OUTthere Skytrans July 2014

Issue 121 • July 2014

+ insidemining

INDIGENOUS ART FAIR

Cairns shows off Queensland’s best

EXPLORING BEDOURIE

A memorable destination with a fascinating history

NATURAL

BEAUTY

Discovering the unspoilt wonders of Cape York’s Iron Range

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Hello, I’m Doctor Brian Ironwood.

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welcome

Welcome to the June/July 2014 issue of OUTthere, Skytrans’ in-flight magazine. It’s our ‘happy birthday’ third-anniversary edition, where we all get to celebrate by introducing you to even more of our fabulous destinations on our ever-growing network.

The aviation industry in Australia has been experiencing significant turmoil. Many airlines, large and small, have posted operating losses and expressed poor financial outlooks, while others have left the industry. I can say that Skytrans is here to stay, as we recently completed a financial transaction that resulted in our business extinguishing all of our debt.

Furthermore, we recently restructured some of our nonoperational back office roles to remove extra costs and give us a flatter management structure.

We will continue to focus on lowering our costs and improving both efficiency and product delivery, while always maintaining safety as our highest priority. This will allow our business to weather the current economic climate and be in the best position to take advantage of new opportunities as the market improves.

Meanwhile, Skytrans will continue to deliver essential and sustainable services to our regional and remote communities. To that end, the Queensland Government, through the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), has invited airlines to tender for key regional routes throughout the state. Skytrans has tendered for these routes and we look forward to continuing to service our existing communities and, in time, expanding the network to more towns and communities across Queensland.

On other matters, in May, Skytrans attended the MINEX expo in Mount Isa. Hosted by the Mount Isa

Chamber of Commerce and held for the past 19 years, the expo was created to highlight the wealth and quality of the mining industry throughout north-west Queensland.

Despite the challenging times the mining industry is experiencing, the expo was well attended by mining suppliers and contractors and the public. The Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce put on an excellent show.

On July 2, 2014, we celebrate the second anniversary of our direct aerial service between Toowoomba and Sydney. We have been pleased with the support that the Toowoomba community has shown for this service, and we have been delighted to create the connection for business, family and vacations. Recently, we trialled different scheduling options after listening closely to our customers’ needs and wants. We try to minimise changes to the schedule, but there needs to be some trial and error as we find that balance between customer requirements and sustainable operating practices.

Thank you to those customers who use the service and we look forward to continuing to see you on our flights.

Thank you for flying with Skytrans today. There are 230 fantastic people behind our great company, working hard every day to get you into the air and where you need to go. Please sit back and enjoy the in-flight service. Until the next issue of OUTthere, take care and safe flying.

By the way, we always welcome story ideas and feedback about what you’d like to see in the magazine, so please keep those suggestions coming to info@skytrans.com.au.

Simon Wild Managing Director

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

safetyinfo

Where we fly

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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: • Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, and minimise your intake of alcohol. • Exercise 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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MELBOURNE | SYDNEY | BRISBANE | ADELAIDE | PERTH

contents getaway

08 skytransnews The fifth annual Cairns Indigenous Art Fair will be a major cultural event; and Skytrans flies a group of performers to Brisbane for the Clancestry Dance Festival.

11 skytranscommunity The ‘1 Camera 1000 Smiles’ program goes to Aurukun; and Rod Jensen shares his Deadly Story.

13 don’tmiss Upcoming events worth checking out around the country.

15 explore Danielle Chenery shares five things about Queensland’s Iron Range region.

20 regionalstopover Kelly Theobald travels to Birdsville’s sister town, Bedourie, and discovers Australia’s most unique golf course.

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destination

Issue 120 • June

Issue 121 • July

checkin

closeup

Kathryn Marshall chats to Australia’s only female stock contractor in bull riding, and gets the lowdown on her important role.

Simone Henderson-Smart catches up with two inspiring Bangarra dancers, and resident composer, David Page.

closeup

outtahere

We catch up with James Courtney – one of V8 Supercars’ biggest stars, and a really down-to-earth guy to boot.

Andrew Smith, NSW ‘Chief Funster’, gets into the top 10 fun things to do while exploring New South Wales.

outtahere

destination

Stephanie Williams explores some cool getaway options to get into this winter.

It’s not all about chasing the sun.

Polo in the Paddock may have been a washout, but that didn’t stop anyone from getting stuck into Mudgee’s fabulous food and wine.

getaway

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Simone Henderson-Smart travels to the Blue Mountains for the region’s Roaring ‘20s Festival, and finds that everything old is new and exciting again.

getaway Mitch Brook visits Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula to indulge in all things edible – including his first taste of live mussel.

insidemining • news and views • resource sector issues • finance and technology

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islands, rainforests & reefs the place to live!

If you and your family lived in Cairns Northern Beaches, you would need to pinch yourself every day!

Imagine living in Far North Queensland, surrounded by tropical rainforests, pristine beaches or your own marina berth leading directly to The Great Barrier Reef.

With world class restaurants, shops, schools and parklands right at your doorstep, this really is The Place to Live.

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Make the move now! For a limited time get a $5000 Harvey Norman Gift Card when you purchase land, or a house & land package.

Be Quick! Offer ends 31st July, visit placetolive.com.au for more details.

editor’sletter

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Hespe michelle.hespe@edgecustom.com.au DEPUTY EDITOR Danielle Chenery ASSISTANT EDITOR Simone Henderson-Smart INTERN Kathryn Marshall SUB-EDITORS Kris Madden, Liani Solari, Amal Awad, Tatyana Leonov PRODUCTION MANAGER Brian Ventour SENIOR DESIGNER Guy Pendlebury PRINTER SOS Print & Media CONTRIBUTORS Kelly Theobold, Stephanie Williams, Sue Webster, Rochelle Tubb, Christine Retschlag, Mitch Brook, Kris Madden, Mandy McKeesick, Darren Baguley, Kevin Lee, Richard Asher, Kath Malmstedt, Andrew Crossley ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR, In-flight Division Jason Popkowski jason.popkowski@edgecustom.com.au NATIONAL SALES MANAGER, Rex, 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, 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:

June: ‘Rainy Wet Time’, painting by Irene Namok.

July: Beach at Lockhart River, Cape York Peninsula.

Image courtesy of Tourism Qld.

OUTthere is published by Edge 51 Whistler Street, Manly NSW 2095 Phone: 02 8962 2600, 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...

A friend and I recently visited the Yarra Valley and stopped at a charming vineyard called Maddens Rise. Justin is the estate’s owner and his partner Emma, with a background in floral and interior design, took it upon herself to create the ‘shed’ that is now the couple’s stylishly kooky, rustic cellar door.

Emma loves her wine, but she also has a deepseated lifelong passion for watering cans, and that is how one of the stories that defines her and the look and feel of the little wine shed, was created.

A year ago, Emma and Justin travelled to Paris, and while exploring the neighbourhood of Le Marais – an alternative suburb bursting at the seams with artists’ studios and trendy cafés – she found a Fleuriste’s Atelier – a little flower studio that only opened by appointment. With her nose lovingly pressed up against the shop-front window, Emma could make out the little haven inside, and a row of well-used zinc and galvanized metal watering cans, including a tiny old-fashioned, wellloved watering can that looked like it belonged to a child. Just looking at the watering can set Emma’s heart racing – she desperately hoped it was for sale, but feared it wouldn’t be.

Over the next week while the couple stayed in Paris, Emma made many trips past the studio to see if by some stroke of luck, it would be open. It never was, and so they travelled back to Australia, the baby watering can etched in her mind.

At home in the Yarra Valley, Emma wrote an email to the store owners, painstakingly using her best French to tell her story and describe her love for watering cans; only to receive a friendly letter back in English from the Frenchman who owned the store. His name was Frederic Garrigues, and he invited her to visit.

A year later, the couple returned to Paris, and Emma’s heart thumped as they approached the florist, a warm light flooding from the window. A smiling man greeted them at the door, welcoming them into his space. Emma was nervous, but soon ended up deep in conversation with the Frenchman. As he didn’t mention the watering cans, Emma thought it best to not raise the subject. She thought they could not possibly be for sale.

But he must have read her mind, for then he asked if she would like to hold the watering

cans, asking which one she liked the most. She nervously pointed out the baby watering can and Frederic found an old step ladder so that he could fetch it from its resting place. As he placed it in her hands, he said: “I have had this arrosoir since I was a small boy. It was my grandmother’s before it was mine. When I was little I lived with her in Provence and helped her tend her beautiful garden. I would help water the flowers and vegetables with it. My grandmother is responsible for my love of flowers.” A brief pause, then: “This little arrosoir has been waiting for you for over one hundred years, and now I am giving it to you.”

Emma almost fainted but responded quickly – politely refusing the kind offer. But he insisted.

“Many ladies come to Paris for clothes, handbags and shoes. But not you Emma, you came for a little arrosoir – and now it is yours,” he said. She told him that if she took it, it was on loan, and she would keep it safe in Australia for him. The Frenchman agreed and the two became firm friends, who to this day stay in contact.

It’s so lovely to hear inspiring stories like this.

And to hear them while sipping on a glass of wine made by a person in that story, in a small vineyard in regional Australia, makes it all the more special.

Drop us a line sometime. If you have a story to share – we’d love to hear from you. And of course, enjoy your flight and your next adventure.

Michelle Hespe and the OUTthere team 7

skytransnews

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair: a cultural drawcard THE FIFTH annual Cairns Indigenous Art Fair (CIAF) is set to be another landmark event, celebrating Queensland’s rich and diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture.

CIAF’s chief executive officer, Alison Copley, says in the past 12 months there have been many exciting changes to the organisation and she is looking forward to presenting a stellar program this year at the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal from July 24–27.

“From its beginnings in 2009, CIAF has grown into much more than an art fair and is now a cultural drawcard and fixture on the national art fair and festival circuit. With pride, we also claim CIAF to be Australia’s premier Indigenous art fair.

“To date, attendance figures have exceeded 65,000 visitors, there has been participation by more than 600 Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and performers, and more than $2.4 million has been generated by direct sales of artworks. On top of that, a further $5.6 million has 8

been generated in tourism expenditure.

“This year’s program has been created to build on the success of previous events and, in so doing, we intend to bring Indigenous art and culture to the fore in a respectful and enlightening way.

The multidimensional line-up of Indigenous dance, music, theatre, visual arts, curated exhibitions, performance, children’s programs, film and media, artists’ talks, symposiums and forums will have broad appeal and is destined to bring the whole city of Cairns to life for three full days and nights.”

What CIAF does so beautifully, says Alison, is “bring the diversity and richness of Queensland’s Indigenous artists to the world”.

CIAF has recently transitioned from Arts Queensland and is now an independent entity; a non-profit company limited by guarantee: Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Limited.

For more information visit ciaf.com.au

“To date, more than $2.4 million has been generated by direct sales of artworks.”

skytransnews

Clancestry Dance Festival OPPORTUNITIES for people living in remote communities are significantly fewer than for those in the big smoke.

A remote community can be hundreds, even thousands, of kilometres away from a small city such as Mount Isa. A simple trip to the doctor can take days before you’re safely back at home, and you can’t just pop down to the local store to pick up the latest gadget or something you suddenly need.

Also, opportunities for Indigenous Australians to share their culture and history, which is more than 200,000 years old, are few and far between, especially in remote

communities in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The Waanyi, Garawa and Gangalidda tribes of Carpentaria are fiercely proud of their culture and songlines. The sharing of knowledge and the passing down of traditions is one of the most important and vital things in a young Aboriginal man’s life.

Over the past year, these tribes have collaborated with Skytrans, which recently made it possible for a group of young men to travel from their homes in Doomadgee all the way to Brisbane for the Clancestry Dance Festival. It was a chance for them to share their culture and perform dances

for other tribes from around Queensland.

The deputy mayor of Doomadgee, Tony Douglas, also attended and continues to champion tradition and culture for the young men of the community.

The opportunity to participate in Clancestry has empowered these young men, giving them hope for the future and a chance to share something they are culturally and spiritually connected to. It has given them belief in their self-importance, raised their self-esteem and given them the confidence to walk proudly in this new world, as their ancestors did in theirs.

Opportunities for Indigenous Australians to share their culture and history are few and far between.

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skytranscommunity

One Camera – 1,000 Smiles LAST SEPTEMBER school holidays, Skytrans provided support for the ‘1 Camera 1000 Smiles’ photography program, helping children in the remote indigenous community of Aurukun learn the art of photography.

The ‘1 Camera 1000 Smiles’ project runs digital photography workshops with young people in disadvantaged communities. The organisation believes that by learning photography skills, young people are better able to express themselves, tell their own story and develop problem solving skills.

Skytrans provided return flights so photography teacher Ricardo Piscioneri could attend the workshops. Aurukun children, teenagers, community members and organisations all benefited; with 40 young people, ranging in age from three to 21 years, taking hundreds of images

during the two-week program. Throughout the sessions, participants learned the basics of photography; then used their new knowledge and skills to document their home environment, family, friends and community. The sessions involved team building with the participants working together in pairs, small groups and as a whole group on various projects, culminating in a presentation night. A book is currently being created of a selection of images to be distributed to the community and supporters.

Through these and other social investments in communities, Skytrans aims to contribute to improving the quality of life of people throughout remote Queensland.

1camera1000smiles.com.au

Deadly Stories: Rod Jensen Being born and raised in a small town in a remote area doesn’t mean you can’t achieve great things. Rod Jensen is proof of that.

JENSON played in the National Rugby League for the Canberra Raiders and the North Queensland Cowboys, and now he’s with the Northern Pride in Cairns. He was born in Atherton and grew up in Ravenshoe in Far North Queensland, but he left

the small town to attend school in Cairns at the ripe old age of 14.

Rod is both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, but grew up with more of the influence of the Djirubal Aboriginal group in Ravenshoe, Atherton Tablelands.

While attending school in Cairns, Rod found and gained a new life and direction. As a student at Saint Augustine’s College, he learnt great leadership skills and was given many sports opportunities.

After leaving school he started his sports career with the Adelaide Rams in 1998, followed by the Canberra Raiders in 1999 for four years, before signing with the North Queensland Cowboys in 2004.

In 2007, Rod joined the Super League in England. Upon returning to Australia, in 2008, he represented his countrymen in the Indigenous Dreamtime Team at the Rugby League World Cup. In 2009, he was recruited to the Northern Pride in the Queensland Rugby League.

During his sports career he knew there would

have to be life after football. “I like working with children and helping students before they get into trouble,” Rod says.

In 2005, he completed a degree in teaching and spent several years teaching and lecturing at schools and James Cook University.

“My mentors include Lionel Williamson, who was the boarding master at St Augustine’s College in Cairns, and Ruben Wiki and Mal Meninga when I was with the Canberra Raiders,” Rod says.

Rod’s advice to youngsters is simple yet powerful: “Listening is the key. My advice is you can do things your own way, but there is importance in the advice of your elders.

“We are resilient because we are a surviving blood line, so look inside and persevere; because without struggle there is no progress.”

The Deadly Stories campaign celebrates the many achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their communities.

Read other stories or post your own at: deadlystories.qld.gov.au 11

advertorial

Property Relocation Brisbane Director of Development, Maurice Wrenn of Graystone Group, shares 30 years’ experience managing commercial property and tenancy relocation and answers the five most important questions to consider in order to smooth the process and avoid costly pitfalls.

1. When to start planning In today’s changing economic times lease options and expiries often stay off the radar until tenants are at the mercy of their landlord. Depending on the complexity of the space and the amenity required, key dates need to be flagged well in advance and preparation of the tenancy brief should be organised at least 18 months ahead of potential relocation.

2. Selecting an owner you can work with Particularly dynamic companies, which are likely to further expand or contract within normal negotiable lease terms, need to ensure they engage with a landlord who is in sync with the level of flexibility they may require. Larger property management organisations can seriously compromise the flexibility necessary to ensure the accommodation is efficient and relevant.

Choose your landlord and their property manager carefully as a lesson not to learn the hard way.

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3. Selecting your locations drivers

5. How to integrate lessee & lessor works

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

Accessibility and sufficient affordable car parking are also growing issues. Consider where your business really needs to be because relocating to a more convenient location could save significant property occupancy costs. Retaining a serviced office in the CBD for meetings if you need a presence is worth considering.

Fitout costs can really get out of hand. If possible, plan far enough in advance to relocate to a new building or space being refurbished ahead of completion. By integrating lessee and lessor works the cost of relocation, aside from any incentives, will be reduced by at least a third of the cost when your new layout can incorporate all the electrical, mechanical and hydraulic requirements without the waste of reworking these services in completed vacant areas.

4. Avoiding business disruption Office amenity and efficiency expectation of staff have changed dramatically in even the past five years. Work place ratios, break out space and amenity in general require regular reviews and a new layout could be what is required to revitalise staff enthusiasm. Be careful never to agree to building modifications or refurbishment while your are in occupation.

