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Monday May 27, 2013 162nd Edition
M A G A Z I N E
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Shift Miner Magazine
CONTENTS NEWS
10
5 Handouts breed dependency
6 Gloves off in
hand injury war
11
7 Long drives wipe out koalas
8 Ding dong
over dongas
12 Smartphone a tradie’s BFF
25
14
Regulars
9 Stuff to editor 1 20 Miner’s trader Numbers Numbers Can CountYou On** You * Can Count OnCount On 21 Frank the Tank Can *When audited by the CAB Numbers You Can Count On 24 Weather and tides 26 Money matters
24 You Numbers
* by the CAB *When audited by the *When CAB audited *When audited by the CAB
M A G A Z I N E
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No bull - safety standards have changed: BHP
Mine spec changes: no bull bars or roll bars on BHP fleet or contractor vehicles
BULL bars and roll bars are no longer required to keep workers safe on or off site, according to a top-level BHP Billiton safety boss. The company is currently rolling out a new light-vehicle policy across all its sites, which will see its entire fleet and 50,000 contractor vehicles replaced with 5-star ANCAP vehicles by January 2016. But the new rules are causing angst among contractors in Central Queensland, in particular BHP’s decision not to allow bull bars to be fitted to vehicles unless they are
approved by the manufacturer. At this point that makes only one model acceptable - the Fordmanufactured bull bar for its Ranger series. Bull bars have always been considered a must for vehicles travelling at high speeds across rural and regional roads, particularly because of the dangers of hitting kangaroos. But BHP Billiton’s vice president of safety and security David Jenkins said they were no longer required on the new 5-star vehicles. “I think there was probably
a time in vehicle safety design when a bull bar may have been appropriate,” he told Shift Miner, in his only interview with print media. “Vehicles were much weaker. The way the radiator was installed was very different to modern vehicles, airflow is now up and underneath not through the front; you have the strong central core and crumple zones. “But with improved stopability the need for a bull bar has become more customer practise, and I think if people understood the new technology they would be less wedded to it [bull bars].” Mr Jenkins said one vehicle manufacturer had conducted crash tests using a dummy kangaroo to simulate Australian road conditions. “In talking to manufacturers there was consistent agreement that they set off to design a vehicle that is safe, and they do that without bull bars,” he said. “If you are travelling at a high enough speed that you think you need a bull bar to protect the occupants, frankly at those sorts of speeds and in those sorts of crashes you are going to need the
full suite of safety protection that you are only going to get in a 5-star vehicle.” Mr Jenkins said nonmanufacturer approved bull bars can affect how other safety features operate, and that’s why they were not permitted to be installed. “When they deliver a manufacturer-approved bull bar it doesn’t affect airbags or how the vehicle behaves when it crumples, and those are very important survival outcomes for occupants.” Roll-over protection systems (ROPS) - or external and internal roll bars - are also banned from being retrofitted to the new vehicles. Again, roll bars have been part of the mining landscape for decades, with many regarding them as critical in preventing serious injuries during roll-over accidents. But Mr Jenkins said they have been superseded by the new technology and, if fitted, get in the way of other potentially lifesaving features like airbags. “The research and data tells us that 5-star vehicles are 80 per cent less likely to roll because of their electronic stability control, and we know their side curtain airbags
Unlicensed tattooists roam Bowen Basin
Mayor Anne Baker
IF YOU are thinking of getting a tattoo in Moranbah or its
surrounds, think again because you could be putting your health at risk, warns the Isaac Regional Council. There are no licensed tattoo services registered in the region and this is encouraging travelling artists to work from unlicensed home or portable studios. “We received notification of unlicensed tattooists offering services in the Isaac region through a series of complaints and conversation threads on a community facebook page
during March,” Isaac Regional Council Mayor Anne Baker told Shift Miner. Ms Baker said residents who are considering getting a tattoo should be informed about how to protect themselves against the risks of contracting a bloodborne disease. “This is a major health concern and we as a council are urging residents to protect themselves by viewing a current licence before undergoing a tattoo.”
Tattooing services are required by law to hold a council licence, and the regulations are aimed to reduce the risk of transmitting diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C through contaminated instruments. “Isaac Regional Council has ongoing investigations around illegally operating tattooists and will continue to inform the public about the serious health risks associated with unregulated tattooing.”
reduce fatalities by 60 per cent. “So on one hand, we have this well-proven technology and all the data and all the research, and on the other hand we are faced with the choice of maintaining ROPS that actually inhibit the technology that has been proven.” Mr Jenkins said vehicle design and safety had changed enormously and it required a change in mindset. “We have stronger vehicles, better crash outcomes, better ability to regain control with anti-roll technology.” “In fact you are 80 per cent less likely to roll in these vehicles, so why would we keep doing what we have always done when we have the evidence that tells us it is less safe to keep doing that?” The new policy has been two and a half years in the making, and is being rolled out across all BHP Billiton sites not just in Australia but globally. What are your views on BHP Billiton replacing its entire fleet with 5-star ANCAP vehicles by January 2016? SMS us on 0428 154 653
Ms Baker said it was a serious offence under the Public Health (Infection Control for Personal Appearance Services) Act 2003 to undertake unlicensed tattooing which can result in a criminal conviction and maximum penalty of up to $55,000. “People should be aware that no recent licenses have been issued in the Isaac region, and we encourage them to report any unlicensed tattooist by calling 1300 ISAACS.”
27th May 2013
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Country courtesy or the bird? You choose DO you slow down on a dirt road? Do you move your ute to the side when you meet oncoming traffic in the bush? Do you lift your finger slightly for the country wave? If you answered no to any of these questions, you risk being branded a rude bugger. Shift Miner donned its investigative mantle and took a trip out to a rural road an hour’s drive from Rockhampton to discover what it took to be labelled a ‘rude bugger’ in the bush.
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27th May 2013
The district was chosen because of its mix of agriculture and mining; there are an increasing number of locals who commute to Gladstone for work on the LNG plants or other big ticket industrial projects. Onehunga Mata’uiau lives on a rural block and does an hour-long daily commute to his work in Gladstone and, like all other local residents, gives a wave and pulls to the side of the road when he meets
oncoming traffic. But he noticed a big change in neighbourhood behaviour when he started using his work ute for the commute - no more friendly waves and no more getting off the road. “When I was driving to work one day, my own brother-in-law was tailgating me and then overtook me. He was shocked when he saw it was me and told me when he saw the ute, he thought: ‘Another f***ing ute on our road’!” Why the change in behaviour? “Local residents do pull over and slow down, but there are a number of contractors on our road who don’t,” he explained. Having a grazing community living side-by-side with the resources industry, however, doesn’t always mean having a severe case of road rage. Next door is Janice McCamley. “I find the trucks from the marble quarry are really, really good. They slow down and the drivers always wave. “But there is one woman who refuses to get off the road, and I make sure she does! My girls go crook and say I am playing chicken.” The amount of rubbish littering the road has been a big source of community angst, but Janice and another neighbour hatched a cunning plan. Several huge bags of rubbish had been collected from just a few kilometres of road, and Janice made an appointment to visit the local quarry. “We had to put on hard hats and everything, and we were taken up to the top where the manager was, and we returned his rubbish. You should have seen the look on his face! “It did ease off and it hasn’t been as bad.” There is now a new manager at that quarry. Shift Miner decided it was time to talk to someone who has worked in rural communities and would have an idea of what was considered ‘rude bugger’ behaviour and what was ‘country courtesy’. We found cattle agent Julian Laver,
from Landmark in Rockhampton, who has been working in Central Queensland for the past 20 years. “In all honesty, you don’t see that many people give a wave anymore. It’s gone by the wayside,” he said. “More people are town-oriented and there are a lot of young people on the roads heading to the mines. It’s just with the sheer pace the world’s going.” Although mines have been part of the landscape of CQ for decades, those areas are no longer cut off from the rest of the world. Towns like Moranbah are easily accessible, and major roads criss-cross the region. “In the past there were little communities, like Moranbah, tucked way and no one went there unless you worked in the mines. But with roads improving, everyone now drives in and out of Mackay. Distance doesn’t seem to be a barrier anymore.” Despite the fact there are more people on the roads, Julian sticks to a few rules. “I give trucks more room than a car and if I see someone coming along a dirt road I give them a wave. I find that you can pick your mark. If you see a big ute with a bull bar and covered in mud, they are probably in the same industry so I’ll wave. But if I see a BMW or flash car like that, I won’t.” Retired local grazier Dr Oskar Stunzner knows this too well having dealt with a variety of miners and prospectors over the past few decades. He said small prospectors who had been around for a long time were generally courteous and respect graziers’ management systems. “When they ring up, we give them an open invitation to go where they want because they keep gates shut and respect our management systems and the land,” he said. “Representatives from companies based in large cities like Brisbane are very officious and quote the law. If the grazier is not happy with their presence they threaten you with legal action and their rights according to mining regulations. “It gets your hackles up and you brand all prospectors with suspicion and disdain and put them in the same category as vermin.” So what is the solution when two worlds collide? How do those working in the resource industry and local residents stop butting heads? Shift Miner contacted Alicia Ranford, who runs the Mining Family Matters website, which specialises in issues affecting FIFO and DIDO workers. She said it was about going back to oldschool courtesy. “I would go back to farming courtesy where, in small towns, you just wave your finger. To stop this animosity someone has to start, so start by waving and let’s go back to old-school manners. “Even if you’re a contractor and you are flying into a town, think about it as though it was your town and your kids playing out in front of their homes. We have to work to make our communities a better place to live.” Perhaps it’s time for everyone to lift their finger in the country salute - and not flip the bird.
