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Monday May 30, 2016 201st Edition

M A G A Z I N E

REASONS TO SMILE

Girls still interested in mining » Full report page 15

BMA enterprise agreement latest » Page 7 Grosvenor open and ready for sale » Page 8

First coal for Stanmore » Page 8 Caledon gets going at Cook » Page 7

Shift Miner Magazine

CONTENTS NEWS 5

5

Adani Job Fraud

9 Black Lung

updates

9 8 7

5

Choppy waters at Haypoint

10 EBA at

Grasstree

Regulars 16 Miner’s Trader 9 18 Frank the Tank 18 Mad Mumzie

on mobiles

Queensland mining community's best source of local news

SHIFT MINER Locally Owned and Operated

M A G A Z I N E

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Hammer fall in Northern basin D-DAY finally arrived for employees at the Glencore owned Collinsville and Newlands Northern Underground coal mines.

The last month of work for around 180 miners at the Collinsville mine was April while around 100 miners will have to look for new opportunities after June when the Newlands Underground mine shuts.

However, the news is anything but new, with Glencore flagging the end of mining at the Newlands Underground mine more than two years ago, and advising miners at Collinsville in December last year that they were cutting positions.

A Glencore spokesman said they had initially planned to stop mining at Newlands Underground late last year but had extended its life to get the last remaining coal.

“Glencore’s Newlands Northern Underground coal mine is expected to close by the end of Q2 (second quarter) this year,” the spokesman said.

“The mine has reached the end of its economic mine-life and will close upon completion of the final longwall panel.”

When announced in December last year, the 180 job losses at Collinsville represented about 80 percent of the total workforce - which itself was half the size it was in 2012.

Glencore says they want to stop supplying extra coal onto an already flooded global coal market until prices improve when demand is more aligned with supply.

The have not ruled out putting the Collinsville operation into care and maintenance later this year.

No clear picture on price but evidence coal is viable For the first time in years, there are some tentative signs that the outlook for Queensland coal could be improving.

While Shift Miner doesn’t put any stock in price forecasts (because they are always wrong) there is some evidence emerging that the painful transition the industry has been through may have put it onto a sustainable - if not super profitable - footing.

Respected analyst Peter Wright from Bizzell Capital Partners says investors finally recognise the enormous cost improvements that have occurred in mining businesses across Australia.

Since the turmoil that gripped the share market in January, he says mining stocks have rallied with companies like Fortescue and Whitehaven Coal increasing in value by 100% and 150% respectively.

Mr Wright believes this represents a broader realisation that it is not the end of the world for mining.

“I think the market needs to see a bottom, which it can use as a point of reference,” he told Shift Miner.

“I think oil prices at $25, Iron ore at $40, thermal coal at $50, met coal at $90 - all these are now being interpreted as the bottom of the market.

“I don’t dispute that China’s growth is levelling out - but people forget the aggregate size of the economy is double what it was at the Beijing Olympics and

even with slowing growth on double the economy - demand is monstrous, and ultimately the world needs things like Coal, Nickel, Uranium and Iron Ore. “When you think the small resources index has gone from 1200 to 1500 in the last few weeks - which is back from a high of 6900 you start to believe there is some reality re-entering the market.”

Aside from market dynamics, Mr Wright says there have been astonishing achievements in lowering costs, and some small but promising signs on price.

“The focus on low oil prices has overshadowed the reality on the ground,” he said.

“Diesel and labour form an enormous part of the cost structure for mining companies and the fall in prices for both these items have been amazing.

“One mining company I have been working with was paying $14 per tonne freight just over a year ago to land their products in China, now that price is $3.60.

“And for the first time we see the pricing contracts just starting to edge up and we haven’t seen that in a long time.”

In light of his cautiously optimistic view of the future, Mr Wright believes Stanmore Coal’s big punt on the Isaac Plains mine could be a very welltimed investment.

“I think Stanmore have got in pretty close to the bottom of the market, and

even on a worst case scenario, I think the Isaac Plains transaction is going to be a really good transaction for them.

“Through the history of mining, there have always been some massive deals done at or around these inflexion points in the market.”

Just last week a Chinese based coal analyst forecast rises in the price of thermal and coking coal this year of between A$9 and A$12 a tonne.

The analysts came up with the figures after looking at the implications of a decision by China’s centralised government to slash coal production by reducing the number of days a mine is allowed to operate from 330 days a year to 276 days.

According to the report, this will reduce the total amount of coal produced in China by about 330 million tonnes this year - or two-thirds of the current total.

Meanwhile in Australia, New Hope Corporation says it sees some signs of stability and recovery in the Asian coal market.

Last week New Hope reported an after-tax profit of $2.7 million for the six months to January, a significant improvement on the previous sixmonth loss of $23.1m.

New Hope also pointed to the doubling of the coal ship queue at the port of Newcastle as a sign of a recovery.

Massive hit for Curragh mine value THE owners of the Curragh mine near Blackwater have slashed its paper value, by around $700 million (pre-tax) in response to ongoing low coal prices.

Since the value of any coal mine is essentially just the coal price multiplied by the amount of coal in the deposit, less the costs to get the coal out of the ground and sold, the paper value of mines can change a lot depending on where we are in a price cycle.

However while the move is perhaps not unexpected, Curragh’s owner Wesfarmers acknowledge that the

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30th May 2016

significant devaluation reflects low prices have remained for longer than they expected.

“In a difficult industry environment, where global coal supply has proven to be more resilient than generally expected, Wesfarmers expects to recognise a noncash impairment in the carrying value of Curragh in its FY2016 accounts of between $600 million to $850 million pre-tax,” the company said.

“This mainly reflects a slower forecast recovery in long-term export coal prices and higher volatility,

including in exchange rates.

“Notwithstanding challenging market conditions, Curragh has maintained its relatively low-cost position and very strong safety record, and will continue to seek to deliver further benefits in these areas.”

To put the write-down in perspective, it was only a year and a half ago when Wesfarmers paid Peabody Energy $90 million for a Mineral Development Licence (MDL) between their existing Curragh North and South operations at Blackwater.

At that time, managing director

Stewart Butel was more optimistic.

“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 percent,” he 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.”

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Twelve jobs advertised at Hay Point Job hoax the latest

Critical Coal

Adani frustration

PORT Hedland based tug boat operator Rivtow Marine, has begun advertising for 12 new positions it needs filled, following their winning of a multi-million dollar tug-boat operations contract with BMA at the Hay Point Coal terminal.

