Shift Miner Magazine

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March 2019 Edition 211

SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE?

BMA RECRUITS 41 APPRENTICES FOR 2019 But Labor says coal miners need to “reskill”

WHO PAYS?

Calls for Black Lung levy

OXYGEN UNDERGROUND

Critical period for 250 mining jobs

GALILEE GO SLOW

Adani threatens legal action March 2019 1

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CONTENTS

News

NEWS

04 P EABODY

ALLOWS O2 BACK IN

06 I NVESTING 10 U NIONS

IN MOTELS

AGAINST OS

16 T RUCKMAGEDDON IN BLACKWATER?

REGULARS 19 F RANK THE TANK 22 KING OF THE CRIB ROOM QUIZ 25-26 M INER’S TRADER For all general enquiries 07 4921 4333 or admin@shiftminer.com

NEWS & SUBSCRIPTION

EDITORIAL Overall editor is Alex Graham alex.graham@shiftminer.com or 074921 4333

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March 2019 3

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News

Half hour pay dispute

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has rejected an attempt by the owners of the Cameby Downs thermal coal mine to avoid paying workers extra for attending half hour long pre-start meetings before each shift.

Generally, pre-start meetings are an opportunity for workgroups to discuss the day’s activities and any safety or operational issues that they might encounter, and for this reason, are considered to be a critical part of the work day for

some - if not all - miners.

However, Syntech Resources - a wholly owned subsidiary of Yancoal - and mining union the CFMMEU sought clarification from the FWC over whether an employee who attends a 30-minute pre-start outside of rostered hours was entitled to extra pay.

Syntech’s main argument was that their 2017 Enterprise Agreement (EA) explicitly made it clear that pre-start meetings

were covered by a workers annual salary.

“An employee’s remuneration for 52 weeks consists of compensation for all hours worked,” they said.

“Including rostered hours, time taken to travel between the site entrance and the designated start place for work including a maximum 30 minutes for pre-start meetings.... and all other payments and allowances other than those separately and specifically provided for in this Agreement,” they told the commission.

However, the CFMMEU responded that the key issue was whether the meetings were occurring within the rostered hours or not.

“In relation to attendance outside of rostered hours, the CFMMEU accepts that the EA allows Syntech to require employees to attend a pre-start meeting,” they said.

“But only as a part of their rostered hours, being hours that are remunerated as part of the annual salary.

“Where attendance is outside of rostered hours, the dispute is

whether additional remuneration is required for those hours.”

In the end, Deputy President Asbury found in favour of the CFMMEU saying Syntech needed to either redefine the hours of work in its rosters or pay extra.

“To the extent that it [Syntech] has required employees to attend work for pre-start meetings, it has done so by developing rosters other than the two rosters in the agreement,” she said.

“As a result, if Syntech requires employees who are working one of the rosters in the agreement to attend outside of their rostered hours.....then it is required to either determine an annual salary for what is in effect a new roster or pay employees for such time.

“In either circumstance, the employee would be entitled to an additional payment .”

Cameby Downs Mine is an open cut thermal coal mine in the Surat Basin. The mine is approximately 16 km northeast of Miles and exports out of Brisbane Port. Yancoal claims there could be more than a billion tonnes of coal in the tenements they have surrounding the mine.

Power, air & people BMA’s newest faces Peabody is pushing ahead with plans to restart the North Goonyella coal mine, announcing some crucial milestones in ventilating the mine had been achieved.

“A row of temporary seals is currently being installed, creating an additional ventilation zone aimed at facilitating airflow and maintaining a stable underground atmosphere,” they said.

“Ventilation fans have been installed, with electrical commissioning underway in preparation for re-ventilation of the first zone.

“Mine access doors with emergency sealing capability have been installed, with commissioning works in progress.”

As previously indicated, a multi-phased re-ventilation program has been designed by Peabody to isolate separate zones

4 March 2019

of the mine facilitating a staged re-entry. Importantly for Peabody, a system of underground sensors is telling them CO2 levels are at normal levels in zones they hope to restart first.

The North Goonyella underground mine was evacuated and shut down in September last year when a fire broke out. No one was injured.

Since that time, Peabody has sealed off the burning areas underground and simultaneously tried to work out how they can recommence mining from areas considered safe.

The North Goonyella fire has so far cost Peabody tens of millions to contain and wiped millions from their share price.

However, those costs will be felt more acutely in the next few months with the Coal Handling and Prep Plant falling silent last week after the last of North Goonyella’s stockpiled coal was processed and exported.

Another large intake of local apprentices is ready for their first day on the tools at BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) sites across the Bowen Basin, with 41 people joining BMA across a range of trades in its 2019 apprentice cohort.

Asset President James Palmer said it’s critical that BMA’s workforce is constructed from a solid foundation of local people.

“For BMA to continue being a valued part of the Central Queensland community we need to support it, and creating jobs in the region is one of the important ways we are doing that.” Mr Palmer said.

This year’s group features apprentices from across the region including 12 people from Moranbah, five from Dysart, four from Blackwater, eight from Mackay, three from the Rockhampton region and a further four from Central and Northern Queensland.

“We have a great mix in this

intake of apprentices from school leavers through to experienced workers, Indigenous people, men and women,” Mr Palmer added, “We see them as critical to the future of our business in the region.”

There is a variety of trades represented in the new cohort including Electricians, Mechanics, Diesel Fitters, Auto-Electricians, Mechanical Fitters and Boilermakers.

Caitlyn Barnes from Moranbah has commenced an electrical apprenticeship at BMA’s Goonyella Riverside mine, after discovering the career opportunities within the local resources industry through the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA).

“I’m looking forward to expanding my knowledge about the resources sector whilst gaining thequalification of my dreams. It’s going to give me a great head start in my career.” Ms Barnes said.

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News

Anglo kicks off brownfield project

Groundwork is kicking off at the Aquila brownfield coal project near Middlemount with owners Anglo American and Mitsui Coal Holdings awarding Mackay based Mastermyne with the contract for mine establishment works.

More than a decade ago, Anglo was mining the Aquila underground coal seams using a bord and pillar method, however, when the Financial Crisis hit in 2009 operations were suspended

for a year before finally being put in care and maintenance in 2013 when coal prices collapsed.

Since then Anglo has completed a feasibility study of Aquila based around a longwall mining system that would increase ROM production to between three and five million tonnes a year.

In 2014 Anglo flagged significant construction work to facilitate this.

“Once the mine is commissioned

Dam re-think at Goonyell BHP has reviewed its Bowen Basin tailings dams, giving the Goonyella, Riverside and Blackwater storage facilities the all clear this month.

The review has been part of a global effort by BHP over the last two years to assess the integrity of all of its storage facilites in response to the Samarco Dam failure in Brazil in 2015, which killed 19 people and caused the worst environmental disaster in Brazil’s history.

As joint owner of that mine, a class action was filed against them which BHP settled midway through 2018 for $67 million.

Since the incident, a review of all its Dams has been a priority; especially it’s Bowen Basin tailings dams which were just three of 13 operational upstream tailings storages across the globe.

A spokesperson for BHP told Shift Miner they had significantly increased the rigour of their assessment and management of tailings storage facilities “At Goonyella Riverside GS1 and RS1 tailings storage facilities a geotechnical investigation, stability review, and liquefaction assessment of critical sections was completed in 2017, followed

by a comprehensive dam safety review in 2018,” they said.

“Last year we installed automatic piezometers in GS1 embankments, and we plan to install a similar system in RS1 this year.

“We have completed the same process at Blackwater mine, and an annual inspection by an Engineer of Record occurred at all three facilities at the end of 2018.”

According to BHP, the reviews highlighted opportunities to improve the design, construction and operation of their facilities, and they’ve completed about 400 medium and high priority projects across the world in response to what they found.

“BHP will continue to accelerate its work with the industry to advance the science and technology required to improve the safety of tailings storage facilities,” they said.

“This includes existing workstreams such as early warning technologies, better models and monitoring of possible modes of failure, tailings dewatering options, and dry tailings storage viability at scale.”

….target production will average 3.5 million run-of-mine (ROM) tonnes per year and is expected to peak at 4.9 million tonnes per year,” they said.

“The longwall will be supported by two continuous miner development units with ROM coal transferred from the underground development and longwall mining units via a new underground conveyor belt system to a new surface conveyor and onto an expanded ROM stockpile.

“The coal will be stockpiled, transported via an existing overland conveyor and processed through the existing Coal Handling Preparation Plant located at German Creek.”

Anglo expects the mine to be delivering a least 3 million tonnes of metallurgical coal onto the market by 2022, with an internal rate of return of 30%, making it one of the three headline capital projects outlined in Anglo’s 2018 financial results.

Released last week the financial results also reported

an 11% increase in coking coal production in the Bowen Basin.

“The increase was driven by sustained strong performance at Moranbah, which improved on its previous record and produced 6.8 Mt; and Grosvenor, which increased output to 3.8 Mt,” they said.

“Grasstree’s production decreased by 25% to 3.6 Mt, marginally above planned volumes, as the operation moved into more challenging areas of the mine as it nears its end of life and undertook an additional longwall move in the year.

“Underlying EBITDA [earnings] increased by 12% to $2,210 million, owing to…. increases in sales volumes and a 3% improvement in the realised price for metallurgical coal.

“US dollar unit costs increased by 5% to $64/tonne (as a result of establishing new mining areas to achieve further productivity improvements, the impact of additional longwall moves and cost inflation.”

BHP& Bill Gates BHP has become business partners with the likes of tech Billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates, and US fuel giant Chevron, by making a minor equity investment in a Canadian company looking to convert atmospheric carbon to fuel.

Known as Direct Air Capture Technology, a large bank of exhaust fans are used to capture Carbon Dioxide from the air. This pure CO2 is then converted to fuel in a second technology phase.

In effect, it is a carbon capture process except that the CO2 is not then stored underground but converted to transport fuel instead.

BHP announced its $6 million investment this week as it called for the establishment of a global carbon price, to help reduce carbon emissions.