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Mining company hand-outs breed dependency
Mayor Peter Maguire
MINING towns are becoming dangerously reliant on mining companies funnelling millions of dollars into community projects, according to new research. A study by University of Melbourne researcher Dr Sara Bice has found the big miners’ well-intentioned funding programs can have unforeseen and undesirable consequences. “Mining companies are pumping millions of dollars into certain remote towns. But as mining booms, ports expand and exports increase, these communities are facing an identity crisis,” said Dr Bice, from the University’s School of Social and
Political Sciences. “Companies and communities are in complex relationships. Many companies try to do the right thing without realising that well-meaning programs can create a troubling dependency over the long-term. “Communities are often given money for infrastructure or projects they don’t want or need, while some organisations are becoming dangerously reliant on the miners’ money. This raises the question of whether programs to promote ‘sustainability’ are, themselves, sustainable?” she said. The research found funding programs are often disconnected from community needs, reactive and ad hoc, but the Central Highlands mayor Peter Maguire disagrees. “We have community plans carried out with consultation between council and community and I think resource companies get it right,” he told Shift Miner. Mr Maguire said BMA recently gave $2 million to upgrade Blackwater’s swimming pool, which was needed by the community. The big companies such as BMA and Rio Tinto were better able to assist, but most - even the small mining companies do something for the community even if it was small grants, he said. “There are plenty of other companies in the resource regions, such as banks and supermarkets, that put nothing back into the community.” Mr Maguire said there was, however, the danger of council not being able to maintain the infrastructure. “For us the bigger decision is long-term financial commitment - the whole-of-life costs of large infrastructures and that’s about people and affordability. “I think that that’s what some of us here have to think about. It is a dependency on what we get from resources sector, and what happens when they are not around anymore?” The study, ‘No more sun shades, please: Experiences of corporate social responsibility in remote Australian mining communities’, appears in the current edition of the Rural Society Journal. The research was based on an analysis of five leading Australian mining companies’ sustainability reports across five years, interviews with 11 senior mining managers and the experiences of residents in two remote mining towns. It found some community organisations in towns where multiple mining corporations maintained a presence often felt pressure to “align” with one company, while other institutions were able to “leverage companies” to achieve a greater benefit. “Australia’s mining companies are leaders in adopting corporate social responsibility programs (CSR), but much work remains to improve their understanding of long-term community development, including making good community program choices .” The study stops short of calling for regulation of CSR programs, but suggests companies could do more to better target and manage their own corporate responsibility expenditure.
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LNG countdown
THE future of Gladstone’s fourth LNG processor and the strategic land it occupies on Gladstone Harbour is uncertain after its most likely gas supply possibility collapsed last week. LNG Limited now has just over a month left to convince the Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) that it is likely to find a gas source for its proposed gas processing and export plant at Fisherman’s Landing. If it fails, the GPC will not extend its lease over the land. The difficult position has emerged after one of the project’s major shareholders, PetroChina, abandoned plans to buy Surat Basin gas supplier Westside Corporation last week. The implication for the LNG Limited plant is that PetroChina may no longer be able to supply the plant with the minimum gas required. “As previously advised to shareholders, Liquefied Natural Gas Limited and PetroChina International Investment (Australia) executed a non-binding letter of intent in August 2012,” managing director Maurice Brand said. “The letter of intent related to the parties working together to secure gas supply for LNG Ltd’s proposed 3 million tonne per annum LNG project at Fisherman’s Landing, in the Port of Gladstone, Queensland (LNG Project).” “However, LNG Ltd was indirectly informed that the Westside acquisition would not proceed.” While LNG Ltd is disappointed at PetroChina’s withdrawal from the Westside Acquisition, LNG Ltd now intends to pursue the option of gas supply directly from Westside due to the location and quality of their resource.” LNG Ltd currently has the only mainland-based site available for the processing and export of CSG in Gladstone. But while it has a site, it doesn’t have any gas, after its original supplier Arrow Energy was bought out by Shell in 2009. The proposed LNG train at Fisherman’s Landing requires 260 Terajoules (Tj) of gas a day to produce its capacity production of 1.5 million tonnes of LNG a year. 27th May 2013
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Gloves off in war against hand injuries
CRUSHED: A re-enactment of an apprentice fitter who had his finger broken when he was struck with a sledge hammer. He was wearing gloves. [Photo courtesy of DRNM]
THERE have been 275 serious hand injuries on Queensland mine sites over the past five years, including amputations, cuts, crushes and fractures - and gloves aren’t helping. Hand injuries are the secondmost commonly reported lost-time injuries in the Queensland mining industry after back injuries. Being such complex body parts, hands often do not perform the same way, or as well, after being seriously injured, even after rehabilitation. In fact, nearly 9 per
cent of all permanent incapacities reported in 2011-12 by Queensland mines were associated with hand-related injuries. As a result of the number and serious nature of incidents, the mines inspectorate has just released a safety bulletin on preventing serious hand injuries. So how do miners injure their hands at work? It seems that if you work in maintenance you’re the most at risk. The largest proportion (44 per cent) of serious hand injuries occurred
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while “working on equipment”. Another 15 per cent of injuries were caused by the operation of portable power tools or nonpowered hand tools. The most common ways workers injured their hands was trapping them between stationary and moving objects; being hit by moving or falling objects; and being trapped by moving machinery. How do you prevent a hand being injured, particularly given it’s often the body part nearest the hazard. According to the inspectorate, it’s not by wearing gloves. “Research and industry experience has shown that although gloves can significantly lower the risk of lacerations, cuts, burns and chemical exposures, they do not lower the risk of fractures, crush injuries or amputations, which make up over 50 per cent of serious hand injuries experienced in Queensland mines,” the safety bulletin reads. “More emphasis should be placed on controlling the risks of fractures, crush injuries and amputations
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during maintenance activities.” Controls could include simple administrative changes like having rules for wedding bands and rings, and signage for loose sleeves and gloves near rotating equipment. It could also mean engineering solutions such as: lifting points and
hand holds; specialised hand tools for maintenance tasks; anti-door slam devices and ergonomic grips and guards on hand-held tools. It might mean substituting tools, such as using a hydraulic press instead of hammer and drift or isolating the risk by guarding hand pinch and nip points.
Recent serious hand injuries There were four serious hand injuries that required medical attention or a trip to hospital over the 2013 Easter period. 28:03:13 A boilermaker assisting to fit a lip shroud to an excavator bucket crushed a finger when it was caught between the shroud and the ramp bar as other fitters involved in the job were pushing the shroud into place. 30:03:13 An operator removing a coal blockage in a ROM bin feeder had the tips of two fingers crushed and amputated when the coal he was attempting to remove slumped, causing his fingers to be caught between the
jackhammer he was using and the inner wall of the feeder. The operator was wearing gloves. 31:03:13 A fitter removing a boom lock pin on an excavator crushed a finger when it was struck by the pin after it slipped out of his right hand and fell onto his left hand. 02:04:13 An apprentice fitter assisting with the removal of a bearing assembly of a wheel hub by holding a steel drift crushed and broke a finger when his hand was struck by another fitter using a sledge hammer. The apprentice was wearing gloves.
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Long drive home wipes out koalas
If you see a koala - dead or alive - SMS 0402 292 136.
THE road between Nebo and Mackay is a dangerous stretch for miners driving to and from work. But another lesser known casualty is the koala. While the resource industry expands with more roads and rail corridors, koala habitat is being gobbled up and cut in half
- and many are ending up as roadkill. Last week koala managers from around the state met at CQUniversity’s Rockhampton campus to discuss the problems facing Queensland’s koala population. “One of the things we are concerned about is the impact of roads,” said Dr Alistair Melzer, a senior research fellow within the Centre for Environmental Management at CQUniversity. “The worst areas for cars hitting koalas is from Nebo to Mackay and the Bruce Highway to St Lawrence,” he told Shift Miner. “Vehicle usage is very high in the early morning and the late evening when shifts are changing, and it’s a time of driver fatigue. Koalas do most of their movement at the same time and dozens are getting killed. It is eventually the wearing down of these animals.” Dr Melzer said researchers are looking to find mortality hotspots and resource workers can help by phoning in any sightings of koalas whether they are dead or alive (SMS 0402 292 136). The question is how can we maintain a koala population while deriving our income, employment
and lifestyle through the mining and grazing industry? Dr Melzer has called on governments to do more to facilitate cooperation between miners, farmers and conservationists. “We’re looking at a social contract with mines and landholders for regional investment in koala conservation.” The group has been talking with state agents about carrying out a regional assessment and this has been broadly accepted at state and federal level. “But to get this to happen on the ground will take time. The state government is getting rid of regulatory control, so we are looking at getting mining and landholders involved,” Dr Meltzer said. In order to keep the koala population alive, the group is looking at ways to avoid conflicts on site - the environmental impact - and where miners invest in rehabilitation, it needs to be in areas they will not dig up again for another mine. “Individual mines don’t have a big impact because they are built on a minimal scale, but when you look at mines running end-to-end along the Bowen Basin and now the Galilee, it is a cumulative effect. “They degrade the environment
when they dig up, and it’s a barrier to movement.” Dr Meltzer said habitat regeneration happens after 30 years, so there is a lag and the habitat is alienated for a whole generation. There are also issues when it comes to animal relocation. “If you take animals from one habitat to another and it’s an adult, it will want to go home and they can travel for tens of kilometres to get back. “If animals are moved to another area that is already populated, you can stress an entire population. If an animal is stressed, it can create disease. For example, koalas get chlamydia when they are stressed. “You can successfully translocate a population, but it does need considered planning and investment. It needs to be an unpopulated area and suitable. Simply moving koalas doesn’t save the population.” Two mining companies are investing in koala conservations: Rio Tinto is focussing on Clermont and Blair Athol and Xstrata is working with the University of Queensland at Springsure. “We got an Xstrata Coal Community Grant for habitat relocations and our next step is to set up a Springsure rehabitat.”
heights
27th May 2013
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Old-fashioned ding dong over dongas
IT might be enjoying a revival of sorts, but Wandoan is definitely no Moranbah when it comes to rents and accommodation, according to its Chamber of Commerce.
First of all, media reports that rents have reached $3000 a week - something only seen in Moranbah at the very height of the mining boom - are wrong.
Second of all, there is yet to be one mining camp built in the town, with the two most likely developers apparently heading to court over their plans. Local real estate agent and head of the Chamber of Commerce Ray Mortimer says while there is very high demand for accommodation, companies have drawn the line on the rents they will pay. “I have seen the reports of $3000 a week for a house in Wandoan, but the house in question is an eight-bedroom house and I think the figure is more like $2400,” he said. “The bloke is quoting $700 a bedroom per week but he is probably getting $300 per bedroom.” Mr Mortimer said the going rate for a bedroom in Wandoan was about $270-300 for a fully furnished new home and between $200-220 for older houses. “Having said that, there are definitely not enough beds; we haven’t got an empty house,” he added. “We had a company in the other day looking for 150
bedrooms, and there’s a new motel going in that has already been fully leased by QGC.” According to Mr Mortimer, companies are capping the rents they are prepared to pay and walking away if people try to charge well above the going rate. Despite Glencore Xstrata’s decision to dump its Balaclava Island coal terminal project, Mr Mortimer said the company’s actions around town suggested its mega Wandoan thermal coal project would still go ahead. “There is nothing to indicate they are pulling out of Wandoan. I heard that from the head bloke right at the top [of Xstrata],” Mr Mortimer said. In fact, Mr Mortimer said SunWater was meant to have a camp built for pipeline workers on the edge of town. However, council didn’t tell Xstrata, who then legally kyboshed the construction because it didn’t want accommodation within two kilometres of its proposed mine. He said Xstrata had since suggested SunWater use its own 400-person camp, which will be built on the edge of town.
