+ insidemining
February 2015 • Issue 08
A short history on Sir Alan Cobham
FIFO Miners & Oil & Gas employees only earning $110 — $300K.
Slash your tax — why pay more? Last few months with certainty to buy Property in your SMSF. “Super funds should be banned from borrowing”... ....ABC’s Michael Yanda 7th Dec 2014. ABC’s Editor 7.30 Report, Alan Kohler & Robert Gottliebsen co-founders Eureka Report, the two most respected names in financial reporting & Bruce Brammall from the Eureka Report agree on these three points.
1.The Murray Report to the government recommended a Banning of Super Funds to borrow. Dec 2014 2.It is unlikely that any changes would be retrospective, however rather be grandfathered, meaning if you have purchased your property prior to government legislation, then you retain your property within your SMSF with tax benefits.
3.Future arrangements of borrowing in a SMSF could be Banned altogether if the government adopts the Murray Report recommendations. For full report subscribe to: Eureka Report online, Australia’s highest standard financial editing & reporting. If the government does nothing then you have lost nothing only gained a property. If they adopt the Murray Recommendations then you have lost a massive opportunity to Save Tens of thousands in Tax. Few structures are as Tax effective as SMSF combined with Property. Do not ignore these statements. It takes eight weeks to set up your new SMSF.
Lost $ benefits of not proceeding, for a property worth $350K in your new SMSF? Lost Lost Lost Lost
Tax Deductions, $36K pa, times ten years holding property. potential Capital Growth, very hard to quantify, perhaps 5% for 10 yrs. income, that would assist pay off your property, 5% gross rental income. Tax Benefit in you pocket, based on income, $160K
$360K. $220K. $180K. $70K.
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Save $3,000 to $15,000 ongoing each year by Taxation Planning or do nothing & keep paying below. Taxable Income 160K 200K 240K
Tax Payable 47,147 61,947 79,947
Medicare 2,400 3,000 3,600
Total 49,547 64,947 83,547
10 years Tax Payable 495,470 649,470 835,470
How much is needed in Super to begin a SMSF & buy a property, how much is in my super fund now & what do I need to know? Many Taxpayers have commenced their own SMSF with $80,000 or even less. A ten page Taxation Property Analysis, will be prepared, showing you deposit needed for your new property paid out of your SMSF, cost price, purchase costs, loan costs, rental income, all rental expenses, insurance, shire rates, strata levies, net return, depreciation of building & depreciation of fittings. .
.
Call us to assist you turn the complicated into simple, before it is too late!
FIFO Accountants - FIFO Taxation Planning. Accountants solely to Mining, Oil & Gas for Twenty Six Years Employees, Trades, Professionals
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Where we fly
BARROW ISLAND
BRISBANE BALLERA DARLOT MURRIN MURRIN GRANNY SMITH
MOOMBA
PERTH SYDNEY PASSENGER FREIGHT
Our fleet 6 x BAe 146 (passenger) 4 x BAe 146 (freight) 5 x Avro RJ100 1 x Avro RJ85 1 x Embraer 190
British Aerospace 146 (w) Length: 26.16m–30.99m Wingspan: 26.21m Height: 8.59 m Cruise speed: 770km/h at 8534m Empty weight: 23,779–26,434kg Passenger capacity: 71–99 seats Freight capacity: 10,300 kg
Avro RJ85 Length: 29 m Wingspan: 26 m Height: 8.61 m Cruise speed: 801 km/h Empty weight: 23,900 kg
Avro RJ100 Length: 30.99m Wingspan: 26.34m Height: 8.59 m Cruise speed: 780 km/h Empty weight: 26,393kg
Embraer 190 Length: 36 m Wingspan: 29 m Height: 10.5m Cruise speed: 833 km/h Empty weight: 29,000 kg Passenger capacity: 104 Freight capacity: 3500 Kg
ADELAIDE MELBOURNE
HOBART
Hello and welcome aboard I trust that everyone had a safe and happy festive season and I look forward to 2015 with reinvigorated optimism for a safe, healthy and prosperous upcoming year for all. Looking back on 2014, it is with great pride that I reflect on the successes Cobham achieved. In 2014 we were able to implement a lot of initiatives aimed at improving the end-to-end customer experience, such as our gourmet inflight catering options and rejuvenating our cabin crew service standards. The most visible improvement was the introduction of two new aircraft types into our fleet. These new RJ85 and Embraer 190 aircraft will enter service in our brand new livery and this new standard of product is something we look forward to sharing with our passengers. What you won’t get to experience directly and what we spend most of our time on is our relentless commitment to safety and our core values. In 2014 we implemented many safety initiatives, such as our Stop Work Authority and re-emphasis of our Just Culture Safety Philosophy, which empowers our people to take safety within our organisation and culture seriously. So, while you’re enjoying your trip to work or you’re heading home, rest assured that we are always focussed on getting you there safely and in comfort. Thank you for flying with Cobham, we love having you on board.
Ryan Both Vice President & General Manager, Regional Services.
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contents food&wine
getaway
Feb/Mar 2015 01 welcomeaboard Flying with Cobham.
06 cobhamnews
Cobham’s female cabin crew get a uniform makeover; Cobham staff dine on the tarmac for charity; Cobham unveils the Avro RJ85 jet; the fascinating history of Cobham’s founder, Sir Alan Cobham.
12 getaway
Carla Grosetti drives the incredible Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail in Tasmania, sampling the state’s best produce along the way.
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12
Issue 08 • February
Issue 09 • March
closeup
closeup
Meet Chris Hemsworth, perhaps the hottest as well as the happiest man in Tinseltown.
Sally Fitzgibbons is living the dream – travelling the world with her surfboard.
outtahere
kitchenconfidential
Seachangers have invigorated the New South Wales Sapphire Coast.
Fifth generation butcher Anthony Puharich puts quality before quantity.
food&wine
food&wine
Simone Henderson-Smart wines and dines her way around the towns of Wagga Wagga, Leeton and Griffith.
We take you to Tasmania where we learn why its whisky distilleries are turning heads internationally.
getaway
weekender
Spend 72 action-packed hours in Brisbane, and discover a town that’s ditched the glitz in favour of cool.
Indulge in a snorkeller’s paradise in the azure waters surrounding ‘the gem of south east Queensland’; Moreton Island.
agribusiness
charity
We head to Griffith, home of Australia’s thriving cotton industry.
Dwayne Martens proves that a conscience isn’t a deterrent to success.
insidemining • news and views • resources sector issues • finance and technology • the state of mining 3
UNBREAKABLE, NOW EVEN SAFER. HILUX 4x4. NOW WITH A 5 STAR ANCAP SAFETY RATING.
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2014
toyota.com.au/hilux
editor’sletter
From the editor... Welcome to 2015, travellers! What do
GROUP EDITOR Faye James faye.james@edgecustom.com.au DEPUTY EDITOR Simone Henderson-Smart ASSISTANT EDITOR Riley Palmer INTERN Kiaya Heise SUB-EDITOR Danielle Chenery PRINTER SOS Print & Media SENIOR DESIGNER Guy Pendlebury DESIGNERS Steve Wright, Cintia Yamane PRODUCTION MANAGER Brian Ventour CONTRIBUTORS Carla Grosetti, Christine Retschlag, Mitch Brook, Zoran Solarno, Kevin Lee ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Scott Hunt scott.hunt@edgecustom.com.au NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Peter Anderson peter.anderson@edgecustom.com.au SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Robert Desgouttes robert.desgouttes@edgecustom.com.au WA, SA and NT SALES REP Helen Glasson, Hogan Media Phone: 08 9381 3991 helen@hoganmedia.com.au
you have planned this year? While doing some research on my next set of travels, I stumbled across the top travel trends emerging this month. According to the World Travel Market Report, the trends that will take off in 2015 include more travellers than ever before eating local, staying in posh hostels – dubbed poshtels – and using new technology such as smartwatches to plan their trips. The study showed “stylish and cost-conscious” travellers are embracing poshtels – cheap but chic budget hotels that have been given a facelift and are popular among Gen Y, business and single travellers. The market is demanding more bang for its buck, forcing midrange hotels to rethink their design and lower their pricing. Interesting times for the hospitality market indeed. Of course, smartphones make it easier to plan and manage holidays. Already riding the wave are a handful of hotels and travel companies that have released smartphone apps that act as room keys or allow users to book flights. The report said, “Wearable electronics will become an important tool for travellers, who will be increasingly connected to the internet through different types of mobile devices.” The other trend is the rise of smartwatches when planning trips.
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Geoff Campbell
Apple Watch, anyone? They are due for release this year and betcha the queues will be unfathomable, no doubt. Finally, one trend that really caught my eye is new online start-up EatWith (currently available in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne), which pairs home cooks with travellers. Visitors are invited into chefs’ homes for meals or cooking classes – basically it’s for holidaymakers looking for a local meal and to meet locals at the same time. Afterwards, visitors can review their hosts in terms of quality, ambience, venue etc. Genius, right? Right, I’m off to book myself a meal in a chef’s home in my next destination, order my Apple smartwatch and try out a poshtel. See you on the other side. We’re giving away 7 Striiv Smartwatches as prizes for readers who best explain, in 25 words or less: What do you envision for the future of wearables? Send your answers to inflight@edgecustom.com.au to win. Good luck!
MANAGING PARTNERS Fergus Stoddart, Richard Parker
OUTthere is published by Edge 51 Whistler Street, Manly NSW 2095 Phone: 02 8962 2600, 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. 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. Some images used in OUTthere are from Thinkstock and Getty Images.
Striiv Smartwatch up for grabs!
Faye James and the OUTthere team facebook.com/OUTthereMagazineAustralia @OUTthereMagAus
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cobhamnews
Cobham has a new RJ85 jet CHECK OUT Cobham’s new jet, an 82-seat Avro RJ85. The new jet is fully-equipped with gravel-kit capability, which allows for more passengers to be transported to their destination in one flight compared to smaller turboprop aircraft.
New crew uniforms take flight COBHAM’S CABIN crew has recently undergone a uniform overhaul to make its staff more comfortable in the various temperatures, destinations and variety of work they do. Cobham began the uniform redesign process in mid-2013, and after numerous trials, the final items were given the tick of approval in mid-2014. The freshly upgraded uniform includes newly designed dresses, shirts and scarves for Cobham’s female crew. The uniform redesign process for male crew and ground handlers gets underway this year.
Food trucks take over the tarmac for charity LATE LAST YEAR, Cobham’s Adelaide office held a lunch event for its staff and nearby businesses to raise funds for CanTeen on National Bandanna Day. Three trendy food trucks were invited to take part and trade their delicious quality treats at a location that’s usually a little on the sparse side when
it comes to trendy food venues! The event was a great success with one food truck selling out within the first 30 minutes. A raffle was held, with all proceeds donated to CanTeen. More than $800 was raised for this fantastic initiative. Thank you to all staff that contributed and attended the event.
About National Bandanna Day NATIONAL BANDANNA DAY is an initiative run by children’s cancer charity, CanTeen, to raise funds and awareness for young people living with cancer. On National Bandanna Day, which is held annually on the last Friday in October, the community is encouraged to purchase brightly coloured bandannas, all in the name of charity. Cobham is a proud sponsor of CanTeen and Bandanna Day.
The SEA just got SAFER. Introducing SURVIVOR+™ DROWNING, hypothermia, and exposure to life-threatening sea spray and frigid winds are always safety concerns for offshore workers. With too many crew members unable to reach a life raft in time, Cobham recognised the need to make a life raft instantly accessible to each individual. As a result, Cobham is excited to introduce its new Survivor+™ Personal Overboard Survival System, which does just that. Survivor+™ is a new class of “wear and forget” inflatable PFD for the commercial maritime industry. Worn as a vest, it automatically deploys a raft when the wearer becomes immersed in water. After the wearer boards the tethered raft, a canopy is inflated and closes around them for thermal protection. The life vest is SOLAS approved.
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ALL BLACKWOLF PRODUCTS NOW COME WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY* MADE TO ESCAPE. VISIT WWW.BLACKWOLF.COM.AU OR CALL 1800 227 070 FACEBOOK.COM/BLACKWOLFGEAR
*YES IT REALLY IS A LIFETIME WARRANTY. REGISTER ONLINE. RETAIN YOUR PROOF OF PURCHASE. FOR MORE DETAILS SEE BLACKWOLF.COM.AU/WARRANTY
cobhamnews
4
A short history on Sir Alan Cobham
1917 (pic 1)
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The world was at war. There were countless casualties on both sides. The Western Front had reached a stalemate.
1917 (pic 5) Staff Sergeant Alan Cobham applied for the Royal Flying Corps. He believed aviation would change the world. He became an accomplished RAF pilot and flying instructor.
1921 After the war, Alan Cobham became de Havilland’s Chief Test Pilot and toured Europe, visiting 17 countries in three weeks.
1924
2
Alan Cobham founded Imperial Airways and flew 23,000 miles around Africa on survey flights accompanied by only his wife.
1926 (pic 2) Alan Cobham was the first pilot to fly from England to Australia, where he was greeted by 150,000 fans at Essendon Airport, Melbourne. He almost lost his aircraft to the crowd.
1926 (pic 3) Upon his return Alan Cobham flew over the houses of parliament and landed on the Thames in front of thousands. A few days later he was knighted.
1932 (pic 4) Sir Alan Cobham started Cobham’s Flying Circus with 14 aircraft and a team of skilled pilots. He toured the country and visited hundreds of sites, giving thousands their first experience of flying.
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cobhamnews 7
1934 – 1939 (pic 9) Sir Alan Cobham started Flight Refuelling Ltd, pioneering refuelling systems. The war halted Flight Refuelling’s civil work. Suggestions to modify military aircraft were neglected.
1944 8
Plans were developed to convert 1200 aircraft to bomb Japan and, in 1945, an order for US$1.25 million was received to extend the range of USAF’s B-29 bombers.
1947 (pic 8) Sir Alan Cobham began non-stop flights across the Atlantic.
1948 (pic 6) Flight refuelling moved to the RAF Station Tarrant Rushton and conducted 4500 Berlin airlift sorties.
