SM157_Shift Miner Magazine by Shift Miner

SHIFT MINER The Queensland mining and gas community’s best source of local news

Locally Owned & Operated

www.shiftminer.com

Monday March 18, 2013 157th Edition

M A G A Z I N E

PARKED UP

Slowdown puts brake on coal jobs » Full report page 9

Women lead the way » Page 10

Rejuvenating Tara » Page 13

PERSONAL INJURY EXPERTS All accidents and personal injury claims: • Motor Vehicle Accidents • Workers Injury Claims • Public Liability Claims • Mining Accident Claims • Total and Permanent Disability Insurance Claims • Boating and Holiday Accident Claims Darren Sekac is available for consultations at the Whitsunday and Proserpine offices on Thursday, by appointment only.

Darren Sekac*

*Personal Injuries Law Accredited Specialist (MAckAy)

Call 4944 2000

www.macamiet.com.au

MACKAY

Shift Miner Magazine

CONTENTS 8

12 5

NEWS 4 Safety gap widens 6 Critics slam dust tests 9 Slowdown or bust? 12 Gas project shelved

Regulars

Numbers You Numbers Numbers Can CountYou On** You

Can Count On Can Count On* *When audited by the CAB Numbers You 23 *When audited CAB * by the *When audited the CAB On CanbyCount

8 Stuff to the Editor 1 19 Frank the Tank 22 Minerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trader 23 Bait Shop Banter 25 Money Matters

*When audited by the CAB

M A G A Z I N E

www.shiftminer.com M AE G A www.shiftminer.com I N E M AMGA AG ZA I Z N I N E Z www.shiftminer.com

Queensland mining community's best source of local news

SHIFT MINER

Proudly Audited by

Proudly Audited Proudly Audited by by

Locally Owned and Operated

www.shiftminer.com

Phone: (07) 4921 4333 Fax: (07) 4922 6908 angus.peacocke@shiftminer.com Editor: Greg Sweetnam Advertising: Angus Peacocke 0428 154 653

www.shiftminer.com

M A G A Z I NForEmore information visit www.auditbureau.org.au For more information visit www.auditbureau.org.au For more information visit www.auditbureau.org.au

For more information visit www.auditbureau.org.au

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

Shift Miner Magazine

News

www.shiftminer.com

Vale Geoff Shadforth

THE mining community is mourning the loss of 35-year-old Geoff Shadforth, a well known and well liked Sunshine Coast businessman. Geoff is the son of Shadforth Civil Contractors founder Peter Shadforth - and the company has a strong presence in Gladstone, Moranbah, Wandoan, Mackay and Townsville. Geoff died following a tragic accident while taking part in a charity motorbike event in Cambodia. Cousin and fellow director Ray Shadforth said Geoff was on his first day of sightseeing tour around a temple when he fell from his bike in a seemingly harmless accident. “Unfortunately he got progressively worse over a short period of time and despite the best efforts of his team members they were unable to resuscitate him while waiting for a helicopter to fly him into the closest city. Sadly he never made it alive to the hospital,” Ray said. “Geoff leaves an important legacy to the Shadforth’s business, he grew up with his dad around the business, helping out in his school holidays and then became an employee after his completed his university degree. He became a director in 2008 and he helped take the business to a new level. “Geoff was calm and articulate and well respected by staff and his peers. His determination to create our successful subsidiary business AusRoads is testimony to his vision and commitment to the company.” Geoff Shadforth was 35 and leaves his wife Helen and two young children.

Latest death widens safety gap between Qld and NSW

Since 2010 six workers have died in the Queensland resources sector.

THE death of a worker who died near a mine site at Mt Isa is the second resource industry fatality in just two months and brings the total number of mining-related deaths in Queensland to six since 2010. New Zealander Jordan Taurima, 29, died when a load on a crane apparently came loose and fell on him on March 6. “The investigation is still happening and we have been checking in with the inspectors, but there has been no real update,” a spokesperson from the Department of Mines and Energy told Shift Miner. “We have confirmation that he was struck by a pump being lifted by a crane.” Mr Jordan, who was a contractor for Incitec Pivot, the owner of the Mount Isa acid plant, was working near Xstrata’s copper smelter when the accident occurred. “The Queensland Government Mines Inspectorate will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of this fatality. An investigation report will then be prepared for the Coroner,” the department spokesperson said. His death comes less than two months after a coal seam gas (CSG) contractor died of suspected heat stroke while working in the gas fields on the outskirts of Roma on January 16. The temperature that day reached over 42 degrees. The 38-year-old was contracted by Fluor Australia, which is building the pipeline that will deliver CSG from south-west Queensland to the Santos GLNG plant off Gladstone. Workplace Health and Safety is still investigating the death, and police are preparing a report for the Coroner.

18th March 2013

These deaths do nothing to improve Queensland’s safety record, with a report released last year revealing some worrying trends. There was a 23 per cent increase in the number of workers in mining and quarrying who suffered “lost time injuries and disabling injuries” from 2010. The figure jumped from 851 to 1047 in 2011-12. Although the number of fatalities fell — three the previous year — there was still one fatality in 2012. These two recent deaths bring the total to six in the past two years. When the report was released, the Mines Minister Andrew Cripps said the inspectorate would be talking directly to mining companies to address the increase in incidents, and induction programs would be audited. “Queensland’s mine safety standards have long been considered the best in the world. However, as new untrained employees enter the industry, employers must be diligent,” he said. In contrast, NSW has recorded a decrease in fatalities and lost time injuries. The NSW Mine Safety Performance Report 2011-2012 reports there were 2.3 per cent fewer lost time injuries than in the previous year, and 3.3 per cent fewer total recordable injuries. In 2011-2012 all sectors were fatality free, and the five-year average fatal injury frequency rate to June last year decreased 25 per cent for call and fell to zero for metalliferous and extractives. The five year average fatal injury frequency rate fell by 65.1 per cent compared with June 2007.

Shift Miner Magazine

News

www.shiftminer.com

Rail deal gives Galilee momentum

FAST NEWS Harbour compo claims

APPLICATIONS for compensation from anglers affected by dredging in Gladstone Harbour have opened. Gladstone Ports Corporation is holding a range of meetings in the week of March 25 and April 8 to provide more information to anglers. Last year about 20 businesses unsuccessfully sought millions through a class action from the GPC and state government for losses. Further information on the compensation packages and how to apply is on the GPC website.

Well, well THE state government wants farmers to convert unused CSG wells into water bores. Legislation to allow the practice has been introduced to parliament. A set of guidelines will also be developed to ensure the unused well are properly managed. The conversion amendment will only apply to wells drilled on or after January 1 last year. Aurizon and GVK Hancock have joined forces to develop new rail and port facilities for the province, estimated to be worth about $6 billion.

THE race to unlock the vast thermal coal reserves in the Galilee Basin has ramped up, despite the slump in coal prices. GVK Hancock has joined forces with Aurizon to develop new rail and port facilities for the province, estimated to be worth about $6 billion. The move would seem to give GVK Hancock the edge in the race to develop the reserves, ahead of Indian infrastructure group Adani which also owns tenements in the region. “It certainly puts the Hancock proposal another step closer to reality,” said CQUniversity resource economist John Rolfe. “Previously I think Adani was a bit further advanced, but this certainly would seem to give Hancock the edge.” The bountiful thermal reserves of the Galilee Basin have talked up since the 1970s, but the problem has always remained - how to get the coal to port and still turn a profit. Coal prices at the moment are less than encouraging particularly for thermal coal, but Professor Rolfe said the companies involved would be trying to forecast further into the future. “Low energy prices would still be a bit of a concern, but before they make their final investment decision companies would be trying to make a guess at what prices would be in three to five years time and current prices aren’t really indicative of that.” He said both GVK Hancock and Adani appeared very committed to going through the planning and approvals stages as

well as developing the key infrastructure needed to unlock the region. “That would suggest they see the future as very promising,” he added. Earlier this year, Adani’s Ian Sedgman told a Mackay business breakfast the company was under intense pressure to be exporting coal from its Carmichael coal project by 2016. “We have got a huge challenge ahead of us,” he said. “Our business has to grow, our project has to get through the approval processes and we also have to partner with most of the Australian suppliers and vendors in order to get the project off the ground. “We don’t underestimate the challenge. We think it is massive both organisationally and on the ground. We are going to face a lot of interesting times ahead.” Professor Rolfe said Adani’s big advantage was its plan to directly export coal to electricity generators in India - making it less sensitive to coal price variations. He said they also weren’t looking for financial backers. “Hancock are going to be looking for external partners, so some of the reason they are sounding so confident is they need to talk the talk to bring in new partners. “But Adani is a different kettle of fish. They are self-financing so their talk could be seen to be completely genuine.” “I think the fact that both companies remain so committed to the Galilee Basin points very much to it being viable to mine.” 18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

News

www.shiftminer.com

Toowoomba to Roma in a hurry? Just fly... IF you regularly drive the few hundred kilometres between Roma and Toowoomba you will soon have more options to fly. Specialist regional airline Skytrans is to service the resource centres after an announcement by the state government cleared the way for new carriers on the route. Previously, because of state government restrictions, Roma was an airport that could only be serviced by one carrier, and that has been Qantaslink. However, after consistent

18th March 2013

lobbying by Toowoomba Regional Council, business groups and mining companies, restrictions on the route were reviewed. Roma has now been removed from the list. “The legal advice I received confirmed that airlines interested in operating on the proposed route will not require a government service contract,” Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said. “Opening up this route provides alternatives for anyone

wanting to travel to and from Toowoomba and the rapidly developing Roma area.” Skytrans has already been using the Toowoomba airport for flights between the city and Sydney. This has been a boon for southern business travellers also as many had previously had to fly to Brisbane and drive over an hour to meetings and worksites in the Darling Downs. Toowoomba Mayor Paul Antonio described the news as “exciting for the region”.

“As the gateway to the burgeoning energy sector in the Surat Basin, Toowoomba stands to gain much from the advent of such a service,” he said. “This development places our region front and centre as an attractive base for myriad companies involved in the mining and energy sector.” He added that the service would be a benefit to those that currently had to drive to Brisbane and catch a flight to Roma or drive between the town and Toowoomba.

Skytrans commercial general manager Mike Thinee has said in the past that there was an overwhelming demand for daily flights between Toowoomba and Roma. He said the company would actively target the business market once flights started. “We are prepared to take some risk with the Roma route, but from what we are hearing it will eventually pay dividends.” Dates of when flights will start, the schedule or costs were not available.

Shift Miner Magazine

www.shiftminer.com

Hail Creek signs on next generation of workers Five young local people are kick starting their trade careers after accepting apprenticeships at Hail Creek Mine this year. The electrical and diesel fitting apprentices were selected from a large pool of applicants and are employed by local training and apprentices employer MRAEL. The apprentices are currently undertaking a boot camp-style training programme over eight weeks comprising of theory and ticketed qualifications. The programme also offers training to help the apprentices develop life skills such as learning how to budget, stress and fatigue management, shift work and managing working relationships, which are all important to ensure the apprentices are mine-ready for their first day on site. “Before I secured this apprenticeship I was finishing school and working at a supermarket. I am very excited to undertake this trade, which I know will be a great learning opportunity to start my career,” Lachlan Duncan, Hail Creek Mine maintenance manager Tim Branch, apprentices David Suttle, Luke Young, Callan McLean and Brandon Shannon. one apprentice, Luke Young said.

Another, diesel fitting apprentice Lachlan Duncan said he’s keen to learn as much as possible and that will give him plenty of options in the future. “I’m looking forward to the opportunities that this apprenticeship will bring. One day I’d like to own a farm and cane harvesting contract so this trade is going to be a great support to achieving that by teaching me the skills to repair and maintain machinery.” Hail Creek Mine general manager operations Rowan Munro highlighted owner Rio Tinto’s commitment to training workers. “We’re committed to providing opportunities for people in the local Mackay region to develop skills through apprenticeships so they can pursue careers in mining and other industries,” he said. “We launched our apprenticeship programme last year and we’re proud to continue taking on new apprentices to help skill the next generation and build the long term sustainability of our community.

Coal critics slam testing regime INDEPENDENT monitoring of coal dust escaping from uncovered train wagons passing through Brisbane is not going to oppose critics of the practice. The tests started last week and the Queensland Resources Council said they will be paid for by users of the line. New Hope Group, Peabody Energy and Yancoal and infrastructure providers Aurizon, Queensland Rail and Queensland Bulk Handling are members of the South Western System User’s Group that will pay for the work. The testing was put in place after resident action group Stop Brisbane Coal Trains (SBTC) and media highlighted public concerns about how much dust is escaping off the uncovered wagons. An estimated 9.2 million tonnes of coal is expected to be exported from the Port of Brisbane this financial year, up from 6.3 million in 2009-10. That’s too much to be uncovered, says SBTC. The group’s spokesman John Gordon dismissed the testing as a mere stunt to make it appear there wasn’t a problem. He also said the government was negligent in allowing industry to pay for the monitoring. “This is negligence - pure and simple. It is putting profits and royalties before people,” he told Shift Miner.