As Queensland’s biggest coal miner and the world’s second-largest miner overall, its operations are responsible for millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

According to BHP’s Vice President of Sustainability and Climate Change, Fiona Wild the investment reflects their concerns.

“We know that investing in emerging technologies to reduce emissions is just one part of addressing climate change,” she said.

“We are excited about the potential that this technology has for scale-up and flexible application.

“We have done some work to meet the team and get confident with the technology.

The technology is proven — they are already pulling CO₂ out of the air.”

The company behind the Carbon Capture technology is called Carbon Engineering which was formed in 2009. From a pilot plant in Squamish, British Columbia, they have been removing CO2 from the atmosphere since 2015 and converting it into fuels since 2017.

March 2019 5

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News

No room at the inn

Motel investors are punting on a significant business turnaround, with some notable sales in Central Queensland occurring in the last six months.

According to valuers Herron Todd White, the 2017 record-

End of the Realm The small group of shareholders in Realm Resources (Realm) who were trying to stop a takeover

by T2 Resources Pty Ltd (Taurus Funds Management), have lost their battle with their their shareholdings compulsorily acquired, and Realm Resources delisted from the ASX. Realm Resources main mining asset is the Foxleigh coal mine, which it acquired from Anglo American in August 2016, and operates through a subsidiary called Middlemount South Pty Ltd. Shift Miner understands the change in ownership will have no bearing on day to day mining operations.

For twelve-months a boardroom battle between directors aligned with Realm’s major shareholder Taurus Funds Management and those that weren’t has raged over a fair price for the company.

6 March 2019

breaking sale of the Mackay Grande Suites for $20 million is still the benchmark. However, they say that sale has now been backed up by the very recent purchase of Travelodge in Rockhampton for $5.8 million,

and news that Rydges Gladstone is under contract for $2.1 million.

According to HTW, buyers are looking to buy low and enjoy the benefits of an economic turnaround.

“Despite the recessionary market and the economic trends in Central Queensland which have prevailed in recent years, it appears as though good quality properties are saleable to countercyclical buyers prepared to take a long term view,” they said.

“Prudent buyers for this type of asset are generally very well informed, and realise that while the accommodation market remains subdued, there is an opportunity to purchase properties at prices that represent reasonably good value.”

The fortunes of Mackay operators have historically been in lockstep with the coal industry. Back in 2011, when coal prices were high enough to justify significant expansion

projects across the Bowen Basin, motels in places like Mackay were complaining that they couldn’t get finance to expand. By the end of 2013 however, motel operators told Shift Miner they now saw a marked downturn in occupancy, and by 2016, several Motels went into receivership.

HTW also noted this month that while there were signs of improvement in the office rental market in places like Mackay, Gladstone and Rockhampton, there was still a lingering oversupply keeping rents and sales prices down.

In Mackay, in particular, HTW said rising rates and insurance premiums combined with rents that had fallen 25% since the height of the mining boom were squeezed landlords.

The one bright spot depending on where you stand - is that with land valuations falling 40% in Mackay, land tax liabilities were also falling.

1000 Surat Basin jobs closer

Thousands of new jobs and significant new business across Central and Southern Queensland has moved a step closer following the State Government’s awarding of petroleum leases for Arrow Energy’s Surat Basin Gas project.

The undeveloped gas fields are ultimately controlled

by Shell, through their 50% shareholding in Arrow Energy, and through previous agreements are earmarked to supply gas to Shells part owned Queensland Curtis LNG plant for export or the domestic gas market.

While the actual development

of the Surat Basin gas wells between Wandoan and Dalby still requires final financial approval by the board of Arrow, it seems highly likely, given Shell committed back in 2017 to developing all the Surat Basin gas fields by 2020.

Under a 27 year deal announced at that time, Shell committed to installing enough new gas wells and pipework to allow an extra 250 PetaJoules (PJ) of gas to be processed at the Gladstone QCLNG facility.

Currently, in Queensland around 1450 PJ of gas is available each year, meaning this new deal will increase gas supplies by nearly 20%, creating 800 construction jobs, and around 200 ongoing operational roles.

Queensland Resources Council (QRC) Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said it would have significant benefits for regional communities.

“These two companies are here for the long-haul, and this agreement will deliver a whole generation of prosperity to the Darling Downs,” he said.

“ Long-term jobs allow training and supply opportunities to deliver enduring benefits to local communities such as Wandoan, Miles, Chinchilla and Dalby.”

However, the Surat Basin announcement could be just the beginning, with Shell also progressing development options in the Bowen Basin.

Arrow Energy, already has government approval for the construction of a 428-kilometre pipeline that could connect their proposed Bowen Gas Project (BGP) with export facilities at Gladstone.

Arrow’s proposed BGP and accompanying pipeline - if built - would be one of the most significant energy projects in the region, involving a staged expansion of about 4000 gas wells and infrastructure across an 8000 km2 area. Arrow claims it would generate more than 1500 jobs during the construction phase and about 700 permanent jobs.

Arrow has been speaking to interested contractors about working on both these projects since about 2017.

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News

Tide turning for house prices

Valuer Herron Todd White has predicted modest to strong improvements in the value of residential houses across Central Queensland over the next twelve months .

Not surprisingly the recovery is expected to be in lock step with the improvement in the resources sector, which is supplying the underlying jobs and wages growth required to support the residential market.

In Mackay where the mining downturn was most damaging to the economy and property prices, HTW is expecting a continuation of

the turnaround seen in 2018.

“We think the residential market will continue its momentum throughout 2019, following through from 2018,” they said.

“There appears to be no slowdown in employment opportunities related to the resources sector and other infrastructure projects throughout Mackay and the adjoining Bowen Basin.

“These increased employment opportunities, coupled with the cheaper cost of housing (relatively speaking) and rentals (compared

to boom-time levels) has seen many people move to the Mackay region.”

In Gladstone, where property prices collapsed over the last five years because of a significant oversupply of housing built during the CSG boom, there are the first signs of a turnaround.

“By the end of the year, we predict that all market sectors will have shown signs of recovery,” HTW said.

“We expect rental levels to continue to incrementally increase on the back of a downward trend in vacancy rates.

“The construction of new homes for mostly local residents is expected to be ongoing and ...the supply of vacant land should remain stable.

“There is still an oversupply of small lots in Gladstone, and we have seen a recent trend of developers combining two or more smaller allotments to create larger lots which suit the current demand, and we expect to see more of this in 2019.”

For Rockhampton and the

Capricorn Coast, it’s a similar story, although as always, the effects of the mining cycle is moderated by a more diversified economy.

“The sectors to watch in 2019 are expected to be the lower end of the market (up to $250,000), ”HTW said.

“This sector has been sluggish for some time, however with vacancy rates tightening and some agents reporting $20 to $30 per week rent increases starting to be accepted by tenants; this sector will become more enticing to investors, particularly given the major southern markets are now starting to cool.

“The upper end of our local market has remained reasonably consistent over the past few years and is expected to continue this trend.

“On the Capricorn Coast, 2019 is expected to deliver a continuation of the improved market activity which started to take hold in 2018, with some modest price rises noted for very well-presented and located properties.”

March 2019 7

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News

“Bewildering” court decision

Director of the Mackay based Resource Industry Network Mick Crowe is bewildered by comments made by a NSW judge recently who rejected the proposed Gloucester coal mine expansion because of its effects on climate change.

In the Land and Environment Court Chief Judge Brian Preston ruled the proposed mine would have a material effect on Greenhouse Gasses.

“In short, an open-cut coal

mine in this part of the Gloucester valley would be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said.

“Wrong place because an open-cut coal mine in this scenic and cultural landscape, proximate to many people’s homes and farms, will cause significant planning, amenity, visual and social impacts.

“Wrong time because the greenhouse gas emissions of the coal mine and its coal product will increase global total concentrations of greenhouse gas

Adani’s local agreements in limbo The State Government’s last-minute review of an endangered bird management plan is creating delays elsewhere in the approvals process for Adani’s Carmichael mine.

This month the Isaac Regional Council said negotiations with Adani over infrastructure access agreements (IAA) were in limbo while Adani focussed on resolving an impasse with the State Government over their bird management plan.

While local governments do not approve or disapprove of resource projects in Queensland, any company wishing to use local infrastructure (like roads) needs to strike a deal with Council under which they commit to cover the costs that flow from using that infrastructure.

One of the conditions in the QLD government’s approval of the Carmicheal project was that it complete these IAA with the relevant Councils Mayor of the Isaac Regional Council Anne Baker says they’re committed to responsible resource development, but ratepayers shouldn’t fund the costs of mining.

“The objective of this process, which is a requirement of all major

8 March 2019

projects, is to ensure the ratepayers of Isaac region are not directly or indirectly burdened by the cost of improving or maintaining the infrastructure required to develop or operate a resource project,” she said.

“Project proponents are required to fund the upgrade to existing infrastructure to an agreed standard, provide required new infrastructure and to equitably fund the maintenance of existing roads impacted by the increased activity created by their project during the construction and operational phases.

“Council is continuing to negotiate with Adani to formalise a fair and reasonable IAA for our local government area which addresses these issues as they relate to both the mine project and the associated rail network to connect the site to port.”

There are currently 26 resource projects in the Isaac Region, with coal generating $1.5 Billion in royalties annually. While each of them has IAA in place, Mayor Baker says there is no “normal” time frame for negotiating them, and in the case of Adani, they haven’t set a timeline for completing negotiations.

emissions at a time when what is now urgently needed, to meet generally agreed climate targets, is a rapid and deep decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.

“These dire consequences should be avoided, and the project should be refused.”

While the NSW Minerals Council says the decision is not a landmark one, others have speculated that it will have implications for mine development in places like the Bowen and Galilee Basins.

RIN Director Mr Crowe, says the ruling is symptomatic of an attitude to mining that has made it almost impossible to get mining construction approved, despite the current boom in maintenance and production.

“Honestly I just don’t understand those comments,” he told Shift Miner.

“These are coming from a seemingly intelligent, welleducated person from within the judiciary, and I can’t understand how he can make a decision like that, which I think will actually increase global emissions.

“As a country and a region, we

have to get better at this.