“You wouldn’t build a camp if you didn’t think you were going to build a mine. However, now the company who planned to build the first camp have sought an injunction against Xstrata to stop them building theirs.” According to Mr Mortimer there are at least two other sites with development approvals for mining camps: one owned by The Mac Services Group and the other by Dalby-based Ostwald Brothers. However, he said neither of those companies were likely to build in the short term, given the delay to the mine. Meanwhile, a few investors have been spooked by the recent coal price correction and have sold for a neat profit. “Probably some investors got cold feet, but they still made $100,000 in a couple of years, which is good going,” Mr Mortimer said. “In June, the Western Downs Regional Council will call for earthworks tenders on 46 more blocks of DA approved land, so hopefully by christmas we should have around 46 more blocks available.”
Acland township gets last-minute reprieve MINING company New Hope has started emailing businesses in the Surat Basin to let them know the Acland coal mine expansion plan has re-entered the EIS process. In March the Queensland CoordinatorGeneral altered the terms of reference for the EIS, and it has meant significant changes for the project. Under the new terms of reference, the tiny town of Acland will survive, whereas previously residents would have been moved on and the area mined. Also, the existing Jondaryan rail loading facility will now be moved eight kilometres away from town, and the land used for mining will be reduced by more than half. Lagoon Creek will also not be diverted. According to New Hope, the mine expansion will extend the life of the mine until about 2029. In doing so it will increase current employment from 300 to 400 local jobs and increase the number of full time contractors by about 10. Once a draft EIS is released there will be public consultation period, followed by a review of the submissions by the Coordinator General. The Coordinator General will then decide whether to approve or block the expansion.
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Port Alma barge still on the table
THE developer of a proposed coal terminal near Rockhampton said its plans remain unchanged by Glencore Xstrata’s decision to pull out of its nearby Balaclava Island project. The mining giant will not go ahead with its port at Balaclava Island near the mouth of the Fitzroy River, but Mitchell Group project manager Peter MacTaggart told the WINO: “It’s not material either way to our project.” The Mitchell Group’s Fitzroy Terminal project plans to operate out of Port Alma by barging coal to ships anchored offshore. It would require little to no dredging of existing waterways. Mr MacTaggart said the project is aimed at the smaller players in the region’s coalfields. “Ours is a small operation.
Raising capital is tough, but our project is simpler, cheaper and an effective way to enable smaller mines to get their coal to market,” he explained. “We think we are in a stronger position to proceed compared with traditional port development.” Building a coal terminal takes billions of dollars and needs huge capital investment, which wasn’t a problem a couple of years ago. “When coal prices were going through the roof, companies were throwing money around,” said Mr MacTaggart. “But things are different now.” Mr MacTaggart believes the Fitzroy Terminal project is appropriate even in the current market. But while the Mitchell Group has signed up two
companies in a 20-year takeor-pay contract, it still needs a third in order to go ahead. “We are talking to a number of companies but the market is slow. Our project wouldn’t proceed until we have the demand. “No one builds unless they have contracts in place with coal mines.” The project has submitted a draft environmental impact statement to the state’s Coordinator General, but at the moment the federal government has requested more information. Meanwhile, the Premier Campbell Newman has hinted there could be a change to the state government’s port strategy when he welcomed Glencore Xstrata’s decision to pull the plug on its project. “We have said that we want to protect the Great Barrier
Reef, we have said that we’re going to have a ports policy which stops the proliferation of new port facilities and consolidates in existing ports on the Queensland coast,” he told ABC radio. “That’s what this is all about for us. Xstrata had this project they wanted to put forward. If we had been in government at the time when it was originally envisaged, we’d have probably encouraged them to focus on the immediate opportunities in the Port of Gladstone.” But Mr MacTaggart said it was his understanding that there has been no change to the state government’s port strategy. “If there is any intention by the government to change, we haven’t heard. Port Alma is still an established port as far as we are concerned.”
Wandoan dead on arrival? THERE’S no port access and no railway, but Glencore Xstrata is remaining coy about whether Australia’s largest thermal coal project - the Wandoan mine - will go ahead. The future of the coal project has been under a cloud for months. It started when the Surat Basin rail project was put on hold late last year, in response to weakening market conditions. Two weeks ago, Glencore Xstrata announced it would dump its billion dollar export terminal at Balaclava Island, north of Gladstone. That leaves the Wandoan mine with no rail and no port access. However, in a carefully worded statement, a company spokesperson did not rule the project in or out: “Our Wandoan project is currently in the feasibility stage and we are still awaiting the receipt of a mining lease. Following receipt of our mining lease, a decision to proceed will be based on overall market conditions and the future outlook for the coal industry.” Certainly since Xstrata’s merger with Glencore, the outlook for the mine has been less than positive. In March, Glencore’s chief executive Ivan Glasenberg told investors in London he was in favour of less risky investments. “We are afraid of greenfields [projects],” he said. “Greenfields do have capital overruns. Greenfields do have delays.” In the meantime, legal action against the proposed mine could see permission for the project overturned. Five farming families are opposing the mega mine in the Supreme Court after successfully asking for a judicial review of the state government’s decision to allow it to go ahead. The hearing will be held next month.
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News Motels celebrate win over sex worker Queensland on alert after Moranbah measles outbreak
Shift Miner Magazine
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Sex worker GK was embroiled in battle with the Drover’s Rest in Moranbah.
A Moranbah motel has won a court battle which means it can now categorically say no to sex workers using its premises for work. It’s been a two-year court battle, but the discrimination case put forward by the sex worker has been quashed by the Queensland Court of Appeal. The Accommodation Association of Australia’s chief executive Richard Munro said the ruling is likely to have broad positive consequences. “While the focus of the decision was a motel in Moranbah in regional Queensland, there is a strong possibility that a number of other similar claims against accommodation businesses will now no longer proceed,” Mr Munro said. “This removes a lot of uncertainty for operators of accommodation businesses in Queensland – particularly in regional areas – and it means they can return to their principal aim of providing a tourism product that is of the highest possible standard.” The court heard that on June 28, 2010, the sex worker, who had stayed at the The
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Drover’s Rest for sex work purposes during the previous two years, was told she would have to stay elsewhere in future. In 2011 the legal sex worker, who had been earning $2000 a day during sporadic visits to the Drover’s Rest, lost the first round of her discrimination case against the motel, then won an appeal in QCAT. The motel owners appealed and on Friday the Court of Appeal unanimously found in their favour. The State Government last year amended the Anti-Discrimination Act to allow hotel and motel operators to refuse sex workers accommodation or evict them if they had reasonable belief they were operating a business from their premises. After losing her discrimination claim, the sex worker known only as GK, who had been seeking $30,000 compensation, then won the internal appeal in QCAT and motel owners appealed to the court. The tribunal member who first rejected the sex worker’s case found GK had not been refused accommodation because she was a sex worker, but because the motel owners did not want sex work in the Drover’s Rest. The Court of Appeal found discrimination on the basis that she was a lawfully employed sex worker was prohibited, but discrimination on the basis that she proposed to perform work as a sex worker at the motel was not prohibited. GK had stayed at the Drover’s Rest Motel 17 times before the owners discovered she was a sex worker.
THE entire state of Queensland is on measles alert with health authorities concerned the second confirmed case in Moranbah could see the virus spread elsewhere. A miner first contracted the virus after returning from a holiday to Thailand earlier this month. Now, a nurse who treated him at the Moranbah Medical Centre has been infected. Queensland Health is working to contact up to 400 people who may have been exposed while the nurse worked at the clinic between Tuesday May 14 and 11am on Thursday May 16. So far, 18 people who had direct contact with the nurse during this time have been tracked down. “Moranbah is not your typical country town; it’s a hub of mobile workers so it is quite possible someone has been exposed and has now flown or driven interstate,” said public health physician Dr Steven Donohue. “The warning is out for the whole of Queensland that in the next few weeks we could be seeing more cases as a result.” Dr Donohue warned that the window of opportunity to offer vaccination and or immunoglobulin injections to prevent further infection was closing. “There is a six- to seven-day window
where we can try and prevent infection however we are getting to the end of that period,” he said. “Beyond that all we can do is warn people of the symptoms so they are aware and to urge people to get an extra free shot of MMR if they are unsure of their immunisation status.” The Moranbah hospital and doctor’s surgery have extra stocks of the vaccine. Dr Donohue said the nurse’s experience of only having one vaccination was a reminder that everyone needs two doses. “Two shots are needed as an insurance policy,” he said. “The first vaccine will work in about 90 per cent of people but we give everyone two doses to mop up the missing 10 per cent with the second dose.” Queensland Health is recommending babies in Moranbah should be given their first MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination at nine months - rather than the usual 12 months - because of the outbreak. The measles virus causes a fever, cough and runny nose then a red spotty rash and sore eyes a few days later. Occasionally it can have dangerous complications. If you think you could have the virus, ring your GP for advice. Do not just present at the surgery.
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Gracemere open for business
GRACEMERE is set to power ahead now that the Rockhampton Regional Council has voted for a major amendment that will set the industrial area in stone.
Capricorn Enterprise’s economic development manager, Neil Lethlean, told Shift Miner the decision on zoning for the Gracemere Industrial Area was a
major milestone for the region. “It’s exciting times. With the zoning now entrenched, it’s the future for the region. We have certainty for the region, for the
state and for the nation.” “I have spoken to one of the investors in the region and they are very happy.” The industrial area met with a hiccup last year when 50 blocks of land, known as Precinct K, sat within an area set aside for industrial development. The area was to be redeveloped as industrial and had been met with opposition by residents. The planning amendment will see Precinct K remain as a rural zone, with surrounding areas zoned as light industrial. Mr Lethlean said the planning amendment will now go to the state government, where it will then be designated as a state industrial area. “We’ve turned a corner,” he said. “The predominant industry is transport. The first development now is for Toll NQX [a transport and freight company] for a major facility.” The industrial area scored a
coup in March, when Melbournebased Gibb Group secured a 25-hectare site to set up an industry park. 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. Mr Lethlean said the area will be governed by a traffic management plan so residents will be protected from heavy or frequent vehicles. However, some residents told ABC talkback radio the zoning would not be enough protection them from noise or pollution.