1950 (pic 7) The company began modifying meteor jet fighters.
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10
5
1964 Sir Alan Cobham handed control of the company to his son, Michael, who took over when defence was drying up. In order to survive, they had to diversify.
1980
1948
6
Flight Refuelling Ltd moved to the RAF Station Tarrant Rushton and conducted 4500 Berlin airlift sorties.
Turnover reached £20 million and profits were £3 million. Flight Refuelling was Britain’s most profitable engineering firm.
2014 (pic 10) Today Cobham plc is a FTSE 250 company with an annual turnover of more than £1.75 billion within the Cobham Group, Aviation Services operates more than 130 aircraft and still shares Sir Alan Cobham’s passion for flight.
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sick of your boss?
sick of travelling?
Be your own Boss – in your own Backyard
Due to our growth around Australia we require new Franchisees to run their own business and to service our ever growing enquiries for Pre Purchase, New Construction and Asbestos inspections. Franchise opportunities exist For people who are registered Builders, carpenters or existing Building inspectors we are holding interviews now and we would love the opportunity to show you what Jim’s Building inspections has to offer: • • • • •
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Please register your interest before December 20th to secure an interview. You will also have the opportunity to meet our regional franchisor and ask any specific questions you may have. To learn more about this exciting opportunity call 131 546 or email sam@jimsbuildinginspections.com.au
jimsbuildinginspections.com.au
Wish you were here?
Image: Andy Steven
Every January, the Santos Tour Down Under brings a touch of colour, a rush of excitement and a whole lot of lycra to the streets of Adelaide and regional Australia. Even if you’re not into cycling, the festivities surrounding the event make the trip more than worthwhile.
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getaway
TASTING TRAIL
ROCKING THE
CRADLE The fact that you can pair a glorious food experience with challenging hikes has helped lure visitors to the Tasmanian Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail, writes Carla Grossetti.
ince its inception two years ago, the Cradle to Coast Tasting Trail has expanded, adding a few more notches to its belt with an interactive map, app and range of itineraries that thread together the many, varied epicurean experiences to be enjoyed in the northwest pocket of Tasmania.
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getaway
DAY 1 From Launceston to Devonport about 100 kilometres
To get to the first stop, we drive some 60 kilometres past lush meadows with wattle dancing in the wind before arriving at 41 Degrees South Salmon and Ginseng Farm. Here, we meet Ben Pyka, who manages the business along with his father Ziggy and sister Charlotte. This is the only salmon farm in Australia with a wetland that serves as a biological filter for its fish waste. The hydroponic set-up is solar powered and gravity fed too. “We produce up to 20,000 fish a year, the same amount of water leaves the river as what came in, and the output water is cleaner than the input water,” says Ben, who helped his father set up the farm 12 years ago. Ben takes us to a crook of the Western Creek River that snakes through the property and demonstrates aquaponics in action. He is again on hand to provide a tutored tasting of the farm’s signature hot-smoked salmon at the café
and shop, which sells a range of delicious ginseng products too. Next stop, after a 2.8-kilometre crawl through woodland, is Three Willows Vineyard, where we meet winemaker Philip Parés at a site that is also 41 degrees south with an elevation of 250 metres, making it ideal for cool-climate viticulture. In a former life, Philip was an academic with an interest in literature, culture and history and says his years spent researching have proved invaluable since he planted his first pinot noir and pinot gris vines in 2003. “When I was studying, I had all these ideas swimming around in my head. I now enjoy the practical application of those ideas,” says Philip, who hosts teams of Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF-ers) to help carry out traditional methods such as hand leesstirring, basket pressing and piggagé (foot stomping). “I’m a terroir-ist! My wines are a true reflection of the region,” says Philip. After sampling a few boutique
drops at the rustic cellar door, we make a beeline for the Bass Highway and the Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm & Café, about 10 kilometres away. A walk around the picturesque grounds whets the appetite for a raspberry-kissed lunch served with fruity fizz before we cruise a few kilometres down the Bass Highway to Ashgrove Cheese Factory and Tasmanian Farm Store, which produces superb English-style country cheeses as well as niche products spiked with locally grown wasabi and lavender. To better connect these dots on the map, book a berth at Pier01 in Ulverstone, just 15 kilometres away, where head chef Matthew Waller embraces the farmto-fork approach with dishes such as Deloraine truffle, confit leek, Spreyton mixed mushrooms, parsnip puree and parsnip crisps or a Wagyu whisky beef burger. The Quality Holiday Gateway in nearby Devonport is a thoroughly decent spot to rest and recalibrate ahead of day two. 13
getaway
DAY 2 Latrobe to Smithton via Penguin and Burnie about 140 kilometres
Today’s day of decadence begins at the House of Anvers, which is a must for the couverture chocolates, truffles, pralines and fudges that Belgian-born chocolatier Igor Van Gerwen and his oompah loompas temper and mould on site. The confectioner also sells Fortunato No. 4 – chocolate made from the rarest cacao beans in the world, and the acclaimed chocolate factory also has a mini museum. The GPS shepherds us the next 25 kilometres to Cradle Coast Olives, where we find an idyllic scene and stretch of green presided over by Carol and Tony O’Neil, who planted the 400-strong olive grove 15 years ago. The olive oils are natural, handcrafted and cold-pressed, and have won a multitude of awards, including the coveted Carol L’Heureux Perpetual Trophy for Best Australian Olive Oil. 14
Tony accompanies us around the grove, gilded golden by the sun, which he says benefits from the microclimate and rich volcanic soils. “The imperative for this business has always been about the lifestyle and health benefits and about caring for the land,” says Tony, president of the Tasmanian Olive Council. The volcanic soils of the northwestern area of Tassie are again evident at Mount Gnomon Farm, where we meet farmers Guy Robertson and Eliza Wood. Trotting along beside the couple, sending russet puffs of dirt into the air, is their prized Wessex Saddleback pig Henrietta, a waddling advertisement for the couple’s ethos; “to respect the animal from paddock to plate”. As well as getting up close and personal with the loved-up livestock and heritage breeds of pigs, cattle and sheep at Mt Gnomon’s, you can eat some of them for lunch at stunning new farm centre café. After stocking up on smoky bacon, we head to Hellyers Road Distillery to road-test the single malt whiskey and
learn about the distilling process. Then it’s onward and upward to Cable Station Restaurant for dinner, where we watch the colour seep out of the sky over Bass Strait, while enjoying a robust selection of sharing boards. You will find Tall Timbers, some 20 kilometres away, a terrific place to stay that’s not too far from the culinary action.
getaway
Round-up GET THERE
You can fly into Launceston or Devonport or travel on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry, arriving in Devonport.
STAY
Cradle Mountain Hotel 3718 Cradle Mountain Road, Cradle Mountain 03 6492 1404 cradlemountainhotel.com.au Tall Timbers Tasmania 5/15 Scotchtown Road, Smithton 03 6452 9000 talltimbershotel.com.au
EAT AND DRINK
House of Anvers 9025 Bass Highway, Latrobe 03 6426 2958 anvers-chocolate.com.au Pier01 Restaurant and Café 3 Wharf Road, Ulverstone 03 6425 7811 pier01.com.au
THINGS TO DO
DAY 3 From Smithton to Cradle Mountain about 200 kilometres
Although Spreyton Cider Co, Seven Sheds Brewery and Gioconda Coffee Roasters are also suggested on the Cradle to Coast website, the point about such self-guided trails is that you can take your foot off the pedal whenever you like. Fittingly, we complete the circle from the coast with a hike through the Tarkine wilderness, followed by a drive to the iconic Cradle Mountain, where
we balance all that eating and drinking with a glorious circuit around Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain. After dinner at The Grey Gum at Cradle Mountain Hotel we sit around a crackling log fire with a glass of fine Tasmanian wine reliving the trail that has allowed us to get a taste of the local culinary scene and explore the stunning countryside at the same time. Salut!
Devonport Food and Wine Festival Held every March, this 16 day festival celebrates everything the region has to offer. facebook.com/ devonportfoodandwinefestival Dove Lake Circuit Marvel at Cradle Mountain’s jagged pinnacles as you embark on this short walk (5.7-kilometres one way). parks.tas.gov.au Cradle to Coast Farmers’ Market Sundays from 8.30am–12.30pm The Wharf, Crescent St, Ulverstone. cradlecoastfarmersmarket.weebly.com
MORE INFORMATION DiscoverTasmania.com.au Cradletocoasttastingtrail.com.au 15
checkin
Five
minutes with …
Brent Grundy
Brent Grundy went from skipping meals to entrepreneurial millionaire within a year. Riley Palmer speaks with this modernday Cinderella about his trampolining franchise, Flip Out. Tell our readers about your philanthropic plans. Each month, I plan to assist centres opening in underprivileged areas. Flip Out will provide one full-size main trampoline, but the core idea is to create jobs and train local people to operate the centre.
Describe a typical day. When you were a child, what was your dream job? As a child, James Bond inspired me. My dream was to be a successful businessman. I had visions of flying around the world being spontaneous and intriguing.
How did your idea come to fruition? I was sitting in a play centre for a child’s birthday party and I noticed there was a lot of noise but not much life. Most of the kids were uninterested in the activities available, and the guardians looked incredibly drained. It was then I decided to create a facility that would entertain kids and also adults.
What was your rock bottom? Rock bottom was being penniless. Rock bottom was having no job and no energy. It was skipping meals so I could feed my son. It was a lack of hope and emptiness. However, rock bottom also enabled me to face my reality. I was broke with no skills, so it was time to create the new me.
I wake up at 7.15am to a one-year-old tapping me on the face to turn his cartoons on. Business calls start at 7.30am, in among which I drop my son at school. Then the breakfast meeting begins at the head office, where I also mingle with new or prospective franchisers. Throughout the day there are site visits, meetings with lawyers, emails to respond to, and international conference calls to be made – but I never miss having lunch with my wife and one-year-old son. In the afternoons, I have marketing and promotions meetings, PR conference calls and general budget discussions, which are broken up around 3.30pm when I pick up my son from school and drop him off for his flipping classes. Then it’s dinner with the family, and a few calls throughout the night.
Where do you see your enterprise going in the next two years? I see Flip Out opening 200-plus stores over the next two years, including in underprivileged countries, and in response to community disasters. Flip Out will help
people find a reason to smile in tough times – when kids are laughing and having fun, adults relax, and the urgency settles. We will remain not-for-profit, and aim to boost community spirit and confidence in those who need it most.
What do you consider are your best skills on the trampoline? I can do a front flip 180 and a backflip 360, but my best trick is diverting people’s attention to my stunt guys – they are the professionals.
What do you hope people get out of Flip Out? A sense of belonging, acceptance, equality, and a desire to achieve new goals – be it losing weight, staying fit, getting your agility back or learning new tricks.
“Rock bottom enabled me to face my reality. I was broke with no skills, so it was time to create the new me.”
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what drives every aspect of our business from the boardroom to the coalface. Every day our team digs deep to deliver for our clients. It’s the reason why Australia’s leading resources companies continue to choose us as their trusted partners. So when your next project is ready to go, we’re ready to give it 110%.
LEADERS IN MINING AND CIVIL CONTRACTING Perth (08) 9260 2300.
Brisbane (07) 3119 0900.
Whyalla (08) 8647 8411.
WWW.BGC.CC
SHED_BGCC0079
Achieving extraordinary results takes a team effort. This means everyone going further, trying harder and thinking smarter. Our goal is to bring this extra level of commitment to every project we undertake. At BGC Contracting, we call this 110%. It’s a mantra instilled in every member of our 3,100 strong workforce and it’s
citybites
citybites
night
out
Longrain Sydney
For Asian with a luxe twist, a must-visit is Sydney’s famous Longrain restaurant. Chef Victor Chung has developed Martin Boetz’s original vision of taking South East Asian influences and merging them with carefully sourced ingredients and fresh zingy flavours. Try the finger-licking caramelised pork served with peanuts and prawns or the impressive whole steamed barramundi with ginger, shallots and black beans. Round it off with one of Longrain’s traditional desserts such as coconut jelly with vanilla tapioca and seasonal fruit. There are also banquet menus for four or more people for a reasonable $65 per person. Melbournites, don’t despair. There’s a Longrain Melbourne too. longrain.com
sleep
over
Fraser Suites Sydney
If you’re looking to stay in Sydney for longer than a weekend, then try for a suite at Fraser, which will afford you luxury at a decent price tag. Perfectly situated in the heart of the CBD, the suites feature a Manhattan-style feel, with polished stucco walls, travertine marble flooring and a striking foyer entrance. The rooms are comfy yet elegant, with luxurious fabrics, original artworks, custom-designed furniture pieces and one-off accessories. Facilities include a spa, sauna, 20-metre lap pool and gym. Don’t miss out on Fraser’s buffetstyle breakfast, made with a range of organic produce, alongside fresh pressed juices, and estate-grown tea and coffee. sydney.frasershospitality.com
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1.2 TONNE
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Guy Sebastian: Madness Tour
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Guy Sebastian is finally embarking on his first national tour – Madness – in February 2015. The talented muso stole the show on the very first season of Australian Idol, back in 2003, with winner’s single ‘Angels brought me here’. Since then, he’s gone on to churn out 11 top-10 singles and an additional three top-fifteens. “I can’t wait mostly to share the new tunes live,” says Guy in anticipation for the tour. “I’ve worked so hard on this album.” Now you can experience the madness live in person. His latest album, Madness, is available now. For tickets visit ticketmaster.com.au
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Feb 12 / WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong. Feb 14 / Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane. Feb 18 / Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney. Feb 21 / Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne. Feb 25 / Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide. Feb 28 / Perth Arena, Perth.
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Wild 115 min, Biography-Drama Twenty-six-year-old Cheryl Strayed’s world was falling apart. Her mother had recently passed away and her marriage was on the rocks, so she took off on the soul-searching adventure of a lifetime alone in the wilderness of the American West Coast. Based on Strayed’s bestselling memoir of the same name, Wild is directed by Jean-Marc Vallée (Dallas Buyers Club) and features award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line). In cinemas 22 January 2015. foxsearchlight.com/wild
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THE TUNNEL
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Aussie superstar Chris Hemsworth talks to Faye James about his latest Marvel adventure, how far the franchise can go and why his daughter is no fan of the Thor costume.