“If we want to attract foreign investment money, we need to be world leaders in making it easy for people to get things done in a compliant manner.

“The government’s job is to find a way to help projects meet the environmental requirements and get ahead, not to find reasons they can’t.”

Another aspect of the lack of construction approval is that he says it is making the skills crisis worse because people won’t move back just for intermittent maintenance projects.

“It’s all part of the same problem if we want to re-populate this region it’s a tough sell to convince people to come back to the area just for maintenance work,” he said.

“Although there is lots of maintenance work around, a shutdown might be just four weeks, and no one is going to move just for that.

“The north doesn’t have a loud enough voice in the nation, and it is going to take a louder noise from all the communities, for us to be heard.

“As an industry, our biggest challenge is improving our image.”

“Exact opposite” Indian miner Adani says comments made by a senior government bureaucrat recently are clear evidence that the Palaszczuk State Government is not treating them fairly in the approvals process.

According to media agency Reuters, Queensland’s Resources Investment Commissioner Caoilin Chestnutt told them that the approvals process was a “mess”, and the State Government’s review of an endangered bird management plan could delay a decision on the Carmicheal mine for “six months to two years”.

While Premier Palaszczuk has contested the accuracy of the media reports, a spokesperson for Adani has labelled the comments as extraordinary and said the time it’s taking for a decision to be made is out of sync with standard practice in Queensland mining.

“We have completed an eight-year approval process for the Carmichael Project, and we are waiting for the Queensland and Australian Governments

to finalise the two outstanding management plans,” Adani said.

“We have provided all required information data and feedback needed for this process to be completed and accordingly we expect to have these plans approved in the very near term.

“We have certainty as to the process and timeframes from the Australian Government, but we are waiting on the Queensland Government to provide timing on the finalisation of the management plans.

“We continue to receive assurances from the Department of Environment and Science that no decision has yet been made on our management plans.

However, this statement suggests the exact opposite.

“This is another example of the Queensland Government shifting the goal posts ......we just want a fair go so we can get on with delivering thousands of jobs for regional Queensland.”

Adani says it already has equipment and staff onsite at the Carmicheal project North West of Clermont undertaking already approved preliminary works.

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News

Union wants dust Police The fallout from the worst health and safety crisis in Queensland coal mining’s history continues, with unions pushing for legal action against doctors, an industry-funded victim levy, and the introduction of dust police to Queensland mines.

The total number of reported cases of Mine Dust Lung Disease (MDLD) since 2015 in Queensland currently sits at 97. However, this tally includes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, silicosis, asbestosis, and Black Lung or coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) which is specific to coal mining.

The total reported number of CWP cases is 34.

However, spokesperson for the Mine Dust Diseases Victims Group and former politician and miner Jim Pearce says those numbers are a fraction of the number of cases to be confirmed soon, and he met with Federal members of Parliament last week to argue the case for a mining company funded $0.01 per tonne levy to raise funds for victims.

“We are just seeking some assistance for these guys to help with the medical and out of pocket expenses of their illness and what

it has done to their families,” he told Shift Miner.

“We know that these companies are contributing to mine workers in the USA who have got black lung, it’s a US$1.10 levy over there which is considerably higher than what these blokes are asking.

“The reality is these blokes have gone to work expecting to be able to work in an environment where they are safe, and it turns out they are very sick, and a couple of them have been told to put their affairs in order because by the end of the year they mightn’t be here.”

The proposal put forward by Mr Pearce won’t extend to cover people from outside the coal mining industry, and he doesn’t have a total figure in mind for how much needs to be raised.

Although he says, he would want the levy to run for long enough to cover those involved in the Mine Dust Diseases Victims Group and any future cases.

While Mr Pearce is a former union official, and all the victim’s group cases are former CFMMEU members, he is at pains to say that it’s not a union project, but merely

a grassroots attempt by those affected to get some help.

Despite this, the levy does have the full support of CFMMEU District President Steven Smyth, who thinks mining companies can both afford it and have a moral obligation.

However, questioned as to why mining companies should be the only people to contribute given both enquiries into Black Lung found other people in the chain of responsibility were far more to blame he said suing medical professionals should be an option.

“These companies should be paying, they are in a good position, and these were workers out on their mine sites,” he told Shift Miner.

“We don’t think the regulator has gone far enough, and we are bitterly disappointed that particularly the medical profession hasn’t been taken to task since the release of the CWP reports by the government.

“I just can’t believe they got squillions out of the industry and literally got off scot-free.

“I think there should be an opportunity for victims to chase individual doctors that have been

at fault.”

The other area of significant change in the wake of the Black Lung has been around tolerable dust levels.

While Mr Smyth says things are moving in the right direction, he says the current situation that makes mining companies the arbiter on dust levels is not working.

“There still needs to be a general reduction in the dust levels, but really what we need is for independent dust monitoring to come into place,” he told Shift Miner.

“The regulator should have dust technicians in place to do unannounced inspections on top of coal companies doing their own.

“We need that regulator coming in over the top to make sure they are doing their job because at the moment the fox is in charge of the hen house.”

Late last year the State Government reduced the allowable levels of dust on a mine in Queensland by 20% from 3 to 2.5 grams per cubic metre.

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Tugs told to train Engineers crewing tugboats on Gladstone harbour have been forced by the Fair Work Commission to provide familiarisation training to other crew as requested by the tugboats owners.

In a situation similar to the recent Macklin case at BHP’s Goonyella Riverside mine where a unionised miner refused to provide training to a contractor, unionised Marine Engineers at

Cook change There has been a significant shakeup in the management team at Bounty Mining, the owner and operator of the Cook Colliery near Blackwater.

Former Ensham Manager John Hart was appointed General Manager of Cook Colliery, and former non-executive director John Stewart has stepped up to the role of Chairman, replacing longtime CEO Gary Cochrane.

Mr Stewart acknowledged Mr Cochrane’s contribution.

“Gary has provided strong and consistent leadership of Bounty, and in difficult circumstances, he set a new direction for the company which has built a foundation for the future,” he said.

“He will remain as a valued member of the board and is also assisting with the previously announced due diligence process.

“We all thank Gary for his great service and passion for the company since joining the board in 2007, he was the force behind Bounty’s acquisition of Caledon Resources’ assets which was a transformational transaction…. he has also been a major shareholder and financier.”

Bounty’s share price has fallen around 80% since August last year when it reached highs of $0.40.

Since January the share price has halved from $0.16 to $0.09.

10 March 2019

Gladstone said they were not required to train anyone not employed under their enterprise agreement.

There are three key Enterprise Agreements (EA) for Smit Lamnalco Towage (SLT) on Gladstone Harbour, one for General Purpose Hands (GPH), one for Marine Engineers, and one for Masters.

In this instance Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers (AIMPE Union) resolved that they would; “only provide familiarisation training to engineers who have been employed as per clause 13 of the Smit Lamnalco Towage (Australia) Pty Ltd and AIMPE Gladstone Enterprise Agreement 2016”, and asked the FWC to arbitrate.

The particulars of the situation involved the training of a GPH who had expressed an interest in developing their skills so that they would be eligible to apply for an

Engineers job in the future.

After providing some generic training, the AIMPE Unionised Engineers got together and made their resolution regarding further training and refused to sign off on some related paperwork, despite requests by SLT to that effect.

Despite six different people making submissions to the FWC, most of the courts time was spent interpreting definitions of words like “engineer” and “training”, and even the significance of brackets within the relevant EA. In the end, however, Deputy President of the FWC Asbury decided against the Union.

“On the basis of the text and context of the disputed provision, I am satisfied that it has a plain meaning and that engineers are required to provide engineer induction and familiarisation training to persons that the Company directs them to provide such training to,” she said.

“Subject only to the skills, competence and training of the engineer providing the training and the reasonableness of the direction.

“Reasonableness may encompass a safety concern or regulatory issue, and in the present case, there is no evidence of any concern on the part of engineers with respect to their skills, competency and training to deliver engineer familiarisation and induction training.

“Neither is there any issue of the lawfulness or reasonableness of the instruction.

“For the reasons set out above I do not accept that the resolution of AIMPE members that they will only provide familiarisation training to engineers who have been employed in accordance with clause 13 of the AIMPE Agreement 2016 is consistent with their obligations under that Agreement.”

Unions ready to block OS them up the same, but instead of paying a third party to do it, they are going to do it themselves.

Mining unions have had meetings at the national level in the last month to orchestrate a response to the Enterprise Agreement put forward for BHP’s proposed new Operations Services (OS) business.

BHP announced they wanted to form the new entity in December last year, saying OS employees would be deployed to BMA’s operations in Central Queensland (and elsewhere) on a needs basis, and work on different rates of pay and conditions to the permanent miners employed directly at each mine.

Because the workforce won’t

be permanently tied to particular worksites, some have compared it to existing Labour Hire businesses which account for roughly 60% of BMA’s mine workers.

The EA has been in front of the Fair Work Commission for more than five months, and the CFMMEU’s Steve Pierce says he expects most relevant unions are going to have a problem with it.

“I think they [BHP] will create a dodgy shelf company, and tell people lies that they are bringing them on board because they care about them,” he told Shift Miner.

“But they are just going to stitch

“I think that all of the unions that are going to be impacted are going to make submissions on it.”

“If I were BHP I wouldn’t be proud of it.”

CFMMEU District President Steven Smyth was at the meetings this week, however, did not respond to numerous requests for an interview from Shift Miner.

Late last year a spokesperson for BHP said the OS would create more than 300 full-time jobs, and provide a pathway for existing labour hire employees to get permanent jobs.

“Operations Services offers permanent jobs for workers many of whom are currently labour hire employees and will provide security and flexibility to them, labour stability and productivity benefits for BHP,” he said.

“Operations Services will accelerate productivity improvements and allow BHP Mitsubishi Alliance to address limitations in labour availability and reduce its use of labour-hire workers.”

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Clermont re-opened history Visitors will be able to step into Clermont’s history after the reopening of the Clermont Masonic Lodge this month Isaac Regional Council Mayor Anne Baker said the landmark building is etched into the gold and coal mining town’s history, and will feature the popular 2018 exhibition “100 Objects”.

