OUTthere Cobham February 2014

+ insidemining

February 2014 • Issue 02

GET INTO PERTH With your mates, your family or your other half

BUY THE SKY The Royal Flying Doctor Service launches a clever new campaign

ADELAIDE CALLING Once a city of churches; now South Australia’s happening hub

Flagship Boutiques Parramatta ( 02) 9633 5500 Bondi (02) 9389 8822

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CUSTOM MAGAZINE OF THE YE AR

From the editor...

In December last year, I made the wonderful decision to go to the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland, which is held on a 250-hectare site in the Sunshine Coast’s Hinterland. The festival was in its 28th year, and since its inception it’s continued to grow to now be one of the largest cultural events of its type in Australia, attracting around 120,000 people. The festival once had the reputation of being a festival in the bush for hippies, but these days it draws an incredibly eclectic mix of people from all walks of life, and for children, there is a children’s festival with entertainment just for them. There were countless (over 2,000) bands, performers and speakers from across the globe, but the one session that I literally stumbled on, had me thinking back in laughter for the rest of the day.

It was about 9am and I’d been up since the early hours as it was a scorching hot summer day and my home for a few days was a tent in the 700-strong tent city on the side of the festival streets. I wandered towards the sound of a crowd gathering, and heard a man ask into a microphone: ‘Are you ready to laugh?’ Ahh comedy, I thought. A few stand-up performances is a nice way to kick off a day, I made my way into the marquee and pulled up a chair, settling in among a crowd of about 100 people. The man running it, Anthony Ackroyd, stepped forward and welcomed everyone back to Wake up and Laugh – a daily laughter workshop. I briefly thought about leaving – after all, I laugh regularly, I thought, so why did I need someone else to show me how to wake up and laugh? I stayed put and before I knew it, everyone was on their feet getting into exercises – making groups according to colours and seasons we liked, and then animals we liked. Then suddenly we’re all quacking or barking or mooing like cows, and introducing ourselves to strangers clapping, while looking them in the eyes and saying loudly – ‘hoo hoo, ha ha ha.’

Everyone was splitting their sides laughing and grinning from ear to ear as they crisscrossed the room, saying and

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Hespe Email: michelle.hespe@edgecustom.com.au ASSISTANT EDITOR Mitch Brook IN-HOUSE WRITER Simone Henderson-Smart SUB-EDITORS Kathryn Wakelin, Kris Madden, Liani Solari PRODUCTION MANAGER Brian Ventour PREPRESS COORDINATOR Tarn Mount SENIOR DESIGNER Guy Pendlebury PRINTER SOS Print & Media

doing silly things that had us all just laughing more. I realised that I was only ever this silly when I was with my six-year-old son playing games and that I didn’t actually laugh enough at all. Ackroyd wrapped up the event and as people poured back out into the sunshine and the buzz of the festival, one thing was for sure, there were so many smiles and excited talk about the day ahead.

So what have you got to lose? Give it a shot, I say.

Laugh when you get up. Do something silly. Laugh at or by yourself. Even if you have to force it, before you know it you’ll be laughing at yourself for sounding silly – and that’s a good start. As they say, laughter really is the best medicine.

Drop us a line sometime – we love hearing from you.

And as always, enjoy your flight.

Michelle Hespe and the OUTthere team

CONTRIBUTORS Amal Awad, Sanchia Pegley, Christine Retschlag, Fiona Poynter, Kris Madden, Oryana Angel, Jane Slack-Smith, Karen Halabi, Melanie Hearse, Lesley Parker, Sue Webster, Ian Neubauer INTERN Dana Groop

WA, SA and NT sales agent: Helen Glasson, Hogan Media: 08 9381 3991 Email: helen@hoganmedia.com.au

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Phone: 02 8962 2600 Email: advertising@edgecustom.com.au

PUBLISHER Geoff Campbell CHAIRMAN Chris Innis CEO Eddie Thomas

OUTthere is published by Edge 51 Whistler Street, Manly NSW 2095 Phone: 02 8962 2600 Fax: 02 8962 2601 www.edgecustom.com.au

OUTthere is published by Business Essentials (Australasia) Pty Limited (ABN 22 062 493 869), trading as Edge, under license to MGI Publishing Pty Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the Publisher. Information provided was believed to be correct at the time of publication. Some imagery sourced from Getty and Corbis. All reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. OUTthere cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are sent to the magazine, they will not be returned.

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HELLO OR GOODBYE? Photo credit: Mike Calder Photography.

Devil Facial Tumour Disease was discovered in Tasmanian devils in 1996.

It’s a contagious cancer spread through biting, and it is always fatal.

The devil population has suffered immensely and, more than 80% have been lost.

The ‘Save the Tasmanian Devil Program’ supports the survival of the devil in its natural habitat, the Tasmanian wilderness.

Funding is vital, and we need your help.

To make sure it’s not goodbye, the Tasmanian devils need your help!

AN INITIATIVE OF THE SAVE THE TASMANIAN DEVIL PROGRAM COORDINATED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA FOUNDATION

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Log onto www.tassiedevil.com.au for more info and ideas.

contents drivetime

outtahere

Issue 02 • Feb/March 05 welcomeaboard Flying with Cobham.

06 cobhamnews Results from our recent survey and a sneak peek at Cobham new technology and innovation.

08 cobhamcommunity The Bloody Slow Cup continues to grow as an action-packed weekend in Newman, WA.

14 charity The Royal Flying Doctor Service launches its clever new campaign, Buy the Sky.

19 explore Get into Perth, with your mates, your other half or with the kids in tow.

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08

Issue 116 • February

Issue 117 • March

closeup

closeup

Jessica Mauboy is on top of the world, representing her Indigenous heritage through an explosive career.

Songstress Brooke Addamo, otherwise known as Owl Eyes, is making waves in the music industry.

drivetime

outtahere

Pack the kids for a rollicking driving holiday through the Hunter Valley, proving it’s not all about the (fantastic) wine.

Karen Halabi crisscrosses the country in search of the best Aussie pubs.

food&wine Discover what all the fuss is about in Orange, regional NSW. It’s a foodie’s haven with plenty to keep you satisfied.

The Swan Valley, just 20 minutes from the Perth CBD, is full of hidden treasures. Local Melanie Hearse knows exactly where to dig up the best food and wine experiences.

agribusiness

agribusiness

After a bumpy political ride over the past few years, how do our cattle exports fare?

Sue Webster weighs up recent advances in farming technology.

food&wine

insidemining • news and views • international mining • resource sector issues • finance and technology 3

FACEBOOK.COM/MVBEER

VA L E /LGR

OF COURSE OUR LAGER TASTES GREAT, WE’VE GOT NEIGHBOURS LIKE THIS BLOKE/ PROUDLY BREWED IN M c LAREN VA LE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Where we fly

BARROW ISLAND AREA C

YANDI

BRISBANE BALLERA MOOMBA MURRIN MURRIN PERTH

KAMBALDA SYDNEY PASSENGER FREIGHT

ADELAIDE MELBOURNE

HOBART

Our fleet 6 x BAe 146 (passenger) 4 x BAe 146 (freight) 5 x Avro RJ100 3 x Bombardier Dash-8

British Aerospace 146 (BAe-146) Length: 28.60 m Wingspan: 26.21 m Height: 8.59 m Cruise speed: 801 km/h) at 8,840 m Empty weight: 23,897 kg Passenger capacity: 71–99 seats Freight capacity: 10,300 kg

Avro RJ100 Length: 30.99 m Wingspan: 26.34 m Height: 8.59 m Cruise speed: 780 km/h Empty weight: 23,897 kg

Bombardier Dash-8 Length: 22.25 m Wingspan: 25.89 m Height: 7.49 m Cruise speed: 500 km/h) at 7,620 m Empty weight: 14,700 kg

Welcome aboard Long gone are the days when air travel was a luxury enjoyed by few. Nowadays, for many of us, air travel is a regular mode of transport, whether for business or leisure. This is particularly true for many of you who travel with us on a frequent basis and become familiar with our crew and aircraft. Flying is certainly a regular part of my work schedule, as I travel between Perth and our operations in Australia and Papua New Guinea, plus some international travel to visit our international Cobham operations.

What I enjoy most about my time in the sky is the time to reflect on our business and prioritise my thoughts. A chance to catch up on emails also never goes astray.

No matter if you travel with us often or once in a while, we’re here to make sure you have a comfortable journey, receive great service and reach your destination on time. Our new catering products are launching across the fleet as we speak, introducing new dishes, utensils, Cobham branded trays, and healthier choice menus in WA and some further enhancements to our menus in SA. You’ll also begin to see our Service Ambassadors appearing in the cabin across our flights over the coming months. Distinguished by their silver scarves, our Service Ambassadors will manage the in-flight experience and provide a central role for both our flight crew and passengers to liaise with when unusual circumstances present themselves.

Thank you for flying with Cobham today.

We love having you on board. Enjoy your travels.

Ryan Both General Manager, Regional Services Cobham 5

cobhamnews

You spoke, we listened Last year we conducted a passenger survey about our Western Australian airport facilities, aircraft, terminal, cabin service, quarantine and security. We received more than 1,400 responses over a two-week period. Overall, you told us you were happy with our speedy customer-focused service.

Some things you were particularly happy about: • Cabin crew are welcoming and polite, offering high-level service • Aircraft are clean and tidy • Convenience of the terminal • Speed of check-in, and taxi service • Magazines and free in-terminal Wi-Fi However, there are always things we can improve on and thanks to your feedback, we know where to start.

(See table, right) We also recently conducted an inflight survey for our South Australian flight operations too. We’ll share those results in an upcoming edition of Cobham OUTthere.

What you said

What we are doing

Terminal could have more tea and coffee services

We are exploring the introduction of a café

More TVs in the terminal

One new screen has been installed

Aircraft toilets could be improved

We have implemented a new system, and upgraded the hand-wash and deodorisers

Some aircraft had speaker static during announcements

We upgraded two aircraft (including speaker systems) in 2013, and will upgrade the remaining fleet in 2014

Pillow and blanket cleanliness

We are changing our dry cleaning supplier, reducing blankets in summer and looking at other alternatives

Quicker tray pickup after meal service

We have introduced Service Ambassadors to manage and improve the overall in-flight experience

In-flight magazine should be more frequent

A new, improved magazine was launched in December 2013. It includes more than 100 pages of reading material and is issued monthly

Catering meals could be rotated more often

Meal rotation has been increased from a fortnightly to weekly cycle and includes healthy choice options

Service Ambassadors taking flight In response to your feedback from recent surveys, we are introducing Service Ambassadors on board each flight. The Service Ambassador’s role is to manage and support cabin crew in upholding the highest level of service and safety standards on each and every flight.

We currently have Service Ambassadors on flights to Area C; and by June, all Cobham flights will have fully qualified Service Ambassadors on board. You can recognise your Service Ambassador by their silver scarf. We are sure they will do their best to ensure their team make you feel welcome on board and help make your journey as comfortable as possible.

Did you know?

Thanks to the professionalism of Cobham flight crew, engineers and support personnel, you can rest assured that your flight today is conducted with safety as the number one priority. But you may be interested to know that around the world, literally from the deep sea to space, Cobham is keeping people safe both in conflict and in peace.

Here in Australia, Cobham flies aerial maritime surveillance on behalf of the Australian Customs Service ‘Coastwatch’ operation. Ten highly modified aircraft, fitted with the latest in radar and optical surveillance equipment, patrol Australia’s national waters on the lookout for illegal activity of all kinds, from drug smuggling to illegal fishing and quarantine violations.

Elsewhere Cobham is recognised as a leader in communications 6

and life support equipment, used daily in roles as diverse as clearing minefields, providing emergency mobile communications after natural disasters, and helping astronauts on the International Space Station maintain a breathable atmosphere as they orbit the earth.

Cobham’s IP Mesh radio technology uses every radio in the chain as a repeater to increase range and reach around communication blocking obstacles such as buildings and hills.

They are in service with first responder emergency services, and with mines in Southern Africa, increasing both efficiency and safety. Next year competitors in the Volvo Ocean Challenge round the world yacht race will depend on Cobham satellite communications equipment to report their position and health, while our broadcast technology will enhance the viewing experience along the route.

Image: NASA/JPL Caltech

cobhamnews

Every Airbus airliner communicates through Cobham antennas. Every US Air Force and Navy pilot relies on Cobham systems to automatically inflate their lifejacket and release their parachute after an overwater ejection.

And every US astronaut, from the very first in 1961 to the crew on the Space Shuttle’s final flight, has breathed through an oxygen regulator provided by a Cobham company.

Cobham provides technologies that make communication possible when nothing else will. Our military radios can change frequency more than a thousand times a second to prevent jamming by opposing forces.

Our television transmission and compression technologies, including the world’s smallest television transmitter, move digital data so efficiently that through our televisions we can now ride along with Red Bull Air Race pilots through their aerial

acrobatics, seeing what they see from the cockpit, as they see it.

After natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Chinese Schezuan earthquake, Cobham invited disaster relief agencies to borrow dozens of special suitcasesized mobile satellite communications systems. With the push of a button the systems unfold, identify suitable satellites, lock on and then tell the operator they can now simply plug in their laptop or telephone. After major disasters this system, often mounted on vehicles for mobility, has sometimes been the only means of communication with the outside world to help coordinate relief efforts.

Cobham’s products have always been designed with a thorough knowledge of the environment in which they will be used. This is why, in the age of touch screen and push button, Cobham’s military vehicle

intercom systems still feature large knobs, useable by gloved hands in a moving, bouncing armoured vehicle under fire. Cobham has produced more than 120,000 such systems for 20 armed services around the world, including Australia. The system

On land and sea, in air and space, Cobham is supporting human endeavours in exploration, commerce and security. has been credited with saving lives by enabling clear communications and saving the hearing of armoured vehicle personnel.

On every continent, on land and sea, in air and space, Cobham is supporting human endeavours in exploration, commerce and security.

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cobhamcommunity Clockwise from top left: A scrum sorts out the strong from the weak; police involved in the Bloody Slow Cup; the start of the motocross enduro event; the Cup raises funds for WA Police Legacy.

The Bloody Slow Cup EVERY year, Newman springs to life for the Bloody Slow Cup, the biggest Police Legacy fundraiser in the state and an important commemorative event for the community.

The Bloody Slow Cup originated in 2005 as a game of Rugby Union between the Australians and New Zealanders who live and work in Newman. The event has since grown from fairly modest beginnings to include junior and senior netball, Golden Oldies rugby, touch rugby, golf and lawn bowls. All sports share the competitive spirit of Australia versus New Zealand.

A recent addition is 20/20 cricket played under lights on the Friday night.

International cricketers Brad Hogg, Tom Moody and Greg Blewett travelled to Newman for last year’s game.

A motocross enduro three day event has also been introduced, where riders leave Newman, ride to Kumarina Roadhouse (south of Newman) and back. Dean Porter, the current Australian two-stroke champion, competed last year.

As for the main game, of the nine times the rugby match has been held,

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the New Zealand team have dominated, with Australia only victorious on one occasion in 2009. The New Zealanders did it again in 2013, winning 32-13.

The Bloody Slow Cup is explicitly linked to the WA Police Legacy because, together with a memorial ceremony, the event commemorates four police officers who were involved in a light aircraft incident in the regional town in 2001.

The Bloody Slow Cup provides an action-packed weekend in Newman and is a great example of police and community working together. And while the Newman locals and visitors enjoy taking part in various sporting events, the history of the Bloody Slow Cup is not forgotten.

Cobham is proud to support the Bloody Slow Cup and what it means for the people of Newman. Last year, it flew members of the Perth/Bayswater team to the event to compete in the junior rugby match between Perth/Bayswater and Newman.

This article includes contributions from Shane Sadler, Senior Sergeant 6236, Officer in Charge of Newman Police Station.

THE BLOODY SLOW CUP • Newman is a town in the Pilbara region WA. • The name of the event is a play on words from the Bledisloe Cup, the cup contested by the Australia national rugby union team and New Zealand national rugby union team.

• Approximately 3,000 people attended the 2013 Bloody Slow Cup. • More information on the history of the Bloody Slow Cup can be found at police.wa.gov.au

cobhamcommunity

RIDING FOR RURAL FAMILIES LATE last year a group of cyclists from around Australia rode from Mount Gambier in South Australia’s south east to Adelaide. Cobham’s Captain Justin Bruce took part in the 1,008 kilometre ride over seven days with 22 other riders to raise awareness and funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Ronald McDonald House provides accommodation and support to Australian rural families who need to travel to cities for medical treatment. There are 13 Ronald McDonald Houses in Australia providing a home away from home for families of seriously ill children undergoing treatment.

The South Australian charity’s fundraising focus for 2013 was to renovate a section of the South Australian Women’s and Children’s Hospital, creating a parents’ lounge/retreat for respite while their children undergo treatment.

Along the fundraising cycle journey the team visited a number of schools to promote the Ronald McDonald House and teach the children about bike safety. They also gave away bikes to a few lucky children who participated in competitions held by their school.

Several fundraising dinners were held throughout the week during the evenings, which made the week certainly very busy both on and off the bike.

Throughout the ride, the riders were affiliated with a child receiving treatment and their family utilising Ronald McDonald House in Adelaide. These children had written letters or made cards they handed to riders, to encourage them on the journey.

Captain Bruce said it was a great privilege to see his affiliate child in hospital and meet the family he was sponsoring through his ride when he arrived in Adelaide.

When the riders rolled into the Ronald McDonald House under police escort, they received a hero’s welcome and celebration.

Captain Bruce raised more than $6,000 for the Ronald McDonald House and, collectively, the team raised more than $200,000, which will go a long way towards the renovation.

You can keep up to date with the work of Ronald McDonald House Charities through their Facebook page at facebook.com/ RMHCAustralia

Top and above: 23 riders made the trip from Mount Gambier to Adelaide; Captain Justin Bruce with children from Ronald McDonald House.

When the riders rolled into the Ronald McDonald House under police escort, they received a hero’s welcome and celebration.

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Photos by Michael Lawrence & Duncan Macfarlane

A non-profit humanitarian organisation whose aim is to improve the health, wellbeing and self-reliance of people living in isolated regions connected to us through surfing. surfaid.org

what’snew don’tmiss FEBRUARY 7–MARCH 1

Perth International Arts Festival

The kick-off for this festival is a three-day re-enactment that charts the grand and perilous voyage of a ship on the open sea. The performance is on the ocean, and lighting will be provided by the stars and an amazing firework display. That is only the beginning of a three-week epic salute to music, theatre, and dance. 2014.perthfestival.com.au

Shark fear in Western Australia

The increasing number of shark attacks (six deadly attacks in just two years) near Western Australian beaches has sparked concern among locals and has prompted plans to kill the sharks which threaten swimmers and surfers. The state government has taken action as it is concerned that the attacks are significantly affecting WA’s tourism industry. They are implementing a baited drum line system to create two monitored zones in popular swimming areas and commercial fishers will be hired to catch and kill sharks greater than three metres in these monitored zones.

West Australians for Shark Conservation, president Ross Weir, said the new measures were criminal.

“The rest of the world would like to know why the government is not facing legal action,” he said.

“This policy violates 14 different United Nations laws conventions and treaties, as well as the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.”

The conservation group will be doing all they can to sabotage the drum lines and prevent any kills as the great white shark is classified as a protected vulnerable species under the IUCN Red List.

How ‘free’ are your eggs?

Ever-increasing numbers of consumers are purchasing eggs with the label ‘free range’, however many don’t actually understand what that means and how many products are legally free range products. The Greens are pushing to create a national and legally enforceable definition of the label in order to eliminate companies who simply use it as a marketing term to sell their brand. They want ‘free range’ to be defined as eggs from farms with 1,500 hens or less per hectare; or 2,500 hens per hectare under an approved paddock rotation system. This will not only protect consumers but also farmers who are doing the right thing by their hens and it will allow their cruelty-free practices to be suitably rewarded.

FEBRUARY 14–MARCH 16

The Adelaide Fringe Festival

Artists from around Australia and across the globe participate alongside local talent in art forms spanning cabaret, comedy, circus, dance, film, theatre, puppetry, music, visual art and design. adelaidefringe.com.au

MARCH 7–24

Sculpture by the Sea, Perth

Hundreds of awe-inspiring sculptures will be decorating the beach of Cottesloe in March. The scenery is a part of the art in some works, including Horizon by Lucy Humphrey, a glass ball that changes every time you blink, reflecting the majestic Indian Ocean. sculpturebythesea.com

BAG TRACKER

Travellers who are nervous about losing luggage can now put their minds at rest with an easy to use mobile tracking device. The tag can be placed inside any bag and uses GSM cellular signals (Global System for Mobile Communications) that, when linked to the user’s mobile phone via the LugLoc app, can track the bag to any airport in the world. RRP: $49. lugloc.com.au

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spotlight

The 10 best things to do in

ADELAIDE Simone Henderson-Smart discovers there’s a lot more to Adelaide than meets the eye.