THERE’S ONLY ONE Chris Hemsworth. And, indeed, this Aussie legend is making his mark. One of the biggest (figuratively and physically) Hollywood power players since landing the life-changing role of Nordic god Thor, his three outings as the hammer-wielding deity have turned over nearly $3 billion at the box office (Thor made $450 million, Thor: The Dark World took in $650 million and Avengers Assemble did a cool $1.5 billion). And yet, despite being one of Tinseltown’s biggest draws, the 31-yearold remains a grounded boy at heart. His marriage to Spanish beauty Elsa Pataky couldn’t be better. They have three young kids – India, two, and six-month-old twin sons Tristan and Sasha who are boundless balls of energy – and he’s more than happy to wax lyrical about his life. As the towering powerhouse reveals, if he doesn’t remain the person he was before success, he couldn’t look at himself in the mirror. “That type of attitude is so common and so unnecessary. It takes effort to be that offensive a person and it takes none at all to just be yourself and get on with folks. I know which I would always choose,” says Hemsworth, almost stoically so.
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Born in Melbourne in 1983, growing up, Hemsworth spent a large portion of his youth hanging out with his brothers Luke and Liam – who both also became actors. Surfing was his great passion, but when Hemsworth stole a role in hit TV show Down Under, he knew his true love was acting. Like most of his counterparts, Hemsworth soon found himself a slot on
“Despite being one of Tinseltown’s biggest draw, he remains grounded.” Home and Away and, after three seasons, in 2007, Hemsworth took the plunge and headed stateside to make it big. His first gig came in the form of JJ Abrams’ remake of Star Trek and, soon after, he found himself auditioning against his younger brother, Liam for the lead role in Thor. Today, in full costume as Thor,
including gold breastplate and flaxon extensions, the hulking star tries to cover up with a white dressing gown, but his yawning muscles are all too apparent. Aside from saving the world alongside his fellow crusaders Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr, Hemsworth is keen to mix it up, both professionally and physically, taking his career to even more dizzying new heights. Last year, he burned up the screen as Formula One legend James Hunt in Rush and, next year, he’ll showcase a significant weight loss in Michael Mann’s Blackhat and Ron Howard’s swashbuckler adventure, Heart of the Sea. And, among all this, the star still manages to play hands-on dad to his growing family. Just how does he do it? “My two youngest are so young, they don’t even know who I am. My daughter, with the Thor costume especially, she used to be like ‘Oh yeah, it’s a bit different’, but she was happy that I’d pick her up and swing her around. Now, she’s like, ‘Off, off’, because it’s all bulky and metal and she pulls at the wig. She doesn’t like the look,” Chris laughs. In fact, Chris is no stranger to change. With varying role requirements, his career so far has involved quite a bit of yo-yo
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dieting. “I’d rather put the weight on than take it off. They both have their pluses and minuses,” he admits. “I did Michael Mann’s movie right before I started with Ron and I’d started to lose the weight at the beginning of that. By the time I got to Ron’s film, eight, nine months after, I was exhausted and, by the end, dead. It comes back that little bit easier each time, the muscle memory. But you go from one extreme to the other, whatever that is, eating nothing or eating everything. Neither is particularly comfortable,” he says. “There’s three parts to the equation: there’s the working out, there’s the food and the sleep. And the sleep has been minimised a little bit now because of my three kids,” he laughs. “I’m not complaining. They’re probably a little too young to realise, but dad does get weird looks when he appears so different after losing and gaining all this weight all the time!” Hemsworth talks a lot about his kids and, as Australian Childhood Foundation ambassador, he feels strongly about the charity’s bigger cause. “Having kids makes it all the more poignant and important for me. It’s the right of every child to have a safe and nurturing environment to grow up in and, unfortunately, that’s not always the case. It’s up to all of us as a community, as human beings, to take care of each other, but especially kids,” he says candidly. You can tell he’s good egg, with his heart firmly in the right place. I ask him if there were a hero’s superpowers he could steal, and have in real life, what attribute he would pick. “I love the speed of Quicksilver. He’s kind of cool. I could do the childcare quickly. Yeah, do all the cleaning up. My wife would be delighted.” He smiles. What a man. The kind you hear about in the movies.
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kitchenconfidential
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Riley Palmer investigates Melbourne’s red light district and speaks to chef Matt Stone about his innovative and sustainable ethos towards food.
You’d be forgiven for anticipating some form of impropriety given the constant crowd buzzing around Melbourne’s neon-lit Brothl. Far from being greeted by a madam, however, it’s the comforting aroma of broth that welcomes you into what turns out to be a rather organic setting. And I mean that in a literal sense. Taking sustainability to the next level, eco-innovator Joost Bakker is serving up leftovers – and they’re in high demand.
This isn’t the first time Joost has awed his clientele with sustainability measures that seem outlandish on paper. Partnering with leading Australian chef Matt Stone for the establishment of the now prominent Greenhouse Perth (made primarily from recycled materials), the duo then founded the first business in the world to operate completely without waste – Silo in Melbourne, which has now been
transformed into Brothl. Procuring surplus bones from some of Australia’s most acclaimed restaurants – Rockpool, Attica and The European, to name a few – Brothl creates nutrient-rich, nurturing broths out of what would typically end up in landfill. It’s hard to believe that something so appetising as to draw a crowd can be made from ingredients that were destined for the bin. But that’s the exact
KANGAROO WITH AUSTRALIAN NATIVE FRUITS, HERBS AND SPICES Serves 6 Ingredients • ½ tsp lemon myrtle • ½ tsp aniseed myrtle • 1 tsp mountain pepper • ¼ tsp roasted ground wattle seed • 1 tsp dried ground bush tomato • 3 tsp sea salt • 600g kangaroo loin • Oil for frying
• 2 tbsp butter • 400g warrigal greens • 200ml lightish red wine sauce (jus) • 8 quandongs • 4 davidson plums • 20 rye berries • 20 mungtree berries • 2 finger limes • ½ cup sea succulent
Method 1. Make a spice mix with the lemon myrtle, aniseed myrtle, mountain pepper, wattle seed, bush tomato and salt. Sprinkle generously over the roo. Leave out of the fridge for about 45 minutes. 2. Heat oil in a fry pan over high heat until hot. Add roo and cook for 5-8 minutes. Do not overcook; the roo needs to be rare. Let it rest for about 10 minutes. 3. Heat a fry pan. Melt the butter and add the warrigal greens. Season to taste. Warm the red wine sauce in a pan. Once boiled, add the fruits except the finger limes. Leave to simmer. Wilt down and turn off. 4. Heat the roo pan up and quickly warm the roo. Carve into thin slices. 5. To serve, place the greens on the plate, roo over the top and then the fruits and sauce. Scrape the flesh of the finger limes and add with the sea succulent to garnish.
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kitchenconfidential
“My food is very spontaneous. I always base a dish around a great inseason ingredient.” perception that Greenhouse, Silo and Brothl are revolutionising. While Matt isn’t currently working at Brothl, his palate can be considered an authority on its food. “My favourite dish at the moment is fish broth with miso, wild greens, seawater-brined fish and fresh oat noodles,” says Matt. Preconceptions on landfill and leftovers aside, that sounds quite mouth-watering to say the least. Matt’s latest adventures have taken him to the motherland to assist British chef Douglas McMaster, who ran Silo while he was in Australia, in opening Britain’s first zero-waste restaurant. Matt has taken his wealth of experience and uniquely innovative approach to cooking with him: “My food is very spontaneous,” he says. “I always base a dish around a great in-season ingredient and the dish grows from there. I’m always thinking about taste, temperature and texture.” Given their shared stance on sustainability, it’s little surprise that Joost and Matt – who seem to be a bit of a package deal these days – have some promising, albeit undisclosed, things on the horizon. “I’ll continue working with Joost on some exciting new projects,” says Matt. “As well as starting to write my first book,” he adds, almost as an afterthought.
Lowdown with Matt What are some day-today tips for living and eating sustainably? Buy in bulk, grow as much of your own food as possible, even if it’s some herbs on a window sill, and composting. It all helps.
What ingredient couldn’t you live without? Salt. That may seem very simple but it literally takes everyday ingredients to another level. You can’t survive without it.
What culture would you like to know more about? I’d really love to learn more about the Indigenous culture and history of Australia. There are so many amazing foods, techniques and stories.
What’s the most unique thing you’ve ever eaten? Scorpions in Bangkok, fermented fish in Stockholm, ants in Brazil and a Nordic Food Lab cheese intentionally full of live baby maggots.
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(Sea) change is Good Simone Henderson-Smart discovers an unspoilt strip of the New South Wales coast, where the laidback lifestyle has lured many to stay a little longer.
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AT FIRST GLANCE, the Sapphire Coast – apart from being breathtakingly beautiful – appears to be stuck in a bit of a time warp. Driving the coast road from Tathra to Bermagui, the ever-changing vista takes in dense forests, opening up to vivid green valleys full of plump, contented cows, and skirts long stretches of mostly empty, golden sandy beaches. Every now and then, the road is interrupted by a river mouth crossed by lovely old timber bridges. On the surface, this stretch of coast appears unchanged since the ’50s, evoking images of smiling, apronclad housewives and homemade apple pies. It’s only when you stop and visit the local businesses that you discover the real story. Sisters Emma and Poppy Benton have breathed new life into the beautiful old timber building on the wharf in Tathra. Yes, there are aprons and homemade apple pies, but there’s also seriously good coffee. Emma is almost apologetic that it comes all the way from Queanbeyan – 240 kilometres doesn’t sit well with her locavore philosophy – “but it was the closest we could find”, she says. The girls are all about fresh, local produce, and the salad that accompanies their pear and gorgonzola tart looks and tastes like they’ve ducked out the back and pulled it fresh from the earth. The building itself is a gorgeous old thing with soaring, thick-beamed ceilings, huge doors flung open to let in the sunshine and views of the whales swimming past and original timber flooring where the water beneath can be glimpsed through the cracks. The sisters have a keen eye for design, decorating the space with an odd, yet perfectly matched assortment of furniture. “It was all either borrowed or stolen from family and friends,” Poppy laughs. As soon as she heard the space was available, Emma packed up her life in Sydney and headed south, and both the locals and the tourists are better for it. As well as the café, the Wharf Locavore has a gallery space for regular exhibitions and a great range of 15
outtahere
The salad looks and tastes like they’ve ducked out the back and pulled it fresh from the earth.
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ceramics, textiles and jewellery for sale, as if the cakes and coffee and whales swimming past weren’t enough reasons for regular visits. Lovers of all things fresh and local should also make a beeline for Pambula, a little further down the coast, and pay a visit to Captain Sponge. He has an oyster farm on Pambula Lake. He also has a boat he’ll take you out in and a sharp knife, and when he reaches into the lake and pulls out a Sydney Rock oyster, shucks it and hands it over, you will know the true meaning of fresh food and what oysters should really taste like – heaven in a half-shell. Oysters are a regular fixture on restaurant menus in this part of the world, so there are endless opportunities to taste the local delicacy. In fact, they’re pretty much the only constant on the menu at Mimosa, where a blackboard menu ensures things are kept “fresh and flexible”, owner Gail says. “We just look at what we can get fresh locally and build the menu from there.” Cashed-up seachangers flock here to sit on the deck looking out over the vineyard, dining on seared scallops, served on a bed of truffle oil pea purée with crispy speck, washed down with wines made by husband Glenn from the vines below. Their Tempranillo/Chambourcin is the perfect match for the crispy skin confit duck with a wild mushroom and thyme risotto. It’s lucky Glenn makes his coffee as
strong as his reds, or he may need to rouse diners caught snoozing in the sun, as a local father and son softly strum their matching guitars quietly in the corner. Owners of Bellbird Cottage B&B in Bermagui, Gretel and Tony, made their seachange six years ago, ditching their public service jobs for a more meaningful way to serve the public – by being kind, generous hosts and serving up what must be the biggest breakfast ever imagined. They have always loved the area, but they are really excited by recent additions to the food, wine and live music scene here. It’s not just about decent coffee (although it does factor highly) – Tony is particularly excited by the oyster and whisky bar opening soon. Then there’s the Four Winds international jazz and classical music festival, which has their B&B booked out for that weekend in April until 2018, and attracts visitors from all over the world to check out this lovely bit of coast. Of course, the best way to truly appreciate the beauty of the Sapphire Coast is to hop in a boat and look back on it from the sea. Then you truly understand how pristine and precious this part of Australia is, with the National Parks hugging the long stretches of deserted beaches. There will be herons divebombing fish all around you, friendly locals ready with a smile and a wave and you might even see a few whales swimming past.
Merimbula is just a short flight from Melbourne or Sydney, or three-hour drive from Canberra.