The disruption will be intolerable and it is far better to simply move to a new space.

With more than 30 years of property experience throughout South East​ Queensland, Graystone has earned an enviable reputation for​producing exceptional commercial and industrial precincts. For more information to assist your businesses relocation please contact either the Graystone Project Management or Property Development Teams at graystone.com.au or phone 3368 1500.

don’tmiss

Compiled by Kathryn Marshall

these events in June & July if you’re in the right place at the right time.

JUNE 4–15

JULY 11–13

Sydney Film Festival

Queensland Garden Expo

As one of the world’s oldest film festivals, the sixty-first Sydney Film Festival will be screening at venues across the city’s CBD this June. With a $60,000 cash prize up for the taking, the event has experienced an enormous 250 entries including documentaries, animations, short films, and much more. Grab yourself some popcorn and be entertained by the world’s best in cinema. sff.org.au

2014 is the thirtieth anniversary of this festival, held annually at Nambour on the Sunshine Coast. Hear from the experts, be inspired by the displays and taste nature’s best at the organic food court in the Giant Kitchen Garden. The kids aren’t forgotten either, with lots of entertainment, rides and free activities to keep them happy. qldgardenexpo.com.au

JUNE 24

Jordan Belfort – live in person

Yes the real-life ‘Wolf of Wall Street’, immortalised by Leonardo DiCaprio in the recent hit film, is travelling around Australia sharing the secrets of his success in the world of business. Tonight he’s at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, talking self-belief, vision and inspiration. wolfofwallstreet.co.nz

JUNE 5–9

JULY 19–20

Boulia Camel Races

This annual animal anomaly attracts thousands of spectators from across the globe. The camel races are comprised of 13 heats, including the signature events the Quarter-Mile Flyer and the Camel Cup. The weekend also includes markets, an impressive fireworks display and, of course, camel rides. tnqcalendar.com.au

Normanton Rodeo

Strap on your boots, dust off your cowboy hat and head to the Normanton Rodeo and Campdraft over the long weekend. It’s back for another big year of Saddle Bronc Riding, Barrel Racing and Steer Wrestling. Check out the rising rodeo stars and experience the extraordinary events this occasion has to offer. Be assured there will be plenty of horsing around.

JUNE 28–JULY 5

Cairns to Karumba Bike Ride

Thousands of road and dirt bike riders register to journey 780 kilometres across the most impressive and diverse terrain the outback has to offer. From rock-ridden roads to swamp-style creeks, this is an adventure no biker will want to miss. ridefnq.com

JULY 27

Subway Magnetic Island to Townsville Swim

Northern Australia’s premier long-distance open water swim is back. Most head to Magnetic Island the day before and enjoy the fine food and luxury accommodation on offer. When Sunday morning arrives, they battle with 100 other brave souls for a podium spot on the eight-kilometre swim across the Coral Sea; and then afterwards, reward themselves with some of the region’s best food and drink at The Strand. magneticislandswim.com.au

JUNE 6–8

Weipa Fishing Classic

Home to more than 40 species of the most exquisite and diverse Australian fish, the Weipa Fishing Classic has grown to be Cape York’s biggest annual event. The competition reels in schools of fishermen from around the country, casting their lines to lure the Catch of the Day. All proceeds are donated to local community groups. weipafishingclassic.com

JULY 11

Dan Sultan

The Australian king of working-class blues is taking his new album Blackbird and a razzle dazzle big-band around the country’s capital and regional cities. July 11 sees him pack out The Metro in Sydney before venturing south. dansultan.com

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explore

5 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE

IRON RANGE REGION Queensland’s Iron Range region, taking in Portland Roads, Lockhart River and Kutini Payamu (Iron Range) National Park, is full of hidden surprises, writes Danielle Chenery.

Image by Susanne Stannard

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explore

The Lockhart River Art Centre is home to an inspiring range of paintings, sculptures, necklaces and locally created Indigenous artefacts.

‘The Art Gang’ – a group of Indigenous artists, work from the centre along with many artists of different ages. There’s ‘The Old Girls’, a highly respected group of elders producing vibrant art that’s among Australia’s most collectable, along with many artists who come on an ad-hoc basis to work in the bustling creative hub.

Community elders have an important role at the centre, sharing knowledge of traditions, languages, song, dance, history and artefact making.

Art from this town certainly does what great art should – it reflects a modern take on the community’s environment, culture and traditions. The result is a unique expression of life in Lockhart River, and a completely different style of Australian art.

Importantly, half the proceeds from every artwork sold by the centre goes to the artist. The centre retains the other half and uses the funds to provide artists with canvas, paints, brushes, exhibitions, exhibition-related travel, workshops and other essentials.

Artists from the centre will be taking part in the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair being held from July 24 to 27. It is well worth checking out.

The town gets around 30 per cent of the 4WD traffic that goes to Cape York.

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‘Rainy Wet Time’ by Irene Namok

Thriving art scene

Irene Namok at her recent solo exhibition at ReDot Gallery – Singapore.

Photo courtesy of ReDot Gallery

Less than 700 people live here However, during the dry season – from June to December, the Iron Range region swells with tourists. Greg Westcott, coowner of Out of the Blue café, in Portland Roads, says the town gets around 30 per cent

of the 4WD traffic that goes to the “Top” in Cape York, creating a temporary swell in the town’s otherwise small population.

“For six months of the year we are very busy with tourism, but for the rest of the year Portland Roads is one of the tiniest communities in Australia,” he says.

Tourists on their epic journey to Cape York come to Iron Range to experience the unique National Park, Chili Beach, and of course everyone wants to see the world famous Art Centre in the indigenous community of Lockhart River, he explains.

“Tourism is the economic driver for the area. We look forward to the influx of people wanting to experience the region.

Our dry season is our work time and we’re flat out, then the wet season is our time to recover and enjoy our paradise.”

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Interesting history

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This was eighty kilometres south of where the township is today.

The mission was abandoned during World War II but was re-established in 1945 with the return of the residents. In 1964, the church handed power of the community back to the Government and, in 1971, the community was forced to relocate to the current site, which is now known as “Lockhart River”.

Image by Susanne Stannard

From its earliest beginnings, Portland Roads was always a safe anchorage and shore landing point, first for exploration, then for the commercial harvesting of pearl shell and sandalwood.

Then in the 1920s, gold was discovered at nearby Gordon Creek and further west in the Wenlock River area. The population swelled to thousands. With an increased need for access to the goldmining area, an 800-foot jetty was constructed at Portland Roads in 1939 to allow steamers to berth and discharge cargo direct to shore. The gold rush had declined by the beginning of World War II but, in 1942, a bomber base was established inland from Portland Roads and three military airstrips were laid. At the peak of the battle for the Coral Sea about 20,000 United States and Australian troops were based in the area.

At the end of the war the region was left abandoned. The coastal shipping service began again in the late forties as life returned to normal and continued until the early sixties when road access became available to the Cape.

The labours of the past, the airstrip and the jetty were again revived as Commercial Fishing ventured north. The fisherman and sailors made use of these established freight facilities and, in doing so, helped sustain the Iron Range area until the advent of tourism in recent years.

Lockhart River’s Indigenous history is especially interesting.

According to the Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council website: “Lockhart Mission was established in 1924, when people from five traditional territories in the area were coerced into a new Anglican mission now known as ‘Old Site’.”

Iron Range National Park Kutini Payamu is the name given to the National Park by the Kuuku Ya’u people, the traditional owners of the national park land.

A 4WD is required to enter and the park is not suitable for large caravans. It’s worth the effort though, offering amazing beaches and views from headlands, along with animal and plant species not found elsewhere. The park

Camping at Chili Beach With five kilometres of magnificent sandy shores, Chili Beach is within the KutiniPayamu National Park, and is a hotspot for all 4WDers visiting the Cape. The Camping ground offers walking tracks behind the shoreline through the dense scrub or, for a more leisurely pace, a relaxing stroll along the

has the largest remaining area of accessible lowland rainforest in Australia and is a haven for birds such as the vibrant Eclectus Parrot, which lives only in the Iron and McIlwraith ranges. The Palm Cockatoo, Riflebird and Cassowary are also found here.

There are four camping areas, including Rainforest, Cooks Hut, Gordon Creek and Chili Beach.

beach during low tide. Try your hand at beachcombing and there is a picnic and day-use area for those coming in for the day.

You can spot many of the park’s stunning birdlife from Chili Beach. From August, the Metallic Starlings flock offshore to showcase their dance at dusk.

Other Pelagic and Wader species are plentiful. Bird watching is best in the early morning or late

Alcohol restrictions apply to Lockhart River, but the camping areas within the national park are not in the alcohol restriction zone. Organise an e-permit in advance, as these areas are very popular in the dry season.

The region attracts two main groups of visitors – the birdwatchers (aka twitchers) and adventurous 4WDers.

afternoon, but night twitchers will also enjoy spotlighting around the road or campsites at Chili Beach for nocturnal birds, including owlet-nightjars and Papuan frogmouths and mammals such as the spotted cuscus.

Be aware though – you must be self-sufficient and pack lots of drinking water as there’s no fresh water in the park.

Photos by Michael Lawrence & Duncan Macfarlane

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

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BEST OF BEDOURIE Bedourie may be Birdsville’s sister town, but this outback oasis is a rewarding and eccentric destination in its own right, discovers Kelly Theobald.

FLYING OVER western Queensland’s famed Channel Country is the best way to see a place that exceeds all expectations of large. The endless horizon frames vast plains of nothing but some of the best grazing land in Australia.

From Mount Isa to Boulia a vibrant green covers everything – the result of recent long-awaited rain.

Then, Bedourie, a town smack-bang between the Channel Country and the Simpson Desert, the largest area of parallel sand dunes in the world, is visible on the red and brown desert landscape. Its manicured lawns and foliage-covered trees giving the impression of an oasis on the desert’s edge.

With a population of only 120, Bedourie is the quintessential outback settlement. At the airport, just out of town, a smiling, weathered face greets the few people who disembark, searching for the ones he’s scheduled to meet. Recognition and a strong handshake are followed by introductions from Jim Smith, the Bedourie Hotel publican.

On the short drive back to the pub, Jim explains a little about himself. He’s owned the pub since 1971 and, although it’s still the post office, the pub also used to be the general store until a roadhouse opened on the other side of town. Jim has lived in Bedourie more or less his whole life and knows the place better than almost anyone.

The historical pub is an indicative first stop on a two-day visit to Bedourie. Built from adobe bricks in 1886, it’s one of the oldest structures in the town and, with its green tin roof, which was once thatched, is one of outback Queensland’s most iconic pubs.

Directly opposite the hotel is the heritage-listed Mud Hut, which was also once owned by the Smith family. Constructed from rammed earth and timber, the unusual building was originally a private residence but, when the Bedourie Hotel was out of commission, it was used as a pub.

Historians speculate that the ruins of stables on the block suggest it was once a Cobb & Co changing station back in the days when Bedourie was an important stop on outback trade and droving routes.

“Bedourie’s population has almost doubled since 1990,” says Jim. “There were only 16 or so houses in Bedourie until tourism took off in the region. Now we have a much larger community and young families have settled here. The town has grown and we’re lucky that has included things like the aquatic centre and the golf course.”

Arguably Australia’s most unique golf course, the Simpson Desert sand dunes make challenging obstacles for even the most practised golfer,

With a population of only 120, Bedourie is the quintessential outback settlement.

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regionalstopover

The vast, red Simpson Desert as viewed from space with Bedourie to its right.

Image courtesy of NASA/JPL Caltech

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regionalstopover Left: Publican Jim Smith is as genuine as they come and with a lifetime of local knowledge, it’s worth stopping for a yarn.

This image: This sculpture represents a dust storm and was designed by local Indigenous artists.

while the claypans make excellent putting surfaces. With golf balls and clubs available for hire at the Visitor Information Centre (well worth a visit itself), a post-flight afternoon can be spent happily wandering the red fairways and marvelling at the eccentric course and its native flora.

To wash the dust off after nine holes, the ultra-inviting artesian spa at the Bedourie Aquatic Centre, undoubtedly one of Bedourie’s best attractions, is just around the corner from the pub. Coming directly from the Great Artesian Basin, the naturally hot water is best experienced in the spa while the 25-metre swimming pool is a refreshing post-spa dip. Finish the day on the pub’s verandah with a simple yet homely and very generous pub meal and a coldie, while watching the corellas swoop across the setting sun. Or simply sit and chat with Akubra-topped locals.

To witness an outback sunrise is the epitome of peaceful. Then, by 7am, the Simpson Desert Oasis roadhouse is open for car hire and a takeaway breakfast and picnic lunch. Hiring a 4WD is perfect for exploring the surrounding landscape. Go trekking in Diamantina National Park, a six-hour return drive, or visit the famous town of Birdsville, a four-hour return drive.

There’s also plenty to see and do if you don’t want to spend all day behind the wheel, especially on the road south.

Heading along The Bilby Way, the first port of call is Kings Creek, named after the sole survivor of the infamous Burke and Wills expedition, John King. In early outback pioneering days this was a favoured camp site of Afghan cameleers traversing the Birdsville–Bedourie trade route. Despite the natural stone causeway being the safest place to cross the creek, one unlucky teamster tragically died here and was buried, facing Mecca, on the far side of the creek, where his rocky grave is still visible today.

There are more historical graves near the National Trust-listed Kidman Tree, further south, where Sir Sidney Kidman camped on 22

his first trip to the region. A memorial to Will Hutchinson, the founder of the Coober Pedy opal fields, is the next stop; he mysteriously drowned in Eyre Creek while working as a stockman for Kidman and droving FAST FACT cattle from Clifton Hills Station, South A claypan south of Australia, to Glengyle, near Bedourie.

Bedourie has been surveyed The Cuttaburra Crossing is a causeway over another channel of as the possible site for a land Eyre Creek, which disappears west speed record attempt by into the Simpson Desert. SixtyAustralia’s ‘fastest man’, Rosco eight kilometres south of Bedourie, McGlashan, in 2015. this watering hole is a renowned birdwatching site. It’s just a short distance from one of Australia’s largest pelican breeding areas, Lake Machattie, so the species regularly convenes at the watering hole and can be easily viewed from within the viewing shed on the eastern side of the road.

A picnic at the picturesque Carcoory Ruins is in

regionalstopover

For a town whose name translates as ‘dust storm’, Bedourie is a memorable destination with a fascinating history.

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Skytrans flies from Brisbane to Bedourie on Monday and Thursday, returning Tuesday and Friday.

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order before the drive back to Bedourie. Yet another National Trust-listed site, Carcoory homestead was one of the first properties purchased by Kidman in 1899. It was abandoned a couple of decades later because of severe drought.

Upon returning to Bedourie, pick up an original Bedourie Camp Oven and ingredients from the Simpson Desert Oasis roadhouse and cook yourself an outback meal to remember.

Developed in the 1920s by a Bedourie tinsmith as a more practical alternative to the traditional cast-iron camp oven, the Bedourie Camp Oven is a nationally recognised legacy of the charismatic town. For a town whose name translates as ‘dust storm’, Bedourie is a memorable destination with a fascinating history.

“Bedourie might be small,” says publican Jim Smith, “but its characters are larger than life, it’s a unique and very pretty town and, you know, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”

Top and right: Pub dog ‘Whiskey’ is a regular at the Bedourie pub and can be found mingling with the patrons; with Bedourie’s closest neighbouring town 190 kilometres away, it really is an isolated outpost.

Bedourie Hotel 07 4746 1201 bedouriehotel.com Simpson Desert Oasis roadhouse 07 4746 1291 simpsondesertoasis.com.au

EXPLORE

Bedourie Aquatic Centre The centre has an Artesian spa and swimming pool. The key is available from Bedourie Visitor Information Centre, for a refundable deposit.

‘Loo with a view’ Vaughan Johnson Lookout, north of Bedourie.

MORE INFO

Bedourie Visitor Information Centre 1300 794 257 diamantina.qld.gov.au/ bedourie-visitor-information-centre

23

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Five

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Maggie Beer

She’s Australia’s favourite family cook: a big-hearted woman with an even bigger smile. Maggie Beer tells Simone Henderson-Smart about her new mission.

You recently launched the Maggie Beer Foundation in the aged care sector. What was the catalyst?

The seed for the foundation was planted when I was made Senior Australian of the Year at the Australia Day awards in 2010. This led me to address care leaders during an aged care conference in 2011 about trying to lead the aged care sector towards greater food enjoyment and choice. Following up with a lot of research, I knew that I wanted to make a difference.

Since then my thoughts and networks have grown, and with the support of my husband, Colin, and my marketing manager, Sarah Goodwin, I launched the Maggie Beer Foundation: A Good Food Life For All.

What are the foundation’s aims?

