OUTthere Skytrans May 2014

Issue 119 • May 2014

+ insidemining

BIG RED runners

Birdsville plays host to the Big Red Run

PERTH’S ROCK ROYALTY

Eskimo Joe on crowdfunding and awkward gigs

BIG THINGS AND BARRAMUNDI

The weird and wonderful world of Normanton

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welcome

Welcome to the April/May issue of OUTthere, the in-flight magazine for Skytrans. This edition marks three years of Skytrans offering OUTthere to its passengers. I hope you’ve enjoyed the articles and photographs from the many ports that Skytrans flies to across the country over the past three years. As always, we would love to hear your thoughts on the magazine.

If there is a particular story you’d like to see told, or you have any other comments, please let us know by sending us an email at info@skytrans.com.au.

In North Queensland, April and May sees the end of the wet season and the beginning of the dry.

The northern wet season always presents significant challenges for both people and machines, so it’s a credit to our engineers and crew to be able to continue to fly with minimal disruption during this period. I want to acknowledge our people who go above and beyond the call of duty every day to ensure that you get to your destination safely, with minimum hassle.

In southern regions, Skytrans continues to expand its Queensland network with the recent launch of Toowoomba-to-Roma services. With the aim of

connecting the people of the Maranoa Shire with the services and facilities of their country cousins on the Darling Downs, this service has been well received by locals and businesses alike.

Recent figures show, on average, 1000 cars per day travel between Toowoomba and Roma, not including heavy vehicles. With an average of 290 accidents each year on the Warrego Highway, air services between these two important communities provide a welcome alternative to road travel. Of course, the added benefit is the travel time will be significantly cut by as much as four hours in each direction, to a quick 45-minute flight.

When combined with cost savings, businesses and individuals will collectively save an enormous amount of time and money by choosing to fly.

Thank you for flying with Skytrans today. Please sit back and enjoy the in-flight service. Until the next issue of OUTthere, take care and safe flying.

Simon Wild Managing Director

SKYTRANS CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTRE: 1300 759 872 SKYTRANS.COM.AU 1

safetyinfo

Where we fly

2

safetyinfo

Safety Info

www.skytrans.com.au

Below are some guidelines to ensure your flight with us is more enjoyable.

SAFETY BRIEFING Please listen carefully to the Safety Briefing and take the time to read through the Safety on Board card prior to take-off. This will help you familiarise yourself with the emergency exits, brace position and the location of your life jacket.

DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS (DVT) It has been reported that some airline passengers have developed clots in deep blood vessels, often in the lower legs, as a result of sitting for extended periods without exercise or movement. This condition is known medically as deep vein thrombosis, or DVT. If blood-clot fragments break off and lodge in other areas of the body, such as the lungs, they may cause a possible fatal pulmonary thrombosis when the person starts walking after being immobile for a lengthy period of time. Risk factors for DVT include varicose veins, recent surgery or injury in the lower legs, malignant diseases, past history of DVT, obesity, pregnancy and recent childbirth. Anyone with any of these risk factors is advised to consult a medical practitioner prior to flying, to find out how to minimise the risk of DVT. During the flight, we recommend that you take the following precautions: •D rink plenty of fluids, especially water, and minimise your intake of alcohol. • E xercise on board the aircraft by moving and stretching your toes, rotating your ankles, raising and lowering each leg and massaging your calves gently. In addition, we suggest that you avoid crossing your legs during the flight.

SEATBELTS Seatbelts must be fastened firmly for take-off, landing and while the seatbelt sign is illuminated. We recommend that your seatbelt be fastened at all times while you are seated in case of unexpected turbulence.

TRAY TABLES/SEAT BACKS Please ensure that your tray table and your seat back are in their upright positions for take-off and landing.

SMOKING Government regulations strictly prohibit smoking on all domestic flights. Special smoke detectors have been fitted to the toilets on board all of our aircraft. Smoking is also prohibited on the tarmac and throughout airport terminal buildings.

CARRY-ON LUGGAGE If you have carry-on luggage, please stow it in the overhead locker or under the seat in front of you. Hand luggage that is not correctly stowed may cause injury in the event of unexpected turbulence.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES Portable electronic devices can cause electromagnetic interference to the aircraft systems. The interference can cause aircraft systems to malfunction. To provide adequate protection for the aircraft please note that mobile phones must not be used at any time on board the aircraft. Other devices, such as MP3 players, iPods, CD players, portable palmtop and laptop computers, cassette players, personal electronic organisers, and personal DVD and video games, may be used during cruise only, NOT when the aircraft is taking off or landing.

AIRCRAFT GUIDE DEHAVILLAND DASH 8-300 Length: 25.68 metres Wingspan: 27.43 metres Height: 7.49 metres Cruise altitude: 7,620 metres Max cruise speed: 528 km/h Passenger seating: 50 leather seats, galley, toilet, pressurised, air-conditioned, in-flight entertainment, satellite tracking

DEHAVILLAND DASH 8-100 Length: 22.25 metres Wingspan: 25.89 metres Height: 7.49 metres Cruise altitude: 7,620 metres Max cruise speed: 440 km/h Passenger seating: 36 leather seats, galley, toilet, pressurised, air-conditioned, in-flight entertainment, satellite tracking One of the outstanding features of the Dash 8-100 aircraft is its capacity for being reconfigured to suit varying combinations of freight and passengers.

All seating can be removed, providing a full freight capability; conversely, a 36-passenger configuration allows for more people and minimal freight. Two other configurations between these ensure optimal flexibility.

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contents closeup

outtahere

08 skytranscommunity Lockhart’s young dancers travel to Melbourne; Cunnamulla bookworms win One Direction tickets; the Deadly Stories campaign celebrates Indigenous achievement; Skytrans supports artists’ Canberra trip.

13 don’tmiss & bushtele A round-up of this month’s must-visit events, and regional news.

14 farflung John Maddocks heads to Normanton, known as the ‘barramundi capital of the north’.

20 destination Cathy Finch discovers inner strength and incredible landscapes while running across the Simpson Desert.

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Issue 118 • April

Issue 119 • May

closeup

closeup

Daniel Ricciardo reveals an insider’s look at the fast-paced world of Formula 1 and tells Stewart Bell what it’s like to step into Mark Webber’s shoes.

Western Australian indie rockers Eskimo Joe talk to Ben Smithurst about their latest adventures and why they are excited about taking their music to regional Australia.

outtahere

outtahere

Michelle Hespe finds plenty of action, on and off skis, in the Victorian High Country resorts of Mount Hotham and Falls Creek.

Beat the winter chill by checking out Queensland’s hotspots.

food&wine Wine-lover Winsor Dobbin takes us on a tour of Australia’s rich and varied wine regions and gives his tips on must-visits.

Winsor Dobbin takes us on a culinary trip around the Apple Isle without even leaving Hobart, and discovers there’s always much to savour about Tasmania.

food&wine

spotlight

getaway

Michelle Smart unearths some new Noosa highlights that will have everyone talking when the food festival hits town in May.

Simone Henderson-Smart grabs her tasting glass and checks out South Australia’s gorgeous wine regions.

agribusiness

businesstalks

Sue Webster looks at the state of agricultural studies in Australia.

Christine Retschlag talks about the tax implications of HR and recruitment.

insidemining • news and views • international mining • resources sector issues • finance and technology 5

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Hespe michelle.hespe@edgecustom.com.au DEPUTY EDITOR Danielle Chenery ASSISTANT EDITOR Simone Henderson-Smart INTERNS Dana Groop, Kyle Soyer SUB-EDITOR Kris Madden, Liani Solari PRODUCTION MANAGER Brian Ventour SENIOR DESIGNER Guy Pendlebury PRINTER SOS Print & Media CONTRIBUTORS John Maddocks, Cathy Finch, Stewart Bell, Winsor Dobbin, Sue Webster, Oryana Angel, Kris Madden, Fiona Poynter, Christine Retschlag, Ben Smithurst, Kevin Lee, Lesley Parker.

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER, Rex and OUTthere Peter Anderson peter.anderson@edgecustom.com.au NATIONAL SALES MANAGERS, Inside Mining Chris Wykes chris.wykes@edgecustom.com.au David Little-Jones david.little-jones@edgecustom.com.au SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER, National Property Guide, Directory and Skytrans Robert Desgouttes robert.desgouttes@edgecustom.com.au WA, SA and NT SALES AGENT Helen Glasson, Hogan Media Phone: 08 9381 3991 helen@hoganmedia.com.au PUBLISHER Geoff Campbell CHAIRMAN Chris Innis CEO Eddie Thomas ON THE COVER:

April: Satellite image of the Gulf of Carpentaria supplied by NASA JPL/Caltech.

May: The Birdsville Hotel, Birdsville, Qld.

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.

From the editor...

My sister and I recently embarked on a road trip from Sydney to Mudgee for Polo in the Paddock. Unfortunately the ponies didn’t make it on to the fields as the rain began to fall around 11am when guests started arriving in Bunnamagoo Estate’s beautiful vineyard, and it didn’t stop all day. By midday, the parade of designer gumboots donned by women decked out in summer frocks, hats and fascinators, was downright impressive. Over 1000 people enjoyed the event, some dancing in the rain in front of trucks with bands aboard, while others indulged in a sit-down long lunch beneath the welcomed shelter of marquee tents. No one was complaining, as Mudgee really needed (and still needs) the rain – local farmers would certainly have been thanking the heavens for some of their crops being saved.

Wine lovers worldwide should be grateful for the recent rain in some lucky regions of Australia lately as well, as so many vineyards have been or still are on the brink of not producing enough grapes for a good harvest. Despite the lack of polo, organisers said the event was a huge success, as everyone still had a fun day, and over $5500 was raised for charities including Ronald McDonald House and Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Country crooner Lee Kernaghan, who performed at the event, helped the cause as well by generously auctioning off his guitar.

There were prizes for best dressed, and polo players hosted talks alongside their ponies for those interested in learning about how the sport is played.

As they say, the show must go on, and despite no polo at Polo in the Paddock, one thing is for

Above: My sister and I at Polo in the Paddock, Mudgee. sure – locals and visitors alike enjoyed the local wine and produce. Most people made a run for it across the muddy paddocks in the rain at the end of the day – there was a lot of laughter to be heard as mud flew in every direction.

Let’s all hope rain comes to the many other drought-ravaged areas of Australia. Our team on OUTthere is certainly sending out their thoughts to those affected, and hoping for future successful, prosperous years for farmers across Australia. We also hope that you enjoy this issue. Drop us a line sometime – we love hearing from you.

Michelle Hespe and the OUTthere team

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skytranscommunity

Dance tells old stories in a new way THERE IS a strong and proud tradition of song and dance in the remote community of Lockhart River on the Cape York Peninsula.

Lockhart River dance embodies traditional stories, history and cultural truths that are vital to the continuation of the culture.

Seven of Lockhart’s young people and three Indigenous elders showcased and transformed this tradition in Melbourne last September, as part of the Wilin Centre for Indigenous Cultural Development spring intensive program.

An exciting partnership between the Lockhart River Art Centre, IDJA Dance Theatre and the Wilin Centre at the University of Melbourne is seeing one of the oldest continuing cultures reinterpreted in unique contemporary forms.

Lockhart’s young dancers engaged in a week-long program of learning contemporary dance, acting, puppetry, mime and voice, and sharing traditional dance with local community members. Lead choreographer and 2013 Wilin artist-in-residence, Jacob Boehme, led the dancers through a process of reinterpreting individual and collective 8

memories into mime and then applied the new contemporary dance techniques the students had learnt to the creation of a new work. The result was the development of an exciting and unique dance theatre piece set to be showcased in Lockhart River and beyond in 2015.

Lockhart elders have embraced these new forms of contemporary expression.

‘Uncle’ Lawrence Omeenyo, elder, song man and dancer, said: “We have so many dances and we’ve been doing them for a long time; the star dance, a dance about hunting and collecting the sugar bag, catching bullock and branding them, and the one about Yanthimini – a greedy ol’ fella. Now we are doing modern dance too.”

It is through his invitation to four Indigenous choreographers to Lockhart River in 2014, that this program will continue and be shared with the wider Lockhart River community. Dancer Franziska Omeenyo, 17, said of the week-long Melbourne program: “I get fit and I get the joy of dancing. It’s how I grew up, I just love to dance.”

Dance may also be helping to build resilience in Lockhart’s young people. “That’s how we’re

comfortable doing whatever else is thrown at us – through dance,” said Omeenyo, who has now auditioned and been accepted into the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts (ACPA) in Brisbane, where she will study in 2014.

The trip to Melbourne was also an opportunity to share Lockhart’s proud traditional dance culture with a number of audiences, including at the opening of the Festival of Ideas.

Skytrans continues to provide discounted airfares to the Lockhart River Art Centre, helping to make programs such as this possible.

Images courtesy of Jorge de Araujo Photography.

“That’s how we’re comfortable doing whatever else is thrown at us.”

skytranscommunity Left to right: Skytrans captain Brendan Power with Cunnamulla Library employee Tammy Hickey and competition winners Chloe Hatchman and Natasha Widgell.

Library winners are grinners BEING BOOKWORMS paid off big time for Cunnamulla teenagers Natasha Widgell and Chloe Hatchman, who recently got to see boy band One Direction live in concert, courtesy of a competition run by Cunnamulla Library and return flights provided by Skytrans. The girls were flown to Brisbane, where they visited both the State Library and museum; and did a radio interview with Jamie Dunn at 98.9 FM before attending the concert.

To win the competition the girls had to be participating members of the library (i.e. visit the library at least two afternoons a week); return library books on time; attend school at least 85 per cent of the time and be model students. They also had to write an essay on

why they should be chosen to go on the trip.

Cunnamulla Library created the competition to encourage more children and young adults to visit the library to read and join in its many after school and holiday activities. The aim is to help keep the kids entertained and get them reading more, thereby improving their literacy

The aim is to help keep the kids entertained and get them reading more. and job opportunities for the future. The trip was a very rewarding one where the girls had a chance to see more of the world outside of their home. As a result, Natasha applied for a scholarship through Clayfield College Brisbane (which she subsequently attained) to help realise her dream of becoming a marine biologist or doctor.

Above, clockwise from top left: Winners Chloe Hatchman and Natasha Widgell make the most of the experience.

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skytranscommunity

Celebrating Indigenous achievements The Queensland Government’s Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs has an ongoing campaign called ‘Deadly Stories’ to celebrate the many achievements of Indigenous communities across Queensland. Paul Walker’s is one such story.

BORN IN North West Queensland in the small town of Cloncurry, Paul is a descendant of the Waanyi people from the Gulf of Carpentaria on his mother’s side; and has Scottish heritage from his father, who immigrated to Australia from Scotland many years ago.

Paul had a diverse upbringing as a child and was surrounded by the effects of unemployment, alcohol misuse, domestic violence and other social issues. As a result, Paul attended several primary schools and several high schools throughout Queensland.

As a homeless teenager, he sought work and accommodation wherever he could; and during this time repeated Year 11 and finished Year 12 in his home town of Cloncurry at the age of 18.

After school Paul found the odd labouring job, but was unsatisfied because of the lack of opportunities he had as a young, unskilled adult. When he turned 20, he applied and was accepted into the Australian Army and received an overseas posting with the Peace Monitoring Group in Bougainville and the United Nations’ Peace Keeping Force in Timor-Leste.

He became the recipient of various awards, para-qualified and trained in five languages, among many other unforgettable experiences.

Later Paul worked with the New South Wales Police Force and then the Australian Customs Service in the Northern Territory for a couple of years.

As an adult, Paul had a new lease on life and he created his own opportunities in some highly regarded roles, but says, “There was still something missing in my life.” He eventually found what he was looking for through a deep passion to help others become successful.

Paul is now recognised for his dedication and diligent work in Indigenous affairs; and as the face of his Cairns-based Indigenous business consulting firm, Northern Strategies.

His approach to people is multifaceted. Paul provides advice to senior managers, students, employees and clients alike. His main focus is on improved and sustainable opportunities for Indigenous people, youth and other disadvantaged groups.

Paul shares his vision alongside his wife and joint director, Samantha Walker, who works mostly behind the scenes and also has extensive experience in Indigenous affairs. The company predominantly operates throughout the northern regions of Australia and in remote Indigenous communities. It has many partners; it’s the certified supplier to Supply Nation members, and the workshop service provider to Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) Enterprises.

Some of Paul’s achievements include the delivery of successful Indigenous Employment and Literacy programs across Cape York, and consultation on Community Action Plan and Community Profiles in Arnhem Land. Since 2012, he has facilitated business workshops for more than 300 people throughout Far North Queensland, Cape York and the Northern Peninsula Area.

Through his company Paul has become an inspiring leader and recognises the importance of leading by example. He eagerly contributes his spare time to community events and committees, proudly sponsors youth sports teams and donates to worthy causes.

As a loving husband to Samantha and father to five-year-old daughter Eva-Jenice and one-

year-old son Phoenix, Paul has everything in life to strive for and will continue to inspire this belief in others.

Paul’s biggest advice to others is: “It doesn’t matter where you come from, or what you’ve been through, dream big, believe, put a plan into action and achieve.”

GET INVOLVED The Deadly Stories campaign celebrates the many achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and their communities, across Queensland, providing an opportunity to share challenges and triumphs and salute the everyday success stories of Indigenous Queenslanders. To read other stories or post your own, visit deadlystories.qld.gov.au

Above: Paul Walker and his wife, Samantha.

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skytranscommunity

Pormpuraaw’s Canberra walkabout

“This trip was not to collect tucker, but to collect ideas and experiences.

It was a way to experience art.”

Above: Skytrans provided assistance with flights to send six artists from Cape York’s Pormpuraaw Artists and Cultural Centre to Canberra.

LAST OCTOBER, Skytrans gave assistance with flights to support a visit by six artists from Cape York’s Pormpuraaw Artists and Cultural Centre to Canberra.

The artists, Elliot Koonutta, Sid Bruce Short Joe, Patricia Coleman, Rhiannon Edward, Christine Holroyd and Marlene Holroyd, were escorted by the centre’s manager, Paul Jakubowski, and art centre trainer, Theo Tremblay.

“We spent six full days visiting important cultural sites such as Tent City [also known as the Tent Embassy], Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial. School children from all over the country were visiting our nation’s capital at the same time. I was glad our mob was having the same opportunity,” says Jakubowski.

“I believe it is important for artists to get out and travel and experience new things. An artist needs to see and collect ideas and techniques. We went to every art museum, art school and art studio available to us. To visit an artist’s studio can be especially important.