Farmers interested in Australian first pipeline
A WHOLE new irrigation industry is expected to develop in an area between Wandoan and Taroom in the next 12 months as coal
seam gas (CSG) water becomes available for agriculture. In what is an Australian first, around 35,000 megalitres of salty
waste water a year will be treated and then piped 120 kilometres overland, before being pumped into the Dawson River. The water is the by-product of the CSG extraction process in the nearby Surat Basin. Farmers with access to the pipeline will be able to use the water directly from the pipe, while irrigators and other water users from the Dawson River can harvest the water for further irrigation. How much farmers and irrigators will pay for the water is not yet finalised, and a spokesperson for SunWater said it was still assessing demand
based on expressions of interest which closed in late January. “Water available as part of the project will fill an immediate supply demand for customers in the Dawson Water Supply Scheme and will provide water for the life of QGC’s Queensland Curtis LNG project,” she said. “Water will be treated by QGC to the water quality standard determined by the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, taking into consideration SunWater’s environmental requirements and public health.” The water will be monitored,
as will environment impacts. Construction of the pipeline and associated infrastructure began early this year and is expected to take around 12 months to complete. Any water not allocated via the pipeline will enter the Dawson River and flow east into the Fitzroy River catchment. While all of the current water is likely to be allocated for agricultural use, a number of major miners have expressed interest in also using the water in the future. Irrigators along the Dawson River who are interested in this water should contact SunWater.
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Key trainer optimistic about coal future
CENTRAL Queensland’s coal industry is not dead and buried, according to the owner of a leading Central Queensland training company. The past six months have been extremely difficult for many service providers to the mines as coal prices have dropped and mining companies tightened
their purse strings. Companies have been shedding staff, a scenario almost unbelievable considering two years ago the biggest hindrance to growth was the skills shortage, and poaching of tradespeople and skilled operators among sites was rife. Training companies have been hard hit in the downturn; the
Kinetic Group has shut up shop and SGS Stax no longer has a presence in Central Queensland. But the chief executive of Yeppoon-based Coal Train, Karla Way-McPhail, says she is comfortable with the outlook. “I think the industry is reforming itself and I think it is more lean and mean, but it is certainly not dead
and buried,” she said. “I am confident there is still growth to come in the industry. We’re not getting small numbers [for courses], and we haven’t cancelled any courses. In fact, we are picking up the numbers more consistently over the past six to eight weeks.” Coal Train has only been running for two years, so it’s been a tough time to enter the training arena. But Ms Way-McPhail says there is still a market. Training companies just have to work harder - and smarter - for their dollar. “From our experience, while companies are cutting back on the quantity of their workforce they want to upskill their core workforce so that is driving demand,” she said. “I think certainly price wise it is a lot more competitive and people have to provide a topnotch service. It has to be flexible and you have to be able to mobilise trainers quickly to cater to the needs of industry.” Ms Way-McPhail was a speaker at the two-day Inspiring
Women In Mining Conference held in Gladstone last week. She’ll be advising participants to chase down a job they’re good at and enjoy, not the big money. She was first sent to Central Queensland as a teacher in 1988 and spent 20 years working in mining towns for Education Queensland. It was there she met her husband, and then went on to raise three children. Then the pair moved to Yeppoon and set up Undermine, a labour hire and project management company that currently holds contracts at Broadmeadows [BMA], Oaky Creek [Xstrata] and Grasstree mines [Anglo American]. Coal Train was borne out of an incident with an employee at Undermine. “We had an uncomfortable experience with an employee breach where he took something underground that was contraband. He said he’d never been told, and it grew from there,” explained Ms Way-McPhail.
Smartphones a tradie’s best friend IN 2013 you can buy most things online, and while young mums and office workers might be swift on the uptake, you don’t think of tradies as part of the online market. But that’s not been the experience of Totally Workwear. Since the launch of its mobile site four months ago, 20 per cent of the clothing company’s online sales are now made from a smartphone. Research carried out by the company has found that one in three tradies between the ages of 25 and 44 are just as likely to buy their workwear or footwear online as they are to buy tools for the
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jobsite or basic office supplies. Tradies aged 55 to 64 however, swear black and blue that they never have - and never will - shop from a smartphone. The smartphone rated as the second most popular technology used at work by tradies, the first being the laptop. Given the mobile nature of a tradie’s job, mobile technologies are popular and almost 40 per cent of tradies expect to use a smartphone on the job. Judy Ackerman, national sales manager at Totally Workwear, said technology had changed the way tradies work - and now shop. “Feedback from our customers
has been it’s easier to have the right safety and work gear when it’s easy to buy it,” she said. “We are not alone. Research from Worksafe Victoria found that tradies were most receptive to safety messages online, particularly when accessible via smartphone. We have no doubt that smartphone shopping is only going to get more popular as more and more people move to smartphones for work this year.” In fact, blue collar workers were listed as one of the top social media usage trends of 2012, according to the Social Media Examiner website.
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Around Town
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SMILE FOR SMIDDIE The Smile for Smiddie bike ride fundraiser held a masquerade ball in Blackwater recently.
Don and Lee Forbes
Errol and Helen Rix
Brad Rumpf and Mickala Kister
(L-R) Crystal Carpenter, Rachael Titmarsh and Danny Adcock (L-R) Matthew Clark, Justin James and Josh Garvey
(L-R) Rebecca Beath, Cara Clark and Nikki Brugmans
Troy and Cerys Firth
(L-R) Sarah Hill with Chris and Catherine Yates
Michaela Lehman and Joe Huelin
(L-R) Ronald Pors, Fleur Bonekamp and Erin Wilkins
(L-R) Natalie Garwood, Cindy and Kelly Peeters and Sarah Scott
Sue and John Engwicht
Ross and Penny McDermott. Ross is riding in the Smile for Smiddy ride
(L-R) Mick and Lara Conaghan and Christie Marschke
(L-R) Ronald Pors, Fleur Bonekamp and Erin Wilkins
Julie and Glen Millier
Robert and Vicki McDermott
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.
Buy this and many other images at
www.shiftminer.com Shift Miner magazine – bringing the mining community closer together 27th May 2013
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Don’t put me in a box! Or how to pick the right school for your kids
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Shift Miner Magazine
School feature
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Finding a school you’re happy with, and can afford, is something many mining families agonise over. Should you move to a bigger city and commute to work or send your child to boarding school? How important are NAPLAN and OP results? Does religion matter? Is single sex better for boys? Alex Graham helps Shift Miner readers navigate their way to the right school.
F
OR most parents choosing a school is a major decision. For mining families, the decision can be even more difficult because it often impacts on how and where the family lives. Many families who live in mining towns often choose to relocate to major regional centres or capital cities when their children reach high school age because there are a wider range of schools on offer. This often means dad becomes a FIFO or DIDO commuter to the coal or gas fields. The other option is that mum and dad continue to live in a smaller town, but their children go to boarding school when they reach grade eight. Whatever the choice, Melbourne teacher and counsellor Erin Shale says parents should not get themselves caught up in a game of guilt trips. Erin is wellversed on the subject and has written a book The Best School for your Child. “Every family is unique and these decisions are very tough,” she says.
“Parents shouldn’t feel guilty about these decisions. If the choice is that you don’t want to split up mum and dad and that means sending your children to boarding school, the world won’t stop turning. “The most important thing is to involve your child in making the decision. Discuss it openly, and take them along to see the school you are considering.” In fact, Erin says there are plenty of upsides to going to away to school, not least of which is that it prepares students for life after school. “Boarding school teaches independence and that is so important. It’s such a demanding world out there and it’s a huge transition between home and university and, in fact, there is a one in three drop-out rate because young people can’t cope with it. Universities and employers know that if you’ve been at boarding school then you will have a higher level of independence than the average teenager, and that is regarded as a very good thing.”
Queensland’s largest co-educational boarding school is getting even better.
New construction, campus renewal and renovations at The Rockhampton Grammar School over the next two years are the School’s response to growing demands from local families for wider access to one of the Top Country Schools in Australia.* We’re building new classrooms, adding more boarding facilities and increasing resources to accommodate approximately 250 additional Primary and Secondary students by 2015. Learn more and apply at www.rgs.qld.edu.au/admissions.
Talk to us about an unforgettable education
1300 GRAMMAR www.rgs.qld.edu.au
*The Australian, April 2012
Every opportunity. Every student. Every day. 27th May 2013
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run boarding schools really support their students and would encourage parents to stay involved that way.” Regardless of whether you are considering day school or boarding school, there are plenty of factors that come into play for parents. Shift Miner asked Erin Shale what was top on her list:
Erin says that in 2013, staying in contact with your child when they’re away at boarding school is easier than ever, thanks to mobile phones and text
messaging. But she says let your kids guide you as to how much contact they want or need. “Quality is better than quantity when it comes to
teenagers - whether they are at home or away! “Some kids want lots of contact, others don’t. Parents need to listen and respond to
that. If your kid is telling you stop calling, you can always keep in close contact with the school to find out how they are progressing. Well-
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School climate According to Erin, school climate should be the most important factor in finding a school that is the best match for your child. So what does she mean exactly? “It’s how you feel when you first walk in the door. Is there a nice welcoming atmosphere in the front office. Do the staff seem happy?” she explains. “Parents really should look at what the school stands for. Is it the kind of place you want looking after your child for the next stage of their life. It’s not just about being in safe hands, it’s about feeling connected to a place. “Look at the school culture. What do they value? Are they results-driven to the detriment of nurturing students? Is there going to be a lot of pressure to perform academically? Do they celebrate kids who are good at music as well
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Shift Miner Magazine as kids who are good at sport? “Get on their website and look at it from top to bottom. What are they promoting? Can you get copies of school policies? Find out what happens for student infringements - are you drawn and quartered for a mistake, or is there a policy of forgiveness?” Erin says parents should ask to see the school’s policy on bullying. “Schools should be open to talking to parents and not be trying to brush them aside with a ‘don’t worry we handle things well’ approach. They should not be avoiding answering those questions.” School climate is also where religion comes into play and whether you like the principal. In fact, when it comes to picking school, as Dennis Denuto so famously put it in the film The Castle “it’s just... the vibe... of the thing.” “When I was writing my book, I did a lot of school tours incognito and the differences you observe are just amazing,” says Erin. “It’s everything from the people behind the front office, to the body language of teachers to how relaxed students are in the classroom.” Her advice to parents is to
School feature
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take 15 minutes to park the car up outside the school at 3pm and just watch. “Do you see kids bouncing along like Mexican jumping beans, hugging each other and happy or are they kind of coming out kicking the door as they leave? “You can spot happy kids a mile off and those who can’t wait to get out of the place. Watch the teachers on duty; is there no interaction between them and the kids, or are kids yelling out ‘see ya miss, how’s it going sir?’ “Those sort of things sound inconsequential but that speak bucketloads about a school.” Programs To put it simply, curriculum counts. “It’s not much good if you’ve found a really wonderful happy school, but it doesn’t offer music and your kid is nuts about music,” explains Erin. “Are there programs to suit children of all abilities, not just physics, chemistry and maths? These days a lot of school offer vocational or VET subjects for students who might be heading down that path rather than the university path.” Erin says often a straight A student still wants to have access
to subjects like music or drama, and most good schools now offer a broad curriculum. Results You’d have to be living under a rock if you don’t know about NAPLAN. It opens up a Pandora’s Box for parents. How much emphasis should you place on the academic performance of a school? “I think you can’t help but look,” says Erin. “But often it doesn’t tell you the full story. Sometimes a school’s NAPLAN results might not be as impressive as another because they don’t ask students to leave if they are struggling. That does happen. There are plenty of schools that say to students in year 10, ‘perhaps you should find a more suitable school because it won’t look good for their results’.” Erin says parents should simply ask the school to explain their results. “Talk to the principal and just ask them outright ‘look your maths results are fantastic but your English results aren’t so great. Why is that?’ They might explain the results are skewed because there are 25 students from disadvantaged
Helpful websites • My School website - www.myschool.edu.au • Queensland Department of Education - education.qld.gov.au/ directory/schools/index • Australian Schools Directory - www.australianschoolsdirectory.com.au • Catholic Schools Guide - catholicschoolsguide.com.au • Kidspot’s Private School Finder - www.kidspot.com.au/privateschool-finder-kidspot.asp • Private Schools Directory - www.privateschoolsdirectory.com.au • Private Schools Guide - www.privateschoolsguide.com • School Choice - www.schoolchoice.com.au/ • School Select - www.schoolselect.com.au • The Good Schools Guide - www.goodschools.com.au • Which School? Magazine - www.whichschoolmag.com.au • Independent Schools Queensland - www.aisq.qld.edu.au/ schoollist.aspx?category=1&element=17 • Catholic Education Commission of Queensland www.qcec.catholic.edu.au/catholic-education/schools-directory backgrounds, but if you take them out of the equation then the results are above average. Often it’s not as it first appears.” It’s the same for OP results in year 12. Erin says while a school’s academic record should be a consideration for parents, it should not be the only one. “Results are not the be-all and end-all. If your child is happy at school and has great
friends then that is important to take into account.” Co-ed versus single sex It’s the age old debate - should you separate the sexes or let them mingle when it comes to education? Do girls fly ahead in an allgirls’ environment, and will your son lack social skills if he boards in an all-boys’ school?