The company is seeking expressions of interest from experienced marine personnel, including masters, mates and engineers to work the tug boats from the start of the next financial year, also stipulating that the employees will need to live in the Hay Point area.

However, the success of Rivtow Marine has come at the cost of around 22 marine personnel who are likely to lose their jobs with the existing operators - but losing tenderer - TeeKay Shipping Australia.

Despite TeeKay being part of the TeeKay Corporation - a publicly listed, Bermudabased shipping behemoth that claims to carry 10% of the world oil trade at any time and has net assets of $12 billion the Maritime Union of Australia state

secretary Bob Carnegie has vowed to fight BHP Billiton over their Hay Point decision “We will be fighting. We will haunt BMA until BMA sees sense,” Mr Carnegie told the Mackay Mercury.

“By the time we are finished, BMA’s name will appropriately be dirt.”

BMA Asset President Rag Udd said the contract was awarded to Rivtow following a competitive tender process based on the key areas to BMA’s business of high safety standards, operational efficiency and effective cost management criteria.

In announcing Rivtow as the new towage services operator, Mr Udd acknowledged outgoing provider Teekay Marine.

“I’d like to thank Teekay and their employees for their service to the users of Hay Point over the years,’’ Mr Udd said.

It’s unclear if existing TeeKay contractors will fill any of the new roles. The new Hay Point contract will last three years with options for additional single year contract extensions.

Data released by the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) - the lead lobbying organisation for mining companies - has underscored the importance of coal mining even in the downturn.

According to the QRC, coal directly injected more than $15 billion into the Queensland economy last financial year.

In Queensland, the coal sector paid royalties of $1.6 billion, $2.6 billion was spent on wages to 20,247 fulltime employees and $13.2 billion was spent on purchases of the goods and services from 11,095 local businesses, along with community contributions and payments to local government.

Queensland Resources Council (QRC) Acting Chief Executive Greg Lane said that with a third of Queensland coal companies operating at a loss, government action was needed to keep the cash-flow going.

“Coal is a vital pillar of the Queensland economy and if the government wants to see this strong export performance and flow of royalties continue, it must now work with industry on a plan for a more competitive and productive Queensland resources sector,’ Mr Lane said.

Adani has been forced to release a statement distancing itself from fraudulent emails sent by someone claiming to be recruiting for the company.

“Unfortunately, we have a situation where fake recruitment emails are being sent to various business and personal emails claiming we are set to hire starting May 15th,” Adani said.

“If you do receive an email about recruitment please be sure to check in with us, via DM, to verify the authenticity of the communication.”

Below is a sample of one of the poorly spelt hoax emails.

Dear Daniel Dowell.

Here at Adani Carmicheal coal we are starting the recruitment proccess for the $22 billion dollar construction fase of the mine sites 388 kilometres North Galilee Basin railway and port . We are recruiting for electricans for a start date of 15th of may.

Kind Regards Jeremy traveski Snr Recruitment officer Adani Carmical Coal

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Glenden miner ready for next Qcoal is close to completing the earthworks required for the construction of a rail loop and bridge at its greenfield coal project near Glenden.

A spokesperson for the company says they are continuing to push ahead with the project and are hoping to receive further mining lease approvals shortly which will enable them to commence work on other major mine infrastructure.

“Initial earthworks for the Byerwen Coal Project rail loop are nearly complete and the project is progressing to construction of the rail bridge,” the spokesperson told Shift Miner “Murphy Pipe and Civil remain on site finalising pavement and drainage work and during May will undertake work on the rail bridge.

“Work continues under the high voltage electrical supply contracts and CHPP design is underway.

“QCoal will continue to progress the early works for the Byerwen project on the granted mining lease while awaiting further mine lease grants.

“The timing of first coal is dependent on the grant of those remaining leases.”

The decision to push forward with the project - despite the current low coal prices - is a strong endorsement of coal’s future by the company’s owner Chris Wallin.

Longwaller back on the job

AFTER nine months off-line, longwall mining has recommenced at Queensland’s oldest underground mine - Cook Colliery South of Blackwater.

The existing Cook Colliery operation is a board and pillar (continuous mining) operation with an output of 600,000 tonnes per annum, but the mine’s owners Caledon Resources wants to expand production by introducing a longwall mining system into the Argo Seam.

In late 2014, longwall mining commenced at the site, however the mines age and geology have presented all sorts of technical challenges for longwall mining.

While pleased to be producing coal again, Caledon CEO Peter Trout says there

is lots of work still to do.

“Like everyone else our focus is getting more productive,” he told Shift Miner.

“We have a challenging seam, with workings above us, and challenging geological conditions.

“But hopefully, we can optimise our configuration to get the most out of the longwall.”

In line with a return to production at the mine, Caledon has finalised a new leadership team for its operations.

While the company is yet to announce who’s been assigned to the various roles within their operations, they have confirmed that Mark Filtness started at the mine last week as the new General Manager.

Mr Filtness is well known in Central Queensland from his previous role as site General Manager and SSE at BMA’s Broadmeadow longwall operations.

While “old Cook” is the major focus for Caledon at the moment, it continues to invest in its other tenements in Central Queensland.

Late last year, Caledon finally got a mining lease approved for their greenfield Minyango coal project, and is now reviewing their feasibility statement in light of the significant coal price changes that have occurred since they first prepared it more than five years ago.

However despite a return to mining at Cook - they have ruled out meeting their 3.5 million tonnes of contracted port and rail deliveries anytime soon, and remained bearish on the short-term prospects for coal prices.

“We are seeing an uptick in the coal market, but I think it’s unlikely to be sustained throughout the remainder of this year,” Mr Trout said.

“The recent rally of the spot price was driven by shortages due to wet weather and maintenance, but ultimately demand for steel continues to be soft reflecting the global economy.”

Caledon is 100% owned by the Chinese state-owned investment group Guangdong Rising Assets Management (GRAM), who acquired Caledon in August 2011.

Future for 20 workers uncertain THE future for the workers filling 20 roles that will become redundant by the end of this financial year at the Hay Point Coal Terminal will be decided shortly according to BMA. The redundancies could be a harbinger of the automated future to come in mining, with the positions permanently lost because the process of shaking coal carriages to loosen moist coal has been automated, and a decision by BMA to move to a 4-panel roster which will align Hay Point with their coal mines.

Given the big numbers of redundancies we have become accustomed to in mining over the last five years, 20 does not seem a

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huge number, but it is worth remembering that it constitutes more than 8% of the current 245 people employed at the Hay Point Coal Terminal.