CENTRAL MARKET

RIVER TORRENS

Adelaide locals value fresh, seasonal produce, so they flock to the huge Central Market to pick up their weekly groceries. Offering much more than just fresh fruit and vegetables, the market is home to specialty outlets such as The Smelly Cheese Shop and Barossa Fine Foods.

The complex also houses several cafes, the pick of which is Lucia’s (right). Pull up a chair and soak up the colour, smells and market madness while you sample home-style Italian cooking and fabulous coffee. adelaidecentralmarket.com.au

Take a stroll along the grassy banks of the River Torrens, which meanders like a continuous tree-lined oasis through the city. If you’re feeling more energetic, head to the front of the Convention Centre, where there are paddleboats for hire, or pick up a free bicycle courtesy of the Adelaide City Bikes scheme. However you choose to get there, make your way to Jolleys Boathouse Restaurant, perched right on the riverbank, for a nice long lunch. jolleysboathouse.com

HAIGH’S CHOCOLATES Move over, Willy Wonka! Even without a golden ticket you can still fulfil your childhood fantasy by visiting the Haigh’s Chocolate factory for a behind-the-scenes tour with lots of tastings. Make sure you leave plenty of time to decide what to buy from the store at the end of the tour, as the selection of handmade truffles, giant chocolate frogs, fudge, bars and chocolates will have your head spinning. haighschocolates.com.au

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HISTORICAL HAHNDORF

CITY TRAMS

Twenty minutes out of the city, in the pretty Adelaide Hills, is the charming town of Hahndorf.

Settled in 1839 by German Lutheran families, the town continues to salute German country life with its coffee houses, chocolate-box shops, strawberry fields, and pubs that serve enormous plates of traditional German fare.

At The Hahndorf Inn expect to encounter busty wenches, lederhosen and a one-metre-long bratwurst hot dog. hahndorfinn.com.au

Adelaide’s trams are free within the city, allowing you to hop on and off whenever you like, making the market to mall to museum trek easy on the feet. However, it’s worth paying the small fare to take the trip all the way to the beach at Glenelg, where the main strip, Jetty Road, is lined with shops, bars and restaurants.

Make the journey extra special with a Temptation Sailing cruise and wild dolphin swim. dolphinboat.com.au

spotlight

COOPERS BREWERY Beer lovers will find plenty to inflame their passion on a tour of the Coopers brewery. The Cooper family has been making beer in South Australia since 1862 and its brewery – Australia’s largest independent – has managed to remain family owned and run.

Learn their story, uncover the secrets to making great beer, either on a grand scale or at home, and then enjoy tastings. tours.coopers.com.au

PUB CRAWL

NORTH TERRACE Stroll along North Terrace and check out the National Wine Centre, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the State Library, Government House, Parliament House, and the National War Memorial. southaustralia.com

Rundle Street, in the hip east end of town, is the place for all things fashionable. Happily, it’s also perfect for a pub crawl. Park yourself at a sunny table outside The Austral and begin with a cleansing ale. Down the street you’ll find the eclectic Exeter with its cool, leafy courtyard. The Elephant is pure British kitsch, complete with mock Tudor facade and beers by the pint. A cool final resting place is The Stag, also known as ‘Adelaide’s worst vegetarian restaurant’ because of its meat obsession. rundlestreet.com.au

DAYTRIPS

ADELAIDE WARBIRDS If you’ve always wanted to perform death-defying aeronautical stunts, pop on your goggles, twirl your moustache and head to Adelaide Warbirds for an extreme adventure flight in an exmilitary aircraft. Ease in with a low-level flight along the coast, or go for the ultimate rush of pulling loops and barrel rolls in a genuine ex-air force jet. adelaidewarbirds.com.au

Get out of town! If you have more time for exploring, there are plenty of great daytrips from Adelaide.

• Fly to Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula and in just over an hour you can be swimming with sea lions or cage diving with Great White sharks courtesy of Adventure Bay Charters. adventurebaycharters.com.au • A two-hour drive to Cape Jervis and a quick ferry trip gets you to Kangaroo Island, which is known for its unspoilt beaches, prolific wildlife and incredible produce. For sheer indulgence, stay at Southern Ocean Lodge. southernoceanlodge.com.au • Visit Penfolds in the Barossa Valley and make your own wine blend from grenache, mourvedre and shiraz. They’ll bottle it for you and name you as assistant winemaker on the label. penfolds.com

A two-hour drive to Cape Jervis and a quick ferry trip gets you to Kangaroo Island, which is known for its unspoilt beaches, prolific wildlife and incredible produce.

Above from top: The Stag Hotel; the incomparable Southern Ocean Lodge; Penfolds’ Barossa cellar door.

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charity

The sky’s no limit In an age of brand awareness and social media, the Royal Flying Doctor Service is reaching out to a new generation with an innovative campaign. Forget buying a patch of earth – how about some sky? By Amal Awad.

IT’S A NATIONAL institution and one that has been saving the lives of Australians since 1928, when Reverend John Flynn, a Presbyterian minister from outback Australia, campaigned for an aerial medical service.

In 1912 his Australian Inland Mission was established to address the spiritual, social and medical needs of Outback residents. Five years later a letter from a medical student interested in aviation inspired Flynn to pursue an aerial medical service. A fortuitous meeting with the founder of Qantas, Hudson Fysh, saw his dream become a reality.

The first Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) flight left Cloncurry in May 1928 in Victory, a single-engine timber and fabric biplane that Qantas had leased to the aerial medical service.

Eighty-six years later, the RFDS services approximately 290,000 people a year, which equates to one person every two minutes. The RFDS now has more than 1,000 employees, 280 doctors and nurses, 180 pilots, 63 aircraft, 21 aviation bases and many volunteers.

What many people don’t realise is the RFDS is reliant on government funding 14

and donations. Cue ‘Buy the Sky’, which is not only an exercise in brand awareness for younger generations, but also an innovative way to fundraise for the RFDS. “We’re lucky enough to have lots of supporters and donors around the country, but they tend to be more of an older generation, so over-65s, and they tend to be more regionally based,” says Rebecca Wyles, national corporate affairs and marketing director for the RFDS. It’s a logical connection, given the work the flying doctors do in remote communities. “[Older people] are the ones who see us around the most,” says Wyles.

Currently, the RFDS receives funding from a variety of sources. Approximately 24 per cent comes from the Commonwealth Government and 45 per cent from state and territory governments. Additionally, fundraising contributes 17 per cent of funding, while about 13 per cent comes from corporate partnerships.

The desire to fundraise is tied in with a huge push to build the RFDS brand in the digital age.

Above and right: The RFDS services one patient every two minutes; Outback Wrangler’s Matt Wright is an RFDS ambassador and supports the campaign.

charity

The RFDS has more than 1,000 employees, 280 doctors and nurses, 180 pilots, 63 aircraft, 21 aviation bases and many volunteers.

“We wanted to do something to reach out to a younger demographic based around metro centres of Australia and just remind them about what we do and kind of build a relationship with them,” Wyles says.

In particular, the RFDS set out to pursue a digital campaign, which culminated in buythesky.com.au, a project that was in the works for about two years and launched in mid-October 2013.

The initiative allows people to buy a patch of virtual sky for $50 (which is tax deductible).

More specifically, the donor can assign a name to a portion of one of the many routes in the RFDS’s 7.15-million-square-kilometre service area.

The money will go to the purchase of new equipment, such as new neonatal incubators that can sit on the planes, and health programs.

“Not a lot of people know this, but we actually run clinics in remote areas as well.

So a plane will fly out with a doctor on scheduled visits, be they weekly or monthly visits,” explains Wyles.

Meanwhile, to offer some perspective, a plane costs in the vicinity of $8 million, and the RFDS runs about 14,000 free clinics a year – the only access that people in remote areas have to medical care.

Traversing 90 per cent of Australia, with a focus on rural and regional areas, the RFDS carries out 40,000 air evacuations a year.

And its realm extends beyond the rural.

“A lot of our work is doing inter-hospital transfers around metro cities,” notes Wyles.

She cites the example of a boy who required a liver transplant and had one hour to get to Melbourne to accept a sudden organ donation.

Moreover, the RFDS is a service for which demand is rising in numbers higher than ever, notes Wyles.

“We’ve measured [demand] as 26 per cent higher than in 2006. That’s largely driven by the mining boom, but also travellers and tourism, and ‘grey nomads’ – empty-nesters driving around the country,” Wyles explains.

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This image: Farmers in remote areas rely heavily on the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

FAST FACT The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) is one of the largest and most comprehensive aero-medical organisations in the world.

What it means to ‘buy the sky’ The concept of selling patches of sky is the brainchild of advertising agency Havas and, to Wyles’s knowledge, is a first.

“You’ll hear of charities selling virtual things. I think there was a guy in America who sold patches of the moon for money.

But, as far as I know, no-one else is selling patches of sky,” she says.

The RFDS has mapped a selection of its routes, which allows donors to select a path and use Google Earth to see what is beneath that patch of sky.

“What’s really cool is you can opt in for flight alerts, so when a RFDS plane flies through your patch you get an email [or SMS/ Facebook] alert,” says Wyles. Donors also receive a certificate stating their ownership of a patch of sky, with co-ordinates and flight path information.

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Outback Wrangler’s Matt Wright has a lot of respect for the work of the RFDS, and has recently been made an ambassador.

“What they do is amazing,” says Wright.

“Up there, where I’m from, falling off your motorbike or having an accident on a tractor, in a car or on a horse is a regular, daily occurrence. I’ll probably end up in one of those planes one day, so it’s a great cause for me to get behind!”

Matt’s support of the campaign has attracted a good response, says Wyles.

And she’s pleased that people are not only responding to the campaign but also giving it a nod on social media.

“When they buy their patch they’re sharing

it, and that’s important from a word-of-mouth perspective, as we’re all familiar with the snowball effect from social media and what that can do,” she says.

“That’s what I love about it. It’s not just a donation. You actually feel like it’s a journey you’re taking, and you’re getting something back – when you get an alert, someone is potentially having their life saved as they fly through your patch.”

‘Ownership’ of the virtual patch expires after 12 months, but Wyles isn’t sure how long the campaign will run. “I think the average life of a campaign is three years. So in terms of how long this is going to go on for, we’re still very much at the start, so who knows?”

The RFDS has mapped a selection of its routes, which allows donors to select a path.

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Conquer Cystic Fibrosis through research

I

n 2002 a small group of

parents of children with CF decided to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis WA (CFWA) which, at the time, was in need of financial support.

The 65 Roses Grand Ball for Cystic Fibrosis was born and $42,986.25 was raised.

Realising the potential they had to raise significant funds, and driven by the need to do all they could to make a real difference for people with CF, in 2003 this same group, in addition to raising money for CFWA, raised funds to donate to research.

Since then, the group has grown to encompass people with CF and family friends. This very dedicated and extremely hard working group have continued to organise the 65 Roses Grand Ball for Cystic Fibrosis, making it an annual event. Their major focus being research. Why? The answer is best told in the numbers. Life expectancy in Australia for people with CF in

the 1960’s was 5 years. It is now 35 years. Deaths in Australia of younger people have, thankfully declined dramatically since 1998. The six years from 1998 to 2004 saw a fall of 70% in the number of deaths of people with CF aged under 20 years.

The greatest contributing factor to this is undoubtedly research.

Research leads to improvements in treatments,which in turn leads to longer, healthier lives.

To date the 65 Roses Balls have raised $910,976.13 for CFWA and CF research.

In 2012, Conquer Cystic Fibrosis was incorporated, thus allowing for expansion and increased fundraising for CF research.

The Ball, the major fundraising event has been renamed “The Conquer Cystic Fibrosis Grand Ball”.

Unfortunately there is still no cure for Cystic Fibrosis. But that is something Conquer Cystic Fibrosis Inc, intends to change.

There is still no cure for Cystic Fibrosis

Conquer www.conquercysticfibrosis.com

C stic Fibrosis Inc.

explore

IN TWENTY FOUR HOURS Whether you’re with your kids, your partner or your mates, when the sun sets in the West, there’s still plenty to make your day, finds Simone Henderson-Smart.

FAMILY- FRIENDLY 7am – 9am: Nobody does smorgasbord like the Swedes, and breakfast at Miss Maud’s is sure to fuel up your little Vikings and get them ready for adventure.

Be sure to try the trademark pastries that spawned 11 little pastry houses around the city. missmaud.com.au 9am – 11am: Let’s face it, every child wishes they had a license to print money (most parents too) so take them to see the folks who do at the Perth Mint. It’s also home to Australia’s largest natural gold nugget collection and a one-tonne gold

coin worth a cool $50 million. Not very practical, is it? perthmint.com.au 11am – 12pm: Wander through 12,000 kilometres of West Australian coastline in just one hour at the Aquarium of WA. From the icy waters of the Southern Ocean to the tropical coral reefs of the far north, meet moon jellyfish, snorkel with sharks and taunt the crocodile from behind the safety glass. aqwa.com.au 12-2pm: Head to Salt on the Beach for a truly kid-friendly lunch complete with indoor playground. Hurl the children into the bouncing castle to keep them

entertained while you slip in to the microbrewery and try a few of their ales.

2pm – 5pm: Scitech is a hands-on science museum with plenty to inspire and entertain the whole family. Make molecular origami, take a journey into space in the planetarium, or explore different types of energy by testing your skills in the world’s largest interactive ball race. scitech.org.au 5pm – 9pm: Head out to the Swan Valley (just 30 minutes from town) in time for the kids to don their complimentary gumboots and feed the

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animals at Settlers Rest Farmstay, which happens at 5pm each day.

They will have the run of the farm, although they won’t, really, because obviously they’re not allowed to drive the tractors. But it’s fun, and then after they’ve exhausted themselves, it’s just a short trip out to one of the many wineries for dinner later in the evening. If gastro-pub grub is more your style, then cosy up by a log fire at the Rose & Crown hotel in lovely Guildford.

9pm: Back to your three-bedroom cottage at Settlers Rest for a country-style star-filled sky and total peace and quiet. Bliss!

COSY COUPLING 7am – 9am: Start the day perched high in Kings Park with a nature hit and breakfast at the Botanical Café as you look out across the city you’re about to plunge into.

9am – 12pm: Head to Fremantle for a wander down the famous cappuccino strip where busy cafes and designer boutiques are joined by micro-breweries and galleries in a noisy, colourful battle for your attention. The markets are well worth a visit for the buskers alone.

12pm – 5pm: Forget the Swan River cruises brimming with tourists and snuggle all the way to the wineries on the back of a 20

custom trike (svtrikes.com). Follow the 32 kilometre Swan Valley wine and food trail that takes in more than 150 wineries as well as galleries and breweries. Stop for a refuel at Taylors quirky Art and Coffee House where whatever is in the garden defines the menu.

5pm – 7pm: Cruise back to town and pull up a Chesterfield in the dark, cosy Andaluz underground bar, serving up glamour, cocktails and Spain in equal measures. andaluzbar.com.au 7pm – 10pm: Keep the glamour going with a velvetdraped, chandeliered fine-dining experience at 1907. The one-time rag factory – yes, ‘rag factory’ used to be a thing – is a true tale of rags to riches and now offers gems like Cape Grim grass-fed Black Angus rib eye on the bone straight from the paddock to the plate.

10pm – 2am: One of the other great things about 1907 is that it’s smack bang in the middle of bar territory. A quick stroll in the moonlight will take you to the rooftop Aviary, the similarly elevated Conservatory, the cute Cheeky Sparrow and the off-themap wonderland of Wolf Lane.

2am: Recline in Parisian-style luxury in your inner-city boutique apartment at the Outram in West Perth, just by Kings Park, and recharge for another day.

FAST FACT Kings Park is one of the world’s largest inner city parks; covering more than 400 hectares. The park is rich with wildlife and displays over 3,000 species of Western Australia’s unique flora.

explore

Shift your view and see Perth from the water as you paddle up the Swan River in a kayak.

Clockwise from top left: Little Creatures brewery; sunset on the Swan River; the gold-filled Perth Mint; interactive family fun at the Scitech science museum; aerial view of the Kings Park war memorial.

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The Crown complex is brimming with bars and restaurants so why not have a progressive dinner party through them all?

MATES WHO RATE

Above from top: Channel your inner James Bond with a martini at the casino; aerial view of the Crown complex; the so french, so chic Bistro Guillaume.

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7am – 9am: Golf is a great way to start any day, but at the Canningvale Country Club a quick whip around their ninehole par 3 course leaves time for paintball too. Note: paintball is excellent for golf-loss revenge.

9am – 10am: Head over to the Gordon St Garage and restart your battle-scarred heart with a cup of their Mano a Mano special blend of coffee roasted on the premises, and a huge brekky of the usual suspects plus a glass of prosecco to toast the winners. gsgarage.com.au 10am – noon: Do what Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters did when they hit town and grab a Harley Davidson each from West Coast Bikes and rumble up the coast like rockstars. westcoastbikes.com.au Noon – 3pm: Beer lovers will find comfort in the arms of no less than 18 pubs in a short crawl through the streets of Fremantle.

Must-visits include microbreweries the Sail and Anchor, Mad Monk and Blacksalt. Finish up at Fishing Boat Harbour where the Little Creatures Brewery serves up tours and tastings as well as woodfired pizzas and beer-

friendly share plates in a massive converted boatshed right on the water. littlecreatures.com.au 3pm – 5pm: Shift your view and see Perth from the water as you paddle up the Swan River in a kayak hired from About Bike Hire who are conveniently 15 metres from the river’s edge. aboutbikehire.com.au 5pm – 12pm: Time to suit up Bond-style and hit the casino. Start with a martini to remember at MINQ. The Linney’s Elit Martini comes with a complimentary sterling silver pearl-tipped drink stirrer – one that is adorned with fresh French Cavern-cured blue cheese-filled olives that have been soaked in Louis XIII cognac. The Crown complex is brimming with bars and restaurants so why not have a progressive dinner party through them all? Begin with oysters and a glass of champagne in La Vie and a couple of Japanese fusion wagyu tacos at Nobu. Move on to Neil Perry’s woodfired wonders at Rockpool and finish with French sweetness at Bistro Guillaume.

Midnight – dawn: The party continues with roulette wheels and DJs spinning all night long.

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puzzletime

PUZZLES The Quiz

2014 FIFA World Cup? 7. The children’s toy Lego was created in which country?

8. Who was the first African American to win a best male actor Oscar?

9. ‘Twitchers’ is a name associated with practitioners of which hobby?

10. Which Australian city hosts the popular Mindil Beach Sunset Markets?

11. A ‘tredecennial’ would be held HOW often?

12. What do Ben Macdui, Mount Townsend and Mount Saint Elias have in common?

13. What is ‘digamy’?

14. In this year, Telecom changed its name

1. In the corporate world, what does the O of CEO stand for?

2. To be indifferent to someone is to give them the ‘cold WHAT’?

3. Who was Sullivan’s operetta partner?

4. The city of Chiang Mai, which sits along the Ping River, is in WHICH country?

5. Which type of pastry is used to make profiteroles and eclairs?

6. Which two European powerhouses did Australia draw in their group for the

Arrow words Quechua

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Selfish Actress, -Thurman

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Submit

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Aroma Bliss

America (1,1,1)

Model

Views

Ship’s stabiliser

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4 1 7 2 5

Gentler

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Convey Banished Pen fluids

Sudoku solution

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Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

Sudoku Rating: Barely

Lamp

to Telstra and Pay TV was introduced to Australia.

15. Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke founded which Australian fashion label in the late ’90s?

16. What would you be suffering from if you had cephalgia?

17. Who was the Australian prime minister at the time of the First Gulf War? 18. What shape are the pupils of a goat’s eyes?

19. Alizarin is a hue of which colour?

20. ‘Bachmann’s bundle’ is part of which human organ?

QUIZ SOLUTIONS 1. Officer 2. Shoulder 3. Gilbert 4. Thailand 5. Choux 6. Spain and the Netherlands 7. Denmark 8. Sidney Poitier 9. Bird-watching 10. Darwin 11. 13 years 12. They are all the 2nd highest mountains in their country.