“The building has been brought back to life after it was closed in 2012,” she said.

“The renovations took quite some time and we appreciate the efforts of staff involved in preparing this building for a new chapter.

The Loyal Hope of Clermont Lodge No. 9 was opened by District Deputy, P.G. Craven on September 17,1878. The Peak Downs Masonic Lodge No.1825 was established a year later, on October 13, 1879.

Records show that both the Clermont Oddfellows and the

Peak Downs Masons met at the upper storey of the Town Hall in Clermont during the 1880 but by 1913, enough funds had been raised to build their own premises.

This structure, built by William Southgate, was completed in July 1913 and has since been relocated to the Clermont Historical Centre where it still stands today.

Since 2012, renovations of the lodge include a partially new roof and guttering, new stumps, new drainage system under the building, new landing and stairs at the front entrance, the old asbestos flooring was removed and replaced with new flooring, interior and exterior paint, extensive electrical work, installation of display cabinets, air-conditioning and threephase power.

The new exhibition of Towns of Minerals and Metals also opened at the Clermont Historical Centre

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51 Soldiers recognised

Graves of 51 soldiers that were previously unmarked now have the recognition they deserve with the Clermont RSL Sub-Branch commemorating them with plaques.

The project to recognise soldiers that were interred in paupers’ graves began in 2017 when members from the Clermont RSL Sub-Branch and Isaac Regional Council began

researching the names and record of service for the unmarked graves at the Clermont Cemetery.

Council subsequently transferred the historic burial rights of the graves to the Clermont RSL Sub-Branch, with the support of the Clermont community, in 2018.

Thanks to financial support from the Pioneer-FitzroyHighlands District (PFHD)

Trad: No comment Queensland Labor’s Jackie Trad has declined an interview this week to clarify comments she made regarding the future of workers in the coal sector.

The Deputy Treasurer made headlines when she suggested the skills of workers from coal mining communities like Blackwater, Moranbah, Dysart, Mackay, Rockhampton, and Middlemount would soon be redundant as the world moved away from coal.

While the Deputy Treasurer claims the comments made in parliament were taken out of context, she declined to clarify them in an interview.

However, a spokesperson told Shift Miner they only related to thermal coal mining communities.

Shift Miner still doesn’t know which towns they would be in Queensland.

Not surprisingly the Queensland LNP party has swooped on the comments labelling them as a sign that Labor is out “out of touch” with reality, while the Queensland Resources Council - who advocates for the state’s biggest mining companies - said the 215,000 people employed in coal mining directly or indirectly still had enormous value to offer.

“Queensland’s coal employees

12 March 2019

work in one of the most important sectors for our economy,” CEO Ian Macfarlane said.

“Without those workers, the Palaszczuk Government wouldn’t have the money to pay for Cross River Rail, it wouldn’t have the money to help North Queensland rebuild after the recent flood disaster, and it wouldn’t have the money to pay public servants’ wages.

“It’s wrong to suggest Queensland coal workers won’t have a long-term future. In fact, those jobs will be critical to ongoing development in Australia and around the world.

“Treasury estimates Queensland coal royalty taxes will be worth $4.26 billion to the Palaszczuk Government’s budget this year.

“Figures from the Office of the Chief Economist’s December update showed that if the six major coal projects in the Galilee Basin were to proceed, they would create 13,900 construction jobs and 12,803 jobs during operations.

“The global demand for coal is strong, and coal is forecast to remain at about 40 per cent of total power generation in the Asia Pacific until 2040 under a scenario modelled by the International Energy Agency.”

RSL, the design, creation and placement of the plaques is complete, listing the name and record of service for each of the graves.

Mayor Anne Baker said the ceremony was an important moment for the region.

“It signifies the completion of the Clermont Cemetery Plaque Placement Project; a project

that has brought recognition to returned servicemen and elevating them from their pauper graves,” she said.

“My fellow councillors, Lyn Jones, Greg Austen and I are honoured to be here to commemorate this important milestone in our region’s history.

The project was completed

by Clermont RSL Sub-Branch volunteers David Ward, Gordon and Marion Murray, Dan Eassie, Cyril Bryant and Arthur Ball, in partnership PFHD RSL branch.

Clermont RSL Sub-Branch President David Ward said he was pleased with the outcome of the project.

“Finishing the 51 graves and the placement of the 51 plaques means we filled the blank spot of where they were buried and put a name to that space<’he said.

Thank you to PFHD RSL, Isaac Regional Council and the Clermont community for the support.”

Hitting the rails The addition of coal from the freshly reopened Baralaba North mine and Qcoal’s Byerwen project have added to the near-record amounts of coal railed to port in Central Queensland.

While coal train business Aurizon says their volumes overall were slightly down, coal exports from Central Queensland remain at near historic highs.

“Underlying EBIT decreased $12.2m (5%) to $210.3m resulting from an increase in operating costs due to an uplift in maintenance expenditure and costs for installing capacity for future volume growth as well as the impact of lower volumes,” Aurizon said in their half-year report.

“Across the Central Queensland Coal Network, volumes decreased 2% to 76.4mt despite strong demand and the commencement of railings for QCoal’s Byerwen mine.

“It was mainly due to increased supply chain constraints, weather impacts late in 2018, and the impact of protected industrial action in December.”

Aurizon also noted that the Baralaba Coal Company started railing coal from the Baralaba North Mine to the RG Tanna terminal in Gladstone late last year, bookending a long period of instability for Baralaba miners.

In 2016 the Baralaba Coal Company - the current owner of the Baralaba and Baralaba North Coal mines - went into administration, less than a year after the previous owners Cockatoo Coal also went broke.

In both cases, US-based major shareholder Liberty Mines and Metals presented a rescue package or Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA) that was accepted by creditors - although it did result in a modified company structure and name.

Looking to the future, Aurizon gave a bullish assessment of demand for Queensland’s coking coal.

“Australia exported 90.2mt of metallurgical coal in the last half of 2018 down 1.2% against the prior period,” they said.

“India remained Australia’s largest metallurgical coal market importing 22.7mt (25% share) of Australian coal, followed by China at 21.2mt (24% share) and Japan at 17.1mt (19% share).

“In the 2018 calendar year, both China and India achieved crude steel production records of 928mt (+6.6%) and 106mt (+4.9%) respectively.

“Sustained elevated metallurgical coal prices continue to incentivise additional supply from competing supply nations.”

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IRC looks for land

The Isaac Regional Council says it’s trying to get on the front foot managing the communities housing needs, as it detects the first signs of a tightening in the Moranbah housing market.

Isaac Regional Mayor Anne Baker told Shift Miner they want to do everything they can to avoid the mistakes of the past.

“I feel like the housing market has really started to tighten,” she said.

“There is still availability, and it’s nowhere near where it was, but to tell the truth, I don’t think anyone wants it back there.

“We want sustainable growth without the high swings and low lows, but if it does get bigger, we want to be prepared.

“So we are looking at available land and ensuring that we have got opportunities and options.”

Central to this strategy is the formation of an advisory committee within Council charged with finding out which land could be developed, and who owns it.

“We are bringing companies and businesses in, to ensure that we can try to get on the same page and understand everybody’s plans,” Mayor Baker said.

“What we learned in past upswings, is that people get wrapped up in what’s going on and their lives and businesses become so busy that planning falls away.

“So this is a genuine attempt to forecast and plan for the future.”

What is unique about Moranbah is that while there is no shortage of developable land around town, most of it is not readily available because of what’s under the ground and the tenements and ownership rights that apply to it.

So to develop land, you need cooperation from a range of stakeholders.

“They are very keen to work with us, so that is always a bonus,” Mayor Baker said of local mining companies.

“We have worked hard for a long time, to get a respectful relationship, and from my perspective, the answer to these swings and roundabouts is people working together and having a good handle on what the plans are. “ Where people come unstuck is when the left-hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, it’s absolutely about people genuinely working together.”

Shutdown Calander The Gladstone Industry Leadership Group (GILG) has released its annual maintenance calendar which provides a schedule of maintenance work across Gladstone ’s alumina, aluminium, cement, power, explosives, and coal sectors.

While GILG does not represent the significant CSG processing businesses located on Curtis Island, CEO Patrick Hastings told local media the calendar is a useful tool for planning the enormous annual maintenance task. “it’s probably a little bit lighter than usual,” Mr Hastings told local media.

“Over the next month, we’ll start to build on the calendar, including contact details for contractors who are looking for people, as well as the number of people required for the shutdowns and what skill sets they’re looking for.

“We’re aiming to have a calendar which has a lot more detail than it has in the past - if people want work they’ll know where to go and exactly who to contact.”

Gladstone Power Station will have the most extended shutdown, with a four-month project starting in May.

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Around Town

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Around Town

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Around Town

“Concern, not alarm”

Mining families across the Bowen Basin may have to abandon their beloved green lawns after the Central Highlands Regional Council this week announced they were moving to level two water restrictions.

Central Highlands Regional

16 March 2019

Council Mayor Kerry Hayes, says ongoing dry weather in places like Emerald, Blackwater, Tieri and Rolleston mean water supply levels have dropped.

“It’s the news we have been expecting for some time, but we still didn’t want to hear,” he said.

“The Fairbairn Dam level has dropped below twelve per cent, and the Rolleston tank has dropped below 30 per cent so we have reached level two restrictions and, unfortunately, that means lawns in private residences must not be watered at any time.

‘Yes, it’s a serious situation we’re in, but at this stage, it’s a concern, not alarm.”

As sad as some people might be about their lawns, Mayor Hayes said the regions farmers faced a far more significant challenge with more than 80 properties individually droughtdeclared.

The level two water restrictions mean sprinklers must not be used at any time, although you can use hand-held hoses, watering cans and timed irrigation systems between 7.00 pm and 8.00 am every second day.

The dry weather also has significant implications for Bowen Basin mining companies, who’ve been warned that if rain doesn’t

arrive there will be cuts to their water allocations as well.

