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Monday September 21, 2015 197th Edition

M A G A Z I N E

A FAIR DAY’S PAY? Resource industry divided on the long term prospects for a secure, well paid career.

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CONTENTS NEWS

8 6

Business opportunity in CSG

13 Tinkler buying

back into CQ

4 &13 Galilee still going

6 7 7

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Labour hire push back Adani breaks its silence

THE last twelve months have seen some of the biggest changes to mining lifestyles in twenty years, with sweeping job losses, roster changes, wage cuts and the rise of labour hire.

However, the industry is divided over whether the changes are part of a bigger industrial relations war, or simply a return to normal conditions after an extended period of rising wages through Australia’s longest ever mining boom.

Making headlines in the last month was BMA’s decision to employ contractors, Downer EDI, at their Blackwater mine site.

The decision threw the lives of around 150 permanent BMA staff and a similar number of contract-and-labour-hire staff into turmoil.

At the time of printing, Downer had not made clear its plans for employment to complete the new contract; although, its intentions have aroused suspicion.

Just days after saying it wouldn’t, Downer started advertising jobs publicly in a sign the company is looking way beyond discussions it says it is having the existing Blackwater workforce.

Elsewhere, Anglo American have announced there will be 85 job losses from the German Creek open cut operation, after they reached production targets early, and moved to unwind boom time 12 hour shifts and replace them with eight hour shifts on a normal five day working week.

At Clermont mine, around 100 staff have become redundant as owners, Glencore, continue to cut thermal coal production in an attempt stop supplying an oversupplied global market.

While the impacts of losing your job are obvious, the impact of reduced rosters and the increased use of labour hire - or casual staff - is perhaps the most concerning for many career miners.

One miner is hoping to apply political pressure to mining companies by launching a petition for a change in the legislation governing labour hire in mining.

Specifically, the petition calls on the federal minister for employment, Eric Abetz, to amend labour hire legislation so that rates must include penalties, annual leave and sick pay.

“I’m labour hire and have been at the same mine for over two years now,” one miner said.

“We take home on average AU$700 less than the permanents do, and that figure

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21st September 2015

“I mean, wages have simply fallen to double where they were before the boom, and people need to remember that” rose on the 1st of September as we are got another pay cut.”

Another miner told Shift Miner while he understood there might be times when labour hire made sense, he thought there should be a limit to how long a miner could be kept as a casual.

“Just over 12 month ago, labour hire at the goon show (Goonyella) were paying about $55 hour; they called a meeting and told their employees they were reducing the rate to $47 hour - and if you didn’t like it, there was no job for you there,” he said.

“The permanents are on $2000 a week, and I am on maximum $1200 to $1600 a week without sick leave, holidays or any way to borrow money, and I don’t get paid if it rains.

“That’s a real kick in the guts for the people that have been helping them achieve record tonnages.

“Previously, a temporary was employed for three months, and if you were any good you got a shirt; now there is no shirt and your employment is open ended.”

Right now, labour hire rates on some of Central Queensland’s lowest cost mines have fallen to as low as $44 an hour.

At Lake Vermont, around 500 miners employed by Thiess have accepted a new EBA that will see new entry level miners take a 15 per cent pay cut and limits on paid wet days. Night shift has been reduced from 12.5 hours to 10 hours, meaning wages will fall by around $10,000 a year for miners whose hours are reduced as a consequence.

However, not everyone thinks the changes are unusual or unreasonable.

Mackay-based workplace consultant, Craig Joy, has warned miners concerned about labour hire rates that there could be significantly more pain to come in the resources sector.

continued ON P9

ADANI has broken its silence for the first time since having its federal environmental approval overturned for its proposed Carmichael mega coal project.

While the company says its most preferred option is to push ahead with its Galilee coal mine, it has warned government that it is now looking at a plan B for coal supplies from outside Australia.

“It is critical for us to secure long-term supplies,” Australian chief executive, Jeyakumar Janakaraj, told local media.

“We are a large infrastructure and energy conglomerate, so providing energy security to India is a very key strategy as part of our business goals.

“It’s not about a two-year scenario or a fiveyear scenario, it is about a 30, 40, 50-year scenario that we have thought about and planned.

“If things don’t change and things don’t get certain, the other things will get clearer and clearer, and the risk is always there that we will see Plan B as a more important plan.”

Adani says it is being frustrated by the “endless” environmental objections which it

claims do not, in any way, promise a better environmental outcome for the region.

“When the regulations and laws were formed, (there were) a lot of good intentions to protect the environment,’’ he said.

“But now, as we have seen, all the loopholes are being exploited, not for environmental sustainability reasons but to just halt economic development, to stop creating jobs, and it is an endless debate for a useless reason.

“If this was going to add value for Australia in terms of environ­mental protection, everybody would support it, but no one is supporting it, because there is no environmental value that is going to change becaus­e of this endless debate.’’

Adani has also confirmed that it is in negotiations with both the federal and state governments to try and get financial assistance to build the 200 kilometre rail line it needs to export the coal through Abbot Point Coal Terminal.

The mine - if it goes ahead - would create 2,500 construction jobs and almost 400 permanent jobs when it is operational.

Aside from the construction of the mine itself, there is also major work required to build water supply infrastructure and a coal handling and processing plant.

A huge workers’ accommodation village would be built near Alpha, as well as an airport to service the mine.

At full capacity, the mine is expected to produce 60 million tonnes of thermal coal per annum for export.

Kianga disaster just 40 years ago

A commemoration of one of the worst mining disasters in Australian coal mining history was held yesterday at the Kianga Hall in Moura.

At approximately 5 o’clock in the afternoon, on September 20 1975, an explosion occurred underground at the Kianga No. 1 mine in Central Queensland near Moura.

Thirteen men were killed, who were underground attempting to build a brick wall to seal off smoldering coal.

Former Kianga miner, Warren Purnell told the ABC his memories of that day haunt him still.

“Everybody in town knew there had been an explosion,” he told the ABC. “You could hear that quite easily, and then we could see the column of black smoke that seemed to cover everything.

“We all had friends that were out there doing a specific job, and everyone knew that it was on fire at the time, but this crew was down there bricking off the fire to make it safer for the other workers.

“At about 11pm that night there was a knock at the door , and it was one of the supervisors saying he wanted me to be at site at daybreak the next day, because they were going to start filling it in because there was no hope of any survivors.

“When I went out there the office was above ground , and all the cars in the car park they were on their sides, and on their roofs - they were blown to smithereens.

“The air vent was blown about 300 metres down the paddock, and they found sheets of metal kilometres away.

“When I went there my heart just sank, I just felt like running away, and I still feel that today.”

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Robot hurts miner

THE Western Australian mines department has released its report into Australia’s biggest ever accident involving autonomous mine haulage equipment.

The accident, which happened on a WA mine site, caused minor injuries to a water truck driver and significant damage to an automated haul truck.

According to the WA Department of Mines and Petroleum, the control room operator had programmed the autonomous haul truck

to turn right at a pre-defined intersection before doing a loop so it could be repositioned underneath an excavator on the pit floor.

While the intersection and loop existed in the control system, it was not physically signposted or marked on the ground to notify other human operated vehicles.

“A manned water cart was travelling in the opposite direction when the autonomous truck was about to turn right,” the government report said.

“The water cart driver was not aware of the autonomous truck’s pre-assigned path and – on recognising it – tried to take evasive action.

“On detecting the water cart in its assigned path of travel, the autonomous truck’s speed (about 40 kilometres per hour) and response time meant it could not prevent the collision.

“The two vehicles collided, resulting in significant damage to the autonomous truck, and the water cart driver received minor injuries.”

In examining the factors that led to the accident, the WA Department of Mines said that while the path of the autonomous truck was displayed inside the water truck cab, the driver had no idea that it was about to turn right.