13. The legal remarriage after the death or divorce of one’s first husband or wife 14. 1995 15. sass & bide 16. A headache 17. Bob Hawke 18. Rectangular 19. Red 20. Heart

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Five

minutes with …

Samantha Wills

Jewellery designer Samantha Wills is an essential part of her brand.

She talks to Amal Awad about creativity and what drives her.

When you began selling your wares at Bondi Beach markets, did you ever imagine this would one day be how you made a living?

I had hoped! At that time I was making jewellery at home on the dining room table – it was such a creative outlet for me outside a nine-to-five job. I’ve always been creative and making jewellery allowed me to express that. Taking that passion and making a career out of it was my dream and now it’s a reality.

When did you take a leap into the unknown and make design your profession?

After selling my designs at Bondi markets, an opportunity opened up for me to rent a table during Australian Fashion Week.

It cost $500, and I paid it hoping I would break even. By the end of the day, I had $17,000 worth of orders written down…

I quit my job the next day.

What is the most important thing for you when it comes to consumers buying your products?

Connection and a unique experience. We are very lucky to be living in a social media

world where I am able to directly connect with my customers. Through these channels, our customers are being heard and are able to share with me their own personal style rather than being told what they should like or how to wear it.

You are very active on social media and engage with fans. Why is this so important to you?

Social media is a way for us to have a personal connection with customers.

There is that sense of community and emotional connection that social media creates between customers and the brand.

We treat it as a conversation in real life and real time – you wouldn’t ignore a customer who walked into your shop, why would you ignore them online?

You divide your time between Australia and the US. Is that ever a challenge?

I am lucky enough to call New York and Sydney my two homes. New York City is a creative hub, brimming with originality and inspiring people. Sydney boasts the most beautiful beaches and sunrises like no other. Would you call living between these two spaces a challenge?

What inspires your creativity?

past on the street who carries herself a certain way; a beautiful vintage find at the flea markets; or an old black and white photograph.

I also draw a lot of inspiration from the richness of city architecture, conversations, warm summer nights or early mornings bathed in pink light. The pieces are my way of expressing these moments.

What’s next for the Samantha Wills brand?

We have lots of exciting plans in the pipeline, particularly extending into new product categories such as leather and eyewear while, of course, staying true to our core bohemian luxury style.

Stay tuned!

“I rented a table during Australian Fashion Week … By the end of the day, I had $17,000 worth of orders written down… I quit my job the next day.”

I draw inspiration from various objects and experiences. It could be a girl walking 1

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entertainment

getsorted listen

read WALKS IN NATURE: AUSTRALIA Viola Design The ultimate guide for anyone hoping to experience Australia on foot, this is a compilation of the best walking trails in and around the major cities staff of Australia. There are pick 115 trails plotted out, complete with an all-important local food stop suggestion for each one. Ten per cent of the proceeds from each book go to Bush Heritage Australia.

tune in

GET HAPPY Pink Martini Get Happy is the new album from acclaimed US ensemble Pink Martini. It features bandleader Thomas Lauderdale and his ‘little orchestra’, as well as lead singers China Forbes and Storm Large. The album includes guest vocalists Rufus Wainwright, Phyllis Diller, Philippe Katerine, Meow Meow, Ari Shapiro and The von Trapps.

Get Happy is Pink Martini’s seventh studio album. Their previous albums have collectively sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide.

Highlights include the late Phyllis Diller performing Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Smile’, and a duet by Forbes and Wainwright on ‘Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again’. The album also features songs sung in German,

ELEPHANTS IN THE BUSH

Spanish, Japanese, French, Chinese, Farsi, Turkish and Romanian.

The ensemble has performed its impressive multilingual repertoire on concert stages worldwide with renowned symphony orchestras including the Boston Pops, San Francisco Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

watch ADVENTURES IN ZAMBEZIA This debut offering from Cape Town-based animation studio Triggerfish is set in the colourful and bustling bird city of Zambezia, perched on the edge of Victoria Falls in South Africa. The story centres on Kai, a naïve but high-spirited young falcon. Kai is desperate to spread his wings and leave the remote outpost where he lives with his very strict and overbearing father, Tendai (played to perfection by Samuel L Jackson). He runs away to Zambezia, where he encounters friendship, adventure and trouble, and learns the importance of teamwork and community while saving the day.

Clarrie Cameron Campfire stories are revered by many cultures around the world, perhaps none more so than Indigenous Australians. In Elephants in the Bush and Other Yamatji Yarns, Clarrie Cameron is helping to preserve the Aboriginal art of campfire storytelling by putting his favourite yarns to paper.

THE MADONNA ON THE MOON Rolf Bauerdick Set during the rise of communism in Eastern Europe, a young boy in a remote village in Italy is assisting his teacher in his classroom. As they hang a portrait of a new party secretary, the teacher tells the boy that he must kill the secretary. The next day, the teacher is gone. As crime erupts around him, the boy embarks on a journey to uncover the truth.

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Corryong, Victoria

3rd to 6th April, 2014

The Ultimate Bush Shindig!

150th Birthday of Banjo Paterson & Commemorating 100th year since the passing of Jack Riley

• 2014 Victorian Bush Poetry State Championships • Man From Snowy River Poem Re-enactment •The $60,000 Man From Snowy River Horseman’s Challenge Also featuring: High Country Rodeo, Snowy Mountains Station Team Muster, Equestrian Educational Arena, Ute Muster Competitions, Aussie Bush Idol Talent Quest, High Country Rock Concert with Baylou, Fanny Lumsden & The Thrillseekers, Danny Phegan-Longreach & Richard Perso, Street Parade & Street Party, Vintage Machinery, Attree Park Kids Party, Busking Competition, Dog Jump, Arts & Crafts Market, Art & Photography Show. Too much fun for just one ... so bring your mates!

Bush Festival information at bushfestival.com.au Email: info@bushfestival.com.au Ph: 02 6076 1992

citybites

citybites sleep

over

LOCATION, LOCATION Sydney

For visitors in Sydney during the Sydney Festival this summer, at $220 a night Metro Apartments Darling Harbour offer an affordable option for those who love being right in on all the action. As they say, it’s all about location, and the apartments are also surrounded by attractions such as Wild Life Sydney Zoo, IMAX theatre, Madame Tussauds and the restaurants, cafes and bars of Darling Harbour. The 32 chic loft apartments have recently been renovated and include free internet and an upgrade to an executive apartment if there’s availability. The apartments are a popular choice for couples and families looking for a home away from home as they include a queen-size bed upstairs, a sofa bed downstairs, a kitchen with all the mod cons and a spacious living room for guests to eat in. Located in two separate buildings in Sussex and King streets, there’s the choice of the larger, contemporarystyled Sussex Street apartments with views over Darling Harbour, or the New York-styled King Street apartments have access to a rooftop pool and discounted parking only a stone’s throw away. metrohotels.com.au

long

lunch

BEACHSIDE BEAUTY Wollongong

Those visiting Wollongong from Sydney, or heading to the big smoke from the ’Gong, now have every reason to stop off at the lovely seaside village of Thirroul en route.

Thirroul is now home to Flanagans Dining Room – a laidback yet classy oasis with a cool beach shack styling. Mere steps from the beach, on the promenade in the historic Thirroul Beach Kiosk Building, the restaurant has a focus on great, fresh, seasonal produce in dishes that are presented with creative flair. The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2014 named Flanagans one of the top three restaurants in the Illawarra, and deservedly so. With dishes such as tempura bite-size barramundi gourjons with a paprika aioli, and venison kofte with a sour cherry jus, there is every reason to get excited about the seven-course degustation menu which, for $80 or $125 with matched wines, is a steal. Add friendly, knowledgeable staff and a stunning view across one of the prettiest beaches in the Illawarra, and you’ve got a great reason to linger over lunch or start dinner early to make the most of your visit. flanagansdiningroom.com.au 5

highlight

Legends of the high country The Man from Snowy River is an epic ballad that continues to be retold.

Every year Corryong hosts a festival that re-enacts the chase. By Amal Awad. t’s a story that’s been told countless times in various incarnations, such is Australia’s love affair with Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson’s epic poem, The Man from Snowy River.

Perhaps the most famous of the numerous screen adaptations is George T. Miller’s 1982 classic Australian film starring Tom Burlinson, shot on location in Victoria’s mountainous Alpine region.

Further proving Australia’s unwavering love affair with the ballad, even the nation’s currency pays tribute, with the entire poem inscribed on the $10 note, along with an image of the esteemed poet himself.

A museum at Corryong, the setting for the poem, and the annual The Man from Snowy River Bush Festival also pay homage to Paterson’s legacy. The latter is a four-day spectacular that not only re-enacts the poem, but also celebrates the high country with bush poetry, rodeo, street parade, country rock concert and gruelling horse-riding competitions.

2014 will be a bumper year for the festival, marking not only the event’s 20th anniversary, but also the 150th anniversary of Paterson’s birth.

The legend The poem itself tells the story of a horse owner who offers a large sum of money for the safe return of an escaped and valuable horse. Riders from the area attempt to capture it, but are no match for the rugged country. Only the man from Snowy River, with his skill and courage, survives.

Significant to the legend is its alleged basis in real life, with the town of Corryong claiming local brumby hunter and stockman Jack Riley to be Paterson’s inspiration for the poem. Legend has it the poet spent an evening in 1890 listening to Riley’s tales of adventure, which included the recapture of a thoroughbred stallion that had joined a mob of wild horses.

The true name of the tale’s hero remains unknown, with even Paterson himself recorded as saying his hero was based on not one person, but several.

The thrill of re-enactment The festival recognises the legend of Jack Riley in its program, with the annual ‘Riley’s Ride’. Each year, 50 riders embark on a four-day trail ride from Tom Groggin Station to Corryong, to commemorate his life and the part he played in the early

days of the district. At the end of the ride, the epic ballad is re-enacted.

The Man from Snowy River Challenge is the showcase event of the festival, which aims to find a modern day ‘man from Snowy River’. Horsemen and women from far and wide compete in this test of horsemanship, designed to test the skill, endurance and relationship between horse and rider. The top ten riders earn a place in the two final events, the ‘Brumby Catch’ and the ‘Stock Saddle Buckjump’.

There’s a range of challenges to complete, including ‘Banjo’s Bareback’, a course that must be completed riding bareback, and ‘Clancy’s Whipcrack’, which requires competitors to cut targets on a set course in a set time, followed by 30 seconds of freestyle whip cracking.

While horse riding is central to the festival, there’s also live entertainment, cattle dog demonstrations and a street parade. Most importantly, the bush festival captures the spirit of a time and legend that continues to capture the hearts of Australians.

The Man from Snowy River Bush Festival is held in Corryong, April 3–6. bushfestival.com.au

“The Man from Snowy River Challenge is the showcase event of the festival, which aims to find a modern day ‘man from Snowy River’.”

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© Stephen Mowbray

© Stephen Mowbray

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Eight years ago, Jessica Mauboy was a young girl from Darwin with a big voice and boundless talent. Today, Michelle Hespe catches up with an assured performer whose star continues to rise.

THERE’S NO DOUBT about it. Jessica Mauboy, at 25 years of age, is one of Australia’s finest exports. She’s a globally acclaimed R&B pop singer and songwriter with a Sony contract in the bag, an awarded actress and an ambassador for Indigenous education. And she just scooped an ARIA in 2013 for Best Female Artist. She’s certainly come a long way since the nation first clapped their eyes on her, as a runner-up to Damien Leith on Australian Idol in 2006. Back then, Kyle Sandilands told her she had “better lose the jelly belly” if she wanted to make it in the music industry. Well, it’s pretty damn certain that when Kyle clocks the Jessica Mauboy of today, one of our most impressive and accomplished home-grown stars, he’d be hard pressed finding anything to pick on.

It’s not surprising, considering Mauboy’s upbringing, that music flows through her veins. She comes from a suburban Darwin home that was often called the noisiest house on the block. Her father, of Indonesian descent from West Timor, regularly played the guitar, while her Australian Aboriginal mother could often be found singing. Being the youngest of five children, the house was always a hive of activity and music, and from very early on, Mauboy attended church, and then choir, with her grandmother. She grew up listening to country singers such as Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton, blending those tastes with large doses of urban rappers such as Tupac Shakur, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg. Mauboy loves to

play the piano while singing songs by Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and the Bee Gees, acknowledging Carey and Houston as her musical inspirations. Listening to Mauboy’s albums, it also comes as no surprise that she’s a big fan of Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé Knowles. In fact, it’s often been said that Jessica Mauboy is Australia’s answer to Beyoncé.

Things actually kicked off earlier than Australian Idol for Mauboy. At the age of 14 she won the Telstra Road to Tamworth competition at the 2004 Tamworth Country Music Festival and travelled to Sydney, scoring a recording deal with Sony Music Australia. She then released a country version of ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’, originally by Cyndi Lauper. The track didn’t get any traction, the contract finished and it was another two years before she auditioned for Australian Idol, progressing through to the grand final at the Sydney Opera House, where she became runner-up.

Since Idol, Mauboy’s musical journey has continued on a rapid yet steady rise towards becoming the star she is today.

She released her debut live album, The Journey, in 2007, then briefly became part of an all-girl pop group called Young Divas. Leaving the group to pursue a solo career in 2008, Mauboy had a taste of the big time when she released her first studio album, Been Waiting. The number-one hit from the album, ‘Burn’, caused a big stir in the music world, and following that, she scored two hits in the top ten

“She grew up listening to country singers such as Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton, blending those tastes with large doses of urban rappers such as Tupac Shakur, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg.”

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(‘Running Back’ and ‘Because’) with her album becoming the second-highest selling Australian album of 2009. She was definitely in the limelight when it was certified platinum.

Mauboy’s second album followed in 2010. Called Get ‘Em Girls, the hit singles ‘Saturday Night’ and ‘Inescapable’ really started to cement a large Jessica Mauboy fan base. Her third studio album in 2013, called Beautiful, included her sixth topten single – ‘Pop a Bottle (Fill me Up)’.

To date, Mauboy has received fourteen ARIA Music Awards nominations and has won two: one for the Highest Selling Single – ‘Running Back’ and her latest as Best Female Artist.

Also in 2013, she was ranked number 16 in The Herald Sun’s 100 Greatest Australian Singers of All Time.

The last time Jessica graced the cover of OUTthere was in 2010, when she kicked off her acting career by starring in the Aboriginal musical Bran Nue Dae. In 2012, she starred in The Sapphires, scooping an AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and travelling the world to promote the film.

With her singing career taking off, and a stint here and there on TV and in endorsement (including an advertisement for Head & Shoulders shampoo), Mauboy signed on to the Australian Government’s In2Oz program, designed to promote closer ties with Indonesia. Then in 2009, she began to make moves in sectors she’s always held close to her heart – charity and mentoring.

Mauboy teamed up with Bloom Cosmetics to create two designer collection nail polishes, two dollars from the sale of each polish being donated to Children’s Hospital Foundations Australia to support research into childhood illness.

Things continued to take off, with Mauboy performing for 92,000 people in Melbourne’s Federation Square for Oprah Winfrey’s famous visit Down Under. And her performance was later aired on the Oprah Winfrey Show, ramping up her US reputation.

The opportunities then kept pouring in. She was a support act for the Australian leg of Chris Brown’s hugely successful F.A.M.E. tour, and then became the face of the video game, Nintendogs + Cats, joining forces with RSPCA to promote it.

She played a role in Underbelly: Razor, launched a dress range with label KuKu at Myer and, in 2012, embarked on a Galaxy Tour across Australia with musician Stan Walker.

Then 2013 rolled along, and Mauboy received two nominations for the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards, and a nomination (which she won) for Northern Territory Young Australian of the Year. She appeared on the Ellen De Generes Show to promote The Sapphires in the US while travelling the world, performed for Barack Obama, and just recently she performed at the Emmy’s Governor’s Ball, “which was surreal!”, she squeals with delight.

Mauboy also became a mentor on The Voice (Australia), and the official ambassador of Yipirinya School, a bilingual and bi-cultural independent Aboriginal school, acting as a role model to students and helping to promote the school and assist with its fundraising. “I’ve always been involved in

10

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giving back, particularly in the area of education for Indigenous communities,” Mauboy says. “I think it’s incredibly important. I am currently the ambassador for the Yipirinya School in Alice Springs. It’s one of the only independent schools that run both an Indigenous and standard curriculum.

Every time I go out there I am so inspired by the dedication of the teachers and staff and the passion of the kids to learn. It inspires me to be a better role model for them every day.”

The amount Mauboy has fitted into the last eight years is seriously impressive, and she’s the first to admit that she can’t believe her own life. “If you had told me some of the things that I would have been able to do, and the experiences I was going to have way back then, I would never have believed you!” she says. “It’s been such an amazing journey. I still pinch myself every day. Even though at times it can be incredibly tough, I just remind myself that I get to do what I love. How lucky am I?”

“At times it can be incredibly tough, but I just remind myself that I get to do what I love.

How lucky am I?” Mauboy released her latest solo album, To the End of the Earth, in 2013, which she’s complemented with an Australian promotional tour packed with 27 dates from November 2013 to January 2014. “There are a few exciting things on the horizon,” says Mauboy, “But right now, I’m completely focused on my tour. It’s my first major headline tour and I’m loving being out there connecting with my fans.”

Asked how she feels about the new album and how she has developed as both a songwriter and musician, she says with pride, “As I have grown up, so too has my songwriting.

I’m able to communicate how I feel now without fear or self-consciousness. This is most definitely a more mature record and also my most personal to date.”

Mauboy admits that her hectic schedule can play havoc with her personal life. “This kind of career can be really hard on your relationships. I just make sure I get back to Darwin as often as possible, and my family does come with me whenever they can. It’s so important for me to have them around me – it’s what keeps me sane,” she says with a laugh.

“I love being back at home where I can really unwind,” she says. “My favourite things in the world are family, friends, food, nature, running and music,” she says.

And that’s the magic of Mauboy. She may now be an international superstar, but she’s also still a lovely girl from Darwin who can’t wait to jump on a plane, to be back in the city she loves and in the arms of her loving family and friends.

TOUR DATES

JANUARY 2014

Wed 8 Empire Theatre, Toowoomba Thurs 9 C. Ex Services, Coffs Harbour Fri 10 Lismore Workers, Lismore Sat 11 Glasshouse, Port Macquarie Sun 12 Tamworth Entertainment Centre, Tamworth Tues 14 Club Forster, Forster Fri 17 Evan Theatre, Panthers, Penrith Sat 18 AIS, Canberra Sun 19 Albury Entertainment Centre, Albury Tues 21 Eastbank Centre, Shepparton Wed 22 Bendigo Stadium, Bendigo Thurs 23 Wendouree Centre For Performing Art, Ballarat Fri 24 Geelong Arena, Geelong

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spotlight

JESS MAUBOY

FLIES IN (AND OUT) Recent ARIA winner Jessica Mauboy flew in to entertain FIFO mining workers for Morris Corporation. essica Mauboy is at the top of her game. In the past six months she’s scooped an ARIA, performed at the 2013 Emmy Awards in the US, appeared on the Ellen show, became the face of the NRL and released her third album Beautiful.

Mauboy can now add performing in the Pilbara and staying at a mine site to this list. Mauboy recently delivered three consecutive performances to FIFO communities in the Pilbara to an audience of almost 1,500 miners.

Hosting a superstar class act like Jessica Mauboy for clients is far from typical for the industrial hospitality/ facilities management company, Morris Corporation.

Lea Finau in marketing, says “We’ve heard of other acts like Jimmy Barnes and Noiseworks performing at remote villages before but never someone as ‘current’ as Jessica and never paid for by the caterer”.

So, just how did this idea come about?

Morris was re-tendering on the multifacilities management contract for the three villages and as the incumbent, wanted to provide residents with an ‘energised’ offer. At first, the idea of having Jessica Mauboy seemed ambitious but after a few phone calls to the right people, Morris discovered that they actually could, in fact, secure Mauboy. Morris just had to be successful in the facilities management contract – and they were!

The performances were fantastic and feedback from the site was fabulous with some even saying they thought the promo posters were a hoax and Jessica Mauboy wasn’t really going to turn up. For the FIFO workers, it was amazing to see Mauboy engage with the crowd encouraging them to get up and dance and sharing a joke or two with them.

The performance engagement was a part of the retendering win for Morris Corporation, which is reportedly worth $435 million, and includes providing catering and hospitality throughout Indigenous joint ventures at Pilbara operations run by Fortescue.

“Mauboy recently delivered three consecutive performances to FIFO communities in the Pilbara to an audience of almost 1,500 miners.”

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drivetime

Yes, it’s true, the Hunter Valley is all about the wine.

But what does it offer the whole family?

Sanchia Pegley takes off to find out.