EAT
The Wharf Locavore Tathra Wharf Wharf Rd, Tathra Mimosa Dry Stone Restaurant 2845 Bermagui Tathra Road, Bunga Check opening hours at mimosawines.com.au Il Passaggio Authentic Italian right on the waterfront. Upstairs, 73–79 Lamont St, Fisherman’s Co-op, Bermagui ilpassaggio.com.au
STAY
Bellbird Cottage B&B 88 Nutleys Creek Rd, Bermagui bellbirdcottage-bnb.com
EXPLORE
Captain Sponge’s Oyster Tours Brett Weingarth 0429 453 545 Bermagui Whale Watching Tours fishbermi.com
MORE INFO
sapphirecoast.com.au
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food&wine
Gourmet getaway Simone Henderson-Smart packs the stretchy pants for a three-day tour of the nation’s food bowl. AMAZING THINGS happen to country towns when someone puts up their hand and says, “Hey, we should have a farmers’ market!” Locals who work the land – and for most farmers they’re the second or third generation to do so – take their lifestyle in their stride. Never boastful, ever humble ... about their produce, that is; thankfully tall tales still abound at the pub on a Sunday afternoon. But with the introduction of the weekly gathering around produce-laden trestle tables under marquees, comes a new sense of pride. Locals suddenly want to eat local and the foodies flock from miles around. Next thing you know, there are coffee roasters and craft beer brewers and restaurants raising the bar. Wagga Wagga, Leeton and Griffith, in the Riverina, are in the midst of such a food revolution and locals and tourists alike are rejoicing. Day
Wagga Wagga
one Live, breathe and love coffee? You’ll be in perfect company at Blessed Bean, Wagga Wagga’s artisan coffee roasters, who take things very seriously indeed. From building close relationships with sustainable and ethical farmers in Central and South America, Indonesia, India and Africa, to small-batch roasting for consistency and flavour and handcrafted blending, they have a coffee style to suit most palates. Although this ain’t no chain store. “That’s the killer … when the locals ask for a caramel latte,” laughs resident roaster and blender Jason. 18
Through regular master classes and cupping sessions, Jason hopes to educate and inspire and, given they currently pour around 500 coffees a week at their Best Street Café, it appears to be working. After your early morning caffeine hit, head straight to Mates Gully on Fitzmaurice Street for a breakfast to remember. While you were sipping on your single origin, owner Paul was out on his farm picking fresh produce for the day’s menu. “We don’t make the butter or milk,” explains his wife Marcia, “but everything else is made in-house. My husband
goes out to the farm each morning and what he comes back with is what we cook.” The farm is home to free-range chickens for the freshest poached eggs, organic Dorper lamb for tasty sausages and both are served up with organic seasonal greens, house-made relish and crusty organic sourdough baguette. Next, give your tastebuds more treats, and exercise your grey matter, with a cooking class at Food I Am cooking school. Perched high on a hill with views over Wagga Wagga, the school is a purpose-built gourmet kitchen where groups of happy foodies gather to be mentored by
food&wine
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food&wine
the best local chefs, including the gorgeous Melina Puntoriero (below) who splits her time between Australia and Italy. Impressive visitors include Christine Manfield, Giovanni Pilu and the folk from Spirit House in the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Classes vary, and encompass Italian, French, Asian and Spanish cuisine. Check the website for the latest calendar at foodiam.com.au. In the evening, Wagga Wagga’s latest hot offering is the Oakroom Kitchen and Bar – recently ranked in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. The menu is as sophisticated as the dark timbered interior, and the teapot cocktails to share are a delightful bit of whimsy to get the evening started. If you prefer to start with a nice cold beer, then the Thirsty Crow Brewery is an absolute must. The family-owned microbrewery is already looking for bigger premises to meet the demand for their award-winning brews. Its vanilla milk stout is a stroke of beer brilliance, and had brewer Chris Wealands mounting the stage at the Australian International Beer Awards just three months after opening. Day
Leeton
two Leeton is the heart of Australia’s food bowl, and it’s estimated that each farmer in the general Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area feeds around 600 people per year. The amount of produce that comes from here is staggering: the Berri juice plant halves and squeezes eight million oranges per week; 90 per cent of Australia’s rice comes from this area; and one million hazelnut trees have been planted to meet the demands of Italian chocolate maker
Ferrero (yes, as in Ferrero Rocher). These facts and more, as well as produce tastings, are served up at 11.30am daily at the Leeton Visitor Information Centre. For an idea of what can be done with all this lovely local produce, head to Pagès on Pine, where French-born chef Eric dishes up seasonal modern Australian fare with a Gallic twist, matched with local wines from Leeton’s own Lillypilly and Toorak wines. If you don’t make it to the restaurant, the cellar doors at both Lillypilly and Toorak are well worth a visit. The Riverina is known for its Botrytis Semillon dessert wine, which – for those who don’t know – sees the grapes left on the vine to ripen longer and be affected by a fungus that effectively sucks the water out of the grapes, concentrating the sugar and fruit flavours. It’s something you wouldn’t ordinarily eat; yet it makes the most extraordinary wine. Top wine buff James Halliday has given Lillypilly’s 2011 version 96 points, adding to its impressive five trophies and eight gold awards. Toorak Wines has a similarly impressive trophy cabinet, boasting a medal tally in Australian wine shows since 1998 of 162 bronze, 42 silver, 13 gold, three double gold and two trophies across its range of wines.
One million hazelnut trees have been planted to meet the demands of Italian chocolate maker Ferrero (yes, as in Ferrero Rocher).
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food&wine
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Griffith
Griffith boomed post WWI, when thousands of Italians took advantage of the cheap, well-irrigated land and Mediterranean climate and set up farms here. Many stayed, and the town is now a celebration of la dolce vita; families working together in wineries, olive groves, delis, cafés, pizzerias and gelato bars, bringing the flavours of Italy to the Riverina. It’s a little surprising then, that the best cappucino to be had in town is at artisan coffee roast house The Roastery. It’s run by local lad Scott Rudkin, who grew up hearing stories from his grandmother about her experiences on plantations in Papua New Guinea, fostering not only a love of coffee, but also a deep desire to promote ethical farming. The Roastery has seven different single origin coffees on offer, as well as its signature blend, keeping the local Italians very happy indeed. There are some great restaurants in Griffith, but to really make the most of your trip, head to La Piccola Italian deli on Banna Avenue. The place is rich with the smells of all the different salamis and cured meats hanging from racks, picante cheeses, marinated antipasti and olives. Inhale deeply, buy a bit of everything and a loaf of crusty ciabatta and prepare for picnic perfection. If you’re looking for something to wash down all that lovely local produce, then head to Calabria Family Wines, where third generation winemaker and patriarch Bill Calabria is carrying on the family tradition of making premium wines. What started as an exercise in self-sufficiency has expanded to an award-winning commercial enterprise, making 25–30 million litres of the good stuff each year. Bill is a delight, and will happily share his stories, and vino, when you pop into his Tuscaninspired cellar door.
Above: Calabria Family Wines. Below: Celebrate la dolce vita in Griffith.
Round-up STAY
International Hotel 2 Lake Albert Road, Wagga Wagga (02) 6971 7007 intlhotelwagga.com.au Banna Suites 470 Banna Ave, Griffith (02) 6962 4278 bannasuites.com
EAT & DRINK
Thirsty Crow Brewery 31 Kincaid Street, Wagga Wagga thirstycrow.com.au Oakroom Kitchen & Bar 70 Morgan Street, Wagga Wagga (02) 6921 4337 townhousewagga.com/the-oakroom The Blessed Bean 10 Best Street, Wagga Wagga theblessedbean.com.au
MORE INFO
visitnsw.com.au 22
LOOKING FOR SOLID RETURNS WHILST PRESERVING YOUR CAPITAL OUTLAY? This industry has continued to grow for the past 20 years, repeatedly outperforming all other major asset classes. TOBIAS MOROS. www.academia.edu
Own Your Own Shipping Container & benefit from secure container leasing options Earn from 12% return per annum Now you can Own Your Own Shipping Container and earn a return from leasing the container to various companies with returns from 12% pa*. Container leasing either provides a fixed return on your initial outlay of 12% or you can opt for the aggressive lease where, based on actual previous performance over the past 2 years, returns in excess of 20%. Once the containers are purchased, they are leased to various companies creating a safe and lucrative return outperforming all other asset classes.
The Benefits
SUMMARY OF RISK-RETURN TRADE-OFF BETWEEN ASSET CLASSES
• Purchase from as little as $4,100 USD. Discounts available for quantity purchases
INVESTMENT
• Returns starting from 12% per annum
Shipping Containers
• No ongoing fees after the initial purchase
RETURN*
NO. OF YEARS
26%
20
Value-priced stocks
14.62%
33
• The containers belong to you, allowing you to claim depreciation
Growth stocks
11.96%
33
• Sell your containers back for full price anytime after 3 years**
Stocks (S&P 500)
8.97%
136
• You have a legally binding agreement with the leasing agents
Corporate bills
8.00%
150
Commodities (CRB index)
5.53%
93
Treasury bills
5.10%
172
Municipal bonds
4.24%
150
• A brilliant way to invest while increasing your serviceability • Start up costs relatively low in comparison to other business operations * Return continues for the life of the containers. ** A containers serviceable lifespan is up to 15 years.
Source: Global Financial Data, 2012
Average annual return over the stated time period
Disclaimer: Information provided is not intended to be Tax, Financial or Accounting advice. We recommend you obtain independent advice from your own Tax, Financial or Accounting Professionals as individual tax or financial positions may vary.
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www.oyosc.com.au Corr Piccone Ph: 0409 455 604
Helene Thomas Ph: 0402 059 909
www.oyosc.com.au
getaway
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HOURS IN BRISBANE Shaking off its Brisvegas moniker, this buzzy city is winning itself a more enviable reputation. Faye James scratches beneath its glossy exterior to find its inner chic.
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risbane used to get a bad rap for being somewhat of a try-hard city, a little crass, a touch showy and not too sophisticated. Fast-forward to today and the Queensland capital is giving Melbourne and Sydney a run for their money. With its culinary scene on the up, thriving art and culture everywhere, contemporary hotels and opulent shopping streets aplenty, the hipsters are flocking to this town like birds of a feather.
Day 1
09:00 There’s no better way to start your day than with some serious retail therapy. Head to Elizabeth Street where you can discover some of Brissy’s hottest up-and-coming designers – try Little Lace or Violet Green for some unique finds. If you prefer something a little more luxe, there’s Xile, a renowned mecca for international labels such as Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. Looking for punk/edgy? Try Highway 7 to satisfy. Adelaide Street is also ideal for the foodie-cum-fashionista. Uncover brands such as Kitten D’A mour and Princess Polly or Aesop before stopping off at the Noosa Chocolate Factory for velvety cocoa heaven.
12:00 Shopping made you peckish? Your first lunch in Brisbane should boast glorious views and delectable grub, no less. Head to Riverfront venue Riverbar & Kitchen, for waterfront views of the CBD and good hearty fare in comfy surroundings with a seaside twist. Sip on an ice-cool beverage while you soak in the spectacular Story Bridge and wait for your dishes to arrive. Tuck into generous platters such as roast chicken, with lashings of brussel slaw and jus or robust lamb shoulder soup with harissa, chickpeas and silverbeet. Its coffee is excellent 25
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getaway
and, if you have space, don’t miss out on the chocolate salted caramel tart. Salty, sweet yumminess that’s just too good to share. riverbarandkitchen.com.au
15:00 Time to work off that lunch! One activity that shouldn’t be overlooked is a kayak ride down Brisbane River. Jump aboard a kayak and paddle your way under Story Bridge and past South Bank – it’s a great way to view the city from the serenity of your own little boat, and the sound of gentle waves lapping your paddles while you peruse the sights is a great stress reliever. You can hire out a kayak from just $45 for 90 minutes. Bargain! riverlife.com.au/adventures
17:00 Feeling like you need a bit of a rest after a long day? Check into NEXT Hotel, where you’ll find chic surroundings and great room rates. They have, in their own words, “rethought their spaces” and offer a SilverNeedle DreamWeave Sleep System, which is basically a gel-layered mattress and super-comfy premium linens and fluffy pillows to encourage an incredibly luxurious sleep. The hotel’s open-spilt bathrooms can extend or divide the space, so you can make your room feel more spacious and functional. Download the SmartApp and you can control your room from your smart phone. Set mood lighting, room temperature or surf channels. Don’t feel like getting some shut-eye? Head to the gym, which is open 24/7, or bash out a few laps in the super-slick outdoor pool. silverneedlehotels.com/next/brisbane
20:00 Hungry for dinner but don’t feel like missioning out too far? Lennons Restaurant downstairs in the hotel pays homage to the iconic Lennons that used to exist on George Street back in its ’50s heyday. Under executive chef Todd Adams, the menu features bold flavours and prime ingredients such as grass-fed, dry-aged steaks, wood-fired octopus and chorizo or buttermilk fried chicken. For modern, artisan cuisine with a twist, this is the perfect spot for the avid foodie to dine. 27
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Local Tips Jake Bartholomaeus, Surf Lifesaving Lifeguard, South Bank DO: Riding along the river on Clem Jones promenade in the afternoon. DRINK: My Sweetopia does the best coffee in South Bank. EAT: Stokehouse for its massive mouthwatering steaks. ESCAPE: Relaxing on the lush green lawns of the new Epicurious Garden.
DAY 2
09:00 Start your day with a culture fix at South Bank. Until mid-February, The Gallery of Modern Art exhibition Future Beauty: 30 years of Japanese Fashion showcases some of the great innovation of Japanese designers from the ’80s through to today. With nearly 100 garments to pore over, you can catch designers such as Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto, who have undeniably revolutionised the way we think about fashion over the years. And, until mid-September, you can also view We can make another future: Japanese art after 1989, a presentation of around 100 works by more than 40 contemporary Japanese artists, drawn from the Queensland Art Gallery Collection. This emotive display of artworks will definitely ignite the senses for all lovers of contemporary art.
12:00
After a morning of gallery gazing, the perfect spot for lunch is the Champ Kitchen & Bar at South Bank. Locally owned and operated, the idea is to celebrate independent producers and suppliers through its dishes and drinks. Savour silky risotto with seafood bisque, reef fish and bugs, or melt-in-the-mouth confit of pork belly with sour red peppers and apple purée. Finish with the cheese board served with fruit and warm bread and you have a lunch fit for a culinary king. Spotted while we were there was the famed Brian Cox from Journey Through the Cosmos who happened to be chowing down his lunch while on tour in Brissy. champkitchenandbar.com.au
14:00 They may look a bit cheesy, but one way to peruse the city is on a personal transporter known as an X-Wing, which looks like a cross between a scooter and pogo stick with wheels. Basically, this contraption allows the rider to move quietly and efficiently between points without losing contact with your surroundings. A bit like walking but much faster, cruising between 20-30 kilometres per hour. Try a mini-segway tour of South Bank to view the city without punishing your feet with blisters – after your sumptuous lunch at Champ Kitchen & Bar, you’ll find this a light relief from stomping the tarmac on foot. The tour takes you through the stunning Botanic Gardens, which is one not to miss for avid park goers. xwing.com.au
17:00 Fancy a brewski? Get yourself a beverage at The Charming Squire, which brings to life the original story of charming rogue and Australia’s 28
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first brewer, James Squire. With its raw, organic interiors that evoke a sense of history and storytelling, you can down one of its craft beers or ciders on tap while feeling you’re back in the day when James himself was brewing the pints. jamessquire.com.au/bar/brew-bar/thecharming-squire-queensland
18:00 For a home-away-from-home experience with a little luxe thrown in, check out Heal House, a new luxury stay in New Farm with fabulous friendly hosts Bryce and Lindsay at your service. This elegant guesthouse features just three exclusive rooms so a stay here is a unique experience to say the least. With plush interiors, unique artwork, inviting reading nooks, beautifully appointed suites and relaxing living areas, it feels like living in the home you’ve always dreamed of. Find a table on the verahdah and enjoy breakfast made of locally sourced produce garnered from the local farmers’ markets – there’s no better way to start your day. healhouse.com.au
20:00 Feel like dinner in the heart of action? Head to Fortitude Valley where you’ll discover Brisbane’s raw, offbeat area, which fuses the slightly grungy with a touch of sophistication.