In light of this, the report said the processes for assigning roads in the control system were “inadequate” and recommended that, at the very least, manned activities be “mitigated” or even eliminated from areas where there were automated vehicles.

As far back as 2009, Rio Tinto’s head of innovation, John McGagh, told a Central Queensland audience he thought fully automated mining was inevitable.

However, at that time one of the most complicated problems confronting the rollout of automated technology was how human and robotic work teams could operate together.

Business unlikely to be saved

THE future for engineering and construction business, WDS, remains very much in doubt despite administrators holding the first creditors meeting two days ago.

The first creditors meeting is a statutory requirement when a business goes into voluntary administration.

However, in this case, the Monday meeting was more or less made redundant, because not long after administrator Korda Mentha was appointed, receivers and managers were also appointed.

The appointment of receivers and managers straight after the appointment of an administrator usually means one of the creditors had a clause written into their contract demanding that this happen.

In most cases, it also means the business is broken up and sold off, unless they can be convinced that keeping the business going will deliver a better result for creditors.

It is still unclear how much of the money owed to WDS creditors and employees will be paid back.

At its peak, WDS employed more than 700 staff and was involved in iron ore, coal, CSG and construction, with workshops in Dalby, Brisbane and Mackay.

Meanwhile in other bad news for the mining support sector, eight Emeraldbased staff for SDV Longwall have been made redundant following SDV Longwall entering into administration in June.

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ANCAP countdown back on

AFTER more than a year in court and the testimony of some of the most qualified crash testing people in the land, CFMEU health and safety representative, Craig Dalliston, has lost his appeal to make rollover protection compulsory on light vehicles at Peak Downs mine.

In practical terms, it means BMA is back on track to implement the biggest change to light vehicle policy in the history of Queensland mining.

From the first of January next year, no vehicle without a five star ANCAP safety rating will be

allowed on a BMA mine site.

While there were long technical, safety and legal discussions in the court, the decision eventually came down to whether the new ANCAP vehicles were safe enough to meet the safety legislation governing mobile plant on a mine site.

This was an important distinction, because Mr Dalliston had argued in his original safety directive ordering workers not to use the vehicles, that the new ANCAP vehicles were not as safe as previous vehicles with

a Rollover Protection System (ROPS) fitted.

However, the judge said this was not a relevant argument.

“The question for this court is determined by the provisions of the act relating to acceptable levels of risk,” the judge said in his findings.

“Thus, it is not a question of comparing what was in place but, rather, whether the replacement vehicles satisfy the act so far as risk is concerned.

“The question to be answered when considering the use of new mobile plant is whether it constitutes an acceptable level of risk.

“Unless it can be demonstrated that the vehicles being replaced exhibited the bare minimum of acceptable risk, the question is not whether the new vehicles are as safe as or safer than those they replace.

“No party argued that vehicles fitted with ROPS did constitute the bare minimum necessary for safety.”

In response to the decision, Mr Dalliston said he was weighing up options.

“We have a number of concerns with the decision, like the fact that the findings refer

Chinese not losing faith

MACMINES’ proposed mega coal mine in the Galilee basin has progressed further in its approval process, with the federal government approving a draft EIS. The draft will now be put on display for public comment. The public submissions will then be collated and considered and where necessary added into a final EIS for final government approval - a process likely to take at least 12 months.

While the mine is still a long way from receiving full state and federal government approval and receiving a final investment decision by its owners, it is an undeniable sign of confidence in the future of coal power in China by its Chinese owners.

Macmines is owned by Chinese

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21st September 2015

billionaire Yao Junliang through his energy company Meijin which currently employs around 14,000 people.

Like other nearby proposed Galilee projects - the size of Meijin’s proposed China Stone project is staggering. It includes a complex of both underground and above ground coal mines producing more than three times the annual coal production of Queensland biggest mines today.

It would generate around 4000 jobs in construction and roughly 3500 in ongoing operational roles.

However like all the other Galilee proponents, developing the mine requires overcoming a suite of well documented massive economic and logistical

to a Ford Explorer rather than a Ford Ranger, which is the vehicle being used,” he told Shift Miner.

“It might have been just a momentary lapse of concentration, because the findings refer to both vehicles at different times.

“Also the judge did make comments around the conflicting wording of the current safety legislation, which we are speaking to the government about.

“This is an expensive process, so we will weigh up whether we launch a similar challenge at Goonyella Riverside.

In a short statement to Shift Miner a spokesperson for BMA said they were confident in the new ANCAP vehicles.

“BHP Billiton continually reviews company policies and procedures to ensure best practice is maintained, and the decision to introduce Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) five star vehicles at BMA sites followed extensive research regarding the safety features of these vehicles,” they said.

“BMA is of the view that structural integrity in ANCAP five star vehicles is such that roll-

over protection systems (ROPS) are unnecessary.

“In addition, ROPS may have a negative impact on the effectiveness of some safety systems, such as electronic stability control which reduces the probability of rollover in utility LVs by greater than 80 per cent, frontal and side curtain air bags which mitigate the forces of the crash and the potential for partial ejection in rollover.

“BMA remains confident that using ANCAP Five Star vehicles is the right decision for our workforce.”

In the 14 months before December last year when the court hearing ended, the CFMEU says there were 10 light vehicle rollovers on mine sites in Queensland.

However, since that time there has been just one.

The CFMEU has argued the decision to strip vehicles of extra rollover protection (ROPS) and other ancillary equipment like bull bars was a cost-cutting exercise and left workers vulnerable on site. Some estimates put the cost of adding this equipment to a new car at between $10,000 and $15,000 per vehicle.

LNG flame concerns residents TWELVE months after the first gas flare was lit on Curtis Island, the Gladstone Regional Council is seeking an independent study into the possible health impacts of the process.

In the process known as flaring, LNG companies ignite waste gas from their processing facilities that cannot be stored or exported.

While flaring happens throughout the life of an LNG plant, it happens a lot more during the construction phase when lots of waste gas is generated during the testing phase.

In July however, the Gladstone Regional Environmental Advisory Network received complaints about flaring at the QCLNG plant.

“Concerns were raised about the size of the flare and the black smoke coming from the QCLNG stack on the 16th July,” GREAN said in its July meeting.

“That smoke was passing directly over the urban area, and questions were raised regarding the PM10 level and what the long term health effects could be for community members.”

GREAN then took this concern to the Gladstone Regional Council who passed a resolution to seek an independent examination by the state government.

“In light of the fact that QCLNG is nearing completion of their LNG plant, and with the imminent commencement of

operations on the GLNG and APLNG first trains, Council will make representations to the state government to provide the broader Gladstone community with impartial expert advice,” they resolved at a recent meeting of Council.

Specifically, Council said it wanted more information regarding the licensing required for LNG flaring activity and whether there were any environmental impacts caused by the combustion process.

QGC’s fact sheet on flaring says the black smoke observed by residents is a normal part of the commissioning phase.

“During normal operations, the small quantity of natural gas that is burned continuously from the pilot light results in a small flame, without smoke, and emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and water vapour,” the fact sheet says. “ During non-normal operating conditions such as commissioning, a plant shut-down or an emergency, the emissions from the flare may be influenced by the presence of refrigerants and nitrogen which reduce the efficiency of combustion.

“As a result, emissions may include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, small quantities of particulate matter, and trace quantities of hydrocarbons, and this can result in black smoke being emitted with the flame.”

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Sharps out of administration

IN some rare good news for the mining support sector, after more than a year, Sharps Heavy Equipment Repairs has moved out of voluntary administration.

Importantly for Mackay owner and founder, Graham Sharp, has retained part ownership of the business.

Although, it has cost him and his wife significant private assets, they have retained the family home.