It shows how artists work, how they think and how they put it all together to complete a finished work.

“We went to the mint, commercial galleries and the Australian National Museum. Here we were able to see artifacts from our area made by descendants. Tina Baum, the head curator of the National Art Museum Indigenous Section, brought us into the back archives and pulled out large canvases for us to view. It was a great privilege.

“I think visiting the Canberra School of Art was a real eye-opener for many of our artists. The school is filled with individual workspaces and studios. One artist might be working with shaped plywood.

Another might be making bronzes. A different artist was working with tissue paper dipped in wax. All the painters had different styles and mediums. It demonstrated that anything goes with art. Artists need to experiment to find what works for them to make it uniquely their own.

“One of the most important cultural sites we visited was Tent City. This is where Indigenous Australians brought attention to land rights issues. They planted their flag, bringing national attention to their plight. Our people understand the cultural significance of this place for all Australians. It was important to go there.

“Going walkabout has always been an important part of Aboriginal lifestyle and culture. Walkabout was once for gathering food and knowing your country. This trip was not to collect tucker, but to collect ideas and experiences. It was a way to experience art and its application and to connect and share experiences.”

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don’tmiss APRIL 4–6

North Queensland Games, Townsville

The games began as a biennial event in 1984 and are now ranked as the largest regional multi-event sports games in Australia. More than 40 different sports are already listed on this year’s program. If you don’t have a team you have the option to join one, and if your sport of choice isn’t listed you have the option of nominating it.

nqsports.com.au

APRIL 4–13

Orange F.O.O.D Week

Local producers, growers, winemakers and chefs come together to showcase all Orange has to offer, and with Orange F.O.O.D train the fun can begin before you even arrive.

Board at Sydney’s Central Station to be taken on a scenic journey through the Blue Mountains, stopping to welcome Masterchef Kate Bracks, before embarking on a weekend taking in Orange’s best. orangefoodweek.com.au

APRIL 10–23

Sydney Royal Easter Show

Whether you’ve travelled from overseas or you’re a long-term Sydneysider, the Sydney Royal Easter Show will introduce you to a side of Australia you may never have enjoyed before. With your $37 entry fee you get access to a diverse program of about 40 competitions, including the rodeo and the celebrated woodchopping competition, an animal nursery sure to delight both children and adults, countless exhibits and more. eastershow.com.au

APRIL 18–20

Easterfest, Toowoomba

Three days of nonstop music fill this vibrant Easter Weekend festival. Whether you are keen to hit the dance floor or want to enjoy laid-back acoustic concerts, this festival offers a fun-filled long weekend. There’ll be a variety of genres, from jazz to acoustic folk, to heavy metal, to rock and roll, among others.

If you are making it a family weekend, there is lots of entertainment for kids, including big jumping castles and a petting zoo. weekendnotes.com/easterfest-toowoomba/

bushtele Go West It seems Perth’s burgeoning food scene is ticking all the right boxes and has even caught the eye of The New York Times’ travel editors. The city came in at number nine in its annual list of ‘52 Places to Go’ and was the only Australian destination to get a mention. The Times team was excited by Perth’s trendy transformation: “Regional wine lists? Check. Modish new restaurants in repurposed spaces like stables (the Stables Bar), cottages (the Old Crow) or a printing press building (the Print Hall)?

Check. International celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver, whose Italian spot Jamie’s Italian recently opened?

Up-and-coming neighbourhoods like Mount Lawley and Northbridge, chock-a-block with cafés and vintage shops? Check and check.” The article also mentioned the exciting Riverside Project that will see 40 hectares of land transformed into a vibrant waterfront community and tourist destination.

Charging monkeys Travellers who like to wander off the beaten track can now harness the power of the sun to charge their electronic devices with a compact, easy-to-use ‘solarmonkey’ from Powertraveller. The monkey comes with lots of tails to attach the lightweight solar panels to iPads, iPhones, mobile phones, GPS and eBook readers, keeping campers happy and connected. powertraveller.com

Turtles return to Queensland 2013 was a tragic year for Queensland’s beloved population of sea turtles; the record high tides, catastrophic flooding and cyclone events caused serious beach erosion, sweeping away an estimated 60 per cent of last year’s clutches of eggs.

Just one year later, they have returned to the Southern Great Barrier Reef region, creating a magnificent sight for tourists to watch by moonlight when the eggs hatch and thousands of baby turtles scurry into the ocean. As Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services officer Lisa Emmert explains, turtle hatchlings are born with an in-built GPS system: “That connection with the magnetic field brings them back into this area to lay their eggs as adults.” It may be this system that calls them home, but as head of Queensland’s loggerhead turtle research program Dr Col Limpus notes, it’s the dedication of rangers and volunteers working to restore and protect the area that makes it possible.

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farflung

Nowhere like Normanton, known as the ‘barramundi capital of the north’, offers visitors a true taste of outback Australia – complete with ‘big’ things and incredible wildlife.

Words and images: John Maddocks

THE YOUNG GIRL is in the giant saltwater crocodile’s mouth. The massive upper jaw with its huge teeth is poised to jam closed with ferocious power. It’s a reptilian nightmare too horrible to watch.

Despite her apparently precarious situation, the girl is unfazed. In fact, she casually extricates herself from the croc’s jaws and saunters off. That’s because the enormous salty is a replica proudly displayed in Normanton’s main street.

The scary thing is that the 8.63-metre replica is an exact model of a croc shot near Normanton in 1957 and dubbed ‘The Savannah King’. It’s claimed to be the largest croc ever caught and a confronting reminder of the type of country you’ve entered.

The upside is that the saltwater crocodiles come to the Norman River to feed on barramundi. Normanton is known as the ‘barramundi capital of the north’, with some fish weighing in at an incredible five kilograms.

That explains the six-metre-high ‘Big Barramundi’ statue, the town’s icon and contribution to the Aussie obsession with large objects such as the Big Banana, the Big Mango and the Big Golden Guitar.

I’m in the bar at the landmark Purple Pub for less than 10 minutes when I meet Steve, who offers to take me barramundi fishing on the river. I’ve organised a fishing trip in the Gulf of Carpentaria at nearby Karumba for later in the week, so I decide not to go with Steve.

“You should come back at Easter for the Barra Classic competition,” Steve tells me. “There are big prizes and lots of people from out of town.”

I do take a sunset river cruise, however. We spot a solitary crocodile on the bank but it’s the bird life that features in the late afternoon. I learn that the Mutton Hole Wetland across the river from town is a conservation area where up to a third of Australia’s migratory wading birds, such as cranes, brolgas and jabirus, arrive after the wet season. The wetlands are visible from the road near Normanton, and the next day I find myself joining other tourists who have stopped 14

Clockwise from this image: Aerial shot of the Norman River; replica of a giant saltwater crocodile in Normanton; Normanton railway station is a superb example of Victorian architecture.

farflung

This image: Tourism QLD

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farflung

Above from top: The Gulflander draws train enthusiasts to town; there’s plenty of memorabilia celebrating the 120-year-old railway.

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to see this impressive spectacle. In addition to the birds, beautiful waterlilies proliferate in the shallow water.

Tourism is now a mainstay of Normanton’s economy. Located at the meeting point of the Savannah Way from the east, and the Matilda Highway from the south, Normanton started life as a cattle and gold port. The gold came from a brief rush at nearby Croydon in the 1880s and early 1900s, but its legacy still remains in the form of the wonderful Gulflander railway that was built to transport the precious metal.

The Gulflander is undoubtedly Normanton’s major tourist attraction, luring train buffs from all over the world. Built more than 120 years ago, its 152 kilometres of track from Normanton to Croydon incorporate some ingenious design.

Steel sleepers were used in the construction, which allowed the service to resume as soon as wet season flooding receded. Affectionately called the ‘old tin hare’ because of its distinctive diesel railmotor, the Gulflander has also been dubbed the railway that goes from ‘nowhere to nowhere’ as it has never been connected to the Queensland rail network. The Gulflander’s apparent pointlessness only seems to add to its charm.

I take a two-hour ride on the legendary railway to a place called Critters Camp; an old fettlers’ outpost known for its snakes, mosquitoes and unwelcome insects. Along the way, crew members act as guides and stop the train to talk about flora, fauna and local points of interest. The journey through this extremely remote landscape becomes more of an adventure than a train trip.

The Normanton Railway Station, listed on the National Trust registry, is an excellent example of Victorian architecture. It’s worth spending some time in the station’s manicured gardens before checking out the museum and original steam locomotives used when the line first started operating.

But the railway station isn’t the only interesting building in town, so I head to the visitor information centre, which is itself located in the heritage-listed Burns Philp building. The attractive timber Bank of New South Wales is also heritage listed. The 1890 Shire of Carpentaria building features ornate balustrades on the upstairs verandah and sculptured finials.

The Historic Town Walk brings me to the Albion Hotel, which seems oddly named given that it’s about as far from England as one can travel. I want to see the humorous paintings on the bar walls by Captain Percy Tresize. They turn out to be typical of the eccentric flavour I have come to expect in remote Australia. Better still is the flavour of the barramundi with chips and salad that I enjoy on the pub’s pleasant verandah.

farflung

In recent times, glider pilots have attempted to ‘surf’ the Morning Glory, trying to catch updrafts that will shoot them into the sky. as the Morning Glory. In the early hours of the morning cigar-shaped clouds up to two kilometres high stretch from horizon to horizon. Located only 100 to 200 metres above the ground and appearing to rotate backwards, the clouds are accompanied by 60-kilometre-per-hour winds. In recent times glider pilots have attempted to ‘surf’ the Morning Glory, trying to catch updrafts that will shoot them thousands of metres into the sky.

You may not sight the Morning Glory during your visit, but back on the ground you can certainly see the annual Normanton Show and Rodeo, held every year on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

It’s a combination of district show, street parade, gymkhana and rodeo, with live music and dancing at night. Visiting Normanton at show time is a great way to experience the Outback at its best.

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Above: The comparatively quiet Central Hotel; Above right and right: The Morning Glory clouds appear in spring.

This image: Mick Petroff

The Central Hotel is less conspicuous than the flamboyant Purple Pub and the quietest of the town’s three watering holes. The Purple Pub, which definitely belongs at the outlandish end of the outback spectrum, seems to be busy at any time.

Strange buildings, giant crocodiles and trains that seem to go nowhere are not the only weird and wonderful phenomena in this remote region.

Around spring, in the build-up to the wet season, tourists might be treated to a weather wonder known

This image: Tourism QLD

FAST FACTS • Burke and Wills’ most northerly camp, Camp 119, is located about 40km south-west of Normanton on the Savannah Way. • Springtime Morning Glory clouds can be 100 to 200 metres from the ground, are accompanied by 60km/h winds and appear to go backwards.

Round-up GET THERE

Skytrans flies from Cairns to Normanton. skytrans.com.au

STAY

Normanton Tourist Park 14 Brown Street, Normanton normantontouristpark.com.au

EAT & DRINK

Albion Hotel Haig Street, Normanton 07 4745 1218 The Purple Pub Landsborough Street, Normanton 07 4745 1324

MORE INFO

carpentaria.qld.gov.au

destination

BIG RUN RETURNS

What do you call running six consecutive marathons through the Central West Queensland desert?

Crazy, some would say, but it’s all for a good cause.

Words and images: Cathy Finch xhausted, cramping and shuffling through the arid Simpson Desert on my first marathon attempt, I am offered some helpful advice outside the 30-kilometre checkpoint. “Getting past the event doctors at this stage of the race is like trying to get served at the Birdsville Hotel when you’re exceedingly drunk,” puffs my offsider, who has done this before. “You have to pretend all is fabulous. No matter how much your body is hurting when you approach the tent, smile really big and hard at the medical staff. Hopefully they’ll deem you fit enough to carry on to the finish line.”

I chuckle at this comment. It all sounds lighthearted in theory, but safety out here is paramount, and I soon realise

I won’t be able to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes.

Birdsville, long famous for its annual outback horserace, which tests the endurance of animals, riders and even punters, is now host to another amazing race. Covering 250 kilometres over six days, the Big Red Run is Australia’s first multi-day desert footrace, taking participants on a daily 42-kilometre marathon over outback terrain that can be confronting and unforgiving but also spectacular.

Magnificent plains of shimmering, smooth, red gibber stones play havoc with my jarring ankles; pretty-looking spinifex throws spears of pain into my tired shins; and sand from the striking windswept dunes penetrates my running

shoes, rubbing like sandpaper to cause mountainous blisters.

Still, everyone runs, each for their own reasons and with their own drives and goals. All are in awe of this Channel Country in remote Central West Queensland. Many, like me, are amateur joggers, not elite athletes – ordinary people wanting an extraordinary experience in the stunning desert.

Driven to find a cure for his son’s type 1 diabetes, race founder Greg Donovan launched Big Red Run last year as a fundraising event. This motivational race, which sees participants pit raw human spirit against unforgiving terrain, has the ability to change your perceptions as you draw inspiration and enthusiasm from the surrounding desert beauty.

Covering 250 kilometres over six days, the Big Red Run is Australia’s first multi-day desert footrace.

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destination

FAST FACTS Big Red is the tallest sand dune in the Simpson Desert at 40 metres. It marks the beginning of more than 1100 dunes from Birdsville to Alice Springs. The Simpson Desert has the longest network of parallel sand dunes in the world, running north to south.

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destination

It’s an adventure just getting to the starting line of this scenic challenge, which begins at the Birdsville Hotel, about 1600 kilometres west of Brisbane. Some come by air, others venture along the dusty dirt and sand roads leading into town, but all converge at the pub, the town’s iconic watering hole built in 1884.

Huddled together in the chilly predawn air on day one, we check our gear and pick up GPS trackers to ensure our whereabouts on the run are recorded at all times. I’m only doing the first-day marathon but joining in the camping and camaraderie for the rest of the week, relishing the shrieks of the prolific birdlife at sunrise, the crisp, clear desert days, the blood-red sunsets and the boundless starry nights. At night we cheer the runners home and listen to their many stories over a crackling camp fire.

“This isn’t a jog around Manly Dam,” muses Greg from Sydney’s Northern Beaches. “The nearest hospital is 700 kilometres away and the consequences of straying off track out here are vastly different than in the city.”

Having toured these parts by 4WD, I understand the importance of preparation and foresight in the desert.

But tackling the terrain by foot is, by far, a more gutsy way to get to know the ruggedness and isolation of the Outback.

At the beginning of the marathon’s fourth day, I ask one girl how she’s going and she bursts into tears. “Not that good,” she says. “I’m so emotional and my feet are feeling really bad. But we’ve come so far.

I won’t give up.” Then, with ultramarathon great Pat Farmer whispering magic into her ears, she lines up again for a fourth consecutive marathon with rekindled fire and courage in her eyes.

Pat is here as an ambassador for the Big Red Run, fanning the dwindling embers when runners feel they have hit the wall, their blisters too big and their aches too crippling. Holding the record for the fastest crossing of the Simpson Desert on foot (an expanse the size of England and Wales combined), he knows this desert like no-one else.

“You can do anything you want to do. You need to believe you can,” Pat says. “And when you think you’ve given it everything, when you’re down on your 22

knees and broken, when you think you can’t possibly take one more step, just remember you’re only halfway to your full potential, halfway to what you’re capable of achieving. Break it all down. Then it’s just a matter of placing one foot in front of the other.”

With Pat’s words there’s the collective raising of shoulders and a solid air of determination rises amid the group.

Then, with the sound of the starting horn reverberating over the open plains of fieryred sand, everyone sets off for another day’s adventure through the Outback.

For those who prefer to tackle the landscape on four wheels, the Birdsville Track is an iconic road to travel. From Birdsville, the remote, dusty route extends 517 kilometres south to Maree, a small town in central South Australia.

The rules for 4WDs are not dissimilar to those for runners: be well-fuelled; make sure your equipment is in good nick; and carry adequate supplies of food and water and spare parts. To stay hot on the heels of the Big Red Run participants, however, you’ll need to pack some extras: towering strength of mind, willpower, passion and resolve.

It’s an adventure just getting to the starting line of this scenic challenge.

destination Clockwise from this image: A runner strides across the desert; camaraderie is very strong; camping by Lake Nappanerica; triumphant Big Red runners.

Round-up GET THERE

Skytrans flies direct from Brisbane to Birdsville. skytrans.com.au

STAY

Birdsville Hotel 07 4656 3244 theoutback.com.au/ birdsville-hotel

EXPLORE

Big Red Run July 2–7, 2014 bigredrun.com.au Birdsville Races September 5–6, 2014 birdsvilleraces.com

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101% PALE

4 Pines Brewing Company Drink Responsibly

checkin

Five

minutes with …

Wheelz

On the eve of his Australian tour with stunt maniacs Nitro Circus, Aaron ‘Wheelz’ Fotheringham talks to Dana Groop about his ability to combine a wheelchair with motorcross.

“I’d never heard of anyone dropping in at a skate park in a wheelchair before my brother got me into it.”

Your brother encouraged you to try your first drop-in at a skate park when you were only eight.

Had you ever heard of anyone attempting it before you did, and how nervous were you?

I’d never heard of anyone dropping in at a skatepark in a wheelchair before my brother got me into it. Just like trying anything new, it sure does gets your heart beating!

You were at a camp when you landed your first double backflip.

How exciting was that?

Camp Woodward is an extreme athlete’s dream world – foam pits, epic skate parks.

If there was anywhere on earth to land a double backflip in a wheelchair, that was the place it had to happen. The support that the staff showed towards my goal was amazing and I’ll forever be grateful to them.

How old were you when you began practising and touring with Nitro Circus? What was your first show like?

(wheelchair motocross) and was inspired by the BMX movement. It’s pretty cool to see how fast the sport is growing!

I was 18 when I joined Nitro Circus and the first show was such a great experience – so much adrenaline followed by so much pain! But a few shows later, I landed it and had such a great time.

What advice would you give to aspiring wheelchair athletes?

WEAR A HELMET. And when you crash, don’t give up. Learn from it and keep chasing your dream.

You’ve said that after you posted the video of your first backflip on the internet, life changed for you.

How so?

You guys at Nitro Circus are premiering a brand-new set in Australia. Does that mean you’ll be performing some new tricks?

Ever since my backflip video went online it has been intense. I’ve been blessed to travel the world and I’ve accomplished more than I ever thought was possible.

I’m stoked!

That’s classified information, amigo!

Nitro Circus is touring nationally in May. For tickets and info: nitrocircuslive.com

Is there a show or a specific trick you’ve performed with Nitro Circus that stands out?

Landing my first frontflip in New Zealand.

My mum was there and it was just a magic moment for me and my career.