“They know the monitoring will come up smelling clean and fresh, because the heart of the problem is the fact that air quality standards for coal haulage in Queensland are toothless and all but non-existent. “Indeed there is little to no regulations or standards surrounding the whole pitto-port process. The system is broken and needs an expert overhaul.” The trains pass through more than 30 suburbs each year including Darra, Goodna, Tennyson, Yeronga, Coorparoo, Norman Park and Lindum. Regional centres have also had problems with uncovered coal trains as have residents close to large coal storage areas when wind can blow dust for long distances. An independent agency – the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Sciences Branch of the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts (DSITIA) – is conducting the monitoring. The tests will obtain baseline information on dust and particle levels at key sites adjacent to the rail corridor. Monitoring will be conducted for a month at Oakey, Toowoomba, Ipswich, Tennyson, Fairfield and Coorparoo. Monitoring will also be done at Chelmer which is not adjacent to the coal corridor to give a control measure.

“This is negligence - pure and simple.” 18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

News

www.shiftminer.com

New player ramps up dump truck rivalry

Competition in the dump truck market ramped up with the release of two models into Australia by Belarusian Autoworks.

COMPETITION in the dump truck market has just been ramped up with the release of two models into Australia by Belarusian Autoworks.

18th March 2013

Australasian Pacific Engineering Group (APEG) is the exclusive Australian distributor for BelAZ trucks

with Mackay-based Sharps Heavy Equipment the sole service and spare parts provider. Sharps Director, Graham

Sharp, told Shift Miner that the two trucks cost almost $1million to ship to Australia but were expected to be popular in the industry due to their lower operational and life cycle costs. “These are custom made trucks that are able to work in conditions from -50C to more than 50C - some of the harshest mining conditions in the world,” Mr Sharp said. “Both trucks are available in a choice of two engines – a Cummins or a Detroit diesel engine – and a choice of two electric drive systems – Siemens or General Electric. “While the majority of the service and parts support will be provided from our Rutherford workshop in the Hunter Valley, I expect there will be flow on work to the Mackay and Dalby workshops also, especially as the demand increases. “This has been a major coup for us, and we’re very proud to have been chosen to support BelAZ and APEG in this venture. It is estimated that one in three mining trucks throughout

the world is a BelAZ. The company is also developing a 500 tonne truck but all details are being kept under wraps. One industry veteran told Shift Miner that it’s the technology and ability of tyres to carry increasing weights which is holding back the design of megatrucks. Road networks could also be an issue if the trucks get much bigger. Sharps provide specialist servicing, parts, diesel fitting and boiler making services across a range of equipment in the mining and earthmoving industry. Sharps Heavy Equipment is a family-owned business started in Mackay in 1993. They opened a workshop in Dalby in 2007, and Rutherford in 2010. The company currently employs 200 people. APEG Maitland general manager Shane Halliwell believes this first export by BelAZ could be a milestone – spearheading sales to a range of companies. The venture was born after Mr Halliwell was approached by APEG to help them evaluate the Australian market.

Shift Miner Magazine

News

www.shiftminer.com

Coal comfort round the corner? Projects show better days ahead

The workers are there but where do they go to? Coal has slowed but the outlook remains positive.

THE Queensland coal industry has slowed down but there are better days just ahead. That’s the clear sentiment from across the central Queensland coalfields. Many businesses have cut staff and spending as orders slow and projects are put on hold. But what does slow look like in a business sense? The jobs market has often been the clearest barometer. Mark Powell of Stellar Recruitment says most industry recruiters are being inundated with resumes but there are no jobs to place candidates in. “Twelve months ago we were extremely busy filling jobs in Queensland coal, and everybody needed people yesterday,” he told Shift Miner. “Now it is a different story. We are being bombarded with resumes from people we can’t help. It just goes to show how cyclical mining is, in another six to 12 months it will be busy again.” Mr Powell said subcontractors - in particular, fitters - were the first out of work because they charged a premium compared to permanent employees. Some blue collar workers are jumping ship into the oil and gas sectors, and others are looking overseas at expat roles in hard rock and metalliferous mining. “The gas industry is really booming and there are certainly jobs there,” Mr Powell said. “We also have jobs to fill in Africa, Indonesia, PNG and even further afield. It might be in gold, zinc or copper as all of those commodities have stayed fairly

strong and that is where the opportunities are.” Jody Elliot of The Resource Channel said the mood in the industry had certainly changed from 12 months ago. “It certainly is different from last year. I use the word relaxed,” she told Shift Miner. “We are not seeing the level of turnover among staff and employers are far more cautious. “The figure that’s been used is 5000 jobs [gone from coal] since last year, but many of those people would have been soaked back up and found other work. “The significant concerns around the skills shortage have certainly relaxed, but if all these projects still come on it will be back to square one. “The biggest impact, as always, will be in construction which needs to happen virtually overnight. Mining companies have more time to plan their long-term workforce.” CQUniversity resource economist Professor John Rolfe believes the industry has bottomed out. That means the outlook is positive, but there could still be some casualties. “I think the economy is probably at the bottom of the cycle now, and there certainly looks to be some growth in industry with for example the Eagle Downs mine and potential infrastructure development,” he told Shift Miner. “It is a little tricky to forecast when things will pick up because there is still probably a bit of pain to work through the system.”

The Mackay region, Professor Rolfe said, was most at risk simply because it has the largest mining service sector. “Some of service businesses in the Mackay region are staying afloat at the moment, but if there are another six to 12 quiet months that could be a bit different.” “In terms of the Central Queensland economy it is not going to race ahead, but the indications are it will remain calm and solid for the next 12 months,” he said. “What coal companies are all saying is that they are focussing on reducing input costs and streamlining operations, so they are going to be pretty aggressive in their tendering system and looking at reorganising how they do business. “Some companies will do well out of that, but there will also be some casualties. “I think by the end of this year all the restructuring will be complete; up until now the mines have looked at cutting costs by trimming the labour force and we’ve also seen cutbacks in operational expenditure. “By the end of the year they will have cut where they can and we will start to see growth and new projects again.” Mr Powell said he expected improved demand for workers in the Queensland coal industry in the not too distant future. “I’d say it is another six to 12 months away from being very busy again. It might be slow at the moment, but all the talk points to it being much better by the end of the year.”

THE jobs market might be slow and budgets shrinking but the outlook is for better days. Currently on the state government books there are almost 30 large-scale mining projects going through the environmental impact statement process. All will, of course, need workers if approved. And the numbers will be in the thousands - not hundreds. Aquila Resources’ Eagle Downs underground mine is one major project definitely going ahead in the Bowen Basin. It has been under construction since September 2011 but will not need the majority of its labour until next year. More than 500 workers are required by the company and its joint venture partner Vale to build plants and infrastructure on the site. Once the mine is finished, construction a further 400 workers will be required to run it. The mine is projected to export an average of 4.5 million tonnes of metal-making coal a year for the first 10 years with the ability to increase that to 8 million tonnes a year after a potential expansion. “The peak workforce won’t be there until 2014 or 2015,”

Aquila general manager of coal Stephen Pilcher said. Eagle Downs will begin exporting in 2015 and hit full production from 2016. Bandanna Energy’s proposed Springsure Creek coal project is one the company remains optimistic about. The project has a measured coal resource of 60 million tonnes and an inferred resource of 150 million tonnes. Under the current feasibility study, Bandanna would mine the coal using two underground longwalls each producing around five million tonnes a year. The company released its environmental impact statement last month and this is available for public comment until March 27, 2013. Alluding to the current climate, managing director Michael Gray told Shift Miner the project will still go ahead. “We are in a tough market and we’re working with our venture capital partners, but I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t proceed,” he said. In other bright news Aurizon and GVK signed a deal last week to work together on the rail and port infrastructure for the Galilee Basin, said to be worth $6 billion.

18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

News

www.shiftminer.com

Mining gets to grips with holding women Holding unusual titles is something that Tamara is familiar with. She is the two-times world champion stick fighter after travelling to the Philippines in 2008 and 2012 to compete. “As one of the very few female shift electricians I am in a small minority and this has driven me to establish myself as an overtly competent worker that could approach any situation with confidence,” she said.

Pioneer wins top gong

Electrician Tamara Bellinger has taken out the trade category in the Resources Awards for Women

WHAT’S the biggest obstacle for women working in the mining industry in Mount Isa? You might think it’s trying to attract them to town in the first place, or making sure they have the right qualifications and training. But you’d be wrong. In fact, it’s not enough childcare places. That’s why last year Xstrata tipped $270,000 into a partnership with the Mary Mackillop Childcare centre to fund training to boost the number of qualified childcare services in town. The move has earned the company the prestigious best company initiative gong at the annual Queensland Resources Council’s Resources Awards for Women (RAW).

Production supervisor Myf Szepanowski took out the operator category

The industry has set itself a target to increase the proportion of women in “non-traditional” roles such as geologists, operators, trades and engineers to 20 per cent by 2020. Currently women make up just under 12 per cent of that cohort, up from 11 per cent in 2010-11. The proportion of women across all occupations is 14 per cent, up from 13 percent in 2010-11. “It’s particularly pleasing to see that the proportion of women in trades increased from two to three per cent, though obviously there is still a long way to go in this area,” said QRC chief executive Michael Roche. “It’s also pleasing to see a one per cent increase in female senior managers to 14 per cent. “While our statistics continue

to trend upwards, we know that we need to keep a sharp focus on measures to ensure that the resources sector is attractive to women, and provides a working environment that encourages them to stay.”

Champion stick fighter rises to top TAMARA Bellinger is the first woman in her family to complete high school. Now the 23-year-old electrician at Xstrata Copper’s Mount Isa mine has won the trade category at the 2013 Resources Awards for Women. “I saw the value in holding a high school certificate and consequently I am now encouraging other young girls to do the same,” Tamara said.

THE first female open-cut examiner and shift boss at NSW’s largest open-cut coal mine has won this year’s prestigious Resources Award for Women. Heather Bell is now Rio Tinto’s NSW regional manager for resource development based in Brisbane, but her 11 years in mining has seen her work across a range of sites in Queensland and New South Wales in technical, corporate and managerial roles. At just 33, she is the youngest manager and only female in her team to work across two states. “I believe that to continue changing attitudes towards women in the workforce it is important to focus on educating the men in our industry and this involves building strong, trusting and respectful relationships with men in everyday work,” Heather said. “It’s also about being active and visible in the workplace and accepting opportunities that raise the profile of women.”

Myf takes on big machines

woman production supervisor on a site among 22 men at Anglo American’s Callide mine. She has won this year’s operator category in the Resources Awards for Women. “I am encouraged to see more women involved in the production area,” said Myf. “Women on site are hard-working, capable, and adaptable and see the resources sector as a promising, long-term career choice.” Myf is also a member of the mines rescue team and has recently received an award for her role in the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service during the 2013 floods.

AND THE WINNER’S ARE: Overall Winner: Heather Bell Rio Tinto Coal Australia (Brisbane) Runner up: Andrea Rutley Anglo American (Brisbane) Rising Star Winner: Lucya Yunus Xstrata Copper (Mount Isa) Runner Up: Kate Brand (Brisbane) Trade Winner: Tamara Bellinger Xstrata Copper (Mount Isa) Highly Commended: Karla Draper Thiess (Inglewood); Nikita Mason BMA (Moranbah); Sandii Rixon BHP Billiton (Poitrel Mine/Brisbane – FIFO) Operator Winner: Myf Szepanowski Anglo American Callide Mine (Boundary Hill) Runner up: Elisha Wesser BMA (Mount Julian) Gender Diversity Champion Joint Winners: Rebecca Capper Anglo American (Brisbane); Tash Fee TNT Training Solutions (Calliope) Best Company Initiative Winner: Xstrata Mount Isa Mines Highly Commended: Parsons Brinkerhoff

MYF Szepanowski is the only

Industry liaison so cool for school

Electrician Tamara Bellinger has taken out the trade category in the Resources Awards for Women

18th March 2013

Clermont State High School students won’t be left behind if the school’s industry liaison officer has anything to do with it. Sandra Murphy has used her role to help the school become one of the leading Vocational and Education Training (VET) schools in the state, with students undertaking pathways into a range of careers including agriculture, building and child services. Clermont State High School principal Leanne Hooper said Sandra has made a real difference to the school. “The number of students from our school who go on to complete an apprenticeship or traineeship is well above the state average per capita,” she said.

“The most recent data available shows that 90 per cent of our students were involved in a school-based VET programme, and of this, 100 per cent of our year 10 to 12 students had the opportunity to undertake a VET course that enabled them to receive a certificate qualification.” In addition, more than 50 per cent of students who participated in work experience placements continued onto a school-based traineeship or apprenticeship. The position has been supported by the Rio Tinto Clermont Community Development Fund since early last year. Ms Murphy said it was very rewarding working with the students on their vocational career goals and pathways.