Then we’re off to Valley Vineyard Tourist Park in Cessnock, and once settled into our site, the girls set off to explore while I get to work. Awning down, table and chairs out, mains power plugged in, air-con on, and I’m ready to get cooking.

Getting our beds organised is a family affair and it’s quickly decided that the girls will alternate between the two ‘exciting’ beds (one up the ladder, above the driver’s cab; and the one in the middle) and I’ll take the one at the back. Tabletops removed and converted, we snuggle up in one bed to watch a movie, talk about our day and our plans for tomorrow.

In the morning, we head to Yengo National Park to meet volunteers Jocelyn Grant and Adam Drylie from Image: Tourism NSW

MY CHILDREN are in awe when we collect our six-berth VW motor home from Apollo. Pulling down the steps to climb into the ‘house’, my 11-year-old twins clamber in to admire the compact TV with DVD, gas cooker, microwave, toilet and shower. We squirrel away our belongings and work through the checklist: external power unplugged? Check. Gas off? Check.

Steps folded up? Check. Windows and skylights shut?

Check. We’re ready to roll.

I set my sat-nav to Cessnock while one daughter straps into the large comfy passenger seat, and the other pops a DVD into the TV and settles into her seat-and-table-that-turn-into-a-double-bed.

As regular visitors to the Central Coast from Sydney, we are used to the familiar route, however the RV affords us a spectacular view we hadn’t considered.

Cruising down smaller roads with ease, buildings become few and far between and I feel that sense of ‘getting away’. “Cows!” shouts one daughter, and I’m reminded that my beachside-city kids aren’t used to these doe-eyed beasts. Chocolate has been mentioned several times already, so we head to Pokolbin, making a beeline for The Hunter Barn – a haven for sweet tooths, and home to the world’s largest candy kangaroo.

Inside the fudge and chocolate shop I’m invited to join a wine tasting but this time, I settle for some tongue-tingling dark chocolate instead. We leave with big smiles and a bundle of Hunter treats that can’t be bought elsewhere.

Above: The beautiful Hunter Valley Gardens in full Spring bloom.

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Ngurra Bu, a not-for-profit organisation that shares Aboriginal culture with others.

We travel through vineyards complete with stunning sculptures, past horses and cattle, valleys and hill scenery until we reach Wollombi, near Paynes Crossing.

Wollombi means ‘meeting place of the waters’, and it has great significance for Indigenous Australians, with more than 17 cultural sites per square kilometre. Adam is of the Wiradjuri people, and Jocelyn is Gadigal-born.

They welcome us then proceed to delight guests with information about the history of the area.

Our group is taken to an important Aboriginal site, where we are first cleansed with gum leaves.

“Usually we would burn these as part of a smoking ceremony,” explains Adam, “but because of the bushfires we can’t take the risk”.

The pair work well together, with Adam leading the cleansing ceremony and Jocelyn talking about bush medicine and bush tucker, and how the plants and wildlife indicate the weather and season ahead.

Our guides tell us about how to connect with the earth and how they teach their children to take only what they need, and use what they take.

We’re encouraged to remove our shoes and get in touch with the earth, stepping into the lore site and calling “Yaama!” (Hello! G’day!) to acknowledge our arrival. We spend a good hour marvelling at Indigenous engravings and learning about the region’s guardians; the feather-footed, the mentors and the lore leaders.

We stop at Finchley Lookout for a delicious lunch complete with stunning views across to Mt Yengo and Yengo National Park, where we discover that Mt Yengo is as sacred to NSW Aboriginal people as Uluru is to the people of Central Australia.

Adam and Jocelyn run the tours on a voluntary basis to raise funds for the bigger purpose behind Ngurra Bu – to educate disconnected Aboriginal people, particularly children, about their ancestry and culture.

I am inspired and humbled by the tour – and my daughters loved it, which is all I can ask for from ‘tweens. The group that shared the tour with us had taken a morning hot air balloon ride before the tour – what an opportunity: see the land from above and then learn about it at ground level.

Hunter Valley Gardens is next on our agenda and thankfully parking the RV is easy.

The girls’ favourite spot is the magical Storybook Garden, where you can roll down the hill with Jack and Jill and sit at the Mad Hatter’s table with Alice. There are 10 gardens in all, with plenty of roaming birdlife and charming topiary horses. Just beyond the lakes is a pretty chapel that the park’s owners, Bill and Imelda Roche, lovingly built for their daughter’s wedding. It’s hugely popular, with two weddings while we are there – the gardens making an idyllic backdrop for photos.

We hop on a train to tour the rest of the gardens, and learn much from the enthusiastic guide.

Below: Ballooning is also a great way to see the region.

FAST FACT The Hunter Valley is Australia’s main region for the breeding and rearing of thoroughbred horses.The Upper Hunter area around Scone is one of the largest horse breeding areas in the world.

Image: Tourism NSW

16

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drivetime

And then it’s wildlife time. Nestled in Werakata National Park, Hunter Valley Zoo is no Taronga, so keep your expectations in check. On arrival you can be forgiven for thinking you’ll be done within an hour, but there’s actually plenty to keep everyone entertained. We enter pens and hand-feed lambs, deer and goats. Regular talks by animal keepers are held throughout the day, and we cuddle Brittany the koala and pat a couple of snakes and an innocent-looking alligator. We walk among kangaroos and wallabies, see joeys in their mums’ pouches and are approached by a very confident albino kangaroo. Vibrant aviaries, cheeky monkeys, lazy wombats, Tassie devils and daring dingoes are all housed at the zoo, plus several peacocks strutting around.

Our last hurrah in the Hunter is horse riding with Hunter Valley Adventures and Horse Riding. Shimmer, Bonnie and Pepper follow a well-trodden trail through paddocks of cows and mobs of kangaroos.

We stop at a dam for the horses to drink and our guide Karen points out an enormous eagle’s nest high in the trees. For the rest of the time we continue our ride in awed silence. Twice we break into a trot – our horses are eager and they know the drill. One hour was enough (as the bruises testify) but it was one of the highlights of our trip.

Busy days lead to refreshing dips in the park’s pool, followed by relaxing BBQs outside the RV before snuggling up for a movie and a bed inside our ‘house’.

And not a drop of wine passed my lips. That’s for another trip, and another story.

Round-up GET THERE

The Hunter Valley is about two hours north of Sydney via Pacific Highway, M1.

STAY

Apollo Motorhomes 661 Gardeners Rd, Mascot, Sydney 1800 777 779 apollocamper.com/holiday Valley Vineyard Tourist Park (Big 4) 137 Mount View Road, Cessnock 02 4990 2573 valleyvineyard.com.au

EXPLORE

Wollombi Cultural Centre Wollombi Road, near Payne’s Crossing 02 4998 3488 ngurrabu.org The Hunter Barn 2320 Broke Road, Pokolbin 02 4998 6999 thehunterbarn.com.au Hunter Valley Gardens Broke Road, Pokolbin 02 4998 4000 huntervalleygardens.com.au Hunter Valley Zoo Lomas Lane, Nulkaba, near Cessnock 02 4990 7714 huntervalleyzoo.com.au

EAT

Ellalong Pub 80 Helena Street, Ellalong 02 4998 1217 Blue Thai Restaurant Details as per Valley Vineyard Tourist Park valleyvineyard.com.au/bluethai.html 18

sport

Lake Hume water sports

Super Rugby 1 February

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food&wine

ORANGE

pilgrimage Serious foodies are flocking to Orange.

Simone Henderson-Smart pays a visit to see what all the fuss is about.

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food&wine

Photography: Richard Whitbread

’m not going to lie; I love a good vino, or three. And for years I’ve heard about Orange as a ‘must visit’ destination for like-minded folk. Their annual F.O.O.D. week (Food of Orange District) each April lures many fellow wine and food lovers away from the coast and across the Blue Mountains to this verdant and incredibly pretty town in the heart of NSW’s Central West. The locals also love a good festival, and so have packed the calendar with plenty of excuses for a visit – mostly food- and wine-related.

I happily discovered that my weekend escape to Orange coincided with the annual Lunch Amongst the Rhododendrons at Brangayne – a winery atop Mount Canobolas owned by the Hoskins family. Many of the hundred or so frockedup revellers were travellers who return each year, and are lovingly referred to in manager David Hoskins’ welcome speech as ‘repeat offenders’. The rest are locals of all ages, many of them repeat offenders as well. But it’s more than just an excuse; the Hoskins really know how to put on a party.

For me, the party kicked off with a perfect blue-sky day and a chilled glass of crisp pinot grigio, followed by a stroll around the enchanting jasmine-scented gardens, before everyone was ushered into a marquee to feast on four courses of local flavours. I had to confess to fellow diners that my knowledge and appreciation of Orange wines was below average due largely to the fact that the shelves of Sydney bottleshops are far from heaving with them. The wines being

22

generously poured throughout the day at Brangayne changed that for me however; cold climate gems every one of them, full of fruit and spice. We all knew the sweet sound of a clinking box of bottles would be accompanying a lot of us home that day.

Midway through proceedings, Pamela the marvellous matriarch gave her speech to the crowd. A lovely blend of regal elegance and earthiness, she had a sparkle in her eye as she recalled the trip to France a decade ago that drove her and her husband to rip up their fruit trees and plant vines immediately upon their return home to Orange. Many others followed suit and now there are more than 1,300 hectares under vine in the local area. But it’s not just the elevation and cool climate that makes it great for grapes, explained Pamela.

“The soil here is incredible,” she enthused. “You can grow anything. It’s volcanic, it’s rich and you could eat it.”

Thankfully there was no dirt on the menu that day, but she does have a point. The soil is basalt-rich, volcanic and extremely fertile. Grapes love it, and so do all types of berries as well as apple and cherry trees, garlic and even truffles, though ironically, oranges don’t do well in Orange.

It also produces great grazing for deer, pigs, cows, chooks and saltbush sheep.

A visit to regional providore – A Slice of Orange – makes it clear that the 100-mile diet would amount to total bliss in this region. It’s no wonder that as well as some of the

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food&wine

“Orange has three hatted restaurants, the only regional town in NSW to boast this many” best winemakers in the country, Orange has also tempted many top chefs to set up shop there too. In fact, there are three hatted restaurants in Orange – the only regional town in NSW to boast this many. Fine dining lovers with tighter budgets won’t be disappointed either. Local boy and former apprentice of celebrated chef Michael Manners, Scott Want is serving up a great menu at Bistro Ceello that’s peppered with local produce. The Mandagery Creek venison is a stand-out, as is the caramel hazelnut tart with rum and raisin ice-cream and salted caramel sauce that features nuts from local Fourjay Farm. The wine list is similarly Orange, and a glass of Philip Shaw’s chardonnay finds me at their cellar door the next day, tasting and talking and adding to the clinking in my car.

At Bistro Ceello I meet Charlotte Gundry from Taste Orange (an organisation that supports and promotes the region) and she tells me that the locals are passionate about the paddock-to-plate phenomenon, happily supporting local farmers and producers, and the events which promote them.

“Orange is really great at planning events with soul that connect with people,” she tells me. Her particular favourite is ‘Forage’, which happens during F.O.O.D Week, and is a lovely wander through vineyards and farms, giving foodies an up-close and personal look at where all this great local produce comes from.

“It’s so much fun,” she says. “It’s a great walk and every few hundred metres there’s a stall set up where you can taste things and drink wine and chat to the producers.”

It’s also one of the things that inspired Tom Ward from Swinging Bridge Wines to create a 100-mile grazing menu when he took over Union Bank Wine Bar recently.

“I wanted to create a place where winemakers and food lovers come to meet and chat and relax,” he says. “It’s really the only place in town that bridges the gap between restaurant and pub.”

The menu’s emphasis is share plates, and minutes can easily turn to hours as you slow down, sip, nibble and chat the afternoon away. He’s also set up a cellar door in the courtyard for tastings of his lovely pinot noir that took the trophy at the 2013 NSW Wine Awards. His cabernet sauvignon took one too for Best Organic Wine. He’s fiercely proud, not just of the quality of his wines, but of the entire region.

It’s this community pride that has helped shape Orange, a town full of people wanting to show off the best the region has to offer. Which, thanks to their wonderful events calendar, is very often.

The writer travelled courtesy of Destination NSW and Taste Orange.

24

Round-up GET THERE

Orange is about 260km from Sydney.

Several airlines fly there regularly.

Rent a car from Avis: avis.com.au.

STAY

Arancia Luxury Bed & Breakfast 69 Wrights Lane, Orange 02 6365 3305, arancia.com.au De Russie Suites Orange 72 Hill Street, Orange 02 6360 0973, derussiehotels.com.au

EAT & DRINK

Bistro Ceello 179 Anson Street, Orange 02 6361 1179, bistroceello.com.au Lolli Redini 48 Sale Street, Orange 02 6361 7748, lolliredini.com.au

EXPLORE

The pretty little town of Millthorpe is a 30 minute drive from Orange, and its heritage buildings are home to designer stores, gourmet cafes and antiques. Splurge on a meal at Tonic. tonicmillthorpe.com.au Orange F.O.O.D. Week is held in celebration of the region’s food and wine from 4–13 April. tasteorange.com.au/slowsummer.htm

MORE INFO

visitnsw.com.au tasteorange.com.au

agribusiness

The controversial issue of live cattle export has re-emerged as a hot debate in the agribusiness industry.

Christine Retschlag explores recent developments in the sector and examines both sides of the argument.

IT’S A TOPIC as sizzling as a cattle branding iron.

The issue of Australia’s live cattle export trade is once again a national focus and is unlikely to go away in a hurry.

In his first visit to Indonesia in his role as Prime Minister of Australia, and shortly after he secured the top job, Tony Abbott ensured that the controversial cattle trade was among the range of discussion items on his agenda.

The night before Abbott arrived in Jakarta in early October 2013, negotiators from Australia’s and Indonesia’s agriculture ministries agreed on a special quota for 53,000 additional animals, and an in-principle agreement to compromise on Indonesia’s demand for animal health tracking information, reported The Australian. According to the report, the compromise allowed for the special quote of “slaughter-ready” cattle on top of a December quarter quota of 46,000 head for fattening in Indonesia.

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Commentators believe that among many of the strategies he deployed on his Indonesia visit, Abbott was trying to demonstrate that Australia was indeed “open for business” – as he had promised upon election – in a thinly veiled dig at the Labor Government’s suspension of live trade in the middle of 2011.

At that time, an animal cruelty expose on the ABC’s Four Corners program entitled ‘A Bloody Business’, prompted former Prime Minister Julia Gillard to suspend trade while the allegations were examined.

Two months later, export resumed, much to the relief of enraged farmers. But many claimed the damage had been done. In response to an avalanche of public anger, the then Federal Government also introduced the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), but critics said it did not go far enough, only meeting the barest minimum of welfare standards and still allowing for animals to be killed while fully conscious.

The Australian states that, overall, the live cattle trade has been reduced by 60 per cent since 2010 amid reports that Abbott also supports an Indonesian plan to invest in 1.5 million hectares of cattle land in northern Australia.

“We can work together … but it will take some effort, especially after the shock of the former Australian Government cancelling the live cattle export trade in panic over a TV program,” Abbott reportedly said.

“Last year, I visited the abattoirs in Indonesia, which were quite comparable to those in Australia, and reject any notion that Indonesian standards are lower than Australia’s.”

Among further signs that Australia’s live cattle export trade and the nation is, indeed, “back in business”, a week later in October, the ABC reported that the Western Australian Government had signed a memorandum of understanding with China to export live cattle. The MoU pledges “mutual 28

support for discussions” between Western Australia and its sister province of Zhejiang in eastern China, as well as both country’s national governments and local governments, to set up new trade protocols that would involve live cattle.

WA Premier Colin Barnett told the ABC that, under the proposal, cattle would be transported to a new “highly sophisticated” abattoir in Zhejiang.

“This would be a market as big, if not bigger, than the Indonesian market for our industry,” said Barnett.

“Can I stress this is the beginning, but I’m very optimistic we will reach agreement and that the Chinese national government will support it, but we’re not at that point yet.”

Not everyone is as optimistic as the Abbott and Barnett governments when it comes to the issue of Australia’s live export industry. A week after the WA announcement, Animals Australia, who are calling for a ban on all live exports, released a statement in which they claimed thousands of Australian sheep were facing brutal treatment and slaughter during the Muslim Festival of Sacrifice in the Middle East in October.

Animals Australia investigators alerted the Federal Department of Agriculture to what it claimed were “severe breaches of live export regulations” in Jordan and Kuwait, where Australian sheep were being offered for sale in roadside markets.

“One of the primary motivators for the introduction of these regulations was to prevent the brutal treatment of Australian animals documented every year during this religious festival,” said Animals Australia campaign director Lyn White.

“Australians have been horrified by scenes of Australian sheep being shoved into car boots and brutally slaughtered and now, despite the existence of these regulations, thousands of sheep will again face this fate.

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“Regulations to make individual visual identification of sheep mandatory need to be urgently introduced by the Abbott Government, and removing ear tags before slaughter must be made a serious offence.”

Meanwhile, according to The Australian, both Indonesian importers and Australian exporters are hoping a new biosecurity system will see Indonesian live cattle shipments reach 500,000 head this year, and grow to more than 700,000 – a level the industry experienced when it was at its peak in 2009/10.

But in the same report, it seems unlikely that producers in the country’s Top End will be able to meet immediate additional quotas in Indonesia, with pastoralists citing destocking, a poor wet season, adverse trade conditions in Indonesia and the opening of markets in Vietnam and the Philippines as major issues.

Elders chief executive Malcolm Jackman, a key player in Abbott’s mission to Indonesia, said 53,000 additional cattle in three months would “be a bit of a struggle”.

“But I think people will get after it pretty rapidly,” he said. “It [Indonesia] is by far the most natural market … the market’s well-established, the relationships are wellestablished and because it’s so close, it works really well.”

In a report in Queensland Country Life in October, Federal Independent MP Andrew Wilkie attracted the ire of livestock exporters after he warned the Prime Minister against lowering animal welfare standards

during his visit to Jakarta. Wilkie described as “bizarre” Abbott’s suggestion that Indonesian abattoirs were “quite comparable” to those in Australia and accused the Prime Minister of preparing to put animal cruelty second to the Australia–Indonesia bilateral relationship.

“The fact is that most Indonesian abattoirs are barbaric charnel houses,” said Wilkie.

But Australian Livestock Exporters Association CEO Alison Penfold hit back at Wilkie’s comments as “simply wrong” and accused him of “slandering every single person” in the industry, from cattle producers to transport, feedlot and abattoir workers.

“The in-market transformation that’s taken place in such a short timeframe is very impressive and something that deserves better treatment than uninformed commentary from someone who are so far removed from the trade,” Penfold reportedly told Queensland Country Life.

“We take the accusations he’s making very seriously – and given those accusations, he needs to ‘man up’ and have the courage to talk to us directly.

“I’d simply like people to be informed.”

One thing is certain. The issue of live animal exports from Australia will continue to be a hotly debated topic this year, from the hallowed halls of Indonesian, Chinese and Australian parliaments to the cattle yards around the country, the backyard barbecue, the Middle East and beyond.

FAST FACT Five separate economic reports over the past four years have confirmed that live exports are undermining Australia’s meat processing industry — an industry five times more lucrative than live exports.

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report THE RIGHT SECONDARY SCHOOL IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A PATHWAY TO UNIVERSITY. CHOSEN WELL, IT CAN PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A HAPPY, CONFIDENT, COMPASSIONATE PERSON. SIMONE HENDERSON-SMART RECOMMENDS SEEKING EXPERT ADVICE.

NOT LONG AGO a secondary school’s merit was based almost entirely on its academic record. Many independent schools shone in this area, and were consistently ranked amongst the top performers in their state. Parents looking for the best opportunities for their children naturally gravitated to these schools, and with good reason – the results were there for everyone to see.

Fast forward to 2014 and you’ll see a different picture: parents wanting the best for their children expect much more than academic success alone. The job market has become increasingly competitive, and a well-rounded student with outside interests such as sport or music, along with a good work ethic, resilience, social confidence and a community conscience, will stand out from a crowd of information-fed robots.

On top of that, there is also the school’s stance on discipline, drugs and bullying to consider. How active and supportive is the teaching staff?

According to The Good Schools Guide, ethos is an important factor for parents when choosing the right school for their child. Many independent schools have a particular religious affiliation as do, obviously, catholic schools. Ethos also refers to the entire character of the school, and how staff, students and parents behave and treat each other.

Parents are gravitating towards independent schools that best offer all of these things; and the belief that ‘you get what you pay for’ in education in Australia still appears strong.