You’ve worked as a coach and mentor at summer camps for the disabled. How do kids respond when you tell them about your revolutionary way of viewing your wheelchair as a toy?

Do they ever get scared?

I try not to push kids into trying a backflip right away (laughs) but lots of young kids who ride chairs are really getting into the sport, which is called WCMX 1

it’s what drives every aspect of our business from the boardroom to the coalface. Every day we put in the hard yards and extra miles to deliver for our clients. It’s the reason why Australia’s leading resources companies are continuing to choose us as their trusted partners. When your next project is ready to go, we’re ready to give it 110%.

BGC Contracting. Leaders in Mining and Civil Contracting. Tel (08) 9260 2300 WWW.BGC.CC

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The big difference between extraordinary and ordinary is that little bit extra. This means going further, trying harder and thinking smarter. Our ultimate goal is to bring that extra level of commitment to every project we undertake. At BGC Contracting, we call this ‘110%’. It’s a mantra instilled in every one of our team members and

entertainment

getsorted Read

watch SHORT TERM 12

Madman, RRP $29.95

ICEFALL Guy Hallowes Sydney-based author Guy Hallowes has tackled fiction with a social conscience in his first fiction novel, Icefall. It’s a thriller delving into a family’s response to discovering the Ross Ice Shelf in the Antarctic, which is forecast to collapse into the sea and create a 15-metre tsunami.

The ice shelf, which is the size of France, is real.

The author was inspired to write the book after his own family had a chat about its potential collapse.

Hallowes believes it’s important to create socially responsible fiction. “Many of the great authors wrote about social issues – for example, Dickens in Oliver Twist. Not that I could compare myself in any way to such a great author, but I’ll continue to write with

a social conscience,” he says.

Icefall isn’t a treatise on climate change, he adds.

“The main character in the novel is a beautiful, strong, ruthless woman who is determined to create a settlement where the family and a few hundred others can survive the impending catastrophe.

“So the book deals with the attitude and position of women in our society. It also explores our society’s relationship with Aboriginal people, who materially help the settlement community to survive the catastrophe. Inevitably, in the course of the narrative, the novel also explores themes of self-sufficiency and conflict.”

Icefall, RRP $29.99, is published by Short Stop Press.

listen BLACK KEYS TURN BLUE Turn Blue is the much anticipated follow-up to The Black Keys’ massive hit album, El Camino. Achieving double-platinum sales in Australia and earning them three Grammy Awards, El Camino was always going to be hard to top. Keys drummer Patrick Carney, who also co-produced the album, is confident, saying, “We are always trying to push ourselves when we make a record – not repeat our previous work but not abandon it either. On this record we let the songs breathe and explored moods, textures and sounds. We’re excited for the world to hear Turn Blue.” The album is out on May 9 on Nonesuch Records.

download

SHED_BGCC0041

UP COFFEE App store, free A fun and informative way to track your caffeine intake. Understand how your body reacts to caffeine and learn how coffee consumption can affect your sleeping patterns and energy levels.

CHECKMARK 2 App store, $3.99 Keep on top of every aspect of your busy schedule with this user-friendly organisational tool. Superior features include to-do lists, one-tap rescheduling and the ability to create locationspecific reminders.

SKY GUIDE App store, $1.99 Take yourself on an astronomical journey any time, anywhere, by simply holding your device to the sky. Discover the celestial wonders of the universe through the app’s interactive and educational features.

staff

Short Term 12 tells the story pick of Grace, a 20-something supervisor at a foster care facility for at-risk teenagers.

Life’s challenging but pretty sweet until Jayden, a gifted but troubled teenager with whom Grace has a charged connection, arrives. Jayden forces Grace to battle with her own demons but she comes out better for it in the end. Brie Larson (the teenage daughter in United States of Tara) does a stand-out job of playing Grace.

MUSCLE SHOALS

Madman, RRP $29.95

Empire Magazine called it “a stomping good doc.”

Q Magazine said it’s “a glorious, uplifting and affecting tribute to a legendary studio and the man who built it.” This doco about the town of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, looks at the origins of some of the most important songs and artists of all time. It includes interviews with Bono, Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Alicia Keys and others.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: MEGAFOOD

Madman, RRP $29.95

Ever complained about cooking for the family at Christmas? Times this effort by thousands and you’ll have an insight into the kitchens shown in Megafood. With a whole episode dedicated to ‘Aussie super pub’ Eatons Hill Hotel (in Queensland) this series brings you food on a massive scale. It’s extreme sport for cooking show fans, with storylines covering aircraft serving more than 50,000 meals per day and kitchens with a cast of thousands.

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citybites spicy

tastes

SHACKED UP SYDNEY

Sydney’s Oxford Street has always been home to some quirky gems on the food and beverage circuit, and Hello Sailor is one of the latest hangouts to open its doors and welcome guests after great food, awesome tunes and a fun vibe. Upstairs, the seafood-themed restaurant and bar has a distinct ‘60s American diner feel. Downstairs, the intimate lighting, chunky wooden benches, stools (and a boat you can lounge in) with overhanging lanterns give it a seaside shack feel, with a dose of deep south saloon thrown in for good measure. New award-winning head chef, Nick de Gersigny, brings with him a load of experience, having had stints at crowd-drawing Hinky Dinks and The Roosevelt. Foodwise, Hello Sailor is famous for its mouthwateringly good lobster burger and Soft Shell Crab Cajun ‘submarine’ sandwich with jalapeno mayonnaise.

Or dig into the $1 Pacific Oyster dished up between 5pm and 7pm daily with Happy Hour drinks, and then share some delicious tapas plates such as kingfish ceviche with tostadas, or barramundi tacos with coleslaw and a cheekwarming salsa. There’s also the good ol’ American diner faves – chargrilled pork ribs, and chicken wings with a ranch sauce, of course. Don’t leave without downing some of the joint’s famed frickles. Yep, you guessed it – that’s deep fried pickles to you. hellosailor.com.au

night

out

PARADISE BEACH SYDNEY

Even the toughest business trip has a silver lining of pleasure if you’re bunking down in the light-filled, super stylish apartments at Bondi38. And if you’re just taking a break from it all and holidaying on Bondi Beach, then you’re in the right place to take full advantage of Bondi’s busy nightlife and laidback beach and hipster vibe. Smack-bang on the rightfully iconic Bondi Beach, metres from the sand and right among the shops and hub of funky cafés, bars and restaurants, the one and two modern bedroom apartments are beautifully decorated to make the most of the stunning views. They feature modern appliances in the kitchens and laundries and are equipped with Foxtel, wi-fi, keyless entry and state-of-the-art fixtures. A stay at Bondi38 becomes an effortless adventure in one of the most spectacular beachside suburbs imaginable. You won’t want to go home. bondi38.com.au

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A stay at Bondi38 becomes an effortless adventure in one of the most spectacular beachside suburbs.

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beach

haven

BYRON BLISS BYRON BAY

Situated on the eastern side of Byron Bay, Victoria’s at Wategos is a stunning Tuscan-style guesthouse, nestled in the exclusive oceanfront valley of Wategos Beach, just under the famous Cape Byron lighthouse. It has beautifully furnished rooms with spacious marble and stone spa bathrooms, all decorated in style with unique bespoke pieces and luxurious bed linen tailor-made for each room.

Victoria’s at Wategos is the perfect beachside escape surrounded by lush tropical landscaped gardens. The property has several indoor lounge areas, with floor to ceiling glass and timber bi-fold doors. The western side of the property features a 16 x three-metre lap pool with waterfall. A second 12-metre solar heated lap pool is located on the eastern side of the property featuring a cabana and sun lounge area. The indoor lounge areas are a great place to put your feet up and relax while absorbing the sea breeze and, in the cooler months, two of the three lounge rooms boast roaring open log fireplaces.

Beach chairs, umbrellas, surfboards, surf skis, and binoculars for whale watching are all supplied, and as Victoria’s is only 100 metres from one of the most beautiful and exclusive beaches in Australia, surfing, fishing and sun bathing are virtually on the doorstep.

Victoria’s At Wategos is a stylish and relaxing retreat, and makes a spectacular base for exploring the local Byron Bay area and beyond. Victoria’s At Wategos offers the same sumptuous dining options, services and facilities, as its sister property, Victoria’s At Ewingsdale, which is a stately manor situated on four acres, six kilometres west of Byron Bay. Both properties can be booked and explored at victorias.net.au, 02 6684 7047.

Victoria’s at Wategos is the perfect beachside escape surrounded by lush tropical landscaped gardens.

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Image: Daniel Craig of Matsu Photography.

closeup

Eskimo Joe are (left to right) Joel Quartermain, Kavyen Temperley and Stuart MacLeod.

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BACKYARD BOYS Perth’s ARIA-hoarding rock royalty Eskimo Joe speak with Ben Smithurst about silly names, redneck shark hunters, backyard gigs and Wastelands, their crowdfunded, electronically infused new album. t’s a ridiculous band name. The sort of rubbish moniker you usually only find out about in slightly embarrassing retrospect, like the garage band buried on a middling soap star’s Wikipedia page, which he tried to get off the ground before playing Gazza the ambo in Neighbours. But after 16 years and six albums, Eskimo Joe – aka singer/bassist Kavyen Temperley, guitarist Stuart MacLeod and drummer/guitarist Joel Quartermain – can see the funny side.

“I remember sitting down one time with Dean from Magic Dirt and talking about band names and I was like, ‘I wish we had a name like Magic Dirt – that’s a cool name that kind of spans the ages,’” says Stu, on the line from Perth. “You know what’s a silly name? Eskimo Joe. Then again, The Beatles was a slightly silly name.”

“You don’t really think about how silly ‘Smashing Pumpkins’ is,” says Kav. “After years and years ‘Eskimo Joe’ has just become our name,” says Stu. “We’re okay with it.”

With eight ARIA Awards to their name and a crowdfunded model for their new album, Wastelands – which aimed for $40,000 and reached $60,000 and is produced by genre-mashing ex-Gerling Burke Reid – Australia is obviously pretty ‘okay’ with Eskimo Joe, too … even if the band is doomed to forever be lumped into the Shitty Names Club with also-rans like The Beatles and The Pumpkins.

“Hey, hey!” all three holler down the line. “We didn’t say shitty! We said silly!”

You know, the problem with a group phone call with you three is your speaking voices are almost identical.

S: Ha! You should be fine. Anything technical will be Joel, anything hippie will be Kav and anything ridiculous will be me.

Isn’t the word ‘eskimo’ offensive to Inuits?

K: It’s offensive to some of them, apparently. There are some who prefer to be called ‘Eskimos’ and some who prefer ‘Inuit’ and some who don’t care.

I’m not an expert on Inuit relations, but that’s what I’ve read.

“Wastelands has been spoken of as a very electronic record, but everything is played live.”

So you’ve never been attacked by Inuits, then?

J: No. There aren’t many Inuits in Australia, to the best of my knowledge.

Where is this going?

Moving on. Wastelands is remarkably electronic. Was that an awkward change?

S: I wouldn’t say awkward, I‘d say fun.

J: Wastelands has been spoken of as a very electronic record, but everything is played live. We’ve got this old Roland keyboard from 1980 or something, and all the drums are ‘played in’, but it’s just got that much more of an LCD sound system, rock-band-playing-dance-music sort of vibe.

You’re three grown men from Western Australia, a state apparently besieged by sharks. Would it surprise you to turn up to rehearsal to discover that Kav, say, had been devoured by the white death?

K: Definitely. I think, statistically, more people are killed by vending machines every year. That’s a legitimate fact.

But everyone in the world walks past a vending machine 20 times a day.

How many people spend that much time in the water?

K: I don’t know about that, there are quite a few people who hang out at the ocean in Perth – we’re a coastal town.

Are more Western Australians killed by vending machines than by sharks?

K: That is something I’d have to verify, it’s true.

S: I’ve heard, apparently, that vending machines are the leading cause of death in Inuits…

K: All I know is it’s the sharks’ natural habitat and they’re coming closer to us, so maybe we should look at ways of repelling sharks rather than killing them, like with those electrosonic devices. And also looking at the

7

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reasons why they’re coming closer and trying to tackle those.

S: It’s more like that episode of The Simpsons where they have Whacking Day to kill all of the snakes.

J: Being overseas and seeing that guy from Western Australia shooting a shark in the head with a shotgun is just not a good look. What sort of cowboys are we? I’m glad that speech

by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam went viral as well, just to counterbalance the redneck with the shotgun.

“It’s quite an intimate thing, going into somebody’s backyard and playing.

It was like going on a first date – at the start everyone was awkward.”

Oh, no.

J: We played a gig once where we were introduced by John Travolta and Bindi Irwin – that was pretty interesting. My in-ear radio pack to send the monitors to my ears must have been on the same frequency as Travolta’s and I heard a 10-minute conversation between Travolta and Bindi Irwin’s mum.

8

Image: Daniel Craig of Matsu Photography.

Peter Helliar, the comedian, was once beaned by a saucepan thrown from the audience. What’s been your worst gig?

S: I once was at a gig and I threw a saucepan at Peter Helliar…

J: We once had a taxidermy cat thrown on stage. That was in 2001.

K: Generally on stage we’ve been lucky – when something goes south we’ve been able to turn it into a positive for everyone to laugh along with. The only thing I can remember that was awkward was I got invited on stage to sing ‘Great Southern Land’ and…

S: By Iva Davies!

K: By Iva Davies, yeah, from Icehouse, and it was in front of a mere 80,000 people. We were just meant to sing the chorus and, at the very last minute, Iva decided we would sing the verse. Katy Steele [Little Birdy] and I were meant to be singing, and Iva was kind of talking and it just got really muddled.

Katy was like, ‘Is this where I’m meant to sing?’ and I was kind of dancing and looking awkward. I looked over at Nic Cester [Jet], who was playing guitar, and he had this look that said, ‘I am so glad I’m just playing guitar.’

S: It’s on YouTube. Look it up.

closeup

What did they talk about?

J: What schools they were sending their kids to. I was looking at the other guys going, ‘Can you hear this?’ It was crazy.

K: It was like having Travolta’s voice as your inner monologue.

As part of your crowdfunding model, you went out and played gigs at the homes of top fans – and cooked them barbecues. How many did you visit?

K: I think we did four of them. It’s quite an intimate thing, going into somebody’s backyard and playing. It was like going on a first date – at the start everyone was awkward, but after we played everyone loosened up, and by the end everyone was having a genuinely good time and we were like, ‘Damn, is that the time?’

S: I think the line between your onstage personality and your natural persona is becoming eroded. Especially in Australia, people have always shied away from that rock star adulation that occurs overseas.

Tex Perkins once battered a bloke with one of his ARIAs. Have you done anything rock’n’roll with yours?

J: But the guy was cracking on to his girlfriend, so fair enough.

S: We got leather holsters made for ours and we just wear them around…

J: And then we let people touch them, of course – for a price.

Has it been weird grappling with how you’re going to play these songs live?

K: It was a daunting prospect, but then we got into the studio and started figuring it out. Joel transcribed a bunch of keyboard parts and I just basically played bass and then everything else we gave to our keyboard player, Tony, who has seven hands.

S: We feared the worst – we thought it was going to be really hard work but…

J: It was difficult to translate [the songs] into an acoustic kind of thing because it’s a keyboard-based record,

so playing them on guitar they lost their spirit a bit. But we figured it out.

It’s been good. The songs held up.

How’s the touring now? Still Taragos full of Maccas wrappers, or have you graduated to private jets and an enormous entourage?

K: No, it’s the same every time – you fly in, then you drive endlessly in a car.

S: I guess the thing that really illustrates that point is we played Splendour in the Grass a few years ago and all the whisper backstage was ‘Oh, Kanye’s flying in on a chopper!’ and everyone is hanging out, looking at the sky, waiting for the chopper to arrive … and he rolls up in a Kia Carnival.

And how long does it take in a Tarago before you all go mad?

K: About three weeks.

S: Three weeks? Three days!

J: I guess the old tour mania fits us like a glove now.

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outtahere

Check out our wrap-up of top places in Queensland that are hotting up as the rest of Australia cools down.

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outtahere

QUEENSLAND IS THE state that just keeps on giving. It doesn’t experience much of a winter, it’s enormous and it’s bursting at the seams with gems to discover.

Here’s a snapshot of five places in Queensland that are either up and coming or well-loved favourites getting a facelift.

Peter Kuruvita’s lightfilled new restaurant, Noosa Beach House.

Something’s brewing in Burleigh This iconic beachside city is undergoing a real makeover, thanks to the multi-million dollar injection into its infrastructure ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. By June 2014, the new light rail system will be complete, opening the city up for easy transport from Southport Parklands through to Broadbeach.

If it is something new you’re after, chalk up a visit to this lesser-known southern end of the Gold Coast and tap into some awesome restaurants and a feeling of yesteryear.

A few eateries to chose from include: Pizza with Justin Lane (justinlane.com. au); chews with blockbuster views at Oskars on Burleigh (oskars.com.au); the best seafood at The Fish House (thefishhouse.com.au); while up the road you’ll find the best Greek food outside Athens at Hellenika (hellenika.com.au).

Food aside, Burleigh also has plenty of entertainment options. Try yoga

on the beach with Essence of Living (essenceofliving.com.au); then mix it up with a visit to Burleigh Brewing Co and sample ‘My Wife’s Bitter’ (burleighbrewing.com.au).

For those on a budget, there are plenty of cheap motels, including Burleigh Beach Tourist Park (goldcoasttouristparks. com.au/park/burleigh-beach). And once a month, there’s a seriously good market worth a wander at The Village Markets (thevillagemarketsgc.com.au).

New in Noosa Hastings Street, the heart and soul of Noosa, has had a mini facelift and emerged with a fresh new look thanks to new restaurants and revamped hotels. The shopping strip is also looking a lot more satisfying now that the global financial crisis is firmly in the rear-view mirror.

With absolute beachfront access to Noosa’s Main Beach and boasting a Hastings Street address, Seahaven Noosa has long been a favourite hotel hotspot.

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On a day trip to Lady Musgrave Island, you’ll find the reef relatively free of swimmers but brimming with marine life.

The whole family can ride the big pink amphibious craft on the ‘Larc Tour 1770’ (1770larctours.com.au); or hire an electric bike and cruise the town.

Most people rent a house for a week and self-cater, but if you want something a bit more plush, try one of the houses at the Sunrise at 1770 estate (sunriseat1770. com.au/resort). Other good options include Sandcastles at 1770 (sandcastles1770.com. au); and the amazing beachfront ‘glamping’ chalets at Agnes Water Beach Caravan Park (agneswaterbeach.com.au).