Local Tips Blair Allsopp, Brisbane Greeter, Fortitude Valley DO: Live music at The Tivoli or The Zoo. DRINK: The Beach Burrito for its beach scene and cool courtyard. EAT: Alfred & Constance feasts that are fresh, free-range and delicious. ESCAPE: TRYP, the street art is not to be missed.
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Heritage-listed properties can be found among contemporary buildings, and the famed Chinatown offers a wide range of authentic cuisine to satisfy the most demanding of diners. That said, for killer cocktails and hearty, fingerlicking grub try Alfred and Constance, located on the corner of Alfred and Constance Street. Tuck into carved whole hog with apple sauce, crackling and skin potatoes while you and your mates sip on one of its impressive Zombie Bowls. This is where your night starts. A couple of Zombie Bowls down, hit the cool vibes at UP on Constance, a stylish rooftop bar close by, before heading on to the achingly chic and dimly lit Katarzyna, which has live music line-ups and even a bit of burlesque. alfredandconstance.com.au
DAY 3
08:00 Get up bright and breezy, ready to sample some culinary treasures at New Farm Park Jan Powers Farmers Markets. Start off with a freshly brewed coffee, then move on to warm flaky croissants, piping hot omelettes, sausages, dumplings, freshly baked bread, artisan sauces, olives, dips and whatever takes your fancy. Just find your spot, grab some food and flick through
Local Tips Marie-Louise, James Street Initiative, James Street DO: James Street Market for all manner of edibles from fresh seafood to farmyard produce. DRINK: HIVE cafĂŠ, aptly named after the beehive colony on the roof. EAT: Harveys for any meal of the day. ESCAPE: Outshine offers a true escape with its range of services.
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the paper while you graze through a hearty, healthy and wholesome breakfast. There’s a great buzzy atmosphere and a huge kids’ playground if you’re with your brood. janpowersfarmersmarkets.com.au
10:00 Close to the markets is the famed Brisbane Powerhouse, a fabulous spot for arts, entertainment and a coffee overlooking the river. Housed inside one of the city’s most famous locations, the Powerhouse used to supply electricity for the largest tram network in the southern hemisphere until it was officially decommissioned in 1971. In 2000, it was refurbished and reopened as a space for exhibitions. Until February 15, you can enjoy MELT: A Celebration of Queer Arts and Entertainment. Feast your senses on music, cabaret, comedy, circus, fashion and arts. brisbanepowerhouse.org
11:00 After a bit of artsy inspiration, now is the perfect time to flex some plastic and head to James Street to explore fashion, boutiques and eateries. Well known for being Brisbane’s most stylish retail precinct, this buzzy district is brimming with 130 boutique-style stores featuring top local designers such as Easton Pearson and Tom Gunn as well as plenty of niche homeware stores ideal for that ultimate statement piece for the pad. Head to Libertine to design your own personal fragrance or Jocelyn’s Provisions for home-baked cakes and delicious sourdough breads. jamesst.com.au
13:00 Final stop before your flight back is a hearty lunch at Gerard’s Bistro. Head chef Ben Williamson’s extensive menu is inspired by cuisines from southern Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa. Sample share plates such as freerange duck breast, caramelised pumpkin, quince, sour golden raisin and oat; or Murray cod, mussels and oysters in kishk, sweet onion, hazelnut and fermented green strawberry. Dishes are incredibly innovative and delicious and a meal here rounds up your visit to Brisbane perfectly. gerardsbistro.com.au
WHAT’S ON IN JANUARY? 3–11 Giggle and Hoot
& Friends, Queensland Performing Arts Centre
4–11 Brisbane International, Queensland Tennis Centre 10–22 AFC Asian Cup, Brisbane Stadium
14–25 Thriller Live,
Queensland Performing Arts Centre
14–17 The Sleeping Beauty, Queensland Performing Arts Centre 17 Disney Live! Brisbane Entertainment Centre 27 Guided Walks in the City Botanic Gardens
31 St Jerome’s Laneway Festival 2015 31
LIFE CHANGING. LITERALLY.
Available in 200mL and travel-friendly 50mL varieties, every Thankyou sanitiser contributes to one person receiving access to hygiene and sanitation programs.
Available in
www.thankyou.co
charity
Thankyou Group’s co-founders from left to right: Jarryd Burns, Daniel Flynn and Justine Flynn
Thankyou kindly Riley Palmer speaks with Daniel Flynn, co-founder and managing director of Thankyou Group, and learns how to change the world. “IT ALL STARTED in my first year of uni,” says a thoughtful Daniel Flynn. “I was in the middle of researching for an assignment and I came across this crazy fact that 900 million people in our world don’t have access to safe water.” Passionate, outraged and idealistic, the then 19-year-old could not idly gloss over the implication of this statistic. “I knew I had to do something, despite the enormity of the issue,” he explains. Now, as managing director of Thankyou Group, a social enterprise that funds projects in underprivileged
communities the world over, Daniel and his inspired team help make visible just how much we have to be thankful for. “The reality is, the majority of Australians have never had to struggle for access to basic human needs like clean water and food,” says Daniel. “These are necessities we are very accustomed to having here in Australia and, to be honest, up until that moment at uni, they were things I’d probably taken for granted.” Sadly, many of us have fervently vowed to make a difference after
experiencing similar heart-rending revelations about the world we live in, only to get distracted by what’s on television or what’s trending on Twitter. But Thankyou Group’s approach targets those of us who fall into this category by affording us bite-sized, comprehensible ways to change the world. By creating a product range consisting of items so many of us purchase already – bottled water, food, and body care products – and committing the profits from these products to ventures that lessen the impacts of global poverty, Thankyou
33
charity
Hunger is responsible for killing more people each year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. In the 2013–14 financial year, Thankyou Group funded 468 projects across 84 communities in nine different countries.
Group encourages us to make conscious consumer choices. And it’s no coincidence the products reflect the very nature of the need they are targeting. For example, bottled water profits go towards projects solving the world water crisis, food profits are committed to developments alleviating world hunger and body-care profits are dedicated to hygiene and sanitation projects. “There’s a need to fund water, food and health programs, so we want our products to relate back to these necessities,” explains Daniel. “Over time, as we grow, we want to maintain this linkage to our overall purpose, as this is the core of what Thankyou is all about.” While Thankyou Group is a social enterprise, it isn’t a charity in and of itself. Instead, it operates what is known as a project-based model. It receives project proposals from various charities and, if the project meets its criteria, Thankyou will fund it. “We have an open policy to support charities that specialise in development and have ACFID [Australian Council for International Development] accreditation,” explains Daniel. “We choose to work with big NGOs – such as Oxfam, the Red Cross and World Vision – simply because they have experience. They have learnt the hard lessons and they know good development.” When asked if Thankyou Group has considered starting up its own charity, Daniel says: “Yes, we have, but I believe Thankyou is able to have such a great impact because we don’t try to be masters at everything. We choose to use many specialists across our business –
34
partnering with amazing manufacturers and charities, working with retail outlets and so on. I think this is what enables us to be successful.” Another benefit of partnering with charities is Thankyou Group has subsequently had the resources to engage more fully with us, their consumers. Not wholly without reason, many people approach charities with scepticism and question where the money actually ends up. Instead of being disheartened by the community’s inherent distrust, Thankyou Group recognised the importance of providing evidence that the projects they’re funding are having an impact. So, in mid-2012, the team launched Track Your Impact – an app that allows consumers to see exactly where the profits from their individual purchases end up. Feeling a connection to the
tangible results is reassuring and also incredibly rewarding, even for the most sceptical of consumers. If we feel benevolent after purchasing just one box of Thankyou muesli, it’s hardly surprising Daniel feels this all the more acutely. “People I have met in the field who have received access to clean water or hygiene training have inspired me a lot,” he says. “It’s in those moments I have been really humbled and blown away. I have also been moved by young people, especially those in school, who have been motivated by Thankyou and have taken the initiative to do something of their own accord.” Changing the way we look at dayto-day items like water, muesli-bars and soap, Thankyou Group’s influence reaches far beyond the tangible impacts its app can track – and for that, we can all be thankful.
“I have been moved by young people in school who have taken the initiative to do something of their own accord.”
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theproducers
AUSTRALIA COTTONS ON Australia produces some of the world’s finest cotton. Faye James has a yarn with some experts in the Riverina. IN 2009, when a cluster of passionate cotton farmers in the Riverina region joined forces to transform a couple of dust-cloaked paddocks into a cotton gin named Southern Cotton, they had no idea it would become a multimillion-dollar operation in just 12 months. What’s more, they had no inkling they would press an incredible 166,000-plus bales in the first year. In fact, after failing to convince the major cotton merchants to build a gin in the area, local farmers Tim and Roger Commins, Larry Walsh, Gerard and John Toscan and rice grower Scott Hogan literally had all their funds set against this project. At times, as floods and droughts came and went, they thought their venture wouldn’t make it to the end of the season. Fast-forward to today, and Southern Cotton has just pressed more than
500,000 bales and is growing in production on a daily basis. “The potential for the cotton industry in this region is enormous,” says the general manager of Southern Cotton, Kate O’Callaghan. “As an irrigated crop, cotton gives a great return on investment and we’ve got a lot more growers – more than 60 – who have only been growing cotton for a couple of years. They wouldn’t be able to enter the industry without the cotton gin but now we have helped them make their business sustainable and lucrative.” Southern Cotton’s growers come from Leeton, Griffith, Hay, Coleambally and out over Berrigan and Swan Hill. “A local grower just recently won the best crop in the region with a great return on investment, compared to rice, corn and soybeans,” says Kate. “Everyone thinks cotton is very
Kate 0’Callaghan, Southern Cotton’s general manager.
FAST FACTS • Australia is the thirdlargest cotton exporter in the world behind the United States and India. • Over 99 per cent of Australia’s cotton is exported, with 68 per cent sold to China. 37
theproducers
“The cotton industry gives you the ability to forward market the crops up to three years ahead and the cotton seed is another source of income for the grower.” expensive to grow, and yes it is, but a lot of these expenses are at the end of the season. With prompt payment for lint two weeks after ginning, the large costs incurred at harvesting, freight and ginning, are easily managed. “The cotton industry gives you the ability to forward market the crops up to three years ahead and the cotton seed is another source of income for the grower.” Southern Cotton is also passionate about educating others on the wider cotton industry. Kate often invites school students, retirees and tourists to the Southern Cotton gin so they can learn more about the industry. “We’re trying to educate people on the sustainability of irrigated cotton in the region and tell them the facts about cotton.
WHAT IS A COTTON GIN? At the gin, machines are used to separate the cotton lint (ginned cotton) from the cotton seed. This is then pressed into bales and packed and shipped mostly overseas.
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If you can give people a good experience when they come here and showcase the ginning experience and the reasons why we do things, then they can learn a lot about the industry. Education and understanding is a big part of our mission,” Kate says. The company’s focus on innovation to improve sustainability and efficiency is changing perceptions and was recently acknowledged in the broader community when Southern Cotton won the Excellence in Innovation award at the 2014 MurrayRiverina Regional Business Awards. What’s more, Kate has been named as a finalist in this year’s Telstra Women’s Business Awards and is listed in the Women in Australia Agribusiness 100. “It’s exciting times for Southern Cotton and the cotton industry as a whole,” Kate
AGRICULTURAL STUDIES LEAD TO HARVARD Cotton grower John Norman is a leader in the cotton industry, farming 60,000 acres of irrigated and rain-fed country, with 40,000 acres cotton-ready. Through his business, Norman Farming, at Toobeah Queensland, John has won many awards in the cotton industry. A graduate of Marcus Oldham, the business management college at Geelong Victoria, John is convinced his time there sparked his excitement for learning. Keen to continue his education, John applied to study the three-year Owner President Management program at Harvard University USA. One of 178 successful applicants from 1000 registrations, John undertakes three weeks of study each year on campus. He equates the teaching methods at Marcus Oldham with Harvard in that case studies are a major learning tool. He is convinced that agricultural and business case studies “pull the best out of you”. Supported by a strong team, John believes in building a profitable business that can also contribute to the local community and preserve the environment.
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insidemining Issue 19 – Jan/Feb 2015
16
MINING REVIEW Capitalising on the importance of safety
22
SPECIAL REPORT Who were the movers and shakers of 2014?