But how do you find the right school that can do all of that? Each child will have their own particular needs on top of that list too, making the choice even more complicated.

The Good Schools Guide recommends first starting with the needs of your child, and going from there.

“Without a doubt,” the guide says, “the best way to start the search is to give some thought to your child’s potential to succeed at different things and in different environments.

Get a clear picture of your child’s interests, abilities and weak spots; consider their academic strong points as well as their aptitudes in sport, art and other extracurricular areas; and finally ask your child to think about what they like and don’t like about school, and the things they would like to get out of secondary school.”

The guide explains that a reasonably complete picture of your child makes it easier to know what you are looking for in a school, and to recognise it when you find it. Finding the school most relevant to your child is also made easier with an advanced search feature on their website which allows a custom search of more than 6,900 schools based on a range of criteria.

“The belief that ‘you get what you pay for’ in education in Australia still appears strong.”

33

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smallbusiness

BEES’ KNEES Queen B, otherwise known as Cate Burton, is mad about bees. She has a business selling handmade beeswax candles and even hosts two hives on her Sydney apartment balcony, writes Mitch Brook.

Cate Burton appears totally at home in her hive. The queen of the enterprise that is Queen B smiles as she works deftly to construct the little boxes that will become the packaging of her unique high-end product – handmade, all-Australian beeswax candles.

A decade ago, Burton, owner and director of the boutique company, was suffering from severe anxiety attacks. Attempting to relieve the attacks and relax, she began to explore an array of pastimes. Two would become her passions: rolling beeswax candles and painting.

Through Queen B, Burton combines her two hobbies in a business she adores: creating artisan, 100 per cent pure Australian beeswax products, particularly candles.

Burton is a firm believer in beeswax as the best material for making candles. It’s natural, she explains, and, unlike the polluting paraffin varieties, they’re not treated with bleaching chemicals that create billions of tonnes of harmful dioxins.

Burton says her tests have shown that beeswax burns more slowly than the alternatives, such as soy or paraffin wax, and that it produces a more golden flame.

Furthermore, beeswax is a natural ioniser, working to purify the air around it as it burns.

“When you consider that a female worker bee makes around an eighth of a pinkie nail of wax in her lifetime, even our smallest candle – a four- to five-hour tea light

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FAST FACT Queen bees are the only fertile bees in a honey bee colony. They mate with male bees, aka ‘drone bees’, whose only job is to mate with queen bees; they don’t sting or contribute to work in the hive.

candle – has the life’s work of over a thousand worker bees in it,” says Burton, showing her passion.

“Beeswax constantly challenges us, so that even after a decade of working with it and over a million beeswax candles, I still learn new things constantly. I love the perfection of a beeswax candle that’s well made when you light it and watch the flame.”

The ‘hive’, as she calls her workshop and office, resembles ordered chaos, with a multitude of artistic devices, products and tools on display. Look out the back of Burton’s shop and you’ll see where the beeswax is purified and processed into its final form. This method involves melting the beeswax with hot water and straining it through filter paper, storing it for 22 hours and repeating the process. Then there’s another 22-hour wait before it’s ready to be hand-rolled, poured and hand-finished into high-quality end products.

“I am a perfectionist,” says Burton. “I have strong, uncompromising values and an analytical mind. So if I’m going to do something, it’s going to be absolutely beautiful; it is going to be uncompromised and it’s going to be extensively psychoanalysed! I’m going to read everything in existence about the subject and then throw all the existing literature in the air and test it thoroughly.”

Burton’s love for all things bee-related doesn’t stop with the use of their wax in her art. She’s fascinated

by the industrious little creatures, the buzzing communities that pollinate one third of our food and help make our ecosystems function. She even has two thriving beehives on her balcony in Sydney.

Early in the growth of her business, to further her understanding of working with beeswax, Burton studied a diploma of beekeeping in the pursuit of knowledge. Her studies sparked a fascination with the creatures, and she decided she wanted to install a hive near her workshop.

Using the bees’ wax and honey, however, would cause the creatures to recognise and be attracted to its sweet scent, with them potentially invading her workshop – not something Burton needed in the already-buzzing space.

Burton thought her small apartment in inner North Shore Sydney suburb Neutral Bay would be unsuitable for hosting beehives, but after consulting one of her former beekeeping teachers, she realised her balcony was in fact big enough to host two hives. Her balcony beekeeping exercise has been a success. “In summer, my hives can be home to up to 120,000 bees, reducing to around 60,000 in winter,” she says. “They produced around 120 kilograms of honey last year.”

Burton also helps maintain several other hives around Sydney, including those at the Four In Hand pub in Paddington. Another of her beekeeping clients lives in Elizabeth Bay.

Previous page, above above and below: Queen B’s Cate Burton at work, painting in her workshop; a selection of Queen B pillar candles; pouring tealight candles made from 100% beeswax.

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“I’m passionate about beekeeping,” she says. “We need urban beehives to pollinate all those community gardens and vegie patches everyone is planting. And I have to say that urban honey is, quite simply, extraordinary. Because the bees have such a variety of flora to forage on, the complexity of flavour in the honey is like a dance party on your palate.”

As the honey created by a hive changes depending on the flowers from which that hive’s bees collect pollen, honey from one hive will have a distinctly different taste to that of another. Burton’s own Neutral Bay Honey is a dark gold, with what she describes as a slight aniseed taste.

The Elizabeth Bay honey is a light yellow in hue, with “a hint of marzipan”.

It’s small but memorable variances such as this – differences found in beeswax as well as honey – that make this creative Sydneysider love working with bees.

In her workshop, you’ll find a Tesla water wand, a few types of filter paper, and the results of many tests, some successful and others not.

“That’s how I came to produce such high-quality wax for my candles, and how I continually improve it,” Burton explains. “A few years ago, our refining process was

nowhere near as lengthy, but it’s with continual tests of different methods that I improve the product.”

Her painstaking trial and error approach appears to be paying off, as Burton’s handmade candles and bee products are appreciated far and wide. And it’s not just ordinary consumers who value her candles – they’ve decorated the sets of prestigious shows including Opera Australia’s recent production of Tosca.

She’s not about to slow down: Burton’s plans for the Queen B business include continuing to refine her processes and working at maintaining the high quality of her candles and other bee products. Eventually, she’d love to expand and move to the country, extending her reach, and with that having the chance to make more of a difference in people’s lives.

Busy as she may be, fame and fortune aren’t Burton’s focus. Like her beloved bees, she’s a pollinator – keen to spread the sweetness around.

“My plans are pretty simple ... to light up people’s lives one beeswax candle at a time,” she says. “To be honest, I couldn’t give two hoots about selling candles. What does get me up every day is knowing that we’re making a difference to people’s lives.”

“Burton’s plans for the Queen B business include continuing to refine her processes and working at maintaining the high quality of her candles and other bee products.”

38

Below: Burton created this permanent light sculpture for Dom Perignon at Vue de Monde. The hanging bottles are beeswax, lit internally by LEDs.

You Can’t Become a Property Investor Sitting In a Seminar!

What if everything you need to know is right here in this article

Start NOW No One Can “Make You” A Successful Property Investor In A Seminar, But Rocket Property Group Can Make It So Step-By-Step Simple That It Just Happens “For You”.

My name is Ian Hosking Richards. I attempted what most people do; I began reading everything I could get my hands on and attending every seminar about the subject. I didn’t find that exercise particularly helpful. There was plenty of information but much of it was contradictory. The more I read the more confused I got.

Maybe you’ve come to the same conclusion I did, the subject of property investing does not lend itself to a theoretical approach.

You must take Action.

My approach might seem a little impulsive, I can assure you, it is actually a cunning plan that will allow you to get started straight away with minimal risk even without knowing everything about investing. See like you, I wanted to BE a property investor, not just KNOW about property investing. So I decided all I needed to do was to find the “right” someone who was already very successful in property investing and just copy his or her pattern. So I carefully chose my mentors and JUST GOT STARTED! I decided I’d keep my plan and actions quite simple and I stopped burdening myself with more unnecessary information.

Once I set my plan down on paper, my first few purchases were ‘copycat’ buys, I simply bought where they bought. Within a few short years I had achieved my goals and amassed quite an impressive portfolio. That’s when I was able to leave my day job.

Interesting how things have come full circle and now I have become the mentor. My attitude has changed a little. I still think that you don’t need to know everything before you get started, but it does make sense to have a good grasp of the basics. Learning by doing still seems a natural course to take. The basics I learned have become the basis of the ROCKET SCIENCE SYSTEM, I and the Rocket Property Group team use to help others, to more easily ACT on the dream of become a successful property investors.

“The approach I still use myself and teach others is simple and smart investing. I don’t consider myself particularly intelligent, and I am not good with numbers, but I am a successful property investor. Just as you create wealth by using leverage through bank loans, you should also be leveraging off the experience of others who know much more than you do.”

We meet with many people who come to us for advice. They are either “interested” in talking about property or “ready” to act. I never tell a client what to do. I can only ask one question “Are You Ready to Act?”.

What can you do right now to stop wasting your valuable time and start investing now? Instead of sitting on the fence, over researching, getting stuck in another seminar or panic buying the first thing you see, let Rocket Property Group guide you through The Smart Investors Planning Guide. You’ll learn a few simple guidelines to help you easily come to a decision if property investing is the way to achieve your goals.

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insidemining Issue 07 – January/February 2014

54

TUNNEL

VISIONS A first for coalmine tunnel boring

09

FOREFRONT

17

INDUSTRY FOCUS

25

MINING REVIEW

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news+views standardised safety protocol. The second is that since contractors are independent hires, they may not ever be fully briefed on each individual site’s safety procedures. Bell urges senior managers to proactively instruct each contractor in their site safety standards, explaining that the only way to minimise contractor death is to conscientiously consider these workers as members of the team at each respective site.

BACK TO SCHOOL

According to the National Academy of Engineering (USA), engineers worldwide are facing a whirlwind of change. Technology is advancing at such a rapid pace that engineers must update half of everything they know every couple of years.

Additionally, demands from customers are putting pressure on companies to adapt and evolve. For example, the fluid-power industry is challenged to improve reliability, reduce the size and weight of components and systems, and reduce the environmental impact of its work. To remain competitive, fluid-power companies must be open to the concept of lifelong learning for their staff and support their continuous improvement. In Australia the HYDAC Training Centre, which is now entering its third year, offers 10 practical courses on a variety of hydraulics topics.

From understanding the basics of hydraulics, to tackling specific products such as thermal optimisation, filtration and electronics, HYDAC’s courses are designed to keep engineers on top of their game. Last year a milestone was reached when HYDAC began a partnership with the Kangan Institute to offer national recognition for its training. HYDAC’s technical training officer, Paul Marley, is very pleased with the response: “Since we made national recognition available for our Understanding Hydraulics 1 course, more than 31 per cent of attendees have added the national statement of attainment to their training outcome, and more than 58 per cent have purchased the supporting textbook.” For full details on courses and availability, and to download an enrolment form, visit hydac.com.au/school.aspx.

COST TO BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR NSW REGIONS After much deliberation, the New South Wales Government has passed an amendment that makes the state and the region the primary factor when considering prospective mining development projects. A cost/benefit analysis is made based on the specific resource in question. Potential economic benefits to the community from developing the resource, including job creation, expenditure, and state royalties are weighed against the expected costs to the community, such as air and noise pollution. The amendment applies to all current and future mining projects with the exception of coal seam gas or other petroleum production, or extractive industries.

Implementing this amendment should regulate and ease the decision process, since the various specific factors are graded in order of importance beforehand.

FLY-IN FLY-OUT FAMILIES COMPETE FOR COAL WITH CREDENTIALS, NOT CASH The Queensland government is experimenting for the first time with non-cash bids for coal exploration tenders. Previously, exploration rights were granted to whichever party had the highest cash bid. In light of the demand for coal, the Queensland government has opted to make the qualifications for land more stringent. Now, in order to gain rights to the land, applicants will need to provide a detailed proposal outlining how they intend to use the land. This new method may make it possible for upcoming juniors to obtain land, since it emphasises quality of the plan over quantity

of resources. Tender will be awarded to whomever has the best plan, provided they have the resources to bring that plan to fruition.

CONTRACTORS AT RISK AT COAL SITES The Queensland Mines and Quarry Safety Report for 2012–13 shows that contractors account for 9 out of 10 coal mining industry fatalities. Stewart Bell, Queensland Mine Safety and Health Commissioner, proposes two potential reasons for that statistic. The first is that contractors are often required to perform unique tasks that may not have

The trend of long distance commuting has become so common in the wake of the mineral boom that The House of Representatives launched a study to understand the particulars. They focused on Western Australia, specifically Busselton and Mandurah, and discovered that due to the poor economy, many of the locals have sought work in the Perth mining industry, rendering the Perth-Mandurah route as one of the largest work-related commutes in the country. Since Perth is 230 kilometres from Mandurah, the workers use a block-roster schedule. The regularity of the schedule and amount of time at work verses time at home is usually the determining factor between 3

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whether or not the FIFO workers grow to enjoy their lifestyle. To balance out the challenges, FIFO jobs tend to pay approximately $40,000 more per year, and may prove to have a positive impact on local economies.

UNI STUDENTS WORKING TO IMPROVE MINING SAFETY

QUICK FIX Pipes are essential on many worksites, but when they fail, the consequences can be dire, with reduced productivity and damaged equipment among the possible problems. The latest response to reducing unscheduled downtime when pipes are damaged and minimising the risk of damaged equipment is the FIXAPIPE® Pipe Repair Kit. FIXAPIPE® is a fast, easy-to-use water-activated polyurethane-impregnated fibreglass bandage for the temporary repair of damaged pipes. Developed by a leading global manufacturer to reduce the increasing costs of maintenance, this one-person application system can be used without the need to deploy a full maintenance crew. FIXAPIPE® can be used on a variety of pipes, including metal, concrete, galvanised, ceramic, fibreglass, polypropylene, steel, rubber, stainless steel and copper. It can be applied to wet, dry, clean, broken, corroded and leaking pipes and will even set underwater. The internal bandage spool makes it easy to apply to straight lengths or difficult shapes, including T-joints, elbow joints, couplings and clamps, and reduces roll wastage. The kit includes FIXAPIPE® Steel Putty, which can be moulded to fill a void or crack of any shape. fixapipe.com.au

Sydney University and Adelaide University students and researchers are embarking on a three-year collaborative venture to better understand rock fracturing through a series of mesoscale experiments. Too much stress on the rocks contributes to the seismic instability that can lead to accidents, therefore the more they learn about the rock fracturing, the better they are able to prevent dangerous situations from occurring. Though the experiments are still in the preliminary stages, Dr. Luming Shen, the study’s chief investigator, says the project is already advancing geotechnical engineering.

NSW RAISES THE STANDARD FOR DUST CONTROL In response to community concerns about the potentially detrimental effects of mining-related dust, The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) launched a multi-stage dust management

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Dr Margarita Vargas is looking at corrosion in tropical environments.

agenda. The goal of the Dust Stop Program is to reduce dust by 80 per cent by August 2014.

As of September 2013, the program was in its third stage, and mandated that all 30 of NSW open-cut coal mines to assess their own dust control plans. Specifically, the EPA requires mines to enforce poor weather plans.

BOOM BENEFITS A new report commissioned by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy union (CFMEU) reveals that while mining company profits have surged over the past 20 years, the amount that the companies are paying in wages has actually dropped, and workers salaries have decreased. Companies state that the discrepancy comes from the greater amount of taxes they are required to pay, but Andrew Vickers, the CFMEU divisional secretary questions how much companies are actually paying in taxes, compared to what they claim they are paying. The CFMEU is campaigning to have the mining tax changed, with the goal of ensuring that the mining boom benefits Australia at large.

“Microbiologically influenced corrosion is a problem in structures that are immersed in seawaters...”

WA’S CHINA EXPORTS ON TOP A new study has shown that Western Australia has pulled in $300 billion from exports to China between 2008-2013, exponentially more than every other state and territory. The reason being that Western Australia produces approximately 97 per cent of Australia’s of iron ore, and China’s rapid industrialisation requires massive quantities of the mineral. The Australian dollar has accumulated more value in response to this boom, and since constant growth isn’t sustainable, chief economist Dr Shane Oliver is concerned for the Australian economy when industrialisation in China slows, and the demand for iron dwindles.

6

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According to researchers at the North Australian Centre for Oil and Gas (NACOG) at Charles Darwin University, corrosion-related damage costs the oil and gas industry between three and five per cent of GDP, equating to trillions of dollars globally each year. NACOG reached this conclusion by looking at the different factors that affect the corrosion behaviour of offshore rigs and similar structures.

Located in the Northern Territory, Charles Darwin University (CDU) is well placed to look at issues relevant to the industry in tropical environments. One of the research areas at NACOG is microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). Dr Margarita Vargas (pictured) said that MIC is a problem in structures that are immersed in seawaters as well as in many other microbiologically active environments.

“At NACOG we want to find out how marine organisms affect the corrosion behaviour of structural materials such as pipelines and offshore rigs, particularly in the tropical environments,” Dr Vargas said. The $7 million NACOG centre has significantly strengthened the university’s capacity to offer training for the resource industry.

CDU is the first Australian university to offer bachelor and master programs in chemical engineering online. The programs prepare people looking to succeed in the mining, gas and energy industries. With an increasingly mobile population, online study allows students to successfully balance work and family. The only requirement to attend campus is for lab work in week-long intensive sessions. Industry demand for qualified chemical engineers looks set to remain strong well into the future, with challenging and well-paid opportunities. cdu.edu.au/studyengineering

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forefront

STATE OF PLAY FOLLOWING A TUMULTUOUS YEAR FOR THE RESOURCES INDUSTRY, WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2014?

WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

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D

epending on whether you look at pure number of projects or the dollar figures attached, coal and iron ore look set to continue to be dominant forces in Australia’s mining industry as it turns the corner into 2014. Major infrastructure and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and petroleum will also be big influencers in the Australian mining story, which experienced a less than fairytale existence throughout 2013.

But first, a caveat. Until that thorny issue of the carbon tax goes away, little is unlikely to unfold quickly. Major miners want certainty and they want it now. That’s just one of the issues unravelling on home soil. Overseas, they will be looking to the performance of the Australian dollar against the greenback to see how costly exporting minerals will be. Then there’s the issue of major customers such as China and whether they will continue to shop around for suppliers cheaper and closer to Asia, or whether their appetite for Australian resources has returned.

Crystal balls aside, some of the best indicators of what’s ahead lay in the Australian Government’s

Bureau of Resources and Energy (BREE) Economics Major Projects report published in April 2013.

(At the time of going to press, the November report had not been released). In short, this snapshot of the mineral resources and energy sector found there were 113 projects at the publicly announced stage, with a combined planned capital expenditure spend over the life of the projects of between $121–$171 billion. At the feasibility stage, the stock of planned capital expenditure was estimated at around $232 billion from a total of 174 projects. But most interestingly, only 21 of those projects were completed at a value of $15.3 billion. So what happened?

The report’s executive summary paints an interesting picture, highlighting “an emerging trend” of project proponents delaying or cancelling high value resources and energy projects in Australia, with around $150 billion worth of projects delayed, cancelled or re-assessed in the 12 months leading to the report. They predict this trend to continue this year.

“In 2014, the stock of committed investment is expected to decrease by $8 billion, and then by a further $63 billion in 2015.

From 2017 onwards, the stock of committed investment in the

“The report highlights an ‘emerging trend’ of project proponents delaying or cancelling high value projects.”

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“Australia’s thermal coalmine operating costs now sit at a staggering 66 per cent above the global average.”

mining sector is projected to revert back to levels comparable to 2007,” the report states.

More optimistic, yet cautious, in their projections for 2014 is the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) in a Parliamentary Policy Briefing document released in late October. In the report, the MCA states that while the Australian economy and mining industry have entered a “more constrained and demanding phase”, it was both “wrong and defeatist” to declare the “mining boom” over.

“This view misrepresents mining’s long-run growth trajectory, the large gains still to be won from future investment and export growth, and the urgent policy challenge Australia now faces,” the MCA report states.

“Policy and regulatory settings are critical to the scale, duration and location of gains from future resource development. Research for the MCA concludes that policy decisions made now can create or destroy economic opportunity equal to more than five per cent of the Australian economy in 30 years’ time.

“The export expansion phase arising from past investment is still ramping up and there remains a significant opportunity for future investment projects. The reality, however, is that Australia’s position as a destination for investment and as a cost competitive supplier of minerals is not what it should be,” says the MCA report.