Creditors of the business, who were owed around AU$1.3 million, accepted a deed of company arrangement that saw them receive $0.31 for every dollar they were owed.

Mr Sharp told Shift Miner it has been a difficult period.

“Leading up to administration was exhausting, because we just couldn’t cut

the guts out of the business fast enough.

“Then the administration process, itself, was a real slog, because you just didn’t know what the future held,” he said.

“But it hasn’t got much easier now that we are past that phase either; getting work is about as hard as it gets.

“There is not much work around - and a lot of people out there trying to get it - so the margins for everyone are very slim.”

The new business employees 95 people; around a third of those employed at the peak of the mining boom.

Mr Sharp has also taken on a partner, who he says brings a fresh set of eyes.

So what lessons does he have for other business owners?

“Well, I don’t have too many great words of wisdom for other operators, but I will say that the result was better because we called in administrators early,” he said.

“While [creditors’] money is still money, we got in early and stopped it from getting worse than it already was.

“But it wasn’t like we were wasteful in the boom; things were friggen full bore, costs went up, demand for people went up and our costs followed.

“We did try and diversify into different areas like Dalby and the Hunter Valley in NSW, but the taps were turned off in all areas all at once, and we just couldn’t cut our costs fast enough.

“I guess what we did learn is that sometimes you have to say ‘no’ to business.

“In the boom, we tried to do all the work that was coming to us, but in the end we got stretched too thin, and our costs got too high.

“In a climate like this, when we see some of the prices that people are offering to do work for, we are happy to miss out on contracts and concentrate on the jobs where we can do the job well and make a small profit.”

Looking to the future, Mr Sharp says everyone has to adapt.

“I would like to say we are past the worst of it, but that could be just hope; however, if there is another big cut, I don’t know how many of us would be left,” he said.

“Everybody has changed the way they operate.

“Whether you are Hastings, us, or a two man operation, you have had to change to keep the doors open, and this isn’t a time when you are putting money in the bank.

“During the boom, I think everyone particularly mining companies - had a role in driving the costs up, especially for wages.

“Of course, now they are driving them down, and there are big debates about casual employment.

“But all the cream has come out of the market, and mining companies still need to be able to make money.”

“But I think a little bit of loyalty and trust between everyone working in the sector would go a long way.”

Major opportunities for mining business?

SIGNIFICANT mining support sector opportunities are expected to flow from MMG’s announcement to develop the nearly $1.4 billion Dugald River zinc project near Cloncurry.

In 2013, the Australian run, but Chineseowned, company halted development of the Dugald River mine after irregularities in the ore body were discovered, which required MMG to re-think how it approached the mine construction.

The deferral resulted in the suspension of bulk earthworks, the construction of the permanent accommodation camp and suspension of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the processing facility.

This translated into the termination of the EPC contract with the now bankrupt Forge Group.

Despite numerous calls to MMG

by Shift Miner, the company is yet to confirm how many of the work contracts will be re-released, although Shift Miner understand the EPC contract it had formerly with the Forge Group will certainly be retendered.

Under the new development plan, the mine will produce less zinc but over a longer time frame.

It is expected Dugald river will now produce around 160,000 tonnes of zinc annually for nearly 30 years.

Prices not long-term average

DESPITE the lingering low coal prices, Wesfarmers says the amount of coal it can viably extract at its Curragh mine has not changed materially in the last 12 months.

Wesfarmers has increased its total estimated coal resources at Curragh by more than eight per cent, but left its total coal reserves unchanged.

In reporting terms, the coal resource is basically every bit of coal underground, while the coal reserve is that portion of the resource that is economically viable to extract based on current prices and technologies.

The latest figures released by Wesfarmers indicate the coal resource at Curragh is 281 million tonnes - enough to keep the mine operating for around 23 years based on current production rates of around 12 million tonnes a year.

Although, Wesfarmers notes that the figures are based on prices improving in the future.

“Preparation of this statement requires the competent person to adopt certain forwardlooking assumptions including export coal price and mining cost assumptions,” they said.

“Long-term export price assumptions are considered reasonable but differ from actual prices prevailing as at the balance date.”

Back in 2014, Wesfarmers added to its Curragh project when it paid AU$90 million to Peabody for a Mineral Development Licence (MDL) adjacent to its current Curragh leases containing about 250 million tonnes of mostly steelmaking coal.

“The acquisition will augment the total base of coal reserves potentially available for mining and processing at Curragh’s coal handling and preparation plants by approximately 29 per cent,” managing director Stewart Butel said at the time.

“The acquisition of MDL 162 reflects Wesfarmers’ confidence in the longer-term outlook of Curragh’s export coal business and is expected to extend Curragh’s mine life and provide future options to further optimise mine operations.”

In April this year, Curragh accepted a further six per cent reduction in the price it received for contracted coal sold to its Asian customers, meaning prices have fallen by around two-thirds from where they were in the boom.

21st September 2015

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Gas battle worth the effort AFTER more than six years of difficult and sometimes costly legal battles, Wandoan grazier Richard Golden believes agreements governing 100 gas wells on his property are now workable.

However, he was critical of the sometimes heavy-handed, Brisbanecentric attitude of large gas companies, which he said shattered faith and goodwill very early on in negotiations.

In 2008, Mr Golden begun negotiating with gas companies over the proposed development - by two different gas companies - of 123 gas wells on his Wandoan cattle property.

Despite what he described as “standout, intelligent” local land access officers at the time, Mr Golden was staggered by how often the gas company lawyers in Brisbane simply ignored their advice.

He said it was symptomatic of the

whole style and approach to negotiations at that time.

“It seemed the gas companies preferred to let their lawyers do the negotiations when they wouldn’t have a clue, and made stupid errors that just frustrated landholders and destroyed goodwill,” he told the Queensland Gasfields Commission recently.

“For example, their surveyors welcomed my involvement highlighting things about our property to improve the placement of gas wells - they listened and adjusted things - but they sent it to Brisbane and of course Brisbane just changed it.”

Mr Golden said reaching an agreement had also been an unnecessarily long and drawn out process.

“There was also a long delay and no communication from one proponent between the initial survey work completed in March 2012 and the issuing of the notice of intent to negotiate at the end of November 2012 - just before Christmas and the closure of government departments,” he said.

“Their delay tactic included threatening to take us to the Land Court if we didn’t sign straightaway.

“It was almost like a legal department death wish - if they had only approached me in a more timely, intelligent and respectful way as the landholder, I wouldn’t have taken such a hard line in the

subsequent negotiations with them.”

One of the biggest gambles that Mr Golden took was to outlay significant amounts of money on hiring a team of specialists to help him argue his case, believing that he would be reimbursed for the costs at a later date.

“You need to start as if you expect to end up in court - so our team of experts included a valuer, lawyer, land development specialist, animal behaviour specialist, agronomist, a specialist driller, and a noise, dust and light expert,” he said.

“Every single one of them was critical, and fortunately I was able to drawn on my own formal land management background and practical experience to brief these experts on what we needed.

“I understand not every landholder might have the desire or the capacity to pull together such a team but there are more such experienced people out there now and I was confident I would get reimbursed for all reasonable costs.

“It’s rough and tough and not everyone will have the stomach for it - but it’s about getting the right people around you and I think even they (the gas companies) didn’t understand the quality of the team I had pulled together.”

He also pointed out that, contrary to popular belief, the signing of the conduct and compensation agreement with a gas

company is not the end of negotiations.

He said there was still the terms of access agreements to be negotiated, and then enforced.

In his access agreement access to the property was limited to two points, but they still had grave concerns for biosecurity breaches by contractors so his son returned home to keep an eye on the situation.