Dining is more casual around here.

The Tree Bar serves up burgers with a seriously great view (restaurant1770.com), while on Friday nights, pizza bar Kahunas (kahunas.com.au) is where it’s at.

Airlie Beaching There’s no chill in the air here in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.

After five years languishing in the GFC and post Cyclone Yasi doldrums, last year Airlie Beach emerged reborn following a $23 million-dollar makeover that has tarted up the main street and put the sparkle back into the community.

Image: Tourism Qld

The resort has recently undergone a complete refurbishment, and now offers a sophisticated modern atmosphere for families, couples and business travellers working or holidaying in the region (seahavennoosa.com.au).

Sheraton Noosa Resort & Spa, Noosa’s only five-star deluxe hotel in Hastings Street, has revealed its fresh $10 million renovation. The 176 guestrooms, suites and villas have been transformed from salmon pink to contemporary ivory and grey tones. Noosa Beach House by Peter Kuruvita replaces the original Cato’s restaurant, serving up fresh seafood dishes from its spectacular beachside location (sheratonnoosaresort.com; peterkuruvita.com).

The Southern Great Barrier Reef Step back in time in the fascinating hamlets of 1770 and Agnes Water; the jumping off point to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. On a day trip to Lady Musgrave Island, you’ll find the reef relatively free of swimmers, but brimming with marine life. Adventurers can channel their inner bikie with Scooteroo Tours (scooterrootours.com); or try surfing at the Lazy Lizard Surf School (lazylizardsurfschool.com.au).

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Above: Sunset casts a beautiful glow across the waters near 1770.

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chance to charter your own yacht?

When it comes to food, Airlie Beach puts satisfaction in the tummy. Capers Restaurant (airliebeachhotel.com.au) uses the best locally sourced produce; while Fish D’vine (fishdvine.com.au) boasts the best chilli crab outside Singapore as well as the world’s best rum-based mojitos.

For a lazy Sunday lunch, you can’t go past DejaVu’s (dejavurestaurant.com.au) eightcourse buffet with beach views to boot.

This town was built on backpackers and still appeals to the adventurer on a shoestring budget – with plenty of snorkelling, jet-skiing, skydiving and sailing, but with so many upmarket offerings springing up in the past five years, there’s now room for grown-ups too.

Rest your head on a pillow at Marina Shores (marinashores.com.au); The Summit Apartments (summitairliebeach. com.au) or Pinnacles Resort & Spa (pinnaclesresort.com) by night. By day take a seaplane over to Whitehaven Beach and Heart Reef. Meanwhile, for families, who can go past Big 4 Holiday Parks (airliebeach.qld.big4.com.au), or the

Palm Cove Palm Cove, halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas, has long been a favourite place for southerners to escape the winter (it’s 25 degrees here in July).

One of Australia’s best boutique properties, The Reef House (reefhouse. com.au) has added new Beach House Apartments with pool or ocean views for guests wanting more space and a self-contained setting. Unique to The Reef House is also a new four-bedroom apartment, complete with its own private pool, for a larger group, family, or several couples to enjoy. Alternatively, go bush for

something truly different. Crystalbrook Lodge (crystalbrookcollection.com.au) is located 180 kilometres west of Cairns and is part of the 34,398-hectare Crystalbrook Station. Catering to a maximum of just 10 guests and surrounded by a staggering range of wildlife, you can spend your days on the lake or riverside, exploring the bush wilderness or just enjoying the serenity of the Outback in the lodge’s private manicured grounds.

Palm Cove, halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas, has long been a favourite place for southerners to escape the winter.

Top left: Seared yellow fin tuna, ruby grapefruit, sweet pork, crackling by Peter Kuruvita; Above: Dining at Crystalbrook Lodge.

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Our cities are changing. The average age of a building in Brisbane CBD is now 28 years old and lacking in cost effective amenity.

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food&wine

TASMANIAN

TREATS Savour Tasmania – a relatively new festival celebrating Tasmanian food and wine – has quickly built up a devoted following. Winsor Dobbin checks out what all the fuss is about.

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food&wine

icture hundreds of people – 500, at least – wining and dining in style; feasting on dishes cooked by some of the biggest names in the culinary world; and enjoying fine wines from the best producers in Tasmania.

Welcome to the Savour Tasmania Long Table dinner at Princes Wharf One on the historic Hobart waterfront. This is the crowning event of the annual Savour Tasmania food and wine festival, which features events in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie.

The lucky guests enjoyed dishes crafted by Michelin-starred Belgian whiz kid, Kobe Desramaults; Sydney maestro, Giovanni Pilu; Shane Delia and dessert demon, Darren Purchese. A team of chefs each prepared a course or dish for every diner, with platters to share between six people bringing an intimate feel to the festivities. A wide range of Tasmanian wines were on offer, along with canapés, fresh-baked local breads, chocolate treats and roving desserts created by some of Tasmania’s most promising culinary apprentices.

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This image: A team of chefs crafted exquisite dishes for Savour Tasmania guests.

Below left: The Long Table dinner at Princes Wharf One.

The Long Table dinner is the finale to Savour Tasmania, which has taken just five years to become one of the most important events on the Australian gourmet calendar, mixing food and fun in equal measure.

Created to promote awareness of Tasmania’s clean, green produce, and cool-

climate wines, Savour has attracted leading chefs from around the world, who work with local artisans and farmers to create a program of fascinating and thoughtprovoking dinners, tastings and classes.

World-class chefs including bad boy, Alvin Leung from Hong Kong, who hosted a memorable dinner at Hobart eatery Me Wah; world-renowned Sydney legend Tetsuya Wakuda; Martin Bosley from New Zealand and Spanish maestro Paco Roncero, have lit up the event and wowed diners.

Previous guest chefs have included The Cook and The Chef stars Simon Bryant and Maggie Beer; South African celebrity chef, Margor Jansz; and Shane Osborn from Pied à Terre in London.

Among last year’s highlights were a gourmet PorkStars feast centred on a pig on a spit cooked by Gourmet Farmer TV star Matthew Evans and Sydney-based Irish maverick Colin Fassnidge from

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food&wine

The Four in Hand Dining Room and 4Fourteen. Their dishes were served in the courtyard of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and matched with wines and ciders from the Huon Valley.

Desramaults paired with Garagistes chef, Luke Burgess, to host two (sold out) degustation dinners, which included unusual taste sensations that featured local periwinkles and mutton-bird.

This year, Savour Tasmania runs from May 21–24 in Hobart, and promises to be equally adventurous with an Asian theme. Guest chefs will include Balibased Will Meyrick, Dan Hong and Daniel Wilson.

Highlights include another al fresco PorkStars tasting in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery courtyard, with guest Melbourne chefs Daniel Wilson of Huxtable, and Jesse Gerner from Bomba on May 21. A dinner at The Henry Jones Art Hotel on May 22 will feature Will Meyrick from Sarong and Mama San in Bali, and E&O in Jakarta, with Henry Jones Art Hotel executive Andre Kropp.

The Long Table dinner on May 24 will showcase innovative dishes from

This image: Colour and flavour combines at Garagistes in Hobart to make food that looks as good as it tastes. Below left: Dan Hong from Mr Wong, Ms G’s, Papi Chulo and El Loco, Sydney.

Meyrick; Dan Hong from Mr Wong, Ms G’s, Papi Chulo and El Loco in Sydney; Christopher Shane and Chan Yai Ching from Nobu in Melbourne and other guest chefs.

“Asia is the strongest export market for Tasmanian produce and its hunger for Tasmanian food can be expected to increase, so this event will highlight the endless possibilities of using Tasmanian produce to create Asian-inspired food,” said Savour Tasmania event manager Alan Campbell.

And there’s more. Running concurrently with Savour Tasmania on May 24–25 is the annual Red Wine Weekend, showing off the best of Tasmania’s exceptional artisan wines.

Meyrick, this year’s star import, is actually an Australian who takes his inspiration from street food across Asia.

He’s been described as “western on the outside and Asian on the inside,” and, at 37, released his debut cookbook Sarong Inspirations.

Meyrick says you will find him at street stalls, in kitchens with local families, at local markets, getting off the beaten track to get to the heart of the dishes that move and shake him, and tracking down the original recipes handed down through families.

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food&wine

This image: Will Meyrick, this year’s star import from Asia, is actually Australian.

Below: Beautifully presented dish from Garagistes in Hobart.

Hong, meanwhile, is a larger-thanlife character and is executive chef at no fewer than four restaurants that are part of the fast-growing Merivale empire.

He’s regarded as one of Sydney’s fastest rising culinary talents. He’s worked under celebrated stars including Tetsuya Wakuda as well as Mark Best at Marque, and had a stint working with superstar chef Wylie Dufresne in the United States. His cooking draws on Vietnamese, Cantonese and Mexican influences.

New Zealand-born Wilson has similarly diverse inspirations, having worked in the Unites States, New Zealand and Melbourne, including a stint with chef Daniel Boulud at the celebrated Daniel in New York, where he worked with luxury ingredients including truffles, porcini and foie gras.

He’s also worked for Jacques Reymond at Arintji at Federation Square and The Graham in Port Melbourne, and he’s now a partner in Huxtable, a modern eatery featuring share plates influenced by the cuisine of Europe and south-east Asia, as well as Melbourne gourmet burger bar Huxtaburger.

So many culinary influences; Tasmanians and visitors have so much to look forward to. And, judging by previous editions, there will be plenty of surprises in store. savourtasmania.com.au 22

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getaway

ADELAIDE:

CELLARS ON THE DOORSTEP

For the perfect wine-lover’s adventure, head straight to South Australia, whose capital Adelaide is surrounded by rolling hills, fertile valleys and 387 cellar doors, writes Simone Henderson-Smart.

THERE’S MUCH TO see in the gorgeous city of Adelaide and many incredible restaurants to discover. South Australians are rightfully proud of their produce, and menus are heaving with local delights such as Kangaroo Island marron and Barossa Berkshire pork – all perfectly matched with equally parochial wine lists.

Serious wine-lovers rarely linger in the city for long, though, as Adelaide is literally surrounded by wine regions, all just a short drive away.

Adelaide Hills The closest wine region is the Adelaide Hills – a long, winding chain of villages that makes for a lovely day of touring, tasting and nibbling. If the traffic lights are kind, you can be knocking on a cellar door in less than half an hour.

The Adelaide Hills is a cool-climate wine region where the whites really shine. Lovers of Riesling should head to Petaluma’s pretty home in the old Bridgewater Mill, although, to be honest, the Riesling grapes come from Clare Valley plantings (more on that later). To taste the local currency, the Chardonnay is from the Piccadilly Valley and is also used in Croser sparkling, which can be popped and sampled at the cellar door too.

Foodies will enjoy a trip to the Bird in Hand cellar door in Woodside, where the art- and light-filled dining space is a great place to settle in for the afternoon and experience the ‘food flight’; a progression of six seasonal dishes, each matched with a different wine.

Woodside is also home to the Woodside Cheese Wrights’ cellar door, where award-

The Adelaide Hills is a cool-climate wine region where the whites really shine.

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getaway

McLaren Vale Less than an hour’s drive south of Adelaide is the coastal wine region of McLaren Vale. The climate here is warmer than the Adelaide Hills, so it’s the reds’ turn to show off. Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon are the heroes, as well as relative newcomers Tempranillo and Sangiovese. The region’s cellar doors do the fork-and-cork thing really well, with many offering much more than just a wine-tasting experience.

At the top end of town is d’A renberg and its restaurant, d’A rry’s Verandah, which offers an inspired menu that changes with the seasons to showcase local produce at its peak. The wines are constant award

Image: Tourism SA

winning handmade artisan cheeses can be sampled, along with other local produce.

It makes for a nice stop between sips.

Stirling is another great spot, with lots of little art and design stores to wander through. And, of course, there’s Hahndorf, a pretty slice of Germany and home to Beerenberg Farm, where you can pick strawberries and sample the full range of jams, jellies, chutneys and relishes.

Image: Tourism SA

Previous page: Woodstock Coterie in McLaren Vale. This image: d’Arry’s Verandah’s menu changes with the seasons to make the most of local produce. Right: d’Arenberg wines are constant award winners.

winners, and although fourth-generation winemaker Chester Osborn is known for experimenting with unusual varietals, it’s his love of old bush vine Grenache that has led to the discovery and resurrection of many derelict vineyards in the region, which are now producing low yields of luscious fruit.

At the more laid-back end of the spectrum is Coterie at the Woodstock cellar door, where large windows in the rammed earth walls enable views of the massive trees around which the cellar door was built. Graze on a regional platter or sample the local chargrilled Fleurieu spring lamb loin topped with fried chive spaetzle and salsa verde-infused lamb jus.

Yes, in McLaren Vale laid-back is still top notch.

Folks who like to nibble and sip should take advantage of the wonderful cheese and wine trails through McLaren Vale.

Head straight to Blessed Cheese on the main road and pick up your esky of specially selected cheeses, crackers, dried fruit and olives, along with a map that tells you which wineries to visit and what to nibble while you sip.

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Image: Tourism SA

getaway

Coonawarra Further south, on the Limestone Coast, is Coonawarra, where the terra rossa – rich, red soil – makes it Australia’s true red (wine) centre. It’s wall-to-wall Cabernet down here and all the big names in the business have plantings, such as Yalumba, Orlando and Wynns. It’s a small region – barely 20 kilometres from top to tail – and the cellar doors are neatly lined up along the Riddoch Highway for easy hopping.

The highway was named after the founder of Coonawarra, John Riddoch, and you can visit his great-great-grandson, John Rymill, at the architecturally breathtaking Rymill Coonawarra cellar door.

Further down the highway at the Penola end of town, Hollick is home to the

Penola is a pretty little country town peppered with galleries, design stores and restaurants.

FAST FACT The top five most expensive Australian wines on wine-searcher.com are all South Australian reds: Chris Ringland Shiraz; Penfolds Grange Bin 95; Henschke Hill of Grace; Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Shiraz and Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Cabernet Sauvignon.

This image: Rymill Coonawarra’s cellar door is located in the heart of Coonawarra.

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first winery restaurant in the region and is dishing up Angus eye fillet with potato boulangère, honey and poppy seed roasted carrots, salsa verde and Cabernet jus (naturally) to satisfied diners.

For a far more down-to-earth, countrystyle, smiley, family vibe, head next door to The Blok Estate. The Trotter family has owned and run the winery since 2005 and serves lovely homemade hot soups, scones with Cabernet jam (naturally) and cheese platters with a touch of friendly banter on the side. Don’t leave without trying the 2009 Riesling, which was crowned the best in Australia at the 2012 Winewise Championship.

Penola itself is a pretty little country town peppered with galleries, design stores and a few really good restaurants. If that’s not enough to tempt you, the region’s events calendar certainly will – there’s always something going on.

getaway

The Barossa Valley Perhaps South Australia’s best-known wine region, the Barossa Valley is home to 755 grape growers and some of the oldest vines in the world. Shiraz is the main varietal here and the quality is truly world class.

Think Penfolds’ Grange and Henschke’s Hill of Grace (from nearby Eden Valley), which both regularly command upwards of $600 a bottle.

Wine-lovers with less coin can still sample some extraordinary wines in the region and meet winemakers who strictly adhere to traditional methods, as well as those who employ the latest technology.

Among the most respected boutique wineries in Australia, Rockford is all about tradition. When other wineries in the region were updating their equipment back in the 1970s, Robert O’Callaghan went in the opposite direction, buying and restoring old stone buildings from the 1850s, as well as old winemaking machinery and equipment. The result is an incredibly pretty cellar door where you can sample his amazing handmade, basket-pressed wines.

At the opposite end of the scale is Ben Glaetzer, whose modern, high-tech, scientific approach produces some truly outstanding reds, like his acclaimed Amon-Ra Shiraz.

There are many iconic names in the Barossa Valley – big guns like Penfolds,

Yalumba, Wolf Blass and Peter Lehmann – and it’s well worth visiting their cellar doors to sample their rare and premium offerings, which you won’t find at your local mainstream bottle shop.

Another big name in the Barossa Valley is Maggie Beer, and a visit to her Farm Shop in Nurioopta is deservedly on the bucket list of most Australian foodies.

Clare Valley The Clare Valley is home to the Riesling Trail – 35 vine-draped kilometres past cellar doors. It’s so flat that you can easily negotiate the trail on a bicycle. There are plenty of bike hire places here, so there’s no need to BYO. The Clare Valley is, of course, all about Riesling and, along with nearby Eden Valley, produces Australia’s best.

The only remaining Jesuit-owned winery in Australia, Sevenhill was established in 1851. Visitors to the valley who like to mix shrines and underground crypts with their wine-tasting shouldn’t miss this old place.

Other great wineries along the trail are Grosset, O’Leary Walker, Knappstein and Skillogalee – whose self-contained stone cottages are as pretty as their name, and are th e perfect place to rest your weary legs at the end of a long day of sipping and cycling.

For more information and cellar door maps, visit southaustralia.com

Above from top: Visit Maggie Beer’s farm shop in Nurioopta; the self-contained stone cottages of Skillogalee.

Below: Rockford is beautiful in autumn.

Image: Tourism SA

Artist note: Woodstock pic credit photographer Randy Larcombe

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smallbusiness

FURNITURE WITH A STORY Calling Epoch a furniture shop seems inadequate – it’s so much more. A museum of arts, crafts and upcycling at its best, Epoch will change the way you view furniture forever. Danielle Chenery explores.

HOUSED WITHIN the sandstone walls of Manly’s oldest residence, gift and homewares store Epoch is brimming with timeless pieces from across the globe that have been given a new lease of life. It’s a furniture and giftware shop, yes. You’ll see tables and chairs, bookshelves, bedroom furniture, lamps, candles and bowls spread out across its 1000 square metres of floor space, but it’s no cookie cutter store.

You see, every item in the shop has been made out of materials sourced from South-East Asia: high-quality timbers derived from remnants of old buildings, bridges, houses, fishing boats and railways. As owner David Edwards says, “It’s about redoing old things. Ninety-five per cent of our stock has a story. There is history in the timbers; they are hundreds of years old and originally cut for a different purpose.”

There is something special about furniture made from materials that have had a previous life. It’s a backlash against the culture of fast fashions and cheap materials sourced from unsustainable forests. It’s the beauty of knowing your purchase has done no harm to the planet and its people, and that it already has a story to tell.

“The energy of the product comes down

to the old timber; it absorbs experiences,” explains David. “We can see it with some items on the floor, when every person who walks past has to touch it. It just happens with certain pieces,” he says.