In a nutshell: find the great exponents of aged care, reward them with kudos and

learn about the innovations that people are willing to share to help everyone in aged care have a good food life. Work with three facilities within reasonable reach to influence their food practices so they can become models of what can happen by working from the ground up, and then they can influence others. The three pilot South Australian aged care homes are: Abbeyfield residential care at Williamstown, Mount Pleasant Hospital aged care facility managed by Country Health SA, and Ridgehaven Residential Care Centre.

What will you be doing five years from now?

Why are you concerned about aged care?

If it’s a Sunday night, roast chook with seasonal greens. However, it depends on the time of the year and the celebrations. We also enjoy yabbies with verjuice mayonnaise.

First, there are amazing aged care homes around Australia and we certainly hope to find them all and celebrate them. However, from personal visits to aged care homes of all kinds, and phone calls, letters and emails from staff, family members and friends that are devastating to read, there is a definite need for change in so many.

How will you change the way meals are prepared in these facilities?

Now that the foundation is formalised, we’re setting out to raise funds to support the work we need to do. This work/ change will have to evolve with the input and support of passionate people in the field. The first step towards nutrition, however, is fresh seasonal ingredients, cooked with care.

Continuing as a cook, author and manufacturer. This journey is one for the rest of my life, however, my business life goes on quite separately. I merely have to balance my life so I can devote enough time to that and have my treasured family life, too. There’s a lot to be done and noone can do it alone, so I’m fortunate to have lots of great help!

What’s your favourite dish to cook for your family?

“The first step towards nutrition, however, is fresh seasonal ingredients, cooked with care.”

1

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The décor features giant artwork recipes and handwritten letters on the ceiling, walls of hanging gardens and sculptural pieces related to food and wine. The restaurant has wide mirrors ingeniously placed to give the illusion of many more rooms in the distance. The menus raise the bar for hotel food, with delicately prepared dishes that are as beautifully displayed as they are lovingly made. The wood-roasted spatchcock with parsley root, burnt butter, white radicchio and sea parsley and the olive wood-roasted Milly Hill lamb with eggplant and piquillo pepper are perfect examples of the restaurant’s hearty yet creative approach to decadent dining. fourseasons.com/sydney

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BEER LOVIN’ AT THE OAKS

The Oaks in Sydney’s Neutral Bay has long been an institution for lovers of beer, out food and wine. Now the popular pub is proudly supporting Australia’s burgeoning craft beer scene by hosting The Six States of Beer. This series of bimonthly events spotlights a different state and its craft beer offerings, which are complemented by a selection of produce from the same states. In June, craft beer and chocolate from Western Australia were on the menu. In August, the spotlight is on beer and pork from New South Wales; in October it’s all about beer and seafood from Queensland; and in December the focus is on beer and wine from South Australia. The sold-out events in February (beers, bites and beats from Victoria) and April (beer and cheese from Tasmania) confirmed the public’s enthusiasm for events celebrating Aussie craft beers and excellent regional food. The beer-accompanying degustation menus are the work of acclaimed chef Danny Russo. ‘Beer Diva’ Kirrily Waldhorn hosts the evenings, her wit and beer knowledge making the events all the more merry.

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On May 30, 1990, Aussie band Midnight Oil hit a peak, performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It was a year after one of America’s worst ever environmental disasters: the oil tanker Exxon Valdez had struck a reef off the pristine Alaskan coast and dumped more than 40 million litres of thick, sticky, wildlife-destroying crude oil into the ocean.

The spill horrified everyone, although it seemed Exxon didn’t care at all.

Ever the environmental crusaders, the boys from Midnight Oil cared a great deal, and when they noticed the Exxon headquarters across the road from Radio City, the temptation to “give Exxon the finger”, as Oils drummer Rob Hirst puts it, was too great and they staged a protest gig in the middle

of the street. Black Rain Falls is the story of that gig.

“We’d blocked the street, and traffic is like God in America,” remembers Hirst. “The cops told us we could do one song and then they’d shut us down.

After a few bars the cops’ hips started swaying and we got to do another, and then another.

We ended up playing into the lunch break when 10,000 office workers hit the streets and surrounded us. It was amazing!”

Coinciding with the DVD release will be a tour, although “this time,” Hirst says, “we get to stay at home and send our stuff on tour.” He’s referring to an exhibition that opened in Sydney on June 20, and will tour national and regional centres around Australia, featuring Midnight Oil memorabilia, home movies and musical instruments. “It’s great! The attic’s empty now,” laughs Hirst.

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The inspiring true story of an abused and neglected girl who never forgot the importance of family and culture and grew up to be the first Indigenous woman to run a commercial cattle station in Australia. Fittingly, the station is on Bidjara country – land that was camped on and cared for by her mother, grandparents and greatgrandparents, and where her ancestors left their marks on cave walls 10,000 years ago.

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Bangarra Dance Theatre is much more than a performing arts company.

It’s also a living organism, breathing life into stories and forming an unbroken link to culture, ancestry and spirituality that spans more than 400 centuries, writes Simone Henderson-Smart. n an old pier jutting into Sydney Harbour a story is being born, nurtured by dancers who use their bodies and their instincts to mould and shape it. They inhabit the story, and the story lives inside them, as it has since the Dreaming. It’s a very organic process and quite astounding to watch. It’s instantly apparent that they do things very differently at Bangarra Dance Theatre.

Brothers Stephen and David Page have been living and breathing contemporary Indigenous dance

6 6

theatre since forming Bangarra 25 years ago. The hours are long and the men are prolific. With Stephen as artistic director and David as composer, they have produced and toured a new production every year.

It’s a compulsion. For Stephen, it hit him from the very first performance.

“I had a sixpack and hair back then,” he laughs. “I was young and hungry and had no fear – you just dive in and take risks. But when you hear that first song, you just realise it’s what you were born to do. You know it’s not work when you don’t

even have to think about it – it just flows – and we keep getting better and better.”

That compulsion is also tied up with a deep-seated need to keep the continuous link to story and culture going, which is something the dancers share. Bangarra keeps this alive with regular trips to remote Indigenous communities, where cultural immersion helps the dancers to reconnect, as many of them actually grew up in the city.

For dancer Yolande Brown, a descendant of the Bidjara clan in

closeup

Images: Greg Barrett

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central Queensland, reconnecting with her traditional homeland and people has been an inspirational and grounding experience.

“The commonality between the dancers is our passion for dance, but it’s also exploring history and identity, discovering who we are, and our story,” she says.

Stephen Page explains the link to country perfectly: “The land shapes the people, the people shape the language, the language shapes the song, the song shapes the dance, and the spirit flows through it all.”

It’s how they create, offering themselves as vessels through which story and spirit can flow – both far back into the past, as well as into the future – and becoming part of that eternal organic link.

Stephen only brings broad sketches to the studio, letting the dancers fill in the gaps.

Previous page: Thomas Greenfield in Patyegarang. Above: Daniel Riley, Deborah Brown and Waangenga Blanco.

Below: Stephen Page workshops Patyegarang with dancer Thomas Greenfield.

In rehearsal for new production Patyegarang, Stephen is working closely with the dancers to bring his latest story to life. It’s all about suggestion and collaboration, with the choreography largely being shaped by the dancers themselves and how they feel most comfortable flipping, leaping and gliding across the stage.

When writing the music that inspires the dance, David is also aware that he needs to leave space for the performers’ own artistic expression: “Dancers act with their bodies. I don’t overproduce the music because the dancer provides the lyrics. It’s almost filmic.”

Similarly, Stephen only brings broad sketches to the studio, letting the dancers fill in the gaps.

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closeup

Yolande Brown in rehearsal for Patyegarang, the new production that tells a fascinating Sydney story and had its world premiere there in June to mark Bangarra’s 25th anniversary.

“Dancers communicate so profoundly with the mere flex of a foot or a hand, a shift of focus or a roll of the head,” he says. It’s clear he trusts their instincts and abilities.

It’s a sacred, special experience, and one not often found at the pinnacle of dance theatre. Dancer Luke Currie-Richardson knew this from a young age. “I danced to be in this company – no other reason,” he says. The journey so far has taken him from the company’s base at the Sydney Opera House to some of the most prestigious theatres in Europe and deep into outback Australia. It’s a life of immense joy, and Luke’s beaming smile is a permanent fixture as he recounts some of the highlights.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t performing in The Hague in the Netherlands that made Luke the most nervous and excited. It was performing at a funeral for a much-loved Indigenous elder. Six clans had gathered to pay their respects, and at first Luke didn’t think Bangarra would be dancing.

“We put ochre on our foreheads out of respect, and we were just sitting there watching,” he recalls. “In the end, we got up and joined in, but it

was so nerve-wracking dancing in front of the owners of these dances, in a community where they dance every day, every week.” Luke’s deep reverence for his culture is palpable.

For Yolande, too, it’s the time ‘on country’ that is so precious and teaches her the most. It’s quite something for accomplished dancers at the top of their field, who regularly tour internationally, flying around the world and staying in flash hotels, to be able to perform at the other end of the spectrum. Footlights are replaced by little open fires dotted around the desert floor, and the stage is something they’ve had to fashion themselves in a dried-out creek bed.

Apart from the compulsion to perform, it’s clear that the main driving force for all involved in Bangarra is teaching and sharing their precious Indigenous culture – not just to the next generation of Indigenous Australians, but to people all over the world. And they know dance theatre is the best way to do it.

But more than that, they have their creative feet firmly planted in the present, using contemporary dance and music to tell their stories in a way

that connects with audiences easily.

As Luke puts it, “It’s nice to be able to sidestep daily materialism and go on a spiritual journey with the audience, to step into something that transcends language.”

Yolande agrees: “There’s a lack of platforms to share Indigenous culture; the education system just doesn’t touch on the depth of it. But there is so much knowledge out there. Get a mature-age education by following us!” she laughs. “Dance is the best way of learning and teaching.”

Bangarra Dance Theatre is performing Patyegarang nationally until September 6, followed by Kinship regionally in October and November.

Visit bangarra.com.au.

It’s a sacred, special experience, and one not often found at the pinnacle of dance theatre.

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WINTER FUN: Don’t let cooler temperatures dampen your appetite for adventure. New South Wales ‘Chief Funster’ Andrew Smith shares his favourite state secrets.

1

Skydive over the beach

With 892 beaches in New South Wales, there’s no shortage of beautiful scenery to discover. But from 4500 metres in the air, the view is even more incredible. I highly recommend it at terminal velocity – you know, where you can’t possibly fall any faster. You can experience some amazing skydiving with Skydive the Beach and Beyond in Byron Bay, Skydive Coffs Harbour, and Coastal Skydivers in Port Macquarie, just to name a handful. Recently, I did a skydive with Skydive the Beach in Wollongong, and even though you’re falling at more than 200 kilometres an hour, the experience is surprisingly serene.

After the chute is pulled, the next five minutes of soaking up the scenery helps the adrenaline settle and solidifies the moment as one of the best of your life.

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Get back to nature

Any map quickly reveals that New South Wales is huge, and much of it is untouched countryside, prime for exploring and connecting with nature. Experience a seemingly never-ending expanse of nature on a staggering scale at the Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains. While the history of the Jenolan Caves is enchanting, a tour where you have to angle your way through a network of imposing natural tunnels is nothing short of exhilarating.

Also not to be missed is canyoning through natural pools of water with Blue Mountains Adventure Company.

Another top spot is the Royal National Park, just south of Sydney, which has plenty of secrets to uncover – especially on a night photography class with Understand Down Under.

Burramoko Head and Hanging Rock in the Blue Mountains.

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outtahere

3

Explore boutique breweries, bars and historic pubs

Arguably one of the most exciting Australian cultural booms is the explosion in craft beer and artisan brewing, with some of New South Wales’ smallest breweries making the biggest waves.

Australia’s oldest pub brewery in The Rocks, The Lord Nelson, has a spot-on British feel, while newcomers such as Young Henrys in Newtown add a bit of grunge and Sydney hipness. There’s no reason to drink boring beer in Sydney when pubs such as The Local Taphouse, Harts Pub and the Royal Albert Hotel serve nothing but topnotch local craft beer.

And at boutique bars Yulli’s (Surry Hills) and Frankie’s Pizza (CBD) there’s seriously good food to soak up the booze.

4

Sydney is such a good spot for those who are artistically minded and seek inspiration. Events range from massive festivals to intimate events. Vivid Sydney is held every winter and offers 18 days packed with technology, light, thrilling shows and music. Carriageworks (left) near Redfern uses the converted rail yard space for incredible events that change on a weekly (if not daily) basis. Even strolling through Newtown reveals art on what seems like every street. For a fun spectacle, head to Darling Harbour on Saturday nights when they put on a fireworks show just for the heck of it. Isn’t the weekend good enough reason to celebrate? I think so, too.

Image: Tourism NSW

5

Indulge your inner artist

Go seafaring

Image: Tourism NSW

In New South Wales there’s a plethora of bays and inlets that provide some of the best water activities imaginable, ranging from relaxing to heartpounding. Cruise Sydney Harbour on the Tall Ships, where you’ll relax on the water and have a chance to climb the mast and tap into your inner pirate. Dolphins are amazingly easy to spot on a Moonshadow cruise in beautiful Port Stephens bay.

Conversely, twin 200-horsepower engines take you nearly three metres into the air as you rip through waves on Port Stephens Watersports’ Thundaraft. It might be hard to believe, but it’s an experience that could potentially one-up skydiving for intensity.

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outtahere Image: Tourism NSW

6

Go hot air ballooning over vineyards

The Hunter Valley is known for its wines, but hot air ballooning over the vineyards is almost worth a trip on its own.

It’s an experience that can’t be passed up – the hot air balloon gives you a view of the Hunter Valley in its entirety as you drift over the wine estates while the morning fog rolls in. Back on the ground, many cellar doors offer wine-tasting. At the Hunter Valley Resort you can put what’s in your glass into context at the Wine Theatre and learn to crush grapes by foot!

Hop in the basin and feel the fleshy grapes between your toes, or just enjoy a crisp glass of wine at the cellar door.

7

Follow the festivals

Just like the country itself, Australians like to do things on a big scale. This is certainly true for festivals, which are huge and are held all year round. At events such as Big Day Out, Soundwave and Future Music Festival, thousands of people turn up to see the biggest artists in the world performing in the one place at the one time. Equally as large, and famed for its easygoing vibe, Byron Bay Bluesfest sees thousands of people jamming, camping and meeting new people. What has become a ritual for many is the road trip to these events; getting there is half the fun when you cruise up the Pacific highway to Bluesfest.

8

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Image: Tourism NSW

Recent F1 Grand Prix winner, Daniel Ricciardo, demonstrating at the 2014 Top Gear Festival, Sydney.

Have fun on four wheels

If you’re a fan of gears, horsepower and exhaust, you’re in luck. Over the years I’ve seen many gearheads rejoice as some of the most amazing cars on the planet tear up the asphalt at top speeds.

The Bathurst 12 Hour race brings both modified production cars and top-of-theline GT-class cars out to challenge the aggressive course. At Sydney Motorsport Park the Top Gear Festival and Ferrari Racing Days showcase serious horsepower and even some F1 cars, and there’s the Sydney 500 V8 Supercars at Homebush.

It’s not all cars, though – at Glenworth Valley Outdoor Adventures, take a quad bike out on the course and sling mud as hard as you can. Speed is a thirst that must be quenched!

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9

Talk to the animals

There are so many interesting animals in Australia, including a ridiculous number that are native. It’s no surprise, then, that there are some terrific zoos in New South Wales. You want to pat a wombat or put a meerkat on your head?

Sure thing – head to Symbio Wildlife Park, about 45 minutes south of Sydney. Taronga Zoo in Sydney is an iconic place for a reason – you can’t miss the giraffe-feeding against the Sydney Harbour backdrop. At Taronga Western Plains in Dubbo there are some 700 animals ranging around three square kilometres of bush. Stay overnight at the new Zoofari Lodges and see kangaroos, zebras and water buffaloes from your porch – an experience that can’t be matched elsewhere.

10

Get fresh with food

The produce available in New South Wales is second to none. Most of what is consumed here is also produced here, meaning chefs have an abundance of fresh local ingredients at their fingertips. Regional towns such as Orange offer some top-quality wining and dining venues; from the Union Bank Wine Bar to Factory Espresso, it’s hard not to constantly fill yourself to the brim with top nosh. The Hunter Valley is also packed with delicious eateries. In Sydney, there are cafés everywhere; start in Surry Hills with Reuben Hills, Robocog or Bills for breakfast, then top up with brilliant coffee at Sample Coffee or Single Origin Roasters.

If you’re seeking one of the best examples of Australian pride, drop into The Pie Tin in Newtown for a freshly baked sweet or savoury pie.

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Top 5 moving tips Brisbane Director of Development, Maurice Wrenn of Graystone Group, shares 30 years’ experience managing commercial property and tenancy relocation and answers the five most important questions to consider in order to smooth the process and avoid costly pitfalls.