“I regularly meet with industry and business representatives to discuss possible work experience placements and school-based apprenticeships and traineeships. My role also involves conducting industry reviews of the VET courses that we offer,” she said. Last year the Agricultural Studies VET course was one of the most popular courses undertaken by students at the school. The school’s agricultural programme received an added boost with the recent purchase of a new 21-seater bus, thanks to the programme’s partnership with the Rio Tinto Clermont Community Development Fund. The bus is now being used to transport students to off-site properties and on agricultural excursions.

Shift Miner Magazine

News

www.shiftminer.com

More rooms for rent

Room with a view: building of new accommodation in the Bowen Basin has ground to a halt.

ALL forward planning for new accommodation in the Bowen Basin has ground to a halt, as short-term sentiment overshadows future need. That’s the opinion of mining accommodation specialist Chris Jury. “In coal, it’s dead,” he told Shift Miner. “The coal industry has reportedly dropped 5000 people since June 30 so for all service industries whether it’s rental cars, flights to Emerald or motel rooms it’s all been affected by the decrease in bodies.” “There is a surplus in accommodation out there at the moment, be it motel rooms or camps.” Mr Jury said mining’s cyclical nature makes it very difficult to ever properly

prepare for the future accommodation needs of new projects. “It takes two years to get things [accommodation] up and running, from the approvals stage to having it built. Sentiment can change half a dozen times during that period,” he said. During the troughs, he said, people lose the confidence to invest. “I don’t think anybody believes Moranbah is going to shut down and not be there in 15 years, so in reality work should be ongoing for the next phase of housing development. “But I can absolutely assure you all momentum has been lost, and that does not help in the long term.” Further south in the Surat Basin gas fields it is a different story. While dozens of temporary camps have sprung up to service the three LNG proponents and their pipelines, the longer term demands are still largely unknown. “This is a new industry, and in places like Chinchilla and Dalby the difficulty is understanding what is temporary and what the longer term needs are going to be,” said Mr Jury. “I don’t think anyone - because it is a new industry - is fully prepared or understands the difference between the temporary and ongoing demands. “I think when the [pipeline] projects finish, there are going to be an awful lot of temporary camps on the market. But then again, there will still be a demand for accommodation during shutdowns.”

Mystery bids for Qld gas

DESPITE tenders closing a month ago for petroleum and gas exploration land through Queensland’s new competitive cash-bidding process there are still no details of what companies showed interest or how much they bid. When announcing the new process last October, the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Andrew Cripps said it meant exploration rights would go to the most appropriate companies. “From today, companies will be able to submit a tender to explore in two areas of potentially highly prospective land for petroleum and gas in the Surat Basin,” a buoyant Mr Cripps told media. Surprisingly though the enthusiasm to

spruik the process has waned now tenders have closed. A government staffer told Shift Miner the process had occurred and no further information was available at this point. Requests for simple facts, such as how many companies had put in tenders and if they were domestic or foreign-owned, were ignored. The preferred tenderers will be recommended by an evaluation panel of senior officers from the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Projects Queensland and the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning. The two areas included in the first tender had been identified by the State Government for their potential to be some of the highest quality gas reserves in Queensland. One is about 75 square kilometres and located eight kilometres west of Miles on the Warrego Highway. The second area is about the same size and is about eight kilometres south-east of Condamine and is east of the Leichhardt Highway. Both areas are surrounded by existing granted petroleum exploration and production tenures and existing infrastructure. The Department of Natural Resources and Mines website says information will be available on the outcome of the process “later in the financial year”.

Arrow seeks local input COMMUNITY sessions will be held throughout the Bowen Basin in the next fortnight for the public to comment on Arrow Energy’s planned coal seam gas expansion in the region. Its environmental impact statement (EIS) was released on March 11. Arrow is planning the staged development of CSG wells in a development area in Central Queensland from about 30km north of Glenden to 10km south of Blackwater. The Bowen Gas Project is one of two upstream CSG developments which form part of the Arrow liquefied natural gas (LNG) project to convert CSG to LNG for export. Arrow Energy chief executive Andrew Faulkner says the EIS detailed the scope, potential impacts and mitigations as well as the benefits and opportunities from the Bowen Gas Project. “Arrow’s Bowen Gas Project will have a lifespan of about 40 years which will help meet the growing demand for cleaner fuels,” Mr Faulkner says. “It will also complement Arrow’s existing Moranbah Gas Project, a joint venture with AGL, which continues to supply both the Moranbah and Townsville

power stations and mineral refining facilities in north Queensland.” Session open to the public are being held at: • Glenden (drop in session); Monday, March 18 11am-1.30pm Glenden Recreation Centre Ewan Drive; • Moranbah Monday, March 18 5pm-8pm Moranbah Community Centre Town Square Avenue; • Dysart (drop in session) Tuesday, March 19 11am-1.30pm Dysart Recreation Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive • Middlemount Tuesday, March 19 5pm-8pm Middlemount Community Hall, 27 James Randall Drive; • Blackwater Wednesday, March 20 5pm-8pm Blackwater Civic Centre, 20 Blain Street. The EIS can be viewed at regional libraries and copies will be available on the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection’s website (www. ehp.qld.gov.au) and Arrow Energy’s website (www.arrowenergy.com.au) or by contacting Arrow Energy on the project freecall number 1800 038 856 or bowengas@arrowenergy.com.au to request a DVD copy. 18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

News

www.shiftminer.com

Rocky region gets boost with industry park

A $75 million industry park near Rockhampton will be a catalyst for more investment, according to a local business group.

A $75 million industry park near Rockhampton will be a catalyst for more investment, according to a local business group. Melbourne-based Gibb Group has secured a 25 hectare site in the Gracemere Industrial Area, which is a gateway to the central Queensland coal fields and has been marketed to service industries. “When you have a group like the Melbourne-based Gibb Group, it increases the marketing impetus for the entire GIA,”

chief executive of Capricorn Enterprise, Mary Carroll, told Shift Miner. It will be the first development in the GIA that has the capacity to house businesses servicing the Bowen, Galilee and Surat Basin coal mines. “This investment is very exciting,” Ms Carroll said. She said the Rockhampton Regional Council was a critical companion to the industrial area. “I take my hat off to Margaret

Strelow. This is why the mayor has put in so much investment and fast-tracked infrastructure into Gracemere. “Look at the result . . . this is what we can achieve when we work together.” The industry park will be at the entrance of the recently completed $50 million Gracemere overpass. The overpass provides direct access to the Capricorn Highway and to major mining and business communities in

Central Queensland. The industry park will cater for high, medium and low impact industrial businesses with the potential to house as much as 100,000 sqm of factories, workshops, distribution centres, and warehousing. Gibb Group managing director Matthew Gibb said the estate is one of the few industry parks in Queensland capable of catering for road trains in both an allowable use context and also within its internal road systems. Mayor of the Rockhampton Region, Cr Strelow, said this was an important step for the region as it seeks to expand its role as a major service point for Central Queensland business. “Council has put a great deal of effort into constructing the supporting road, water and sewerage infrastructure,” she said. Meanwhile, Rockhampton Regional Council was one of three in the state to be voted for deamalgamation over the weekend. The ‘yes’ vote means the Capricorn Coast will split and revert back to the former Livingstone Shire Council in January.

Ms Carroll said the split will not affect Capricorn Enterprise’s tourism arm, as the organisation already works with three councils: Rockhampton, Central Highlands and Woorabinda Regional Councils. “Local government plays an integral part in tourism, funding parks, gardens, beach access, walkways, etc, and Rockhampton has always invested a lot into this,” she said. “Rockhampton Regional Council contributes a lot more direct cost into the tourism industry than the Capricorn Coast did.” The economic arm of Capricorn Enterprise will be affected by de-amalgamation, as this will just be part of the Rockhampton Regional Council. Ms Carroll said the organisation, which was a merger of five enterprise and three tourism organisations over two years ago, will stick to its seven priority projects, which includes the GIA. “Will a breakaway council affect this organisation? No - it is business as usual regardless of what’s happening.”

Aurizon wraps up rail coup Gas project shelved over green tape

Aurizon and BMA have agreed to a coal hauling contract into the next decade.

AURIZON has signed a new coal haulage contract with its largest customer BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) in a $1billion coup many analysts weren’t expecting. The previously state owned QR National was floated by the former Bligh Government in 2010. Speculation was rife that Aurizon might lose its lucrative contracts to haul 65 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) from BMA mine sites to rival Asciano, or even BHP itself.

18th March 2013

It is the largest coal contract signed in the state in nearly 12 years, and a major boost for Aurizon’s shareholders, including the Queensland Government, which retains 18 per cent stake. “This is the largest contestable haulage contract in the Australian coal market in a decade,” said a jubilant Aurizon chief executive Lance Hockridge. “It represents about a quarter of the entire Queensland coal haulage market. We’ve worked extremely hard to deliver a service package that is large-scale, flexible and performance-based.” It means Aurizon will continue to haul coal from BMA and BMC mines on the Blackwater and Goonyella systems to Gladstone, Hay Point and Dalrymple Bay. The contract covers the Blackwater, Gregory, South Walker Creek, Poitrel, Riverside, Goonyella, Saraji, Peak Downs and Daunia mines. Aurizon is Australia’s largest rail freight company with services operating across five states. Last financial year Aurizon transported more than 250 million tonnes of freight, including coal, iron ore, other minerals, agricultural products and general freight. The company also operates and manages the 2670 kilometre central Queensland coal network that links mines to coal ports at Bowen, Mackay and Gladstone.

QUEENSLAND may benefit handsomely from the growing tangle of green tape around gas projects in New South Wales. Coal seam gas junior Metgasco is to suspend $100 million worth of work around Casino in the north of the state because of increasing government regulation and may now look for opportunities here. Metgasco chief executive officer Peter Henderson announced the indefinite suspension on March 13 citing an uncertain regulatory environment as the key cause. The company has also been targeted by Lock the Gate over many months. However, Mr Henderson confirmed the main reason for stopping work was the state government’s residential 2km CSG-free buffer zone announced last month and not ongoing protests or community opposition. He also blamed the previous 18-month statewide moratorium on the industry and what he described as increasingly lengthy delays in approvals for continued exploration. “We don’t think we’ll have sensible stable policy in place until the end of the year after the Federal election, and to go through spending shareholders’ funds on that basis would be just wasteful,” Mr Henderson said.

The company has spent $100 million in acquiring licences and exploration in the past decade and in 2009 announced it had struck the most significant conventional gas find in NSW history. Plans for a $42 million gas-fired power station and pipeline to Queensland were subsequently developed, amid growing community opposition to the industry. Queensland is now seen as a better alternative for Metgasco if it can find viable projects but it will retain its NSW licences for the future. The Australian Petroleum Producers and Exploration Association said the Metgasco decision would mean job losses, economic opportunity forgone and the prospect of almost two decade’s worth of NSW gas supply put into the too-hard basket. Chief operating officer for the eastern region Rick Wilkinson said APPEA had been warning for months that ad hoc and politically motivated regulation of the energy sector would have serious consequences. “Unfortunately this is what happens when energy policy is mismanaged,” he said. The Queensland natural gas industry currently employs about 27,584 people. Companies operating in NSW have about 330 people.

Shift Miner Magazine

News

www.shiftminer.com

Rejuvenating Tara, one hump at a time RICHARD Thornbury is a glass half full kind of guy. As the president of the Tara Futures Group, the organisation that promotes the Darling Downs town, he has to be because there are challenges coming up every day. First on the list is the town’s image. He told Shift Miner during an affable interview that the place had got a bad wrap in the media and locals were out to improve its public image. “We’ve really copped it over the years. We’ve copped a pizzling in the media. They have said Tara is this or Tara is that,” he says of negative coverage. “The town is sick of the media portraying it as a bad place. “We get visitors stop here and say they didn’t realise it would be so nice after all that they had heard.” Getting people along to the Tara Futures Group meeting remains a struggle but Mr Thornbury said locals chip in where it counts. The camel races are on in August and this year will have special guests of the 2GB Continuous Call team including radio host Ray Hadley, and league legends Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach and Darryl Brohman. Roach and Brohman are rumoured to be ready to get on the back of one of the camels and try their luck at one of the races in front of what are expected to be record crowds.

It’s just one small part of building up a positive image for the beleaguered community. Mr Thornbury said the town offers plenty for people who choose to live and work there and is not a town full of illness, as media reports would suggest. Tara has been a focus point for opposition to the coal seam gas industry in Queensland. Tara “blockies” confronting and obstructing CSG workers has been a staple in the media cycle, and residents also claim to be able to smell fumes in the area. Last year the state government investigated reports of illness, and similar issues have again arisen in recent weeks. But Mr Thornbury said there are plenty of people living and working in the town that have no health issues or concerns about the CSG industry. There are also plans for a promotional video to highlight the positives of Tara while a connection with a university staffer in Brisbane could lead to a group of media students surveying locals about what they like best about the town and using that to promote the positive, laid back lifestyle. “We would like to get more community input to the Tara Futures Group but it’s always a bit of a struggle to do that,” Richard conceded. “We really need to keep shining a positive light on the town.”

