2 BTH

NEGOTIABLE

GOLF, FISH, SWIM AND EAT

MFA

NO? Call - 1300 MER LOT www.merlotfinance.com.au

MERLOTFINANCEAUSTRALIA

IS YOUR BANK WORKING HARD ENOUGH TO HELP YOU:

Understand whether now is time to fix your interest rate? Consolidate your expensive debts into one low rate loan? Pay off your debts & home loans faster to save you time & money? Borrow money for a new home or investments for financial security? Get you the service you want?

The cost of buying and selling

Sheltering workers since 1947

www.atcosl.com.au Phone 07-3412 8616 Fax 07-3803 0396 Email [email protected]

For over 60 years, ATCO has been

the benchmark in providing safe,

robust and cost effective solutions

for staff accommodation. We have

the reputation of being the world’s

leader within the transportable

building industry, providing

products to over 100 countries.

Choose from our wide range of

standard units, alternatively we

can design a structure perfect

for your needs. Temporary or

permanent, large or small, sale

or hire, ATCO can provide what

you need, when you need it.

Since 1947, ATCO Structures & Logistics has been manufacturing quality products for sale or hire.

QBSA Act LicenceNo 701337

Date post:	25-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	shift-miner
View:	220 times
Download:	2 times