1. When to start planning In today’s changing economic times lease options and expiries often stay off the radar until tenants are at the mercy of their landlord. Depending on the complexity of the space and the amenity required, key dates need to be flagged well in advance and preparation of the tenancy brief should be organised at least 18 months ahead of potential relocation.

2. Selecting an owner you can work with Particularly dynamic companies, which are likely to further expand or contract within normal negotiable lease terms, need to ensure they engage with a landlord who is in sync with the level of flexibility they may require. Larger property management organisations

20

can seriously compromise the flexibility necessary to ensure the accommodation is efficient and relevant. Choose your landlord and their property manager carefully as a lesson not to learn the hard way.

3. Selecting your location’s drivers Our cities are changing. The average age of a building in Brisbane CBD is now 28 years old and lacking in cost effective amenity. Accessibility and sufficient affordable car parking are also growing issues.

Consider where your business really needs to be because relocating to a more convenient location could save significant property occupancy costs.

Retaining a serviced office in the CBD for meetings if you need a presence is worth considering.

4. Avoiding business disruption

5. How to integrate lessee and lessor works

Office amenity and efficiency expectation of staff have changed dramatically in even the past five years. Work place ratios, break out space and amenity in general require regular reviews and a new layout could be what is required to revitalise staff enthusiasm.

Be careful never to agree to building modifications or refurbishment while your are in occupation. The disruption will be intolerable and it is far better to simply move to a new space.

Fitout costs can really get out of hand. If possible, plan far enough in advance to relocate to a new building or space being refurbished ahead of completion.

By integrating lessee and lessor works the cost of relocation, aside from any incentives, will be reduced by at least a third of the cost when your new layout can incorporate all the electrical, mechanical and hydraulic requirements without the waste of reworking these services in completed vacant areas.

With more than 30 years of property experience throughout South East​Queensland, Graystone has earned an enviable reputation for​ producing exceptional commercial and industrial precincts. For more information to assist your businesses relocation please contact either the Graystone Project Management or Property Development Teams at graystone.com.au – btpinfo.com.au or phone 3368 1500.

food&wine

Mudgee

Meanderings Despite the lack of pony action at Polo in the Paddock, Michelle Hespe gets into Mudgee – a place where great food and fine wines always lead to fun times. ou’d have to be mad to complain about the rain when the region in question has been droughtstricken for years. That’s the philosophy that the thousand or so revellers adopted at this year’s Polo in the Paddock in Mudgee. The ponies didn’t get their hooves onto the racing track, but that didn’t stop the party trackside kicking off at 11am and continuing all day throughout the sporadic downpour. Heels were dumped in favour of gumboots (with most country ladies being far more prepared than those doing the road trip from Sydney) and men’s jackets

were thrown over party frocks for kicking up some mud while dancing in the rain.

From the back of a truck bed, country star Lee Kernaghan let loose with some cracking hits, and raffle prizes included goods from Paspaley, YSL Beaute, Ralph Lauren, RM Williams and Bunnamagoo Estate Wines – the beautiful sprawling vineyard in which the annual event was hosted. Despite the lack of polo, the event raised more than $5,500 for charities, including a generous donation from Kernaghan after his guitar was auctioned off to one very proud guest. Australian

Revellers head across the fields of Bunnamagoo Estate Wines.

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food&wine

fashion designer Camilla Franks judged the best-dressed competition, and the kids, who didn’t give two hoots about the rain, leapt about in a jumping castle, well-placed away from the long tables for lunch in a trackside paddock.

At the tables, delicious Bunnamagoo wines and craft beers and ciders were poured to match the incredible array of local produce presented for lunch.

Needless to say, everyone left the event merry, despite sporting speckles of mud and hair not particularly blow-dried.

If you’re in Mudgee, there is no excuse for not staying awhile and enjoying the local offerings.

Filling up in Mudgee Mudgee has long been a destination for lovers of food and wine and, being less than a four-hour drive from Sydney, it attracts city dwellers seeking a relaxing country break filled with all the good things in life. The region is home to more than 50 well-known vineyards and wineries, with the earliest plantings taking root in the 1850s. It is known for having perfect conditions for vineyards, with the town and surroundings perfectly positioned on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range – meaning warm days, cool nights and incredibly fertile soil.

Every year from mid-September to early October (this year from September 12 to October 5), the region hosts the Mudgee Wine and Food Festival. Live music, special cellar door experiences,

22

Guests at the Mudgee Wine and Food Festival enjoying top drops.

The ponies didn’t get their hooves onto the racing track, but that didn’t stop the party trackside kicking off at 11am and continuing all day.

The Mudgee Wine and Food Festival is a great excuse to visit the historic town.

food&wine

events and celebratory menus for lunches and dinners across the town and in the vineyards transform Mudgee into a showcase of wonderful local produce.

But even when there isn’t a festival as a drawcard for foodies, Mudgee has so much on offer, with dozens of great restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs, all staffed by some of the friendliest people you’ll find in regional Australia.

Rice & Ice is a relatively new restaurant on the block, dishing up wonderfully authentic Thai dishes, and donning its yum cha hat on the weekends. The busy little restaurant is run by an incredibly welcoming Thai family who present the wonderful flavours of traditional Thai cuisine made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

They serve meals that their family would cook at home, and treat customers like loved ones. They also own the My Thai next door, which was so popular that they opened a second place to keep up with the demand.

Image: Amber Hooper

St. Mary’s Catholic Church at night, downtown Mudgee.

Offering modern à la carte cuisine in a stylish establishment perfect for long lunches and dinners that drift organically into the night, Sajo’s Lounge Bar & Restaurant in Church Street is considered an institution in Mudgee. The menu is modern, with a focus on local ingredients showcased in meals that all have clever flourishes, be it in terms of ingredients or presentation, or both.

FAST FACT ’Mudgee’ reputedly derives from the Wiradjuri Aboriginal term ‘Moothi’ meaning ‘nest in the hills’. Aside from wine, the area is noted for its fine wool, beef, lambs, cereal crops, vegies, and honey.

Delicious Thai treats at Rice & Ice.

The Mudgee clock tower; built to commemorate soldiers who fought and fell in WWII.

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food&wine

Locals and visitors enjoy the fine wine and fare at Sajo’s.

The entree menu has delicious dishes such as homemade salmon gravlax with mustard dill cream, caperberries and radish, or rabbit and herb tortellini in a saffron consommé with rabbit confit.

The main menu embraces traditional hearty meals, always with a culinary twist. For instance, the slow-roasted pork belly is accompanied by roasted capsicum, seared scallops and pickled cucumber with marinated mushrooms, and the chargrilled lamb backstrap delights diners by being paired with roasted prosciutto-wrapped figs, a silky goat’s curd cream and brioche.

Fit in a classic cocktail (there are $10 cocktails on Thursdays for ‘ladies night’) and a couple of wines from the exciting menu packed with fine local vintages. And you can’t leave without fitting in a lip-smacking dessert such as the passionfruit cheesecake with a marshmallow and mint apple salad. It somehow manages to seem refreshingly healthy while being wickedly decadent.

Come morning, if you’re suffering from dusty head syndrome after so much wonderful food paired with exciting wines (after all, it’s wise to fit in a couple of wine-tastings as well as many meals when in Mudgee), head to the quirky retro-embracing haven that is Butcher 24

Shop Cafe. Yep, you guessed it – housed in a butcher shop built in 1875, this café is loved by locals and run by ex-Sydney boy James O’Neill. Metal meat-hanging rods on the ceiling and the original butcher’s tiles give hints of its former life, and James is a fan of interesting antiques, so there are some great kooky conversation starters hanging about – such as the bulbous glass wine holders dangling from the ceiling.

The menu is in keeping with the theme, including the Butcher’s Breakfast (the whole shebang) and the Butcher’s Benedict (with bacon and tomato instead of smoked salmon). The regularly

Metal meat-hanging rods on the ceiling and the original butcher’s tiles give hints of the café’s former life, and James is a fan of interesting antiques.

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food&wine

Traditional Chinese dumplings and tea at 29 Nine 99 in Rylstone; and below, business owner Na Lan.

changing range of cakes and cookies is made locally for the café, and all of your classic lighter brekkies, such as pancakes, muesli and fruit salad, are also on the menu.

Dumplings and tea

The spaces are a riot of texture, colour and scent. And the mouth-wateringly good dumplings and exotic teas are what have customers flocking back every week.

Images this page courtesy of Karon Grant

Artist and fabric designer Na Lan, originally from Central China, is the woman behind a true gem of a café/ restaurant/homewares store in Rylstone, about 40 minutes’ drive from Mudgee.

This very special dumpling and tea house, called 29 Nine 99, is a delightful, seemingly haphazard ensemble of incense-perfumed nooks and crannies where you can sit indoors or outdoors surrounded by intriguing, vivid colours.

From teapots, ceramic platters, plates and vases, to bags, scarves, jewellery, serviettes and silk clothing, the spaces are a riot of texture, colour and scent.

And the mouth-wateringly good dumplings and exotic teas are what have customers flocking back every week, ensuring that Na Lan is one of the busiest business owners in town.

As numbers are inextricably linked to China’s traditions and culture, with a person’s fortune often revolving around digits, Na Lan named her arty little slice of China after the date of her marriage to her Australian hubby, Reg. They were married on September 29, 1999.

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food&wine

FAST FACT This year’s annual Mudgee Food and Wine Festival will be held from September 12 – October 5, and gives visitors ample opportunities to sample the high-quality local fare.

Let there be wine Wine-tasting is usually top of the agenda for visitors to Mudgee (for very good reason) and there are many cellar doors to knock upon. However, if you’d like to fit in your dumplings, tea and wine all in the space of an afternoon, drive 1.5 kilometres out of town to visit the team at De Beaurepaire Wines Tasting Room.

This charming tasting room, owned by a husband-and-wife team, is open weekends (by appointment only). The building was a stone stable back in the 1880s, and a Melbourne Cup winning horse is buried on the property.

Rylstone is about 200 metres higher in elevation than Mudgee, thus having different weather conditions leading to longer ripening periods and later grape harvesting. This culminates in the top wines from De Beaurepaire having classic cool-climate characteristics. It’s another business that has a sentimental name: De Beaurepaire, besides being the surname of the vignerons, is French for ‘from a beautiful hideaway’. The winemakers concentrate on handcrafted wines made from their own fruit, adopting a philosophy of quantity over quality.

And, really, that’s the philosophy all of Mudgee holds close to its heart. It’s about one lovely, long, quality experience in a weekend or on a long break, even though the quantity of attractions on offer could keep any lover of food, wine and history busy year-round.

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De Beaurepaire, besides being the surname of the vignerons, is French for ‘from a beautiful hideaway’.

De Beaurepaire’s charming cellar door in an 1880’s stone stable.

Round-up EAT & DRINK

Bunnamagoo Estate Wines bunnamagoowines.com.au Rice & Ice rice-and-ice.com Sajo’s Lounge Bar & Restaurant sajos.com.au Butcher Shop Cafe 49 Church Street, Mudgee 29 Nine 99 Yum Cha and Tea House Louee Street, Rylstone De Beaurepaire Wines Tasting Room debeaurepairewines.com

STAY

Parklands Resort & Conference Centre A grand, sweeping drive leads to this sprawling resort, which is both a wellequipped conference centre and a popular meeting place for locals and visitors. Set in an oasis of green lawns, with wide balconies overlooking beautifully manicured gardens, it’s no wonder many weddings are held here. parklandsresort.com.au

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getaway

PRIDE OF THE PENINSULA Mitch Brook spends a weekend on Mornington Peninsula, where the air is as fresh as the produce.

board a small tin dinghy slowly putt-putting over the clear water of Dromana Bay, the crisp sea winds fan my face. I look back to the shore and see, over a grey-blue blanket of water, Safety Beach behind us. Ahead of us is a small fishing barge, swaying on the calm waters of the bay.

I pull my jacket closely around me, as even on Autumn days, the weather down this way can be chilly.

I clamber up to the fishing barge and Geoff Newing of Dromana Bay Mussels meets me in a bright red spray jacket, looking windswept.

Beside him, mussels are growing thickly on lines hanging below the surface of the water. Once fully grown they are pulled out of the water by the boat’s crane and harvested. The same mechanism removes the mussels, which are then washed in a barrel-shaped cage and deposited out the end – where Geoff is standing.

Geoff cracks open a washed mussel with a small knife. “If you’ve ever noticed the different colours of mussels,” he says, “it indicates gender.

Orange ones are female.” He points to the newly shelled creature then picks another, inserts his

30

blade and cracks the shell open and shows me.

“The white ones are male.”

I watch as he pops the newly shucked animal into his mouth, chewing steadily with a grin – my uncertainty must be showing, as I had not realised you could eat mussels raw.

“We have an emphasis on freshness,” he says.

“To produce very fresh, high-quality product.”

I know what’s next; Geoff offers me a freshly shucked female mussel. I’m a little nervous, but put the mussel in my mouth. It’s cold, soft, salty and sweet.

“Make sure you chew it to get the real flavour,” Geoff says.

I chew, discovering that the mussel is incredibly refreshing and light, but it’s not overbearing. It’s actually delicious.

Geoff is one of the many small Mornington Peninsula producers that call this beautiful region home. He’s dedicated and passionate because he’s doing what he loves, just like the many others in the community, operating in a range of incredibly varied industries.

A short drive away (nearly everything is a short drive away on the peninsula) I come

getaway

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Previous page: Cape Schanck boardwalk. Top to bottom: Handmade cheeses from Boatshed Cheese; a pier in Portsea, Mornington Peninsula; chocolatedipped strawberries from Sunny Ridge Café.

Image: Mitch Brook

to Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm, owned and operated by the Gallace family.

Wandering the strawberry fields, punnet in hand, and picking fat, ripe strawberries off the rows of shrubs is such a simple pleasure, topped off by biting into a fresh one still warm from the sun. The self-pick experience is fun for kids too, judging by the squeals of delight I hear while roaming the fields.

Like many producers here, the Gallace family operates more than just a farm. While the Gallace elders Mick and Anne mostly look after the fruit grown on the farm as respected wholesalers, the younger Gallaces – Matt and his wife Ruth – have branched off with their own wine label called Rebello Wines.

Rebello focuses on making wines from fruit, like their Strawbellini Moscato Sparkling. They also make fruit liqueurs, aa well as the popular Cheeky Rascal Cider. The latter blends cider and fruit wines to make quirky mixes such as Vanilla Bean Apple, Gingerberry and Pomegranate Apple. These products are available online as well as at the Sunny Ridge onsite shop, which doubles as a strawberry-inspired dessert café.

Don’t leave without sampling the chocolatedipped strawberries: simple yet sublime.

Another local with a flair for produce is Tamara Newing – wife of Geoff – who owns and operates her BoatShed Cheese enterprise from a converted boat shed at their home.

“All of our cheese is small-batch,” she says with pride. “I don’t use anything that’s mechanised; we hand-stir and hand-cut the cheese. Absolutely everything is handmoulded and turned.”

Having such a small operation means that Tamara can keep a close eye on the cheese.

“When you’re doing everything in small

33

getaway

batches you can give individual cheese attention, making sure that it’s aged just perfectly.”

Despite being established in 2012, BoatShed Cheese has won local and international awards, most recently winning gold at the May Royal Queensland Dairy Awards for its goat curd, and Best International Cheese at the US State Fair in North Carolina for its Chelsea Blue.

My favourite is the Black Pearl, which won Best Victorian Goat Cheese and Best Australian Non-Bovine Cheese at shows in 2013. It’s a fresh, light goat cheese, with a soft white rind dusted in ash. I’m sure I am one of many fans.

Capping off my trip is a visit to Red Hill Epicurean, which is a bakery, restaurant, and wine-tasting area adjoining function rooms.

Grab a table in the cavernous industrial-style

dining space, near the open fireplaces, and check out the delicious Italian-inspired menu. My pick is the Diavolo di Mare, a spicy prawn linguine, and a smooth, warming pumpkin ravioli with burnt butter sauce. Wines are selected from local vignerons such as Prancing Horse, Paringa Estate and Rebello.

By day, Red Hill Epicurean has pizza-, pastaand coffee-making classes and an extensive and impressive self-serve wine tasting system.

On the winding roads of Mornington Peninsula, twisting their way through hills, valleys and fields, you can’t go 500 metres without seeing a signpost pointing the way to another brewery, winery, dairy or bakery. I think I can speak for all lovers of food and wine when I say that’s just the way I like it.

Harvest time at one of the many Mornington Peninsula wineries. The cool climate here produces stellar Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Grab a table in the cavernous industrial-style dining space, near the open fireplaces, and check out the delicious Italianinspired menu.

Round-up GET THERE

Mornington Peninsula is about an hour and 20 minutes’ drive from Melbourne.

STAY

Flinders Hotel Corner Cook & Wood Streets, Flinders 03 5989 0201, flindershotel.com.au

EAT & DRINK

Dromana Bay Mussels Open Friday through Sunday 10.30am to 2.30pm on Safety Beach Foreshore – Dromana side of the boat ramp.