“We had established two access points to the property and each evening he’d randomly pull people up (contractors) and asked for their weed certificates and initially there was up to 50 percent non-compliance - whether the certificate was out of date, had no date or simply invalid,” he said.

“Like the gas companies - different contractors have different values and perform differently.

“However with up to 140 vehicle movements in and out of our property on a daily basis during construction, we found continual surveillance was necessary to enforce the terms of access in our CCA even though the gas company should be responsible for its own contractors.

“Despite almost ending up in the Supreme Court we got them (the gas company) to post a person 24/7 on the access points to our property.

“Compliance only works when there is a fear of getting caught.”

Build and maintain in CSG Opportunities in operations

A GROUNDBREAKING new agreement in Gladstone will see a supplier paid for maintaining equipment they installed, subject to the productivity and reliability of that same equipment.

Santos have signed a long-term service agreement with GE Oil & Gas for the ongoing maintenance of a significant portion of their Curtis Island LNG processing plant.

Under the deal, GE will be responsible for the planned maintenance of gas turbines, centrifugal compressors and other auxiliary systems they built overseas and installed.

However, in a significant departure from conventional maintenance agreements, their reward will be linked to the performance of those machines.

Mary Hackett, the regional ­director for GE Oil and Gas in Australia, says maintenance agreements are changing.

“We set up these partnerships committing to availability and reliability, not only because of the high quality of our equipment, but

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21st September 2015

because of the capability we have through remote monitoring and diagnostics to drive the productivity of LNG plants,” Ms Hackett said.

“It’s not standard, but we’re starting to see it emerge more and more as we enter this world of big data analytics.

“Our industrial internet-based services will drive productivity gains thanks to the predictive nature of the monitoring equipment, which enables us to minimise unplanned downtime and allows us to commit to availability and reliability KPIs in the contract.

“Without embracing technology, the best outcomes can’t be achieved on these highly complex plants.”

The Gladstone LNG project is nearing completion with first gas expected to be exported later this year.

Recently, Santos announced that all three of their major natural gas compression hubs were operational and ready to start supplying the Gladstone plant.

Work on the hubs began in 2012 and required 18.6 million work hours to complete.

Together, the three hubs required 2,900 tonnes of steel, 21,700 cubic metres of concrete, 1,050 kilometres of cabling, and 105 kilometres of pipework.

The three hubs service an area of approximately 7,000 square kilometres and have a theoretical capacity to process the equivalent daily consumption of more than nine million homes.

A CLEARER picture is emerging of what the CSG sector is going to look like in regional Queensland during its operational phase.

QGC is the most advanced of the CSG proponents with one train of their CSG processing facility in Gladstone now exporting and the other train not far behind.

This means they are showing the way on what sort of activities will be undertaken once the infrastructure required for CSG exports are built.

During August the company maintained a drilling program that is currently adding around 25 new gas wells a month in the Surat Basin.

To complete that work QGC currently has 13 drilling rigs operating, as well as 10 crews building new access roads and well pads.

Rig crews stay in small mobile camps that are set up near the rigs, and the rigs are relocated every three to four days on

average, which requires as many as 20 truck movements.

In terms of maintenance, there is a team of 50 operators who will drive around inspecting QGC’s 2500 wells once a fortnight and another smaller team who conducts ongoing aerial and ground inspections of the company’s main gas supply pipelines to Gladstone.

Meanwhile, QGC is continuing to add pipelines to its network, which will allow gas to move between the four established compressor stations and its central Jordan processing facility near Tara.

Murphy Pipe and Civil currently have 220 people working on a 46 kilometre pipeline, which is scheduled for completion this month.

QGC has also installed former Toowoomba local, Tony Nunan, to the role of QGC managing director, replacing Mitch Ingram who returns to BG Group’s head office.

Tony had been Mr Ingram’s deputy since returning in June from two years in the United Kingdom as vice president of operations at BG Group - QGC’s parent company.

“Under Mitch’s leadership, QGC has made significant advances, including world-first production of liquefied natural gas from gas in coal seams in December last year, the start of commercial operations at our liquefaction plant on Curtis Island in May this year and the start-up of Train 2 in July,” he said on his announcement to the role.

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Liability or licence to print money?

In 2011, Japan based Sumitomo Corporation paid $430 million for a half share in the Isaac Plains mine. Recently, Stanmore Coal purchased the mine for just $1 dollar.

Clearly, there are a suite of differences between 2011 and 2015, notably the value of coal, and the fact that today the mine is in care and maintenance because the former owners couldn’t make a profit with it operating.

By default an unprofitable mine is a liability - and a costly one as well,

because even a closed mine costs money to maintain, especially if there are take or pay contracts attached to it.

Which is why we presume Sumitomo cut their losses and sold the mine for just $1 dollar and also loaned Stanmore money to cover contractual obligations, which will have to be repaid when the mine is operating.

However one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and almost every private fortune made in mining, had its genesis in a period like this when entrepreneurial miners could see value where other corporate miners couldn’t.

The purchase is likely to make or break Stanmore Coal, who with just $17 million in cash, is punting everything on the belief that they can restart the mine profitably, either by lowering costs or through improved coal prices.

Speaking to the ABC CEO Nick Jorss said they thought the timing was good.

“We’ve been, I guess, looking at assets for the last couple of years really for growth of the company and this one is one we spent a fair bit of time assessing, so we spent about nine months in diligence on this in negotiation so, yeah, a bit of a process, but I think we’ve come out with a reasonable result at the end,” he said.

“My feeling [with coal prices] is that we’re sort of bouncing along the bottom at the moment. It’s hard to see a lot more

downside from where we are, I guess and so we’re confident in the long term future.

“It’s definitely tough, but demand’s not going away. I mean this coal that we’re looking to export has traditionally gone into the high quality steel makers in north Asia, Japan in particular, but also Korea and Taiwan. And that market’s not going away. It’s not growing a lot at the moment, but every year there’s a billion tonnes of coke and coal coming out of the best deposits in the world, going to make steel for industry and everything else, so we think longer term the outlook is good.”

The company is aiming to export coal from the mine in around 12 months time although it says it plans to mobilise its contractors within six months.

The mine deposit has about 10 million tonnes of measured coking and thermal coal, with Stanmore aiming to export around 1 million tonnes of coal a year.

The deal also included a dragline, coal handling and preparation plant, and rail load out facilities. A full pre start overhaul of the dragline is expected sometime early next year.

It is also adjacent to the Wotonga coal deposit which Stanmore bought from US coal giant Peabody for around $7 million in July.

The share market has seen some value in the proposition, with shares in the company doubling in the days immediately after the announcement.

Drilling for coal COAL exploration is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak outlook for resource exploration in Australia.

In the the three months to August, expenditure on coal exploration increased around 15 per cent; however, a large part of that AU$6.7 million increase simply reflected that most drilling is done during the dry season.

Across all commodities, the biggest increase occurred in the gold sector where exploration rose more than 20 per cent during that period.

Interestingly, the drilling increases occurred mostly on new deposits rather than exiting ones, suggesting companies are taking a long term view of the current downturn in prices.

However, the drilling estimates are less optimistic when they are seasonally adjusted.

Across all commodities, exploration fell nearly 11 percent in May, june and July and nearly 30 per cent in the last 12 months when the figures are adjusted for the seasonality of drilling work.

Simon Bennison, Association of Mining and Exploration Companies’ chief executive officer, says the economics of drilling have really changed in the last 12 months.

“However, compared with the June 2014 quarter, metres drilled on new deposits is up 42 per cent in original terms whilst expenditure is down 21 per cent.

continued FROM P4

Wages To Fall Further “I think a bit of a history lesson is in order,” he told Shift Miner.

“If we go back seven or eight years, back before we had a once-in-a-lifetime mining construction boom, wage rates were around $25 or $26 an hour.