In a thinly-veiled warning to the ground Australia’s competitors could gain, the MCA report cites research

by Port Jackson Partners which states more than half of the nation’s existing mines across thermal and metallurgical coal, copper and nickel have operating costs higher than the global average. Australia’s thermal coalmine operating costs now sit at a staggering 66 per cent above the global average.

Pointedly, the report goes to lengths to highlight three messages to the parliament: • There is still significant future investment and export growth to be unlocked in coming years across a large number of projects.

• Australia needs to be “hungrier” in bringing on projects of all

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sizes, including small and medium-sized mining projects.

• The urgency with which policy-makers tackle the nation’s structural competitiveness problem will determine if Australia secures maximum returns from future minerals resource development.

Highlighting other threats to the industry moving forward into 2014, in a speech to the World Coal Conference in Berlin in October, Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Michael Roche attacked environmentalists over their comments relating to mining and the Great Barrier Reef.

“The anti-coal movement – led by Greenpeace – is continuing to play on ignorance and emotion by claiming that the growth of coal exports from Queensland is the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef,” he said.

“Neither an increase in shipping traffic, nor decades of port dredging, have been recorded as contributing to coral cover loss, or a historical decline in the environmental health

of the reef. But dredging is the new bogeyman for anti-coal industry activists. They know that if they can block dredging, they can shut down existing ports and prevent port expansions, eventually leading to a shutdown of the Queensland coal industry.”

Acting QRC chief executive Greg Lane has told Inside Mining that Australia was starting to fall behind the rest of the world in terms of investment attractiveness.

“Australia is an expensive place to do business and we don’t have a mortgage over the world’s minerals and energy inventory,” he said.

“Queensland’s leading export industry is coal and it took a beating in 2013. It will bounce back as it has done in the past, but it will be leaner cost-wise to operate successfully in a global market that we believe is over-supplied for several years to come.”

So while the mining industry was held hostage to an election during 2013, all indications are that 2014 will be the year that ransoms are paid – one way or another.

DID YOU KNOW? • The minerals industry has accounted directly for up to 8 per cent of GDP, upwards of 20 per cent of business investment and around 50 per cent of national exports, according to the MCA. • The industry has paid more than $145 billion in federal company income tax and state royalties since 2001-02 – before additional taxes like the carbon tax and the Minerals Resources Rent Tax (MRRT), the MCA reports.

• Less than 2 per cent of Australia’s land mass is currently under mine lease. Mining accounts for up to 30 per cent of Indigenous employment in some regions and is the largest private sector employer of Indigenous Australians, according to the MCA.

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RELIABLE tracking and communications systems are critical to ensuring both the safety of mine workers and the operational efficiency of the mine. Like most areas of technology, the landscape is changing fast, and significant advancements have been made even in the past few months.

Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, is playing a leading role in the development of tracking and communications technology for use in mining. The work forms part of an $86 million research effort, in collaboration with some major mining houses.

The CSIRO has developed a new real-time wireless tracking technology that can home in on mineworkers deep underground, helping save lives and boost productivity. The technology, known as Wireless Ad hoc System for Positioning (WASP), can track people and objects to an accuracy of about half a metre. “It is a great improvement on conventional methods, such as GPS and WiFi-based tracking, which in underground environments, are either inaccurate or don’t work at all,” says CSIRO. The WASP technology can be used, among other things, to locate workers underground in emergency situations. It has the ability to act as a network, sending sensor data – such as a worker’s heart rate, core temperature or gas and radiation levels – to a receiving point at the surface of the mine.

WASP can also track materials and vehicles, enhancing productivity and preventing collisions.

Mobile tags are attached to people and objects being tracked, while ‘anchor nodes’ are placed at fixed locations to form a cable-less infrastructure.

Minetec, a Western Australia-based mining communication company, commercialised the technology in August 2013, becoming the first company to incorporate WASP into its locating systems. “WASP is critical to modern underground mining and will significantly improve productivity, lower operational costs and reduce health and safety issues for mining operations,” says Minetec’s executive general manager Andy Sheppard.

Minetec has already deployed the WASP technology on a pilot basis in operational mines in Australia, Indonesia and South Africa.

WASP will work alongside more conventional, but no less critical technologies used every day in mining, such as telephones and direct access communication (DAC). Coalmine health and safety regulation requires that every mine must have telephones and DACs, with each form of communication checked daily.

The parameters of a DAC are considerably more limited than a telephone. But DACs play an important role in the operation of a mine by providing an alternative channel of communication to avoid blocking phone lines.

Left and above: Dr Mark Hedley and Dr Jay Guo show off WASP; the Trax+Tags II user interface.

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industryfocus

A DAC is limited to communications with the surface control room and the section of the mine in which it is installed. In contrast, telephones in mines also allow for communication with other ‘districts’ of the mine and in some cases, allow for external dial-out to suppliers, homes and other mines. Each mine must have a number of telephones located at key places, adjacent to sub stations and conveyor belts.

Personal emergency devices (PEDs) are another critical safety element of mining, used to warn of potential danger. Mine workers are alerted of a message when the lamp they are wearing starts flashing. “The message could say something like ‘Attention – mine evacuation in place – this is not a drill’,” says Tim Whyte, a former mine worker and now Queensland district secretary for mining trade union CFMEU. But the devices are currently limited to one-way communication, allowing mineworkers to receive but not send messages.

In addition to its WASP technology, CSIRO has developed a two-way PED system. But this technology is yet to be commercialised, in part because of the high costs involved in switching from a one-way to two-way system.

Communications systems in underground coalmines face many obstacles, not least because

Fast Facts CSIRO’s new WASP technology can home in on mineworkers deep underground, helping to save lives.

The WASP communicates across a range of 400 metres to more than 1 kilometre.

It can track people and objects to an accuracy of about half a metre.

of the safety concerns related to the use of electrical equipment in the mine. All electrical systems used in underground coal mining must be incapable of creating a spark hot enough and for long enough to ignite the methane gases produced by the coal. Naturally, this makes generating electricity to power mine sites a challenge.

Powering on Power generation in mining can vary considerably, depending on the type of mine operations and the location of the mine. In Queensland, all of the state’s coalmines are connected to the Eastern Australian electricity grid. But every mine has its own generator to enable it to operate if power supply from the grid fails. These generators are small in comparison to the supply from the grid but allow for essential services to continue, such as ventilation, water control and gas monitoring.

Many Australian mines are unable to draw power from the grid because of their remote location. Mining giant BHP Billiton is building its own 190-megawatt gas-fired power station to secure future power supply for its West Australian iron ore mining operations in the Pilbara.

The development, known as Yarnima Power Station, incorporates cutting-edge technology.

Yarnima will include gas turbines equipped

Above: The Trax+Tags II in use.

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industryfocus

FAST FACTS • BHP’s 190-megawatt Yarnima Power Station development includes gas turbines equipped with heat recovery steam generators to capture waste heat for the generation of additional power and reduced carbon emissions. (shown below) • The new 242-megawatt Diamantina power station will produce enough power to supply mines and communities across the Mount Isa region.

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“In deep coalmines, methane is extracted from the seam and used to generate power. The change has meant that previously unmineable seams have become mineable.” with heat recovery steam generators to capture waste heat for the generation of additional power.

This will minimise gas usage while increasing thermal efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

In the event of a gas service interruption, the plant has also been configured to allow normal operations to continue using diesel fuel. It is due to start operations in the first half of 2014.

Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines in North Queensland is one of the biggest mining operations in Australia, extracting copper and zinc. With no access to the Eastern Australian grid, Mount Isa Mines is now benefitting from power from the newly developed 242-megawatt gas-fired power station at Mount Isa, known as Diamantina. The power station has already begun delivering some electricity, although it will not be commissioned until early 2014.

Diamantina will produce sufficient electricity to supply mines and communities in the Mount

Isa region, with scope for further expansion in line with energy demand increases.

“Our primary power sources currently include Mica Creek Power Station, Mines Power Station and Xstrata Power Station,” says a Mount Isa Mines spokesperson. “When Diamantina Power Station comes online, we can expect a more reliable and efficient supply of energy, coupled with an increased capacity to supply and a reduced reliance on our internal power generation facilities for day-to-day operations.”

In deep coalmines, such as Anglo American’s Grasstree mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, methane is extracted from the coal seam and used to generate power. “The change to mining with methane in-seam and or surface-to-seam methane extraction has meant that previously unmineable seams have become mineable by the reduction of methane in the seam, which in turn, lowers the risks of ignition, outbursts and explosions,” says CFMEU’s Whyte.

However, there are downsides to the use of methane in power generation. The process creates high levels of coal dust that must be suppressed by the application of water at the coal-cutting face. If this is not done effectively, the dust becomes an explosion hazard.

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miningreview

LET THERE BE LIGHT Lighting is a crucial safety element in all mines, and there are some exciting advances in this vital area.

WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

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I

t’s about as iconic an image as Vegemite. A bunch of burly miners descending into a pitch-black pit and emerging 12 hours later, faces as dark as the breakfast spread itself, helmets a-light, and leaving behind the mysterious underground world.

While much has been written about what Australia extracts and exports from its mines, less has been penned about the operations themselves. Such as those finer details like lighting, which is critical when working in one of the most hostile environments on the planet.

Certainly, light is one question that Beaconsfield mine disaster survivors Brant Webb and Todd Russell would have pondered during the two weeks they spent trapped 900 metres underground in April 2006, when the mine in which they were working collapsed. The two reportedly had a “small amount of light” and it would have provided minimal comfort as the hours turned into days and then weeks before they were rescued from the tiny space in which they were wedged, initially believed dead. But while Webb and Russell said it was the humidity and confined space that were the most challenging elements of their entrapment, without light it would have been almost unbearable.

In 2011, Mine Site Technologies (MST), which is headquartered in Sydney and bills itself as a “global leader in providing communication solutions to the mining industry”, won recognition from the prestigious Australian International Design Award for its underground mining cap lamp. The lamp is a component of MST’s Integrated Communications Cap Lamp (ICCL), designed to provide every miner working underground with a complete single system solution for light generation, personnel tracking and receiving of emergency communications and alerts. It was built to replace the traditional incandescent bulb-type lamp, which has dominated the traditional miner’s cap lamp brands for more than 50 years, with modern LED lighting and optics technology.

“A cap lamp is an essential piece of working equipment for underground

Above: LED lighting and an LED headpiece, both essential mine safety tools, in use in an underground mine.

miners. Many times it is an underground miners’ only light source in an otherwise pitch-dark working environment. Because of this, it is an essential safety tool as well, arguably the most important piece of a miner’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). It must function flawlessly for 12 hours or more on a single charge,” a MST spokesperson said.

“Mines are a rugged and hostile environment where equipment has to be ready for the abuse and the restrictions and requirements imposed on equipment operating in hazardous atmospheres.

The circuit design offers both thermal

and spark reduction techniques commensurate with the requirements of intrinsically safe apparatus,” said MST. MST’s design of the ICCL battery pack, which provide an integrated system of lighting, tracking and alerts, received this same prestigious award in 2005 and has sold more than 30,000 units.

Underground mine lighting products need to be designed to meet, if not exceed, mechanical requirements, taking into account impact, drops, flammability, strain, static discharge, thermal differentials and ingression protection. The Ingression Protection Rating, also referred to as the

27

miningreview

International Protection rating, classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against the intrusion of body parts such as hands and fingers, dust, accidental contact, and water in mechanical casings and with electrical enclosures.

Under Australian conventions, each person underground must carry a light source, as many parts of a mine have no general lighting, and all mobile machines also need lights to ensure safe use. The practice is similar across all states.

MST senior executive Denis Kent, a former mine manager, told Inside Mining that Australian mines tend to use better quality cap lamps and incorporate communication

and tracking technologies within the cap lamp, compared with overseas operations.

Kent says simply setting up any permanent lighting to survive a harsh mine environment, which is subject to corrosive water and physical damage by machinery in a confined work area, is one of the major challenges.

“In terms of health and safety, you need to ensure adequate lighting where required in this particularly hazardous environment, where there are many safety issues for workers operating in poor visibility conditions with heavy machinery,” he says.

“In the special case of coal mines, lighting systems in the working areas

and all personal cap lamps need to be certified as explosion protected. In the case of personal, battery-operated cap lamps, they need to be intrinsically safe to ensure their safe use in areas where is a potential for methane gas to be present.

“Mine lighting has been an essential technology since miners first went underground. For decades it was only personal lighting, but with the introduction of machinery underground, lighting expanded to ensure their safe use. But the miner’s personal cap lamp still remains an essential item of personal protective equipment to this day with every miner going underground wearing one.”

“Under Australian conventions, each person underground must carry a light source, as many parts of a mine have no general lighting, and all mobile machines also need lights to ensure safe use.”

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miningtalks

THE FUTURE IS NOW TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IS DRIVING THE NEXT GENERATION OF MINING OPERATIONS. AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES ARE LEADING THE WAY WITH THE ADOPTION OF REMOTE TECHNOLOGIES THAT AIM TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY WHILE REDUCING OPERATING COSTS. WORDS: KRIS MADDEN

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miningtalks

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miningtalks

By 2025 the mining industry

will look very different than it does today, with automated sites, highspeed telecommunications, regional mapping and advanced robotics all in the mix.

The rollout of the federal government’s National Broadband Network (NBN) is expected to create a wealth of opportunity for the mining industry, including facilitating increased remote mining operations.

Wayne Gerard, Australian mining entrepreneur and founder of several companies in the mining sector, says future innovation in the mining industry relies on the NBN and its availability in mining regions.

“The NBN is critical for the mining industry to realise productivity and efficiency gains, to enable Australia to compete globally. Automation and remote operations are set to transform Australian mining, and with this comes the demand for fast broadband capability,” said Gerard.

“For the mining industry the NBN is critical for growing efficiencies, improving safety and maximising return on investment.”

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Software development for the global mining industry is a very important growth area and one in which Australia already excels – about 60 per cent of the world’s mining computer software is developed in Australia. In addition, general exports of mining equipment, technology and services are currently valued at more than $5 billion a year.

Gerard says widespread adoption of new technologies such as cloud computing and Software as a

“The NBN is critical for the mining industry.”

Service (SaaS) is also revolutionising the mining sector. SaaS and cloud integration allow companies to integrate their various applications so data is entered once, saving time and creating consistency across business centres.

“Other technologies such as autonomous vehicles, wireless mesh networks and the industrial

application of the Internet of Things will all deliver significant commercial advantages as they mature,” he says.

According to a recent industry poll conducted by Informa Australia, the technologies that will have the biggest impact on mining are autonomous or near-autonomous vehicles and the automation of knowledge. These were followed by advanced robotics, with mobile internet further down the list.

Mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton have both launched remote operation centres in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, calling the move mining’s future.

BHP Billiton Iron Ore’s Integrated Remote Operations Centre (IROC) in Perth, which opened in July this year, is billed as a world-class operational control centre, providing BHP Billiton with a real-time view of its entire Western Australian iron ore supply chain.

The IROC uses technology applications comprising a mine fleet management system, train control and fixed plant control systems for mine and port operations. CCTV and radio systems are used for communication with the site.

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Net Annual Income Contact

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% Oil Annual Return On North Dakota Housing

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Single Executive Single Executive Studio Studio *$54,950

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• Project rental yields of$30,950 up toof37% Property rental yields up toNET 37%per NETyear per year Investment from USD Investment from $30,950 USD Investment from $30,950 USD oil and service sector • Strong rental demand - 15,000 • Strongworkers rental demand - 15,000 oil and service sector and rising Strong rental demand - 15,000 oil and service sector workers and rising • Rental income by some of the largest oil workers and supported rising • Rentalcompanies income supported by some of the largest oil in the world Rental income supported by some of the largest oil companies in theof world • Fabrication the Executive Hotel Studios is undertaken companies in the world off siteofinthe order to deliver the build quickly and therefore • Fabrication Executive Hotel Studios is undertaken Fabrication of thebe Executive Hotel Studios is undertaken faster returns can achieved off site in order to deliver the build quickly and therefore off site in order25% to deliver the build quickly and therefore • Optional year, return, rental assurance available faster returns 5 can be achieved faster returns can be achieved • Optional 5 year, 25% return, rental assurance available Optional 5 year, 25% return, rental assurance available

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“The IROC is able to operate remotely on a 24-hour, 365-daysa-year basis and plays an integral role in driving the company’s productivity agenda to achieve growth to 220 million tonnes per annum,” said BHP Billiton Iron Ore’s president, Jimmy Wilson.

“For the first time we can see our total supply chain in real time and in one place, enabling us to proactively make the right decisions for the whole business.”

However, the large-scale uptake of autonomous and remote operations technologies also has its problems.

According to a report prepared by the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) at the University of Queensland, such technologies change the nature of employment in the mining sector and affect the way mines interact with the communities in which they operate.

Employment in some roles will be reduced, while new roles will require

34

new skills. Industry representatives suggest a possible 30 to 40 per cent reduction in the mining workforce (50 per cent reduction in operational roles) at those operations that adopt large-scale automation.

“Technologies change the nature of employment.”

Combined with the move to relocate workers in centralised remote operation centres, this has potentially significant implications for semiskilled and unskilled workers who live in regional and remote areas and are not geographically mobile.

Indigenous groups, in particular, may be significantly affected by a large-scale uptake of automation, the CSRM reports. More than

50 per cent of Indigenous employees in Australian mining operations occupy semiskilled positions.

On the plus side, the report also states that autonomous and remote operation technologies may also present opportunities for other demographic groups, such as women and people living in larger regional centres, to participate in the mining industry, thus spreading the benefits of mining and increasing workforce participation in the sector.

The Mining Industry Skills Centre is just one organisation looking at the education and training requirements of automation, as well as what the mine of the future will be, more generally.

With Rio Tinto moving more than 100 million tonnes of iron ore using autonomous haul fleets at its Pilbara operation since it started trials five years ago, and about 300 people trained in the operation, it seems the future of mining is already here.

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innovations

DUE TO RAPIDLY CHANGING TECHNOLOGY, MINING SITES WILL OPERATE VERY DIFFERENTLY IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE. WORDS: ORYANA ANGEL Image copyright © 2013 Rio Tinto

37

FORESTRY

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innovations

Image copyright © 2013 Rio Tinto

FROM fully automated

underground hard rock mining machines and mineral exploration in space, to autonomous drills and driverless trucks, new technology is steering the mining industry into a period of dramatic change.

Technology has the potential to revolutionise mining, both now and in the future, says Alan Broome, chairman of Austmine, the peak body of the Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) industry.

At the forefront of this charge is the development of automation – equipment and systems that don’t require physical human operators.

CSIRO Minerals Down Under Flagship business development and commercialisation director Ian Dover says increased productivity and reduced overall costs are the main drivers of this technology.

“It is also extremely useful in improving safety – removing people from situations that are hazardous because of monotony,” he adds.

One such example is the CSIRO and Australian Coal Associationdeveloped LASC longwall technology,

an automated system to take coal off the mine face. The majority of new underground coalmines in Australia now use the technology and many others have been retrofitted, representing a 50 per cent uptake by the industry in just a few years.

Technology development is a buzzword in the sector right now due to the current industry cycle.

“When things are going gangbusters, companies have little

time to think about developing new technology,” explains Dover.

“Because of the dollars involved in the infrastructure, it’s not the time to risk playing with innovation, when everything has to be very reliable.

The real questioning and critiquing starts to occur when we are getting into the lower part of the cycle.”

As the last boom stretched for a solid decade, the technology currently used in many Australian

39

innovations

mines is based on technology that was around 10 years ago. But this hiatus hasn’t stopped the big miners and organisations like the CSIRO, universities and METS companies continuing to work on developing new technology.

“It’s a matter of getting innovation, which has been taken to a prototype level, into the mining operations,” says Dover.

The average time to get a new piece of innovation to a global market, he adds, is 12 to 15 years, a number he hopes can be reduced.

“It would mean good technology will find its way into mining operations faster – which means greater productivity, safety and environmental improvements.”

Some of the technologies that CSIRO and its partner organisations have developed include tele-operated rock breakers and ship loaders that can be operated in real time, 3D mobile mapping technology, underground location tracking technology and an online coal measurement system.

Australia is highly competitive across the spectrum, including the development of mining software and equipment, scientific analysis, exploration assessment technology, mineral processing technology,

40

environmental services and health and safety services and equipment.

Broome says Australiandeveloped mining technology has been around for a long time and we are a clearly a world leader in the field.

“Australian mining technology has led the global mining industry historically,” he points out. “Much of the technology used in mining around the world has its origins in Australia, even as far back as the 1800s and the gold rush.”