Given the roles at Hay Point are well paid and employees can live at home in Mackay, the jobs are highly sought after.

Traditionally staff turnover is very low and the workforce older than on average.

For that reason, it is possible that there will be no forced redundancies at the port because some long term employees might volunteer to leave and enjoy a significant payout.

However, BMA is not ruling out forced

redundancies if other solutions can’t be found.

In announcing the changes, BMA Asset President, Rag Udd, said they were an important part of BMA’s efforts to achieve improved productivity “We are continuously reviewing our operations to see where we can be more cost efficient and productive and HPCT is a critical part of our logistics chain,” Mr Udd said.

“Today we’ve advised our workforce we intend to align HPCT rosters with those at our other mining operations by changing from a five-panel roster to a four-panel equal time roster.

“Ensuring the efficient and competitive operation of the port is critical to our ability to run a more productive value chain.’’

Spokesperson for the CFMEU Steve Pierce has told local media the roles targeted workers on an enterprise agreement.

“We were only notified this morning of the cuts, and I have questions over why 19 of those redundancies went to workers with Enterprise Agreements,” he said.

“Workers have not been given enough time to come to terms with their job losses, and it’s a poor way of treating people who had helped achieve record productivity at the port in the last year.”

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Boardroom shake up

A founding director of Mastermyne - one of Mackay’s biggest mining services businesses - has quit his role, and fellow directors have had their wages slashed as the company moves to cut more costs.

The changes have cut the costs associated with running the board of directors by half and comes as Mastermyne flags further possible redundancies as it undertakes an immediate review of their operations.

“Mastermyne is announcing today further action to ensure the company retains a strong financial foundation and its reputation as a leading supplier of contract services,” they said in a statement.

“Continuing weakness in our customers operations has put relentless pressure on revenue and margins across the mining services sector, Mastermyne has not been immune to these pressures and has worked tirelessly to reduce their impact.”

In announcing his immediate resignation as a director, company joint

founder Darren Hamblin said the move was best for the business.

“My decision to resign is motivated by a desire to effect immediate cost reduction for the company,” he said. “ I have always put the Mastermyne business interests ahead of my own and I see this decision as in the best interests of the Company. “ I plan to remain a substantial shareholder and will retain a close interest in the performance of Mastermyne.”

Chairman, Colin Bloomfield thanked Mr Hamblin for his contribution over the last 20 years and said Darren’s actions: “demonstrated the character of a person who has built a tremendous business from nothing”.

According to Mastermyne, they just broke even in the first three months of this year with $38 million in revenue, which is worse than their results in the last half of 2015.

They are expecting the months of April, May and June to be about the same.

BMA dismisses vote talk

BMA says it’s continuing to negotiate in good faith with Unions over a new enterprise agreement (EA) for their Central Queensland workforce.

The unions recently advised their members that for the first time they were anticipating BHP would seek to allow its employees to have a direct vote on a suite of proposed changes to their workplace employment conditions.

Historically this step has usually not happened until negotiations with the nominated employee bargaining agent had reached an impasse.

However, a spokesperson for BMA said they had not made any decision about a vote.

“These are early days in the negotiations, and to be honest we were a little surprised to see the unions go public about what they are expecting us to do,” he told Shift Miner “BMA is continuing to negotiate in good faith with the unions on a new workplace agreement that aligns with the current conditions confronting the coal sector.

“We think there is still a long way to go in these negotiations.”

According to the Financial Review, the CFMEU, ETU and MUA have told their members BHP management was seeking “extreme” and “massive departures” from legacy work agreements and that “it intends to put their proposed agreements out for a vote very soon”.

The previous EA for BMA employees expired in October and negotiations between the two parties started in December last year.

In 2012 negotiations consumed two years of union and management time and included rolling strike action that BMA says cost it more than $US1 billion in lost shipments.

Not in our lifetime

The United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) latest look at sources of global energy in the future sees coal being the second largest source of energy globally for most of our working lives, and possibly slipping to third in around 2030.

The EIA made the comments as part of its International Energy Outlook, underpinning the strong long-term future for thermal coal - despite some concerns about its possible impacts on climate.

The consumption of coal is expected to increase roughly half a percent a year and increase from around 150 quadrillion BTU in 2012 to around 180 quadrillion BTU by 2040 or 20 percent in the next 30 years.

“Throughout the projection, the top three coal-consuming countries are China, the United States, and India, which together account for more than 70% of world coal use,” the EIA said.

It’s a real recovery

Mining analyst Peter Wright from Bizzell Capital Partners is confident the rally in commodity and share prices witnessed over the last month is built on solid foundations.

The comments won’t account for individual share price movements like BHP’s recent nine percent hammering over its unknown liabilities in the Samarco dam burst in Brazil, but he says as a sector as a whole the worst is behind us.

“I don’t have a lot of doubt that we have certainly seen the bottom,” he told Shift Miner.

“As I have said before, the market needs to see a bottom, like oil prices with a 2 in front of them, or BHP at $14:26, and once we have seen that everyone has a point of reference.

“One of the legacies of the GFC was that it really rattled investor views about what sort of share price moves were possible, but I think as time goes on, people are becoming more measured about what are realistic fluctuations in the market.”

Notably, he says the recovery in prices of commodities like iron ore and metallurgical coal reflect robust demand for Australia’s commodities - even if that demand is not growing at the pace it was at the height of the mining boom.

“I have a theory that market rallies tend to mirror the sell-off that preceded them, and I hope that is the case for commodities,” he said.

“The sell-off of resources stocks has been pretty steady for about five years, and rather than a meteoric recovery, I think everybody would appreciate a steady improvement over time that reflected the improved business conditions for miners.

“I know it tends to make headlines when the spot price for a commodity falls to historic lows, but you have to assess all the other things that are happening at the same time, like currency conversions, falling fuel prices, reduced labour and freight costs.

“You also have to remember that debt is extremely cheap at the moment, so just looking at commodity prices is just part of the story.”

30th May 2016

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Cockatoo miner payday SEVENTY five former employees of Cockatoo Coal near Baralaba have been paid out their entitlements, despite ongoing delays in the application of a rescue plan for the troubled miner.

After going into administration in January, Cockatoo Coal was offered a rescue package - known as a deed of company arrangement (DOCA). Under the DOCA a $100 million loan facility lifeline by shareholder Liberty Metals & Mining Holdings was offered in return for about a third of all shares issued in the company and its subsidiaries.