0409 192 770; dromanabaymussels.com.au BoatShed Cheese Sample and purchase the range of BoatShed Cheese at various farmers’ markets around the region and in Melbourne. See the website for when and where. Tamara Newing also holds cooking and cheese-making workshops. boatshedcheese.com Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm U-Pick open during strawberry season November to April. Strawberry Café open weekends May–October 11am to 4pm. sunnyridge.com.au Red Hill Epicurean Home to a restaurant, bakery, wine tasting space and function rooms. Also hosts cooking and coffee classes. redhillepicurean.com.au 34

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LEADING EDGE The opportunity to lead an expedition in Antarctica saw Rachael Robertson tested to her limits. She talks to Amal Awad about leadership and adventure.

a mother to one child, but she admits that at the time, she wasn’t completely certain packing up and going to the end of the earth for more than a year was the answer. It proved a fortuitous decision, however; Robertson is now on the speaker’s circuit full-time and has written a book about her experiences in Antarctica.

During the Antarctic summer, groups of 120 occupy the research stations – scientists conducting research plus the trade crew doing construction – then they depart in February, leaving a small team of

18 behind to maintain the facilities.

“We just keep the joint warm, keep the power on, the water going, we look after it until the next summer when the next lot of scientists come up,” says Robertson. As team leader, her job was to coordinate Davis Station.

In summer, it was a purely managerial role that focused on logistics. For the rest of the year, however, her position took on a different slant.

Nine months of isolation, four of which are in 24/7 darkness during the winter, meant Robertson had to build morale and teamwork with a bunch of

Above: Davis Station, Prydz Bay, Antarctica, where Rachael was based.

Image: Hannes Grobe, Alfred Wegener Institute

IT STARTED with a newspaper ad, a call-out for a one-off opportunity and the promise of adventure. For Rachael Robertson, the opportunity to lead an expedition in Antarctica proved too exciting to overlook.

“I was literally sitting there reading the careers section on Saturday and saw the penguins in the ad,” she says.

“I thought, I’ll go for it.”

It was 2005, and the then 35-yearold Robertson revelled in her role as head ranger for the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, with an office in Lorne and the opportunity to drive from Torquay to the South Australian border as a day job.

“I loved it, loved my family, loved my life,” she says.

Fast-forward nearly a decade later, and a reflective Robertson concedes there was a reason she was looking at the career section, something she never did.

“I was single, I didn’t have kids, I didn’t have a mortgage, so it was pretty easy to go on an adventure,” says Robertson. “I think I might have just been, in the back of my mind, looking for a big adventure, hoping that one day I might settle down and marry and have children.”

Robertson has since married and is

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“I thought, I can’t actually respond to these guys 24 hours a day, every day, for the next year. It’s going to kill me.”

Brunt ice shelf Graham Land Queen Maud Land Weddell Sea Amery ice shelf

Ronne-Filchner ice shelf

ANTARC TICA

Sackleton ice shelf

Amundsen Sea Wilkes Land

Ross ice shelf Ross Sea Victoria Land

Size of United Kingdom for comparison

0

Kilometres

2000

JOURNAL TO BOOK

Australia/NZ

Rachael Robertson kept a journal during her time in Antartica as a way to cope with the experience and keep her ‘resilient’. It’s now been published as a book — Leading on the Edge.

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strangers who didn’t always get along.

More specifically, four women and 14 men, some from the city and others country folk, traversing a diversity of qualifications, beliefs and outlooks.

“People ask me about the environment, and I say the 24 hours of darkness, the minus 35 degrees temperatures, the blizzards… that’s tough, it’s harsh. But that ain’t a patch on what it takes for 18 strangers to live together, on top of each other, with no privacy – everyone knows everything about each other,” she says.

Robertson says she hadn’t anticipated it would be small things that caused so many problems, and that a large part of her job would be trying to get her team to deal with the issues rather than ignore them.

“I call it the bacon war, because we had a fight about whether bacon should be soft or crisp. And it turned out this bacon war between two of my teams – my plumbers and my mechanics – was a different issue about whether the plumbers were treating the vehicles properly because the mechanics had to service them.

“It manifested into bacon because each team thought the other team was deliberately cooking it a certain way to annoy them.”

Realising that teamwork trumps harmony, Robertson made this thinking a rule. She didn’t expect the team members to love, or even necessarily like, each other but they would have to show respect to one another.

“We had a rule called ‘no triangles’. If you’ve got an issue, if you’ve got a problem, just go straight to the source. You don’t go to a third party. It was a really powerful tool for building respect.”

Another step towards creating a more pleasant atmosphere was encouraging them to reduce their reliance on Robertson.

“I thought, I can’t actually respond to these guys 24 hours a day, every day for the next year. It’s going to kill me.

I have to find ways of building this team so they don’t rely on me being all things to all people. I needed to put

a boundary there. So I did.”

For her part, Robertson kept herself in check by keeping a journal, which is now her book, Leading on the Edge.

“It helped me sleep and sleep made me resilient,” she says.

Peer support was also a saviour.

Robertson describes a good friendship with the leader at Mawson Station, a

distant 1000 kilometres away.

“Having a peer who knew what I was going through, who understood the challenge of the role, who understood the environment – it just taught me so much. Particularly in these remote areas, the peer support is just critical. You need someone you can talk to.”

Robertson says she also stayed resilient by telling herself and her team to focus on what they do have, not what they don’t.

“And what we had was the opportunity to see this amazing wildlife and to make some good money and to set ourselves up for the future.”

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DENTSU00016

insidemining Issue 13 – July 2014

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THE ONLY WAY IS UP Jack Cleaver raises five key factors that could see Australian mining reach new heights.

INDUSTRY FOCUS Scoping out scientific roles in mining 17

MINING REVIEW The state of mining in Tasmania

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SPECIAL REPORT Pros & cons of contract labour in mining 26

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Compiled by Cortney Roark

WHAT ALL INDUSTRY WANTS – SOMETHING FOR NOTHING

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The Comprehensive Management System (CMS) is unique to TEX Onsite and allows clients to leave all the burden of remaining compliant to the professionals.

The supporting Data Management and Scheduling Service keeps track of clients’ equipment and provides reinspect notification dates, as well as downloadable test and calibration certificates.

Many clients are very appreciative of the CMS – “It’s like having another staff member we don’t have to pay for,” reflected one. “Having experienced technicians service our equipment and then actually manage the whole process is so economical and a dream come true.”

Australian-owned TEX Onsite is a genuine on-site HV (high voltage) test, inspect and instrument calibration service with around 30 service vans on the road throughout Australia and New Zealand, plus five fully-equipped airplanes servicing remote sites.

Their product range is vast, covering many industry sectors including mining, construction, manufacturing, shipping, electrical generation and distribution, rail and much more. The enormous advantage of such an extensive product range is clients need only call one organisation to service all their compliance needs.

“We have the largest network of on-site services, however, if a client wishes, equipment can be serviced at our lab or any of our service centres across Australia,” said national marketing manager Errol Dunn.

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NEW HOPE GROUP CUTS QUEENSLAND MINING JOBS As coal sales fall, so does the number of mine workers. A recent 17 per cent fall in coal sales – to 1.33 million tonnes – has forced New Hope Group to cut five per cent of its workforce.

About 30 of New Hope Group’s 600 workers will lose employment. As of now, the West Moreton mine and the corporate office will see the effects of the job cuts.

New Hope Group CEO Shane Stephan said making the decision was not easy but it had to be done because of the significant drop in coal sales.

“The continuing difficult times for the coal industry have required some difficult decisions to be taken regarding employment, to allow the company to endure this low point in the cycle and emerge in the best shape possible when conditions improve,” Stephan said.

The job cuts will not hinder production, as current tonnages will be maintained at the mines involved.

New Hope Group isn’t the only company making these decisions, with Wollongong Coal cutting 152 jobs and Glencore also shedding 40 jobs.

CAPE YORK TO SEE INCREASE IN WATER RESOURCES A moratorium that blocked the use of Cape York’s water resources for irrigation has been approved for removal.

The lifting of the moratorium will create opportunities for economic development on Cape York Peninsula, according to Andrew Cripps, Minister for Natural Resources and Mines.

Cripps said there is a plan in motion for water resources in Cape York’s future, as the government named agriculture as one of Queensland’s four economic pillars in 2012.

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“The former Labor government stood in the way of new water users [using] this valuable resource productively on the Cape, due to its ‘lock it up’ mentality,” Cripps said. “We are reducing ... regulation to unlock development opportunities on the Cape, with the removal of the moratorium being the first important step.”

Cripps added this will impact on people with a water licence, as well as

new water users, as they will be able to pursue development opportunities.

The Department of Natural Resources and Mines is finalising a Cape York Water Strategy, which will identify actions of the government to support development and safeguard the future water supply needs of the community.

The strategy will cover the Archer, Coleman, Ducie, Embley, Endeavour,

MACK CEMENTED IN SAFETY

Advertorial

Mack Trucks has been recognised for its contribution to improving safety within the Australian trucking industry thanks to its Road Stability Advantage (RSA) technology.

Boral, whose new concrete agitator trucks use Mack’s RSA, was named as one of only three finalists at the 2013 WorkCover NSW SafeWork Awards for ‘Best solution to an identified workplace health and safety issue’.

The RSA system helps to protect truck drivers by using information from a series of sensors to respond to potentially hazardous situations.

The stability feature aims to prevent rollovers by automatically applying the brakes if a truck makes a sharp turn, changes lanes suddenly or is faced with obstacles on the road such as wet or icy surfaces.

This technology has significantly improved the safety of concrete agitators, which have an increased chance of rolling over compared to similar-sized trucks, due to their dynamic loads and high centre of gravity.

Vice President Sales - Mack Trucks, Dean Bestwick, said RSA in concrete trucks had been such a great success that it would soon be available across its entire range of trucks.

“There was a great need in the market to find a solution to the dangers associated with concrete trucks and we rose to the challenge,” he said.

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100 JOBS CUT AT BHP BILLITON BHP Billiton has cut 100 jobs at its Perth iron ore headquarters to ensure efficiency within the company.

A spokesperson for the company said it is committed to its productivity agenda.

Many workers affected were involved in projects that had wound down, and since BHP is focused on costs and productivity gains, these workers were let go.

The company reported it is “focused on delivering value by safely and sustainably growing volumes while reducing costs”, and when employees are affected by this, they are given assistance in their efforts to find employment.

The spot price for iron ore is now around $92 a tonne, which marks a 31 per cent fall since the beginning of the year.

BHP’s coal and aluminium businesses have seen cuts as well, and its Nickel West business will be sold because of a desire to decrease unwanted assets.

ILUKA RESOURCES AND BRAZIL’S VALE TEAM UP FOR TITANIUM DEVELOPMENT Australian mineral sands producer Iluka Resources and Brazil’s Vale have partnered for a new development in South America.

The agreement applies to the staged evaluation and potential development of the major titanium minerals deposit at Tapira in Minas Gerais state, Brazil.

Iluka managing director David Robb said this is a very positive endeavour for his company and will give Iluka the opportunity to work on the potential commercialisation of the Tapira Complex, which is one of the largest known undeveloped titanium mineral deposits.

The Tapira Complex contains titanium dioxide, ilmenite and perovskite and covers an area of about 35 square kilometres.

Iluka will work on geological and metallurgical programs to plan for the development of a large-scale titanium feedstock operation.

Vale fertilisers and coal executive 5

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director Roger Downey believes this partnership will benefit his company greatly. “The agreement with Iluka brings a partner with the expertise to add value and seek alternatives for faster development of the Tapira Titanium Project,” he said.

LED LIGHTING TOWER TO BE LAUNCHED AT QME EXHIBITION Mickala Mining will launch its LED lighting tower and give live demonstrations at the Queensland Mining & Engineering Exhibition (QME) at Mackay Showground from July 22–24, 2014.

Designed and manufactured in Australia, the LED lighting tower has dual- or single-axle configuration and optimised lighting capabilities that make it more cost-effective than halide lighting systems. It’s projected that each unit could save up to $64,000 per year.

Mickala Mining, which employs more than 100 people, markets its business as a one-stop shop for mining needs, as it manufactures lighting towers, maintains towers, supplies and installs HDPE fittings and piping, supplies maintenance workers and more.

SANTOS GLNG PIPELINE WINS AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGIES

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REVOLUTIONARY MINING BOOT WINS AWARD Blundstone’s mining boot is safe and tough and now it’s also award-winning.

The 980 underground mining boot is manufactured specifically for the mining industry and won the NSW Minerals Council Health & Safety Innovation Award.

Made by Hobart-based Blundstone, the boot has a height of 350 millimetres

POSITION PARTNERS NOW IN NZ

Position Partners has announced its expansion into New Zealand with a new branch in Christchurch. The Australian-owned positioning and machine control solutions company attributes the growth to increased demand for its services outside of Australia.

“Since introducing new technologies such as ground penetrating radar and Unmanned Aerial Systems in Australia, we’ve noted a rise in demand from other countries, including New Zealand,” explained Martin Nix, Position Partners CEO. “It makes sense to open a branch in Christchurch that will offer a range of solutions and support services for the surveying, engineering, mining and construction industries,” he added.

Position Partners New Zealand offers sales, hire, services and training across a range of products including mobile mapping and scanning solutions, US Radar ground penetrating radar (GPR), MAVinci and AscTec Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Carlson machine guidance.

Managing the new branch is New Zealand Sales Manager, Jamie Nelson.

Having worked for Position Partners for two and a half years as a machine systems specialist in Australia, Mr Nelson, who is a New Zealand national, is excited about the opportunities to grow business in his home country.

“There is a great deal of opportunity to increase efficiencies and productivity through new technology such as UAS and GPR,” Mr Nelson said. “People are interested in learning more about these innovative solutions and I’m looking forward to getting out on the road to demonstrate how they can increase a company’s bottom line.”

For more information, call 03 366 1726 or visit positionpartners.co.nz.

Advertorial

Santos GLNG, Thiess and Saipem Australia have won the 2014 Queensland Premier’s Innovation in Sustainable Technologies Award for the Narrows Crossing Tunnel.

The undersea tunnel, which runs between Gladstone and Curtis Island for 4.3 kilometres, allowed Saipem Australia to install the Santos GLNG gas transmission pipeline in a way that left the seabed undisturbed.

Project manager James Campbell accepted the award and said it was “fitting recognition of the innovative tunnel solution that eliminated the environmental disturbance associated with alternative methods such as dredging or trenching”.

The project required a team of 75

people and took about four weeks to complete. As the first undersea gasindustry crossing to Curtis Island, the project was also named runner-up for the overall Premier’s Sustainability Award.

A tunnel boring machine was used to build the tunnel and about 55,000 cubic metres of earth was excavated, which is being used by Gladstone Regional Council for ash pond rehabilitation.

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and is waterproof. It was designed by consulting with workers at Centennial Coal. The manufacturer said that working directly with the miners brought firsthand experience and knowledge into the equation, which helped to create a durable, safe boot.

The boot is made from high-quality leather with waterproofing, abrasion resistance and tear strength that is better than other leathers. It features fully enclosed metatarsal protection, a quick and simple lacing system and a rubber outsole with increased slip resistance.

Rob Regan, the NSW Department of Resources and Energy director of mine safety operations, said the Blundstone 980 has changed the way mining boots are made.

MINERS DISCOVER 700 NEW NATIVE SPECIES BHP Billiton, through its Sustainable Communities Program, has joined forces with Earthwatch Australia and the Commonwealth Government, investing $4 million in a species discovery project called Bush Blitz. The project has been running since 2010, and has so far unearthed more than 700 new native species Australia-wide. Discoveries have

included 272 new bugs, 130 new spiders and scorpions, as well as 36 new species of native bees.

BHP Billiton President – HSE, marketing and technology, Mike Henry, said the company was committed to supporting the program into the future.

“Supporting biodiversity is important to us – we do this at BHP Billiton mine sites through our land management practices and through our contribution to programs such as Bush Blitz, which are leading to a greater understanding of the unique biodiversity values found in Australia,” Henry said.

“I am really excited for everyone taking part in the program, particularly the traditional owners and teachers who are playing a key role in the Kimberley Blitz.”

RECORD IRON ORE SHIPMENT DEPARTS FROM PORT HEDLAND The increase in Australian iron ore exports shows no signs of abating, with a record being set at Port Hedland recently.

The port, which is Australia’s biggest for iron ore exports, set a new benchmark of 1,270,721 tonnes when seven capsize vessels sailed on a single tide in early

June and emphatically smashed the previous record of 160,000 tonnes.

The record comes on the back of a 3.55 per cent increase in exports from Port Hedland between April and May this year, setting a monthly record of 36 million tonnes.

Although the increase in iron ore production is being blamed for a drop in value for the commodity, the big three – BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group – have all added extra tonnages to their businesses and are still expanding their operations in the Pilbara.