This is especially true of furniture made from old building materials. “People in Indonesia pull down a home every three generations and rebuild,” he says.

These days, David has contacts in Indonesia and works with a handful of factories across South-East Asia who can gather these timbers and give them new life. They are self-managing and they collect the timbers themselves.

“One of the factory owners in Indonesia is keen to achieve a zero footprint. They actually collect the timbers on foot,” David says. “We are working with people who are trying to put back into communities.”

But it won’t last forever: “Once [Indonesians] start using steel frames in their home construction, our industry will have to change again,” he says.

The giftware component of the shop keeps things moving as well. “All the giftware we bring in is from colleagues exporting in the same areas,” he says.

“Everything has been designed under high scrutiny.

“We want to maintain the integrity of

the business; that’s the trick, that’s how we’re different.”

The beauty of Epoch’s stock lies in its uniqueness – the pieces on sale are one of a kind. “It’s a cash-and-carry situation,” David says. “What we have in this week may not be in next time, and every item is unique.”

Before Epoch, David worked for his father, who was a commodity trader.

“I worked in his business, mainly with plantation products, when I was 20 years old. But it was all too stuffy for me. I had a creative and design background, and I got together with a mate in the Philippines and we put a container together to send to Australia and decided to see what happens.”

That was 30 years ago, at the beginning of the business. Over the years, David has travelled across South-East Asia and beyond, sourcing products from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Tibet, India and Sri Lanka. “Back then it wasn’t much of an industry. We’d go into the country looking for original pieces and find people to clean them up,” he explains. “It was a cottage industry.”

At that stage, David was selling pieces he’d found to stores in Australia, but he soon realised he would need to set up his own retail shop, which he proceeded to do 23 years ago. “Shop owners just

“The energy of the product comes down to the old timber; it absorbs experiences. We see it with some items on the floor, when every person who walks past has to touch it.”

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smallbusiness

This image: Epoch sells furniture with a story and sustainably grown timbers – the ABC furniture is made out of Mango Wood from a plantation in India.

Opposite: David and Jackie pictured inside the Manly showroom.

smallbusiness

didn’t understand. They’d say the items were ‘too rustic’ or ‘not finished,’” he laughs.

“We needed to be able to display the items together for it all to work. When we were wholesalers, shop owners would come and choose some items and try to sell them that way, in pieces, but it doesn’t work – you need to see how everything looks together to create the right mood.”

Thus, Epoch the shop was born in the seaside suburb of Manly, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

“We started with just one shop and expanded into the two neighbouring shops, but we outgrew our previous space 15 years ago. We could have just moved out of Manly and taken up space in [neighbouring suburbs] Brookvale or Manly Vale, but we wanted something for Manly locals. We wanted to stay loyal to the area,” David says.

His partner, Jackie Wisbey, a commercial photographer, has been working in the shop for the past 10 years or so.

“It’s a huge commitment. It’s not a lifestyle business like people think, apart from the fact you’re working for yourself and you get to travel. But it is hard work – you may be travelling to beautiful places, but you’re not lying on the beach, you’re hard at work,” says David.

And the couple’s perfect scenario of living and working in Manly is facing yet another hurdle: “We only have two and a half years left here [in the new Pittwater Road location] so we’re going to make the most of it.

“It’s the largest retail space in Manly, but the building’s owners have approval to knock it down so apartments, car parking and shops can be built.”

David says two members of Manly Council’s heritage committee recently noticed the building’s interior sandstone walls and ornate ceiling. This alerted them to the possibility the building may be the oldest standing in Manly and the previous residence of former mayor of Sydney, George Smith, which could be the building’s saving grace.

As a Manly resident for the past 25 years, David is reluctant to see the end of low-lying development and locally owned shops in the area.

“It’s really important to support local

Right and below: Epoch’s furniture is made from reconstructed or sustainably grown timbers.

business, otherwise the only choice will be major commercial stores. There’ll be no little guy with a unique business or product,” he says.

“The internet helps and hinders – the rag trade is closing down and the younger generation is online. But if you want to touch, feel and see before you buy, you’ve got to go to local businesses. And the service is the difference,” he says.

Despite his stance, David is in the process of relaunching Epoch’s website and getting onto Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. “The idea is for people to fall in love [with the items] and then come in to see it for himself,” he says.

After all, a visit to the shop is a journey worth making – it’s an experience in itself. epochdesign.com.au

insidemining Issue 11 – May 2014

15

BIG STUFF 08

FOREFRONT

21

MINING REVIEW

The state of the heavy equipment industry, and its impact on mining in the future.

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In direct contrast to the fly-in fly-out phenomena, Yara Pilbara is constructing 60 homes in Karratha for new employees and their families.

Chief Executive of Yara Pilbara, Mark Loquan says the practice of “living local” is better for workers as well as the company.

“We believe having our people here in Karratha, in close proximity to our plants, makes sense for us. It promotes continuity in our operations, and for those of our team members with families it means they can be together and share in being part of a larger community,” Mr Loquan said.

Yara Pilbara is the operator of one of the world’s largest ammonia production facilities.

The company is also currently building an $800 million technical ammonium nitrate (TAN) plant on the neighbouring site south of Karratha.

In addition to providing housing, the Norwegian-owned company will be offering overseas training opportunities to some of the new hires in countries including Spain, Chile and Sweden.

Twenty-nine year old father of three, Jonathan Luck moved his family to Karratha from Western Sydney to work on Yara Pilbara’s ammonia plant about 12 months ago.

“I couldn’t do fly-in fly-out. Working for Yara, I’m 15 minutes from home. I’m home every night and home on the weekends. You just can’t beat the lifestyle”, said Mr Luck.

Anyone interested in finding out more information or applying for a position can visit yara.com

their vision for Queensland, and coal doesn’t get a mention. Instead, the top priorities and goals of the respondents include protecting the environment and investing in and adopting sustainable and renewable energy solutions.

THE FUTURE OF LNG

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COAL IS NOT THE GOAL Queensland Premier Campbell Newman was famously quoted as saying, “We are in the coal business. If you want decent hospitals, schools and police on the beat, we all need to understand that.” He was responding to the United Nations’ report on threats from port expansion to the health of the Great Barrier Reef and its status as a World Heritage site.

It was certainly true at the time – coal, Australia’s second-biggest export earner, brought in $41 billion in 2012 – but it seems Queenslanders have a different vision for the future of their state.

The Queensland Government has been collecting information from the state’s population as part of The Queensland Plan: a 30-year vision for Queensland. Almost 80,000 residents have already had their say about

At the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) conference in Perth last month, chairman Rob Cole was very positive about the growth of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry in Australia, saying: “Our industry is increasingly being acknowledged as one of the Australian economy’s shining lights.

“Deloitte Access Economics recently identified the gas industry as one of Australia’s top five growth sectors. According to Deloitte, the oil and gas industry will soon make up more than three per cent of Australia’s economy.”

In 2011–12, the LNG industry generated $12 billion in export revenue and contributed $29.4 billion to the Australian economy. Given there is $200 billion worth of new projects currently under construction, the future of LNG is looking very bright, with Deloitte modelling showing that, by 2025, building and operating these projects will have added more than $260 billion to Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“But we all know that if this is to occur, Australia must first improve its productivity and competitiveness,” Cole said. “There are many LNG projects on the world’s drawing boards. Indeed, the number planned is more than twice what is needed to meet the next decade’s forecast demand growth.”

Cole hopes the government will come to the table and do its bit to ensure LNG’s future in Australia, saying: “Our international competitiveness is under the microscope.

And high labour costs and low productivity are an unsustainable mix.”

The other hope is that government will 3

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address issues around the effective sciencebased regulation of the sector, as well as workplace relations issues.

THE DRONES ARE COMING Australian mining is embracing new drone and robotic technology in the hope of increasing productivity and global competitiveness.

“Drones will be able to shorten supply chains and will change your ability to monitor, track and manage the key aspects of your mining business that are time-critical in remote places,” says Nigel Court, Perthbased natural resources industry leader for the Asia-Pacific at Accenture, which provides mining consulting services. “One of the great things we’ll see with drones is immediate spare parts delivery, literally within hours, where now it can take days.”

The annual spend in Australia on research and development for the mining industry is about $4 billion. Mining giant Rio Tinto leads the way, spending $370 million on its technology and innovation unit last year, which employs 730 people. In fact, Rio Tinto funds one of the largest non-military robotics programs in the world and will soon add drones to its armoury of unmanned trucks and trains.

“Come and see me in about October,” says John McGagh, head of innovation at Rio Tinto in Australia. “You’ll see drones flying around. That’s not so long off.”

BHP SEEKS APPROVAL FOR NEW COALMINE

PALMER’S PARTY GAINS IN WA ELECTION At the time of going to press, the winner of the Western Australian Senate’s sixth seat had

not been announced, but initial numbers showed a strong swing towards The Greens and Clive Palmer’s Palmer United Party.

On April 7, political correspondent Sabra Lane said on ABC’s 7.30: “For the ALP and its relatively new leader, Bill Shorten, the result’s a shocker. Mr Shorten urged voters to send the government a message about planned cuts to health and education. Instead, voters have sent him and the ALP a strong and unmissable missive: They don’t like what they see and hear.

“The Palmer United Party attracted nearly 12.5 per cent of the vote, with a big swing towards the party of nearly 7.5 per cent.

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BHP Billiton has sought approval to build a 30-year underground coalmine in northern New South Wales. The mining company lodged its application with the state government’s Mining and Petroleum Gateway Panel in early April.

The Caroona mine, which would be located about 40 kilometres south-east of Gunnedah in the Liverpool Plains, is expected to produce as much as 10 million tonnes of saleable thermal coal per year.

BHP says it would employ up to 400 staff at the time of peak production and 600 during peak construction. It would be an underground mine, rather than open-cut, with the company claiming underground mining is better for the environment than open-cut mining.

While prices of thermal as well as metallurgical coal are weak, BHP plans to remain competitive by pushing for higher productivity and deeper cost cuts, rather than reduce production.

Next, BHP Billiton needs to issue an environmental impact statement, however the Department of Planning says the project is in the very early stages of its environmental assessment process.

5

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The Greens, too, recorded more than 15 per cent, and not far ahead of them, Labor on 21 per cent of the first preference vote. It will probably win just one seat,” she said.

ABC election analyst Antony Green agreed the result was terrible news for Labor. “The main story out of the Western Australian Senate election is the disastrous result for Labor. It’s the lowest Labor vote in an election – a Senate election since 1903. Their vote went substantially down.

The loss of vote for the Liberal Party’s what you’d expect at a by-election,” he said on ABC’s 7.30.

SURAT EXPO CONNECTS INDUSTRY IN A BOOMING REGION South West Queensland is leading the way in Australia with enormous growth and diversity across a range of industries. With major infrastructure projects already under way and a raft of others about to start the whole region is in ‘fast forward’.

The annual Surat Basin Energy and Mining Expo is one of the best industry events in Australia with hundreds of companies already booked in for the June Mega-Show. Organiser, Bob Carroll from Australian Events, said the event is easily accessible from Brisbane and is held in Toowoomba which is the gateway to the Surat Basin.

“The fly-by-nighters and the half-baked businesses have fallen away. The businesses and sponsors who are locked in for this year are the companies who have done their homework, have sourced the world’s best products and have stepped up every area of their business to ensure that they can supply and sustain a high level of service. This will be a top shelf event and one that business and industry should not miss.”

The Surat Basin Energy and Mining Expo opens on the June 18 with details for exhibitors and delegates available online at suratbasinexpo.com.au or by phoning FREE call 1800 671 588.

“The fly-by-nighters and the half-baked businesses have fallen away. The businesses and sponsors who are locked in for this year are the companies who have done their homework.”

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forefront

New-age Queensland QUEENSLAND IS ENTERING A NEW ERA AS STALWART COAL MAKES ROOM FOR EMERGING RESOURCES INDUSTRIES AND GOVERNMENT PUSHES ITS AGENDA TO REMOVE REGULATION AT AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE TIME. WORDS: ORYANA ANGEL

THE PAST 12 months has seen vast change in the Queensland resources sector as the new liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry comes to fruition, coal prices fall and once-controversial uranium mining is again permitted in the Sunshine State. With coal being the backbone of the Queensland mining sector, global oversupply and softening of demand for coal has taken a heavy toll on the industry.

“It’s led to inevitable cost-cutting programs, with all producers taking prudent steps to get costs under control,” says David Rynne, Queensland Resources Council’s (QRC) director of economic and infrastructure policy.

This has meant that in the past 12 to 18 months, big players such as British-based Anglo American and mining joint venture BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), have actually reduced their management and operational headcount to stay financially viable through the downturn.

While over the past two years about 8000 Queensland coal workers have lost their jobs, with

8

a percentage re-employed in the oil and gas industry, the timing is ironic. In December last year, the Queensland coal industry and supporting communities celebrated a coup, getting regulatory approval from Canberra after several years of battling for the expansion of the Abbot Point Coal Terminal. This will create export infrastructure to support the development of mines in the Bowen and Galilee Basins.

The regulatory approval allowing dredging paves the way for three additional terminals to be constructed. Once the T0, T1 and T3 terminals at Abbot Point are completed, it will mean the world’s largest coal port is 25 kilometres north of Bowen on the central Queensland coast.

Greenpeace and other conservationists around the country strongly oppose the project. “The expansion at Abbot Point will have a direct effect on the Great Barrier Reef through dredging. Even more serious are the effects it will have on the global climate through greenhouse emissions when all that coal is burned,” says Greenpeace

forefront

Image courtesy of Bechtel

Above: Construction on Curtis Island, Queensland.

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forefront

“The Queensland resources sector exports approximately $40 billion per year in commodities.”

11

campaigner Louise Matthiesson.

“Opening up the Galilee Basin’s untapped coal reserve is unleashing a new carbon bomb on the climate.”

Almost at the same time as the long-awaited tick of approval was given, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Anglo American decided to keep their options open and pull out of the tender process. However, Indianbased miners GVK Hancock and Adani are pressing ahead with plans to build terminals at the port.

With the opening up of the Galilee Basin potentially still a number of years away, the real opportunities in Queensland at the moment lie upstream in LNG, according to Rynne.

“At present the Queensland resources sector exports approximately $40 billion per year in commodities – be that coal, base and precious metals, alumina, bauxite and so on. The LNG industry, in full production a couple of years from now, is anticipated to add in excess of $10 billion per annum to the mix. That’s a very significant increase on what Queensland produces,” Rynne says.

“What’s happening in Queensland is profound. The LNG industry is currently in its infancy but each project can have a 30- to 40-year life span. Tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs have been created to feed that activity.”

Currently, there are three LNG projects under way in Queensland, which combined are worth about $70 billion. And the industry is about to come into fruition, with Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) set to be the world’s first project to turn gas from coal seams into LNG. The first LNG tankers are expected to leave Queensland later this year.

There’s plenty of gas under the ground in Queensland; it’s a case of looking for that gas at a time when exploration costs are increasing. “Analysts indicate the costs of recovering coal seam gas in Queensland is somewhere near $5 a gigajoule. That’s a significant increase from only a couple of years ago,” says Rynne.

“The story is the same for all the resources that Queensland exports. It’s a case of getting costs under control and staying globally competitive. Government can play a role here in terms of taxes and royalties and streamlining red and green tape. In short, regulatory burdens significantly increase cost and create uncertainty – two things we need to address in Queensland.”

The QRC’s agenda is to look to government to keep costs under control. “We encourage policy reform,” says Rynne. “The state and federal governments can do more to create an attractive environment for companies to invest in growth 11

forefront

“Protecting the environment in the long run is also protecting the economy.”

Image courtesy of North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation

Above: Conservationists say expansion of Abbot Point will have a direct impact on the Great Barrier Reef through dredging.

DID YOU KNOW? • Almost $38 billion was spent by Queensland resources sector companies in 2012–13: $7 billion in wages to workers directly employed in Queensland and $31 billion in goods and services from Queensland-based businesses.

• Queensland Curtis LNG is among Australia’s largest capital infrastructure projects with US$20.4 billion of investment from 2010-2014.

12

projects. There’s a lot [government can do], such as streamlining the approvals process, and encouraging steps have been taken to establish the so-called one-stop shop where the state and federal governments work together to streamline environmental approval processes for new resources projects.”

With the Newman government’s affirmed commitment to reducing red tape in exploration applications, it’s possible Queensland will see conflict-ridden uranium mining start as early as 2015, in light of a recovery in global uranium prices.

The policy banning uranium mining was lifted in Queensland at the end of 2012, some 30 years after the state’s last mine closed.

In March this year, the Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Andrew Cripps, released two controversial discussion papers, which will ‘cut red tape’ and restrict who can object to mining applications. Currently, any group or person can object to applications, potentially sending the decision to the Land Court.

In a media statement Cripps said that the proposed reforms would result in fewer delays and

supercharge the economy.

Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) solicitor Evan Hamman says he has concerns about the impact this could have: “The biggest concern we have is the balance between rushing through decisions and engaging properly with the community about to be affected by the decision.

“We believe that balance is pushed in this discussion paper perhaps too far away from the communities, as it’s limiting the types of people who can raise issues or objections to a mine. It’s stripping back more of those opportunities and ways of helping the community to be involved in the process and, in some instances, shutting them out all together.”

Greenpeace’s Matthiesson says: “I’m sure there are some points where legislation can be improved to make it more efficient, but often that’s used as a smokescreen in weakening the laws and taking away important safeguards.

“These laws are put in place for a good reason; to protect the environment. Protecting the environment in the long run is also protecting the economy.”

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Australian miners are excitedly

trucks in the world at 360 tonnes.

“Demand is currently at a level experienced in the early 2000s, which is well off the boom times experienced over the past three years,” Pichanick says.

“But this is still not bad, it allows companies like ours to catch up and we are actually spending a lot on infrastructure, such as new facilities and expansion of existing facilities to ensure our valued customers are supported long term.”

Pichanick refuses to be drawn on future technology in the heavy machinery sector – saying it’s confidential.

“But going on our past experience, Liebherr is an innovative company with all our own in-house technology, so all our existing customers know when Liebherr offers new products they are very advanced and will go to work reliably and compete at all levels,” he says.

In 2008, Rio Tinto launched the Rio Tinto Mine of the Future in a bid to change the face of mining productivity and efficiency. Three key themes are: • Autonomy – to achieve massive efficiency in surface bulk mining; • Recovery – to increase efficiency by sorting waste before it gets to the process plants; • Tunnelling – to access deep ore bodies even faster.