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According to Erin, unlike in times gone by, most single sex schools now promote contact with the other sex on a regular basis, whether it’s at school dances, sports carnivals or music and drama performances. So your child will not be an island with no social skills! But for those agonising over the decision, here’s the good news:
“I just don’t think it really matters,” says Erin. “A good school is built on good teachers and led by a good principal and if those things are right, then students will be interested and engaged. That’s what you need in a learning environment. Both co-ed and single sex can work; it’s about assessing what’s right for your child and what else you like about that school.”
End the search for the ‘best’ school Gaining entry into some schools, and especially perceived ‘best’ schools, has become a competitive process. Many parents want to send their children to the ‘best’ schools available when perhaps they’re focusing on the wrong target. What’s really important in choosing a school for your child is focusing on the ‘right’ school – not necessarily the ‘best’ school. What’s the difference? Schools strive for education excellence within their circumstances and available resources. ‘Best’ schools are those schools whose names come up in conversation as ‘desirable’. Often these schools are determined by excellence in academic results or reputation or the opportunity for your child to establish ‘social networks’, or a number of other factors that aren’t made entirely clear. What’s important to keep in mind is that these schools may or may not be ‘right’ for you and your child.
‘Right’ schools are the schools that match (as closely as possible) the combined list of your child’s needs and your education preferences. Avoid the traps: • Look for the ‘right’ schools for your child. Don’t get caught up in trying to find the ‘most desirable’ or ‘best’ school; • Don’t forget that choosing a school for your child is not a competition between other parents or children; • What’s really important is trying to figure out where your child will be happy; • Look for the best match between your child’s strengths and needs, your education preferences and the school’s offerings. [Source: ASG’s Choosing a school with confidence guide. Find it at www.asg.com.au]
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of our girls and young women. It truly is impossible to understand what this ‘more’ really means without experiencing for yourself the warmth and sincerity which is the ‘golden heart’ of Rockhampton Girls Grammar School. Come and see us today to experience our community and find out what it means to be a Girls Grammar Girl. Visit our website to find out more about boarding at Rockhampton Girls Grammar School www.rggs.qld.edu.au. Contact Tammy Lang on 07 4930 0912 or Enrolments@rggs.qld.edu.au to arrange an appointment and receive a prospectus package. Join the Girls Grammar family today!
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FROm THE EDITOR I have a really bad case of road rage. All the time. It’s because I consider myself to be a courteous country driver - I will do the finger wave (and I don’t mean the middle finger wave) to any vehicle on the road and then a full hand wave to my neighbours. I get off the the road for the truck drivers, give them a wave and get a big wave back in return. But hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, so when someone doesn’t return my wave, I shake my fist, give a rude gesture and yell out a couple of expletives. If a vehicle approaching me makes no attempt to move to the side, I will move straight back to the middle of the road and run them off. Or just stop in the middle and beep my horn. Considering I drive a Ford Fiesta, I feel this is a courageous move on my part as I am putting my life on the line for good manners and courtesy. Unkind people may say it’s idiotic, immature and dangerous and they could have a small point. But I digress. We decided it was time to look at country courtesy on the roads because it is a big issue for most people in regional Queensland. You either live in a community where people commute from to the mines, or you live in a community that is home to that mine or quarry, and people commute to. I went to a neighbour’s barbecue the other week and road manners was the big topic of conversation and everyone had a story about one driver from a local quarry who would never get off the road. All of us had almost been taken out at one time or another. I decided that it was time to confront
the issue - and the person - as part of this issue’s cover story. My plan was to march up to this woman, tell her about the article and then ask her why she was the rudest driver in Queensland, possibly the world. I bragged to everyone at work and to my neighbours that I was going to take. her. down. I grabbed my card and a couple of copies of Shift Miner and I marched up to that office. But my sails deflated like a popped balloon and my bravado deserted me as, when I walked into that office, the perpetrator of ‘rude bugger’ driving met me with a friendly smile and offered to make me a cup of coffee. Then we proceeded to chat in the most amicable of fashions. I was as meek as a newly shorn lamb. As I left that office, my head reeled. Life was not as I knew it. This wasn’t meant to happen. People who are rude on the roads were meant to have evil personalities. Perhaps I have a bit of a problem and shouldn’t get so angry when someone doesn’t wave. I have learned a lesson - ‘rude bugger’ tendencies doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a rotten person. On the other hand, if you just pause for a moment extend a bit of courtesy to others, it would make a big difference. It could also be a very good thing for you if it is me you happen to meet on the road! Inga Stunzner Do you have some country courtesy or rude bugger moments to share?
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Stuff to the Editor Our front page story in the last edition on mental health in mining prompted these text messages:
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Black dog stalking
M A G A Z I N E
ARE WE ST IN RED DOGUCDAKYS ?
»
Full report
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PERSONAL INJ EXPERTS URY
All accidents and personal injury claims
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• Motor Vehicle • Public LiabilityAccidents • Workers Injury Claims Claims • • Total and Mining Accident Permanent Claims Disability • Boating and Holiday Accident Insurance Claims Claims Darren Sekac Whitsunday is available for consultat and Proserpin ions at the appointment e offices on only. Thursday, by
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Thank you for your cover story on black dog days. I suffer from depression and working in mining has been tough at times because I haven’t wanted to explain my sick days. I think articles like this help people realise mental illness is just like any other sickness. You need time to recuperate and professional, medical help. Don’t try and beat it on your own because you probably won’t. RD, Mackay It’s not just mining that is lax on mental health. I work in construction in Gladstone and the industry is rife with those kind of problems. It’s all very underground and nobody really talks about it - but it’s definitely there. And everyone knows it. D.S, Gladstone I don’t know why everybody expects their employer to do everything for them these days - including hold their hand through life. If you have mental health issues, get it sorted out yourself. Same as if you have a bad knee or a broken arm. If it didn’t happen
MACK AY
om.au
Date: 6.5.13 Name: Shift Size: 74.5 H Miner advert: x 60 W mm
at work, it shouldn’t be an employer’s concern. I am sick of working alongside a bunch of slack bastards who expect their employer to do everything for them. Do it yourself. DM, Rockhampton Frank the Tank has his usual bucketful of fan mail: If I had a dollar for every time I saw someone crying with laughter at Frank’s advice, I could quit the industry! WS, Moranbah Frank - you are my god. Never has one man made so much sense. Gordon, Mackay Have you ever considered ditching Sensible Susan and just letting Frank run riot? Debbie, Emerald (Ed’s note: Frank would like that very much, Debbie. But it won’t be happening anytime soon.)
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An oldie but a goodie! This pic was sent in to us in July last year. If you’ve seen something we haven’t, send the photo to us! SMS details are below.
SEEN SOMETHING WE HAVEN’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
27th May 2013
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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
$27,500 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
BOAT FOR SALE 2008 BAJA26 OUTLAW LUXURY PERFORMANCE POWERBOAT AS NEW 496ci Magnum HO Mercruiser 70mph 4 Blade Prop Aluminium Tandem Trailer Toilet, Cabin, Bunks, Seating Custom Upholstery, Graphics $95,000 ono Phone: 0414 330 803 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
CAR FOR SALE Immaculate Holden
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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
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.
VS CLUBSPORT series 2, 19 inch chrome mags, new power steering pump,new water pump,new front brake pads, 142000km, great condition $8,500 ono
Phone: 0407 913 914
Phone: 0439 872 215
CAR FOR SALE
BOAT FOR SALE
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
$79,000 ono Phone: 0432 429 264
LOST SOLID YELLOW GOLD BANGLE At Mackay Airport on Thursday 7th March around 3pm. Lost at security Screening Area. $200 reward offered.
If you have any information please contact MACKAY POLICE on
49 683 444 or MARIA on
HOUSE/LAND FOR SALE
LAND FOR SALE
NORTH OF YEPPOON
Get Tax advantages as a Primary Producer!
BUSINESS/HOME FOR SALE
OPEN TAXI LICENCE FOR SALE IN ROCKHAMPTON
All leather interior.
0409 265 027
$595,000 ono Phone: 07 4937 3564
Phone: 0409 630 311
BUSINESS FOR SALE
Statesman
Phone: 0419 788 599
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
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
LIGHTNING
$75,000 ono Phone: 0417 704 369
$48,000 Phone: 0413 501 222
CLASSIC FOR SALE Ford Mustang Convertable 67 302 V8 Auto. Left hand drive, disc brakes. Excellent condition, Fully restored.
$48,000 Phone: 0749 337 305 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
Front Bumper Land Cruiser 2012 $150 Standard
very low hrs, Vessel is quick, economical
Rims $750 each Air Intake Snorkel (Top Only)
and safe, with all
$50 5 Dunlop Tyres 265/70R16 111RLT $250 Full
possible extras.