Which is good news for the economy, as it seems the extra capacity will manage to offset any further price falls and the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics is actually expecting the value of iron ore exports to increase from $57.1 billion to $76.8 billion this financial year.

Treasurer Joe Hockey is blaming the good weather for the recent record shipments, saying “It’s an extraordinary quarter in March when you don’t have cyclones, particularly in Western Australia affecting Port Hedland, so our miners are exporting their socks off, and thank God because it’s having a positive impact on our economy.”

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When it comes to OTR repairs, not many have the experience of Robbie Roser.

He knows that every small step in Bridgestone’s unique OTR Tyre Repair System demands the most exacting of standards to ensure every repair complies with, or exceeds, Australian Standard AS4457.2-2008. The Bridgestone Tyre Repair System has been developed over many years and is based on a fundamental understanding of the tyre, providing ‘worlds best’ quality of repair and the highest levels of safety when the tyre is returned to service.

Bridgestone’s Tyre Repairers are craftsmen. Each are trained to the exacting and accredited (Australian Skills Quality Authority) Bridgestone Tyre Repair Training course. This training course provides the only comprehensive Off the Road Tyre repair accreditation in Australia. www.bridgestone-earthmover.com.au

forefront

Taking mining to

the next level FORGET THE PRESENT DOWNTURN IN THE RESOURCES SECTOR. HERE ARE FIVE KEY FACTORS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SEE THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY EXPAND ENORMOUSLY OVER THE NEXT 50 YEARS.

Illustration by Carmine Bellucci at The Illustration Room

WORDS: JACK CLEAVER

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forefront

1. The global rise of Asia Let’s start with the big one: Asia’s demand for Australian minerals is tipped to surpass even our tripling of mineral exports in the decade to 2011.

Here are the facts:

Those three goals should be our mantra. The task of getting to the next level is in our hands.

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• By 2050, Asia will be the centre of global commerce, producing more than half of global output.

• The population of the Asia-Pacific region will increase sixfold between 2009 and 2030. It will be the largest regional market in the world.

• Rapid urbanisation across Asia will support increasing living standards. The rate of urbanisation in China is 100 times the scale and 10 times the speed of Britain’s Industrial Revolution. By 2050, average Asian incomes will be equal to European incomes today.

• Another 250 million Chinese will move to the cities by the year 2025 – all needing apartments, roads, cars, bridges, power and resources.

• Some 70 per cent of China’s 1.4 billion people will be living in cities by 2025 – that’s a billion people.

• In addition to China, India and the rest of Asia will see unparalleled mass migration to the cities – the greatest mass migration in history.

• The next generation will be the wealthiest and best educated in Asian history.

This is truly a remarkable page in history that our mining industry has the chance to write on.

2. Productivity Let’s talk about where mining’s growth has to come from. Some 58 per cent of the income growth that Australians enjoyed between 2005 and 2012 was attributed to one-off conditions related to the resources boom. This has hidden real declines in our productivity performance, according to the McKinsey Global Institute’s 2012

report, Beyond the boom: Australia’s productivity imperative.

The report, which is available online, makes good reading. Here’s an excerpt: “Resource sectors: Getting capital productivity right.

Australia is less than halfway through the capital boom, with $443 billion in investment still to come in the resources sector.

Major capital projects are prone to inefficiencies and overruns…”

Importantly – and critically for the next step in lifting our mining industry – the report goes on to say: “…but the country has an opportunity to boost its capital productivity by up to 30 per cent if firms emphasise a top-level focus on value, adopt a best-practice ‘tool kit’ and assemble project teams with superior execution skills.”

Essentially, the report has highlighted the three things we need to do. The succinctness of those three goals should be our mantra. The task of getting to the next level is in our hands.

3. Infrastructure bottlenecks Our infrastructure deficit is putting us on a road to nowhere. We really need a national coordinated plan to fix our bottlenecks and help mining get to the next stage, which is critical for our economy.

There is hope for the future.

Infrastructure Australia was set up as a statutory body in 2008 to organise and prioritise infrastructure spending, reporting to the Council of Australian Governments. Its National Infrastructure Plan, released in June 2013, outlines the major infrastructure reforms that are needed to lay the foundations for a more productive Australia over the next 50 years.

Sir Rod Eddington AO, chairman of Infrastructure Australia, says in his foreword to the plan: “The national infrastructure plan is not a long 13

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list outlining 50 years’ worth of projects. It is a plan focused on the changes we should make to the way we use, invest in and deliver economic infrastructure.

“Some of these reforms have been around for many years. For example, the idea of creating one

Show me the money Nothing is going to happen unless our banks see a dollar in it. Our banks, investment institutions, venture funds and government need to actively keep our mining companies in Australian hands – otherwise we could see our wealth going overseas.

Australia has $1.7 trillion in superannuation savings accumulated over 20 years of mandated contributions, which could be the key. But our financial institutions and government are riskadverse. The answer: spread the risk.

Geographic diversification will eventually generate superior riskadjusted returns for long-term global investors by reducing overall portfolio risk from direct Australian mining, while capturing some of the higher rates of return offered by the emerging markets of Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. For global investors, India, China and other emerging markets constitute enormous reservoirs of new commodities consumers.

To tap into this wealth, we need to keep our skills, retain ownership, and convince our lenders that they could be on to a good thing.

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national freight network that would allow freight to be transported efficiently across borders and operate to a single set of rules was first proposed in 1898, around 115 years ago. It is time we got on with delivering them.”

Taking 115 years is sheer craziness! Let’s hope this sensible plan is implemented. As space won’t permit me to cover all the initiatives here, you can check out the plan at infrastructureaustralia.gov.au.

4. Upping our skills We won’t be able to stop demand, but we could stop our chances of growth.

Why is this nation allowing up to 20 per cent of our youth to be unemployed while our current workforce ages? According the Australian Bureau of Statistics, some areas in Australia have already reached this alarming figure.

We must find the key to giving today’s youth the aspirations, tools and resources to gain skills that will be vital to delivering the growth that is surely coming our way in the resources sector. We have good raw human material – let’s use it to deliver a better future for all of us.

5. Expanding our vision and capabilities Australia has always had a widereaching vision, but it’s time to take it further. Grabbing opportunities

from wherever they may arise is something we’re good at. After all, we have one of the world’s top three most experienced and innovative mining industries, so we have the opportunity to export those worldleading attributes (as we do now, to some degree) to a new level and, at the same time, lead the world in developing the future of mining.

Mining is on the cusp of a revolution. Here are the developments that are coming our way (if they haven’t already), which we can be the first to use: • Tunnel boring machines replacing drill and blast.

• Autonomous technology – driverless haul trucks and other machinery.

• Enhanced GPS – ‘to the centimetre’ accuracy is now possible.

• Robotics – the big thing on the horizon is self-activating and selfaware robots, which are coming sooner than we think.

• Remote control of mining machinery from a comfortable city desk.

• A shift in our focus internationally to Africa, South America, the ‘Stans’ in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), Mongolia and the AsiaPacific region.

The bottom line? The challenge is out there, so go for it Australia.

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MINING IS A SCIENCE THERE ARE MANY INTERESTING ROLES AND DISCIPLINES IN THE RESOURCES SECTOR. INSIDE MINING PUTS A GEOSCIENTIST AND AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST UNDER THE MICROSCOPE. WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

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orget the white lab coat. Scientists involved in Australia’s mining industry are just as likely to be wearing hi-vis vests, hard hats and steelcapped boots. According to Hays recruitment, a geoscientist is involved in the discovery, exploration and development of natural resources such as gas, oil and water. They interpret geophysical, geochemical and geological data to develop models of the subsurface of the earth, with the aim of discovering commercially viable and exploitable reserves of natural resources such as oil and gas.

Then there’s the environmental scientist, whose career focuses on everything from developing renewable energy, to finding ways of eliminating or protecting the environment from pollution.

Meet two men of science who are at the forefront of the mining industry.

The geoscientist A love of geology led Greg Almond into the industry and his role as geology manager for Roy Hill in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. He undertook a Bachelor of Science in Geology at the University of Otago, New Zealand, before starting as a graduate geologist in Kalgoorlie.

Almond worked his way through the ranks, becoming a mine geologist, then project manager and senior manager in both Australia and

overseas, which helped him to climb the career ladder. His role entails: • Supervising the activities of the geology department (five geologists, four field assistants and a team of drillers).

• Drilling exploration holes through the deposit.

• Providing samples to determine the tonnage.

• Grading the ore deposit.

“The role of scientists in the mining industry is hugely important. From geologists defining ore bodies – with the aid of a huge amount of technical assistance from labs, geophysics methods and specialists – to civil and mining engineers building infrastructure, to the ongoing technical work needed to support modern mining, science is a massive part of the story,” Almond says.

“I always loved geology, and the idea of a job that let you get out of the office always appealed.

And what I learnt about the mining industry from some of my lecturers drew me towards it. So I saved up for a ticket to Australia, got the train to Kalgoorlie, started knocking on doors and was lucky enough to get a start.

“Obviously the mining industry is known for its remuneration. More than that, though, the work is interesting. You get to see parts of the world that most others don’t even know about, and working on massive projects is exciting.

“The mining industry isn’t going anywhere in a hurry. The industry will always have a need for

17

industryfocus

new people. Exploration is historically a bit up and down, but the operational roles are pretty solid.”

The environmental scientist

“All work carried out by an environmental scientist in mining is directed towards maintaining statutory obligations regarding environmental impacts.”

18

An opportunity to further his career in water management and environmental planning drew Robbie Cocks into mining and his most recent role as a senior environmental adviser at a goldmine 30 kilometres from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.

He undertook a Bachelor of Science degree and had more than five years’ experience in the mining sector to take to his latest role. The role involves a number of key jobs, including: • Supervising a graduate environmental adviser and two environmental technicians; • Reporting and communicating on all compliance issues and drafting regulatory mining proposals and annual reports; • Monitoring and reporting all water, flora/ fauna, dust, hydrocarbon management and soil conditions at the mine; • Opting into the Mining Rehabilitation Fund (MRF) as well as online management communications to exempt the mine from any environmental bonds, and paying an annual levy.

“The role of environmental scientists in mining is critical for ensuring the mine stays operating under the licence conditions prescribed by the Department of Environment Regulation WA and mining conditions laid down by the Department of Mines and Petroleum WA,” Cocks says. “All work carried out by an environmental scientist in mining is directed towards maintaining statutory obligations regarding the environmental impacts of all types of mining activities.

“Ten years ago there were many cowboys who didn’t give the natural environment a second thought, bush bashing in vehicles and disturbing heritage and natural sites.

Nowadays, with the big push for occupational health and safety, and regulators clamping down on our rough-and-ready approaches of the past, there has been a significant change in focus regarding how mining environments are managed and how the environmental scientists are viewed by their peers.

“Mining in Australia is widespread and ageing, and not many new mines are opening up.

Therefore, there is a growing need for mine and land rehabilitation, and this is where scientists new to mining will have the greatest opportunity to commence work.”

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20

miningreview

TASMANIA boasts a ‘small but

While much is known about Australian mining’s superstar states — Western Australia and Queensland — far less is known about its southern cousins. And when it comes to Tasmania, the devil is in the detail.

WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

significant’ resources sector, according to industry heavyweights, who cite mining as the state’s biggest exporter. Indeed, if you look at the list of resources it mines, Tasmania is more than pulling its weight. It is the only Australian state that extracts tin among its raft of other commodities, including iron ore, zinc, copper, lead, gold, silver and industrial minerals such as silica.

In true Tassie style, when asked what impact the high-profile states such as Western Australia and Queensland have on the island state’s mining sector, Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council (TMEC) CEO Terry Long firmly but politely told Inside Mining: “Not applicable.”

Long doesn’t mince his words when speaking about the environmental issues they are battling down south. “Demand in Tasmania is currently strong. Most of Tasmania’s minerals are exported overseas. The future looks strong for the next 30 years or so if approved mining in Tasmania is permitted to proceed and reach its potential,” he says.

“The challenges are extreme environmental groups who are against mining activity, especially in Tasmania’s mineralised north-west. They will use whatever tools possible to hold up and delay any approved mines.

“The area is known to be one of the world’s most highly mineralised and

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prospective regions with a history of 140 years of mining. It’s a hotbed of minerals such as gold, silver, tin, zinc, iron ore and tungsten.”

Last year, former Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings announced there was more than $11 billion in untapped mineral potential on the west coast.

The most recent Tasmanian Mining Economic Survey reveals the sector has been growing steadily, with a slight stumble around the GFC, in the eight years leading up to 2010–11.

The number of employees is now at 2561 and contractors at 1067, making a gross annual payroll of $240 million.

Eight mines are in profit and two are reporting marginal results, but none have posted a loss.

Aaron Brannigan is general manager of Tasmania’s MMG Rosebery mine, a polymetallic base metal mine that produces ore, which is then processed into zinc concentrate, lead concentrate and gold and silver doré. Rosebery also produces a small amount of copper concentrate. Challenges have included continuing to uphold safety records, as well as the mine’s declining grade profile.

“Rosebery has had a declining grade profile over the past couple of years – and it’s still continuing to decline – so there is a requirement to produce more ore to maintain a metal profile, allowing us to remain a sustainable operation in the future,” Brannigan says.

“The site is managing that through the implementation of a number of programs, including significant improvement in stope turnaround time and keeping the haul trucks in cycle.

Remarkable improvements have been achieved in mill throughput via greater collaboration across the site.

“Rosebery achieved records in mining and milling in 2013, which was an exceptional result,” says Brannigan, adding that current demand for Rosebery’s products is “solid”.

“Our concentrates are shipped in bulk carriers to smelters in Hobart, Port Pirie and internationally. Gold doré bars are sold to a refinery in Australia,” Brannigan says. “Commodity markets are continuing to improve, with supporting economic data showing improved outlook for developed economies, adding confidence to long-term commodity market growth projections.

“Rosebery makes a significant financial contribution to the state’s economy – approximately $60 million

in royalties paid in the past five years.

The company also contributes a significant amount to surrounding communities by way of sponsorships, donations and other [contributions].”

Despite this, Australian Greens Leader and Tasmanian Senator Christine Milne has told Inside Mining that Tasmania has huge renewable energy reserves and does not need fossil fuels.

“Mining is, by definition, unsustainable, because the resources

Challenges have included continuing to uphold safety records, as well as the mine’s declining grade profile.

Above and previous page: MMG’s polymetallic base metal mine located in the township of Rosebery, on Tasmania’s west coast.

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Fast facts • Minerals and metals make up more than half of Tasmania’s exports by value.

• In 2010/2011, the value of sales/shipments from mines was $1.03 billion — an increase of 17 per cent in a year. $17.3 million was spent on mining leases — up three per cent.

are non-renewable, so the key is to minimise impacts on water, biodiversity and the environment generally,” she says.

“The new push for unconventional gas mining is a problem for our food producers and tourist towns. It’s crazy to disrupt our food-producing regions and endanger long-term groundwater supplies for short-term gain from gas exports, especially since Tasmania does not need fossil fuel energy.

“Attempts to mine the Tarkine, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest tract of temperate rainforest, fly in the face of the ongoing battle to recognise and protect it.

“The Greens want industry and government to recognise the need to protect Tasmania’s natural values and food-producing areas. We are a clean, green and clever state.”

Surprisingly, though, Milne concedes there is a place for a mining industry in Tasmania.

“Some mining is essential to produce the minerals that support our modern lifestyles, but it must return a financial dividend to the people and give back to

nearby communities,” she says.

“These mines must take full responsibility for their waste, must not pollute the land or water, and must operate with the consent of landowners and traditional owners, not forcing themselves onto public or private lands which are best suited for other purposes, whether that be conservation or farming.”

Grange Resources manager director Wayne Bould says his mine has been operating since 1968, producing iron ore pellets for export to Japan and, more recently, China. The mine employs about 600 people full time and about 400 contractors.

“We are a bit of a late-comer, but we produce about 65.5 per cent iron ore content, compared with the Pilbara, which produces between 50 and 62 per cent. To my knowledge, we are the only producers of iron ore pellets in Australia that actually exports.”

Doing business in Tasmania, whether mining or otherwise, is challenging because of the high costs of transport in and out of Bass Strait.

“Mining isn’t an easy game at the best of times. You’re relying on a deposit likely placed there as an act of God. We all have issues in that regard,” Bould says.

“Our ability to compete and sustain our business in Tasmania is about hardworking people who are innovative and conscientious.”

“We are a bit of a late-comer, but we produce about 65.5 per cent iron ore content, compared with the Pilbara, which produces between 50 and 62 per cent.”

25

specialreport

CONTRACTORS MAKE UP A LARGE PORTION OF PEOPLE WORKING IN THE RESOURCES SECTOR, BUT THERE ARE SOME SNAGS...