“But as we all know, we had a period when the pressure was on and demand for labour from port, rail, and mine construction was sky high at the same time as we were getting record prices for coal.

“The end result was that we saw wages spiral up to $70, $80 or even $90 an hour, but that construction phase has evaporated and those wage rates are falling.

“People like me get irritated when people say we are in a bust.

“We are not; it is just that the boom has passed, and it couldn’t last forever.

“I mean, wages have simply fallen to double where they were before the boom, and people need to remember that.”

However, Mr Joy also says changing rosters are confusing people about what their hourly rates are.

In particular, he says there are a whole suite of lifestyle rosters that have been introduced, which significantly reduce the number of hours that miners are working, leading to confusion about weekly, monthly or annual wages.

“A lot of people are focussing on just

their weekly rate, without considering the implications of the so-called lifestyle roster,” he said.

“If you are working a five day, 12 hour shift, you are working 60 hours a week,” he said.

“But if you are on one of the so-called lifestyle rosters and working 12 hours a day on a seven day roster, it sounds like you are working more hours, doesn’t it?

“But in fact, on the seven days-on roster your average hours a week is back to about 42 hours, which obviously affects your weekly wage.”

He also says it is unfair to blame labour hire businesses for the wage rates.

“I know of a labour hire company who recently cut back hourly rates from $48 to $45, and one employee left because he said he could get $52 an hour with BMA,” he said.

“Two weeks later that contract ended, and he was out of a job.

“Mining is an international commodity, and if a mining company decides it needs to cut its wage costs and forces it upon their labour hire contractors, they [the labour hire contractors] have no choice but to pass it on.

“An average labour hire business might make $4 an hour from its staff, and if your charge-out rates change and you don’t pass it on, you can be quickly losing $4 to $6 an hour.”

To read more of the comments relating to this issue go to our facebook page.

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Hay Point expansion in 6 months?

EXPANSION work at Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (DBCT) south of Mackay could be underway in as little as six months, according to a development timetable.

Recently, the federal government put on public display, plans to expand capacity at DBCT by nearly five percent. The significant capital works will increase coal export capacity from 85 million tonnes a year to nearly 90 million tonnes a year.

There is a significant amount of work being proposed, including increasing on-site coal stockpiling capacity, installing a new stacker reclaimer, replacing an existing reclaimer, and establishing a new onshore coal conveyor.

While there are still considerable environmental hurdles to be passed, it’s expected the development will enjoy a smoother approvals process and not receive the same political and media attention that expansions plans at Abbot Point Coal terminal have.

Largely because there is no dredging involved, it’s not with thin the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and all the work is occurring in areas already developed for coal exports.

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CSG needs more frenemies

MORE than 50 businesses engaged in the CSG drilling sector have been told that there will need to be more collaboration, cooperation and innovation among contractors if the industry wants to expand during an extended period of low prices.

Providing Asian gas customers honour their gas contracts and off-take agreements with CSG producers, major gas companies operating in Queensland expect to spend around AU$1billion annually for the next 30 years as they continue to expand their upstream gas fields.

However, with gas companies watching their share price and access to capital slashed by the current low oil prices, they are having to rethink the costs associated

with expanding.

General manager of drilling at Origin Energy, Jamie Rodda, told a Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) drilling sector symposium that all businesses needed to work together.

“If we collaborate, we are going for the same goals; if we cooperate we’re actually going for mutual benefits,” he said.

“And if we are innovating, we are obviously creating change, and we need all three.

“So we need to share our collective knowledge and learn from each other; we just can’t afford to go in parallel - we need to share those learnings across our businesses.

“So that’s operators with operators, that’s operators with contractors, and it’s

also contractors with other contractors to get those efficiencies.”

Another area discussed was the unnecessary amount of duplication within the sector.

In one example, Energy Skills Queensland CEO, Penelope Twemlow, showed how training costs had been slashed by developing a common drilling and completions central induction program accepted by all drilling companies.

Back in March, national director, oil and gas for Deloitte, Geoffrey Cann, told Shift Miner that industry was pretty well drilled at cutting the first five or 10 per cent of its cost base by doing things like cancelling capital expenditure, slowing projects, freezing wages, selling assets and pressuring suppliers.

However, he said that will not be enough to cut their costs by 30 per cent, which is the size of the job confronting Queensland’s CSG sector as prices fall by as much as 65 per cent.

“There are much more savings to come, if my experience in the field is any guide - at least a 40 per cent reduction in well delivery cycle time,” he told Shift Miner.

“Many of the field companies have yet to grasp the significance of manufacturing thinking in gas field work, lack even basic systems like ERP, do not use any mobile technologies in the field, and contract only on a cost plus basis.”

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Down but unclear how much

PROBABLY the only thing that can be said for certain about the value of industrial property in Mackay and across the Bowen Basin is that it is not going up.

Beyond that, putting a number on how much industrial property values have fallen in the wake of the mining correction is difficult because the market remains volatile and there are few sales to draw an accurate conclusion from.

However, Mackay-based commercial valuer for Herron Todd White, Alan Finch, says there are some conclusions that can made.

“There is evidence to support the general anecdotal view that industrial property values have fallen,” he told Shift Miner.

“However, quantifying that fall and putting an exact percentage on it is difficult because of the differences that exist between industrial properties.

“We can say there is still interest in industrial property in the vicinity of $1.15M from owner occupiers, and whilst value levels have also softened in this sector, property is still trading.

“This market appears to be primarily driven by opportunistic owner occupiers who now view the market as more affordable and potentially a better alternative to leasing.

“For properties bigger than that, there is a very small group of buyers, especially if the building is vacant.”

Mr Finch estimates there are more than 50,000 square metres of vacant industrial floorspace in Mackay at the moment, which he estimates is around five times more than was available at the height of the mining boom in 2011.

This massive over-supply has been driven by a combination of the mining downturn and a large amount of new industrial property being presented to the market just when the boom was fading.

“Mostly, this stock was pre-committed before the downturn and developed as a result of strong demand, the slowdown in the coal industry reduced demand and supply increased,” Mr Finch said.

However, despite that, he says there are still investors in the market looking to buy, but they are only interested in properties with secure long term leases to ‘blue chip’ companies.

Elsewhere in the Bowen Basin, things are generally the same or worse, but again putting an exact number on it is difficult because of the lack of comparable sales to draw from.

“I think the downturn is more evident in places like Dysart or Nebo, mostly because these areas are dependent almost totally on the mining sector,” Mr Finch added.

“However, given how few sales have taken place, it is hard to put a number on it.

“And often the owners just choose to lock them up and walk away until things improve rather than put them on the market.”

GPC calls time on Barney Point NEARLY four years after it was given the green light by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) has announced coal exports from Barney Point terminal will stop in 12 months.

The decision to stop coal exports from Barney point follows years of complaints from Gladstone residents about coal dust in the city.

While all the newer coal export facilities are located on the northern side of Gladstone where the prevailing southeasterly breezes blow any coal dust away from the city, Barney Point sits to the south of the city and is, therefore, immediately upwind in a southeasterly breeze.

All the coal that is currently exported through Barney Point will now be handled by the newly commissioned Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) or through the RG Tanna coal terminal.

Former coal boss back in Queensland

FORMER President of BMA, John Smith, has joined the local oil and gas sector, taking on the role of CEO at Murphy Pipe and Civil (MPC).

Murphy Pipe and Civil is the company that was created in 2010 when the Australian-built Pipe and Civil business merged with large UK-based infrastructure group, Murphy Group.

Pipe and Civil was established in 2005

by Queensland contractors, Jim Campbell, Brenton Euler and Tom Dermody.

Since that time, it has enjoyed

meteoric growth off the back of around AU$1.8 billion worth of contracts - largely related to upstream CSG development in the Surat Basin.