Miners move over for tourists

More than miners - resource centre caravan parks are still trying to get tourists through the front gates.

CARAVAN park operators are making the conscience decision to remain open for tourists, even if they are full of mining and industry workers. Over the past 18 months, and particularly during boom times, caravan parks in Central Queensland including in towns like Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone have become home for mining and industry workers while they’re on the job. In fact, mining companies were booking entire sites for their employees. But now caravan park operators are choosing to make sure there is always room for their original clientele - the grey nomad. “Recently we have been getting many reports back from parks who are making a conscience decision to stay open for tourists,”

said operations manager of Caravan Parks Association of Queensland Kristy Ponting. “Operators came into the industry because they love sitting around the campfire with travellers, they didn’t see it is as the business of providing permanent housing.” Ms Ponting said many parks were now opening up new sites for tourists, and there was definitely the misconception that if you were a tourist there was no point stopping in some towns. “In towns like Gladstone, people think that sites aren’t available, so they are not pulling in. That’s just simply not the case. Our advice is ring ahead.” She said operators are looking at ways to split up the workers from the tourists. “Some operators are even looking at separating the tourist sites from the accommodation used for mining so that it is a completely different experience for tourists.” The resources boom has made caravan parks the unexpected focus point for accommodation and investment. While the parks struggle to find room for all those that now want to stay there, they have been setting the pace for investment in the past two years. In late 2011 one Bowen Basin park sold for $16 million. Buying a greenfield site in some centres and the developing it was always “iffy” one broker told Shift Miner and that meant investors were attracted to established infrastructure.

Calliope CWA gets funding windfall

Santos GLNG Gladstone regional manager Garry Scanlan presents the cheque.

THE small central Queensland town of Calliope has been in the media for all the wrong reasons over the past six weeks thanks to flooding - but not this time. Santos GLNG has presented the Queensland Country Women’s Association Hall in Calliope with $80,000 to go towards a much-needed facelift. Santos GLNG Gladstone regional manager Garry Scanlan said the support to help transform the hall into a community hub would further strengthen the community spirit in Calliope. “This support will mean Calliope will have access to a modern, child and family friendly centre which will provide maternal and child health support, parenting advice, playgroups and a number of other services,” he said. The Calliope QCWA hall has been an integral part of the town for more than 60 years. Not-for-profit group The Benevolent

Society started a Queensland-wide partnership with the QCWA in 2010 to identify halls that could be re-invigorated to support families with young children. The Benevolent Society’s project manager, Jess Wilson, said the new hub would fill a gap in local services and create a safe, beneficial and enjoyable community space for local families. “The hub will build strengths in individuals, specifically parents and carers of young children and families, and will have a positive ripple effect with benefits flowing into the broader community,” she said. The funding commitment includes a video conferencing unit to connect parents with specialist supports such as speech therapy, two laptops, painting inside and out, floor sanding and varnish and a number of other improvements. Work on the upgrades is expected to commence later this month.

Stanmore buoyant on Belview

STANMORE Coal has released an updated concept mining study to the stock market for its planned $869 million Belview underground longwall mine with first coal in 2017. The company has modelled on a 3.5 million tonnes a year single longwall operation. A second longwall could be built for $529million to double annual coking coal production to seven million tonnes a year. Based on new geological models, consultants Xenith have estimated a total exploration target of about one billion tonnes at depths of 385 to 800 metres. “Belview is a promising coking coal project which demonstrates strong project economics on a single longwall basis and significantly greater NPV (net present value) on a dual longwall basis,” managing director Nick Jorss said. “The study demonstrates a long life high quality coking coal project in an environment where the identification and development of new generation, high quality

coking coal projects remains challenging. “The project is well located on existing rail infrastructure within the Bowen Basin. A further drilling program will commence shortly.” Belview is five kilometres south of the Blackwater to Gladstone railway and four kilometres east of the historic Leichhardt mine. Meanwhile, the company put out another statement this week urging investors to use caution when assessing the information about the project as projections were “conceptual” in nature and required more data. The state government stands to earn a royalty of $20.92 from every tonne of coking coal produced if the mine goes ahead. In November, the Brisbane-based company paid billionaire Clive Palmer $5.1m for an adjoining coal tenement EPC 1186 which gives access to a larger, shallower resource to begin mining before chasing deeper seams. 18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

SHIFT MINER ladder

www.shiftminer.com

Get where you want to be

Proactive miners get headstart on mental health

Major resource companies are working harder to support workers with mental health issues.

GREATER support at work for employees with mental health is soon to be a reality with major mining companies receiving data on their staff which will help them address the needs of workers.

The Australasian Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health has been working with companies for several months to gather information on the needs of resource workers.

Centre chief executive Dr Jennifer Bowers says the organisation will work with companies to address mental health issues on remote work sites once they have digested the information.

“From the results of the survey last year, that’s what we are beginning to hand back to the company’s now for their information, and once they’ve digested that and understood what’s happening, they’re in a better position management on site where they need to put their focus to support people, whether they are skilled or unskilled and all those sorts of things,” she said this week. One in three miners will experience mental illness every year Dr Bowers told the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety conference in 2011. “People work in tough climatic conditions, there can be high levels of stress, as well as isolation and working away from family and friends,” she said. “If one in three miners has a mental illness across Australia, that is about 70,000 people. “The productivity losses around that are enormous.” Dr Bowers said based on a 12hour shift, a person with a mental illness will average two hours and 42 minutes of unproductive time. If it is assumed on the 1:3 ratio that 1000 employees out of 3000

generated at BeQRious.com

18th March 2013

have a mental illness during a year, that means every day there are 2700 hours of unproductive time. “That equates to 225 people not showing up to work at all, or in the big scheme about 7.5 per cent lost productivity.” While most companies have counselling services in place when a death or serious accident occurs on site, Dr Bowers wants mental health services to change from reactive to proactive. “We want to put mental health into occupational health and safety policy,” she said. “It should be in induction protocols and it should be integrated in a way that is culturally appropriate.” Culturally appropriate can mean swearing. Some of the pamphlets produced by the centre have the heading: “Don’t tell me to harden the f*ck up, just talk to me.” Dr Bowers said while many companies struggled with the whole concept of mental health, a handful were beginning to embrace the idea of prevention. “A few far-sighted companies are now on board.”

Shift Miner Magazine

SHIFT MINER ladder

www.shiftminer.com

Get where you want to be

457 visas a must for mining progress 457 VISA FACTS

457 VISAS are considered crucial to running key projects in Queensland.

457 VISAS are not rorted in mining or overused but they are crucial to running key projects in Queensland, according to one migration specialist. The visa scheme is likely to be tightened after Prime Minister Julia Gillard said there had been widespread rorting by employers, and Australians should be at the front of the jobs queue. But Carman & Associates principal Chris Carman said that was already the case. “I agree it should be Australians first for Australian jobs,” he told Shift Miner. “But when you can’t get an Australian, let’s not make it more difficult or arduous than it needs to be to find someone from overseas. “The current program is not broken; it works efficiently and there are no rorts, or at least not

on the scale we are hearing of.” Mr Carman said 457 visas were needed to fill crucial roles in resources sector, particularly in new oil and gas projects. “You are simply not going to get these professionals with the specialist skills in Australia because they are unprecedented projects (here). You can only get those skills overseas from places like Scotland, the Middle East and Canada where they have been running similar projects.” Mr Carman conceded the mining industry could be planning better and spending more on training, but he said even then there would always be a need. “The 457 visa scheme is very reactive; you can very quickly fill the position you need. Maybe the industry should plan better but at the same time you can’t just

turn someone on Centrelink into a civil engineer in five minutes, so there is always going to be an ongoing need.” He said aside from having a small labour market to begin with, Australians have always been fairly inflexible about where they want to work. “In fact, we are becoming less transient. A lot of people would like to have a $150,000 mining job but only if it is in the centre of Sydney. Mining companies have done a very good job at attracting Australians to go and and work for them but it is not an easy thing to do.” Mr Carman praised the work that had gone into getting the 457 visa scheme running quickly and efficiently over the past two years. He said most applications in mining were now turned around within two weeks.

In the 2012 calendar year the mining industry had 2430 temporary visa (457) applications granted. This represents just 0.9% of the direct Australian mining workforce as of November 2012 (269,700 workers). Last year’s 457 visa intake in mining was 7.3% less than 2011, where the industry brought in 2620 skilled migrants (457 visa) and had a workforce of 215,000 people. During 2012, resource employers created 28,500 new Australian jobs and 93% of these went to local Australian workers. The direct mining industry workforce has grown from 137,000 people to 270,000 people in just five years since 2007, or an average of 20% year on year. Despite that growth, ‘mining’ 457 visa numbers have remained stable; meaning the proportion of annual 457 visas granted to our total workforce has dropped from 2.6% in 2007 to 0.9% today. [Provided by the Australian Mines and Metals Association using ABS and Department of Immigration figures] “What we don’t want to see is the application process slowed down or made more difficult,” he said. Many temporary migrants had lost their jobs in the downturn, Mr Carman said, and it was critical they wanted to be rehired again when cycle picks up. “We don’t want them to leave with a bitter taste in their mouth, never to return again. We are going to need them when it starts booming again.”

All fun until someone loses their job NO one can accuse miners of not moving with the times. When comic Filthy Frank donned a pink bodysuit that made him look like a male appendage, thrust his hips for 15 seconds and then danced maniacally, the Harlem Shake was born (a month ago). The craze that had teenagers and uni students posting their antics on YouTube caught the eye of a group of down-in-themouth miners in WA. To lift their spirits, they did their 30 second routine - in an underground mine - posted it online and were promptly fired and banned from ever mining again. Then recently, a small group of Queensland miners decided to do their rendition of the harlem shake. Shift Miner has it on good authority that the blokes, bored and stuck in their crib while it pelted rain outside, worked on their routine, filmed it on a phone and posted it to Facebook. According to the source, the lads deleted their routine, fessed up and got off with a warning, a bit of embarrassment. According to the source, they realised they breached regulations by filming on site. They may have breached good taste with their dance, but sadly Shift Miner will never know as the film was destroyed. Moral of the story is keep the latest crazes - planking, owling, limping, shaking - and social media for your off shift antics, as the WA miners are now discovering. On a side note, the safety breach was not because these gyrating blokes weren’t wearing shirts, but because they were using electronic equipment that could have caused a spark. Then kaboom.

18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

Around Town

www.shiftminer.com

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY The event was celebrated at the Blackwater Civic Centre

(L-R) Val Beak, Selma Draper, Denise McKenzie and Therese Foley

(L-R) Bianca Whitehouse, Amy Bird, Melina Faine, Sarah Wright, Meghan Kidd and Sophie Russell

(L-R) Elke Flint, Helen Wood, Danielle Svensen and Alicia Anderson

(L-R) Paula McGrath, Dorothy Wilson and Maree Brunner

(L-R) Stacey Steinhardt and Lyn Wernowski

(L-R) Natasha Willson, Amy Nelson and Lacee Mitchell

(L-R) Joan Bradbury and Helen Allen

(L-R) Joyann Hudson, Sally Bach, Kerrie-Ann Landwehr and Jodie Lonergan

(L-R) Arielle-Mae Baker, Tasman Booth, Amber Row Row and Katrice Curtis

(L-R) Loralee Bourke, Deb Burchard, Karen Bird and June McGregor

(L-R) Collen Jones and Lyn Harris

(L-R) Mitchell Kowalski and Luhan McMaster

(L-R) Helen Rix, John Engwitch, Errol Rix and Paul Hembarrow

(L-R) Karley Broderick, Lara Conaghan and Christie Marschke

(L-R) Cathy West and Cathy Hoare

(L-R) Stacey Bromley and Lyn Parker (L-R) Marie Whitfield, Marg Haebich and Carmel Meyer

Holding a social event you want photographed?  Call the Shift Miner office on 4921 4333 to let us know.  You can also give our office a bell if you’d like a copy of any of the photos in this edition.

18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

Around Town

www.shiftminer.com

MULTICULTURAL FOOTY

The Multicultural Footy Day was held at Bluff recently with teams from Duaringa, Woorabinda, Bluff, Blackwater, the Central Highlands and the Capras all playing for the Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Memorial Shield.