On the downside, some are concerned that the push towards automation will mean job losses in the industry. However, Broome says this is not an issue.

“There won’t be a reduction in people, rather they will be redeployed into different skill sets,” he says. “We’ll still need the same number of people maintaining the system, but we will need more sophisticated people using more sophisticated technology.”

This means different areas of employment, adds Broome. Rather than a lot of people deployed in equipment on mine sites, he says they will be in operating centres, remote from the mine site. That potentially means more software developers, specialist

“Much of the technology used in mining around the world has its origins in Australia, even as far back as the 1800s and the gold rush.”

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innovations

communications personnel, systems, electronics, software and other niche technical disciplines.

Rio Tinto, a world leader in the technical revolution, sees employment of innovations as a positive for the workforce.

“While some specific roles are likely to disappear over time, a far greater number will be added or enhanced,” a Rio Tinto spokesperson tells Inside Mining.

In Rio Tinto’s autonomous operations in the Pilbara, the company has trained more than 270 employees to operate and work alongside its expanding fleet of driverless trucks.

Rio Tinto launched its Mine of the Future program in 2008 to find better ways to extract minerals, reduce environmental impacts and improve safety. Since then, autonomy is where the company is most progressed.

“We’re focused on operating the first significantly autonomous iron

ore mine by combining autonomous drilling, semi-autonomous blast loading with autonomous trucks and a range of advanced sensing and telecommunications technologies,” says the spokesperson.

The company has already taken a significant leap in surface mining, with much of this work taking place at its iron ore operations in the Pilbara.

By 2015, the world’s largest fleet – 150 driverless trucks – will be deployed to the region, and driverless trains and autonomous drills are not too far behind.

“Autonomous haulage also results in improved equipment reliability,” says the company spokesperson. “Artificial intelligence in the equipment learns the layout of the mine, how to recognise and avoid other vehicles and obstacles, and how to transport loads rapidly and efficiently with the least wear and tear, delay and use of fuel.”

“In the Pilbara, Rio Tinto has trained more than 270 employees to operate and work alongside its expanding fleet of driverless trucks.”

Image copyright © 2013 Rio Tinto

42

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Northern Territory launch celebrated Northern Territory Deputy Chief Minister The Hon. David Tollner MLA launched All Trenching Australia and Reay Services Group’s NT division, based in Darwin, with a night of celebrations.

The launch of All Trenching

Australia (ATA) and Reay Services Group (RSG) into the NT infrastructure market was celebrated as a success by those who attended the launch and Christmas party on Friday 6 December at SKYCITY casino in Darwin.

Influential attendees from major NT construction organisations were impressed with the capacity and capability of ATA/ RSG, in particular the fleet of Vermeer trenching machines that are available for the cutting of trench profiles.

ATA’s trenching machines are 10 times more efficient than using excavators to complete the same task. These machines have the capacity to deliver a shallow, thin trench or cut a profile 6 metres deep and 1.8 metres wide. Should a wider, purpose-specific trench be required, these additional parameters can be met by implement or machine set-up or change.

RSG is all about pipes. Its core activity is the design, construction and installation of gas and water pipeline systems. This activity, supported by sister company

ATA with its fleet of trenchers, ensures ATA/RSG is a one-stop shop for the installation of pipelines.

The official launch of ATA/RSG at SKYCITY was facilitated on a Friday evening by NT Deputy Chief Minister The Hon. David Tollner MLA. Mr Tollner had witnessed the capability of the trenching machines and during his opening speech congratulated the managing director of ATA/RSG,

“RSG’s core activity is the design, construction and installation of pipeline systems.”

Brett Reay, for having the foresight to invest resources in Darwin, which has culminated in the establishment of the business in the NT, with offices located at 10 Campion Drive, East Arm, Darwin.

The ATA/RSG group takes pride in its corporate activities with a continual

focus on leaving a credible legacy in the regions where it is engaged. The company believes localising training and employment outcomes ensures operations are delivered in a safe, proactive manner while the money that is paid within the local community provides the lifeblood that supports people wanting to achieve.

The team at ATA/RSG are excited about the future of the NT and are looking forward to a long and fruitful engagement while delivering infrastructure in a safe and cost-effective manner. reaygroup.com.au

Above: Managing director of ATA/RSG, Brett Reay, and NT Deputy Chief Minister The Hon. David Tollner MLA.

45

advertorial

Size-wise shelters Allshelter unveils a new range of container shelters in a variety of sizes to benefit the resources industry.

Understanding

the challenges faced by the resources industry in its unrelenting quest to curb overheads such as operational costs, Allshelter, a leader in innovative weather protection systems, has responded with the launch of the next wave in container shelters.

Available in kit form, these multipurpose super-size models (up to 14 metres high and 30 metres wide, excluding container size) are easy to assemble, dismantle and relocate. Eliminating the eroding cost of permanent construction, these flexible and environmentally adaptive structures provide a dynamic, cost-efficient solution.

Allshelter was Australia’s first manufacturer of container shelters, which have since become one of the most sought after alternative covering system in the mining industry. Listening to its customers’ need for larger configurations and taking into account their recommendations, Allshelter is now offering additional quality options as part of the standard range.

“It was a logical step – expanding our range and size offerings will support our customers,” said Roger Reddel, director at Allshelter. “In applications where height and width really do matter, it is vital for the optimal solution to be selected from a standard range, which can significantly

46

reduce design and implementation time, effort and purchase cost.”

The new shelters are specifically developed to mount containers, providing intelligent solutions. See the table below for dimensions and features (sizes do not include container).

Ideal for mine sites and short- or long-term projects, the aesthetically pleasing container shelters minimise costly downtime caused by rain or other weather events and maximise employee efficiency by providing fittingly ventilated conditions out of the sun. The high-strength semitranslucent woven polyethylene fabric provides ultraviolet protection, natural light and a cooler environment.

All structures are site-specific windrated and engineered to withstand winds

greater than 300 kilometres per hour with the cover on.

Allshelter was the first Australian container shelter manufacturer with triple certification including ISO9001 and the first to offer a warranty on the frame and cover of its wind-rated shelters.

Allshelter stands above the rest as a result of its commitment to quality and dedication to best-in-class performance in customer service.

“Continuous improvement and the need for new applications will keep us releasing more products and empowering solutions to help the mining industry and keep our customers coming back,” said Reddel.

Allshelter products are available through allshelter.com.au or by calling +61 2 6898 2244.

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NEXT GENERATION WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY: “Advances that will transform life, business and the global economy” Ubiquitous wireless networks are having an enormous impact in every aspect of our lives. In business, smartphones and tablets connected to cloud based services are transforming productivity. This technology is creating exciting business models and whole new ways of delivering services. Machine-to-Machine communication in specialised applications such as Autonomous Haulage and telemetry has the potential to deliver enormous productivity gains and reduce costs.

Challenge Networks has taken the advances in carrier class 3G and next generation 4G (LTE) technology and adapted these to the specialised requirements of the mining industry. We can economically scale an enterprise solution from a single site covering a small mine operation to site clusters providing coverage to hundreds of square kilometers.

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techspecial

The future is here Australian-based Rowan Melrose, Sandvik Mining’s recently appointed global automation manager, outlines the benefits of automation and what’s on offer. n the coming decades the Australian mining industry will face a number of challenges: keeping tight control of costs while increasing production; more difficult mining conditions; and ensuring the highest levels of safety. The latest mining automation technology offers solutions to these challenges. Mining automation truly is the future of mining, not only in Australia but around the world.

For the Australian mining industry, automation is an economic imperative to ensure it maintains control of costs and remains competitive in the longer term.

At the same time, miners are expected to ensure the highest levels of safety in their operations. Mines will also go deeper over the next 25 years, so mine managers will face numerous challenges to ensure they can operate safely and cost-effectively.

These challenges are combining to make mining automation ever more attractive.

Within the next 10 years we expect to see the age of the ‘intelligent mine’ with fully autonomous machines, process-like production and mine-wide

information networks. By removing workers from mine danger zones using the latest remotely operated equipment and automation options, mine management can deliver the safest possible mining environments, even in the world’s deepest mines and most inhospitable conditions.

Increased levels of automation also ensure more predictable and consistent mining operations, resulting in higher productivity and lower mining costs.

Over the past 10 years Sandvik Mining has been developing a range of mining automation systems, known as AutoMine, designed to offer scalable levels of automation to suit individual mines’ needs.

In underground hard-rock operations Sandvik’s automation offerings include: • AutoMine Hauling, a fully automated ore transportation system • AutoMine Loading, a semi-automated production system (bucket loading is by remote control) with fully automated haulage • AutoMine Lite for single load-hauldump operations, providing an advanced alternative to conventional remotecontrolled systems.

In underground coalmining Sandvik’s AutoCut automates continuous miners, providing improved cutting consistency, higher production and increased safety.

In surface coal and hard-rock mining Sandvik offers AutoMine Surface Drilling for drilling in hazardous locations, with operation either by remote control or fully autonomous drilling and tramming.

Australia is leading the way in the adoption of automated mining technology, with some of our largest underground hard-rock mines having successfully implemented AutoMine systems in recent years.

49

advertorial

Protecting your workers In environments where employees can be exposed to flames, heat, arc flash and flash fire, flame-resistant workwear is essential to protect your most valuable asset: your workers.

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Today’s flame-resistant garments provide vital protection as well as comfort, with brands such as Bisley Workwear, a division of the Gazal Corporation, always ready to introduce the most advanced safety technology in association with TenCate, which is recognised as the leading global innovator in flame-resistant fabric.

Bisley manufactures a rugged range of inherently flame-resistant clothing with TenCate Tecasafe® Plus in a regular weight of 237gsm and the lightweight 197gsm.

Because its flame-resistant properties are actually built into the fabric and won’t wash out, the range provides ongoing premium protection against arc flash and flash flame. It also complies with industry-specific Australian and international standards NFPA 2112, NFPA 70E and ISO 11612.

Designed with the wearer in mind, Bisley’s flame-resistant range consists of light and regular-weight shirting, cargo work pants and coveralls in orange, navy and high-visibility yellow and combines maximum comfort with exceptional functionality and durability. The special cellulosic fibre content ensures superior moisture management.

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press appearance better than other protective fabrics.

Regarded as one of Australia’s most trustworthy brands, Bisley has a heritage dating back to the 1950s. As an operating division of Gazal Corporation Pty Limited, it has become Australasia’s fastest-growing work wear brand.

The Bisley range encompasses work wear, protective wear, safety wear, casual wear and business wear for men and women, and custom-made garments can be designed to company specifications.

David Gazal, executive director of Gazal, attributes Bisley’s success to

investing in innovative technologies while standing by the brand’s quality and value for money. “I believe it’s a combination of our competitive pricing, exceptional quality and accessibility that sets us apart from our competition,” he said.

Bisley’s flame-resistant range is available from Gazal Corporation’s WA and NSW distribution centres, with an 8-week production and delivery lead time on stock fabrics. Dedicated manufacturing lines also ensure scalable production, while quality assurance, testing and certifications are set to the highest global standards. bisleyworkwear.com.au

WE DELIVER RESULTS. EVERY TIME. Action Drill & Blast is Australia’s fastest growing drill and blast contractor.

Providing services to the civil and mining industries, many of our team have over 20 years’ experience across a diverse number of projects and commodities including iron ore, gold and coal.

We understand what it takes to deliver results on time and on budget, recognising that each project or commodity has its own unique set of challenges and deliverables.

At Action Drill & Blast, we pride ourselves on our ability to provide drilling and blasting solutions that deliver tangible returns for our clients.

WE DRILL. WE BLAST. WE DELIVER. Visit actiondb.com.au or email wedeliver@actiondb.com.au

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advertorial

Skills training for every industry TAFE Western works with industry clients to configure training solutions that meet their needs.

TAFE Western

is a highly valued regional provider of vocational education and training with a footprint of nearly 500,000 square kilometres, which covers more than 50 per cent of NSW. The institute services nearly 40,000 students and more than 1000 employers, 2000 apprentices and 1500 trainees – in more than 400 vocational courses.

As a preferred and trusted partner with industry, TAFE Western has become adept at finding flexible and innovative ways to design, deliver and manage education and training services. At the beginning of 2013 the institute launched its new Business Capability Unit to meet the needs of industry, businesses and employers in NSW. Since its launch, the unit has been focused on one priority: to provide a centralised and first-class service for all of TAFE Western’s industry customers.

The Business Capability Unit’s team of dedicated client managers provides the link between TAFE Western’s customers and the diverse range of educational products and services offered by the institute. Furthermore, this ensures TAFE Western has a streamlined and efficient customer model that provides a single customer point of contact.

TAFE Western client managers help employers to get the most for their training dollar by assisting them to access government funding to extend their training budgets. They also provide guidance and expertise in meeting compliance, legislative and industryspecific training requirements.

Recently, TAFE Western has been working with the Bernardi Group, a strong and growing regional business committed to providing learning opportunities and relevant training for all of its employees.

TAFE Western and the Bernardi Group have developed a partnership to undertake a workplace training and assessment program in the Bernardi’s Marketplace (Super IGA) and Discount Dave’s retail stores operated by the group.

In partnership with TAFE Western, all Bernardi employees are offered pathways into the Certificate III in Retail Operations, with school-based trainees undertaking the Certificate II in Retail Services. On the back of the partnership’s success to date, TAFE Western is now working with the organisation on a new opportunity for a flexible and customised training pathway into the Certificate IV in Retail Management for store supervisors.

“Although it was noted this was going to be a massive job, it was not until I started working alongside TAFE Western employees that I truly understood what the task involved in mapping our documents, manuals and employee learning materials

into a cohesive program customised for our business needs,” said Dianne Collie, HR manager for the Bernardi Group.

“To put it plainly, the work that resulted was amazing! TAFE Western was able to decipher the course requirements and discern how our documentation could be mapped to the required course competencies, as well as identify gaps in the Bernardi Group documentation – and all in record time, as there was a tight timeline to meet. Thanks to the work of TAFE Western, our trainees of 2013 are enjoying their course of study the Bernardi Group way, and the group looks forward to our ongoing partnership with TAFE Western,” Dianne said.

For more information about customised training solutions and workforce development, or to start a discussion about how TAFE Western can work with you, please call 1300 823 393. wit.tafensw.edu.au 53

techtalk

ACCELERATED

BORING TECHNOLOGY NEWLY ADAPTED TO EXCAVATING MINING PROJECTS IS DELIVERING SUPERIOR SAFETY AND PROJECT COMPLETION SPEED. WORDS: MITCH BROOK

n an Australian first for mining, and a first for coalmines worldwide, Anglo American’s Grosvenor project will use Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology to sink two mine drifts, or tunnels. This will provide access to a metallurgical coalmine in Moranbah, south-west of Mackay, in Queensland.

An EPB TBM is an enormous machine that is used to bore tunnels, with a screw conveyor removing conditioned soil from the tunnel face and balancing soil and water pressures without the use of slurry.

The EPB TBM contains a precast segmental lining, which is installed

54

as the machine excavates, providing a nearly maintenance-free tunnel.

Anglo American’s Grosvenor project’s TBM is provided by Robbins, with technical support provided by GHD, a leading engineering and environmental consulting company.

“We are providing a range of services from geotechnical investigations and detailed tunnel design, to reviewing the TBM specification, launch and excavation methodologies, and EPB operating pressures,” says Richard Fechner, GHD’s global technical leader, energy and resources.

The EPB TBM is eight metres in diameter, and will excavate two one-kilometre-long drifts from the surface down to the coal seam. One

will be used to transport personnel and equipment down to the mine and the other will house a conveyor to remove material from the mine.

“The TBM is operated by workers inside the machine and the tunnel,” says GHD project director Brendan Henry. “The tunnel lining is installed inside the machine so that the workers are never exposed to the ground.”

The benefit of using such technology to excavate drifts down to the coal seam is that workers are protected from hazards during excavation, and access to the seam will be granted more quickly than it would by other excavation methods.

“This will enable Anglo American to access the coal seam

techtalk

FAST FACT • EPB TBM technology has been used for a range of non-mining projects around Australia, including boring tunnels for roads, rail and sewers.

in a fraction of the time a traditionally excavated drift would take,” says GHD’s Fechner. “It will provide a maintenance-free access tunnel structure for the life of the mine, expected to be 40 years.”

EPB TBM isn’t a new technology to be used in Australia. GHD has previously worked on a number of significant projects in Australia’s major cities that required EPB TBM technology to excavate tunnels.

Examples of recent Australian projects where this technology has been used include the Epping to Chatswood Railway Line in Sydney, the Legacy Way road tunnels in Brisbane, the Sugarloaf Pipeline Alliance in Victoria and the Melbourne Main Sewer.

While the technology has been used in Australia for other projects for some time, risk management protocols have made it difficult to apply the EPB TBM to mining projects.

“One of the key reasons TBMs have not been used is the potential for encountering gas,” says Brendan Henry. “For this reason, Anglo American’s Grosvenor project’s TBM is zoned into explosive risk and non-explosive risk, with innovative ventilation systems to safely manage methane gas.”

The Grosvenor TBM was commissioned on 21 October 2013.

The project is worth $1.95 billion and the company considers this a key milestone for their project. “It is exciting to reach this milestone

today after almost 1.5 years of construction activity,” says Anglo American’s head of underground excellence, Dieter Haage. “The earth pressure balance machine will allow us to reach the coal seam early next year, bringing us that step closer to longwall production in late 2016.”

The mine is projected to produce five million tonnes during every year of its operation, with Grosvenor project director Glenn Tonkin saying that “the TBM tunnelling method will deliver advances in safety, higher quality drifts and faster project development.”

Anglo American will retain the EPB TBM for potential use on future projects.

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Conquer Cystic Fibrosis through research

I

n 2002 a small group of

parents of children with CF decided to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis WA (CFWA) which, at the time, was in need of financial support.

The 65 Roses Grand Ball for Cystic Fibrosis was born and $42,986.25 was raised.

Realising the potential they had to raise significant funds, and driven by the need to do all they could to make a real difference for people with CF, in 2003 this same group, in addition to raising money for CFWA, raised funds to donate to research.

Since then, the group has grown to encompass people with CF and family friends. This very dedicated and extremely hard working group have continued to organise the 65 Roses Grand Ball for Cystic Fibrosis, making it an annual event. Their major focus being research. Why? The answer is best told in the numbers. Life expectancy in Australia for people with CF in

the 1960’s was 5 years. It is now 35 years. Deaths in Australia of younger people have, thankfully declined dramatically since 1998. The six years from 1998 to 2004 saw a fall of 70% in the number of deaths of people with CF aged under 20 years.

The greatest contributing factor to this is undoubtedly research.

Research leads to improvements in treatments,which in turn leads to longer, healthier lives.

To date the 65 Roses Balls have raised $910,976.13 for CFWA and CF research.

In 2012, Conquer Cystic Fibrosis was incorporated, thus allowing for expansion and increased fundraising for CF research.

The Ball, the major fundraising event has been renamed “The Conquer Cystic Fibrosis Grand Ball”.

Unfortunately there is still no cure for Cystic Fibrosis. But that is something Conquer Cystic Fibrosis Inc, intends to change.

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An innovative pipeline company’s research-and-development investment is paying big dividends.

A major focus on delivering

innovative ideas to the pipeline construction industry has seen pipeline constructor Murphy Pipe & Civil rapidly increase its presence across Australia’s resources sector. With more than $1 billion in pipeline work already on its to-do list in 2014, the Queensland-based company has been a true success story since entering the Australian pipeline construction arena in 2008.

While Murphy Pipe & Civil has many years of experience as a constructor of traditional steel pipelines, the company ventured into uncharted territory in 2010 and invested heavily in Spiderplough technology to accommodate the growing needs of Queensland’s coal seam gas (CSG) sector.

To say the investment gamble has paid off for Murphy Pipe & Civil would be an understatement. The company’s extensive research and development into this new technology delivered a much faster and much safer ploughing method for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipeline installation, soon garnering plenty of interest from the CSG industry.

On the back of this interest, Murphy Pipe & Civil picked up the Queensland Gas Company (QGC) contract to build Australia’s largest CSG gathering network and increased its investment in Spiderplough to now possess the largest fleet in the world.

While the company has been busy with CSG commitments over the past three years, it has also secured large-

scale steel pipeline contracts in its home base of Queensland. In recent times, the company has stretched its steel pipeline construction arm to Western Australia with three large-scale projects now successfully completed for the Sino Iron Ore Project and Rio Tinto’s Coastal Water Project. Such was the company’s success in the west, it recently opened a Perth office to further increase its presence in this booming resources region.