TRANSIENT WORKFORCE WORDS: ORYANA ANGEL

26

specialreport

B

ack in mid-2012, around the peak of the mining boom, the success of some $268 billion worth of projects hinged upon having enough manpower to complete the projects.

Chris Kent, state regional director for Western Australia and national director of resources and mining at Hays recruitment, says one of the biggest differences between then and now is the growing use of contractors.

“We were placing a lot more permanent positions back then.

About 50 per cent of revenue was from permanent requirements, which ramped up towards the peak,” says Kent. Now, he estimates, about 20 per cent of positions are permanent. “There’s been a massive shift towards contract requirements over the past two years.”

Kent says it’s the overall feeling of uncertainty, especially in iron ore and coal prices, that’s driving

the trend. “There’s a concern that if prices get lower, projects are not justifiable. Everyone has their finger on the trigger. They can’t afford to carry underperforming assets,” he explains.

“They see contractors as a way of being able to flex up and down on headcount without going through major redundancies,” he adds, citing flexibility as the main benefit of using contractors.

“It represents ‘try before you buy’ for miners and enables workers to get more diversity in experience. If you’ve worked on a goldmine and want to get into iron ore, they might take a chance on you on a contract basis and see if you can develop that skill set,” says Kent.

He adds that many candidates are looking for temp assignments because the nature of the work is mostly fly-in fly-out or drive-in drive-out and contract workers see it as a way to find work/life balance.

“They can also experience working for a big company like BHP and for a junior company,

too – getting the idea of the difference and where they want to end up in the future.”

Jody Elliott, a consultant who specialises in sourcing trends, strategies and global skills supply and demand for the resources sector, says organisations see the use of contractors as a simple, effective solution to a particular need.

“They like to use contractors to outsource work when they don’t have the required expertise within their permanent workforce or don’t regard the function as core business,” she says.

“In cases where entire production or operational areas of a mine site are outsourced to a mining contractor, the decision is typically taken because the operator believes the expertise, skills and efficiencies offered by the contractor far surpass what the operator is capable of providing.”

Elliott says often parcels of work or functions can be outsourced to organisations that specialise in that work or function. “A completely

“They like to use contractors to outsource work when they don’t have the required expertise within their permanent workforce.”

27

specialreport

new mine and/or operator is often well suited to – and elects to – outsource components of the operation, which may include production and/or maintenance, for example,” Elliott explains.

She also says that functions such as drilling and shutdowns are outsourced, as they are not considered core business.

Professor Peter Hartley, BHP Billiton Chair in the Business of Resources at The University of Western Australia’s Business School, agrees that a lot of contractor work is often specialised and technical.

“What’s happened over time is that contractors have developed specialised expertise in performing these types of functions and have become highly efficient in them,” Hartley says.

For instance, a major player might have a need for seismic activity in the beginning of the project, but then won’t need it again until some time down the track. “Rather than employing someone to do that and then let

28

them go, they employ service companies that do a job for each company and keep the workers fully employed,” says Hartley.

An example is experienced liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant builder Bechtel, which is building about half the world’s under-construction LNG plants.

The American contractor is constructing all three Curtis Island LNG projects: BG’s Queensland Curtis LNG project; the Santos-led Gladstone LNG project and the Australia Pacific LNG project.

Contracting out can be a good thing, says Hartley, because having a market for these services means that contracting firms are competing with one another.

“Taking advantage of that competition will drive costs down and give contractors incentives to perform,” he adds.

Conversely, the very benefits of using contractors can also be the precursor to its downsides. If a task is not understood innately, for instance, it can be difficult to

“Taking advantage of that competition will drive costs down and give contractors incentives to perform.”

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manage and assess how well the task has been done.

Hartley says there must be ways to ensure the contractor has completed the job to a certain quality. “If there are ways they can do it less well, and if it’s hard for you to detect that, it could end up as a very expensive mistake. The last thing you want to do is take the contractors to court,” he warns.

And this happens. The 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which claimed 11 lives and is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry, is a classic example.

At least three years of court battles followed the disaster as BP fought with two of its major contractors. BP blamed American contractor Halliburton for botching

the cement work on the failed rig, while rig operator Transocean put responsibility back on BP for compromising the integrity of the well, each shifting responsibility for the disaster away from themselves.

Also, just as contractors allow for the dissemination of information, this can flip from being a bonus to a hitch. “You might lose exclusive ownership of the technology. If you get a subcontractor in, it’s hard to make sure they don’t tell other businesses. It’s hard to hold onto that intellectual property,” says Hartley.

“There is also a loss of control of technological innovation, to some extent. They have all the expertise and you don’t. You don’t know when the expertise will be important for the next technical innovation.”

There is also the safety factor.

A disturbingly high proportion of

contractors are hurt in accidents on mine sites. In February this year, the Queensland Commissioner for Mine Safety and Health, Stewart Bell, issued an alert about the number of contractors killed on Australian mine sites. In the seven months leading up to February, eight workers died on mine sites, including five contractors.

“Families should be confident that when a loved one goes to work in the mining industry they will come home safely, regardless of whether they are contractors or mining company employees,” he wrote in a statement.

He said mine operators, site senior executives and managers must understand that effective management of contractors is among their key obligations.

Fast facts • The ‘Queensland mines and quarries safety performance and health report 2012–13’ found contractors represent nine out of 10 coalmining industry fatalities over the past decade.

• In the five years leading up to 2013–14, the contract mining industry is forecast to expand at a compound annual rate of 9.6 per cent to be worth $12.9 billion.

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A RECENT SENATE INQUIRY PUT FUEL DEDUCTIONS UNDER THE PUMP. WORDS: DARRELL CROKER

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D

iesel surged into public discussions as the May federal budget approached.

A Senate inquiry into the government’s Commission of Audit fuelled speculation about changes to the diesel rebate scheme. Members of Labor and the Greens pressed senior bureaucrats and industry leaders on the scheme’s merits, and government sources confirmed the budget razor gang was examining it.

The Greens continued a campaign for miners to lose the credits.

“We have always said farmers who need our support should continue to receive it through the fuel rebate, but the big miners can’t have it both ways,” Greens leader Christine Milne said, a week out from the budget.

“They’re making a one-off profit from natural resources that belong to every Australian, and if they won’t pay the mining tax they must stop reaping billions of dollars from the public purse through rebates. It seems that everyone but the big end of town will do the ‘heavy lifting’ in this budget.”

The ABC reported “speculation” of a possible cut to the 38 per cent fuel tax credit had prompted emergency crisis meetings in the mining industry.

“Leaked confidential correspondence between top mining chief executives, obtained by the ABC, reveals deep anxiety within the resources sector,” it stated.

Treasurer Joe Hockey assured the mining industry that there would be no cuts to the diesel fuel rebate. And he was true to his word.

Way back when Back in 1926, a petrol excise was introduced to raise revenue for road building and maintenance. A diesel excise was added in 1957. The rebate of the excise on diesel was implemented to reimburse industries for fuel used in activities not requiring access to

36

government roads. The scheme applies to mining, agriculture, manufacturing, health services and construction, as well as arts and recreation.

Only the ‘fossil-fuel industries’ come in for criticism when the rebate scheme is judged. And it is a long time since governments have used ‘petrol money’ solely for roads, although that will change with the budget’s reintroduction of fuel indexation.

Opponents of the scheme say the mining industry already receives more than $2 billion in concessions, and fuel tax credits are a “subsidy” providing a “huge advantage”.

The mining industry points to a principle of sound taxation policy that states business inputs should not be taxed. This is consistent with Australia’s GST system and has been confirmed

by Treasury in notes released under the Freedom of Information Act: “Fuel Tax Credits are not a subsidy for fuel use, but a mechanism to reduce or remove the incidence of excise or duty levied on the

fuel used by business off road or in heavy on-road vehicles.”

Writing in The Australian a week before the budget, Judith Sloan said commentators should get their facts straight when making strong statements about preferred means of reining in spending or raising more revenue.

“Take ABC1’s Insiders program on Sunday,” Sloan wrote. “Phil Coorey, from The Australian Financial Review, maintained that Treasury has been arguing for a paring back of the diesel fuel rebate for years. Where does he get that information?

“In fact, the diesel fuel rebate is not contained in the Treasury’s tax expenditure statement because it is not regarded, quite rightly, as ‘a provision of the tax law that causes a deviation from the standard tax treatment that would apply to an activity or class of taxpayer’.

“In fact, all the evidence points to Treasury being a staunch defender of the rebate as a means of avoiding the imposition of a tax on a business input.

“In fact, all the evidence points to Treasury being a staunch defender of the rebate.”

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“Why, as a country, do we not get behind our strongest industry that creates so much wealth?”

(Note that farmers, as well as miners, receive the rebate.) Dating back to 1982, the rebate is structured to minimise compliance costs, ensuring the excise is paid only for road use.

“As John Ralph, former leading company executive and director, pointed out in this newspaper, there are other means to achieve this result. In Britain, for example, diesel is labelled red and white to make the distinction between its use and its liability for excise. We simply chose another means to achieve the same result. But every working journalist should understand that the diesel fuel rebate is not a subsidy.”

Digging in Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Brendan Pearson reportedly told the Senate committee not to touch the fuel credits scheme. Mr Pearson said descriptions of the scheme as “fossil fuel subsidies”, and calls for it to be scrapped, were part of a “thinly disguised antimining agenda’’.

Tax office figures showed the rebate cost the government $5.4 billion in 2012–13, with the mining industry

Fast fact The diesel fuel rebate can also be claimed by producers of biodiesel and renewable diesel under the ‘Cleaner Fuels’ grant scheme.

claiming $2.1 billion of that and farmers about $700 million.

Critics will always circle, but Treasury supports the scheme, asserting that abolishing credits would impose an unfair tax on industries reliant on diesel fuel simply because they operate large equipment in remote areas and generate their own power off the electricity grid.

According to one mining services company senior executive, “with the massive investment required to bring new production to market and to operate a mine, every additional cost reduces Australia’s competitiveness against our global competitors.

“Our mining industry is worldclass and has sophisticated technology, significant innovation and some of the best professionals available. Why, as a country, do we not get behind our strongest industry that creates so much wealth, employs people on very high salaries and contributes huge sums of money to local communities?

“It seems there is an element of tallpoppy syndrome when it comes to the treatment of the mining industry. It’s time we took a more mature view and considered the long term for our country.”

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The most significant update is the truck’s new AC Drive System. At the core of the new system is the innovative propulsion technology, which delivers an entirely new level of efficiency, boosting hauling capabilities for mining operators globally.

AC Drive-proven performance and economic advantages, combined with a high-powered engine and the truck’s long40

frame life, means mining operators will benefit from better performance, higher availability, and significant reductions in maintenance and operating costs.

The new technology outperforms previous systems to provide optimal stability, improved efficiency, and enhanced reliability. It features: • Slip control for excellent traction • Slide control with anti-lock brakes for improved stability • Pitch control, which provides rebounding ride-control (greater control of bouncing when stopping) • Skid control for stability in cornering when road conditions are slippery.

Utilising existing slip/slide controls on Hitachi trucks with Hitachi AC Drive Systems, the new Drive System now features sensors on all four wheels.

It incorporates additional feedback from the drive system, front wheels, steering,

suspension, and other systems on the truck to enhance the slip/slide control feature.

New control systems in the EH5000AC-3 include the pitch control feature for improved comfort and frame reliability, and skid control to enhance stability and steering correction to keep operators on track.

Other key improvements to the EH5000AC-3 have been designed to ensure the highest level of safety. Superior visibility around the machine perimeter has been achieved through the integration of strategically positioned mirrors and cameras, as well as wider front glass in the cab.

A new high arch design with bolt fastened cab support requires reduced assembling time and streamlined serviceability during engine overhaul.

For more information, visit hitachi-c-m.com/au

windowseat

Dampier Salt RIO TINTO has a large stake in three salt mining operations in Western Australia: two in the Pilbara and one in the Gascoyne area. Based in Dampier, Port Hedland and Lake MacCleod, the salt mines produce more than nine million tonnes of salt every year, making Dampier Salt one of the world’s largest privately owned salt producers. The large evaporation ponds, which cover up to 52 square kilometres, are also an important bird habitat.

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innovation

MARCH OF THE MACHINES TRUCK TECHNOLOGY IS TAKING GREAT STRIDES FORWARD, RESULTING IN A SAFER AND MORE EFFICIENT WORKPLACE. WORDS: ORYANA ANGEL

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innovation

I

nnovation is rapidly changing truck technology in the mining industry.

Driverless trucks, mandated antilock brakes and a greater emphasis on safety, are all great news for miners. Trucks that have the ability to transport greater capacities, as well as success in reducing environmental noise, will offer benefits to everyone.

Mack Trucks’ vice-president Dean Bestwick says we’re in a period that’s all about “finessing the technology that we currently have”.

In conjunction with its parent company, Volvo Group, one of the most exciting projects that Mack Trucks is working on is the 290-tonne gross combination mass (GCM) truck. This Mack Titan has been developed to transport commodities from the ground to a processing plant or distribution point where there isn’t a railway available and when the job is not suitable for yellow mining equipment.

“When there is a large amount of material and you can’t get access to rail, this is where the new high-GSM Mack Truck comes into its own,” Bestwick says.

The Mack Titan, with the combination of a 685-horsepower engine and mDRIVE (automated manual transmission), can haul up to four trailer loads. The truck is then highwayready – the trailers can be unhooked and it can be used on the road as a normal prime mover.

Fast facts • Australia is a hub for mining software, with 60 per cent of the world’s product developed here.

• A new Australian Design Rule will require anti-lock braking systems (ABS) or load proportioning brake systems to be installed on new heavy trailers.

Image courtesy of Caterpillar Inc

“In the past, safety wasn’t so important, but now customers are driving this.

Particularly with dangerous goods.”

“While it resembles a highway truck, the engineering is in the driveline and under the hood to increase the load it can carry while being a lot more economical than buying large yellow equipment,” Bestwick says. They are set to be available in the first quarter of 2015.

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Image courtesy of Mack Trucks

At Freightliner, another of the industry giants, product planning manager Chris Loose says the big development in the industry has been a push towards improved vehicle safety for big trucks.

“In the past, safety wasn’t so important, but now customers are driving this. Particularly with dangerous goods, it’s becoming mandatory to have safety systems in place or you don’t sell a truck,” says Loose.

“It’s a huge improvement from an attitude of only a few years ago.”

He says the company is now seeing a lot more interest in its trucks that have roll stability – a system designed to be proactive and improve vehicle stability by slowing the vehicle as it goes around corners.

There’s also increasing interest in electronic braking systems (EBS) technology, which works by applying the brakes when sensors detect that

innovation

Image courtesy of Caterpillar Inc

the trailer is not in a controlled situation.

One of the biggest changes to truck technology in the past few years has been the development of autonomous – or driverless – trucks.

In the Pilbara, Caterpillar has already deployed autonomous trucks at Fortescue Metals Group’s Solomon mine and plans to expand the fleet to 45 Command trucks over a three-year period.

Caterpillar is also working with BHP Billiton and has launched a Cat Command for Hauling production trial at the Jimblebar mine in Western Australia. The company is also in negotiations with other groups for the autonomous hauling solution.

Caterpillar global mining technology and solutions manager Dale Blyth says the main benefits of autonomous trucks is safety and improved productivity.

“The past five or six years have seen

customers wanting to test the technology with small-scale operations. We are now working with our customers to expand into large mining operations,” says Blyth.

Meanwhile, Queensland-based transport equipment developer Duratray has been working on a way to reduce environmental noise on mine sites.

A trial held at Moolarben Coal Mine near Mudgee, New South Wales, compared noise output between the loadings of a standard steel dump tray and a Duratray Suspended Dump Body (SDB). The results were encouraging, showing that noise was reduced by up to eight decibels.

Moolarben has since launched a ‘stealth fleet’ of Komatsu 830E haul trucks fitted with custom-designed SDB. The technology is also being utilised in some of the largest mines in Australia, Africa and the Americas.

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resourceinsight

Source: argylediamonds.com.au

The rare pink diamond Pink diamonds do not come cheap. The highest quality gems are sold at private, invitation-only auctions (also known as ‘tender’) and can fetch anywhere from $100,000 per carat to more than $1,000,000. On average, pink diamonds cost 20 times the price of an equivalentsized white diamond.

Argyle pink diamonds have been sold at tender since 1985. Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine, in Western Australia’s Kimberley region, is the world’s largest supplier of pink diamonds, with more than 90 per cent of pink diamonds coming from there. Even so, for every million carats of rough diamond found, less

than one carat of this is deemed fit for auction.

Why the diamonds are pink is a mystery. One theory is it is due to a change in the diamond’s molecular structure either after it is formed in the earth’s mantle or when it ascends to the earth’s surface.

Indigenous Australians have another theory. They say that pink diamonds are from the hearts of barramundi fish that were escaping from three women who were trying to trap them. Where the fish landed became the mine site and the different coloured diamonds in the mine are from different parts of the fish.