The Woorabinda and Central HighlandsTeams

(L-R) Tayla Brown and Sebastion Stiegler

(L-R) Shane Ross and Lloyd Stiegler

(L-R) Tristan Major and Braithen Yoren

The winner of the Fastest Player on the Day was won by Wanui

(L-R) Tara Duus and Dani Fletcher

(L-R) Di, Joseph and Peter Clemesha

(L-R) Thomas and Ken McKenzie

(L-R) Stacey York, Natalie Chapman and Soroya Graham

(L-R) Clyde and Penny Davey

(L-R) Zachary Mikkelsen

(L-R) Lane West, Jakory Blanco, Dante Sanchez, Kainen Beezley, Jai Rankin, Jarli Blanco and Aidan Chapman

(L-R) Larissa Toby, Selena and Samantha Graham

The Duaringa Team who were runners up in the final against Woorabinda

(L-R) Zara Black and Maddison Brown

(L-R) Ron and Dianne Turnball

Buy this and many other images at

www.shiftminer.com Shift Miner magazine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bringing the mining community closer together 18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

Off Shift

www.shiftminer.com

FROm THE EDITOR THERE are plenty of mining trail blazers. Often they go about their work with a minimum of fuss and a minimum of ego. They are a joy to be around and have in the industry. The Queensland Resources Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resources Awards for Women (RAW) celebrate these individuals and companies we rightfully should be celebrating. Reading the winnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; backgrounds and achievements makes even the busiest person wonder what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been up to with our spare time. See the full story on Page 10 to be inspired. The awards also remind us there is a lot more to do to make sure we are giving workers the right support and the right tools to be as efficient and productive as possible. And a lot of that hinges on how happy the person is away from work. Outside of mining Australian rugby league captain Cameron Smith recently made a useful observation about work and life when stepping off the plane from England after winning the world champions trophy. When pressed for comment on fellow player Ben Barba, Smith said great players can always overcome setbacks and play well: â&#x20AC;&#x153;but your life needs to be

in order off the field first.â&#x20AC;? Off the field in mining is accommodation, childcare, debt, transport, social life, career prospects and the list goes on - all the things that matter when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not actually on the tools or at your desk doing the job you signed on for. They are also many of the varied topics covered every edition in the pages of Shift Miner (as well as the work stuff). Xstrata gets it. They tipped $270,000 into a partnership with the Mary Mackillop Childcare centre to fund training to boost the number of qualified childcare services in Mt Isa so there is more childcare places available. That allows more families, and women in particular, to work for the company in the city. They won the main gong at RAW. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always more to do, like Xstrata shows, and if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it now we run the risk of losing our trail blazers to other industries. Mining needs them and Queensland and Australia needs them. So what has your company done to get things right off the field for your workers? Comment or SMS 0409 471 014

Stuff to the Editor

SHIFT MIN ER The Queen

sland minin

When will people learn mining is a cycle? You can earn the big bucks one week, and it all comes crashing down the next. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mortgage yourself to the hilt and buy three boats. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not rocket science. AT, Moranbah I am so sick of hearing about poor old contractors. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why people choose to work for less in town. Job security. Life is about choice. You have to be prepared to take the good with the bad. DS, Rocky When did $2500 in the hand become normal? What sort of society are we building when people think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re worth that kind of money? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re saving lives or teaching kids. SD, Mackay

Photos to THE EDITOR

communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s best sourc

e of local news

Locally Owned

& Operated

tminer.com

4, 2013 156th Edition

M A G A Z I N E

WELDERS IN SHORT SUPP LY

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a first-class welder Bech tel wants you now for Island LNG its Curtis project. Âť More Page

TAYLOR S SOLICIT ORS

13.

/ / 9 9 " ",,-" / ",The Partners:

John Taylor * , Sharon-" Ă&#x160; - LL.B 1,9 Smith - BEc/LL.B Hons Ă&#x160; Craig

Worsley - LL.B Greg Ă&#x160;

Carroll /7", Ă&#x160;

PERSON

/ Ă&#x160;* ,/ ,-\ Â&#x153;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;/>Ă&#x17E;Â? Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x160; Â° Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x160; VĂ&#x2030; Â° Ă&#x160; Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x192;

Ă&#x20AC;>Â&#x2C6;}Ă&#x160;7Â&#x153; Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Â?iĂ&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x160; Â° Ă&#x20AC;i}Ă&#x160; >Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x20AC; Â&#x153;Â?Â?

-Â&#x2026;>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;-Â&#x201C;

/AL INJU *Â&#x2026;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;iĂ&#x160;{Â&#x2122; Mining Accid "/",Ă&#x160;6 xĂ&#x2021;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Â&#x2122;{{Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160; >Ă?Ă&#x160;{Â&#x2122;xĂ&#x2021; RY CLAIMS ents Ă&#x160;

Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Ă¤ÂŁĂ&#x2C6; Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153;Â°Ă&#x152;>Ă&#x17E;Â?Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Â?Â&#x2C6;V Work Accid

/ -1, Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Â°VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C; iÂ&#x201C;>Â&#x2C6;Â?\Ă&#x160;Â&#x201C;>Â&#x2C6;Â?JĂ&#x152;>Ă&#x17E;Â?Â&#x153; ents Â°>Ă&#x2022;

Ă&#x2030;/* Ă&#x160;

Ă&#x2030; Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2021;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Â?Â&#x2C6;VÂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153; Motor Vehic

" 6 9 Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Â°VÂ&#x153;Â&#x201C;Â°>Ă&#x2022; iĂ&#x203A;iÂ?Ă&#x160;Ă&#x201C;Ă&#x2030;ÂŁĂ&#x2021;Ă&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;L>Â&#x2DC; le Accidents Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160; iĂ&#x160;-Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;iiĂ&#x152;Ă&#x160; >VÂ&#x17D;>Ă&#x17E; Insurance/ Ă&#x160; -/ / TPD Claim Ă&#x160; 7Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160; s CONVEY Ă&#x160;Ă&#x160; " ANCING , Ă&#x160; ESTATE 7 LAW

LAW COM MER

Phone 4957 2944 Fax 4957 2016 www.taylor s-solicitors

Level 2/ 17 Brisbane

Monday March

www.shif

JOBS RUSH

email: mail@ taylor s-soli

Our article on contractors wanting $2500 for a weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in the current conditions fuelled these responses:

g and gas

CIAL

World-fi pipe-laying rst feat in Gladston e Harbour.

Âť

See pictu res Page 11.

.com.au citors.com. au

Street Mac kay

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a 60-year-old retired miner and I find it sickening that the industry has become all about young blokes chasing the money. People say mining companies donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look after their workers. Mate, it is an industry where everyone is just looking after number one. TD, Emerald Bechtel on the hunt for welders in Gladstone had people talking: So is there a downturn or not? One second, people are being laid off. The next, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re chasing welders. What is going on? WS, Townsville â&#x20AC;&#x153;World-class welders wantedâ&#x20AC;?. It seems like the expectations these days are just out of control. How about just good welders who work hard? Is that enough? Frank, Gladstone Abbot Pointâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dredging project could come unstuck because of a WWII plane wreck, along with the bodies of 14 RAAF personnel, located right near the dumping site for the mud. Many were in disbelief: If Abbot Point is allowed to dump their sludge there, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll eat my hat. Surely they knew about the site? How could they have missed something as significant as this? BD, Townsville

Join the conversation at www.facebook.com/shiftminer SEEN SOMETHING WE HAVENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T? Prizes for the best mining photos. Take it on your phone or camera and send it in - Text to 0409 471 014 alex.graham@shiftminer.com

How could an organisation with all the money and brains behind it as a port not be able to do a better job of this? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just offensive to all Australians. RD, Mackay Good luck Abbot Point. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pretty sure the Catalina will win. RS, Rocky

Tune into the Michael J. Breakfast show from 7:35 am every Monday for 4RO's CQ Mining Update, with special guest Angus from Shift Miner.

Michael Bailey

Greg Cary

Alan Jones

Laurie Atlas

Weekdays 5am - 9am

NOW WITH MORE NEWS, MORE TALK AND THE MUSIC YOU LOVE WWW.4RO.COM.AU

18th March 2013

Weekdays 12pm - 1pm PHONE: 1300 872 911

Weekdays 9am - 12pm

Weekdays 1pm - 6pm

SALES ENQUIRIES: (07) 4920 2000

Shift Miner Magazine

Off Shift

www.shiftminer.com

Frank the Tank’s Dear Frank,

I’m going over to my girlfriend’s dad’s place for dinner and to meet him for the first time. The only problem is that 10 years ago he left my girlfriend’s mum for a man, and they have been living in sin ever since. I’ve never met a gay in my life and I’m worried I’ll stuff things up. Any advice? Bob, Dalby

Well, I will admit it’s a fairly unusual situation you find yourself in, Bob, but the

good thing for you is I’m well versed in the unusual. A couple of weeks ago I was seeing this girl and she invited me over to have dinner with her parents. She told me I should prepare myself for the fact that her father was paralysed, so I assumed that perhaps he was a bit sensitive about it and I shouldn’t stare at his wheelchair or anything like that. As it turned out, her father was paralysed from the waist up and communicated by typing on a miniature keyboard with his genitals. It was quite an amazing sight, but I cannot figure out why he didn’t just learn to type with his feet; it could have saved a lot of awkwardness. Now, I don’t want you to think I’m being mean here, Bob, but unless you do your homework you’re definitely going to stuff things up with your girlfriend’s dad. If he asks you a question about Sex and the City or who your favourite cast

“Streakin” good love advice

member of Glee is and you don’t have an answer, you’re not going to make a very good impression. Luckily for you it’s 2013 and there are handy mobile phone ‘apps’ to help you out in literally every situation. All you have to do is search the web for some kind of ‘Gay App’ and it should provide you with plenty of conversation topics agreeable to the modern gay man. However, you also need to be careful about how you speak; conversing with a gay man leaves you open to literally thousands of embarrassing double entendres arising out of everyday speech. For instance, I used to date a girl with a gay uncle, and one afternoon he invited us over for a barbecue. I hadn’t eaten anything that day and I was getting pretty hungry, so without thinking I blurted out, “Boy I can’t wait to get that sausage into my mouth.” It’s been three years and he still calls me every month to invite me to the ‘all

male outdoor sausage sizzle’, which is apparently held at midnight at various rest stops along the Bruce Highway.

Frank

SENSIBLE SUSAN Bob, I don’t mean to be insulting here, but I think you need to update your way of thinking. Terms like ‘a gay’ are quite outdated and may be considered offensive by some people. The only way you’ll stuff up meeting your girlfriend’s father is if you treat him differently because he’s gay. Just be yourself and try not to even consider his sexual orientation and I’m sure you’ll be fine.

Susan

If you have a question for Frank and Susan Email Us at: franksusan.shiftminer@gmail.com

Fair Dinkum!

The extremely low budget movie Big Foot, which has to be one of the worst movies ever made, was inspired by the legend of Yeti. In 1950s US, many people had not realised the meaning of the words ‘myth’ and ‘legend’ and went on big Yeti hunts, prompting the government to release Yeti-hunting guidelines.

IN THE US

- The US National Archives recently discovered a document from 1959 setting out strict rules relating to ‘Yeti hunting’. Apparently the search for the abominable snowman had become so intense throughout the 50s that the US government decided the best way to curtail keen monster hunters was to make them subject to government regulations. Prospective Yeti hunters had to pay a fee to the government of Nepal, agree not to harm the Yeti (unless in self defence) if it were ever discovered, and agree to turn any evidence of existence of the Yeti over to the Nepalese government.

IN FRANCE

- Police are struggling to determine which identical twin is a serial rapist. Both twins are delivery drivers,

and therefore cannot be told apart on security camera footage used by police in support of their case. One of the victims in the investigation positively identified one of the twins as her attacker, but was unable to tell them apart. Police had hoped that DNA evidence would quickly clear up the matter, but have since discovered that it will take several months and cost nearly $1.2 million to perform the necessary scientific process to differentiate the twins.

IN ROMANIA - Forget

Anthony Soprano or Don Corleone. A real-life Romanian gangster dubbed ‘Nutzu the Pawn Broker’ made international news recently thanks to his unusual choice of pets. A police search of Nutzu’s fortified Bucharest compound discovered four lions and two bears, which were allegedly used

by the gangster to intimidate rivals and enemies. Other rumours circulating about the notorious Nutzu claim that his heavily guarded residence also contained a torture chamber.

IN THE US... AGAIN - A Denver man

was arrested recently for filing a false police report about being robbed at gunpoint. In reality the man was too embarrassed to tell his wife he spent his entire $1000 tax refund on beer and lap dances at a local strip club, so he concocted a story about being held up. A police investigation into the matter discovered some inconsistencies, and the man was called in for a second interview where he admitted he made the entire thing up.