Seventy-eight million of the $100 million debt facility will go toward paying creditors’ claims, which is particularly good news for terminated employees and small unsecured creditors, (owed up to $25,000) because they are likely to be repaid in full.

However, large unsecured creditors like the remaining partners in the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) and Aurizon will have to write off millions of dollars of bad debt.

However the approval of that DOCA, which should have already occurred - has been delayed because several of Cockatoo Coal’s creditors are yet to release their security over the company, which is a key requirement before the rescue plan can kick into gear.

Ready for sale IN testament to the astonishing reduction in costs across the Queensland coal fields, Anglo American has delivered first coal from its Grosvenor underground longwall mine near Moranbah, seven months ahead of schedule and more than $137 million below budget.

The state of the art metallurgical mine is expected to sell 3.2 million tonnes of coal this year, and more than seven and a half million tonnes a year when it reaches full production.

Anglo predicts breakeven for the operation ( all in sustaining unit cost) will be with a coal price of around $110 a tonne. Spot prices have touched $130 a tonne in the last month, which makes it a profitable operation - even in these difficult times.

“We have delivered the Grosvenor metallurgical coal project ahead of schedule and below budget, with an outstanding safety record and in line with our environmental obligations,” said Seamus French, CEO of Bulk Commodities for Anglo American.

“The Grosvenor mine project has taken more than seven million man hours to construct, with almost 6,000 personnel inducted onto the project.

“We began the installation of the longwall just 24 days before its first

Officially opened

Stanmore Coal hosted local dignitaries and investors at an official opening of its Isaac Plains recently.

The official opening follows Stanmore shipping its first Isaac Plains coal through Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal a fortnight ago, nine months after it acquired the mine.

“We are very proud to have joined the ranks of coal producers from Queensland’s Bowen Basin, which supplies some the highest quality coking coal in the world as an essential raw ingredient to the steel industry,” Managing Director Nick Jorss said.

“We are also very pleased to be contributing significant direct and indirect employment opportunities, as well as kicking off the flow of millions of dollars in royalties each year to the state of Queensland.

“On behalf of the board I would like to express our sincere thanks to the contractors and consultants, and to the 150 workers now employed at Isaac Plains

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who have worked hard to restart the mine in such a rapid and safe manner.”

Stanmore paid just $1 to acquire the mine and its approximately $30 million worth of rehabilitation liabilities last year. In 2011, Japan-based Sumitomo Corporation paid $430 million for a half share in the Isaac Plains mine. Clearly there are a suite of differences between 2011 and 2015, notably the value of coal, and the fact that when Stanmore bought the mine, it was on care and maintenance because the former owners couldn’t make a profit with it operating.

Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive, Michael Roche said the restart of the mine was a great shot in the arm for an industry that had been hit by decadelow commodity prices.

“The official opening is big news for the Bowen Basin in what have been gloomy times for the once booming sector,’ Mr Roche said.

“It is great to see the Queensland Premier, which signifies her acknowledgement of the value of our sector to the government, which received $2.1 billion in royalties last financial year.

“That $2.1 billion was the equivalent of funding the salaries of 35,000 teachers, 30,000 nurses or about 32,000 police officers. Or, in the case of Stanmore Coal, that $7 million could annually fund about 100 nurses, 104 police or 118 teachers.”

shear and production of coal - a truly remarkable feat and a result of the team’s technical expertise and the modular approach we have taken to our underground longwall operations in Australia.

“We look forward to shipping the mine’s high quality product to our steel customers across Asia as production begins to ramp up in the months ahead.”

Having done all the hard work building the mine, Anglo will soon sell it if they can get the right price because they don’t see coal as a “fit” for their strategic plans for the future.

Grosvenor and Moranbah North are the most highly sought after mines that Anglo American own, because of their age and low cost of production.

BMA is the rumoured front-runner for the purchase of the mines, with a team touring the operations in April. However, because the move would give BHP (part owner of BMA) a stranglehold on the Metallurgical coal business - some have speculated the purchase would be blocked by competition regulators.

Fairfax reported that a partnership between a legendary United States coal miner by the name of Ernie Thrasher and a USbased Hedge Fund are also possible buyers, who toured the mines in the last fortnight.

New captain at Curragh AFTER more than a decade as managing director of Wesfarmers Resources, Stewart Butel will retire at the end of this financial year.

Responsibility for the Curragh mine near Blackwater will then be handed over to Craig McCabe, who is currently General Manager at the mine. However, Mr McCabe won’t rise to the status of Managing Director, instead taking the title of Chief Operating Officer and answering to Rob Scott, Managing Director of the Wesfarmers Industrials division.

Mr McCabe has been General Manager of Curragh since 2012 and had more than 15 years’ experience at Curragh in a variety of roles. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Mining), a Bachelor of Science (Geoscience) and a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration.

Wesfarmers Managing Director Richard Goyder said Mr Butel had made an enormous contribution to the growth of the Resources business following the acquisition of the Curragh mine in 2000.

He was appointed Managing Director of Wesfarmers Premier Coal in 2002 and Director Coal Operations for Wesfarmers Energy in 2005.

“The strong cash generation from Curragh, under Stewart’s leadership, significantly contributed to our ability to finance the purchase of the Coles Group in 2007. As conditions have become tougher for coal, Stewart and his team have implemented a major cost control and productivity program which has ensured both Curragh and Bengalla remain world-scale, low-cost mines with long mine lives,” Mr Goyder said.

Job hoax the latest Adani frustration MINING company Adani is confident pending legal action by some members of the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) aboriginal groups will not undermine the Indigenous Land Use Agreement signed last month.

After years of negotiation, Adani says at a meeting in April, 294 W&J people voted in support of the ILUA and 1 rejected it - which they say strongly validates their agreement.

“The W&J people have voted overwhelmingly at a properly convened, independently chaired meeting in accordance with established statutory process to deliver intergenerational opportunities to their communities and their children, and grandchildren,” Adani said.

“The meeting was the largest ever authorisation meeting of the W&J, with more than 300 attendees.

“The vote is an equally important milestone in Adani’s plan to build a long term future with each and every community spanning its projects, and ensuring they realise the benefits that flow from these projects proceeding.”

However, the validity of the agreement is being challenged by Adrian Burragubba, traditional owner and one of the 12 native title applicants in the W&J group.

While Mr Burragubba could not be contacted by Shift Miner, he posted a

web statement.

“This was a sham meeting which has engineered a sham outcome; we will challenge Adani’s phoney land use deal in the Federal Court and properly discredit it,” he said.