• Diamonds were formed about three billion years ago, 150 kilometres beneath the earth’s surface. Under temperatures between 900 and 1300 degrees, and great pressure, carbon atoms joined to crystallise and grow as diamonds inside rocks. The atoms arranged to form diamond’s hard substance.

• A diamond’s beauty comes from its ability to refract light. This is true of all transparent gems, but diamonds have a higher refractive index, which is what gives them their sparkle.

• In 1851, a gold prospector near Bathurst, New South Wales, found the first diamond in Australia.

• The world’s largest diamond mine was discovered in 1979.

It became the Argyle Diamond Mine.

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Property investment made easy!!!

Coomera Grand - Gold Coast Located in the northern Gold Coast suburb of Upper Coomera, Coomera Grand offers affordable house & land packages situated in one of the fastest growing areas in South East Queensland

Houses on the outside - two rentals on the inside The Dual Living property is a revolutionary product that fundamentally boosts the yield and cashflow available from an investment property, changing a negative gearing outlook to one that is positively geared.

From the streetfront it presents as a high-quality single residential home. It’s when you look at the floor plan that the revolutionary design becomes clear.

What appears to be one dwelling on the outside is in fact two dwellings on the inside, producing two incomes.

The fundamentals of this exceptional dual income property type include:

· Positive cashflow from the very first monthly rental payment for most investors · This means that for most investors, the property should be positively geared · Low outgoings - no strata fees, low council rates and water rates, which maximises yields & cashflows · Average investors who are able to borrow 100% will have more net income than previously after all costs are paid · Money in your pocket each week than you would have, if you didn’t own this property · Expected rents are $620.00 per week or more, instead of $400.00 - $450.00 per week · Located in high demand because they are just as affordable as the typical 4-bedroom investment house · If one of the dwellings is vacant for any period, the other will still be producing rent, minimising risk to cash flow

www.mypropertyshop.com.au Develop wealth with property

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Develop wealth through property with the right advice Kath Malmstedt 0418 193312 kath@mypropertyshop.com.au

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Check out some of the latest hot properties on the market in our regional towns and cities 50

HOW WE VIEW WEALTH The way we think can shape how ‘rich’ we are

DIG IN YOUR HEELS Bag your dream house, without extra cash 53

7 INVESTOR HABITS The habits of effective property investors

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ARE YOU RICH OR COMFORTABLE? A recent media article published on news.com.au asked a sample of average Australians whether they considered themselves to be rich or comfortable.

Their responses confirm that money alone does not maketh a man rich.

KEVIN LEE

Founder and director of Smart Property Adviser

MONEY IS A man-made concept designed to facilitate the bartering of goods and services. But across the world today, money is really a ‘fiat currency’ – that is, it has no underlying value of its own.

Most people don’t realise that the actual value of their money is completely controlled by government and its whims, fantasies and needs.

What makes you feel rich is your perception, your attitude to life and all it holds. Money is simply a means to achieve your goals. Let’s look at it this way: What do we really need in this life? Food, water, shelter and clothing. However what some people actually strive for is status symbols relevant to food,

water, shelter and clothing.

Those people are chasing the illusion of success, adorning themselves with various products, labels and brand names to show off their perception of their own success.

Sometimes to people they don’t even know.

I’m continually intrigued by this in relation to motor vehicles.

Otherwise intelligent people go to extraordinary lengths to parade their idea of success by their choice of a luxury vehicle.

Often, and sadly, they do so when their financial reality is anything but successful.

Many people believe they need to borrow $40k, $60k, $100k, $150k or even $200k to buy a luxury car so that friends

and family (and some random people they don’t know) will think they’re doing well in life.

In most cases, though, the reality is that they aren’t. They can’t afford the car, so they take a lease or personal loan over four or five years, usually with a 30, 40 or 50 per cent ‘balloon/ residual payment’ at the end.

Putting that in plain English, a balloon payment means you won’t, or can’t, pay off the vehicle in the specified time.

If the car has a 40 per cent balloon, you’ll only pay off 60 per cent of the contract price, but you’ll pay interest on the whole amount.

In effect, you’re renting the car, which is depreciating at least at the same rate. When

Most people don’t realise that the actual value of their money is completely controlled by government and its whims, fantasies and needs.

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the finance term is finished, you either need to buy the vehicle at its residual value or trade it in and start from scratch again.

This is a sure-fire way to financial disaster for most Australians. You might look rich driving that expensive car, but you should consider the longterm financial damage before you sign that contract.

In my opinion, whether you really are rich, comfortable or struggling is often out of your hands anyway, and is largely the result of the way our country and its system works.

Because even though you may be earning $200,000 a year, after income tax, mortgage repayments, credit cards, car and personal loan repayments, a plethora of indirect taxes and levies and the cost of living, if you’re like most families you’d be lucky to save $1000 a month.

And if your kids are in private schools, you can forget saving.

It’s easy to see why people on

decent incomes become jaded.

Firstly there are years of striving for excellence in high school, followed by years of studying at university. Then there are subsequent years of climbing the corporate ladder until you reach the pinnacle – that $200k salary and the expected prestige that goes with it. But then there is often the self-realisation that you’re actually in the same ratrace and on the same treadmill as everyone else, except your treadmill is costing a lot more to operate.

Unless you look at your own situation now and do something about it, it’s not going to get any better in your lifetime. The statistics below reinforce what you’re really up against.

Firstly, Australia’s estimated population is 23.4 million (ABS, May 2014). According to the 2011 Census, there are about 5.7 million kids, 2.37 million people on the age pension, 850,000 on the

invalid pension and more than 1.5 million on other government benefits. There are 929,000 full-time students over 19 years of age and 1.8 million government employees.

So if you do the maths, there are 13.2 million Australians indirectly relying on the taxes paid by the 10.2 million people who work in the private sector.

That’s 56 per cent of the population relying on the taxes paid by the other 44 per cent.

It is simply out of whack. It’s unsustainable, and it can’t work over the long term.

I believe that the 2014 Federal Budget was recognition of the fact that the system isn’t working, and that it looks like becoming increasingly worse over the next 40 years or so. It’s unfunded and systemic.

Will the age pension be around when you reach 70?

I personally doubt it very much.

So the question is, what will you do about your future?

I suggest stepping outside the system – start putting an asset base together to provide for your future, as soon as you can.

We can help you create your strategy, but I wouldn’t wait too long to get started.

Kevin Lee is regarded by many as Australia’s most trusted property investment adviser.

To attend one of Kevin’s free ‘No Secrets’ Seminars, visit smartpropertyadviser.com.au

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EUDCTAION CAHNGES EEVRYTIHNG If you’re not educated reading a simple sentence is almost impossible! Imagine trying to get a job, keep yourself healthy or support your family if you never got to finish school? That’s the story for more than 60 million girls around the world.

But it doesn’t have to be... We believe that every girl on the planet has the right to an education. And we’re doing something about it.

We work with girls in Sierra Leone, West Africa – one of the worst places on earth to be born a girl. We provide scholarships, build new classrooms, offer business training and remove the barriers to them completing their education.

And we want you to join us.

BECAUSE AN EDUCATED GIRl CAN CHANGE HER wORlD.

Changing the world one girl at a time.

www.onegirl.org.au

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When putting in an offer on a property, it’s not always the money that gets you over the line.

DIG IN YOUR HEELS ZORAN SOLANO From Hot Property Specialists Buyers Agency

Having the confidence to dig in your heels on price and not play the selling agent’s game doesn’t come easy to many. This is why it’s handy to have another agent do the batting for you.

I recently bought a property on Brisbane’s north side, about eight kilometres from the CBD, on behalf of a New Zealand investor. Their brief was to find a renovated property to lease and hold, giving them a foothold into the Brisbane market.

The vendor wanted to sell because they were relocating elsewhere; they had overcapitalised on the

renovation works – a bonus for my buyer.

After I inspected the property and undertook a comparative market analysis, I found the property to be competitively priced.

The selling agent was marketing the property in the high-500s, so I offered $580,000 with our best conditions – a 30day settlement, building inspection and rental clause – which allowed us to market the property for rent before settlement.

The vendor’s agent told me there was another offer on the property and the price I offered wasn’t high enough. I dug in my heels on our offer price and said, “That’s all we have. If it’s not enough, we’ll move on.”

The selling agent said, “Look, you’re not far off.” I said, “We’re done negotiating.”

He said, “The other offer is $10,000 more than yours, and it’s from another buyers agent [that] I know usually leaves a

little in the tank.”

I didn’t appreciate the game he was playing. He was trying to auction us up, which is a practice he’s not supposed to engage in, and he was a high-profile agent.

Thirty minutes later he said, “Congratulations, the seller has accepted your offer.”

It turned out the vendor preferred our conditions of a shorter settlement and our cash offer with no finance clause to the other interested buyer’s price offer of $10,000 more. This was because it allowed the vendor to relocate sooner with a greater guarantee of settling.

Apparently the other offer included a longer settlement.

What this proves is that to be successful with an offer it’s not always only about money.

Being in a position to place an offer with competitive time frames, finance preapproved and the confidence to negotiate (and knowing when not to negotiate) with

the selling agent can give you the winning advantage.

Because we included a detailed clause in the contract to market the property for rent before the property transaction settled, we had a tenant ready to move in at settlement time.

The new tenant just happened to be the other interested buyer who was not in a position to make another offer. But they loved the property so much that they decided they would rent it.

And they agreed to pay $640 per week, which reflected a premium return. Overall, a sweet victory for my client.

Zoran Solano is the office manager and senior buyer’s agent at Hot Property Specialists Buyers Agency. He has been a buyer’s agent for more than five years now and is recognised as one of Brisbane’s leading agents in buyer representation. hotpropertyspecialists.com.au (07) 3170 3760.

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EXPERTS ARE SAYING BRISBANE IS THE NEXT MARKET TO MOVE

How to know your buyers’ agent is only working for you One thing I find really frustrating as a buyers’ agent are the other buyers’ agents who act dishonestly and discredit our practice.

I’m talking about those so-called buyers’ agents who steer buyers towards a new apartment or house development on behalf of a developer. Upon sale they receive a healthy sum in the back pocket from the developer and leave you with a poor investment choice.

Other dodgy so-called agents who call themselves buyers’ agents may not charge the buyer a fee. But this is when the alarm bells should be screaming because the agent must be paid somehow, if not by the buyer, then by who? In this scenario they should be honest and tell buyers they’re simply a selling agent representing a developer.

More and more selling agents are masquerading as buyers’ agents or buyer managers these days so be careful not to let that line be blurred if you’re after independent advice.

Fortunately there are plenty of honest buyers’ agents with buyers’ interests only at heart. If you’ve done your homework thoroughly you’ll find one who will help you get ahead on your property investing, particularly helpful if you’re time-poor, geographically challenged, or want to get the best value for your dollar with the greatest potential of return or capital growth.

It helps to know there is a professional body to go to – the Real Estate Buyers’ Agents Association of Australia – where you can find a listing of credible buyers’ agents Australia-wide and learn some useful tips on finding a goodie.

So how should you qualify a buyers’ agent before you start talking strategy and sending one out on the property hunt?

BUYER’S AGENT

STRATEGISTS

1. Is the buyers’ agent appointed in writing to represent you?

In Queensland this written appointment form is called PAMD form 22A, there are standard government forms for each state.

Also check if they’re members of the Real Estate Buyers’ Agents Association and the Real Estate Institute in their state.

2. What fees do they charge?

For genuinely independent advice you should pay a fee, this could be a flat rate or commission. Otherwise be suspicious of their motive.

3. Check their website. If it features properties for sale, or sales pitch-style articles about a particular development then be cautious.

4. Do they have current professional indemnity insurance?

5. How much experience do they have as a specialist buyers’ agent? This means time being paid fees by buyers only, not sellers. Do they thoroughly understand the market conditions and real estate transaction process?

6. Can they provide testimonials and referee contact details?

Well that should give you a good start to finding a genuine buyers’ agent. Good luck on your buying mission!

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

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THE 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY

EFFECTIVE PROPERTY INVESTORS

MICHAEL YARDNEY

From Metropole Property Strategists

Michael Yardney is a director of Metropole Property Strategists, which creates wealth for its clients through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. metropole.com.au

HAVE YOU noticed how

Habit 1 – Be proactive

some people seem to rise to the top of their chosen field, or journey ever higher up the property ladder, while others consistently achieve the same ‘average’ results?

In the 1990s, management guru Dr Stephen Covey explained what he believed to be the defining characteristics that distinguish ‘highly effective people’ in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which has become a modern-day business classic.

Not surprisingly, the seven habits Covey suggests we should aspire to if we want to replicate the achievements of others are also very important to the business of property investment.

So let’s take a moment to reflect on the seven significant traits.

Life is not simply a series of events that happen to us.

In every moment, you are faced with a choice and the opportunity to move forward in your life’s purpose. You can choose to have a positive or negative attitude and you can choose to take control or be controlled. This is about either taking responsibility for your own destiny or being overtaken by the actions of others and, in doing so, becoming a victim.

How to apply it – Become the pilot of your life and not a passenger. You are where you are because of all the things you’ve chosen to do and all those you’ve chosen not to do.

Either you run the day or the day runs you!

Habit 2 – Begin with the end in mind By focusing on your desired outcomes, you will be compelled to lead yourself towards those goals, thus developing the habit of personal leadership.

The key is in blocking out the distractions that can inhibit forward momentum by instead concentrating your efforts on relevant actions to propel you forward.

How to apply it – All the successful investors I know have set themselves a long-term goal of financial independence and have a written plan and strategy of how they’re going to get there.

Then it’s easier for them to make their investment decisions in light of their goals and not be distracted by the short-term market noise.

All the successful investors I know have set themselves a long-term goal of financial independence and have a written plan and strategy of how they’re going to get there.

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Habit 3 – Put first things first Once you have established attainable goals, you must develop the habit of planning and implementing activities that will enable you to reach them.

Importantly, you need to learn to prioritise your actions in a way that reflects your values and life purpose. This is the art of manifesting your ideas into physical reality by taking a stepby-step approach.

How to apply it – Keep the big picture in mind and don’t be afraid to say no to so-called opportunities if they don’t fit in with your plan. I’ve made more money by saying “no” to deals than by saying “yes”. Take personal responsibility, because while you cannot change the circumstances, the cycle or the market, you can change yourself.

That is something you have control of.

Habit 4 – Seek first to understand and then to be understood Most people engage in conversation to be heard rather than to understand. Often, instead of really hearing what someone else is telling us, 56

Keep the big picture in mind and don’t be afraid to say no to so-called opportunities if they don’t fit in with your plan.

we spend our ‘listening time’ thinking about our reply.

In doing so, we place our ideals and philosophies on others, without truly hearing them. As a consequence, we go through life missing out on valuable insights.

How to apply it – Many property investors suffer from confirmation bias, which is the tendency to begin with an answer and then search for evidence to support the preconceived outcome. The lesson here is to be sceptical of your preconceptions and try to disprove your own theories rather than continually defend them.

Habit 5 – Think win-win More is gained from life through the art of cooperation than competition.

How to apply it – Win-win not only applies to negotiations, but to all elements of your life.

Learn how to be happy with

what you have while you pursue all that you want.

Habit 6 – Synergise Creative cooperation among humans allows us to uncover new solutions to old problems. When we interact with one another and apply the rule of empathetic listening, we augment our brainpower and grow from our experiences with others.

How to apply it – There is no such thing as a self-made millionaire. Every successful property investor turns to a proficient team of consultants for advice and to mentors for inspiration and counsel.

Surround yourself with people who will lift you up, rather than negative nellies who will drag you down.

Habit 7 – Sharpen the saw The greatest asset you will ever have in life is yourself. To be

effective you must look after the only tools you have control over – your mind, body and spirit.

Maintain balance in all you do and never stop learning.

How to apply it – The best investment you can make to ensure success through property investing is in your own wisdom. Don’t be afraid to spend (invest) money on your education and be prepared to learn not only from your victories but also from your mistakes and those of others.

To become financially independent you must follow the habits of successful investors who’ve already achieved what you want to achieve. Turn part of your income into capital by saving and investing, then slowly build your asset base by reinvesting until you eventually have a ‘cash machine’ that gives you the financial independence you desire.

WHAT'S SCARIER THAN AN OCEAN WITH SHARKS?

AN OCEAN WITHOUT THEM. Sharks are essential to the life of our seas, keeping marine food chains in a healthy balance. Unfortunately, a brutal and misguided killing of sharks is currently occurring in Western Australia. All human deaths at sea are tragic - but there is no scientific proof that the proposed cull will make our oceans safer. This knee-jerk response will not protect people, but will push already vulnerable species to the brink.

Let’s pile the pressure on Premier Colin Barnett to halt this senseless killing of sharks.

JUST ACT NOW: greenpeace.org.au/sos

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