Quality doesn’t have to mean slow Mining, Earth moving, Hydraulics and Agriculture

Transport

General manufacturing and Fabrication

Motor sport, boating and leisure

Specialising in the timely delivery of on-spec components for your business.

www.dweonline.net

M: 0448 243 343 E: darylweng@gmail.com

dwe Daryl Watson Engineering

18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

Off Shift

www.shiftminer.com

MOVIE Review BY JUSTIN CARLOS

Fairy tale with a twist IT seems as though trendy retellings of fairy tales is in vogue at the moment, and Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is the latest offering to hit the big screen. The film is loosely based on the old Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Hansel and Gretel are led into the forest by their father and abandoned. After wandering around, alone and frightened, they come across a house made of candy. The hapless brother and sister are captured by a witch, who plans to eat them, until Hansel and Gretel turn the tables and burn the witch alive in her own oven. Where the fairytale ends, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters begins. After their childhood encounter with the witch in the candy house, Hansel and Gretel have become full-time witch hunters and are hired by a rural town to investigate

3 4 3

2 1

7 6 5 9 4 6

PUZZLES 4 2 1 6 7 8 3 4

10 11

14 17 19

2 5

18 20

21 22

MEDIUM

the disappearance of local children. They discover that a ‘Grand Dark Witch’ is planning an ancient ritual that involves the town’s children, and Hansel and Gretel must stop her before it’s too late. It should be noted from the outset that this is not a children’s movie. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is probably best characterised as an action movie with a fantasy twist. Blood and guts fly from pretty much every angle imaginable as Hansel and Gretel do battle with an army of evil witches. The fight scenes are undeniably cool, mixing scenes of hand-to-hand

combat, gun fights and magic spells. To complement the action, there are some pretty funny moments in the film; whilst not laugh-out-loud, they’re certainly enough to raise a smile. Observant viewers will note that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay (director of movies like Anchorman and Step Brothers) are attached as executive producers, which might go some way to explaining the humour in the film. If you like any combination of action, fantasy and comedy then Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters is for you; however, if you’re easily offended by scenes of violence, give this one a miss.

Blood and guts fly from pretty much every angle imaginable as Hansel and Gretel do battle with an army of evil witches.

ACROSS 1. Rugby league position 5. Company bonds 9. Enraging 10. Hinder 12. Far-reaching 13. Jewelled headdress 14. Utilises 16. Come before 19. Fetched 21. Zodiac crossover 24. Larceny 25. Rotate (between tasks) 27. Major towns 28. Glossy publication 29. Enclose 30. Car safety harness (4,4)

Down 1. Paradise 2. Illuminates 3. Nobleman 4. Sweets 6. Uncaring 7. Said over & over again 8. Shrieked 11. Look before you ... 15. Visits places of interest 17. Stumbling block 18. Home (duties) # 42 20. Snare 21. Thatched home 22. Of the sea 23. Arid region 26. Bake (meat)

LAST EDITION’S SOLUTIONS 1

10 11

17 19

Shift Miner Handy Cross blank grid.pdf ©Lovatts Publications 5/03/09 artist – mb

2 1 6 8 3 5 9 4 7

7 4 8 1 6 9 5 3 2

3 9 5 2 7 4 1 6 8

6 7 2 3 4 1 8 9 5

1 5 4 9 8 2 6 7 3

8 3 9 7 5 6 4 2 1

4 6 7 5 1 3 2 8 9

5 2 3 6 9 8 7 1 4

9 8 1 4 2 7 3 5 6

# 43

What can you learn from a

WINO

MORE- mining news MORE- industrial news MORE- investment news Shift Miner Wednesday’s Industry neWs onlIne (WIno) by Shift Miner Handy Cross blank grid.pdf ©Lovatts PublicationsPremium 5/03/09 Queensland business and industrial news www.shiftminer.com/news

artist – mb neWs you Won’t Get anyWhere else

18th March 2013

SHIFT MINER

WEDNESDAY’S INDUSTRIAL NEWS ONLINE

Delivered direct to your inbox every Wednesday To register go to www.shiftminer.com and follow the link

Shift Miner Magazine

Off Shift

www.shiftminer.com

Telly versus the net YOU don’t have to be a genius to know the internet has changed the way we do a lot of things. Thanks to the world wide web we can book flights and hotels, order groceries, pay bills and perform just about any other task able to be conceived without leaving the house. In fact, the internet has made things so easy, it almost seems a crippling imposition having to call someone on the phone. The internet has become so popular, it seems that television may be in danger. A lot of people would rather spend their time surfing the web than tuning into the idiot box, and with the proliferation of smart phones it’s getting easier and easier. Whereas the landscape of television seems perpetually blighted with reality shows about cooking and weight loss, it seems more and more high-profile celebrities are shifting their focus to online media. Jerry Seinfeld, co-creator of arguably the most popular show of all time, snubbed TV when he chose to air his new show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee - which is exactly what it sounds like - solely online.

Funny man extraordinaire Will Ferrell and a slew of other celebrities appear regularly in sketches on comedy website ‘Funny or Die.’ If you’re a fan of the comedy stylings of Ferrell, www.funnyordie.com is well worth a look. The website features videos, articles and photos from all sorts of people, including celebrities, and users either vote ‘funny’ or ‘die’, with the website featuring the most popular content. The good thing about this website is, if you fancy yourself a budding comedian you can upload your own content and put it to the test. Other websites like www.collegehumor. com feature videos that parody virtually everything from movies to politics. The next time you’re looking for a laugh, instead of switching on the television, fire up your computer or smart phone and have a look online. Chances are you’ll be able to find something a lot funnier in cyberspace than you will on the small screen.

Jerry Seinfeld, co-creator of arguably the most popular show of all time, snubbed TV when he chose to air his new show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee - which is exactly what it sounds like - solely online.

Redmond’s Rants

Trainer-ass

that we can sell off. To gain entry to the wonderful and joyous nirvana of a Bowen Basin coal mine, a miner must complete a: • Coal board medical • Company medical • Company induction • Site specific induction • Generic induction • First aid course • 4WD training course • Company SOPS • Site specific SOPS • Life saving rules • Golden rules

Redmond, at his desk, filling out his paperwork

AS (Bowen Basin) coal mining starts to feel the slow down and reduced demand for product, I guess the time is ripe to do what Australians always do when challenged. We innovate. We are great at

adaptation. We diversify to survive. China, Japan and India are examples of countries that have reduced the amount of Bowen Basin coal they purchase. So now is the time to look about and see what we have

Once our miner is on site with his/ her lunch box and hardhat then the ‘pass outs’ begin. Any piece of machinery or equipment that our miner needs to use on site will have a SOP that states he/she must be fully trained/qualified/assessed and ‘passed out’ in order to use. So the trainer assessor works out the line of least resistance and which shortcut best suits. He then gets busy with paperwork (not training or assessing by any means). My point is to gain entry to just one mine site each miner generates 107 tonnes of paperwork per minute. Once mining, the

paperwork sits idle in a magic place until... well...who knows? Until someone checks that I did tick the box in Section 5b of Safe Operation of a Torch? Let’s find this mountain of paperwork and sell it cheap as fuel to a client with a big steel smelting plant. My vision is that every train leaving the Bowen Basin is packed with pointless paperwork. What a bonanza. The trainer/assessor department must have slowed down during this little slump as well. We could also sell off their seeing eye dogs to raise a little cash. One phrase always comes to mind as I’m reading the supplied answers from the supplied cheat sheet during ‘training/ accessing’: the blind leading the blind. I’ve written some truly outrageous answers on a helluva lot of paperwork and I’ve drawn many, many highly detailed diagrams of both female and male anatomy that would make a medical student blush. It has never been been picked up on. As a former captain of my high school detention team I’d like a little recognition for the drawings and comments. Well I can’t sit at this typewriter ranting all day. I’ve got paperwork to shoot. Bang Bang. Redmond.

Who is Redmond? Redmond was born in a cross-fire hurricane and now resides in Queensland. Former Golden Glove champ turned champion shearer, his shearing career was cut short when he entered the adult film industry and made 3467 films in three months. He now enjoys semi-retirement and lives happily on his 100,000 acre property with his seven wives. He has received the annual Golden Pen award from the Writer’s Guild four years in a row in the Truth Telling category...

18th March 2013

CAR FOR SALE

BOAT FOR SALE

78 XC FALCON GS UTE

Offshore Marine Master 2012 Mac5 Cuddy.

250 Alloy head Crossflow on straight LPG, Supercharged with Raptor V-L blower, T5 gearbox, 9\” Diff, 3.7:1 Ratio, Disc Brakes, Regretful sale

$29,990 ono Phone: 0428 344 437 CAR FOR SALE 2008 TOYOTA AVENSIS VERSO 68000 Ks, 4 doors 7 seats, 4 cyl. A1 condition. New tyres. Complied 2009 Rear nudge-bar. Full logs. All Toyota serviced. Always kept undercover. With 7 seats there’s plenty of space for the whole family. $21,900 NEG Phone: 0413 913 042

CAR FOR SALE 2010 TOYOTA HILUX Mine Spec, BMA Thiess Mac Coal Certified, New 265 Maxxis Iron Mud Tires, ADB Bull Bar, Lightfrce Driving Light, Twin Battery, Snorkle, Iron-Man Lift Kit, Mine Radio x 2 UHF, 135 Litre Fuel Tank, Oconners Tray. Toolboxes, Fire Ext 1st Aid MSDS

$40,000 Phone: 0421 000 789 DINGHY FOR SALE

2012 Horizon 3.1M Aluminium Dinghy, 6HP Yamaha Motor and Redco trailer – All New, Registered 11/13 with safety gear.

$4,500

Brand new! 90HP Suzuki 4 stroke, Hydraulic steering, Live well, Bimini, Bait station, self draining fully welded floor, Kill tank. 4mm bottom, 3mm sides. Comes on Dunbier Glider trailer. Fishermans dream $39,950 Phone: 0404 891 776

CARAVAN AND CAR FOR SALE 2010 SOUTHERN CROSS 5th WHEELER 8mtrs, vcomplete with all upgrades. Ford F250 V8 deisel w/ gas injection. tow vehicle. Full details on request. Will pass any inspection.

Phone: 07 4162 5730

NORTH OF YEPPOON

2.5 ACRES FARMLET

40ha. Open country, House, Dam, bore (1100gl/ ph) Submersible pump, Yards & ramp. Excellent garden & views. 50ks nth of Yeppoon Turnoff. 1.3ks off highway, bitumen road, School buses from Highway

Bitumen Road and Phone to front Gate. School, PO, Garage, Hospital, Hotel kindergarden and stores 15 min Drive. New gold mines in area.

$595,000 ono Phone: 07 4937 3564

$48,000 Phone: 0413 501 222

BUSINESS/HOME FOR SALE

HOUSE FOR SALE

Excellent low set 3YO brick at Emu Park. 3 beds, 2 bath big yard, fenced $350,000 Phone: 0419 020 566

Currently leased @ $385 inc gst/week Includes shares in Rockhampton Cab Company Perfect sideline income

$320,000 neg

Phone: 0407 373 664 CAR FOR SALE VS CLUBSPORT

TAXI LICENCE IN BOOMING GLADSTONE

$310,000

CAR FOR SALE 1991 TOYOTA TROOPY 1hz motor, turbo diesel and gas which gives more power and econ. New suspension , injectors, timing belt, new paint ,windscreen, clutch, 12 months rego, 90% tyres.

$15,000 Phone: 0429 112 396 CAR PARTS FOR SALE

series 2, 19 inch chrome

Front Bumper Land Cruiser 2012 $150 Standard

mags, new power

Exhaust System 2.5 Inch $500 4x Standard GXL

steering pump,new water pump,new front

Rims $750 each Air Intake Snorkel (Top Only)

brake pads, 142000km,

$50 5 Dunlop Tyres 265/70R16 111RLT $250 Full

great condition

Suspension Front Coil, Rear Leaf & Shockies $1000

$8,500 ono

BUSINESS FOR SALE

LAND FOR SALE

EMU PARK

OPEN TAXI LICENCE FOR SALE IN ROCKHAMPTON

CAR FOR SALE

HOUSE/LAND FOR SALE

HOUSE FOR SALE

Ph. 0419 672 181

Phone: 0439 872 215

$79,000 ono Phone: 0432 429 264

$75,000 ono Phone: 0428 538 869

Phone: 0409 630 311 BUSINESS FOR SALE

Phone: 0407 913 914 2006 DODGE RAM 3500 SLT Lonestar Edition Heavy Duty 5.9L Cummins Turbo Diesel Allison auto transmission Wood grain inserts 5th wheel hitch, tow bar 4 door dual cab Dual wheels, new tires and chrome Call for more detail..... Genuine sale!!!! 104000klms

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Sale price includes shares in “Gladstone Taxis”.

CAMPER AND CAR FOR SALE

Compass slide-on camper on Ford F250 ute.Camper sleeps 2 plus makeup 3rd. 3way Electrolux fridge, 2 burner stove, wired 12 & 240 volts, 100Lwater, PortaPotti, space for 2x4.5kg LPG and 2 batteries, steps and legs carried below floor. F250XL 2001, 4.2L diesel, 190,000km, strengthened springs, UHF, compressor. Whole unit $45,000 ono. Camper only $11,000 ono.

Phone: 0419 788 599

SELF-SUSTAINABLE living on a sapphire mine claim 5 km west of Rubyvale. Small house, off grid, solar/ rainwater/composting toilet, great view.