Mr Smith’s main role since leaving BMA has been as President and CEO of Silver Standard Resources, a Canadian listed gold explorer.

However, prior to that, he spent 18 years with BHP Billiton before leaving the company in 2010.

In his new role, Mr Smith said he understood the challenges of the current point in the commodities cycle.

“Murphy Pipe and Civil has achieved a great deal in a very short timeframe, but underpinning this achievement is the company’s commitment to working safely in the pursuit of continuous improvement and developing innovative solutions for our clients,” he said.

“Across the resource sector, at this point in the cycle, we understand the priorities for our clients.

“We strive to find and deliver smart solutions to achieve efficiency gains, so I find it very refreshing to be joining a forward-thinking construction company with a core pursuit of being part of the solution, not the problem.”

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

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Tinkler returns to where it all started

YOU know cash flows are tight when you have to ask for an advance from your angel investors to hold a meeting to officially confirm their investment.

Last week, Australian Pacific Coal (APC) had to go to

the unusual length of seeking an early release of funds held in escrow so that they could pay the daily bills and organise an Extraordinary General Meeting in October to acknowledge the company-saving-investment of Nathan Tinkler, the Paspaley

family and Bourke-to-Darwinmade-good developers - the Robinson family.

In a statement released this week, APC said AU$200,000 of the investor’ $13.2 million investment was being released.

“Each deed instructs the company’s solicitors, HopgoodGanim, to release $100,000 from escrow and to pay the amount as a loan to the company,” the statement said.

“The $200,000 provided will be used for working capital and the payment of costs associated with the preparation for the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) that is to be convened for the approval of the proposed placements to Bentley and Trepang.”

If shareholders do not approve the new partners, APC will be required to repay the $200,000; although, since they do not have the money in the first place, it begs the question.

Back in September, shares in Australian Pacific Coal took off after the high profile investments in the company sent shares up more than 200 per

cent and into a trading halt.

High profile resources investor, Nathan Tinkler, and Trepang services - a company owned by the wealthy Northern Territory-based Paspaley and Robinson families - bought between them 54 million shares for just under $210,000.

The purchase represents around 15 per cent of the business, whose value collapsed from a high of nearly $0.75 in 2005 to a low of just $0.002 in June.

Earlier in April, APC announced it had just $300,000 of working capital to proceed with, and in June, its future looked even more bleak following a decision by Rio Tinto not to continue with its JV on the Hillalong tenement adjacent to Hail Creek mine west of Mackay.

It is unclear which of the company’s assets are the ones considered attractive by its new investors.

Rio Tinto would not have spent 12 months drilling the resource if they did not think it had potential, and a decision not to buy could have been made for all sorts of reasons unrelated to

the results of the drilling.

On the other hand, APC says its flagship project is its Cooroorah tenement between Curragh and Jellinbah mines near Blackwater.

That project has advanced to the mineral development licence stage and has a deposit of around 125 million tonnes of metallurgical and thermal coal.

At any rate, APC have welcomed the interest of its newest investors.

“The proceeds from the placement will enable the company to continue the focussed exploration strategy of its tenements, as well as provide additional working capital,” APC Chairman, Peter Zeigler, said last month.

Mr Tinkler shot to fame in 2009 when he topped the Australian BRW Rich List for people under 40. His personal wealth at the time was estimated to be $441 million.

The former electrician who worked in Newcastle coal mines made a fortune selling stakes in several mining companies around Middlemount.

Green light for major Big step but small details BMA expansions THE federal government has given conditional environmental approval to BMA for significant expansion works in the Bowen Basin.

BHP Mitsubishi Alliance sought the environmental approval so that could extend three longwall panels at the Broadmeadow underground mine, expand the Goonyella Riverside mine, and develop the Red Hill underground mine north of Moranbah with an accompanying major accommodation complex sometime in the future.

The approval comes with a suite of environmental conditions regarding the management of a number of threatened species, including the now famous Ornamental Snake, Koala’s and the Squatter Pigeon.

It also carries a lot of conditions relating to the management of water within the disturbed area.

While the approval is a significant investment by BMA in the long term prospects for metallurgical coal, it is unlikely to present any short term opportunities because the approval doesn’t expire until 2052.

However, the government has added

conditions to the approval if work hasn’t started in the medium term.

“If at any time after seven years from the date of this approval, the approval holder has not substantially commenced the action, then the approval holder must not commence the action without the written agreement of the minister,” the approval says.

The proposed Red Hill mine development, was first put on the table six years ago but was mothballed in 2012.

The underground mine has the potential to deliver up to 14 million tonnes of coking coal per annum, employing 2000 construction workers and an operational workforce of 1500.

A spokesperson for BMA said early last year that getting environmental approval for the Red Hill, Broadmeadow and Goonyella expansions was important because it gave the company options in the future.

“Approval of this project will enable and sustain mining activities within the Goonyella Riverside and Broadmeadow mine complex,” she said in January 2014.

“It will also provide future growth options for the company.”

THE future of the South Galilee Coal Project (SGCP) - one of Queensland’s lesser known mega mine proposals near Alpha - is unclear despite receiving federal environmental approval.

Not a lot is known about the SGCP other than it is just south of Alpha and would, if built, produce around 17 million tonnes of thermal coal a year and generate thousands of jobs in construction and production.

The proponents have also said the project is contingent on other miners, like Adani in the area, going ahead so port and rail infrastructure could be shared.

Part of the problem with getting updates on the venture is that it is jointly owned by two highly secretive billionaires Hans J. Mende and Fritz R. Kundrun who are joint owners

of the AMCI group. The other partner in the project is the now defunct Bandanna Energy.

Calls to SGCP are received by an answering service, and so far no one has responded to Shift Miner’s enquiries.

The environmental approval comes with a long list of conditions relating mostly to the management of local wildlife and native plants.

This includes the requirement that 3000 hectares of equivalent habitat be set aside for the snakes, finches, birds, skinks and brigalow that would be affected by the mine’s development.

However, despite all the unknowns, the environmental approval is a major step forward for the project’s owners who have been working through approvals since 2010.

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“Wharts” and all CHAPTER 2: A lifestyle roster 50 years ago Back in 1962, while working at the Moura mine if you were a married miner you used to live in a tent with your wife and family. If you were single, you would have to share it with three other men. The company supplied the tent, and each of us a mattress and pillow. Although you had to supply your own bed linen and any lighting you wanted.

When it came to cooking, the company supplied some communal kerosene fridges, but you had to supply all your own cooking utensils and get

your supplies brought out from Biloela or Theodore twice a week by what they called the “candy wagon”.

We did our cooking on a communal open fire, and we used to shower under a bucket of warm water which had a stringoperated valve on it. Toilets were a hole in the ground, with a canvas frame around it for privacy.

By today’s standards some may say that the company was hard, and maybe they were, but that was just how things were in those days, and I guess we just didn’t know any different.

Although it has to be said that you can’t judge the past by today’s standards.

The nearest town was, of course, Moura

- where all the streets were gravel and there was no pub or hospital. There were two street lights - one in each street.

There was a bakery, butcher shop, general store and cafe/post office. For entertainment we went to the School of Arts where we had a dance once a month, and a chap called Les Bailess showed films every fortnight or so.

Although I should also mention that when we miners first came to Moura, there was a lot of mistrust and in some cases outright hostility, but looking back I suppose it was natural.

In one instance that I remember, a few of us went to the movies and we were told to sit right up the back so as to leave all

by CQ mining stalwart

Tom Wharton

the front seats for the locals. Well, we all know what it is like to sit right at the back, but after a while we all got along just fine.

Meanwhile, in mining, a few of Australia’s business leaders could already see that our future lay with Asia, although in that period following the war there was still a lot of hostility toward the countries we had fought against.