Most industrial water users are high priority users who pay a premium for higher water security. However, Sunwater told Shift Miner in January that if the drought persists, they will cut their allocations.

“In most cases, our industrial and mining customers have high priority entitlements where water can be purchased at a higher operational charge which provides increased reliability for customers but are still dependent on water availability.,” Sunwater said.

“We remain hopeful that there will be inflows into Fairbairn Dam this wet season to increase water levels and provide ongoing water security. “[But] Customers have been advised that if there are no inflows into Fairbairn Dam before 1 July 2019, the announced allocation for high priority entitlements is expected to be below 100 per cent.”

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“AT THE COALFACE - WOMEN IN MINING”

“I had to build a really thick skin” Vicki Martin is a tomboy; she loves the dirt, the noise and the handson action working as an electrician in an underground coal mine, but loving the job isn’t enough.

In 2002 Vicki started her electrical apprenticeship at a Bowen Basin underground mine, and at that time she was one of only two women on the workforce.

That didn’t dampen her excitement to get in and get her hands dirty though, but the men’s reaction to her appointment did.

“Every morning in pre-start shift meeting they allocate the apprentices to supervisors,” she told Shift Miner.

“These supervisors would either refuse to take me (even if she was allocated to them), or they would be really keen to take me, then they would make me do absolutely everything, and they would do nothing.

“The men just hated me. I think they thought they were expected

to change their attitudes, their thinking and everything.”

Despite the difficulties, Vicki was a tough cookie and said she figured out pretty quickly how to cope.

“It wasn’t rocket science, “ she said.

“Thick skin, I had to build a really thick skin, and just put up with it for as long as I needed to, and it did get easier over time.

“Eventually I got a full-time role after the apprenticeship, and the first couple of years were horrible, and I worked bloody hard.

“But once the men realised I wasn’t going anywhere they settled down.

I think the tradies were the worst; the miners were alright.”

In the early 2000s, an eight hour Monday to Friday roster was typical in the Bowen Basin. Today a miner of any sex is more likely to be on a “non-family friendly”12hour shift with a changing roster.

Anecdotally, a lot of women

say the emergence of the 12-hour shift is just incompatible with motherhood, and is a significant roadblock in their mining career.

While Vicki says this wasn’t a problem in the beginning when she was young and single, it is now that she has two kids and lives in a blended family.

“I am still involved in mining, but I have taken a role that better suits my lifestyle because to have continued underground, I would have needed an Au Pair for the kids,” she said.

“I now work for ALS in Emerald 9.00am until 2.30pm four days a week, testing and analysing coal samples. They’re really great, and it works well for my family and me.

“The reality is underground mining’s a tough gig, and a lot of women don’t want to get so dirty, and they’re not physically as strong.

“When I was a single parent, I thought about going back

underground, I mean the money would be amazing, but my kids would be missing out on me half the time. I just needed to be more involved in my kids’ lives.

“However I liked working underground, getting dirty and office work never suited, so for me it was a good choice, but at the end of the day I think a lot of women want to get into mining for the money.”

On that point, women and men can agree that they are both driven by the money, but Vicki says the advantages to women working in mining are different.

“I’ve read a lot of studies that say women can be easier on the machinery so fewer maintenance costs to the companies, which could be true,” she told Shift Miner.

“I think women multi-task and manage their time a lot better than men, and that can make them more productive.”

“It’s not because of quotas” “The obstacles for women in mining are slowly being broken down, but no one wants to work with someone just because they’ve got boobs”.

That’s how one Woman in Mining (WIM) summarised her view from inside Queensland mining to Shift Miner.

For obvious reasons, she didn’t want us to use her real name, so for simplicity, we’re calling her Jane.

Jane thinks women themselves are the biggest obstacle to getting jobs in the industry. She says they aren’t thinking laterally enough about how to make it work.

“There are two things I always

wanted to do,” Jane told Shift Miner.

“Work in mining, and work in Western Queensland, and that’s why I’m here, it’s not because of quotas.

“Initially I had some challenges, but once the men realised I wasn’t there to prove a point or change the world, and I didn’t want to bust anyone’s balls or do anyone’s jobs, they were fine.

“I think the biggest obstacles are the women themselves.

“A lot of women and men aren’t prepared to live in mining towns, or their partner is not prepared

for the challenges that come with mining.

“You are going to miss your children’s speech night if it’s not on your rostered day off, you’ve got to prepare for that.

“You’ve got to be prepared to do the travel and to function in an unconventional household.

“Your whole family has to be on board.”

Jane also made some other social observations, like the fact that non-mining women who lived in mining communities, took a while to warm to the idea of women actually being miners.

She also says the skills shortages of the past that forced mining companies to be more f;exible has been a good thing.

“I would never have thought at the start of my career that flexible work options would happen, but these companies have been forced to think laterally,” Jane told Shift Miner.

“I think sometimes women bring better communication into a situation.

“I think probably one of the biggest things we do is increase the level of communication in the mining workforce.”

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$50k and his job back

BHP has been forced to reinstate a long term Goonyella Riverside miner and pay nearly $50,000 in back pay after sacking him midway through last year.

Sixty-year-old mining operator Gregory Macklin, who has 38 years experience in coal mining, contested his dismissal arguing in the Fair Work Commission it was unfair.

At the time of his dismissal, Mr Macklin’s primary job was operating a grader, but he was also a qualified trainer/assessor at the

mine requiring him to train people on machines with which he was familiar.

The Commission heard that throughout his career with BHP, Mr Macklin had around nine different disciplinary incidents recorded by BHP. These ranged from turning up late for work, through to breaching the BHP code of conduct in exchanges with other BHP employees.

However, the incident that ultimately led to his dismissal stemmed from his refusal to

provide training to a Downer EDI contractor because he did not think he was required to under the relevant Enterprise Agreement, and that he didn’t train contractors that he felt would “take my job”.

In the week following this refusal, he met with mine management three more times assisted by his CFMMEU representative. He told BHP it was his genuine understanding that he was not required to train contractors under the Enterprise Agreement. However, upon learning that this was untrue, he unreservedly apologised and committed to providing training as requested in the future.

During this process, BHP argued that Mr Macklin had previously provided training to other non-BHP workers, and when considered alongside his other disciplinary issues, his refusal represented serious misconduct, and they issued him with a “show cause” letter and ultimately dismissed him.

However, the Fair Work Commission decided that BHP’s ultimate decision to fire Mr Macklin was unfair because while it was clear he had breached the code of conduct by not training the Downer employer, it was not clear that he had received the prerequisite two requests required for escalation of the matter.

The court also found BHP’s claims that Mr Macklin had previously trained non-BHP employees to be untrue, further undermining their case for dismissing him.

Ultimately Commissioner Hunt found that there was not a satisfactory reason for the dismissal and that BHP had not given Mr Macklin all the reasons why he had been made redundant so that he could respond to them.

“Having made the findings above, and in consideration of all of the material before the Commission, I find that the dismissal was harsh, unjust and unreasonable,” he concluded.

Anglo’s new road Coffee clamp down A public announcement from Anglo American regarding the new road they are building for Moura residents is expected shortly.

It’s been nearly six months since Anglo announced that they would be recruiting contractors to build a brand new 12.5-kilometre major regional road to replace the Gibihi road which was closed late in 2017 after a routine blast at the Dawson mine destroyed it.

In response to enquiries

by Shift Miner regarding progress on the new road, a spokesperson said “they were close” to making a significant announcement regarding contractors and progress.

As the former Gibihi road was Council owned, the Banana Shire Council is a key stakeholder and has been involved in negotiations since the incident first occurred.

Mayor Nev Ferrier told Shift Miner they look forward to a

18 March 2019

start to construction as soon as possible.

“No there hasn’t been much on the groundwork yet, most of what they have been doing is the behind the scenes stuff like choosing contractors and design,” he said.

“I think they are close to starting, and in fairness, there has been a lot of planning to get organised, but obviously the sooner, the better.”

Anglo American and Banana Shire Council have previously said they will work with locally-based suppliers for the duration of this project, with over 100,000 cubic metres of road base to be taken from local quarries.

In November 2017 a crack about 30 metres long, and about half a metre wide opened up on the Gibihi road following a routine mine blast, and consequent Investigations recommended they abandon it.

The Isaac Regional Council will impose new conditions on mobile businesses selling to miners across the coalfields after Bricks and Mortar retailers complained it was putting them out of business.

Historically, mobile food and coffee retailers could be seen on just about every road out of town at daybreak in places like Blackwater and Moranbah, capitalising on the passing miner trade.

However, with mining town, retail precincts already suffering from the recent downturn and competition from large online grocers like Coles and Woolworths, the council feels it has to intervene.

“This policy strikes a fair and reasonable balance between our absolute commitment to supporting a sustainable established business community while providing the additional variety of choice to consumers which mobile vendors offer,” Mayor Anne Baker said.

“We acknowledge that a number of mobile food vendors also reside in Isaac communities and seek to provide their products

in other townships across the region.

“However, these operators do have a clear competitive advantage over businesses in fixed premises, who pay commercial rates and other utility charges, and we need to reasonably consider the potential long-term impact on bricks and mortar businesses in small, relatively isolated regional communities.”

Notable in the new rules is that mobile retailers cannot operate within 300 metres of a “stationary” business selling similar things, and they can only stop and trade in councilcontrolled precincts which will be monitored.

While the new rules won’t please mobile retailers, they will at least provide some clarity. Last month van owners complained publicly that their permits to trade weren’t being renewed, and if they were, the process was so slow and the conditions so restrictive it was sending them bankrupt, even for businesses who were supplying items that were not available in town.

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Drilling at Winchester South

Whitehaven Coal will invest millions in a new drilling program at its recently acquired Winchester South coking coal project near Moranbah in the coming months.

Whitehaven purchased Winchester South from Rio Tinto for around $250 million in May last year, and have since been meeting with stakeholders, collecting baseline data and undertaking ecological studies.

Recently they announced they would use the exploration

data to guide the design of other significant infrastructure required for the mine.

“The project team is working hard to advance the project as quickly as possible,” they said. “ A comprehensive drill programme will commence in the June 2019 quarter...to confirm coal quality data.