Image by Aldous Massie at The Illustration Room

preparing for a major gear change as mining equipment expands from the more traditional to the technical. While there will always be a place for the big rigs on site, the landscape is shifting into an innovative new era that some players, such as Austmine CEO Robert Trzebski, are hailing as the ‘technology age’.

Trzebski, who represents the leading industry association for the mining supply sector, told Inside Mining that companies like Rio Tinto are paving the way in terms of technology using completely autonomous equipment run from Perth on some of their Pilbara operations.

But that’s not to suggest industry players are slamming on the brakes on the big rigs just yet.

Liebherr-Australia sales and marketing general manager, Dave Pichanick, told Inside Mining that Liebherr excavators from 250 tonnes and above are strong market leaders in their class in numerous parts of the world. But in Australia, the new generation 400-tonne and 800-tonne excavators are “performing at a level never experienced”.

The German-based company – which has been operating in Australia for 20 years – has 55 per cent of the market share in its machinery classes of main mining excavators and ultra-class trucks.

Liebherr manufactures the biggest ultra-class

Liebherr excavators from 250 tonnes and above are strong market leaders in their class in numerous parts of the world.

But in Australia, the new generation 400-tonne and 800-tonne excavators are “performing at a level never experienced”.

17

industryfocus

“There is definitely a place for big rigs, large mining excavators and dump trucks, as we are moving into an era of autonomous equipment in certain applications.”

equipment, including both AC drive (electric drive) mining trucks and hydraulic mining excavators.

“Our EX Series mining hydraulic excavators are renowned, and we’ve built a reputation as the market leaders in the industry for these powerful, reliable and productive machines,” Green says.

“Revolutionising the global mining landscape, the Hitachi EX5600 excavator, with 34-cubic metre bucket, would be considered our most popular mining excavator. It incorporates the latest innovations and is designed for superior production capabilities.

“The EX5600 excavator is also matched to suit our EH4000 AC Drive Dump Truck in order to maximise production in mining operations.”

Green says they are looking for steady growth in the market by the end of 2014 and into 2015.

“Hitachi is very well placed for the technological age. As we are part of the Global Hitachi Group of companies, we have access to the latest technologies and innovations. We see this as an improvement to our business – access to a diverse range of Hitachi products from different industries,” he says.

“Our latest machinery incorporates cutting-edge technologies – our AC Drive mining trucks feature onboard computers and data transfer capabilities.

“There is definitely a place for big rigs, large mining excavators and dump trucks, as we are moving into an era of autonomous equipment in certain applications.”

Rio Tinto’s Technology and Innovation group now employs around 700 people, but competitors are unlikely to learn any key secrets soon.

“While Rio Tinto takes a partnership approach to innovation, our advances are tightly guarded,” a statement on the major miner’s website claims.

Rio Tinto head of innovation, John McGagh, said in a recent presentation, that mining has not been known as the “greatest technological” business but “that’s changed over the past six to seven years”.

“All of these things make your life better, operations better, and they make more money,” he says.

But again, this is not to say the days of the big rigs are dead. Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia general manager mining, Eric Green, told Inside Mining that since its parent company HCM was established in 1949, it has evolved into a leading global manufacturer of Hitachi mining

FAST FACTS • The Australian Mining and Industrial Machinery Wholesaling industry has fetched a revenue of $27.5 billion in the five years to 2013/14.

Image by Aldous Massie at The Illustration Room

• Annual growth is forecast at 9.3 per cent between 2009–2014 and 2.3 per cent between 2014–2019 to $30.8 billion.

Source: Ibisworld, January 2013

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miningreview

UNEARTHING NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING The global mining landscape has changed dramatically. Not just on the ground, but also in the air-conditioned offices of those who finance the projects.

We look at the new paradigm in the mining finance industry.

WRITES: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

M

ining companies are returning to more unconventional ways of seeking finance in a sector that has seen high debt, less deals, and juniors battling for survival, according to respected industry commentators.

According to Deloitte’s Tracking the Trends 2014 report, the fourth biggest issue mining faces in 2014 is funding.

Reuben Saayman, Deloitte mining leader – East Coast, partner assurance and advisory, told Inside Mining that the sharp reduction in equity capital and bank loan markets has seen the re-emergence of unconventional funding options, like forward sales agreements, convertible and high-yield debt issues, and metal streaming/royalty deals.

“This has traditionally been the preserve of the juniors operating in emerging markets, but increasingly mid-tier miners and major producers are embracing these alternative forms of finance as they seek to refinance facilities in a much tighter credit market,” says Saayman.

“Mining companies are looking at innovative ways of funding, as traditional bank funding on the back of capital raising is drying up. These

include areas such as equipment leasing, which, due to the original equipment suppliers’ volumes being under pressure with the mining downturn, are eager to offer financebacked deals for large equipment orders.

“We have seen an increased participation for private equity in mining projects. This is a big potential source of funding for distressed miners.

“Traditionally a sector ignored by private equity, the past year has seen increasing private equity involvement in mining projects, attracted by the low valuations, cash-flow opportunities and the ability to hedge.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom as those seeking capital think smarter and harder for funding solutions.

“Those companies that embrace this ‘new normal’ of having to fight harder for funding and look at innovative ways and non-traditional and unconventional sources, while getting their costs under control, will survive this worrying trend,” Saayman says.

“We believe this is part of the new way mining should be approaching business.

Those that can innovate, address these challenges and get costs under

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miningreview

control will be able to show returns in Inside Mining that funding is “extremely this industry and will be able to secure tight,” debt is “virtually unattainable,” future funding.” and equity is “very expensive.”

Chris Hinde, director of reports “A lot of companies are having to at SNL Metals and Mining, says raise extra funds in this climate because dealmakers are suggesting 2014 has all they left it too late and they are finding the ingredients to be a ‘vintage year’ it virtually impossible or very expensive,” with low interest rates; macroeconomic says Treadgold. stability; high levels of cash on “A lot of banks have disappeared corporate balance sheets; and a banking from the equation due to the GFC, and sector eager to lend. because their head offices in Europe and “Confidence is clearly returning to the United States no longer want to be the general market. The first two weeks involved in the mining sector. of January saw US$120 billion worth “We are now in the production of deals unveiled, more than twice the boom. Our terms of trade are about value in the same period of 2013,” to look the best they’ve been since Hinde says. the wool boom of the 1950s. We are “With excess capacity for the supply moving into a trade surplus. There is of many metals, the mining industry a lot more coal going out of Queensland, might not benefit to the same extent iron ore out of Western Australia and as the general economy. However, we haven’t even really started on the the sector’s turn will come and, in the LNG boom. That’s going to pump an meantime, there is significant value to enormous amount of cash into the be had from the acquisition of Australian economy.” development properties.

Treadgold describes the situation as “Mounting optimism a “straw hats in winter” scenario, where about the prospects for the there are bargains to be had, but they are global economy has helped difficult to find. push equity prices higher in “If you are an investor you are doing the first few weeks of 2014.” very nicely. If you are at the bottom Tim Treadgold from of the market it is still one minute to snezod ,yllaretiL .rerutcafunam cirbaf RF eht gnisolcsid tuohtiw yadot stnemrag RF gnilles era seinapmoc ynaM Global Mining midnight,” he says. laecziotid rC,y”ll.aLrAeU QE.r“erTuO Nafeurnaaymehctirdbnaaf R,yFltneehct egrneiscoallcpsFinance, te krta m e hLondont ynai ddoetgsretnmeemeravg a“Mark h sFcg iTwain rbialle f Rdefined Fr”a2s1e/a8 8“pnmoasoitcaa thole imai M fo mine aiw ssn t i L t c i d u o h t nezod ,yllaretiL .rerutcafunam cirbaf RF eht gnisolcsid tuohtiw yadot stnemrag R RF gn nilless e era seiin na apmoc yyn naM That was ,gniredla nuiatilrC ot ytilAibUaQ rud“ RTFO,Nefeil rraaeyw tnenmara,ygltn,leocrtenroecce gate kbased n irahm spublisher ,trhotfm cg ,gnm itar in cervathe ekground il sircbia tswith irReFtca”aliar rah/on c8top. ecno amtrio friefp k ii od h 2 lac citirC ””..L LAUQE E“ TON era ye eh htt d dna ,yltnecer eca allp pteof krrspecialist am e eht n ntrade de egrre eme e 100 eva ayears h ssc ciago. rbaffWhat RF ”often 21 1/8 8happens 8““ n noiitta aintim m i fo o these tna,gtsnisireerdenm a fl f o D N A R B e h t n o t n e d n e p e d y l i r a m i r p e r a e r o m d n a s d r a d n a t s l a n o i t a n r e t n i d n a l a n o i t a n o t e c n a i l p m op c ua all o ott yyttiilliib ba arru ud dR RF F ,,e effiill rra ae ew w ttn ne em mrra ag g ,,llo orrttn no oc ce eg ga ak kpublications, niirrh hss ,,ttrro offm mtold oc c ,,g gn niitta arr funding crra ae ek kiillsituations sc ciittssiirre ettisc ca athe ra ah hpendulum ce ec cn na am mrro offrre e ,gnirednu n o c s r c p ®

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Our terms of trade are about to look the best they’ve been since the wool boom of the 1950s.”

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Source: Deloitte’s Tracking the Trends 2014 report.

23

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miningreview

“The big contractors have large fleets that are under-utilised, driving downward pressure on their equipment prices.”

swings too far, and I suspect the bottom was reached in the middle of last year.

“Companies like BHP, Rio Tinto and Anglo American are making more money – their profits are rising because they slashed their workers. Twelve thousand workers across the coal industry alone have lost their jobs.

“But dividends are increasing, so where’s the gloom?”

GE Capital Australia and New Zealand’s head of capital markets, Denis Rayel, told Inside Mining there is an “air of caution” in relation to the provision of debt facilities to mid-tier mining service providers.

“Particularly those with dry hire operations to fringe mine operators.

Production volumes are being maintained, if not increasing, but at the same time large-scale producers are reducing their cost base (including service providers, CAPEX and maintenance) on their sites as they face volatile commodity markets. This is particularly the case in coal,” Rayel says.

“Mine service operators are finding, particularly in the wet hire space, that they are simultaneously bidding for contracts they’ve not had historically, while having to re-bid for historical contracts – providing either demonstrated cost-out, or reducing

their margins in the process.

“From a dry hire perspective, challenges are around utilisation. Mines are increasingly insourcing operations.

The easiest cost line to hit is hire on equipment, so if they’re maintaining equipment in the mine they’re under cost pressure, and because there is now more gear available in the market, they’re under price pressure.”

Rayel says lenders such as GE Capital are increasingly attending meetings with mine operators who want to bring their operations in-house.

“The big contractors have large fleets that are under-utilised, driving downward pressure on equipment prices. Suppliers that can demonstrate value-add, and further efficiencies within the mine, will win contracts. Procurement used to be with mine managers, now it’s a commodity at company level, through a procurement team,” he says.

“Change is constant in such a cyclical industry and it depends greatly on where a company may be positioned. Companies exposed purely to speculative exploration are out of favour at this point in the cycle.

“Australia will continue to be a large miner to Asia and the rest of the world – the structure of the industry may just be different.”

Fast fact The top five issues miners face in 2014 are: the cost of contraction; matching supply to demand; exploring the innovation imperative; finding funding; and project pipeline stutters.

Source: Deloitte’s Tracking the Trends 2014 report.

25

specialreport

HEAD HONCHOS Where there are companies, there are CEOs. What are the contemporary challenges for top-level management professionals in the resources sector? We meet three CEOs to find out.

WORDS: MITCH BROOK

bviously chief executive officers are at the apex of the management pyramid – they’re simultaneously the flag bearer and the navigator of a company, and they’re ultimately accountable for that company’s success or failure. Every company has a chief executive officer or similar upper level manager whose responsibilities are strategy and leadership. But what qualities make these career managers? How do they manage accountability when they can’t afford to micro-manage every aspect of a company? Three CEOs tell Inside Mining of the challenges of corporate leadership.

economy, and the resource industry.

“Companies can no longer just send a representative along to address these [stakeholder] issues; it’s expected that the CEO will front and interact with those stakeholders,” says Davies.

It’s a prevalent issue in the resources industry, itself having been affected by numerous policy changes in the past few years, and with environmental groups always making their presence felt with public comment about the mining and energy industries.

“We’ve identified the need to increase our action with those groups,” says George Bauk, CEO of Northern

Tough at the top “It’s never been a more difficult time to be a CEO,” says Evan Davies, Queensland CEO of The CEO Institute, a peer-to-peer membership and networking organisation for chief executives. “Corporate leaders are probably facing the most challenging times of their careers.”

Davies believes that scrutiny from outside parties and stakeholders – from governments and regulatory bodies to activists and interest groups such as environmentalists – is a significant challenge to companies in many industries in the Australian

26

Evan Davies, Queensland CEO of The CEO Institute.

Minerals, a company focused on rare earth minerals exploration in the Northern Territory. “We’ve got a very strong, deliberate strategy of engagement with governments, environmental groups and so on.

It’s a bit of a two-way street.”

This allows Northern Minerals to be on the front foot when it comes to external stakeholders and interested parties, and proactively address potential issues.

“They have become more active but we’ve also tried to engage them,” he says. “You need to build respect, confidence and trust so they can see that you deliver on your promises.”

specialreport

Martin Nix, CEO of Position Partners.

Leadership material There’s no denying that management professionals require some degree of charisma and self-assuredness. What other qualities make a CEO? “The ability to macro-manage and not be too involved in everything and be bogged down is important,” says Davies. “A CEO also needs to have vision, to be able to see where the company is going and the consequences of decisions. Experience is also vital for upper management.”

Martin Nix, CEO of Position Partners, which supplies technology solutions to resource companies, says there’s a fine line between the structural management of projects, action plans, procedures and practices, along with managing what he calls the ‘emotional drivers’ of employees in a company.

“From the 1950s through the 1960s, corporate leadership tended to be more ‘command and control’, what we might today call management rather than

“From the 1950s through the 1960s, corporate leadership tended to be more ‘command and control’ ... today it’s more about engaging people.”

leadership,” he says of the changing leadership styles required by CEOs. “Today it’s more about engaging people.

Employees want to know why they’re working [at a company] rather than just what to do and how to do it.”

Accountability and delegation Avoiding micro-management means delegation of responsibility, and also holding those responsible accountable for their areas. All of the professionals Inside Mining interviewed for this feature stated that accountability and delegation are vital elements of senior management roles, and that they link strongly with each other.

“You’ve got to be a participant, but if you become to much of the ‘doer’ and delegation isn’t effective, then you’re not creating the leverage to keep the pace of your strategy up,” 27

specialreport

George Bauk, CEO of Northern Minerals.

“There’s this need to achieve a balance between making a mark ... but also working behind the scenes to deliver results.”

says Position Partners’ Nix. “This is not just for your management team, but making sure your managers roll that down as well and delegate to their teams.”

Rather than think about it in terms of who is accountable for mistakes, Nix says he prefers to use the term ‘creating responsibility’.

“You can do that if the outcomes are agreed,” he says. “Having a good sense of purpose, a good vision, and linking everything that you talk to your employee or manager about to that, and agreeing to the outcomes – this is all helping them keep up the momentum and helping them eliminate the roadblocks.”

Bauk similarly believes the key to both of these aspects lies in all employees knowing their roles and responsibilities. “We have an authority matrix that’s approved by the board to get clear delegation,” he says. “Each of my four direct reports clearly understand their deliverables and it’s my responsibility to have a very close relationship so that we focus on variances ... and problems.”

Industry standard Interaction with like-minded management professionals in similar positions is vital to the CEO role.

“When you become a CEO of a

company, big or small, there are times when you need to interact with your peers and make sure you’re attuned to the way other people are doing things,” says Bauk. “You’re facing similar issues ... you can find out what they see as the macro issues, what they see as the opportunities, and what they see works well.”

The cross-pollination of ideas and management techniques enables CEOs to keep up-to-date and have some fellowship in a position that has no peer on the same level within that company; the board is above, and the employees are below on the chain of authority.

It’s never an easy job, and it’s hard, or impossible, to switch off. “In my opinion as a CEO you need to breathe the business every day,” says Bauk.

“Some people talk about work-life balance. I don’t think that really exists ... it’s 24/7.”

On the other hand these roles can sometimes be the ultimate in corporate achievement.

“It’s an incredible challenge, but it’s also incredibly rewarding,” says Evans of The CEO Institute. “There’s this need to achieve a balance between making a mark, or leaving a legacy, on the company but also working behind the scenes to deliver results. It’s incredibly rewarding.”

FAST FACTS • Women are still under-represented in CEO positions in Australia, with the split currently around 83 per cent men to 17 per cent women.

• Most CEOs are qualified to a bachelor degree level (47 per cent) followed by masters-level or higher qualifications (30 per cent) and then diploma level (17 per cent).

Source: The CEO Institute’s CEO Profile Survey 2013.

28

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windowseat

Olympic Dam LOCATED approximately 550 kilometres from Adelaide, South Australia, Olympic Dam is the home of an extremely rich iron oxide, copper and gold deposit. The site consists of Australia’s largest underground mine and an integrated metallurgical processing plant.

BHP Billiton owns the site, which produces copper, uranium, gold and silver. Indeed, it contains the largest known single deposit of uranium in the world – although uranium only makes up a small part of the mine’s total revenue. It also boasts the world’s fourth largest copper deposit.

In 2011, plans to expand the mine were met with protests from anti-uranium activists, and even though it had parliamentry approval the expansion has been postponed indefinitely, as BHP Billiton pursues a “new and cheaper design”.

In December 2013, after news General Motors Holden would no longer be producing cars in South Australia from 2017, the federal government said it would support expansion of the mine, but South Australia’s business community said it wants a more diverse economy.

It contains the largest known single deposit of uranium in the world – although uranium only makes up a small part of the mine’s total revenue.

30

windowseat

Image courtesy of BHP Billiton

31

T E L E H A N D L E R S

energydebate

The Nuclear Reaction

In the search for alternative energy solutions, Australia is putting nuclear energy back on the table. Oryana Angel reports.

DURING the 1980s and 1990s public sentiment in Australia was anti-nuclear.

Leading the charge was Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett with his antiuranium mining lyrics, and his first shot at politics was a run for the Senate with the Nuclear Disarmament Party.

Some two decades later, then as Labor’s Minister for the Environment, the once outspoken singer gave the go-ahead for new uranium mines in Australia.

Australia has 31 per cent of the world’s uranium reserves – the largest amount of any one country – and exports uranium to China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Europe and the United States. While it seems we’re happy to sell our uranium abroad, the idea of

nuclear reactors being built here to provide energy still doesn’t sit well with many Australians.