“Just last month the W&J claim group met of our own accord and said ‘no’ to Adani. We made it clear that Saturday’s meeting is not a legitimate meeting of the claim group and the resolution to approve Adani’s deal is not legitimate either.”

At the heart of the issue is a lack of clarity of what constitutes the final position of the 12 native title applicants.

While Adani is claiming a majority of the 12 have voted in support of the ILUA, Mr Burragubba - who boycotted the most recent meeting - says it wasn’t.

In similar situations like on a board or a regional council, there is a minimum number of people required to be present - known as quorum - that makes any vote at the meeting legitimate. However, Shift Miner has been unable to find out whether a Quorum is required within the W&J claim group.

However, some scepticism has emerged about who is driving the agenda within the W&J claim group, with long-time environmental campaigner and lobbyist Anthony Esposito heavily engaged with the group and offering to background media.

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Expert criticises politics of Black Lung

A LEGAL expert with more than 20 years experience in industrial relations and coal mine safety on behalf of the region’s largest miners, has called for an end to political grandstanding on the reemergence of Black Lung in Queensland.

Managing Partner of legal firm Ashurst in Brisbane Ian Humphries, says the reemergence of the disease is a serious issue that needs better responses than those offered by a recent Senate enquiry.

“Any review needs to be evidence based, and informed by facts, not alternative agendas and knee-jerk reactions.” he told Shift Miner.

“At the recent Senate enquiry they had 29 witnesses lined up over two days - you just can’t do that properly in that time frame.

“If you are fair dinkum, it takes a considerable amount of time, and I think given the comments made afterwards, the Senate enquiry is open to the inference that it was just a piece of political grandstanding.”

Mr Humphries has also been critical of what he calls “ posturing by the CFMEU” and what he thinks is ill-informed and at times unreasonable and unfair criticism of employers, regulators and Nominated Medical Advisors (NMA).

Instead, he is calling for a root and branch review of the regulation governing Black Lung and how it defines the roles of everyone involved in its management in Queensland.

He also says the assertion that the return of the disease is linked to productivity is wrong.

“Firstly, I think it is a totally legitimate question to ask, and I wouldn’t criticise anyone for asking it,” he said “But the regulations have been in place for 15 years, and the regulation applies regardless of whether you are cutting a long wall with a new long wall, an old one, or using a board and pillar operation underground.

“So I think to say the problem is related to production in the last two years would be a shallow assessment.

“The other fact that seems to have

been lost is that Black Lung is a disease of gradual onset, meaning any analysis of the poor miners affected by the disease needs to look beyond the last couple of years and ask questions about where they have been for the last 30 years.”

Looking to the future, Mr Humphries hopes that when the findings of the current academic review into the disease are released, the government makes an effort to be informed rather than making a knee-jerk response.

“The government is elected to make these decisions; I just hope that when the findings are presented, they take the time to analyse the issue before making a decision.

“I would have thought it appropriate that a discussion paper be released where all the relevant parties can make submissions so that decisions are informed, evidence-based and reflect all the circumstances surrounding the six confirmed cases. “ I have dealt with most of the major fatalities that have occurred in mining in the last 20 years, and Black lung is a critical issue that needs to be confronted by the whole mining sector.

“But I have been moved to make these comments because the process so far has been poor, and fundamentally unfair on industry.”

Production down 25% THE latest production figures for the Curragh coal mine near Blackwater has reported major cuts to coal production, and significant increases to overburden removal in the first three months of the year.

The results are to some extent contradicting each other, in so far that increased over-burden removal would typically happen as production increased, however in this case production of coal has been slashed by a quarter at the mine.

Wesfarmers - who own the mine - say the 12 percent increase in overburden removal reflects the fact that they have added extra resources to that area of their business.

However they are blaming the wet season for significant cuts to coal production.

“Coal production for the quarter was 1,837,000 tonnes (comprising 1,191,000 tonnes of metallurgical coal and 646,000 tonnes of steaming coal), 25.5 percent lower than the previous quarter,” they said in a statement “Significantly lower coal production was a consequence of a number of significant wet weather events that restricted operations at the mine, with in excess of 500 mm of rainfall received in the quarter.

Administrators fail to find a buyer

ADMINISTRATORS for the collapsed Surat Basin underground coal gasification (UCG) business Linc Energy, have recommended the company be broken up and sold off.

The company enters into liquidation owing nearly $300 million, of which around $178 million is owed to unsecured trade and external creditors, nearly $2 million to employees in mostly accrued sick and leave entitlements and $107 million to convertible bond holders who invested in the business.

According to Administrators Stephen Longley, Grant Sparks and Martin Ford, the company’s failure is essentially due to three main factors.

“The rapid deterioration of global commodity prices and the resulting impact on the Company’s financial position, the inability to raise further capital following the Queensland Government’s decision to commence legal proceedings, and the unwillingness of major shareholders to participate in the proposed restructure and

recapitalisation of the company,” they said.

The Administrators attempts to sell the Linc business as a whole was thwarted by concern among potential buyers over who is liable for the rehabilitation of their demonstration site near Chinchilla, and the recent state government announcement to cancel all new UCG in Queensland.

Currently, administrators are in court with the State Government, who are demanding Linc Energy increase the amount of money set aside for rehabilitation of the Chinchilla site by a factor of 10.

However there is some possible light at the end of the tunnel for local businesses owed money by Linc Energy with administrators saying while they can’t estimate a return to creditors at this stage, there was some interest in the assets of the business.

“We placed three advertisements in relevant publications and online media locally and globally, inviting expressions of interest, and at the same time, a flyer and confidentiality agreement was distributed to more than 300 parties, inviting expressions of interest,” they said.

“Twenty parties executed confidentiality agreements with 18 parties subsequently provided with access to an online data room containing high-level information on the company.The campaign resulted in a number of indicative offers being received to acquire, the Company via a Deed, the business and assets and various packages of assets.”

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Seventh case of Black Lung NATURAL Resources and Mines Minister Anthony Lynham has confirmed the seventh case of Black Lung in Queensland.

The 55-year-old miner who lives in Central Queensland has worked underground for more than 28 years, most of it in Queensland.

Minister Lynham made a statement a fortnight ago.

“This underlines the importance of the five-point action plan I announced in January to help identify and prevent coal worker’s pneumoconiosis,” Dr Lynham said in a statement.

“It’s critical that government, industry and unions continue our work together to tackle the re-emergence of this disease.”

Dr Lynham says he’s committed to taking whatever action is required to protect the health and safety of coal miners.