“Data from the drilling will assist in the design of the CHPP and other associated infrastructure along with further defining the

Mastermyne Up

Mackay based contractor Mastermyne nearly doubled its profits in the second half of last year, off the back of a near 30% increase in revenue driven by new and extended brown and greenfield coal contracts across NSW and QLD. As a consequence of the increased work in the coal sector, Mastermyne predicts they will employ around 1250 people by the end of the financial year, which compares to about 800 in July 2018.

While the company has welcomed the turnaround in the resources sector, it remains cautiously optimistic about the future.

“While the balance sheet is much improved, the board remains conscious of the cyclic nature of mining services, and the lack of support from financiers in low parts of the cycle,” they said.

“For these reasons the company won’t be paying a dividend for this period.”

Notable among the work contracts are extensions at the NSW Wambo, Appin and Integra coal mines and new contracts and extensions at Anglo American’s operations around Moranbah and Middlemount.

Despite the decision to not pay a dividend, Mastermyne is bullish about the next six months with $489 million worth of work already in the order book.

“The robust outlook further supports the re-emergence of greenfield and brownfields expansion projects with several proponents undertaking feasibility studies or recommencing stalled underground projects,” they said.

Resources and ultimately the Reserves of the project.”

Late last year Whitehaven updated the amount of coal contained in the Winchester South deposit to 530 million tonnes, of which they categorised around a quarter as “measured”, half as “indicated” and the remainder as “inferred”.

Whitehaven has appointed a small project team who is developing the potentially 15-million-tonne-a-year open-cut

coal project.

The decision to push ahead as quickly as possible with the project reflects their positive view on the outlook for coking coal demand.

“The demand for metallurgical coals, especially hard coking coal throughout year remained strong as steel producers maximised productivity to capture the benefit of high steel prices,” they said this week.

“Seaborne coal supply remained tight as a range of disruptions occurred ...in addition, China’s domestic production was constrained by another round of safety and environment inspections following a mining accident in Shandong province.

“These supply constraints combined with strong demand have underpinned the hard coking coal price above US$200/t for the December quarter.

“Prices are expected to moderate as these issues are overcome, however, with the Queensland cyclone season arriving, weather disruptions are possible and likely to keep prices elevated until later this year.”

Doubled in a decade The latest report from the Geological Survey of Queensland has almost doubled the amount of JORC classifiable coal sitting in the ground in Queensland to 63 billion tonnes.

They arrived at the number by aggregating the amount of coal reported by coal explorer’s under the reporting rules set out by the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) and is up from 34 billion tonnes a decade ago.

According to the Queensland Government, the huge increase reflects the exploration effort during the last mining boom.

“This increase in volume compared to previous inventories can be largely attributed to the delineation of new resources of coal in both the Galilee and Surat basins which both have abundant sources of high volatile thermal coals,” they said. “ Much of this exploration activity occurred during the period between 200506 and 2009-10 when the Queensland coal industry was going through a phase of very significant expansion and mine development.”

Of the total, about 25 billion

tonnes are the high-value metallurgical coals mostly found in the Bowen Basin.

Despite the recent uplift in exploration, the report found the majority of these coking coal resources are attached to existing operations.

“Total resources reported as being entirely comprised of coking coal are estimated at around 14 Bt of raw coal in situ, primarily hosted within the Bowen Basin,” they said.

“Of these estimates, around 8 Bt have been reported against operating mines and mines currently on care and maintenance.

“Projects considered being at an advanced stage for potential development account for an additional 705 Mt of the total, with the remaining 5 Bt being estimates of coal resources for projects that are not regarded to be at an advanced stage of development.”

“This indicates that the majority of Queensland’s coking coal resources are within existing mines or advanced stage projects.”

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Clark Creek energy project seeks EOI

The proponents of a massive wind and solar project covering more than 76,000 hectares roughly midway between Mackay and Rockhampton, is calling for expressions of interest from local service providers as it finalises its feasibility study.

In recent correspondence,

Lacour Energy said it had partnered with Goldwind Australia to build the renewable energy complex, and wanted to hear from suppliers of modular accommodation, quarry products, cement, geotech services, earthmoving services, electrical services and suite of other trades.

Clarke Creek Energy Pty Ltd (CKE) - a subsidiary of Lacour Energy - is proposing to build a solar and wind farm across 11 properties around Clark Creek 150 kilometres North West of Rockhampton. If completed it would generate nearly 2000 gigawatt hours (GWh)

of electricity a year, which is roughly 3% of Queensland’s annual energy use.

According to CKE the project will generate 300 construction jobs and be built over three years, with stage 1 possibly operating in the six months.

The critical components of the proposed energy project are the construction of nearly 200 wind turbines and 13 wind monitoring towers along the ridgeline that extends Northwest from Clarke Creek towards Nebo.

Each wind turbine will be nearly 220 metres high, with three 90 metre long rotor blades. To support these, CKE is proposing to build 260 kilometres of gravel roads, 140 kilometres of medium and high voltage overhead power lines, as well as site offices, workshops, offices and a 300 man mining camp.

In June this year, it received all the required approvals from the State Government

$90 million gas contract Intense Kestrel transition Investment continues to build in the Surat Basin CSG industry with more than $200 million worth of new infrastructure announced in the last month.

On the production side, Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG) has chosen CBP Contractors (owned by CIMIC Group) to build more than 300 new coal seam gas wells at the cost of around $90 million.

CPB will be responsible for building access tracks, preparing drill pads, installing gas and water pipeline gathering networks, supplying power and undertaking some rehabilitation work.

The contract builds on CIMIC’s already super dominant contractor position in the coal sector where it has significant contracts at Qcoal’s Sonoma, Cows, Jax, Drake and Byerwen mines, as well as major deals with Coronado Coal, Anglo American, BMA, and Jellinbah.

CIMIC Group Chief Executive Officer Michael Wright says they continue to focus on the Queensland resources sector.

“CPB Contractors’ expertise in supporting the delivery of liquefied natural gas, combined with the specialist skills of Thiess, Sedgman and UGL, means the CIMIC Group continues to play a central role

20 March 2019

in the vital work of the energy and resources sectors,” he said.

Meanwhile, gas infrastructure business Senex Energy says final government approvals announced last week, have cleared the way for a new processing facility near Roma.

“Senex Energy Ltd welcomes the Queensland Government’s award of a petroleum facility licence to Jemena Ltd for construction of the Project Atlas gas processing facility,” they said.

“This milestone allows construction to commence on the $140 million facility, which will be connected to the Wallumbilla Gas Hub by a 60-kilometre pipeline.

“This decision is great news for Project Atlas and for domestic gas customers and keeps Senex on schedule to deliver gas from Project Atlas by the end of 2019.”

Senex lodged initial paperwork with the Federal Government for the new Project Atlas gas fields late last year.

In a referral to the Federal Environment Department late last year, Senex they outlined plans to develop production wells and supporting infrastructure between Wandoan and Walumbilla which would supply around forty years of gas into the domestic market.

Six months after buying the Kestrel coal mine near Emerald for $2.25 Billion, new owners Kestrel Coal Resources (KCR) say the business is going well and performing as expected.

Around the time KCR was set up to operate Kestrel on behalf of parent companies EMR Capital, and Indonesian energy company PT Adaro Energy, Adaro President Garibaldi Thohir flagged plans to nearly double coking coal production from the mine to around 10 million tonnes.

However, with an intense six-month transition phase behind him, KCR CEO Peter Smith says there are no major expansion plans in place, other than simply making the mine run better.

“One of the things with it being a longwall mine is that if we increase production, it’s just about us doing things better, rather than creating a whole new environment,” he told Shift Miner.

“I think we are pretty stable where we are at the moment, and our efforts are focussed on being more efficient in what we do, getting more out of every day’s effort, and consequently our development and longwall rates are climbing.”

Looking to the future, Mr Smith is cautiously optimistic

about coal prices and the supply of good people in the Bowen Basin.

“I am a bit of a glass half full person on coal prices,” he said.

“We are happy with where it is now, and we can’t see any particular influence that would give us a reason to think it was going to move down significantly.

“The metallurgical coal price, in particular, is stable, and I think there is no reason to believe that it would materially move.

“But I am sure people have said that in the past, and regretted it six months later, so I guess we are thankful for small mercies for where it is.

“I think the industry in the past has failed to train enough tradesman when times were tough, but right now we are OK, but there is no doubt its tightening and there is good competition for the right resources.

“But we’re in a good position; we can offer people a chance to go home every night and hopefully we can create a reputation as a good place to work.”

Mr Smith was one of the original managers of Kestrel when it was established in the early 1990s by ARCO as Gordonstone Coal.

Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com

Life

FRANK THE TANK’S Dear Frank, My wife and I have been married 25 years and we have three wonderful kids; I couldn’t be happier.

There’s just one thing that’s bothering me. My eldest daughter just turned 17 and has recently started dating.

I’m having a tough time coming to terms with this. I don’t want to smother her, but I want to make sure she doesn’t wind up dating some drop-kick.

How can I strike the right of balance of being involved and still respecting her independence?

Bruce Bruce, you’re in an unenviable position, as we all know girls are almost invariably attracted to ‘the bad boy’.

In my youth I used to wear a leather jacket, ride a motorcycle and hang out at the diner all night with my friends Richie and Potsie; it drove the ladies wild.

The best part about it was all the really horrible sexually transmitted diseases hadn’t appeared yet, so

any ill-fated date could be longforgotten with that magic drug they call penicillin. Ah, happy days indeed.

You only need to look at Hollywood movies to see I’m right.

Super-villains always have an entourage of good-looking women willing to do their bidding.

Why? Because women love a bad boy. I mean let’s face it, the ladies wouldn’t be lining up to go steady with the Penguin if he didn’t have an evil lair and a bank vault full of dynamite.

I know what you’re going to say, “That’s fiction.” Well, I have an example grounded right here in non-fiction (or reality as some call it).

Have you ever heard of those women who write to prison inmates and then wind up marrying them?

It’s a real phenomenon, and do you know why it occurs?

Because women love bad boys!