Suspension Front Coil, Rear Leaf & Shockies $1000
$62,000
Phone: 49 739 698 BOAT FOR SALE 2013 HORIZON 435 Easy Fisher PRO on Dunbier, with 40 HP Mercury Tiller, saftey gear, Bimini top, front casting deck, rear storage with bait tank, Hummingbird 160X sounder, battery/ box, Side pockets, Rolled side decks $14,490 Phone: 0749 467 286 LAND FOR SALE YEPPOON Acreage Living, City Conveniences!
Phone: 0409 391 254
Bitumen Road and Phone to front Gate. School, PO, Garage, Hospital, Hotel kindergarden and stores 15 min Drive. New gold mines in area.
CAR FOR SALE
Exhaust System 2.5 Inch $500 4x Standard GXL
Phone: 0435 347 686
2.5 ACRES FARMLET
Phone: 0407 840 484
Twin 90hp E-Techs with
block, 5 minutes from CBD, schools, transport.
SELF-SUSTAINABLE living on a sapphire mine claim 5 km west of Rubyvale. Small house, off grid, solar/ rainwater/composting toilet, great view.
TOYOTA RAV 4
This one lady owner Toyota Rav4 2010 is the perfect small SUV. Well maintained with full service history. Auto MY10 (4/10) 2.4L Cruiser FWD standard features include: Automatic, 5 seater Cruise control Power windows & mirrors, Dual Air Conditioning with Climate Control.
7mtr Alloy Walk-around,
Buy and stock cattle on 32 acre Hobby Farm at Ravensbourne which is 40 minutes from Toowoomba and 90 minutes to Brisbane.
LAND FOR SALE
CAR FOR SALE
4000 sqm North facing, corner premium Plenty of space for shed, pool, kids to play. $300,000 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 704 369
Phone: 0429 831 021 CAMPER 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 Home built camping trailer, built to carry 3 full 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 $4,500 Phone: 0429 112 396 CARAVAN FOR SALE BOROMA 700ST Insulated Custom designed, Shower/Toilet, fitted with 2x Electrolux Air conditioners, TV/DVD, W/ Machine, Gas cooktop,Grill & Oven,2x80ltr Water tanks, Hot water system, Solar panel, Twin batteries, Battery charger, Wired for 240/12volt, 1x80ltr GWT, Excellent condition. $42,000 neg. Phone: 0419 001 369
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Frank the Tank’s Dear Frank,
My husband has recently taken up a hobby that I can’t stand. I wouldn’t mind if he were just heading out to play golf with his mates, but this is much worse. He’s become obsessed with karaoke singing. Every Friday and Saturday night he’s trying to drag me to some horrible bar or nightclub for karaoke contests, and the worst part is he can’t even sing! How can I get him to put the microphone down and come back to reality? Diane, Rockhampton.
Fai r D in k u m !
I must say I find this to be a very interesting situation, Diane. Usually when a man decides to perform karaoke it’s because he’s trying to pull the birds - a technique I, myself, have employed on numerous occasions. I’m sure there are women who still fantasise about my 2006 performance of “I touch myself”, which culminated in a strip show and vivid visual depiction of the song title. Although I was promptly ejected from the nightclub, I was followed home by numerous female patrons, all requesting a private performance. This is why I find it so troubling that your husband is encouraging you to attend the karaoke performances with him. I find it even more disturbing that he’s become obsessed with karaoke. For most blokes a karaoke performance is a lot like having an addiction to public exposure; you whip it out every now and again when you’re trying to impress a woman, but you’re not really proud of it. Now, if you want to draw him away from karaoke I’ve got a couple of very
a frenzy of ‘what ifs’, with a number of people throwing their support behind the trans-Pacific union. A popular choice for the Ameristralia flag features a koala riding a bald eagle.
IN THE US
One idea for Ameristralia’s flag is a koala riding a bald eagle.
IN AMERISTRALIA?! -
A petition has been created on the White House website to merge Australia and America into one super colony. The ‘We the People’ section of the website allows users to petition the government on important issues. If a petition receives 100,000 votes, it will be reviewed by the White House. The internet has already exploded into
- A would-be thief’s attempt to knock off the cash register at a local restaurant has been thwarted by a bucket of chilli. The man attempted to snatch money from the cash register at a localbtakeaway store and then became involved with an argument with employees. A 40-year-old employee called the police while his 27-year-old female colleague struggled with the robber. The woman then grabbed a nearby bucket of chilli and threw it in the man’s face, instantly flooring him. Police arrived a few minutes later and arrested the bungling thief for assault and attempted robbery. He was taken to the police station and treated for minor burns.
“Streakin” good love advice
simple suggestions. Next time your husband drags you out to watch him sing, record his performance on your mobile phone and play it back to him when you get home. He’ll more than likely be embarrassed beyond belief at his off-key wailing and won’t want to show his face on the karaoke scene again. If you try this and it doesn’t work, you’re going to have to break out the big guns. Go along to a karaoke performance and pretend to be mesmerised by the performance of another man. This should make your husband so jealous that he’ll quit karaoke, or at the very least insist that you not go with him anymore. I should warn you though, if you come to a karaoke bar where old Frank’s performing you won’t have to fake being mesmerised. I once performed a karaoke version of “Working Class Man” that was so enthralling Jimmy Barnes himself tried to French kiss me...come to think of it, that may have been an extremely unattractive
IN THE UK - A passenger jet
flying almost collided with a ‘UFO’ whilst flying over Glasgow. Pilots aboard the Airbus claim a blue and yellow object “whizzed” under their plane at high speeds, without giving them to react. After contacting air traffic control about the incident, they were told there were no other aircraft on radar, or registered with air traffic control. In a post-incident report, the chief pilot said there was a high chance of collision, and suggested the object may have been a glider or microlight aircraft. Investigators rejected this claim but remain unable to explain the incident.
IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY - A 71-year-old
Darwin man claims to be the King of Lithuania and other Eastern European territories, and he’s wasting no time in exercising his royal powers. ‘King Roman’ (also known as Ron Mann) discovered in 1992 that his father
woman with a mullet... I need to stop drinking.
Frank
SENSIBLE SUSAN Diane, I must say that I’ve heard a lot of women complaining their husband won’t stop playing footy or cricket, but I think this is the first case of karaoke addiction I’ve ever come across! It’s possible that the karaoke singing is just a phase, and he might get sick of it as time goes on. However, if it’s something that he really enjoys, I don’t think you should be encouraging him to stop. Maybe you could just tell him that karaoke isn’t really your scene, and suggest that he go with some friends instead? That way he can keep doing something he enjoys, and you don’t have to suffer through an evening of questionable singing.
Susan
had been the Grand Duke of Lithuania, and claims he can prove his royal pedigree. One of King Roman’s powers is the ability to grant titles, and for the mere sum of $100 he will dub you Knight of the Order of Amethyst. Money raised will go towards helping federate Lithuania, Belarus and the Ukraine in a constitutional royal alliance.
IN NEW ZEALAND -
NEW Zealand’s sheep are the butt of jokes overseas, but a woman on the nation’s North Island has found they can also be dangerous. The woman was taken to hospital after suffering serious leg injuries in a sheep stampede while she was trying to muster a mob on a farm about 100km east of Palmerston North. Palmerston North Rescue Helicopter pilot Chris Moody said the sheep trampled the woman’s leg after she was knocked down. She was taken on the back of a ute to the helicopter before being flown to Palmerston North Hospital. A hospital spokesman said the woman, aged in her 50s, was in a stable condition. ADVERTORIAL
Financial support for your ex - spousal maintenance
SOME people try and cut off the financial support for the ex on separation without getting legal advice about the consequences associated with this action. When couples separate, a claim
for spousal maintenance can be made by the financially needy spouse against the spouse who has the greater income. It does not matter whether you are de facto or married. The claim can be made in cases where there are children under 18 and where there are no children. There is a long list of issues to be considered by the court in a spousal maintenance claim. For a spousal maintenance claim to be successful it must be shown that the: a. person claiming financial assistance can show they do not have enough income in
order to meet their costs of living; b. other person to the relationship has income which is greater than their living costs. Spousal maintenance most commonly arises in the period of time between when a couple separates and when they complete a final property settlement. However the liability to pay spousal maintenance can continue past a final property settlement in certain circumstances. In addition a court exercising powers under the Family Law Act can make various other interim court orders including orders that one person pay all
or part of the following costs, the: mortgage; car repayments; credit card payments; rent etc. It is always better to get legal advice before planning big changes to your financial arrangements when you separate rather than finding out you have done the wrong thing and being forced to face the consequences. Supplied by: James Bailey Partner 27th May 2013
21
Shift Miner Magazine
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CLASSIC
MOVIE Review BY JUSTIN CARLOS
I’m breaking the first rule of fight club
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out of one another. As the film progresses, Tyler Derden becomes increasingly unstable and the fight club evolves into a terrorist cell bent on creating general mayhem in any way possible, from setting off bombs to editing gigantic penises into children’s films at the local cinema.
it’s all because of the popularity of the film. The movie follows the story of a tightly wound, white-collar worker (Edward Norton) suffering from chronic insomnia. On a plane flight he meets an eccentric soap salesman, Tyler Derden (Brad Pitt), and the two form an underground club where people therapeutically beat the hell
THE first rule of fight club is you don’t talk about fight club, but I’m breaking it for the purposes of this classic movie review. David Fincher’s Fight Club is an unlikely modern day classic that has become a very big part of popular culture. Television shows and movies today still make jokes or references to ‘fight clubs’, and
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ACROSS 1. Letter sleeve 5. Men’s hairdresser 9. Enlisted 10. Lemon or orange 12. Oiliest 13. Not joined 14. Hurried 16. Thorn 19. Brooks 21. Finger jewellery 24. Royal racecourse 25. Key maker 27. Burn 28. Science of flying 29. Snuggle closely 30. Amicable
It all culminates with a pretty fantastic twist at the end (I won’t spoil it for those who haven’t seen it). Encouraging general social anarchy and completely rejecting the status quo, Fight Club may have been fortunate it was released when it was, just before the new millenium. It is unlikely a major studio would have backed a film that glamourises terrorism, subverts authority and rejects consumerism in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Fight Club is driven by Brad Pitt’s grungy performance as charismatic psychopath Tyler Derden. Edward Norton’s role as the discontented narrator yearning for a release is the perfect counter to Pitt’s larger-than-life character. The film is laced with black humour and constantly encourages us to reject authority and embrace mayhem. In fact, if you pause the Fight Club DVD at the start, the warning message actually encourages people to go out and start fights. Interestingly, Fight Club also sees rockand-roll legend Meat Loaf playing a man recovering from testicular cancer who has grown enormous breasts as a result of his treatment. To this day I can’t imagine the circumstances in which this role came to Meat Loaf, but to his credit he plays it extremely well. If you feel like a very lazy revolt against the establishment, pick up a copy of Fight Club.