Moura was the first of the big open-cut coal mines which used big machines and did things in a big way. Moura was the trailblazer in those days, and a lot of other mines followed its lead. In many ways I think Moura mine influenced the way we trade with Asia today… but more about that next month.

About the author: Tom started work at Moura mine around 1962, and has since held official positions with the unions as well as leadership roles for various mining companies. In 1999 he took a voluntary redundancy from his role as a process coordinator, but re-entered the industry in 2001 as a dragline supervisor and then later as an Open Cut Examiner. He has worked at mines across the Bowen Basin.

Frank the Tank’s Dear Frank, I am a soon to be a married 27-year old woman and am really looking forward to the big day. However, I overheard my fiance’s best man discussing his buck’s party and it seems there will be a number of strippers involved… including one named Kinky Karla! I don’t want him to have strippers but I don’t know how to tell him – Lisa 16

21st September 2015

Dear Lisa, Oh man, buck’s nights are the best. They are the greatest nights of a man’s life. I remember one I went to in Las Vegas. Me and my buddies woke up the next morning having no idea what happened the night before, with the groom missing, a baby in the closet and Mike Tyson’s tiger in the bathroom. We then embarked on a hilarious adventure trying to figure out what happened the night – hold on, sorry. My wife just looked over my shoulder and reckons I just described the movie The Hangover. I’m not sure I want my wife knowing what goes on at buck’s parties so I think I’ll take my laptop to the pub.

Ok, I’m at the pub now and if you are reading this it means that I haven’t spilt beer all over my expensive technology. Lisa, I’m going to do something really, really bad. I’m going to tell you a secret that men have for centuries kept hidden. As far as I’m aware it is known by all men and no women. I’m going to tell you what REALLY happens at buck’s parties.

The fact of the matter is this: you women think that when we get together to celebrate a man’s impending imprisonment that the night is all about booze, strippers and

“Streakin” good love advice

running naked through nursing homes.

But here’s the truth. On my big night me and 20 mates hired the penthouse suite in a flash Brisvegas hotel. After we all arrived we collectively thanked the traditional owners of the land we were on. After everyone was sorted out with a mug of steaming camomile tea we sat down on some cushions to begin the evening’s festivities. First there was team scrabble. Then a 20 minute meditation break. Mentally refreshed, we then had a couple of games of celebrity heads and charades before swapping organic muffin recipes. Then we moved onto “time of sharing” - where each attendee spoke for 10 minutes about how refreshed and invigorated they are by basking in the transcendent serenity of the love of their friends, co-workers and of course their life-partner/soul mate.

Lastly we finished the night off by being quite naughty and having a piece of really scrummy low-fat cheese cake and by 10 we were all in bed. So you see Lisa, there is nothing to worry about.

Cheers, Frank Hey Johnno, thought you’d like to check out this week’s column – can you believe the absolute rubbish I just

sold to this poor girl. Hey, did you ever get around to paying off that farmer for what we did to his sheep at your bucks? Now mate, THAT was a wild weekend. Man, imagine if my missus ever found out that I’m still technically married to that stripper! Anyway, see you Friday – F [Editor’s note: At the time of printing Frank was missing. His wife was helping local police with their inquiries.]

SENSIBLE SUSAN Well, as you can no doubt tell from the above, it is now apparent that Frank had a mix-up with the email addresses and sent this week’s column - with the added paragraph at the end - to the editor (as well as cc’ing it to his wife).

Instead of sending it to his mate Johnno. Frank you’re in our prayers and we hope for your safe return.

Susan

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2011 RMZ 450

Mack CHR788RS Prime Mover - 1995, 6x4 prime mover, PTO hydrualics, spring suspension, sleeper cab, 18 speed Mack gear box, ball race turn table.

2011 RMZ 450, heaps of extras- Scott steering damper, DRD exhaust, Pivot Pegz, Steg Pegz, Boyesen after market hi flow water pump, Boyesen engine cover, ProCircuit radiator hoses, XSPA rims, Flex levers for brake and clutch.

$ 32,500

Call: 0419 700 761

Call: 0429 889 655

MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE

PRIME MOVER - MACK CHR788RS

MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE

MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE

$ 3,500

Call: 0408 071 910

MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE

DR650SE SUZUKI

KX450F SWAP FOR A SKI

2014 RMZ250

94 CR500 IMMACULATE

DR650se Suzuki in immaculate condition. Mainly used as a commuter bike. Always garaged and serviced regularly. Reluctant sale due to work injury which means unable to ride my pride and joy.

Bike has never been down.

Good fast bike never had a problem. Valves checked at 30 hours now has 38 always run good fuel and serviced. Never raced wanting to swap for jet ski or sell.

Bike is stock and in excellent condition, with one owner from new. Tyres, chain and sprockets approx 7 hours old. Comes with a few spares and manual.

Fully restored an rebuilt lil while ago bearing, motor, crack tested an powder coated frame the full job lota $ spent very low hrs dun since immaculate as they cum.

$ 4,950

$ 6,000

$ 5,250

$ 7,399

Call: 0475 880 591

Call: 0408 727 661

Call: 0428 746 108

Call: 0420 617 199 21st September 2015

17

NOW ABSOLUTELY FREE FOR SUBSCRIBERS at www.shiftminer.com DRIFT TRIKE FOR SALE

BICYCLE FOR SALE

BICYCLE FOR SALE

BOAT FOR SALE

DRIFT TRIKE

DUAL SUSPENSION TREK FUEL EX 8 XC

SPECIALISED ROUBAIX CARBON FIBRE ROAD BIKE

BEST FISHING BOAT EVER!

For sale motorised drift trike , 8hp motor , 26 inch x 4 inch front wheel , hydrolic front disk breaks , reinforced frame for big blokes , pheaps of fun , need to sell for other projects.

Small frame. 26�. Near new condition as has only been ridden a handful of times.

Full carbon frame, quick step edition, light as a feather and smooth as silk, extremely comfortable ride, 105 running gear, lightly used, very good condition, RRP $3700.

$ 1,100

9.7m Clayton workboat. with anchor winch, full canopy, duckboard, back entry , new electrics, incl fishing lights, solar, deep cycle batteries, with red arch management system 200lt bladder with fuel transfer pump, 550lt main tank.

Volvo penta 350hp with 6000 hrs.

$ 1,100

$ 1,750

$ 120,000

Call: 0416 596 045

Call: 0431 018 823

BOAT FOR SALE

Call: 0427 116 693

KAYAK FOR SALE

Call: 0404 464 832

KITEBOARD FOR SALE

BUSINESS FOR SALE

KIANNA A 30FT RIVERIA FLYBRIDGE CRUISER

FIBERGLASS SINGLE SEAT KAYAK

CRAZYFLY ALLROUND KITE BOARD 2013

MOBILE FOOD VAN FOR SALE

Stored under cover in Gladstone Marine Centre shed. (Paid to Oct 2015), engine 200hp Volvo turbo diesel, (Reconditioned by Volvo 2013) Low hours, fuel consumption 28-30 litres/hr @ 15kts, Lowrance HDS9 (Gps, Sounder, Scanner) ready to go, Good condition.

Single Seat Fiberglass Kayak + 3x paddels and childs life jacket.

Crazyfly Allround 136x40, very good condition. The usual light sand marks on the bottom and a couple of very minor scuffs on the top pads and straps are in excellent condition. Great beginners board.

Mobile Food Trailer, Council approved, Permanent Site (Site well known, have had a pie van operating on this site for over 30yrs) 2.3m x 5m Trailer 2 mth old coffee machine, 3mth old 100 pie warmer, small display fridge.