It defies all logic that a woman would marry a man already incarcerated — and quite possibly for murdering his previous wife — but such is the allure of the bad boy mystique.

Streaking good love advice

Now the million dollar question, what can you do to stop your daughter marrying a murderous psychopath or a Hollywood super villain?

You find a nice guy and make him a bad boy.

Do some skulking around your daughter’s school (do this carefully, a middle-aged man skulking around a school can sometimes arouse suspicion) and find a nice bookworm kind of guy.

Offer him a hundred bucks to take your daughter out a few times under certain strict conditions.

Then when he shows up for the date cause a massive scene claiming that he’s a troublemaker and that you would never allow your daughter to date such a rebel.

She’ll swoon and the ruse will be complete.

If this backfires and you’re unassuming bookworm turns out to be bad news you can always revoke his bad boy status.

Just tell her that you caught him watching an episode of Glee and your daughter will drop him faster than a drunk girl’s undies.

Frank

SENSIBLE SUSAN Bruce, It is certainly a tricky situation you find yourself in, and it’s completely normal that you’re feeling a little protective of your daughter.

In this instance I would recommend backing off just a little bit.

If you fly off the handle and try to control who your daughter sees it’s likely you’re going to push her towards someone you don’t approve of.

Show your daughter that you respect her right to choose who she dates and I’m sure she’ll come to the right decision on her own.

Susan

MadMumzie.com SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE NEXT OF KIN?

We lost yet another beloved miner recently which spurred me to share these thoughts with you. Firstly, I want to send love and angels to family, friends and work mates of all those involved.

News travels fast when a serious incident occurs at one of our mine sites. Someone close to me was immediately affected so I knew quickly. Wanting to learn more I went to social media. Local groups had not yet picked up on it, or perhaps-wisely-chosen not to share just yet?

I was tagged in a post on a tv channel’s page that had chosen to share the as yet vague details.

Initially incorrect news was spread.

Many people were panicked and trying to find out the facts.

Comment threads were horrifying me.

One lady shared how worried she was as her partner worked there and advice was pouring in.

Yes, she had already contacted site to learn more, but they could not release anything. They were right in the middle of dealing with it all.

Can you imagine? Workforce safety and communication, helicopters, police, ambulance, media and family members are all part of the initial responses with much more to follow.

Another told her if she was next of kin and had not heard anything, her partner was ok, and she should stop being so dramatic!

This is when the memories of Big T’s death onsite came back to me.

My daughter as his next of kin took a bit to contact, but her phone was “blowing up” with messages of “Sorry for your loss.” Luckily, she was away from her phone and I managed to let her know before she listened to those messages.

I noted she was joining in the comments and was getting up a

few people. Later that week the media contacted her and agreed that yes indeed mistakes were made. They couldn’t even spell the town’s name correctly and this too fuelled the social media fire!

It came from Brisbane apparently and our local reporters were copping the brunt of it. The media’s job is to share the news, I agree, that’s what we want from them isn’t it? To keep up to date with what is unfolding.

I want to remind us all that perhaps at times like this we need to take a few breaths and allow a bit of time for more facts to come out. (Even an hour or so?) Easy to say though isn’t it? If your partner, kids, parents and mates work there, you of course want to know they are ok.

I had a beer, got my microphone and recorded a few words as it was unfolding to help with this article. I chose to release it.

Head to madmumzie.com/ beers55 or listen to Beers With a Miner podcast in your favourite podcast app.

Cheers MM

Note from the editor Enjoy this? You will love her award winning podcast “Beers with A Miner”.

MM was a finalist in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards.

We asked her what it was like to be recognised.

“The nomination came as a complete surprise to me. I headed down to Melbourne for the finals, and had a fantastic time, even though I didn’t win my category,” she said.

“Interestingly, fellow Podcasters were amazed that I drove those big trucks, and more so, had a podcast about it!

“Thanks to Saraya D’Arth, underground miner and WIMARQ awards finalist from Broadmeadows, your episode 33 was the one I entered.

“And of course all my other guests are great too.”

Search for “Beers With a Miner” in your favourite Podcast app, or head to MadMumzie.com/beers and push play.

March 2019 21

Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com

Puzzles

CROSS WORD

SODOKU

Across

Down

1. Of city outskirts 5. Prickly desert plant 9. The Doors singer, Jim ...

10. Selection 12. Far-reaching 13. Give off 14. Horse’s neck hair 16. Ape or monkey 19. Trapeze artist 21. Dress ribbon 24. Carreras or Domingo 25. Helper 27. Artist’s workplace 28. Prescribed drug 29. Gold & ...

30. Stammers

1. Warmest season 2. French caps 3. Monarch’s rule 4. Turn to spray 6. Track & field events 7. Appeals board 8. Speared 11. Large brown seaweed 15. Black-skinned vegetable 17. Christens 18. Calm 20. Frog relative 21. Doubt innocence of 22. Severe food shortage 23. Pressure of work 26. Man’s attire, ... & tie

Across: 1. Suburban 5. Cactus 9. Morrison 10. Choice 12. Extensive 13. Exude 14. Mane 16. Primate 19. Acrobat 21. Sash 24. Tenor 25. Assistant 27. Studio 28. Medicine 29. Silver 30. Stutters Down: 1. Summer 2. Berets 3. Reign 4. Atomise 6. Athletics 7. Tribunal 8.

Skewered 11. Kelp 15. Aubergine 17. Baptises 18. Tranquil 20. Toad 21. Suspect 22. Famine 23. Stress 26. Shirt

THE “GREATEST AUSTRALIAN IN THE CRIB ROOM” QUIZ. 1. In rhyming slang, if someone said they we going to have a “bopeep”, what they be doing?

2. Australians hold the world record for which amazing feat?

A) Fastest Beer bottle opening B) Largest Christmas Cracker C) Most Sheep Sheared in 24 hours D ) Largest Chicken Dance 3. What is Kylie Minogue’s lingerie line called?

4. Where is the Big Prawn?

5. Approximately how many rabbits are there in Australia today?

A) 3 million B) 30 million C) 300 million D) 3,000 million.

6. What was the name of Olivia Newton-John’s chain of clothing stores?

7. What outback town’s population swells from 120 to crowds of over 5000 for a racing carnival?

8. Which of the following is not an Australian innovation?

A) Chiko Roll B) Lawn Sprinkler C)Plastic bank notes D) Dual flush toilet E) Wine Cask?

9. What creature does Jana Pittman have tattooed on her body?

10. The Idiot Fruit and Darling Peas are poisonous, True or False?

1. Having a sleep 2. B - Largest Christmas Cracker 3. Love Kylie 4. Ballina 5. C - 300 million 6. Koala Blue 7. Birdsville 8. B - Lawn sprinkler 9. Bee 10. True

ANSWERS

22 March 2019

Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com

News

200 trucks a day Blackwater residents are calling the haulage plan for the brand new Bluff coal project a “truckmageddon” that got approval without any consultation.

Carabella Resources - a subsidiary of Chinese controlled Wealth Mining - own the new mine near Bluff which will exploit coal tenements containing 11 million tonnes of mineable and nine million tonnes of marketable (JORC) coal.

Western Australian based MACA is the tier one contractor and has more than 140 people employed in pre-strip operations,

with further people expected as coal mining begins this month.

However, one Blackwater resident (who does not want to be named) told Shift Miner they felt they had to go public about their concerns after he discovered 200 trucks would be passing through town twice a day as they hauled coal 35 kilometres to Bounty’ Cook Colliery for processing.

“I grew up in Blackwater, and for the past 50 years I’ve been involved in and around coal mines doing different things all my working life – same as my father and same as my brothers – so yes, of course, I want to see the mine

go ahead,” he said.

“It’s also good for the local region as it’s not just local direct jobs, it is the ancillary jobs which are equally important, but what we don’t want to see is our way of life ruined and lives endangered by the unnecessary trucking.

“These huge trucks will be hurtling down the Capricorn Highway and through the middle of Blackwater and god help anyone who happens to be using the road at the same time.”

According to the Blackwater spokesperson, there were presentations in Bluff before the haulage plans were approved.

However, he says there were none in Blackwater.

“We have tried to speak with people at Bounty, but they didn’t care,” he said.

“We understand presentations were given to people in Bluff when the permission was secretly signed, but people in Blackwater didn’t know about it then and still don’t know about it.”

Shift Miner has yet to hear back from either the Central Highlands Regional Council or MACA regarding the haulage plan.

The project is expected to generate approximately $700 million in revenue for MACA over a tenyear mine life, and the mine will produce about 12 million tonnes of PCI coal.

Production at the small, truck and excavator, open-cut site was due to begin in the first quarter of 2015. However, when prices collapsed, it was mothballed despite having secured all necessary environmental approvals except a mining lease.

In November last year when Carabella announced they would be working with MACA, they concurrently signed a two-year agreement with Bounty to handle, wash and prepare up to 100,000 tonnes of coal from the Bluff project at the Cook Colliery. In the longer term, Carabella will develop a standalone CHPP at the Bluff site

March 2019 23

Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com

News

Washing Olive Downs coal in a year?

The proponents of the Olive Downs Coking Coal project near Moranbah have signed contracts with CIMIC owned companies CPB Contracting and Sedgeman for the development of a Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHHP) within a year.

While the fine print of the $184 million design, procurement,

construction and commissioning contract haven’t been released, CEO of Pembroke Barry Tudor says it’s another significant step forward and underscores their commitment.

“The awarding of the contract is a key milestone in the development of the Olive Downs Coking Coal Project,” he said.

“Fully developed, the Olive Downs Coking Coal Project will be among the largest metallurgical coal mines in the world, producing up to 15 million tonnes of coal per annum for almost 80 years.

“We are pleased to partner with Sedgman and CPB Contractors on an integrated solution to deliver one of the largest and most exciting new developments to occur in the Bowen Basin.”

Sedgman Managing Director Grant Fraser said the project is an; “exciting, long-term development, and was “pleased” to be helping deliver value.

The Olive Downs mine is expected to be an open-cut truck and shovel operation generating around 600 construction, and nearly a 1000 operational jobs. At full production, it would produce 15 million tonnes of coking coal (ROM) a year for 37 years.