Down 1. Appear 2. Assorted 3. Reclines lazily 4. Feign 6. Cartoon production technique 7. Soldiers’ quarters 8. Award ribbons 11. Ladder rung 15. Functional 17. Political killer 18. Cherished # 46 20. Sodium chloride 21. Return to health 22. Felt sorry for 23. Shabby hut 26. Divide
LAST EDITION’S SOLUTIONS C H A P T E R R T I E A N T E L O P D E L L L A N D S L I E D E L E A D S B D C R A V I NG A R T A B A N J O T B A R E A R C T I C R L A DWE L L S
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# 47
Three apps to help you save money SHIFT MINER Handy Crossword 127ME - (15A grid) Handy Crossword 067s. pdf
© Lovatts Crosswords - 30/06/2009 - Artist -mb
and send vouchers directly to your loyalty card. It might sound like small potatoes, but creating a consistent grocery list (and sticking to it) is a fail-safe way to save money.
Kayak - cost: free
Shift Miner Handy Cross blank grid.pdf Here ARE three apps that could save YOU could be forgiven for ©Lovatts thinkingPublications that 5/03/09 artist are – mb you thousands this year. all smartphone and tablet apps created
solely for the purpose of passing time, but there are some great apps out there that can actually save you money.
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27th May 2013
Grocery IQ - cost: free Scan barcodes, create and share shopping lists
Available for iPod, iPad and on the web, Kayak offers a fantastic airfare comparison interface. If you fly regularly, this app could help you save big on air travel.
Trapster - cost: free Trapster has over seven million users worldwide who provide information about speed traps, camera zones and police checkpoints. Most of us have been
caught a few Ks over the limit at one point or another, and it can really hurt the hip pocket. We’re not encouraging you to use this app to speed recklessly, but as a tool to stay on your guard and avoid a nasty fine.
Compoundee HD - cost: $2.20 Compoundee is an easy-to-use investment calculator that calculates up to five different investment variables at a daily, weekly, monthly, semi-annual or annual level. Using this calculator, you can estimate how much an investment will be worth over a period of time. This could be extremely useful if you’re contemplating which investment is best for you.
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Redmond’s Rants
The Reformation
I’D like to nail the following submission to the door of the safety office chapel: The Clergy After a long period (dark night of the soul) of investigation, revelation and research, I have found it is possible for a man
to live outside the doctrine and scripture of the Wholly Roamin’ Coal Dollar. The current structure of a coal mine is both eclectic and draconian with its bipolar, factional disfunction to the extent that clergymen in the safety roll
have the ability to sanction the financial excommunication of a mine worker. In particular, the ability to remove a mine worker from amongst the ranks and excommunicate him from his right to earn his keep (wage) for the victimless oversight of failing to put his lock on a piece of broken equipment. This is an example of how the scripture can be so twisted by interpretation that it becomes destructive. The teaching of ‘zero harm’ is at best a pseudo-catholic mime. A religious, self-righteous, unobtainable, miserable and useless scripture that, at times, would embarrass its spiritual counterpoint. Selling an indulgence to a member of your flock seems a bit lame when compared to instant and total removal of their income for a ‘safety breach’ judged using their own unqualified moral and technical value tables. For the sin of failing to isolate an object - that had no scientific way of obtaining movement - the clergy removed the financial support (wage) of one of the flock. The fitter was sacked, despite the fact he was working under a machine that had three other isolation locks (three other fitters) in place. The catch-cry from the safety department was: “We have zero tolerance for isolation breaches” (in Kingdom come it will be done). That is an easy six-word scripture:
easy to say, easy to remember, easy to sell. The main failure in this incident is that of decency, common sense and maybe even the lofty ideal of fellowship. Ask any mine worker the procedure for gaining access to a operational dragline and the scripture behind the golden rule of isolation is simply ignored wholesale. To access a dragline the operator lowers the ladder and keeps the machine swinging. You simply jump on the ladder as it passes your way. It’s not much of a risk but compared to walking under a machine with three isolation locks (but not your own) it’s as dangerous as a heresy trial. The clergy has bent the legislation to produce unworkable, undecipherable lofty incantations which, in the yellow morning, are stanzas of gibberish. The Wholly Roamin’ Coal Dollar will ultimately re-group and hopefully reform this factional split in its ranks and present the flock a fair, workable and just system. The current system seems to be blind worship (the most dangerous kind of worship) or regurgitation of a syllabus at best. The clergy WILL be made to service the parish not vice versa. When the entire system is under pressure such as now the value of a good man is shown. A good man will not recant. I can’t sit here ranting all day, a man cannot live on The Diet of Worms.
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...
Cooking shows are ruining the world
It’s hows like this that are the demise of the good old steak and chips cuisine.
WAS that headline a little bit too dramatic? Possibly, but the fact remains. Cooking shows are sending the world insane. In honour of bacon week, a Surry Hills chef has created a bacon and egg roll that costs...wait for it...$120. The troubling thing is it sounds like something the Queen would order on her birthday, and even them I’m not sure if the ingredients would be quite so ridiculous. What’s on this fabled bacon and egg roll? Brace yourself. Award-winning bacon from Slade Point Meat Specialists in Mackay, a pan-fried duck egg, semi-dried and smoked gourmet truss tomatoes, duck foie gras, caviar, creme fraiche, shaved truffles and English cheddar squeezed between a handmade brioche bun and served with a side of chips and shaved truffle aioli. Granted, it does contain products from four different animals, which in theory sounds pretty awesome, but they’re predominantly all weird parts - what the hell is foie gras?
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that 90 per cent of people who purchased this blue-chip bacon roll would have been bitterly disappointed. What’s most disturbing is it was created as part of bacon week in an effort to showcase how awesome Aussie Pork is. Why celebrate the awesomeness of bacon by covering it in a bunch of weird ingredients and charging top dollar for it? I think I speak for the community at large when I say that a more appropriate tribute to bacon would have been a street parade in which public figures throw crispy bacon rashers from floats to an admiring and hungry crowd. I can remember not too long ago when vanilla Coke and a curry pie were considered exotic cuisine, so what has caused this complicated culinary craze? Cooking shows of course. Instead of classics, such as steak and chips, people are cooking meals in their homes that require blow torches and five kinds of octopus. This, in turn, encourages chefs at restaurants to step up their game. After all, they can’t be out-gourmeted by a bunch of amateurs. It’s high time we revolted against this troubling master chef regime and demanded a return to the classics: steak and chips, rissoles, chicken parmy, etc. If we don’t, mark my words, we’ll be eating human meat as a delicacy before the year’s out.
www.mackaymarinefestival.com.au Catch all the action of the Australian Offshore Superboat Championships. Get up close to Qld’s leading boat brands - heaps of show specials on and off the water! Boating and Fishing talks across the weekend. FREE entertainment for the kids!
FREE entry for all! The Mackay Marine Festival is proudly supported by
Marine Festival 27th May 2013
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Shift Miner Magazine
Off Shift
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Bait Shop Banter Luke Doyle is quite the fisher with this beauty. We hope you tagged and released it!
and Far Beach are fishing most consistently around Mackay.
“It’s worth getting your woolies, picking up some herring and heading to the creeks to chase the salmon, early in the evening on the falling tide you should see some good fish,” said Adrian. Recent good visibility also means conditions are favourable for spear fishers. For all anglers on the Cap Coast, the Secret Spot is moving to a new location at 1 Charles Street, Yeppoon as of May 27.
GLADSTONE - A
patch of good weather saw a lot of Gladstone anglers venture out wide over the weekend. Greg from Pat’s Tackle World Gladstone said there were some great reef fish caught. “A lot of people out wide got great coral trout and sweet lip around Douglas Shoals; they caught them anchoring up, rather than by just letting the boat drift.” In close, the change in weather is making it a paradise for salmon. “Blue salmon are really moving in with the colder weather, and there are some really big threadfin getting around, they’ll take a hard plastic lure or practically any kind of bait, the salmon aren’t fussy,” said Greg. Mackerel season could potentially be better this year, with the weather bringing the grey giants closer inshore, last week there was a 44 kilogram Spanish caught off Rundle Island.
MACKAY - It’s a mixed
YEPPOON
- The fishing in Yeppoon has been cracking, with plenty of people getting out and catching plenty. Adrian from the Secret Spot says there’s a number of different species
getting around at the moment. “There seems to be a big influx of bait into the bay at the moment so there’s pockets of fish everywhere, plenty of spotties and doggies [mackerel] and
longtail tuna have been caught, and there’s been good red dew caught in deep water.” The creeks are fishing equally well, with the salmon really starting to run.