$ 400

$ 350

$ 85,000

$ 87,000

Call: 0407 580 998 BUSINESS FOR SALE

Call: 047 554 470

Call: 0448 217 815

METAL DETECTOR FOR SALE

Call: 0407 174 304

RAILWAY LAMP FOR SALE RAILWAY LAMP

THIS SPOT FREE for subscribers

ICONIC BUSINESS FOR SALE

MINELAB GPX4000

Sailj-Inn Takeaway in Blackwater is FOR SALE has been trading for over 40 yrs. Successfully operated by current owners as sole income for over 10yrs. Large cold room, commercial kitchen, all chattels, building 137sq, refurbished, high growth potential, large customer base.

Minelab pinpointer. Honda 1.5 inch 4 stroke pump includes 20mts layflat hose. Aust made ajustable sluice box.

$ 88,000

$ 5,200

Call: 0412 211 883 POOL TABLE FOR SALE

(plus access to all the news and jobs as they happen)

Antique railway lamp - some pieces missing (only has one piece of coloured glass).

$ 150

Call: 0498 666 700 HOME FOR SALE

Call: 0428 681 908 CATTLE FOR SALE

TUBS FOR SALE

MUSTANG POOL TABLE

PRIVATE WHITSUNDAY RAINFOREST RETREAT

SMALLER CATTLE FOR SMALLER ACREAGE

1500-2000 l TUBS

Close to new condition and hardly ever used. Full top of teh range Brunswick Centennial accessory package including balls, cues x 5, rest, racks x 2, brusk, predator jump cue, predator cue etc.

Basically half price offer.

Tidy, contemporary home, 3 double bedrooms, master with walkin & builtin robes to others, office &/or 4th bedroom, 2 bath, open plan kitchen, dining, living, alfresco, large covered deck with spa, DLG, fenced tropical yard. Very private. Must inspect!

Australian Lowline commercial or registered cattle, from $990, some halter-trained, a range of ages. Fully vaccinated, quiet, naturally polled (no horns), easy to handle, easy calving, more meat less bone, great with kids, great lawnmowers, taste great..

Black poly tubs suitable for molasses, fish breeding, redclaw or any aquaponics or farm need. Has drain plus side plumbing.

$ 545,000

$ 990 per head

$ 450 per item

$ 10,500

Call: 0418 185 965

18

21st September 2015

Call: 0412 287 435

Call: 0746 584 601

Call: 0749 503 446

Shift Miner Magazine

Bait Shop Banter

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IN GLADSTONE - Dylan from Pat’s Tackle World Gladstone is also excited about dam busting and says Awoonga is heading toward a sweet spot.

Dylan reckons there are plenty of barra “working shallow weed beds and hard up in the timber towards the back of the lake”.

If you can make it out wide Dylan reports that the outlook is exceedingly positive and that offshore has been producing excellently weather permitting.

Mackerel, grunter and flathead are on the wane but despite being at the tail end of their season there are still a few blue and threadfin salmon swanning about as well as mangrove jack.

All of this adds up to being pretty compelling evidence that there really isn’t any reason not to wet a line and have a lash.

report in the offshore department according to Ash at Nashy’s Compleat Angler.

But phew, breathe in some big ones with all being well for creeks and dams and with the moon on the build it is looking even better.

Stick to the creeks and grab yourself some grunter and while you are at it you might just pull in a barra or threadfin. Ash reports the Breakwall is fishing nicely for mackerel and he reckons to “float a bait out with a pilly or throw some metal slugs around,” if you fancy a bit of mac action. The Breakwall is also throwing up some decent schools of squid so don’t forget to chuck a jig into your tackle box.

If a spot of dam fishing tickles your fancy, Ash says they are fishing well and that the building moon likely to bring even sweeter spoils to the surface.

IN MACKAY - Well the winds haven’t been too kind to the good fisher folk of Mackay so there is far and few between to

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ACROSS 1. Lab jar (4,4) 5. Deputy vicar 9. Improvised (2-6) 10. Gentle 12. Altitude 13. Exhaust (3,2) 14. Inscribe 16. Grow 19. Whines persistently 21. Paths 24. Determined person 25. Circle widths 27. Pictures 28. Bewitched 29. Removed innards 30. Cuts off

DOWN 1. Joined forces, ... up 2. Olympic second 3. Shinbone 4. Flaw 6. Abnormally 7. Non-professionals 8. Released from obligation 11. At one time 15. Striped brown gem (5’1,3) 17. Crushing (fly) # 76 18. Alert 20. Sodium bicarbonate, baking ...

21. Small carnivorous mammals 22. Chicken-feed granule 23. Throwaway lines 26. On a par

LAST EDITION’S SOLUTIONS H E A D A C H E R A B C O R E J O I C E D S B E D D A OC C A S I ON S R T W A A NON P E A V E DOO RWA Y W I U L S A E L I A R S ME A N A T T S K T R I B A L L E B E L N S D R E A D S S T R

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MadMumzie.com

TIPS TO MAKE YOUR “DONGA” A HOME? Do you stay bit. Cool pillowcases are available in A plastic folder and blue-tack.

Remember to pack everything when the bedding shops or online (have them you leave. Maybe you have to get up 5 in a “Donga” Take some mementos for your wall, minutes earlier on sports day, but in my at camp? They mirror, next to your bed, or near the fridge delivered to your door.) No excuse. book it’s well worth the effort. If you - just wherever you will see them. can be cold, are lucky enough to have a permanent Look at what makes you feel good, and Choose a rock, a shell or a sterile room, you’re way ahead of many of us, reminds you why you are doing what you teddy…yes a teddy!

Shift Minerand Handy Cross blank grid.pdf so you especially have no excuse! do, and why you will get home safe.

Not into teddies? uninviting, ©Lovatts Publications 5/03/09 “Just live out of your suitcase Your kids probably are.

My point here artist mb and–this Such as: cause its work,’ the real miner says. is to bring a little bit of someone special • Favourite pics of family and friends. doesn’t help “Throw it on the desk, you’re done. with you, that you can see, touch and • Notes and drawings with messages “It’s like making your bed - pointless - you’re smell. You might even say hello when you our mood from your kids/partner. only gonna get back in it, so why bother? get back to your room like I do.

“Honey and mindset, • Brochures of your next dream boat, “As if I haven’t got enough I’m home!” It doesn’t matter what it is. holiday, motorbike, ride on mower! and may freakin jobs to do.”

Those left at home will know you care • Pics of your favourite places to hang contribute to He shakes his head and laughs when enough to take a piece of them with you. out when you’re not at work. he comes to my room. So lovely and I have five teddies to choose from mental health and fatigue issues. • Your footy team logo. inviting, not cold and sterile like his. No that my kids, grandson and partner QUEENSLANDER!!

Donga’s vary in design, age, wonder he always visits me! have given me over the years, and I quality and size from camp to The ideas for this are endless and bring a different one each week for an Bring your favourite pillow, very personal. Next time you’re home adventure! They sit on the passenger or at least a pillow case. camp, but bedspreads, pillows, take a look around.

After living in camps for a while, you will seat of the V8 for the drive. towels and little soaps are the What can you bring to help take the realise some of the pillows (read: bricks same colours and styles, week in- or pancakes) can prove to be a disaster. edge off working hard and being away Other things you can do week out….always the same! Here A sore neck and restless sleep will affect from your loved ones?

• Stop living out of a suitcase! your fatigue and moods. are 4 tips to help “de-generic” • Unpack your bag and store it out of site Changing the pillowcase and Mad Mumzie X your donga and make it feel more • Put toiletries in the bathroom cabinet leaving it on the bed for your stay may Google “Madmumzie” to homely…Yes even you blokes can help you feel more at home. Your bed • Take non work related clothes for after go to my website. work, gym and travel. do some of these! is the lounge suite too, so jazz it up a 21st September 2015

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