BOAT FOR SALE 2004 PowerCat 2600 Sports Cabriolet. Twin 115hp Yamaha 4 stroke engines. Sleeps 4, Toilet, Shower. Road registered tandem trailer. Always maintained and kept in a shed. All safety gear. Excellent condition. Registered until September 2013. Reduced to $108,000.00 Must be sold. OFFERS, OFFERS, OFFERS Very Negotiable

Phone: 0429 831 021 CAMPER FOR SALE

2 PRIME MOVERS With large capacity cranes, 4 Trailers Bundy based. Soild work contacts, carrying house frames and trusses to Gladstone, Rocky, Mackayand Central Highlands. Established 1981 T\O approx $380,000 Call for more info and pics Asking $350,000 WIWO Phone: 0408 988 866

LAND FOR SALE

TOP-FORM insulated alloy camper, fits into 1.8mt. tray, fully equipped, only need food and personal gear to use, $20,000 Phone: 07 4973 9698

TRAILER FOR SALE

YEPPOON

Home built camping

Acreage Living,

trailer, built to carry 3 full

City Conveniences! 4000 sqm North facing, corner premium block, 5 minutes from CBD, schools, transport. Plenty of space for shed, pool, kids to play.

sizes bikes or a quad and bike, camp slides forwards or backwards to balance picture taken back for bikes to sit on 5 months rego. Tows very well

Gracemere acreage and residence. Large well appointed 5 bedroom home on 10 acres. Stables, yards, shed, bore. 3 km from new shopping centre. $700,000

$300,000

$4,500

Phone: 0409 391 254

Phone: 0429 112 396 HOUSE/LAND FOR SALE MOUNT PERRY ”Main Top” Best most usable 40 acres in town. Good large level flats, great mountain veiws, hay shed, machinery shed, dam, House requires work. Power to house.Plenty of feed, Potential to work 7 on 7 off roster at mount Rawdon Gold mine, Bus travels daily to mine site. $235,000 Phone: 0488 079 675

HOUSE FOR RENT HYDEAWAY BAY Stunning modern 3 bedroom, Gourmet Kitchen, large open living, office, aircon. 3 bay garage. Opposite beach. School bus to Proserpine. Excellent fishing & diving reef 50metres offshore.

Phone: 0749 333 106

Phone: 0414 381 330

HOUSE FOR SALE Immaculate 4BR home. BIR. 18 solar panels. Fully insulated & A/C. Ceiling fans. 2 bathrooms. 2 Toilets. Double lock-up garage. Stainless steel kitchen appliances. Spacious open plan kitchen, dining & lounge. Potential rental return above $22 000p/a. $429,000 Phone: 0418 796 074

LAND FOR SALE WONDAI 160 ACRES 160 undulating acres at Wondai. 16 Metre Weekender, power, phone, 2 watertanks, permanent gully, 2 dams, cattle yards with vet crush, fully fenced. Splendid home site, with captivating sunsets. 1 Hour to Gympie $345,000 Phone: 0417 705 369

LAND FOR SALE PROSERPINE Rural land 15 min cbd proserpine 2x200 acre lots good grazing land and house sites will sell separately POA $ 520,000 the pair Phone: 0447 031 588

Shift Miner Magazine

Off Shift

www.shiftminer.com

Bait Shop Banter

just a reminder to stay 400 metres from the barrage, as authorities have been strictly enforcing this out-of-bounds area.

“We’re urging people to put the crabs back at the moment. They’re full of water and not much meat. If they’re allowed to fill out for a few weeks they’ll be a lot better eating.” While crab may not be on the menu, the fresh water is making for a prawners paradise. “A lot of prawns are getting washed out because of the freshwater, and there’s a lot of people catching prawns under lights [at night] using dillies,” said Greg.

MACKAY

Fishing conditions in Mackay are a little tougher than usual currently, with windy weather making life difficult for anglers. Bruce from Nashy’s Compleat Angler in Mackay says there are still some fish around, but it’s important to fish the conditions. “Barra and sooty grunter are what most people are targeting, but if you can find some sheltered water there’s a few whiting around too.” The windy woes have also impacted adversely on two of Mackay’s most popular spots. The harbour wall has been closed for safety reasons, and East Point has been unfishable due to strong southeasterly winds.

Dean Smith caught this nice threadfin salmon on a lure in Coorooman Creek.

YEPPOON

All the action around Yeppoon and Rockhampton is in close at the moment, with strong winds making offshore fishing impossible. Adrian from the Secret Spot in Yeppoon reckons there’s still enough happening to excite local anglers. “There’s been a few blue and threadfin salmon caught around Coorooman and

Corio, mainly on soft plastic lures.” Recent big tides have also proved fruitful for crabbers and fishermen alike. “There’s some crabs around on the big tides in the rivers, and some nice barra have been caught on a variety of lures on the ocean-side of the Causeway on four metre-plus tides,” said Adrian. The Fitzroy River should have a bit to offer once it gets back to normal; however

It’s deja vu in Gladstone, with strong winds keeping anglers in close. According to Greg from Pat’s Tackle World the local rivers are still offering plenty for fisherman. “The mouth of the Boyne River is still proving popular for barra and threadfin, and a lot of people are having success around the hot water outlet in the Calliope River using live prawns.” While there are plenty of crabs around, Greg’s tip is to let them fill out for a few weeks before running the pots.

MACKAY Gladstone

Mon 18

BODY: Tropical Cyclone Sandra indirectly made the early autumn conditions feel rather comfortable across the coalfields. As it travelled approximately 1000 km southwards off the Queensland coast, it brought fresh winds and squally showers to the coast and gusts to 63 kph offshore. This made the apparent temperature (AT) feel 2-3 degrees cooler across the Central Highlands. Minimums were as low as 13-14°C last week ( Biloela 13.2°C and

Clermont 14.5°C), signalling autumn it sneaking in. But not too quickly! Before going to print, a low developing in the Gulf looks to have all the hallmarks of a developing cyclone. This should be Tropical Cyclone Tim. If it develops off Cooktown it will affect the north tropical coast from Townsville to Cairns. Hopefully it does not get above a Category 2. Any impact on the Cassowary Coast will be devastating as most communities are still recovering from Yasi. This means more autumn conditions for the coalfields. Minimums should be in the

angus.peacocke@shiftminer.com

GLADSTONE

your weather forecast

Is this the last of the Monsoon?

If you have a good photo or fishing yarn send it through to our resident bait chucker-

With Mike Griffin

Tue 19

Wed 20

Thu 21

Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24

Time

0053 0657 1306 1844

3.45 1.78 2.84 1.76

0154 0820 1424 2021

3.27 1.94 2.69 1.93

0317 1009 1619 2216

3.21 1.88 2.72 1.87

0448 1124 1742 2328

3.33 1.68 2.95 1.66

0550 1213 1828

3.56 1.43 3.22

0020 0636 1253 1906

1.42 3.78 1.20 3.46

0103 0715 1330 1942

1.19 3.96 0.99 3.69

0245 0916 1504 2111

4.34 2.44 3.50 2.36

0413 1120 1718 2315

4.16 2.48 3.44 2.43

0556 1247 1849

4.30 2.18 3.73

0039 0700 1336 1936

2.16 4.61 1.82 4.09

0131 0744 1413 2011

1.81 4.95 1.50 4.44

0212 0820 1447 2043

1.48 5.23 1.22 4.74

0249 0853 1519 2115

1.21 5.44 0.99 5.01

Mon 25

Tue 26

Wed 27

Thu 28

Fri 29 Sat 30 Sun 31

Time

0143 0752 1406 2017

0.97 4.10 0.79 3.89

0222 0829 1442 2052

0.79 4.18 0.64 4.07

0302 0905 1519 2128

0.65 4.20 0.54 4.21

0341 0942 1554 2206

0.59 4.15 0.52 4.29

0422 1020 1630 2246

0.63 4.03 0.60 4.28

0504 1101 1707 2329

0.77 3.83 0.77 4.18

0551 1148 1746

0.98 3.57 1.00

0326 0927 1552 2149

0.99 5.60 0.78 5.27

0404 1002 1626 2224

0.82 5.69 0.61 5.51

0442 1037 1701 2301

0.72 5.69 0.51 5.67

0522 1114 1736 2339

0.72 5.57 0.52 5.73

0602 1153 1811

0.84 5.33 0.64

0019 0645 1234 1849

5.67 1.07 4.98 0.88

0103 0733 1323 1932

5.49 1.37 4.58 1.19

high teens and maximums around the 2930°C mark with an (AT) of 27-28°C. Just a coastal shower trying to reach the eastern coalfields ranges.

Tropical cyclone season for 2013 could

Boaties, the hunger for the ocean will have to wait longer as Tim takes over the north western Coral Sea. Mon- Thr: ESE 18 -22 with gusts to 30 in squally showers. FriSat: ESE 15-20 north of Heron easing to the south. Sun ESE 17-12 tending ENE 8-10 avo. Could be less south of Yeppoon. The SOI has made an enormous 18 point jump to +10.6 and rising, making one think there is more kick in the monsoon yet.

with early fog then warm sunny days. This

go its full tenure to the end of April. Tim will be the third Queensland cyclone. Is there a Larry? The cool mornings may start will start the week with a cooler autumn change later. Keep an eye on the northern Coral Sea! Marine lovers, this is a very tough week to forecast. It should start with light to moderate SE/NE winds, and then a fresh south-easterly by late week if the upstream high moves into the Tasman.

18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

Sport

www.shiftminer.com

Echidnas the new energy in gas fields THE Roma Echidna’s rugby club has a new committee, new coaches, is building a new clubhouse and, most importantly, has lots of new players for 2013. In 2012 the Echidnas failed to meet the high expectations some people had for them, despite it being a year when there were more young able-bodied rugby players within the shire boundaries than ever before. The Echidnas lacked consistency and fell victim to the roster problems that have plagued so many other smaller mining communities. Scott Mitchell, president of the Echidna’s Rugby Club, said the success of last month’s sevens tournament reflects a renewed energy for the team. “We had 16 men’s sides and four women’s sides; I am pretty sure that is the biggest sevens tournament ever held in western Queensland,” he said. “This year is looking really positive

for us. We have been getting 30-plus at training and there are a lot of new folk moving to town.” “We have a couple of Scottish blokes new to town who I think are going to be handy. One is a winger and has a fair set of wheels on him, while the other is a ⅝ and looks really comfortable around the rucks.” “And our club stalwart, half-back Matthew Howse, is back again after captaining the Darling Downs side.” “So no matter what happens we will be fielding our two sides this year.” Off the field, Mr Mitchell says the club is in an excellent financial position and they have a lot of special events planned for supporters and players over the next 12 months. Roma has their first game against Condamine on April 6, and training is Tuesday and Thursday nights at 6pm at Gallas Fox Park. New players are welcome.

Experienced Immigrant forecasts bigger blow for Gladstone race The boat might be called Immigrant, but it is definitely not a newcomer to the challenges and joys of ocean racing between Brisbane and Gladstone. The boat’s owner and skipper Jeff Paul said that nearly for as long as he remembers, he spends this time of the year going through the extensive preparation and costs of competing in one of Queensland’s most well-known yacht races. “It’s the 19th Brisbane to Gladstone race I have competed in,” he said. “I have never had an Easter with the children in all that time.” “But every race is different and I can’t say the lead up weather to this race is like any other year in particular.” “But I have observed that when Easter is later in the year, say around the end of April, we tend to get lighter winds.” “When Easter is earlier in the year, like it is this year, we normally get stronger southeasterly winds, so this year’s race could be a quick one.” Joining him in the race are two other Gladstone-based boats: Scott Patrick’s Wistari and Ben Myer’s Piranha, both of whom are currently waiting on a weather

window to sail down to Brisbane for the start. Disappointingly for the race overall, the slower economy has meant just 29 boats have currently registered, which is roughly half the normal fleet. Nonetheless, a number of high-profile boats will sail into Gladstone Harbour on or before Easter Sunday, including last year’s line honours winner Wild Thing and winner on handicap Blackjack. “Tactics is a huge thing in this race” Mr Paul added. “If it is light conditions, you have to make some decisions about where you go on the course in the first half of the race.” “But every year once you pass Breaksea spit near Lady Elliot Island, it’s just a drag race for the last 100 miles.” With the increased activity on Gladstone Harbour at the moment, organisers have had to make some slight adjustments to the finish line so the yachts stay out of the shipping channel. The history of the race extends back to 1949 when just seven yachts started the race. The boats carried homing pigeons, which were released each day to give Brisbane race organisers an idea of progress.

The Blackwater Basilisks players and supporters enjoy their first win for the season in a trial game at home against Brothers.

Rio Tinto’s Clermont Community Development Fund is proud to continue supporting Clermont State High School’s industry liaison officer and agricultural programme The industry liaison officer plays a leading role in helping students develop pathways into traineeships and apprenticeships across a range of local industries including agriculture, which was one of the school’s most popular vocational subjects last year. Thanks to the Fund, the school is benefitting from the purchase of a new 21-seater bus to transport students to offsite properties and on agricultural excursions. Pictured left to right: Clermont State High School industry liaison officer Sandra Murphy, year 12 student Johanna Robertson, Clermont State High School agricultural studies programme manager Joshua Grant and year 12 student Josh Kelly in front of the new bus.