“It’s madness [pursuing nuclear energy] compared with other sources of energy we could use,” says The Wilderness Society’s Queensland campaign manager, Tim Seelig. “The more we allow uranium mining in the country, the greater the pressure that we should have nuclear power, too – both are deeply problematic. Uranium mining and nuclear power, individually and together, raise a series of health, transport and community safety issues.”

The meltdown of the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant after an earthquake and tsunami

slammed the east coast of Japan in 2011 has greatly influenced public fear of nuclear energy.

“Japan has taught us that even with a reasonably sophisticated approach to nuclear power, stuff happens to these plants, whether foreseen or not. Risk analysis has to take that in, but when you do, there is nowhere safe to do it,” says Seelig.

Following the Fukushima disaster, Germany shut down eight nuclear reactors and said it would close the remaining nine by 2022, promising to fill the gap with renewable energy. So far, though, non-renewable coal and natural gas have won out, and CO2 emissions in Germany increased by

Australia has 31 per cent of the world’s uranium reserves – the largest amount of any one country – and exports uranium to China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Europe and the US. 33

energydebate

FAST FACT • In France, 78 per cent of electricity comes from nuclear and 12 per cent from hydro. The grid average emissions level from electricity generation is 85 grams per kilowatt hour – one-tenth of the grid average emissions in Australia.

“Prohibiting nuclear is like fighting the climate change challenge with one arm tied behind your back.” more than one per cent last year while they were reduced in the United States and most of Western Europe.

Daniel Zavattiero, executive director of uranium at the Minerals Council of Australia, says cost is a major benefit of producing nuclear energy: “While the capital expenditure can be large, ongoing operating costs are low and underpin very stable energy pricing for a long time.

“Australia is very fortunate – we are a large country with lots of energy options. It’s important to develop a cost-

competitive energy supply. We have a lot of alternatives – nuclear could potentially play a role as it has done in many other countries,” he adds.

Professor Ken Baldwin, director of the Energy Change Institute at the Australian National University, says we need to look at all energy sources that are carbon free, including nuclear: “Climate change is the big challenge facing humanity. To address this challenge we need every tool at our disposal to replace fossil fuel energy generation with energy generation that doesn’t produce carbon.

“Prohibiting nuclear is like fighting the climate change challenge with one arm tied behind your back. It’s essential to advance all carbon-free forms of energy simultaneously.

“There are scenarios that have been studied, as in the 100 per cent Renewables Study by the Australian Energy Market Operator, which look at the possible generation of all electricity via renewable power and, indeed, the report shows it’s feasible. But it requires large amounts of extra capacity to allow for when the sun is not shining

34

UAS

energydebate

or there’s no wind, for example.

“Having the ability to complement this with nuclear might be attractive, and a combination of renewables and nuclear might offer a more effective and possibly lower cost solution.”

Amid widely varied public sentiment, the Abbott government has indicated interest in possibly introducing nuclear power to Australia. Currently, Australia has operating uranium mines in South Australia (Olympic Dam, an underground and predominantly copper

mine; and Beverley, an in situ recovery uranium operation) and the Northern Territory (Ranger, formerly an open-cut uranium mine). Queensland recently lifted its ban on uranium mining some 30 years after its last mine closed.

Western Australia also has several uranium mines under development.

Friends of the Earth national (anti-) nuclear campaigner Jim Green says the biggest problem with uranium is slack export policies and inadequate safeguards: “For example, Australia sells

Queensland lifted its ban on uranium mining 30 years after its last mine closed. Western Australia also has uranium mines under development.

36

uranium to nuclear weapons states, to dictatorships, to countries with a history of covert nuclear weapons programs, to countries blocking the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and so on.”

He lists “all sorts of trouble” in our three operating mines, including inadequate management and dozens of radioactive blunders. “Management and regulation of Australia’s uranium mines is grossly inadequate,” he says.

“The Olympic Dam mine produces 10 million tonnes of radioactive

CONTAINER ShElTERS CAlS – EXTRA WIDE

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tailings waste each year. The waste is stored above ground and will pose an environmental and public health threat for thousands of years to come.

“At the Ranger uranium mine, a recent tank burst led to the spillage of more than one million litres of radioactive slurry,” he adds.

“There are problems with mining uranium – it’s akin to asbestos,” says

“The waste is stored above ground and will pose a ... threat for thousands of years.”

FAST FACTS • A small amount of uranium is used in Australia’s research reactor at Lucas Heights, Sydney, to conduct advanced scientific research and produce medical isotopes for cancer treatment and medical diagnosis.

• Uranium energy density is so great that nuclear fuel the size of a pencil eraser provides the same amount of energy of one tonne of coal or 17,000 cubic feet (equivalent to 481 cubic metres) of natural gas.

Seelig. “You’re dealing with very toxic substances that provide immediate risks to the miners and the people who work with and transport them.

“Then you need to work out what to do with the substances afterwards.

Spent uranium fuel has to be looked after for tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of years.”

Baldwin says the mining of uranium and the storage of nuclear power by-products must be addressed in an appropriate and risk-managed approach using the best scientific knowledge at our disposal. “This can be done at both a small economic cost and a small cost to the environment.

“The know-how and skills are well understood,” he says. Scandinavian countries Finland and Sweden, for example, are developing underground geological repositories for storing their nuclear waste.

Summing up, Zavattiero says: “Until the federal legislative ban on nuclear energy instated in the 1990s is removed, it’s hard to have a proper debate.

“It’s difficult to see anyone spending money engaging potential host communities, exploring various reactortype options and fully evaluating the economics until that happens.”

39

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Make every resident feel like a legend with Foxtel.

Foxtel brings its Mining & Workforce Accommodation Platinum package to life at Homeground Accommodation Village in Gladstone, Queensland.

CAN140215 04/14

esidents at the Homeground Accommodation Village and the local community were abuzz when five former Rugby League superstars came for a visit.

And Mat Rogers, Michael Crocker, Alfie Langer, Scott Prince and Kevin Walters didn’t just meet with workers and locals – they even challenged them to a game of touch footy.

The event celebrated Foxtel offering a home-away-from-home entertainment experience for the 1392 workers at the village, with the recent installation of Foxtel’s Mining & Workforce Accommodation Platinum package in every room.

As Matt Jones from Homeground Villages explains: “The concept for Homeground Gladstone was to set a new standard in workforce accommodation. To achieve this we needed to not only provide guests with exactly what they require, but also give them what they want and Foxtel was at the top of the list. Our slogan – If you can’t be at home, be at Homeground – is the cornerstone to everything we do. It was impossible to create the environment we wanted to give our guests without Foxtel.”

With more than 80 channels of quality entertainment it’s clear to see how Foxtel’s Mining & Workforce Accommodation

Platinum package aligns with Homeground’s vision. There are channels dedicated to drama, comedy, lifestyle, documentaries, history, music, news and, of course, sport.

The standard package is similarly diverse, with 30 channels for residents to enjoy.

Both packages give residents full control over their viewing, with a Foxtel iQHD or MyStar HD box in every room. This means every worker has the ability to pause, record and rewind live TV – ensuring they never miss their favourite programs.

Head of Business Sales at Foxtel, Raelene Smethurst, is passionate about upgrading residents’ entertainment. She says: “This is a welcomed luxury for workers living away from home here at Gladstone, one of Australia’s major remote working communities. The days are long and the conditions are tough, so having a comprehensive Foxtel line-up gives them

“Industry research has shown entertained workers are retained workers.*” something to look forward to at the end of a hard day’s work and helps to keep them connected with the programmes they enjoy’ As Smethurst goes on to explain, when you look after your workers, you’re also looking after your bottom line: “Industry research has shown entertained workers are retained workers.* Foxtel can therefore create a strong competitive point of difference for workforce accommodation providers; enhancing workers’ experience and acting as an important retention tool for associated industries.”

To give your workers’ accommodation a competitive edge, call 03 8325 3159 to speak with a Foxtel Business Specialist.

*The Impact of Isolation in Mining Report 2013. Foxtel and some services not available in all buildings/premises. Equipment will vary based on location: MyStar HD provided in Foxtel areas serviced by Austar. Foxtel marks are used under license by Foxtel Management Pty Ltd. FOX4450_IM

41

technology special

Sandvik delivers new life for old bolter miners Sandvik’s MB series is designed to be completely re-built to OEM standards.

olter miners used in underground coal mining have a tough life in the harsh conditions in which they operate.

After just four to five years of life underground, they can look almost worn out – but in the case of Sandvik’s MB series of bolter miners, these machines have the inherent durability and strength that allows them to be completely rebuilt to as-new condition.

Sandvik’s MB series of bolter miners are the leading machines in underground coal mine longwall development applications – with more than 50 of these machines operating in mines in NSW and Queensland, said Troy Robertson, Sandvik’s Project Manager Overhauls – Mechanical Cutting, Underground Coal.

“An important element of the economics of running bolter miners is their ability to be completely rebuilt from the ground up a number of times during their working lives,” he said.

“A key part of Sandivk’s service and support offerings for our MB series machines is our capability of carrying out these rebuilds to OEM (original equipment manufacturer) standards, and with full factory warranty.”

Manufactured by Sandvik in Austria, its original ABM series dates back to the early 1990s, and the range has undergone continuous upgrading and improvements since then.

“The main models we sell in Australia are our MB650 and MB670 bolter miners – and they are regarded as the preferred option for longwall mines looking for bolter miners in their operations,” said Robertson.

42

This image: A fully-reconditioned bolter miner. Below: A before shot of the bolter miner ready to be rebuilt.

“It’s a market segment that’s unique to Sandvik; as a result of our ongoing engineering design, performance, safety and ergonomics, no other supplier has been able to deliver the required combination of production, safety and ease of operation.”

“The rule of thumb is that after three rebuilds – with four to six years between rebuilds – the technology in our MB series has developed to the extent that the price to upgrade to the latest specifications ceases to become economical,” he said.

“In addition, compliance requirements are ever-changing – and bolter miners have to comply with all the latest safety standards before they can go back underground.”

Today, all MB series bolter miner rebuilds in Australia take place in Sandvik’s Heatherbrae facility, north of Newcastle, NSW. The rebuild process includes initial mechanical stripdown, engineering, electrical systems, gearboxes, components, bolting systems, and

upgrades, followed by re-assembly, function testing, commissioning, painting and detailing.

Robertson said that Sandvik offered MB series machine owners the only option to ensure fully OEM-compliant, factory-certified rebuilds, to the latest standards and safety innovations.

“In addition, the only way to access the latest technology upgrades is through our OEM upgrades, which are then backed by full six-month factory warranties,” he said.

For more information visit sandvik.com

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Innovation steals the show at APPEA At the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) conference in Perth last month, Murphy Pipe and Civil’s Spiderplough turned heads.

GLOBAL DELEGATES who gathered for Perth’s APPEA Annual Conference last month had the opportunity to see firsthand some of the latest technical innovations servicing the Oil and Gas sector.

Creating intense interest during the three-day energy conference was Murphy Pipe and Civil’s Spiderplough – an innovative ploughing machine fastchanging the landscape of Australia’s HDPE pipeline installation industry.

On show throughout the expo, the Spiderplough was able to demonstrate to the thousands of visitors the major advances that have been made in HDPE plough installation technology.

Only last year, the Spiderplough created a world first, when it successfully installed 630mm HDPE pipeline – further reinforcing the machine’s ability to provide a viable alternative to conventional trench and bury pipeline installation methods.

Murphy Pipe and Civil’s Tony O’Sullivan said, in 2010 the company first introduced Spiderplough technology to accommodate the HDPE pipeline needs of Australia’s growing coal seam gas sector.

“Our company saw the need for a superior method of installing largediameter HDPE pipelines for the development of CSG gathering networks, so we modified our Spiderplough fleet to meet this need,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“Since then, Spiderploughs have now become a common sight across the Surat Basin CSG fields and have been readily adopted by CSG companies seeking that valuable balance between

Innovation in action – Murphy Pipe and Civil’s Spiderplough attracted extensive industry interest while on show in Perth at last month’s APPEA Annual Conference.

“Spiderploughs can efficiently install HDPE pipelines from 110mm up to 630mm...” increased efficiency, reduced costs and enhanced safety.

“Spiderploughs can efficiently install HDPE pipelines from gauges as small as 110mm right up to 630mm at an average lay rate of 10 kilometres per day, and all without the need for an open trench, which significantly reduces injury risks,” he said.

Mr O’Sullivan said while the company’s fleet of Spiderploughs are helping develop Queensland’s CSG gathering networks, he believed there

was also scope for the innovative machines to deliver similar benefits to Western Australia.

“Spiderploughs are very versatile and are robust enough to work in all manner of terrains and ground conditions and deliver a very feasible and cost effective alternative to traditional pipeline installation,” he said.

For more information about Spiderplough technology visit mpcgroup.com.au 45

moneytalks

SAVE ME SOMETIMES it seems all we ever talk about is putting money away for retirement: super, super, and super. What about other goals that may not be so far away?

A recent survey found Gen Y’s savings goals are more immediate, with the top five being: a car, a gift for someone, a holiday, a new computer and/or a new phone. Some of those are manageable; others might involve the dreaded B-word – budget. Depending on your age and aspirations, you might want to save for a wedding, home deposit, school fees or even to set up your own business.

Let’s say you have a target of saving $36,000 over the next three years. That’s $1000 per month, or roughly $250 a week – possibly as much as you spend on groceries (apart from a mortgage, the biggest expense for most people). How can you budget for a sum like that?

Decide where you want to spend your money. You don’t have to wear a hair shirt to save but do be sure you’re spending your money on the things that matter to you. Do the housework yourself if $75 a week for a cleaner would be better in your pocket. Wrangle your bills. Irregular expenses can be to blame for 46

SAVING FOR SOMETHING BIG? HOLIDAYS, CARS AND HOME DEPOSITS DON’T JUST FALL OUT OF THE SKY. YOU NEED TO MAKE A PLAN.

blowing the best-laid plans. A winter electricity bill of $500 could eat up months of savings. One way to avoid this is to ask service providers for ‘bill smoothing’, where you pay a regular, monthly amount.

Don’t pay high interest. Interest on a credit card with bells and whistles – such as ‘rewards’ – can top 20 per cent. At that rate an outstanding balance of $5000

A savings account at 4.5 per cent would pay $230.

Keep separate accounts. Once you’ve found a high-interest account, don’t mix all your money together.

Keep your savings in a separate account so you can easily monitor your progress towards your goal.

What you don’t see you don’t miss. Set up an automatic transfer of the amount you want to save into

Don’t pay high interest. Interest on a credit card with bells and whistles – such as ‘rewards’ – can top 20 per cent. At that rate an outstanding balance of $5000 would cost you $100 in interest the next month. would cost you $100 in interest the next month.

Earn good interest. Review your bank accounts to make sure you’re getting the best rate you can on your savings. A typical transaction account pays just 0.1 per cent, and at that rate you’d earn just $1 over a year on a balance of $5000.

that high-interest account, so you save like clockwork every payday.

If you don’t see it, you won’t be tempted to spend it.

Enjoy yourself. A budget is a bit like a diet or exercise regime: if it’s too strict you won’t stick to it. Set aside 10 per cent of your disposable income for ... whatever.

LESLEY PARKER IS A PERSONAL FINANCE JOURNALIST AND WRITER FOR THE AGE AND THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD.

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techtalk

Satellite communications THEY MAY BE A FEW THOUSAND KILOMETRES AWAY, BUT THEY HAVE AN ASTRONOMICAL EFFECT ON WHAT’S HAPPENING ON EARTH AND BELOW GROUND. INSIDE MINING INVESTIGATES HOW SATELLITES ARE IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONS ON MINE SITES. WORDS: KYLE SOYER

WHEN THE SITE is remote, the environment is harsh, and mobile phone and internet coverage is as sparse as the vegetation, a mine can potentially be in trouble.

Both on-site and long-distance communications can be choppy, which can mean delays in conveying information or instructions – possibly at the cost of safety, time and money.

So where can a miner go when successful communications seem beyond any earthly means? To the stars. Satellite communications are quickly changing the way mines operate on a global scale, greatly increasing the efficiency and productivity of remote sites.

Australian companies such as SatComms Australia, SpeedCast and NewSat are already providing satellite services for mobile and landline communications for miners and

48

resources development companies, both in Australia and overseas.

NewSat supports more than 4000 satellite services to provide internet, voice, data and video communications to 75 per cent of the globe. The company is currently working to launch its own fleet of satellites, all designed to keep up with the increasing worldwide demand for satellite communications.

In addition to its two teleports in Adelaide and Perth, NewSat has been a key player in several resources development sites, including the $29 billion Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project in the Pilbara.

Working with Wheatstone engineers and designers, NewSat created a meshed satellite network of VSAT (two-way) services to overcome the communications challenges presented by the varied and harsh

on-site weather conditions and the large variety of users.

SatComms owns and operates an Earth Station in Henderson, Western Australia. It has the only Australianowned and operated Inmarsat PSA (Point of Service Activation) and is an Inmarsat ISP (Inmarsat Service Provider). The company claims its state-of-the-art infrastructure assists clients to communicate from anywhere to anywhere.

Among other international companies making leaps in satellite communications is ITC Global, the world’s largest privately owned satellite communications provider.

In November last year, the company launched the first internet satellite service for oil, gas and mining clients. It delivers high-speed internet performance of 20Mbps or greater to customers in remote,

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REMOTE ROOM SERVICE

NOT SO LONG AGO MINES HAD AN US-AND-THEM APPROACH TO THE CATERING STAFF. TODAY, HOWEVER, THE HOSPITALITY WORKERS ON REMOTE SITES ARE FIRMLY ENTRENCHED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE MINE OPERATION. WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

Just as an

army marches on its stomach, so too does a mine. And the more remote the location, the more crucial the issues of accommodation, catering and hospitality become.

Christine Charlton, general manager of eastern operations at the Cater Care Group, knows this better than most. Charlton, who came to the mine catering business from a fourand five-star hotel background, now works with mines in Western Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria.

It’s “extremely important” to get the balance right between the work site and accommodation, to make life as “normal as possible”, Charlton says. “We know it makes a difference if they don’t go to work with a good breakfast and a great lunch. If you can send them to work happy they come home happy.

“I came into the industry six years ago and back then there was less diversity. It was very

much a guys’ industry. Over the past five years this has significantly changed and, with that, expectations have changed.