bag in Mackay at the moment with weather making the fishing a bit inconsistent. Nathan from Tackle World Mackay reckons there’s action out wide when the weather permits. “With good weather this weekend past there’s quite a few mackerel starting to show up in the inshore ground, and the snapper shouldn’t be far behind them.” It’s worth wetting a line in close too. “The good-quality whiting and bream are starting to show up in the estuaries and creeks, and there’s been some blue salmon caught off the beaches too,” said Nathan. If you’re heading out with no idea where to start, Sandy Creek
your weather forecast T
MACKAY Gladstone
Mon 27
MACKAY Gladstone WEEK 1: The rainfall seems to be happening regularly around Wednesday/Thursday during the past three weeks. First real frost for the season last Monday from the Callide to Springsure. Some of the best regular autumn soaking rain in many years, starting in the Kimberley/Pilbara in WA (heaviest May rain in 16 years). The North West Cloud Band dropped rain (14-35mm) in the Alice, Charleville then CQ. Longreach missed out again with only 3.6mm. Some Coalfield falls (mm) of note: Blackdown 31, Mt Ewan 29, Theodore 26, Upper Dee 26, Injune 19, Wandoan 18, Nebo 17, Taroom 16,
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27th May 2013
Cockatoo Ck. 15, Springsure Ck. 14, Comet 13, Wowan 13, Middlemount 12, Peakvale 11, Emerald 7, Sapphire 7, Rolleston 6. Heavier falls with 7 day totals of 141mm Proserpine, Rockhampton 76mm and Sarina 36mm nearer the coast. Looking ahead, an East Coast Low (ECL) develops of the NSW coast and dumps extreme rainfall from Newcastle to Coffs Harbour. Then it drives cold dry wintery southerly air into CQ. Single figure minimums (frost?) across the southern Coalfields could reach Moranbah/ Collinsville. Then a large high develops in the Tasman causing fresh to strong winds for the coast, reaching inland. Cool 10-12C minimums and 23-24C maximums with an apparent
i
d
angus.peacocke@shiftminer.com
With Mike Griffin
e
Wed 29
send it through to our resident bait chucker-
T
i
Thu 30
m
e
s
Fri 31 Sat 1 Sun 2
Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht 0450 1047 1644 2310
0.49 3.66 0.58 4.47
0541 1140 1733
0.59 3.55 0.78
0004 0633 1236 1827
4.30 0.73 3.43 1.02
0101 0730 1337 1928
4.09 0.88 3.35 1.24
0202 0829 1443 2039
3.88 0.99 3.32 1.40
0305 0933 1552 2157
3.69 1.03 3.39 1.45
0411 1037 1700 2312
3.56 1.01 3.53 1.40
0638 1224 1831
0.66 4.81 0.52
0048 0731 1320 1922
6.04 0.80 4.61 0.81
0141 0827 1420 2019
5.76 0.96 4.45 1.14
0239 0926 1526 2124
5.45 1.08 4.36 1.43
0344 1032 1639 2239
5.15 1.13 4.41 1.62
0456 1139 1754
4.94 1.09 4.59
0001 0607 1243 1859
1.64 4.82 0.99 4.86
Mon 3
Midweek rain
Tue 28
If you have a good photo or fishing yarn
Tue 4
Wed 5
Thu 6
Fri 7 Sat 8 Sun 9
Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht 0515 1136 1759
3.48 0.95 3.70
0014 0612 1226 1848
1.29 3.44 0.89 3.86
0105 0702 1309 1930
1.18 3.42 0.85 3.98
0148 0745 1346 2008
1.08 3.40 0.83 4.05
0227 0824 1419 2042
1.02 3.37 0.83 4.09
0301 0901 1449 2114
0.99 3.33 0.85 4.09
0334 0934 1517 2145
0.98 3.29 0.89 4.05
0114 0710 1338 1954
1.53 4.76 0.88 5.12
0214 0804 1425 2040
1.39 4.71 0.82 5.32
0303 0850 1505 2120
1.27 4.64 0.80 5.45
0345 0931 1541 2156
1.21 4.56 0.82 5.51
0423 1007 1613 2229
1.19 4.47 0.86 5.52
0457 1041 1642 2300
1.21 4.38 0.93 5.48
0528 1110 1710 2329
1.25 4.28 1.01 5.40
maximum around 21/23C. Just a brief afternoon shower in the east. Temperatures warm late week into the high twenties north of Emerald. There is a hint of yet another NWCB developing. Boaties! Cold SE winds for most of the week! Mon-Tue: S/SE 16-22 gusting to 28 in squally showers. Wed-Thr: SE/ESE 18-14 with a brief shower gusting 25 Whitsundays. Fri: SE 15-10 brief shower. Very tricky here as cloud could develop with some rain – timing? Winds may be more NE/N around Curtis Island ahead of the rain. Sat: Tough to predict. W/NW tending SW then a late Southerly. Sun: Light S/SE 10-15 increasing. WEEK 2: the SOI after taking a steep dive to -4 early in the month has now risen quickly to +3.5.
The sea surface temperature off the WA north coast is the warmest in May on record. This is one of the reasons for the NWCB’s developing. Another burst of cold air early in the week should cause frosts in the Darling Downs/Warrego. This may sneak into the Callide/Springsure area. Mostly sunny mild/warm winter days (23-24C) for the start of the week. Then another variation of a NWCB seems to be developing. Again could be midweek in the north and late week near the coast and south. Marine Lovers! Cold southerlies! Mon-Wed: SW 3-5 inshore tending SE/E avo. and SSE 15-20 offshore easing SE 10-15 during the day. Cloud arrives from the west Thr/Fri. This could cause rain and ease the winds around to the NE.
Shift Miner Magazine
Sport
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Chinchilla Suns’ first win a long Lights and culture a winning combination for Gladstone Rugby way from postless beginning
GETTING a ground-lighting upgrade in the modern age of sport is not normally a show-stopping event. But for the Gladstone Rugby Union Club (GRUFC), the installation of lights good enough to play under at night is big news. After years of being forced to play all their games during the day, they can now look forward to hosting night matches, which will boost their player numbers. Like many mining-related towns, Gladstone has a vast source of potential players working on a roster basis that stops them playing during the day. But in the evening, well, that is a different story, according to club president David Loane. “After months of delays due to rain and other things, we are finally looking like we will get our lights up and working by the end of the month,” he said. “It’s going to make a huge difference for our home games because we will be able to schedule the reserve grade game for late in the day and play our main game in the evening under lights.” “It is going to make a really big difference to our FIFO and island players because they will be able to finish work and get on a boat and come over to play.” “That was something we just couldn’t manage when we were restricted to day matches.” The GRUFC’s are a genuine premiership contender this year, with some strong wins already on the board in the Rockhampton district rugby union competition. Such a performance is a major achievement for the club that probably hit a low point in 2009. Since then, there has been a slow rebuilding process on the field and, more importantly, a
real effort by the club’s committee to develop a “strong cultural heritage”. This has involved a number of initiatives ranging from better involving past players, to the introduction of a ‘colours’ scheme to recognise people who have made a large contribution. President Loane said it’s hard to assign the success on the field this year solely to what’s happened off the field, but he is sure it’s played a role. “Well, I don’t know if it is the reason behind the better playing performances,” he said. “I am a big believer that clubs all go through cycles and I guess our last successful period was around 2005, and we hit our low point in 2009.” “We are now getting to a point where some of our players have been together for four years and that makes a big difference.” “But we want everyone in Gladstone involved with the club and we have been trying to build a strong cultural heritage over the last seven or eight years. “I think this does make the club more attractive to new players and keeps players involved for longer.” “We also focussed on our juniors a few years ago and that is now bearing fruit, with many of those players now playing in the seniors.” “But I am constantly being buzzed with emails from past players wanting to get involved, so from that point of view I know it has been successful.” The GRUFC will celebrate its 25-year reunion on July 10 this year after a home game against Brothers. They are expecting around 100 people to attend the game and a following cocktail function.
The Chinchilla Suns’ senior A-Grade AFL side have chalked up their first-ever victory with a hard-fought win over the Lockyer Valley Demons. It is a major milestone for Chinchilla’s first-ever AFL team, which just three months ago had no club, no committee, no posts and not even a spare bit of turf to run around on. Notwithstanding the effort of the players on the field, the victory belongs even more to the Gent family who have conceived, developed, and administered the Chinchilla Suns this year. Helen Gent and her husband Brian moved to Chinchilla in 2010 to work in the Coal Seam Gas sector. Like so many other CSG workers, they came from the AFL state of Victoria. “We came here because my husband got a job at Kogan Creek in 2010,” Helen Gent said. “We noticed how many kids were playing Auskick, and we also noticed there were a lot of people in the pub on AFL grand final day in their colours.” “And we thought that maybe we could get a local team off the ground.” “But we had no ground, no committee, and the club wasn’t incorporated, but you need to be incorporated before you can get the other things organised, so in the end we just bit the bullet and did it.” At the end of 2012 Helen had
identified 18 “spaces” available in the town that they thought could have been used to play and train on. All 18 of them failed to materialise. In the end it was a last-gasp appeal to Mayor Ray Brown that got them some space to run on at Chinchilla’s Showgrounds, and two weeks before first bounce Rob Forgan put his hands up to coach. A few months on and the Chinchilla Suns have won their first game and carved themselves a niche in the already crowded football landscape. “Local business has been amazingly supportive, given the amount of sport that is already supported in town.” “We missed a lot of corporate support first time around because we weren’t incorporated, but now we are, so we are hoping we will get them second time around.” “But everyone has been very supportive, including our neighbouring clubs and the AFL league itself” “We want to develop a club culture that we loved so much in Victoria. “Our goal to be competitive and fair, which will be a natural progression to winning games.” Anyone interested in playing for the Suns or watching a game under lights with full bar and BBQ facilities can get details be going to their facebook page www. facebook.com/shiftminer
27th May 2013
25
Shift Miner Magazine
Money Matters
www.shiftminer.com
Rental vacancies double in three months
THE past year has not been kind to the resource-reliant cities of Mackay and Gladstone, which have been touted as an investor’s dream due to tight rental markets. The vacancy rate has been steadily dropping, and in fact has more more than doubled between December and March in both centres. “Mackay and Gladstone both recorded significant increases in vacancy rates as at the
end of March due to less demand for rental properties from mining companies, and an element of increases in the supply of rental stock,” Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) chief executive Anton Kardash said. The Mackay rental market saw a huge turnaround in rental demand at the end of March, recording a vacancy rate of 6.5 per cent – up from 3.1 per cent in December.
Gladstone also experienced a significant weakening of its rental market, recording a vacancy rate of 5.9 per cent, up from 2.1 per cent at the end of December. Meanwhile, the REIQ March residential rental vacancy rate survey found that demand remained strong for rental properties in South East Queensland. The results highlight the profound influence resource companies have on some regional rental markets, though most major regions throughout the state had posted a vacancy rate of 2.5 per cent or less. A vacancy rate of 3 per cent is generally considered to be the equilibrium point of supply and demand. “Toowoomba retained its mantle as one of the tightest rental markets in the State, and Bundaberg also recorded constrained rental conditions due to the floods in their region earlier this year,” Mr Kardash said. The REIQ March vacancy rate for Bundaberg was 0.8 per cent, down from 2.4 per cent at the end of December. Agencies in the region have been receiving between at least six to 10 applicants per rental listing. The rental market tightened even further in the Toowoomba region, with a vacancy rate of 0.8 per cent recorded as at the end of March. Over the past year, vacancy levels have remained extremely low in the town. During the survey, real estate agents made note of a chronic undersupply of the
‘right’ property to meet rental demand. In Brisbane, the vacancy rate nudged slightly higher to 2.1 per cent for March, up from 2 per cent previously. Brisbane’s inner city recorded a vacancy rate of 2 per cent, unchanged from December 2012. While the rental market remains constrained, some REIQ accredited agents have noted lower demand within specific areas now that the academic intake period has ceased. “Even though the academic calendar is in full swing, the Brisbane rental market remains competitive with about two to five applications per rental listing,” Mr Kardash said. “Part of the reason why the market is certainly a case of more demand than supply is that first home buyers are largely remaining on the sidelines of the sales market following the removal of the First Home Owners Grant last year.” A vacancy rate of 2.5 per cent was recorded on the Gold Coast at the end of March with rental market conditions continuing to tighten in the region. Improving employment conditions are no doubt partly a catalyst for the recent drops in the coast’s vacancy rate. The rental market in the Sunshine Coast region eased to 2.2 per cent however remains at tight levels. Throughout the Sunshine Coast region, vacant properties are attracting between two to five applicants per listing.
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