In September last year, the Olive Downs Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was released for public opinion, and in April the company spent millions of dollars acquiring 41,000 ha of prime cattle country around

Moranbah which covered the mine.

Pembroke wants the CHHP built by early 2020, by which time it hopes to have reached the stage one milestone of mining around 6 million tonnes (ROM) of coking coal a year.

Just under twelve months ago Mr Tudor, who previously was CEO and Managing Director of ASX listed Gloucester Coal, and Managing Director of Noble Group’s Australian operations told Shift Miner the project was unique in the world.

“We are single-minded about getting Olive Downs up and running in the smallest possible time frame,” he said at the time.

“We are very big believers in metallurgical coal in the longer term, and if you want to have a world-class asset in metallurgical coal, then there is no better place in the world than the Bowen Basin.

“We believe we have got a gem in the Bowen Basin with Olive Downs, and we think it’s the best undeveloped soon to be developed opportunity in the world.”

THAT’S WHAT WE CALL HEAVY LIFTING

24 March 2019

Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com

Trader

THE BEST PLACE TO FIND GOOD GEAR

CAR FOR SALE

CAR FOR SALE

CAR FOR SALE

CAR FOR SALE

2009 AUDI Q7 4.2 TDI QUATTRO

2017 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER UTE

1974 FORD F350 V8 MANUAL

1975 FORD LTD

V8 with the ECONOMY of a 6, 4d wagon 7 seater. Originally sold for $127,000 the build quality is first class cannot be compared to the local brands, drive in style and comfort no rough ride.

Single cab.17,000km, custom fully welded alloy tray with tool boxes and 40l water tank in the headboard (the tray also comes with sides). Spare tyre under the tray and canvas seat covers fitted since new.

V8 engine rebuilt engine some years ago, xtra work done for Horsepower gain, good 302 V8 Cleveland, good 4-speed manual box and good 4.11 diff with dual wheels. .

Purchased from the 2nd owner 10 years ago. Motor needed a freshen up. Rebuilt to std spec. 1st oversized pistons. 4MA Crank still factory sizes. Changed cam grind for a little more urge down low.

Call: 0427 823 673

Call: 0499 116 083

Call: 0419 798 263

CAR FOR SALE

CAR FOR SALE

$ 26,900 Call: 0409 485 265

$ 74,000

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Your ad here Free

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$ 4,000 Call: 0400 706 569 TRUCK FOR SALE

TRUCK FOR SALE

$ 5,200

$ 36,990

1987 FORD FALCON SEDAN

2014 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER UTE

Good condition; dent in drivers side back door, have got a replacement one. Very little rust, would be an easy project, no rego or rwc, the interior is good, no aircon, power steering, 5 mags, tires are no good.

Remote Central Locking-Cruise ControlFront & Rear Factory Diff Lock-Air Bag & Compressor-Underbody Toolbox & Water tank-L.E.D Spotlights-3â&#x20AC;?Stainless ExhaustHeavy Duty Clutch-U.H.F Radio-RWC

$ 950

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Call: 0749 951 229

Call: 0417 649 624

TRUCK FOR SALE

BUS FOR SALE

MACK TRUCK R600

VOLVO N715 4X2 PRIME MOVER

WATER TRUCK

1998 INTERNATIONAL/ IVECO DELTA BUS

R600 Mack Prime mover - Ready for work - In good working order - Has Aircon - with a Mack Engine ENDTB676 7Y4367 - Mack Transmission TRTXL 7Y9503.12 Speed Direct - Front Axel FA537 - Bogie SS441.

Needs rust/ paint work. Fully rebuilt Td70e Engine. New Radiator etc. Selling the lot.

Open to offers. Located CQ. More photos available

Mine spec water cart for sale hyd driven pump cannon batter sprays dribble bar three rear sprays new brakes and drums new tires.

Custom Coaches Body. 57 belted seats, AC (new seats & a/c retro-fitted 5years ago at the cost of $60000) 12m long, flat floor.

Perkins turbo diesel engine (rear) 6-speed synchro gearbox. Airbag suspension.

$ 22,000

$ 11,990

$ 70,000

$ 40,000 Call: 0427 620 371

Call: 0749 543 155

Call: 0439 888 618

Call: 0439 468 057

CARAVAN FOR SALE

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ATV FOR SALE

2013 EXPANDA OUTBACK

KEDRON TOP ENDER

FLAT BED TRAILER BOX TRAILER

RZR POLARIS 1000 TURBO 2016

Jayco 17.56.2 Excellent condition. Sleeps 6 in comfort (queen bed and double bed with innerspring mattresses), double bunk (converts into the second dinette), bathroom with shower, toilet, and vanity. .

This van has always been garaged little use is in excellent condition. Fully self contained.

We are downgrading to smaller van bit easier for the wife! Great van exceptionally made, the gall boys do a great job.

Ex 79 series Landcruiser tray built into a trailer. 2400x1800, Spare tire, spindle, hub, and bearings. 3 Toolboxes, Many ties down points for bikes. Tested off road with large loads with ease. Non braked 6 stud axle.

Competitive race machine or great weekend fun! Holz racing front A-arms/ball joints. Holz racing rear trailing arms/radius arms. Holz racing rear sway bar. Fox shocks revalved & resprung.

$ 38,000 Call: 0429 645 149

$ 67,500 Call: 0407 794 279

$ 3,000

$ 22,000

Call: 0438 762 438

Call: 0749 835 291

SELL YOUR ITEMS FOR FREE. BECOME A SUBSCRIBER March 2019 25

Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com

Trader

THE BEST PLACE TO FIND GOOD GEAR

BIKE FOR SALE

BIKE FOR SALE

BOAT FOR SALE

BOAT FOR SALE

2008 SOFTAIL NIGHT TRAIN

BUELL 1125R

6.1 METRE HAMMERHEAD

3.85M QUINTREX EXPLORER TINNY

Night Train low ks only 8600, If you are looking for a bike with all the work done then this is the one always cleaned after every ride and regularly serviced, Stage 3 kit sounds lumpy, Vance and Hines pipe.

2010 Buell 1125r. Build #78 of 95. Approx 7636klms. Excellent condition, new belt.

Will be a Regretful sale. Located Emerald Qld. Rare bike, priced for quick sale

2015 Custom Built, This is a very versatile boat, whether fishing for Barra in the Gulf, or jigging for Nannygai at the Reef. It has all features to cover all fishing aspects.

3.85m Quintrex Explorer tinny, 15hp Johnson outboard. .

$ 23,000

$ 7,500

$ 75,990

$ 2,000

Call: 0477 053 671

Call: 0474 820 749

BOAT FOR SALE

BOAT FOR SALE

Call: 0488 660 518

Call: 0400 521 116 BOAT FOR SALE

Your ad here Free

QUINTREX ‘BREEZEABOUT’ 4.5M

QUINTREX 560 FREEDOM CRUISER

VHF & Lowrance depth sounder/ fish finder with navionics card. All safety gear & anchors as well.Yamaha 40hp ‘precision blend’ Just needs carbs rebalanced & battery.

Quintrex freedom cruiser Wake Tower 130hp Mercruiser.

Low running hrs, unpainted, underfloor fuel tank, plumbed live bait tank, front & rear Nav lights interior LED strip lighting, 4 comfortable seats, 5 Life jackets, anchor kit, Telescopic paddles, V Sheet, EIPIRB

$ 3,000

$ 32,000

$ 15,500

Call: 0455 333 655

Call: 0439 834 421

EXCAVATOR FOR SALE

DOZER FOR SALE

STACER 4.29M TINNY

Call: 0427 785 699 DRILLING RIG FOR SALEINE

ENGINE FOR SALE

2002 EX1200-5 HITACHI EXCAVATOR

KOMATSU 355-3 DOZER

RFW DRILLING RIG - REFURBISHED

CUMMINS N855P

EX1200-5 - Hitachi Excavator - Serial Number 17FJ001089 - Low Component Hours Lots of Repairs Done - Auto Lube Fire Suppression Mine Specs.

In great working order - complete with fire suppression - mine spec - Ready for work. If more information is required please contact Graeme on 0447 739 611.

RFW 4WD Truck Vin No. 45316344 - 4 Cly GM Motor Engine No. 50435001 HD16S127 - Rotary Drill driven by 6354 Perkins on Hydraulics - 11 Rods x 4.6m and 6 1/2” Hammer. In very good condition.

$ 275,000

$ 99,000

$ 90,000

Cummins N855P 6 cylinder 235hp was set up as-is part of a fire pump, would have done less than 100hrs, comes with skid and needs wire loom. Please call Don for more details.

Call: 0749 543 155

Call: 0749 543 155

Call: 0447 739 611

ENGINE FOR SALE

TOOL BOX FOR SALE

GENERATOR FOR SALE

$ 5,000 Call: 0498 470 534 SCOPE FOR SALE

HONDA 50HP OUTBOARD

ALUMINIUM PROPELLER PLATE

HONDA GENERATOR

VORTEX SCOPE

Gas assist model no power trim and tilt.

Long shaft new standard prop comes with fuel tank 1690hrs ex-pro fishing hear running Gladstone QLD

New Aluminium propeller plate tool box, 1 Metre x 560 mm x 440 mm. Pickup only or freight at your cost.

EU invertor 20 ionly had approx 10 hours use .

Crossfire II 4-12 X 44 hardly used with Nikko Sterling QD rings.

$ 4,000

$ 300

$ 1,650 Call: 0749 421 683

$ 250 Call: 0448 302 652

Call: 0414 606 266

Call: 0408 354 249

SELL YOUR ITEMS FOR FREE. BECOME A SUBSCRIBER 26 March 2019

Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com

News

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Your home away from home awaits you with everything you could need, from wholesome meals — cooked daily by our in-house chefs — to fully serviced en-suite rooms and 24-hour gyms. Our friendly staff are always on hand to help, whether you’re checking in, shopping at the Store or having a drink at the HUB! We’re more than just workforce accommodation. With Civeo, experience more.

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