THE FUEL REVOLUTION 33
Modern engines and pollution pressures are changing the fuel and lubricant industry
Image courtesy of BHP Billiton
snapshot
2
snapshot
Klipspruit, South Africa
Status: Producer Type of Work: Open-Pit Location: Mpumalanga, South Africa Commodities: Coal 3
news+views FOSSIL FUEL DIVESTMENT Australia’s mining and resources industry may not be subject to a carbon tax, but that hasn’t stopped it from paying a significant price anyway. In a move that continues to inflame much public debate, the Australian National University (ANU) has divested itself of shares in seven fossil fuel companies: Santos, Newcrest Mining, Iluka Resources, Sandfire Resources, Oil Search, Independence Group and Sirius. While these companies represent just $16 million of a $1 billion portfolio, the ANU’s decision to divest overwhelmingly reflects a larger public perception of climate risk and the impact it will have on return on investment moving forwards. With the fiscal influence to almost circumvent government altogether, institutional investors – which manage pension funds, superannuation funds, insurance companies and sovereign funds – are also acting on the risks associated with financial investment in fossil fuels. For instance, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has said it will not lend to firms involved in thermal coal and coal seam gas. Deriving largely from action initiated at US campuses, the ANU isn’t the only big-name institution supporting the fossil fuel divestment movement. Internationally, high-profile supporters of the movement include the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Stanford University, Glasgow University, and the World Council of Churches. In Australia, the Uniting Church is joining the movement, and Sydney University has ruled out future investments in coalmining.
REDUNDANT RED TAPE From the grant of tenure, exploration, extraction, processing, transport and mine closure, through to the relinquishment of tenure, the mining industry is subject to an excess of red tape. A report released by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) in October 2014, announced that a net increase
EXCITING FUTURE AHEAD FOR TEX ONSITE A new South Australian base extends TEX Onsite’s horizons and reach. TEX Onsite is thrilled to open its new Adelaide facility, which is an expansion in response to the ever-increasing demand for its services. Managing director, Mick Kirwan, said the new facility will enable TEX Onsite to expand its reach across Australia. “No longer will South Australia be serviced by Victorian-based technicians. This will not only improve response time, but also reduce costs with technicians now based out of Adelaide,” Mick said. Ray Wennerstroem leads the Adelaide team. He is an experienced TEX Onsite technician with years of valuable experience under his belt. The team will offer full calibration and testing services, complying with quality standard IEC 17025, with plans for three additional calibration and testing vans to service South Australia by February. TEX Onsite is an Australian leader in onsite testing and instrument calibration services. A fleet consisting of more than 30 service vans and five aircraft allows TEX Onsite to reach even the most remote customers across Australia. Facilities in Victoria, New South Wales, ACT, Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, are joined by the new South Australian arm. This range of facilities allows TEX Onsite to increase operations, ensuring its continued competitiveness within the industry.
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of 577 acts had been implemented between December 2007 and May 2013 – with 874 new acts having been passed, and only 297 repealed. The MCA cited five particular weaknesses for regulatory reform, including: the volume of regulation, overlap across different levels of government, inadequacies in the regulation-making process, failure to
review existing rules and deficiencies in the performance of regulatory bodies. The federal government appears largely in agreement with the MCA’s findings, as evidenced by its commitment to cut $1 billion in red tape every year, and host biannual parliamentary repeal days. As a starting point, the Prime Minister and parliamentary secretary Josh Frydenberg, 5
news+views
who has a specific responsibly for deregulation, suggested the repeal of the carbon tax and mining tax would reduce compliance costs in mining. This is a welcome hypothesis given the compliance workforce in the mining sector has grown by approximately 17 per cent since 2006. Deloitte backs up the assertion that there is an overabundance of regulatory measures in a report entitled Get out of your own way: Unleashing productivity. However, Deloitte’s findings suggest bureaucracy isn’t solely to blame for the excess of rules, and that the mining industry itself needs to look at things like its FIFO rosters, which can be inefficient if they feature no work on fly-in days,
regardless of distance travelled or mode of transport concerned.
REVALUING THE BOOM Recent research conducted by Jonathan Pincus, visiting professor of economics at the University of Adelaide, and former adviser to the Productivity Commission, suggests the resources boom from 2003– 04 to 2011–12 contributed significantly more to Australia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) than the three per cent indicated in Beyond the Boom, a report conducted by John Edwards in 2014. Published by the Minerals Council of Australia, Pincus’ report highlights the flow-on effects the mining boom had
BOLLÉ HAVE A KEEN EYE FOR SAFETY
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on the economy beyond mining output, mining value-added or mining exports. The report states: “Edwards’ calculation relies on Australian dollar prices, which doubled. Yet the national gain came from the rise in US dollar export prices, which quadrupled.” Completely omitted by Edwards, the higher exchange rate dispersed the benefits of steeper export prices to Australians purchasing imports, i.e. shoppers. Pincus states: “... the doubling of the exchange rate saved about 10 per cent of GDP on the nation’s import bill.” Drawing on estimates conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that factor in this trading gain, Pincus indicates the mining sector’s actual contribution to national GDP over the decade was closer to 14 per cent. Finger pointing aside, this far greater figure has implications for the capacity of Australian households and governments in adjusting to the significantly decreased terms of trade.
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES The 2014 Australian Mining Prospect Awards shone a light on the most innovative and influential companies and individuals of last year. They also provided an insight into the trajectory of mining technologies and best practice in relation to mine safety and impacting the surrounding environment. While each of the 16 winners, spanning key industry categories, represent excellence in the sector, the ever-increasing scrutiny and importance placed on mining safety makes MineARC’s EnviroLAV – winner of the Excellence in Mine Safety, OH&S category – particularly notable. The EnviroLAV is a self-contained semi-permanent toilet system that only requires emptying every 18–24 months. It’s 100 per cent air-driven by micro-aeration filters that continuously break down waste in conjunction with a biodegradable, non-toxic EnviroZYME solution. This means, even in the volatile environment of underground coal mining, there is no risk of electrical sparks or explosion, unlike conventional electric toilet systems.
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spotlight
RENEWING THROUGH REHAB IN THE PROCESS OF MINING THERE ARE UNAVOIDABLE EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT ONE WAY MINERS CAN MITIGATE THESE IS TO CONSIDER THE REHABILITATION OF MINED LAND DURING AND AFTER MINING OPERATIONS. WORDS: MITCH BROOK
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spotlight
IN MINING there’s a fine balance between the benefit of what is pulled out of the ground and the effects of mining operations on the environment. It’s a trade-off that’s often in the political spotlight: what governments are doing to prevent long-term damage to ecosystems, and what responsibilities mining companies have to mitigate their effect on the areas that surround their operations. Mining operations don’t last forever – there comes a point when the yield of a mine becomes too small to continue operations and the mine closes. It’s at this point that one of the most effective methods for repairing and mitigating long-term damage to the environment can be undertaken. The rehabilitation of mined land helps return the affected areas of mine sites to a condition similar to that they were in before operations began. Melina Gillespie is a senior research officer at the Sustainable Minerals Institute’s Centre for 11
Mined Land Rehabilitation at the University of Queensland. The centre researches solutions for environmental management and sustainability relating to all resources commodities. “Mining is a temporary land use, so it’s important to consider appropriate long-term post-mining land uses,” she says. “Minimising the negative impacts of mining can assist in achieving cost-effective and successful rehabilitation outcomes in line with land use goals and to the benefit of nearby communities and the environment.” While it is widely recognised that mining is an essential part of Australia’s – and the world’s – economy, it’s important for those
involved in the resources industry to realise the impact mining operations can have on the environment and to plan for the eventual cessation of mining operations. “Early planning for rehabilitation and closure is imperative to mitigating environmental impact and achieving successful rehabilitation,” Gillespie concurs. “Given the large range of commodities (bauxite, mineral sands, coal and metalliferous mines) and thus the associated mining procedures, steps vary dramatically from site to site. “At a basic level, steps [towards the rehabilitation of mined land] should include: early planning for rehabilitation and closure; thorough characterisation of the
“Early planning for rehabilitation and closure is imperative to mitigating environmental impact.” 11
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Fast fact • Alcoa says monitoring of rehabilitation programs showed 90 per cent of birds, 89 per cent of reptiles and 100 per cent of mammals in areas around its operations recolonised the rehabilitated areas within 10 years.
resulting [land] for use; clever design of landforms to maximise stability and plant growth; selection of appropriate species for inclusion in seed mixes; and long-term monitoring to measure success.” The approach that a mine site should take to rehabilitating the surrounding land depends on the site’s practices and the particular resources that are being or have been extracted. Three principal areas of concern when rehabilitating a site are the surrounding waters, soils and ecosystems. “Given the multifaceted approach that mine sites need to take to ensure successful rehabilitation,
integrated research projects that consider all influencing factors are key,” says Gillespie. “Chemically and physically stable landforms are important in assisting the development of sustainable ecosystems in varying climatic conditions. All are important – all are intrinsically linked.” The good news is that successful rehabilitation projects are underway around Australia. One is Alcoa’s bauxite mine in the Darling Range area, south of Perth. Alcoa states that it is “committed to high standards of environmental performance and aims to return 100 per cent of plant species richness in our rehabilitated mine site areas, compared with premined jarrah forest.” The company aims not only to reintroduce plant life to the area after its mining operations have ceased but return the land to its pre-mined state, encouraging natural ecosystems to flourish and helping to restore the site’s pre-mining uses, including timber harvesting, conservation, water
catchment and recreational uses. The rehabilitation of Alcoa’s Darling Range mine site includes the following steps, as outlined on its corporate website: reshaping mined areas to blend with the existing landscape; returning topsoil and logs to encourage the return of flora, fauna and soil nutrients; contourripping subsoils to assist in treeroot penetration, maximise water infiltration and assist in erosion control; seeding tree, understorey and other species indigenous to the jarrah forest; and applying nitrogen and phosphate fertiliser, usually via helicopter in a one-off application. This is followed by fauna management, including fauna surveys, provision of habitats such as logs, relocation of species into the area and fox baiting. As is the case in many areas of mining, various new technologies are applicable to the task of rehabilitating mine sites. One such technology is the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to survey mine sites, paired with specially designed software,
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spotlight
as an aid in planning the return of the terrain to a state comparable to the one it was in pre-mining. Position Partners supplies software and hardware to the mining industry including UAS technology for various applications. Gavin Docherty, UAS product manager for the company, says the UASs, which include fixed-wing and multi-rotor systems, can be used to survey a site before mining works begin and make a digital terrain model that can be used as a reference when returning the terrain to its pre-mined state. “If you have a broadacre requirement, you go with the fixed wing to cover larger areas,” says Docherty. “Around camp, or
Fast fact • The multi-rotor AscTec Falcon 8 UAS is capable of carrying a range of cameras and sensing equipment across the visual and infra-red spectrums.
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around infrastructure or built-up environments and high structures, and for smaller-volume calculations, you use the multi-rotor.” Docherty says early use of UAS technology was recreational. It has been developed for military and commercial applications since, but there are still roadblocks to the adoption of UASs by surveyors. “One major setback to the widespread adoption of this technology has been CASA [Civil Aviation Safety Authority] regulations,” says Docherty. But recent changes to those regulations are making it easier for people to be able to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles.
“Because of that, we’ve had a slight increase in sales in the past three months – mainly because of the understanding of the CASA requirements and the realisation that it’s possible,” he says. Conventional surveying methods might mean exploring a site on foot and taking measurements manually, which could take a week or longer. “With a UAS it could take you 20 to 30 minutes,” says Docherty. The benefit for anyone rehabilitating mine sites is clear: using unmanned aerial vehicles makes it simpler and faster for mining companies to mitigate their operations’ negative effects on their environs down the track.
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miningreview
NEW TECH PUTS SAFETY
FIRST With safety emerging as a key area for new technology investment in Australian mining, we investigate what it means for our mining industry to play it safe. WORDS: RILEY PALMER
AS THE AUSTRALIAN mining boom inevitably plateaus, the pressure on the mining sector to decrease expenses and increase productivity intensifies. Historically, cutting costs has meant cutting jobs, but reduced manpower is not always conducive to optimal levels of workplace safety. In a line of work where human error can result in death or severe injury, industry officials and miners alike are seeing the role of Collision Avoidance Systems (CAS) in mining as essential. Across the board, CAS are understood to save lives and significantly reduce injury rates. The basic premise underpinning all of the numerous technologies associated with CAS, is that they can detect the presence of staff or machinery within a certain distance of a machine. Depending on the specifics of the technology implemented, they have the capacity to send warning signals and interact with the vehicle’s brakes if there is a perceived danger. 17
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miningreview
In February and March 2014, leading business information service Timetric questioned 110 key decision makers from more than 90 Australian mines on their investment intentions relating to mining technology. According to the study’s findings, 30 per cent of Australian mining companies are considering investing in collision-avoidance and proximity-detection systems within the next two years, with safety their number one driver for investment. This anticipated surge in investment is further based upon the acquisition and uptake of such technologies by large equipment suppliers. Recent deals have included Caterpillar’s partnership with Seeing Machines, Hexagon AB’s acquisition of SAFEmine and GE Mining’s purchase of InfoTronix. Of course, investing in CAS can also improve a site’s productivity and profitability but, generally, these improvements are in direct response to increased safety. A whitepaper released by GE Mining states: “In manufacturing, where safety technology is more developed, best-in-class organisations using advanced safety technology are reporting the lowest injury rates and high productivity rates.”
A Safe Work Australia report shows that 36 mining workers died from work related injuries between 2007–08 and 2011–12. Of those 36 deaths, 21 involved vehicles. Unfortunately, Australia’s figures are largely borne out around the globe, with the largest number of fatalaties occurring in Chile and New Zealand. The reality is, collisions on both surface and underground mine sites have been occurring since the introduction of heavy equipment, which is not altogether surprising considering factors such as restricted external vision due to blind spots and limited manoeuvrability. While there is no way to eliminate risk altogether, CAS minimise the room for human error by using technologies such as radio detection and ranging, sonar, global positioning systems, radio transceiver tags, radio frequency and cameras. These technologies have been proven to prevent potential collisions and assist operators by improving traffic awareness in a way human-operated devices such as walkie-talkies and horn signals have been unsuccessful. CAS currently occupy a relatively small portion of the mining technology market. This is most likely due to the justifiably strict mandating of such
“In manufacturing, where safety technology is more developed, bestin-class organisations are using advanced technology.”
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Shel
miningreview
Fast facts: • Timetric’s report highlights Australia’s three top areas for new technology investment in mining as: environmental monitoring and emissions management, equipment health monitoring and diagnostics, and collision avoidance/ proximity detection. • The Civil Aviation Safety Authority began lobbying for Airborne Collision Avoidance Systems on commercial aircraft in 1995, almost 20 years ahead of the mining industry.