“I’d urge any coal miner with health concerns to see their GP,” he said.

A Queensland review of the Coal Mine Workers’ Health Scheme, headed by Monash University’s Prof Malcolm Sim is expected to be completed around June.

Baker picks out Hillalong Recently re-elected Isaac Mayor Anne Baker has singled out the Australian Pacific Coal (APC) Mt Hillalong project near Nebo as one to watch from a suite of developing coal plays in the Northern Bowen Basin.

According to the Mayor, the project - which is yet to get its environmental approvals or mining lease - is a good chance of generating up to 400 jobs locally.

“Around 75 percent of the workforce is expected to come from the Isaac, Whitsunday and Mackay region,” she told Shift Miner.

“This is an excellent economic boost for local workers, their families and the Isaac region as a whole, and we will monitor the progress of the Mount Hillalong Coal Project and look forward to the potential benefits it will deliver our people and economy.”

While Mayor Baker has yet to have direct meetings with the mine’s owners she is confident that things are improving in the coal sector, which can only be a good thing for the proponent.

From a council perspective she says they are determined not lose sight of the problems that prevailed during the last mining boom and have taken steps to make sure they don’t happen again.

New deal at Grasstree ANGLO American has reached agreement with the CFMEU for a new Enterprise Agreement (EA) for the Grasstree mine north of Blackwater. The new agreement takes effect this month, and covers most of the workforce employed in the underground mine. It will expire in two years.

The EA sets minimum wages rates of between about $145,000 and $175,000 a year comprising base salary, work pattern payments (what hours you are working) and superannuation.

Miners will also be entitled to an “additional hours” payment of between $70 and $80 an hour for work done outside the time covered by the work pattern payments, and receive a productivity bonus each week based on how far the longwall retreats and development advances.

Other notable standards set out in the EA are meal breaks of 30 minutes every five hours, 20 to 25 days of leave a year depending on your roster, and redundancy payments equal to three weeks of your take home pay for every year of service, with a relocation fee of up to $4000 in certain situations.

However if there is a major breakdown beyond the control of the mines managers that stops work for more than 4 consecutive days, you may

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not be paid to wait around.

In the event of a major weather event, the EA sets out some minimum standards for travel to the site or to be with your family.

“Where the company is made aware of an pending natural disaster as advised by relevant authorities and/ or media, that will likely affect an employee’s immediate family and/ or residence, the employee will be permitted to leave the workplace in a timely manner,” the EA says.

“When employees are using company transport they will be provided with transport back to their original company pick up point, and where the company is aware that local flood waters are likely to impact the safety of employees travelling from the mine site, employees on shift will be notified.

“Personnel who are permitted to leave the workplace and elect to do so, will be paid for the hours they have worked only, they may apply for paid leave or approved unpaid leave to cover their absence from work.”

The EA also says employees will not be penalised for arriving late to work if they have to take the long way round to avoid floodwater or other weather driven obstacles.

“It’s slowly but surely improving,” she said.

“We just need to mindful that these projects take time to go through the process of approval, it is steady as she goes, and there is no need to panic.

“We all need to learn from these mining cycles, and one of the things we learnt in the last boom was around accommodation.

“Which is why four years ago we bought the last remaining residential real estate in Moranbah that we can make available, if and when, there is another upturn in the mining sector.”

The Hillalong deposit is located adjacent to Rio Tinto’s existing Hail Creek mine. During 2015, the deposit was significantly drilled by a joint venture between Rio Tinto and APC. However at the onset of the downturn, Rio decided not to exercise its right to acquire the deposit.

“After the completion of exploration work on Hillalong and subsequent review of results, Rio Tinto has decided not to exercise the option to acquire the tenement,” they said in June last year.

“Accordingly, we will let the agreement lapse.”

The decision by Rio Tinto was a damaging blow to APC, who at the end of April 2015 had just $300,000 in working

capital with which to navigate the terrible conditions in the mining cycle.

Following Rio’s announcement, APC Chairman, Peter Ziegler, said they were looking at their remaining options in the wake of what was a “significant” announcement.

However since that time, APC has been rescued by a group of Northern Territory investors who were cobbled together by former Middlemount mining electrician and billionaire Nathan Tinkler.

The investment triggered a major rally in the companies share price and a major improvement in its operating cash. At the end of April this year the company had more than $30 million in cash, even after they announced that it had secured the funding necessary to purchase Marubeni Coal Pty Ltd’s 16.67% interest in the Dartbrook Joint Venture in NSW. Despite its activity elsewhere APC has said in the past, 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, with about 70 million tonnes rated as indicated under the JORC code for reporting on mineral deposits.

Miners still on tenterhooks

THE auditor of Peabody Energy Australia’s latest full year accounts has warned the company might struggle to distance itself from the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection proceedings currently underway against its parent company Peabody Energy in the US. Peabody Energy Australia operates the Middlemount, Coppabella, Millennium, North Goonyella, Moorvale and Burton mines in Queensland as well as another three mines in NSW, which altogether employ more than 3000 people.

The Queensland operations have been one of Peabody Energy’s best performing assets, thanks mostly to the lower Australian dollar which has boosted their revenues and allowed them to turn a small profit. Which is the exact opposite of the situation in the US where the strengthening dollar has cut income and forced them to file for Bankruptcy protection with more

than $6 billion in debt.

While Peabody Energy Australia’s directors said they were: “satisfied that reasonable grounds exist to believe the company will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due and payable”, Ernst & Young Auditor Andrew Carrick had some doubts.

He pointed to sections of the accounts that warned that the $US250 million loan facility provided to the Australian operations by another Peabody Energy subsidiary, may not be enough to cover a suite of possible costs flowing back to Australia from the proceedings in the United States.

“There is significant uncertainty whether the company (Peabody Energy Australia Coal) will continue as a going concern,” he said.

Any extra costs carried by the Australian operations might be enough to tip the delicate balance between costs and revenue that currently exists, forcing Peabody to consider offloading some or all of the Australian mines.

A clearer picture of how things are going is expected in the next fortnight when Peabody releases its quarterly results.

They will show the current cash margin for the Australian mines following a resurgent metallurgical coal price that has increased more than 10 percent in the last month to a high of around A$130 a tonne.

BLACKWATER

REVIEW Snapshot Another hit Register at shiftminer.com for weekly updates

Has Blackwater lost its heart?

The future of Blackwater’s only incorporated lobby group - the Blackwater Community Progress Association (BCPA) - appears to have been saved thanks to a small group of Blackwater residents.