“People are now more focused on health/life balance. It used to be chips with every meal, but that’s certainly not the case now. We have sites where they’re offered steamed chicken, broccoli and brown rice. Five years ago those wouldn’t have got touched. Things like quinoa salad are now being put out with crib [aka lunch].”

Cater Care has also started offering greater lifestyle options for workers, recognising a leap from about 10 per cent gym-goers on-site to about 50 per cent.

However, each site differs vastly, with some requesting hot curries, for instance, while others won’t touch anything with spices. “It’s about being adaptable,” Charlton says. “I have certain sites where if you don’t put chips on the menu every day they won’t eat. It’s not one size fits all.

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“As mines move away from construction to production it’s a very different style of person and you need to adjust. Within construction they’re generally there for a fixed period of time, while production people realise this is going to be their home for the next two to three years, so they are looking for more stability and options for a healthier lifestyle.”

Charlton says there are certain challenges when working with remote sites. During the wet season, for example, they need to keep double the amount of stock and have four to six weeks of food supplies in case a truck delivery is delayed.

“It’s all about understanding your client’s requirements and then delivering and adjusting,” Charlton says. “There’s a lot of work behind the scenes.”

Action Industrial Catering’s (AIC) group executive corporate services, Kim

Fast Fact In one year a Queensland mine site made 784,300 meals and 74,698 beds, emptied 127,000 bins, managed 21,000 check-in arrivals and 2000 gym inductions, maintained four kilometres of garden hedge and spread 400 cubic metres of mulch.

Source: Cater Care Group

Irvine, says that in addition to the standard catering, cleaning and accommodation services, her company provides a wide range of support services. These ‘soft services’ include gardening, maintenance, aerodrome management, specialised catering, bus driving and kitchen design.

“AIC’s market is predominantly in Western Australia, however, we are actively looking at business in Brisbane, having just opened an office there, and the Northern Territory, as we have a great company philosophy and product that we want to expand,” Irvine says.

“The supply chain is crucial and plays a fundamental part in the provision of a quality service. If the products are not available, attainable and high quality, it undermines the values of our service offer.

“In our industry, you’re only as good as your last meal served, the last room you cleaned or the

“In our industry, you’re only as good as your last meal served, the last room you cleaned, or the last welcome you gave someone to the site.”

53

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“It’s very competitive.

Large companies are now tendering for very small contracts, knocking out the mid-size player.” last welcome you gave someone on arrival to site.

Reputation is paramount between mine sites.”

Irvine says unusual requests include having kangaroo on the menu each week and special theme nights such as a New Zealand hangi (a Maori feast where food is cooked in an earth oven). One site even ordered mini crème eggs for every staff member so the ‘Easter Bunny’ could hide them under their pillows.

Fast Fact A housekeeper at a Brisbane hotel earns about $35,000; a housekeeper onsite (working two weeks on, one week off) earns about $60,000. A cook in Brisbane earns about $45,000; a cook on-site earns about $65,000.

Source: Cater Care Group

The challenge for mine sites, Irvine says, is tighter budgets since the cooling of the boom, forcing a more “conscious and conservative” approach to services. “The challenge for us is gaining new business. Previously, mining companies would change service provider if they were unhappy, however, due to the cost of changeout, many are remaining with their initial provider.

“It’s very competitive. Large companies are now tendering for very small contracts, knocking out the mid-size player. There’s also potential for the global companies to basically ‘buy the contract’, looking at the bigger picture of future business or securing [further] contracts through a loss leader.

“Speaking with all the key players in the industry, the most interesting challenge is when you have, say, an inexperienced husband-andwife catering team who tender for projects

55

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at a lower rate against the main, recognised companies. The main issue is they’re not experienced, so they don’t have the correct support procedures for safety, quality and environment.”

Irvine says working in catering in the mining industry is about recognising the “swings and roundabouts”, depending on which commodity There can be only one true forerunner. In mining automation, it is it hot at the time: “There is always demand, as undoubtedly luckily enough, Sandvik everyone AutoMine™. has to eat. It’s justSandvik AutoMine™ product family covers fleet automation, drilling, loader where and when. The best optionsingle is to try to mix automation, block cave draw control and process management systems. your portfolio – such as between gold, nickelIt provides for increased fleet utilization

/ improved working conditions and safety / increased production / reduced maintenance costs to optimized tramming speeds and smoother equipment “The future isdue brighter operation. than sixall,months ago. provides preeminent safety, productivity and Above Sandvik AutoMine™ peace of mind forseems your operations.

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be returning, slowly but surely.” and iron ore – and don’t put all your eggs in one basket, because generally as one commodity falls, another Join the increases. movement towards The Future “The future is brighter than six months It’s This Way: sandvik.com/thisway ago. Confidence seems to be returning to the marketplace slowly but surely, with companies refocusing on projects that were put on hold due to the volatile share market over the past year.

There are many projects waiting in the wings or on hold for various reasons, and you get the feeling once the tide changes, things could start to move again.”

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T: 0458 888 831 E: coasthc@me.com www.coastcruises.com.au

miningtalk

THE NECESSITY FOR CHANGE IS UPON US FOR AUSTRALIA TO COMBAT DECLINING MINING PRODUCTIVITY, MINERS, RESEARCHERS AND TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICE COMPANIES NEED TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNOLOGIES TOGETHER – ALLOWING FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF THE COUNTRY’S NATURAL RESOURCES. WORDS: JONATHAN LAW

AS WE GRAPPLE with challenges relating to grade, quality, depth and safety, it is clear we have reached, or are about to reach, the limits of traditional technologies deployed in the mining industry.

Australia’s mining productivity is declining and the reasons for this are complex. However, one truth we cannot escape is that many of the next generation of deposits are lower in grade, more complex and more challenging to mine than ever before.

Fortunately, there is a new wave of technologies born out of the global digital revolution that are bringing together the real and virtual worlds in ways we haven’t seen before. These technologies will enable the mining industry to manage inputs and outputs in a more structured way as realtime information becomes available throughout the mining process via new sensing technologies, cheap and efficient computer systems and an ability to deal with interconnecting, complicated datasets.

This real-time data allows us to think about the flow of materials, from resource to product, in much the same way as manufacturers think about their process from raw material to manufactured product.

The mining industry hasn’t been able to make full use of these digital technologies because they, and the integration platforms, are only now being developed and commercialised.

Those that already exist have to be adapted to be resilient enough to withstand the harsh mine environment.

They also need to be better integrated, rather than be ‘point solutions’ for specific issues; this means shared data standards and control systems.

This will dramatically change the way we mine in terms of optimising the performance of individual unit operations and, more importantly, the whole system, from the ore body through to mining strategies, process control and environmental outcomes.

Miners will increasingly take a holistic view of resources and the downstream implications. This will

drive an iterative mine planning process that will assess the triple-bottom-line benefits to provide better productivity, better long-term outcomes and new opportunities to manage evolving risk profiles through the life of an operation.

Areas where these sensors will be most crucial are process productivity, rapid resource characterisation, and intelligent mining and ore management.

The issue of resourcefulness focuses on each of these three areas. Of course, these are all sequential parts of the value chain, but the real opportunity is integration across all three.

Once we have this whole-of-life, real-time view of a mine, we can start questioning the fundamental technologies we currently use. This may mean moving towards new mining technologies, more sophisticated processing techniques or alternative

Many of the next generation of deposits are lower in grade, more complex and more challenging to mine than ever before.

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miningtalk

sorting strategies that, in turn, allow different transport and waste strategies.

So what does this mean for Australian productivity? In the short term, a ‘forensic’ approach to system optimisation will have a positive impact on productivity.

In the longer term, it could drive a whole new approach to mining that is lower in impact and more productive and, most importantly, allows us to mine resources that can’t be mined today.

Australian companies are already the largest supplier of mining-related software in the world and organisations such as Deep Exploration Technologies CRC, CRC Ore, CRC Mining and CSIRO are leading the way in developing the necessary tools, sensors, data systems and process understanding.

The momentum for change is unstoppable – all of the enabling pieces are there, but they need to be brought together and applied. To do this we need collaboration at every level. Necessity will compel the industry to work together in the development of technology, which it has traditionally done in competition.

Real competitiveness lies in the use of these technologies to drive optimal outcomes rather than in a multitude of protected, poorly integrated solutions.

One thing is certain: The necessity for change is here today and Australia is well placed to lead the revolution.

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Necessity will compel the industry to work together in the development of technology, which it has traditionally done in competition.

JONATHAN LAW

Jonathan Law currently leads CSIRO’s mineral exploration, mining, processing and sustainability research program as director of the Minerals Down Under Flagship. The flagship brings together CSIRO research with global partners in industry, goverment and academia to tackle short- and longer term challenges to the sustainability of the Australian minerals industry. csiro.au/mdu

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resourceinsight

Ag

Name: Silver Element category: Transition metal Electron configuration: [Kr]4d105s1 Atomic number: 47 Atomic mass: 107.8682 Discovered: Pre 5000 BC Name origin: From the Latin argentum Melting point: 961.78 °C Boiling point: 2162 °C

Silver facts • Silver is the best conductor of heat and electricity of any metal.

Because of this it is used a lot in the electronics industry and also in the rear-window defrosters in cars.

• In Australia, silver is mainly found with galena, which is a lead mineral, but can also be found as a gold-silver alloy called electrum.

• Because silver is so reflective – in fact it is the best reflector known – it is used in mirrors.

• Australia actually has the largest share of the world’s economic silver resources.

• Silver has been used since the 4th century BC for coins, ornaments and utensils. In Australia, the 1966 fifty cent piece was the last coin in general use to contain silver and contained 80% silver and 20% copper.

• Silver is sometimes incorporated into the yarn used to make socks, as it is known to reduce fungal and bacterial growth.

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• A single grain of silver, weighing just 0.065 grams, can be pressed into a sheet 150 times thinner than a piece of paper.

• Within three years of discovering silver in Broken Hill, BHP were producing onethird of the world’s silver.

• In the early 1900s, a silver mine in Canada contained a lump of ore 30 metres long and 20 metres deep, yielding 658,000 ounces of silver – they called it ‘the silver sidewalk’.

• The Cannington silver mine in northwest Queensland is the world’s largest silver producer, providing six per cent of the world’s total output.

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Gladstone continues to attract large industry to the region and is home to the world’s largest alumina refinery; Australia’s largest aluminum smelter; largest cement operation; Queensland largest power station and Queensland’s largest multi-commodity port.

These, combined with a growing list of planned projects at an estimated $98 billion, will see the population double by 2031.

With developed infrastructure and services, including a regional airport, the Gladstone region truly is a region of choice offering residents a great place to live, work, play and invest.

Mackay is recognized as the gateway to the Bowen Basin, the largest coal reserve in Australia, currently representing 83% of Queensland’s coal production. Mackay is also a popular tourism destination, being close to the Whitsunday Islands, the Great Barrier Reef and Eungella National Park, receiving a multitude of visitors yearly boosting the local economy.

According to Heron Todd White, the Mackay property market is currently in the Bottom of Market And Rising phase, poising the region into a position towards future growth.

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propertyguide

Check out some of the latest hot properties on the market in our regional towns and cities.

65

EXPERTS ARE SAYING BRISBANE IS THE NEXT MARKET TO MOVE

So how do you find a good location?

Here are some tips:

1

Avoid getting caught up in the hotspot hype.

Look for areas that will deliver sound and safe returns over the long term, we recommend a ‘buy and hold’ strategy.

2

Keep your options open.

At all times in the property cycle there will be areas that may be better suited to different investors. Question your thoughts on where you’re considering buying and base your decision on factors such as cash flow needs, risk threshold, ability to add value through renovation. If you’re already a Brisbane resident, a property close to where you live might seem logical but formulating a strategy is a better first step.

3

Look for buyer demand.

How long are properties on the market? What’s the capital growth trend in the suburb? Can you see signs of owners investing in their properties? Demographics of Brisbane suburbs move in cycles. Are young families replacing mature-aged couples that no longer require a family-size home?

4

Consider factors that will attract good long-term tenants.

What’s happening in the area? Buying on the Brisbane city fringe is certainly desirable however there are many areas with business hubs that create employment opportunities. Planned infrastructure projects means area growth. People like to live within a reasonable commute to work and have good access to public transport. Close proximity to schools is another big tick.

BUYER’S AGENT

STRATEGISTS

You’re able to do some of this legwork yourself although it’s recommended to also obtain the views and advice of Brisbanebased professionals working within the industry.

The internet can provide copious amounts of research and information but is it the information you need, and is it correct, accurate and up-to-date?

It’s difficult to beat information gathered from people with their feet on the ground.

A lot of serious investors use buyers’ agents because they act solely on their behalf.

Hot Property Specialist Buyers Agency is Brisbane-based, which allows us to provide comprehensive analysis of a spread of Brisbane locations. We value being put to the test, answering questions to ensure your investment matches your buying criteria.

We can’t afford dissatisfied customers because our business relies on referrals.

If you’re in the market please call or email us, first contact is obligation-free. We can discuss what you’re looking for in a property. We may already have a location that’s right for you.

Zoran Solano Buyers’ agent, Hot Property Specialists Buyers Agency VENDOR ADVOCACY

Looking to buy real estate in Brisbane? Don’t do it alone!

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

SUITE 1/15-17 MONTAGUE ST, GREENSLOPES | P (07) 3170 3760 | E enquiry@hpsba.com.au | W hotpropertyspecialists.com.au

National

propertyguide

FINANCIAL LITERACY – WHAT’S YOUR FUTURE LOOKING LIKE?

The country is facing a crisis of financial literacy, with most unaware of the difference between general and financial intelligence.

KEVIN LEE

Founder and director of Smart Property Adviser

LISTEN UP people. We have a very big crisis in Australia, and it has nothing to do with employment or income. Our crisis is one of financial literacy.

Many of us don’t know the difference between general intelligence and financial intelligence and that’s a huge mistake – but it’s not your fault.

We’ve been raised with the belief (misconception really) that a respectable occupation, six-figure salary and a university degree implies a person has above average intelligence.

None of that is true.

Here’s a simple fact: the income generated by a person with general education will never outweigh the income generated by someone with

a financial education.

Financial intelligence, financial education and financial literacy go hand in hand. These three ‘realities’ are 110 per cent about what we do with the money we make.

By design, financial education is no longer a part of the curriculum in our schools and universities – resulting in the negative decisions you make about money.

People who are financially illiterate find it hard to understand the basics of money and struggle to grow their net worth without resorting to working longer and harder.

Generally speaking, these people consider gambling as a way to multiply their money.

Sadly, they don’t realise that there’s a huge difference between gambling and making smart financial decisions.

However, people with financial intelligence understand the difference between ‘good debt’ and ‘bad debt’, they know what leveraging is – and they know negative gearing isn’t the best decision when it comes to investing in property.

In my Two Day Intensive Program (smartpropertyadviser. com.au), I explain how and why financial literacy was removed from the education system at around the same the industrial revolution started in earnest.

The reason is clear – they needed more people to work in factories.

Financial literacy was removed from the education system around the same time the industrial revolution started in earnest – they needed more people to work in factories.

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“Many people leave it until later in life to seek a financial education ... With the right education and some simple financial strategies, almost anyone in Australia can retire financially free.”

Unfortunately though, when the technological revolution began about 25 years ago, we didn’t think to improve financial literacy – we still have the same flawed education system as we had well over 100 years ago.

In 2008, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) produced a focus report based on the results of an ANZ National Survey.

ASIC reported that due to the increase in financial products and services on offer to consumers, a high importance has been placed on increasing the financial literacy levels in Australia.

ASIC also identified that (understandably) the lowest financial literacy levels were among people aged 70 years or more.

But the real eye opener, and something we should all be concerned about, was that in 2013, just five years later, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) confirmed only 68

four per cent of Australians aged 65 years and over were selffunded retirees.

What the? That means 96 per cent of people over the age of 65 were either reliant on a tax-payer funded pension, still working, or deceased.

These statistics clearly prove financial literacy plays a vital role in how we plan to fund our retirement. But the same 2008 ANZ survey also revealed that people aged between 18–24 (Gen Y) are among those with the lowest levels of financial literacy. These are today’s 24–30 years olds and it’s this age group who are preparing to buy their first home, start their own business or invest in property.

David Deegan of Smart Financial Advice (smartfinancialadvice.com.au) said in a recent interview, often people “don’t know, what they don’t know”, when it comes to the financial options they have available.

“There are so many financial strategies and products available that without the right financial education it can be difficult to successfully make smart financial decisions.”

“Unfortunately many people leave it until later in life to seek the financial education they need, and often look back and wish they had this knowledge much earlier in life. With the right education and some simple financial strategies, almost anyone in Australia can retire financially free,” says David.

Right now we’re seeing an increasing number of people who have sought out an advisor, coach or mentor and are actively investing both time and effort into improving their financial education – boosting their financial intelligence at the same time.

And this is fantastic. I know those people who take the time to invest in their financial education, will see better results

than those who don’t.

However – as a nation – Australia needs to improve the financial education across all age groups, so we’re all equipped to make intelligent decisions about our money.

Do the maths: the total wages bill is approximately $1.34 trillion dollars. Last year we raised the compulsory superannuation contribution rate to 9.25 per cent in Australia.

But what if we’d invested this extra quarter of one per cent (which works out to be a nottoo-shabby $3.34 billion dollars) into cutting edge financial literacy and financial education programs for our people instead?

Even if we did that for just the most ‘at risk’ groups I believe we’d be seeing many more entrepreneurs, business owners, successful investors and financially intelligent people in the Australia ahead of us. What do you think?

I’d love to hear your views about this subject. Please email me your thoughts at: info@ smartpropertyadviser.com.au For information about Kevin’s FREE No Secrets Workshop, please visit smartpropertyadviser.com.au

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HELLO OR GOODBYE? Devil Facial Tumour Disease was discovered in Tasmanian devils in 1996.

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

Photo credit: Mike Calder Photography.

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

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

Funding is vital, and we need your help.

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

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

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CASH POSITIVE INVESTMENT PROPERTY AUSTRALIA’S NEXT PROPERTY HOTSPOT there has never been a better time to invest in Miles, with an average annual growth rate of 16.1% over the past 10 years. Miles is strategically located in the heart of Australia’s leading energy precent the region is not reliant on one particular industry (unlike other areas), meaning SECURITY for investors.

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In the following high-growth areas in QLD: • Brisbane • Springfield • Gold Coast • Chinchilla • Miles • Roma • Emerald • Gladstone • Mackay • Kingaroy • Coomera • Pimpama ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED IN PRIME RENTAL AREAS AND WILL HAVE PROFESSIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Contact Alan at: info@wilsonrealty.com.au or on 0421 705 116.

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