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technologies to ensure they meet intrinsically safe requirements. However, this has recently been addressed through the release of industry guidelines that pertain to relevant legislations and International Organisation for Standardisation standards, such as the MDG 2007 Guideline for the selection and implementation of collision management systems for mining. The United States and South Africa are both leading the way internationally on safety. In these countries, government regulation of mining safety, through the legislation of CAS, has been in consideration since 2013. In Australia, it is believed similar compliance measures may be in the pipeline with investigation into the use of CAS and proximity detection both listed as priorities in the 2012–2013 report issued by Queensland’s Commissioner for Mine Safety and Health. Demonstrating the latest in mining safety technology at the Queensland Mining and Engineering exhibition in 2014, SAFEmine displayed its TrackingRadar System – an adjunct to its existing CAS. Offering 360-degree visibility at any speed, SAFEmine’s CAS has already been recognised for saving lives in Australia and abroad. In a SAFEmine press release from September 2014, Martin Leggat, a mine surveyor at the New Acland mine in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, says: “I was driving along in a light vehicle and came to an intersection, looked both ways, didn’t see anything, so I started to accelerate. Then SAFEmine CAS went off and alerted me that a vehicle was coming and, within a second, there was big 793 dump truck coming down on me, so the system basically saved me.” And that is exactly what it means for the mining industry to play it safe.
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YEAR IN REVIEW WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG
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AS MANY MINES AROUND AUSTRALIA SHIFTED FROM CONSTRUCTION TO THE PRODUCTION PHASE, WAS 2014 MORE ABOUT ABOVE GROUND?
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specialreport
Clockwise from top left: Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Clive Palmer, Christine Milne.
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ever was the Australian resources sector more font of mind than during 2014 – good news for an industry that relies heavily on high visibility. But rather than it being all about the fluro vests that dominate regional airports around the country, it was largely about the men and women in suits down in Canberra. The focus was on one man’s mission in particular, that of newly elected Prime Minister Tony Abbott to repeal both the Carbon Tax and the Minerals Resources Rent Tax (MRRT), which his predecessor Julia Gillard had delivered to the populous. But if you’re tempted to stop reading now, thinking that’s the year in a nutshell, it turned out to be a much tougher nut to crack than even Abbott imagined possible: it took him until mid-July – some seven months after he was elected – to make good on
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his key campaign promise to dump the Carbon Tax. And it would be almost two more months before he was able to repeal the MRRT. Pivotal to these monumental changes, of course, was the Palmer United Party (PUP) headed by Clive Palmer, the first major Australian miner to enter the federal parliament. But despite his undeniable vested interest in the abolition of both imposts on mining companies, Palmer didn’t make it easy for Abbott, with a series of protracted negotiations to assist Australian families following a brutal federal budget. But eventually and inevitably, both imposts were scrapped in
what Greens leader Christine Milne described in a report in The Australian as giving the billionaire miner Palmer what he wanted, specifically “to get rid of the mining tax for big miners”. Said Milne: “Within one hour they want to come in here, circulate amendments, just bang them on the desk and say it doesn’t matter what you think about it, we’ve done the deal, we’ve got the numbers, we can ram it through.” Addressing the Senate in September, Milne said it was “absolutely imperative” that the deal faced scrutiny “because it is saying ‘big miners, get out there and pop your champagne corks. Clive
It took Abbott some seven months to dump the Carbon Tax.
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specialreport
Palmer has just delivered for himself and for you Rio Tinto, for BHP, for all of them, a mega windfall gain’. If ever there was a conflict of interest, it is this one,” she said. From the minute he launched his eclectic campaign for the Queensland seat of Fairfax, Palmer was never going to be anything but controversial. While he surprisingly held up the Abbott government’s tax repeals far longer than anyone expected, it was his comments in relation to China – Australia’s major trading partner – which proved to be the real clanger. On the ABC program Q&A in August, Palmer labelled the Chinese “mongrels who shoot their own people”. His comments followed a legal battle with Chinese state-owned company CITIC Pacific, which accused
Fast fact • Australia is the world’s third-largest producer of uranium. Each uranium mine can create around 300 new construction jobs and a further 300 jobs in operations.
Palmer’s company Mineralogy of siphoning off $12 million in funds to fund the PUP’s federal election campaign. Palmer later stated his comments were not directed at the Chinese community or the Chinese government but at one Chinese state-owned company. One week later, the outspoken
Clive Palmer was never going to be anything but controversial.
Palmer apologised publicly “to Chinese people everywhere” for his infamous comments. While it would be tempting to concentrate solely on the politicians who added so much chaos and colour to the Australian mining landscape in 2014, there were some significant developments in the resources sector itself. In what some hailed as the next big boom, the Queensland Government lifted the ban on uranium mining. Mount Isa mayor Tony McGrady, a former mines and energy minister for Queensland, believed the move placed the state on the brink of something big. Holding just under one third of the global total, Australia is the world’s thirdlargest producer of uranium after Kazakhstan and Canada. McGrady told Inside Mining that each uranium mine would create around 300 new construction jobs and a further 300 in operations. “This could be the start of the second mining bonanza in Queensland,” he said.
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specialreport
“Australia needs to be ‘hungrier’ in bringing on projects of all sizes, including small and mediumsized mining projects.”
“For many years, Queensland rode off the back of a sheep and is now riding off the back of the coal trucks. If we can find something else that the world wants, my view is that we sell it.” And the timing of a new boom couldn’t have been better, with many mine workers looking around with a sense of impending doom as mines moved from the construction to production phase and many workers were laid off. While the days of low-skilled labourers turning up at sites and scoring lucrative roles were over, major recruiters were divided over where the industry was headed in 2014. Some, such as Hays Energy, said there remained pockets of activity in some areas around Australia including Western Australia’s iron ore industry and 28
drive-in, drive-out workers in Queensland. While the Northern Territory remained tight, there were emerging sectors throughout the industry seeking qualified professionals. Specialists in major liquefied natural gas and coal seam gas projects were starting to benefit from higher demand through 2014. Meanwhile, the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) warned that low-cost competitors such as Indonesia, Columbia, South Africa, Mozambique, Mongolia and India, as well as interior provinces in China, were nipping at the nation’s heels in the global resources game. “Australia needs to be hungrier in bringing on projects of all sizes, including small and mediumsized mining projects,” an MCA spokesperson said. What it potentially lacked in
DID YOU KNOW? • Some commentators believe placing a penalty on carbon, at just over $25 a tonne, was Australia’s most controversial policy implementation since the Howard government’s decision to join the Iraq invasion in 2003. • Prime Minister Tony Abbott said by axing the Carbon Tax, the average family would save $550 on costs such as power bills. • The Senate voted 39-32 to scrap Labor’s carbon pricing scheme after securing the support of PUP senators and other cross-benchers.
hunger, the Australian mining industry, in all of its fabulous forms, made up for in controversy, colour and characters in 2014. While there may have been an inordinate amount of focus on the grey walls of the federal parliament and the suits that dominate within, no one could ever accuse the Australian mining industry of being dull in 2014.
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resourceinsight
Fe
Name: Iron Element Category: Transitional metal Melting Point: 1538 °C Electron Configuration: [Ar]3d6 4s2 Atomic number and mass: 26/55.845(2) Discovered: Ancient times. Origin of name: Derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “iren”.
Iron facts • The symbol for iron, Fe, comes from the word “ferrum”, Latin for iron. • Iron beads made from meteorites have been found in Gerzeh, Egypt that date back to the year 3500 BC, or even earlier. • The earth’s core is composed of both solid and molten iron while just over five per cent of the earth’s crust contains iron. • Today, iron is mainly used with other metals to make steel, an iron alloy that has been made by man for the past 4000 years or more. • Plants require iron to make chlorophyll, which is necessary for photosynthesis, while iron in the human body has many functions, including oxygenating the blood.
• Iron can be wrought (shaped) or cast (molded) to make everyday items such as gates, pots and pans.
• Iron is one of the most common elements on earth, has a relatively low production cost and has a wide variety of uses.
• Iron ore that is smelted, or made into a metal from its ore state, is called “pig iron”.
• China, Australia and Brazil are currently the top three producers of iron ore worldwide. • The body of an average, healthy human being contains four to five grams of iron. Humans lacking in sufficient iron are considered to be “iron deficient”. • Iron can be found naturally in a range of meats and vegetables including but not limited to: meat, seafood, chicken, beans, seeds and nuts.
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mininginsider
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mininginsider
DIESEL FUEL is the life force behind Australia’s mining industry and it’s currently required to operate most heavy-duty machinery. Having proper fuel quality and minimising contaminants is absolutely fundamental to the overall productivity of any mine. However, new engines, which are coming on to the market to comply with the global regulation of emission reductions, are necessitating cleaner and less contaminated fuel in order to operate reliably and with any longevity. According to filtration specialists Donaldson Company, there are four main types of contaminants: water, foreign particulate matter, biological growth and wax formation. They need to be detected at various points along the fuel supply chain: firstly, when the fuel is delivered to a site and placed into bulk storage, then when it leaves the tanks and is pumped into the fuelling station, and again when it is pumped into the vehicle, which itself has a very fine filtration system. OEM engine and transport manager at Alfa Laval, Theodore Esplin says: “All along the fuel supply chain, these filters need to be regularly replaced and the old ones disposed of.” He says although this can be a costly process, it is necessary. While contaminants can never be completely eliminated – particularly water and dirt, which are essential on a mine site – they can be minimised through the use of emerging technologies in filtration. Interestingly, development manager for mining and filtration for HYDAC International, Mark LeRoux, suggests filtration processes are largely compromised by human error. “Incorrectly sized filter systems for particulate are an occurrence seen all too often on mine sites. Money spent on smaller-sized filter systems seems to override the long-term outlook on getting larger systems installed,” he says. Of course, renewable energy is a hotly debated topic as far as fuelling the
Having proper fuel quality and minimising contaminants is absolutely fundamental to the overall productivity of any mine.
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mininginsider
mining industry goes, and one that can’t be ignored when discussing innovations in fuel. Despite much industry ambivalence, numerous renewable energy systems already power mines in Australia and internationally, with German consulting firm THEnergy revealing renewable energy systems are up to 70 per cent less expensive than diesel power at mining sites. According to the data it’s collated, THEnergy says the best business cases can be observed for hybrid power plants – that is, solar or wind systems that are integrated into existing diesel plants.
A fraction less friction Despite a decrease in investment in Australia’s mining industry at large, industry consultants and research analysts Frost & Sullivan predict the
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“Offering customised solutions and demonstration of efficiency has proven effective in winning new contracts.” mining lubricant market is expected to grow. In a recent report entitled “Analysis of the Mining Lubricant Market in Australia”, Frost & Sullivan found the market earned returns of $446.3 million in 2013 and predicted it would reach $650.5 million in 2019. Interest in lubrication technology primarily stems from the financial incentives – that higher performing lubricants can extend the life of machinery components, and cut maintenance, fossil-fuel use and operating costs.
According to Frost & Sullivan senior consultant Sarah Wang, the mining industry’s focus is shifting from mass production to enhanced production. “Offering customised solutions and demonstration of efficiency has proven effective in winning new contracts,” Wang says. “Being a highly specialised product group that is directly linked to operational performance and cost, as well as providing technical support, is highly valued by customers.” This is particularly pertinent to any new
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companies considering entering the Australian market, given its dominance by five well-established suppliers. One such company sparking a lot of interest in this highly competitive industry is Finnish-based Nanol Technologies, which has combined chemistry, nanotechnology and exhaustive research to develop a commercial lubricant additive called Nanol. It’s long been understood that nanotechnology can reduce friction in almost anything – from diamonds to toothpaste. However, it has never been successfully employed in lubricants – until the present day. In laymen’s terms, Nanol forms a protective layer of copper nanoparticles on the friction surfaces, which prevents hydrogen from destroying the contact surfaces. The metal-plating copper film protects the friction zones against
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Fast facts: • There is no single fuel called diesel. Instead it refers to anything used to fuel a diesel engine. • Generic types of lubricants still make up 40 per cent of the lubricants consumed in Australia’s mining sector.
wear while reducing the temperature of the friction units, which extends the lifetime of the machine. Nanol Technologies senior advisor Aubrey Burrows brings with him more than 30 years of experience from a career largely focused on energy efficiency and long-life lubricants. He says what makes Nanol so effective is its chemistry and how it operates. “The Nanol additive is homogenous and contains copper particles, which are dispersed in a stable colloid,” he says. “This means Nanol products do not have any problems and difficulties associated with conventional nanotechnology and there are no health and safety concerns.” A product that varies so vastly both chemically and mechanically, Nanol is potentially a game-changer as far as mining lubricants go.
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andvik’s Tier 4i TH551 dump truck is revolutionising efficiency for Mincor Resources NL. At Mincor’s Kambalda nickel mines, the first of four giants roars responsibly as it simultaneously maximises the potential of each load while emitting just 1/25 of the diesel particulate of the mine’s Tier 1 predecessors. A combination of technological innovation and attention to detail has helped make the Tier 4i TH551 a heavy-duty hardworking machine that still manages to significantly reduce fuel usage and emissions. Not to mention, its Volvo Penta TAD1662VE engine is nothing to mess with. “The primary reason we went with these new trucks was for the productivity improvements we believe we will achieve,” says Brett Fowler, general manager at the Kambalda Operations. Indeed, the TH551’s onboard weighing systems constantly inform the LHD operator of the truck’s loading status so no trips are wasted. This increases efficiency and speed overall. “The fact the truck and loader operators had immediate access to good information meant loading improved ‘by itself’,” says Fowler. “In other words, if our operators have the right information at the right times, then they can – and do – make better decisions.” And in the mining industry, as with any industry, it pays to be informed. With significantly less diesel particulate emissions, the TH551 is improving underground air quality for workers and also saving fuel, which was another reason why these trucks were the right choice for Mincor. “For our first
TH551, fuel consumption has been about 35 per cent less than the nearest Tier 1 truck,” says Fowler. The efficiency of the TH551 will also allow for the use of fewer trucks while getting more work done, potentially taking an eight-truck job down to as low as four to six trucks. In addition to precise payload and emission reductions, the trucks also promise easier maintenance and Fowler has not been disappointed in this regard either. “The way the units are designed to be maintained has been pretty well
thought out,” Fowler says. “For one example, the onboard jacking system to lift a fully-laden vehicle in less than 30 seconds for a wheel change is a really nice touch.” Changing a tyre underground is no easy task, but Sandvik has thought of everything in the design of its new Tier 4i TH551 and is taking steps to improve efficiency in all aspects of the job. Clearly the TH551’s winning combination of lower fuel costs, fewer emissions and higher productivity is proving to be an all-around win for Mincor.