A fortnight ago, the BCPA had it’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) to elect new officials and to begin planning for the future. However the number of people who turned up could be counted on one hand and all of them were committee members.

In light of the poor attendance the AGM had to be rescheduled for last Tuesday, with outgoing chairperson Steve Grant saying if there was a repeat performance, the BCPA would be shut down forever.

While the event was by no stretch of the imagination well attended - enough people were present to constitute a meeting and vote in new office bearers.

While the details of the new group have yet to be released, the experience underscores a growing sadness among some long term Blackwater residents that the spirit that defined the community in the past, has given way to whinging, complaining and self obsession among many of the town’s residents.

“It’s not the first time it’s happened, I have been to lots of community meetings, where the only people there are the committee members,” Mr Grant told the Blackwater Review.

“It’s not just the attendance either, people don’t respond to emails, they don’t let you know they are not coming, and when you turn up and are the only person there, it’s demoralising.

“We probably could have done a better job promoting or scheduling our last meeting, because some people said to me they would have come except was that it was the final of My Kitchen Rules on TV.” However Mr Grant is quick to point out it is not just about the BCPA, it affects all the other groups operating in town as well as clubs and sporting groups desperate for volunteers.

“I saw it first years ago when we first set up the BCPA,” he said.

“There was a lot of concern about the number of camps being built in town, and the lack of representation on council and so we formed the group.

“One of the first things we did was try and get a petition together to stop further camp accommodation in town.

“Well we got a few signatures, but a few months after we closed it, Curragh announced its plans for a camp and

there were signs on what seemed like every street in Blackwater, and suddenly everyone was saying where is that petition I want to sign it?

“Well they didn’t give a shit two months earlier when it wasn’t in their backyard, but then suddenly they did.

“But it’s the same at junior footy on the weekend, everyone drops their kids off to play but we struggle to find volunteers to run the canteen and the sidelines.”

“I can remember a time when a lot of the things we have in Blackwater were built by the community, rather than turning around and saying it is someone else’s job, but maybe it’s a society-wide thing.”

Mr Grant’s comments follow those made at a recent meeting of the similar but separate, Blackwater Community Group.

During a discussion about the future, one member said part of the problem is Blackwater People.

“Look around you, it’s the same half a dozen faces we get here every week,” she said. “ I mean we try and get things done, but there isn’t a lot you can do when it is just the six of you turning up week in and week out.

“Honestly, I think a lot of Blackwater people would rather sit at home and whinge about what is wrong with the town, rather than get off their arse and make a difference.

“Council and everyone else has a role to play, but honestly, until we get locals to give a shit, I can’t see anything changing in Blackwater, they can just sit at home and whinge on Facebook.”

Words, numbers and attendance THE principal of the Blackwater State High School Linda Galloway is hoping that the recent NAPLAN testing for year nine and ten students will provide some useful information about where they need to focus their effort over the next 12 months.

The NAPLAN program involves standardised testing that occurs across the state with a specific focus on improving numeracy and literacy.

The results of the tests are provided to parents and the school - giving feedback to both on where students are sitting relative to other schools doing the same curriculum.

“It is important, but we don’t make a big deal out of it and none of our kids are nervous about it,” Principle Galloway told the Blackwater Review “When we as a school look at the test results, it gives a good picture of where

we need to do more work to try and fix any problems that are emerging.

“Some testing a couple of years ago showed there were issues with literacy, and we have since worked hard in that area so we are expecting to see some improved results.”

Generally speaking, Principle Galloway says the NAPLAN testing doesn’t usually throw up too many big surprises.

“Parents usually are not too surprised by the results of the NAPLAN, because they are generally in line with other feedback they have been getting from school.

“But if they’re concerned they can contact the school to work through it.”

However, another area that parents can make a big difference is ensuring that children are consistently at school and on time.

The school target is for 92% attendance and while overall she says attendance has

been good, she says these are the months where things do start to slip and she wants to give the community a gentle nudge about it.

“What we like to say is that missing school, is missing out,” she said.

“I know that with rosters and living in an isolated community, missing an odd day here or there is unavoidable if you’re in Rocky seeing a specialist.

“But it’s the avoidable days that we want to remind people about, the classwork children miss out on, is missed for good.

“But it is not just the days away, it’s also arriving late that has long term impacts.

“If you arrive ten minutes late every day, that’s one and a half weeks of schooling you have missed that year and over the course of your school career it adds up to half a year lost.”

“It is a competitive world out there, and employers look at the attendance record.”

for Dysart

DYSART job losses are likely, following a decision by the Cornetts independent supermarket chain to close its K & D Supermarket in Dysart.

According to Cornett’s, the move reflects the broader implications of the mining downturn.

“It is no secret that many mining communities have seen dramatic reductions in personnel and with that an immediate effect on the viability of these supermarket operations,” Cornetts Supermarkets CEO Graham Booysen said.

“We have been reviewing the viability of having two stores in Dysart and have come to a decision which has been announced to our staff.

“While we cannot rule out redundancies, we expect that many of the two supermarkets staff and services will merge.”

However, the impact of homedelivered groceries to households in mining communities may have also had a bearing on Cornett’s thinking.

Both of Australia’s largest supermarket chains, Coles and Woolworths are already delivering to Tieri from Emerald and are exploring the feasibility of offering home delivery to customers in Middlemount and Dysart.

The arrival of this service would take revenue directly away from businesses like, Cornetts IGA, which has shops in Dysart, Middlemount, Moura, Glenden, Clermont, and Collinsville.

In Blackwater where there is already a Woolworths in town - Coles have started home delivering because they were already providing services to the nearby Curragh mine who wouldn’t buy groceries at Woolworths.

Coles and Curragh are both owned by parent company Wesfarmers.

The issue has divided consumers in Blackwater.

“Well if we don’t support them they will go for sure,” one resident said.

“Look how many empty shops & houses we already have, FIFO/DIDO is going to f*#k our town as they don’t support Blackwater they take the money & run.”

“I have two kids to feed and I am fed up going to woolies, and there is no milk, bread and the fruit is rotten.

What else am I expected to do? Starve or go to Coles,” responded another.

30th May 2016

11

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Around Town

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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Around Town

Buy this and many other images at

www.shiftminer.com Shift Miner magazine – bringing the mining community closer together 30th May 2016

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Pay attention to payroll

Mackay based workplace consultant Craig Joy, says local business is losing thousands of dollars, and missing out on contracts because they have failed to re-adjust their payroll systems in the wake of the mining boom.