18th March 2013

Proud to be part of the central Queensland community and committed to the future. We support a range of local projects through our Community Development Funds. For more information: Clermont Region – Travis Bates on 4988 3503 or clermont.cdf@riotinto.com Kestrel Mine – Samantha Faint on 0447 599 990 or kestrel.cdf@riotinto.com Hail Creek Mine – Fiona Kruger on 4840 4401 or hailcreek.cdf@riotinto.com

www.riotintocoalaustralia.com.au

Shift Miner Magazine

Money Matters

www.shiftminer.com

Natural disasters and your rental property

Ex-cyclone Oswald and then the second wave of bad weather wreaked havoc down Queensland’s coast and many rental property owners will be rebuilding, replacing or repairing their properties. What impact does this have on existing and future capital depreciation allowances? Herron Todd White explains.

Where a rental property is destroyed by a cyclone, floods or other natural disaster the costs of rebuilding a rental property are not immediately deductible. Such costs to rebuild are capital and you may be able to claim a deduction for the rebuilding costs of your property over a 40-year period. This is

called a capital works deduction. Where a rental property is destroyed and you have been claiming a capital works deduction for the property, you are able claim a deduction for the remaining amount of construction expenditure that has not yet been apportioned; however this will be reduced by any compensation you receive or are entitled to receive e.g. insurance payments. Where repairs are made to a depreciable item, this is an allowable deduction. The replacement of the depreciable items with new depreciable items is not considered a repair. If you carry out both repairs and improvements to your property, you can only claim a deduction for the cost of your repairs if you can separate the cost of the repairs from the cost of the improvements. It is essential in these cases that if you hire a builder or other professional to carry out these works for you, you ask for an itemised invoice to help with any claim.

Here is an example. Rental property was partially inundated with water due to flood. Some carpet in the lounge room and one of the bedrooms needed to be replaced; however as the style was no longer available and to have the

same carpet throughout the house, it was decided to replace the carpet throughout the property. If repairs had just been made to the damaged carpet, a deduction for the repair would have been allowed. By replacing the whole carpet a claim of a deduction for the adjustable value of the carpet that was disposed of and a deduction for the decline in value of the new carpet may be made. Similarly, damage to the vanity unit in the bathroom was also noticed. The vanity unit could be replaced and needed to be dismantled. At the same time it was decided to re-tile the bathroom while the chipboard in the sides and bottom of the vanity unit was being replaced. The new chipboard for the vanity unit is considered a repair as it does no more than just restore the function of the vanity unit. The re-tiling is not a repair. Therefore the cost of each component of the work would be required so a claim for repairs and capital works deductions could be made correctly. It is advisable to always consult with your accountant as to the implications regarding insurance payments and capital gains tax may have in these instances. For more information visit Herron Todd White at www.htw.com.au

Mackay winded, but Toowoomba chipper WHILE Mackay’s industrial real estate takes a punch in the gut from declining coal prices, it’s the opposite for Toowoomba. Activity in the Surat Basin has seen an increasing interest from local and national companies in leasing quality industrial properties in the Garden City. The increase in demand combined with relatively limited supply has placed upward pressure on rentals, particularly for properties with overhead gantry cranes and the provision of good hardstand areas, Herron Todd White said in its March report. A large industrial estate is well underway in the Charlton-Wellcamp precinct, with several large industrial warehouse and factory buildings planned and recently completed, including two

poly pipe manufacturers servicing the Surat Basin coal seam gas sector. A development application was recently submitted for a private airport at Wellcamp, capable of accommodating larger aircraft than the current Toowoomba airport. “The proposal is to also include a large quantity of industrial land to be developed over multiple stages.” Within the Surat Basin itself, market leading rentals are being achieved in the towns of Dalby and Chinchilla. “The new tenants are a combination of locally based fabrication businesses requiring additional factory floor space with gantry cranes and national and international companies servicing the energy sector, establishing a base within the

Surat Basin,” Herron Todd White reported. “Many of the new leases are at levels significantly above those being achieved in Toowoomba and are unlikely to be sustainable in the long-term.” Meanwhile, Mackay’s industrial market is heavily influenced by the Bowen Basin coal industry and the slowdown from last year to early 2013 has impacted on local confidence. “As a result of a higher Australian dollar, increasing coal royalties and softening commodity prices, major miners in the Bowen Basin are reporting reduced profits, leading to some companies closing poorer performing mines, deferring expansion plans and rationalising staffing numbers,” Herron Todd White reported. “The local market is thinly traded in

comparison to the capital city areas and larger regional centres throughout Australia. Therefore there is yet to be definitive evidence in sale prices to ascertain any significant softening in the market. However anecdotal evidence indicates this may be a likely occurrence through 2013.” Further development and/or expansion of mines in the Bowen Basin, as well as the expansion at BMA’s Hay Point coal loading facility is still a driving force behind business in the industrial sector and will help to maintain some confidence in the area. “We consider the industrial property market in the year ahead will be influenced heavily by the direction of the coal industry which itself is subject to continued volatility.”

18th March 2013

Shift Miner Magazine

Money Matters

www.shiftminer.com

MONEY TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS

2. Assets and liabilities:

grow the good stuff and reduce the bad stuff. Start by detailing everything you own - especially what a bank will hold as security, residential assets, shares, superannuation, cars and so on. Now beside that list your debts: home loans, investment loans. Add them up. Your combined assets ideally should be worth more than your combined debts. If not, direct your surplus towards your non-tax-deductible debts with highest interest first.

3. Tax and structures. You SO you want to make a difference with your finances this year? That’s great! In simple terms managing finances means you have to get your head around these four key points:

1. Income and expenditure.

Spend less than you earn. Commit to preparing a budget that identifies your income surplus or deficit. A surplus means you’ve got something to start your investment

or debt reduction plan with. A deficit means you’ve got some work to do. Is your budget in deficit? Look for expenses you can reduce or cut completely, known as discretionary expenditure, entertainment, holidays, hobbies, alcohol etc. Take time with your partner to identify where the budget is going wrong. Ask yourselves: “Does our current spending habit match our goals?”

must have a plan to pay as little tax as it is legally possible. Because tax is a complex and ever-changing world, you should get expert advice. Depending on your age, there are structures that have tax capped 15 per cent or even zero. Some are designed for accumulating and others for deriving or distributing income. Shouldn’t you at least know which ones are best for you right now and for your future?

4. Investment risk versus return. Grow your net worth

without risking the lot! Everybody has an individual risk-profile. It’s a combination of your experience, opinions, current and future lifestyle needs. Seek assistance in identifying your profile. A word of caution here; often we find that a person’s perceived comfort level with risk regularly won’t allow them to achieve the income they desire in retirement. One or the other has to change. Like anything else, the best place to start is at the beginning. Any worthwhile goal takes time, effort commitment and discipline. If you’re not confident with taking these tasks on, as is often the case, then make sure you have someone you can trust to defer to. These tasks and concepts should allow you to arrive at your living, breathing life and financial plan. Once you have one, you can kick it around, change it, or add to it. Until then you have no path no deadlines, no targets. Written by David Beveridge. David is a director and senior strategist with National Solutions Group www.nsg.org.au.

Discover Australia's 2013 top investments and slash money off your taxes Whether you are starting out, building wealth, or in retirement, RBS Morgans can help you with customised advice and services designed to form a long term relationship based on trust. • Superannuation strategies • Self managed super funds

• Direct shares advice • Planning for retirement • Insurance

www.rbsmorgans.com

Is this you? Put yourself in the picture. NSG - tailored financial solutions. Our team your future.

18th March 2013

CALL NOW:

Call us or visit our website to learn how you can secure your financial future

1300 884 379 www.nsg.org.au

Help secure your financial future. Want to know more about saving, investments or superannuation?

Become a member of the Davidson Institute to access free online learning and articles.

davidsoninstitute.edu.au Westpac Banking Corporation ABN 33 007 457141 Australian credit licence 233714 02/13

Rockhampton 4922 5855 Yeppoon 4939 3021

Shift Miner Magazine

Money Matters

www.shiftminer.com

In debt? Help is at hand Prioritise your debts Not all debts are created equal! Prioritise secured debts like your home and car loan over ongoing payments on unsecured debts like credit cards, so you don’t risk making yourself and others more exposed. If all of your unsecured debt (for example, debts incurred on credit cards and store cards) is turned into a secured debt over the family home, then you’ve created some extra risk that your home could be on the line if things go wrong. If your home is owned with someone else, they will also be 100 per cent liable for any new loan that’s secured over the whole property. Similarly, if you have to ask someone to be a guarantor for your new loan, you’ll be exposing them to financial risk.

Dealing with multiple credit card debts ARE your debts getting out of control? Maybe you’re struggling to make ends meet because of unemployment, ill health, economic conditions or a relationship breakdown. You might not know what to do if you can’t pay your bills or meet your repayments, or where to go for help. Whatever your situation, it’s important to act quickly. Money Smart has some tips.

Talk with your credit provider If you can’t keep up with repayments on a credit card or loan (including a home loan), talk with your credit provider as soon as possible and let them know you are experiencing financial hardship. If you can’t come to an agreement with your credit provider, ask them to review their decision if you think it’s unfair. You can complain to an independent dispute resolution scheme if you’re still not happy (see contact details for the Financial Ombudsman Service and the CreditOmbudsman Service Ltd in box).

Apply for a hardship variation If you want to repay your debts but can’t,

and you haven’t been able to negotiate an arrangement with your credit provider, you have a legal right to seek a hardship variation. This is a formal process where you ask your credit provider to vary the terms of your loan contract. Without any change being made to your current interest rate, you can ask your provider to extend your loan period, so that you make smaller repayments over a longer period of time, OR postpone your repayments for an agreed period, OR extend your loan period AND postpone your repayments for an agreed period. After you apply for a hardship variation, the credit provider must respond to your request in writing within 21 days. If your credit provider refuses your hardship application, it must give reasons. If you think the reasons provided are unfair, you can complain to an independent dispute resolution scheme, such as the Financial Ombudsman Service or the Credit Ombudsman Service Ltd (see contact details on page 5). See sample hardship letters at www. moneysmart.gov.au.

While it makes sense to pay off the debt with the highest interest rate first, if you’re having trouble managing several debts – for example, you’re struggling to meet even minimum repayments on multiple credit cards – here are two payment options you could consider:

Option 1 Continue making minimum payments on all cards, while aiming to clear the card with the smallest debt first. Then work your way up to the next smallest debt. This way you will reduce the risk of incurring multiple charges for late or missed payments, save on annual fees and be in a position to direct this money to clearing your other debts. You’ll also be encouraged by having managed to clear a debt. This can be very motivating if you feel like your debts have become out of control.

Option 2 Continue making minimum payments on all cards. Pay off the credit card with the highest interest rate first and then keep working your way through your cards.

This may have the advantage of saving money you’re paying in interest. Whatever option you choose, stop using all but one of your credit cards (the one you want to end up with at the end). Try to use it only for emergencies.As you clear each card, cut them up and close the account. This is important because, if you don’t close the account, you may still have to pay fees on an account you don’t use. Lower the limit on the last remaining credit card to an amount that is manageable to repay within three months – say, $2000.

TIP Don’t borrow to pay bills If you are having trouble paying a water, phone, gas or electricity bill, contact your water, phone or energy company. Most companies have hardship officers who can help you work out a plan to pay the bill in instalments. If the provider won’t help you, you can complain to one of the ombudsman schemes (see Helpful contacts). Information by www.moneysmart.gov.au

Helpful contacts Try to resolve your problem with your credit provider first. If you aren’t satisfied, take your complaint to your provider’s independent dispute resolution scheme. This will be either the Financial Ombudsman Service FOS) at www.fos.org.au or the Credit Ombudsman Service Ltd (COSL) at www.cosl.com.au. Both schemes can be reached by calling 1300 780 808. For phone bills, contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman at www.tio.com.au or phone 1800 062 058. For energy and water bills, contact the Qld ombudsman www.eoq.com. au 1800 662 837 If you think a credit provider has acted unlawfully or in a misleading way, you can complain to ASIC online at www.asic.gov.au or call ASIC’s Infoline on 1300 300 630.

18th March 2013

Blackwater average annual yields 12%* *Blackwater 1997-2012. National Property Research

Blackwater has returned an average annual yield of 12%* on 3 and 4 bedroom homes over the last 15 years. Blue Ridge, a new residential community, is an ideal opportunity for anyone wanting to invest in Blackwater. Once complete, Blue Ridge will offer up to 200 homes conveniently located close to shopping, entertainment, schools, childcare, and packs. Call us today!

HOUSE & LAND FROM $187,400#

Visit blueridgeblackwater.com.au CALL NOW 1300 338 964 Or visit Blackwater Real Estate at 15 Mackenzie Street, Blackwater #Prices correct at time of printing, terms and conditions apply. Visit blueridgeblackwater.com.au for more details.