“With significantly less diesel particulate emissions, the TH551 is improving air quality for workers.”
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hose familiar with insurance company Youi will know that they don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Individual circumstances vary so much – particularly when it comes to car use – that it seems unfair to charge the same amount to everyone across the board. Fifo workers in particular can save enormous amounts on their premiums – getting up to a massive 29 per cent discount from Youi – because while they are out on the mine sites, their cars are just sitting in the garage collecting dust. Why should anyone pay for that? Youi prides itself on being a company that asks a few more questions. Rather than making assumptions about individual car use, it tailors insurance packages specific to your needs – often with enormous cash benefits. Youi is all about how you use your car. And leaving your car garaged while you are regularly away for weeks at a time is one of the factors they reward well. And with so much focus on saving money these days it would be crazy not to at least do a quote with them. Youi are pretty confident they’ll be able to beat your current car insurance
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CLIENT FEEDBACK FROM YOUI’S ONLINE WALL: FIFO mine worker: “I have saved a whopping 20 per cent with Youi over my previous car insurance. As a FIFO mine worker, I hardly use my car at home. Youi recognised this and dropped the cost of my monthly payments. Thanks Youi – I wish I came across sooner.” - Sam Car policy update: “Can’t speak more highly of Youi. I work away in the mines and my car is parked up most of the time. Youi is the only company that understands that and offers significant discounts because of it. Youi answers the phones extremely efficiently and the operators are always friendly and helpful. - Benjamin For more real feedback on Youi, check out the Youi Wall at youi.com.au/youiwall
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The Quiz
PUZZLES 2
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ACROSS 1. Zigzag (through traffic) 4. Dockside 7. Crawled 8. Southern US drawl 9. Strikes forcefully 12. Disliked 14. Playwright, Oscar ... 15. Ultra manly 16. Possibly 17. Cowardly person
DOWN 1. Bereaved wife 2. Study of relics 3. Levels 4. Electrical power units 5. Spectres 6. Pennants 10. Teem 11. Enchantress, ... fatale 12. Hillbillies 13. Song
Rating: SUDOKU
SKYWEST Handy 2663 SkywestHandy020.pdf © Lovatts Publications 16/11/2010 - Artist - ns
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SKYWEST SkywestSudoku020.pdf Moderate © Lovatts Publications 14/12/2010
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© Lovatts Publications - www.lovatts.com.au
SUDOKU SOLUTION:
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WE A V E WH A R F I R V A P L D CR E P T P A O H N TWA NG WH A MS S R S E I S O F H A T E D W I L D E I I I A O MA CHO T R G M K N T MA Y B E S I S S Y CROSSWORD SOLUTION:
© Lovatts Publications - www.lovatts.com.au
8 3 6 5
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column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.
QUIZ SOLUTIONS: 1. John Howard 2. Brazil 3. Austin Powers 4. Somalia 5. Aquarius 6. Sunflower 7. The Devil 8. Romania 9. JK Rowling 10. Macarena 11. Apple 12. Qatar 13. 50% 14. Cork 15. Both WA models 16. USA and China 17. Matthew Flinders 18. Pastry 19. Gina Rinehart 20. Birds
CROSSWORD
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1. Lazarus Rising is the published memoirs of which statesman? 2. Formula One Champion Ayrton Senna’s homeland held three days of national mourning when he died. Where was he born? 3. “Oh behave!” became a catch phrase after Mike Myers used it in which film role? 4. Which is further north, Tanzania or Somalia? 5. If you were born on Australia Day, what would your star sign be? 6. Before modern materials, the dried stalks of which flower were used to fill life jackets to provide buoyancy? 7. According to the saying, who finds work for idle hands? 8. In what country is Count Dracula’s Transylvania? 9. Which successful author donated the royalties from her novel, The Tales Of Beedle Bard, to charity? 10. Los del Mar and Los del Rio both had a hit with which song? 11. What type of fruit is a Blenheim orange? 12. After beating Australia in the bidding process, which country was chosen to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup? 13. Approximately what percentage of the population has an IQ of less than 100? 14. Which bottle stopper is also an Irish county? 15. What do Nicole Trunfio and Jessica Gomes have in common? 16. Which two countries are the only natural habitats of alligators? 17. A cat named Trim was the companion of which famous explorer? 18. If a dish is en croute, what is it wrapped in? 19. Name the mining billionaire who is reputedly Australia’s richest woman. 20. A book by wildlife artist James John Audubon sold at Sotheby’s for a record $11.5 million in December 2010. WhatFill wasthe his favourite grid so subject? that every
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5
WAYS TO SPOT A DODGY RENO
If you think buying and renovating is too much hard work and you want to purchase something already built, then take note! We often hear advice
ZORAN SOLANO Senior buyers agent Zoran Solano, from Hot Property Specialists Buyers Agency.
about how to give your property a magic makeover for peanuts, which can be good for the seller. But it’s not so good for the buyer when they go to resell or rent, or are forced to replace the inferior fixtures and hardware used in the initial renovation much sooner than anticipated. Indeed it’s usually the buyer who gets lumped with the consequences of a dodgy renovation. So we’re about to help you avoid picking up a property that’s been given a dodgy reno by sharing with you just a sample of the most obvious things to look for to determine if the overall reno has been undertaken properly. Some of the things that I look out for are: • Lack of consistency. I often find that poorly renovated properties don’t have a common theme or a consistent standard
of finish. For example, I’ve often seen a six-burner stove fitted into a kitchen that clearly isn’t a gourmet kitchen. • Inappropriate design. This refers to when the owner or tradesperson chooses a cheap ‘on sale’ item, instead of a better quality alternative when the better quality item is needed. • Patchy paintwork or unfilled gaps. These are the first signs of someone cutting costs and corners. Recently I inspected a fully renovated property that was riddled with problems. In this case, the taps weren’t sealed off properly allowing water to get behind the fitting. • Water leakage marks on cabinetry. On the poorly finished bathroom mentioned above, the vanity units showed signs of water leakage, which indicated that there was a plumbing problem.
• Potential pest issues. Often people alter properties with no care to the potential pest issues they are contributing to. Timber contacting the ground is a big giveaway that there could be a higher risk of termites at the property. Also garden beds against the base of a house is a potential breach point for termites. This is just a sample of what to look for to tell if the renovated property you’re potentially buying has been built to the standard you expect. Zoran Solano is the office manager and senior buyer’s agent at Hot Property Specialists Buyers Agency. He has been a buyer’s agent for more than five years now, and is recognised as one of Brisbane’s leading agents in buyer representation. hotpropertyspecialists.com.au (07) 3170 3760.
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THE LAWN TAMER
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Rob, and he knows machinery. If you’re accustomed to lawn maintenance being a chore, the Ferris Zero-Turn has taken the challenge, transforming a labour of love into a pleasant at-home experience. If you have rough terrain, be prepared to be amazed as Ferris’ patented suspension allows for a smooth ride at the same rate of speed you would mow an even lawn, leaving a
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freshly manicured green space in its wake. “Many operators don’t realise that they slow down over uneven terrain,” says Rob, “until they test drive a Ferris mower with suspension and notice the mower deck follows the movement of the wheels and the flow of the terrain, resulting in a beautiful, consistent cut.”
The Ferris IS 2100Z Zero-Turn ride-on mower is ideal for large plot owners.
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propertyguide
WHERE SHOULD MINERS INVEST? Kevin Lee shares his tips on how to become a smart property investor.
KEVIN LEE
Kevin Lee is a property investment adviser in Australia.
To attend one of his free no-secrets seminars, visit smartpropertyadviser.com.au
IRONICALLY the answer is not in a mining town. I read an article recently that revealed some alarming (yet inevitable) price drops experienced in some popular mining towns. Price drops of 40 per cent or more and vacancy rates of up to 14 per cent, no less! If you’re reading this article while on your way to Port Hedland, listen up – Port Hedland experienced a 40 per cent price drop. Some properties have dropped from $1.5 million all the way down to $900,000. I doubt the blood-letting
is finished yet. I’ll bet those people who bought those “great investments” (as they were touted) not that long ago, are feeling very sorry right now. These numbers are shocking, especially when you consider, in 2002, the median price in Port Hedland was around $200,000. Were those properties really worth $1.3 million more than they were just 12 years ago? I don’t think so. Those markets – in fact all volatile markets – are driven by speculation, greed, ego and naivety. And not necessarily in that order.
Print media suggests that in today’s market, positively geared properties are becoming harder to find, especially in our capital cities. It’s more than just a suggestion though – it’s a fact. Over the past 18 to 20 months, tens of thousands more property buyers have flooded the market, primarily to take advantage of the lowest interest rates we’ve seen in the past 50 years. With the average Australian able to obtain a three-year, fixed-rate home loan at 4.59 per cent, it could be argued their lack of experience (plus their eagerness for the title
All volatile markets are driven by speculation, greed, ego and naivety. And not necessarily in that order.
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Photos by Michael Lawrence & Duncan Macfarlane
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Occasionally, these towns slowly become abandoned and die completely ... there are about 63 of them scattered across the Australian landscape.
“investor”) have consequently pushed up prices. Unfortunately, in many areas, the rental market hasn’t followed this trend and, as a result, properties that could have been delivering high rental yields are now generating average rental figures simply because the property they had to have was seemingly overpriced. For example, look at properties I was buying for clients at $230,000 in western Sydney, earlier this year. Agents are now trying to get unsuspecting investors to offer above $280,000 – but the rent is either the same or possibly dropped by $10 a week. In other words, the gross rental yield is down because the price has been pushed beyond the norm. Property researchers are now warning residential returns
are very low, especially when compared to other yield assets. In some parts of Sydney, especially at the top end of the price scale, gross rental yields are as low as 2.1 per cent – just enough to cover the strata levies, water and council rates. I hope they paid cash, because there’s scant left to service a mortgage. Let’s be honest: investing in residential property has always been (for many investors) about chasing capital growth. To these types of investors, residential property is nothing but a gambling platform that offers an opportunity to make a short-term win. However, statistics provided by reputable property researchers support what I’ve been saying for the past 18 years or so – that residential investments should
be held for the long term in order for them to deliver a worthwhile return on your investment. Unfortunately not everyone gets this. Many property investors still chase the dream of that big payday – you know, the one on the front and back covers of every property magazine: boom suburbs, spectacular capital growth, a year’s salary in less than 12 months, gold in mining towns (or any other far flung one-industry town). They often seduce with the promise of positive cashflow and/or rental guarantees in the bag. One example I’ve seen is a Queensland country town of fewer than 700 people being shown on a map in an advert, in a big bold font, whereas the font for the major town in that region, with almost 16,000 permanent
residents, is so small you can hardly find it. In 2012, I wrote an article that warned investors far and wide to steer clear of mining towns, but I guess my warning wasn’t heard. What people seem to forget is mining towns are created and operated with a maximum workforce until construction is finished. Then it’s business on a shoestring. Investing in real estate in a mining town is dangerous and always short-lived. If we can learn anything from history, it’s that once a mine is built and the population reverts to what it was before, vacancy rates explode and the massive oversupply of properties forces sale prices through the floor. Occasionally, these towns slowly become abandoned and die completely ... there are about 63 of them scattered across the Australian landscape. Although there is a growing fear that positively geared properties are disappearing in today’s property markets, my Smart Property Adviser clients and I are still finding them. We’re using
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propertyguide
It is important to know that property investors are divided into three groups: the dreamers, the doers and the doubters.
a system which I created while unpacking 18 years of knowledge into the content of our two-day intensive course. The system is called Fast Track and it employs a simple 39-point checklist that ensures you do the right research to find the right properties for you and your investment strategy. There are five key steps in the Fast Track system.
Step 2: Suburb research
Step 1: Macro research
Step 3: Property market research
Macro research is all about navigating your way through the hype to identify potential investment locations. It is at this point that you analyse the property clock, identify employment growth areas and seek to pinpoint those areas where demographic change is strong.
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Suburb research is all about narrowing in on the locations you identified in your macro research to find specific suburbs. Your focus is on identifying budgeted and committed infrastructure. Conduct local council research on residential and commercial developments, and do suburb comparisons using industry specific research tools.
Property market research is all about analysing the property market in the suburbs you’ve identified. Please note, there is no such thing as the property market. There are many property markets. This step is where you do your research by checking for-sale
prices and rental returns in the area. And don’t forget to check the vacancy rates.
Step 4: Micro research Micro research is all about the details. I always recommend my clients visit the area they’re interested in. I also recommend they speak to the local police and check out the competition to see what else is on the market and what’s available for rent.
Step 5: Property comparison Property comparison is all about identifying the property type that will deliver the best results. As the final step of the system, this is the most important. This step is where you identify what properties are in high rental demand and
which properties will deliver high rental yields. It’s also important to remember that some properties may require renovation. Don’t ignore these; the added value may be beneficial to your return. In summary, it’s important to know that property investors are divided into three groups: the dreamers, the doers and the doubters. Dreamers chase the hope of capital growth, while doers focus on affordability. Doubters own one or two investment properties but can’t see it being a long-term financial strategy. Of the three groups, it’s the doers who see the best results overall. By focusing on affordability, doers are able to buy properties in areas where 80 per cent of the population can afford the rent. They succeed because their investment strategy requires them to purchase positive cash-flow and positively geared properties. Which group of invstors would you like to belong to? If you’d like a free copy of the complete 39-point checklist, visit: smartpropertyadviser.com.au/thefast-track
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