With a workforce of 1,800 pipeliners currently delivering pipeline solutions for some of Australia’s leading resources companies, Murphy Pipe & Civil’s future certainly looks bright.

To find out more about this innovative company’s achievements and unique capabilities visit mpcgroup.com.au.

Above and this image: The introduction of Spiderploughs to the CSG sector has attracted widespread adoption due to the technology’s increased safety and productivity; Murphy Pipe & Civil played a key role in the delivery of large-scale pipelines for the Sino Iron Ore Project in WA.

57

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propertyguide

Making a house a home If the success of home renovation shows is any sort of yardstick, Australians love fixing up their homes, writes Amal Awad.

WHETHER for love or money, homeowners are increasingly taking up tools to personalise and improve their homes. As a nation, we’ve devoted hours of time to home renovation shows like Channel Nine’s The Block.

While enhancements can increase the value of a home, for many it’s about lifestyle, as Mortgage Choice’s 2013 Homeowners’ Intention Survey revealed earlier this year.

According to the survey, 43 per cent of Australian homeowners plan to renovate.

Polling 1,000 Australian mortgage holders, of those who plan to renovate, 77 per cent of them saw undertaking upgrades

as a way to improve their quality of living.

On the funding front, 72 per cent had budgeted between $0 and $20,000, while 20 per cent were preparing for spending between $20,001 and $50,000.

Only nine per cent had a budget exceeding more than $50,000 for home improvement.

Australia’s biggest renovators While the thirst for improved spaces is a nationwide trend,

research from Commonwealth Bank shows the average home renovation blows out the budget by nearly $3,000. Based on a survey of 1000 people, the result emerged from homeowners who have completed renovations.

The reasons for spending over a budget are identifiable – and avoidable. Forty-eight per cent of respondents had to pay for unexpected material, while 47 per cent cited labour costs.

Timing was also a factor for renovators, with almost 58 per

59

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Jays Real Estate is family owned and operated, boasting 3 generations who work in the business. As Mount Isa’s largest agent, Jays has remained independent of national franchise agencies, standing alone on its record of professionalism for over 30 years. We strive to give old fashioned service and care, with plenty of local knowledge.

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HOUSES, TOWNHOUSES & DUPLEXES FROM $330,000 TO $550,000 SUITABLE FOR SELF-MANAGED SUPERANNUATION FUNDS In the following high-growth areas in QLD: • Chinchilla • Miles • Roma • Emerald • Gladstone • Mackay • Moranbah • Clermont • Blackwater • Kingaroy • Coomeran • Pimpama • Northlakes • Brisbane ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED IN PRIME RENTAL AREAS AND WILL HAVE PROFESSIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Contact Alan at: info@wilsonrealty.com.au or on 0421 705 116.

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National

propertyguide cent saying the improvements took longer than expected.

“The longer time required is likely to be particularly inconvenient for the 76 per cent of renovators who lived in their home during the renovations,” said the bank at the time.

Interestingly, around two thirds of homeowners had to compromise on renovations because they were short on funding. According to the survey results, the most common changes included: • progressing with a less grand design (21 per cent); • using cheaper or lower quality materials (19 per cent); • postponing renovating some areas of the house (18 per cent); • using second hand materials (11 per cent); • going without renovating areas of the house (11 per cent); and • fewer or smaller rooms (9 per cent).

THE FIXER-UPPERER: WHERE THE WORK GOES

• Respondents indicated the top areas of the home they intended to renovate first, the top three being: - Kitchen – 28% - Bathroom – 27% - Outdoor entertainment area – 15% • The scale of renovation varied: - Major cosmetic renovations (e.g. retiling or replacing cupboards) – 54% - Major structural changes (e.g. changing the layout of the home) – 27% - Minor cosmetic changes (e.g. coat of paint) – 19%

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F LY I N T O Y O U R F U T U R E R E T I R E M E N T The heart of good property investment is finding the next boom, but it can be tricky. Traditionally, it was seaside towns that displayed the double-digit growth we were looking for. Today, it is locations with high employment growth that is sending property prices soaring. Blue Horizons, has identified two towns backed with the strength of mining and gas developments, that are packing a fierce punch. Chinchilla and Miles, in Queensland’s Surat Basin, are the next hotspots; rural towns set to explode thanks to the $30 billion worth of coal and gas projects surrounding them.

A boomtown is about more than just the booming employment – it’s about the corresponding development in both residential and commercial arenas. Skyrocketing rents and capital gains are in store for anyone smart enough to invest in property now. You are in the perfect position to expand your wealth beyond your expectations.

Blue Horizons is your perfect partner. We specialize in offering high yield, rapid capital growth property investments resulting from mining and industrial expansion. We have been 100% focused on the Surat Basin since 2008. You can find comfort, knowing that Blue Horizons puts their money where their mouth is – we have such confidence that this region will be the stand out performer in the Eastern states for the next 10 years we have personally invested ourselves. This investment opportunity mirrors the same property boom that has occurred in various mining towns over the last decade, including the Bowen Basin, Mackay and Gladstone. Blue Horizons led the charge in both of these cases, with our investor clients in the Bowen Basin and Gladstone now enjoying properties that have doubled in value.

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The precedent has been set and it is now common knowledge that towns leveraged to resource booms are quickly followed by skyrocketing property prices and rental demand. It is not too late. In fact, housing prices in the three key support towns for the Surat Basin, Chinchilla, Miles and Roma, remain affordable and representative of new house prices in any part of Australia. The astute investor buys before the boom. This region is at the very beginning of a breathtaking growth spurt. Here is where you come in. With the benefit of Blue Horizons experience and knowledge, you can be one of the forerunners, investing in property to maximise your profits.

The extra bonus that comes attached to the Surat Basin is that the region is not solely dependent on the resource boom. While coal and gas projects are providing the impetus for growth, the region is already thriving in its own right with a staunch and proven agricultural industry. Surviving droughts and economic uncertainty, the Surat Basin’s agricultural roots have remained a stalwart pillar for the community.

TOWNHOUSES IN THE SURAT BASIN. RETURNS UP TO 14.4% Blue Horizons Property is proud to announce this exciting new high-yielding property investment in the heart of the Surat Basin.

This is one of the most attractive offers seen in the last 12 months. With a very limited number of townhouses and rental figures booming, offers are being taken on a first come, first serve basis only.

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Situated in the heart of the Surat Basin, Queensland 3 to 4 bedroom townhouses from $439,000 to $469,000 Rent returns yielding up to $1,300 per week High end accommodation with superior inclusions Strategically located close to centre of gas boom town Only 10% deposit required with completion mid 2014 Very limited number of these townhouses available To find out more, please fill out the contact form on our website,

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Resolve to retire young If you start planning now, you have the potential to retire much younger than the average worker.

WITH the silly season behind us for another 12 months, it is time to starting thinking about your property investment goals for 2014. What are you aspiring for this year? To get the right answer you have to ask the right question. If you want to spend 2014 doing what you want to do, rather than what you have to do, you need to ask yourself, “What am I going to do differently?”

Have you ever considered retiring before 40? It’s possible with property. Let’s say you need approximately $140,000 in passive income each year to continue your current lifestyle.

How would you achieve this? For the purposes of this example, let’s pretend you’ve invested in six properties over 10, 15 or 20 years and have paid off all the debt on your properties.

Assuming an average property value of $350,000, you’d have a total of $2.1 million worth of real estate (these figures don’t assume any capital growth).

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You may be wondering how in the world you could pay off so many properties so quickly.

It’s certainly very possible, if your investments are efficiently structured, to achieve such a goal. At Positive Real Estate we’ve helped hundreds of property investors achieve these kinds of results. We can show you how!

Let’s assume you’re enjoying an average rental yield of seven per cent on these properties. At Positive Real Estate we aim to hit that sweet spot of between six and seven per cent average rental yield. If we enjoyed a rental yield of seven per cent we would have $140,000 dollars worth of passive rental income each year and own $2 million worth of properties, free and clear!

Of course your results will vary because not all properties, despite our best efforts, will achieve this rental yield, and then those that do get a strong yield, won’t necessarily do this

each and every year. This is why investing in property is a proactive endeavour, not a reactive one. We look ahead at what possible impacts certain conditions will have on the market place, especially where our properties are concerned, and we take steps to minimise any potential problems before they become a problem (e.g. set up a generous buffer to counter any fall in values).

Judy, a worker in the Australian mining industry, was earning less than $80,000 a year before joining Positive Real Estate 12 months ago.

She had never owned an investment property before, but within three months of our Lifetime Mentoring Program, Judy settled on two positive cash flow properties, using her savings and new loans to make

the purchases. This starter portfolio now earns her an extra net income of $10,470 per annum. Her next steps are to make a third property purchase within six months, set-up a Self Managed Super Fund and buy one capital growth property within the next 12 months. In fact, one of her first property deals was a unit in Western Australia, made her an extra $65,000 in equity alone!

To find out more about Positive Real Estate’s tips and strategies for investing in property, come along to our next Property Investor Night.

There’s no obligation to buy or do anything at our events, just take a bit of time out of your day and learn how you can change up your current investment strategy, or perhaps start a new one! You’ll be glad you did!

If you want to spend 2014 doing what you want to do, rather than what you have to do, you need to ask yourself, “What am I going to do differently?”

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When Elaine Chase came to Positive Real Estate in 2010, she had fallen victim to a property organisation that almost ruined her financially. Elaine was close to giving up when she heard about Positive Real Estate's Lifetime Mentoring Program. With the help of her

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Let our expert team show you exclusive deals in the right markets and how to use proven strategies to achieve your financial goals. Positive Real Estate is an exclusive, full-service investor agency who have brokered thousands of successful property deals in the past 10 years for our clients.

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SOUTH AUSTRALIA CBD Adelaide Central........ 21/01/14 Mawson Lakes........................04/02/14 Southern Adelaide.............04/02/14 CBD Adelaide Central.......18/02/14

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*Conditions apply, these scenarios do not take into account your personal circumstances, for more information on these results see the website. All information is of a general nature only and does not constitute professional advice. Please seek advice from licensed professionals about your personal situation. This information is subject to the disclaimer on www.positiverealestate.com.au/disclaimer

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Your Own Gold Mine

How to create more wealth from your home JANE SLACKSMITH Mortgage broker and investment expert

LAST ISSUE I shared how your home is actually a gold mine that you are sitting on, and how I believe there are three ways you can start mining that gold mine, so you can reach your goals rather than having to work for years on end. This month, let’s turn your attention to your current home and some steps towards making it work for you.

Most of us love where we live but we know we are not really getting ahead. Other people would like to move into something bigger, smaller, or more modern (the list goes on) but we know that the cost of selling and buying is high and so it is not really an option.

There is an option and that is to renovate. Australia is a ‘reno-nation’ – we are mad for it. I have taught renovation for many years and renovated lots of properties so I know a thing or two and let me tell you the biggest secret – most

renovations go over cost and over capitalise – but they really needn’t with careful planning.

As home owners, people often fall in love with things that they think that have to have. In fact, what you’ll find if you analyse renovations, is that property investors know the bang for their buck is in cosmetic renovations with no requirement for council approvals, so they wisely concentrate on a new kitchen and bathroom.

Whereas home owners are often trying to create the ultimate space, so they have months of council planning issues, building and usually the uprooting of the family and moving out whilst it’s all done.

And the outcome? They have the best house on the street and everything they want, but often they have spent too much and it is not until they come to sell that they realise that.

So what do you need to know to make money from renovating your home?

1. Consider what your requirements really are. This means make a list, and how long you realistically plan to remain in your home. Be honest!

2. You need to establish what type of renovation you need to satisfy your requirements. So if your house is too small and you do need to go through the whole council process, then be prepared for a long time commitment. It could in fact could be better to purchase a property that suits your needs. But before you rush out and do that, I will show you how to catapult your gold mine with strategies on where to buy. Potentially though, you might just need a quick and relatively painless cosmetic renovation 3. If you do need to renovate, how much will it cost and what will you get at the end?

If you want to optimise your renovation, you need to start thinking like an investor.

That is knowing this one key to renovation success – you need

to create more perceived value than the actual cost. I used the strategies of successful investors to buy my first home.

I bought it for $425,000 and did a renovation that took nine months, while I lived in it. The renovation cost $50,000 and at the end of the renovation, the property was worth $700,000.

So imagine if you complete a renovation (using not your savings, but some of the value from your home – we will look at this in one of the upcoming articles) and not only do you get the home that suits your needs, but also a property that is worth more. So when you sell, you sell for more and have more funds to invest in your next home or funds left over for that dream holiday. Or your daughter’s wedding, the kids’ schooling, or the Winnebago you’ve always wanted. The choice is entirely yours.

That is the power of using your own gold mine – your home – to reach goals and make your dreams come true, faster.

“I have taught renovation for many years and renovated lots of properties so I know a thing or two and let me tell you the biggest secret – most renovations go over cost and over capitalise – but they shouldn’t!”

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business opportunity since Own Your Own ATM ATM all known the right keys.

Owning 2009 a fleet of ownership ATMs, hascontinues become to a hit well launched in March, 2009. Many of our clients have business opportunity since Own Your Own ATM diversified their portfolio and are now enjoying 20% launched in March, 2009. Many of our clients have

p.a. returns that an ATM business provides for the life of Owning fleet of ATMs, has now become a well known diversified their aportfolio and are enjoying 20% the agreement. business since provides Own Your Own

p.a. returns that anopportunity ATM business for the life ATM of

super or pension funds.

Instant income - you will be paid calculated from the very first day you purchase your machines.

Many clients have-bought ATMs their self managed Instant income you will be within paid calculated from the very super or pension funds. your machines. first day you purchase

Buy in cash or borrow with property equity and pay down

launched in March, 2009. Many of our clients have

the agreement. diversified their your portfolio andincome are nowto enjoying 20% It is possible to use ATM subsidise

returns that anportfolio ATM business a large p.a.investment andprovides not forhitthe life theof It is possible to use your ATM income to subsidise the agreement. serviceability wall, allowing you to make further a large investment portfolio and not hit the investments in the future. Unlike a term deposit, where you serviceability wall, allowing maketo further It is possible to use youryou ATMtoincome subsidise are liable afor large tax at the first dollar of interest earned, ATMs investment and not hityouthe investments in the future.

Unlikeportfolio a term deposit, where being plant and equipment, can be depreciated to offset serviceability wall, allowing you to make further are liable for tax at the first dollar of interest earned, ATMs transaction income earned. investments in the future. Unlike a term deposit, where you being plant and equipment, can be depreciated to offset are liable for tax at the first dollar of interest earned, ATMs

transaction income earned. being plant and equipment, can be to offset These private ATMs are placed in depreciated a variety of transaction income earned.

convenient locations throughout Australia. You own These private ATMs are placed in a variety of the Automated Teller Machines and experienced These private throughout ATMs are placed in aYou variety convenient locations Australia. ownof national ATM deployers placethroughout the machine in the site convenient locations Australia.

Youand own the Automated Teller Machines and experienced manage it.the Automated Teller Machines and experienced national ATM deployers place the machine in the site and

national ATM deployers place the machine in the site and

manage it. manage it.

ATM income is directly deposited into the account of your

choice. Legal agreements state the deployer must cover all ATM income directly deposited into the of your ATMisincome is directly deposited into account the account of your costs for parts and maintenance, insurance and payment choice. Legal agreements state the deployer must cover allall choice. Legal agreements state the deployer must cover processing for the life of the agreement. parts and maintenance, insurance payment costs for costs partsfor and maintenance, insurance andand payment processing for of thethe life agreement. of the agreement. processing for the life ATM owners are paid a minimum 20% p.a* or $.30 per

ATM owners are paid a minimum 20% p.a* or $.30 per transaction, whichever is higher, paid monthly.

ATM owners are paid a minimum 20% p.a* or $.30 per transaction, whichever is higher, paid monthly.

Instant income - you will bedebt paidon calculated fromfaster. the very your non tax deductible your home

Buy in cash or borrow with property equity and pay down

first day you purchase your machines.

your non tax deductible debt on your home faster.

ATMs are brilliant for saving, as returns compound when

Buy in cash or borrow with property equity and pay down

monthly payments are deposited into a savings account.

ATMs saving, returns your nonare tax brilliant deductiblefor debt on youras home faster.compound when monthly payments are deposited into a savings account.

ATMs are brilliant for saving, as returns compound when

monthlyHOURS payments ATMs are deposited into a savings account.

BUSINESS TRANSACTION FORMULA 0 -783 transactions $235 per monthTRANSACTION FORMULA BUSINESS HOURS ATMs

BUSINESS HOURS ATMs TRANSACTION FORMULA

784 + calculated at $0.30 per transaction 0 -783 transactions $235 per month Site Name

Serial Number

784 + calculated at $0.30 per transaction 0 -783 transactions $235 per month

784 + calculated at $0.30 per transaction Serial Number

Site Name Luna Park Site Name

KIC090600143

Serial Number

Total Transactions

Total Monthly Amount Due

Total 2,002 Transactions

Total Monthly $600.60 Amount Due

Total Total Monthly KIC090600146Transactions 1,282Amount Due $384.00

Sea Lake Foodworks Luna Park KIC090600143 Caloundra KIC090600147 2,002 Luna Park Caltex KIC090600143 Sea Lake Foodworks KIC090600146 Sea Lake Foodworks KIC090600146 Hazelbrook Bowling KIC090200014 1,282 Caloundra Caltex KIC090600147 Caloundra Caltex Tumbarumba Bowling Club KIC090600147 KIC090200004 705 Hazelbrook Bowling KIC090200014 471 Hazelbrook Bowling KIC090200014 Wardell Liquor KIC091200001 Tumbarumba Bowling Club KIC090200004 KIC090200004 472 Tumbarumba Bowling Club Northhampton Supermarket KIC090300074 Wardell Liquor KIC091200001 Wardell Liquor KIC091200001 556 BP Childers KIC091200002 Northhampton Supermarket KIC090300074 Northhampton Supermarket KIC090300074 813 Grand Old Crow Hotel KIC090200028 1,123 BP Childers KIC091200002 BP Childers KIC091200002 Sportsmens Hotel KIC090300065 490 Grand Old Crow Hotel KIC090200028 Grand Old Crow Hotel KIC090200028 Sportsmens Hotel

KIC090300065

842

2,002 $600.60 705 $600.60 $235.00 1,282 $384.00 471 $384.00 $235.00 705 $235.00 472 $235.00 $235.00 471 $235.00 $235.00 556 $235.00 472 $235.00 $235.00 813 $243.90 556 $235.00 $235.00 1,123 $336.90 813 $243.90 $243.90 490 $336.90 $235.00 1,123 $336.90 842 $235.00 $252.60 490 $235.00

Sportsmens Hotel

provide a steady income stream and potentially solve your In times provide of market volatility, a portfolio of ATMs a steady income stream and potentially solvecan your cash flow issues cash flow issues provide a steady income stream and potentially solve your

TotalATMs Amount This portfolio of 10 business hour costDue $140,000$2,993.00 plus gst.

In times of market volatility, a portfolio of ATMs can

KIC090300065 842 Total Amount Due

$252.60

transaction, whichever is higher, paid monthly.

In times of market volatility, a portfolio of ATMs can

Total Amount Due

$252.60 $2,993.00

$2,993.00

This portfolio of 10 business hour ATMs cost $140,000 plus gst.

This portfolio of 10 business hour ATMs cost $140,000 plus gst.

cash flow issues hour machine costing $14,000 ex gst, annualreturn returnis is $2,800 $2,800 or month.

Returns continue for thefor lifethe of the * Example:* aExample: businessa business hour machine costing $14,000 ex gst, thethe annual or$235 $235perper month.

Returns continue lifeagreement. of the agreement.

* Example: a business hour machine costing $14,000 ex gst, the annual return is $2,800 or $235 per month. Returns continue for the life of the agreement.

Contact us to receive further information at

Contact us to receive further information at

www.ownyourownatm.com.au www.ownyourownatm.com.au Contact us to receive further information at

www.ownyourownatm.com.au

Disclaimer: Information provided is not intended to be Tax, Financial or Accounting advice. We recommended to obtain independent advice from your own Tax, Financial or Accounting Professionals as individual tax or financial positions may vary.

Disclaimer: Information provided is not intended to be Tax, Financial or Accounting advice. We recommended to obtain independent advice from your own Tax, Financial or Accounting Professionals as individual tax or financial positions may vary.

Disclaimer: Information provided is not intended to be Tax, Financial or Accounting advice. We recommended to obtain independent advice from your own Tax, Financial or Accounting Professionals as individual tax or financial positions may vary.

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