In one classic example, he said a client’s failure to make sure their payroll systems were in order, had cost them nearly $200,000 and made their attempts to lodge

competitive tender applications impossible.

“In this particular incident, one of our larger clients was paying superannuation on total earnings, rather than on base rate earnings - which is what the law requires,” he told Shift Miner.

“In mining, the difference between these two figures can be enormous, when you have a range of roster and shift loadings

that are specific to different sites and jobs.

“So not only were they paying far more super than they were legally required to, the cost was compounded because the figure was also used to calculate payroll tax and workcover.

“When they sorted these issues out, they found they could slash $180,000 off their quote without any impact on their margin, which would have put them right back in the game for securing that tender.”

Another major area of confusion he said was the coal mining portable long service leave fund. The fund is like the portable long service leave entitlements that accrue in the construction sector, except that instead of being half a percent on top of wages it is nearly three percent.

“One of our clients in Mackay got told by one of their employees that they had to contribute an extra 2.7% to the black coal long service leave fund,” Mr Joy said.

“The fact is they didn’t, that fee is only payable by businesses directly involved in

A TIME and energy saving light tower, a 300,000 man hour injury free project, and the prizing open of new export opportunities by a local engineering firm, were among the innovations recognised at a gala dinner for the Resource Industry Network 2016 Chairman’s Awards.

The awards which are sponsored

by KPMG, recognise the significant achievement and enterprise that local businesses are demonstrating across six categories, including safety, leadership, export and innovation.

Resource Industry Network Chairman Tony Caruso said the evening was hugely successful with more than 250 in attendance.

“These awards recognise excellence in business and the significant contribution that those businesses make to the regional economy and community,” he said.

“All winners were truly worthy of their awards, and I congratulate them on their hard work and outstanding achievement.

“Steven Bradbury’s presentation was

the mining of coal, not to companies who provide support services to the coal sector.

“Part of the problem here is that during the boom, some mining companies were getting businesses just to pay the fee and then reimbursing them - whether they had to or not.

“However, with the passing of the construction boom, companies started asking why they were paying that fee when they didn’t have to, so they stopped reimbursing.

“Some of those businesses have continued to pay it thinking they had to...but they don’t.”

Mr Joy also linked the growing complexity of the rules around employing people to the growing popularity of labour hire.

“Of course, it’s encouraging labour hire,” he said.

“People don’t go and pay a 15% premium on their labour for the hell of it; they do it because it is simple and avoids all the jeopardy and expense with employing people directly.

“If it was simpler for businesses to employ people, I am sure there would be more of it.”

hugely entertaining as well delivering a serious message of perseverance and resilience to achieve your goals.”.

The awards honoured the achievements of 18 businesses and individuals who were shortlisted for their demonstrations of originality, practicality and forward thinking.

Last business standing message at awards

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Girls open the toolkit to mining careers

More than twenty year-10 girls from Mackay region schools explored the possibilities of a trade career this month.

The girls experienced hands-on trade skills while meeting apprentices, qualified tradies, machine operators and people from other resources sector related science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) related careers. They quizzed the industry participants on their careers, and how to follow in their footsteps.

The event, at the Mackay Engineering Centre, was sponsored by Rio Tinto Hail Creek mine and run by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA), a virtual academy of 35 schools throughout Queensland.

“It’s extremely important that we

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ACROSS 1. Jewel 5. Spark off 9. People from Pisa or Venice 10. Moved at high speed 12. Tickled pink 13. Relative (2-3) 14. Pass over 16. Add honey to 19. Childhood disease 21. Soviet region (1,1,1,1) 24. Most suitable 25. Enfolded (7,2) 27. Spirits 28. Personality 29. Take issue (with) 30. Imparted knowledge

expose girls to career options that they might not have considered,” said QMEA Director Katrina-Lee Jones.

“Only 2 percent of our resources sector trades people in Queensland are women and encouraging more women into these higher-paying careers will help bridge the gender pay gap, while improving diversity in our workforce.

“Better gender balance increases productivity and innovation, and ensuring women have opportunities for financial independence is one of the key messages from the ‘Not Now Not Ever’ report on domestic violence” QMEA is a partnership between the Queensland Resources Council and the Queensland government.

DOWN 1. Gnashes (teeth) 2. Nastily 3. Trussing 4. Unending 6. Dirtiness 7. Offhand 8. Bequeathing 11. Lyrical poems 15. Fluid unit 17. Encroached (upon) 18. Abates (5,3) 20. Hewn (logs) 21. Without support 22. Habitual user 23. Desexed 26. Alarm

LAST EDITION’S SOLUTIONS C H AMB E R S A G A A P R E S S I NG E N I K R E C Y C L I N S Y N SWA G P C H R A L L I E D O E T A F L A K E WE O N C N U N C L A D F N U P D E T E S T E

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

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Awning & full annexe walls, in excellent condition - always garaged when not in use.

Price on application

$ 25,000

Call: 0457 349 492 MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE

MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE

Call: 0447 181 920

MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE

1970 NORTON COMMANDO 750CC

1996 HERITAGE SOFTAIL SPRINGER

1975 YAMAHA MX250

Runs well, does need a few things to be fixed, nothing major. Engine rebuilt.

Bike has been cammed and had extra work done from previous owner, rego 26/5/16, Always serviced.

This bike has been set up for flat track to race in Vintage Motorcross events, it is a full race ready and race spec bike.

$ 7,500

$ 14,000

$ 4,000

Call: 0458 224 663

Call: 0416 294 203

Call: 0407 503 313

NOW ABSOLUTELY FREE FOR SUBSCRIBERS at www.shiftminer.com MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE

CAMPER TRAILER FOR SALE

CAMPER TRAILER FOR SALE

1989 CT 110 POSTIE BIKE

JAWA CAMPER

QUAD ESCAPE CAMPER TRAILER

Very Reliable, sad to see it go has been a very reliable commuter but my situation has changed.

Jawa softfloor camper.

Independent suspension. Fridge box with fridge slide.

Two storage boxes. Deep cycle battery. 12 volt plugs and 240.

Fully enclosed annex.

Was built to carry Polaris RZR or will take a large quad or 2 Bikes. 4 x 20L jerry can holders, 140L water, elec tap to kitchen, 2 burner + grill cooker, shower pump, queen bed, extended awnings.

$ 1,500

$ 8,000

$ 16,500

Call: 0477 424 643

Call: 0749 825 692

BOAT FOR SALE

Call: 0432 142 002

BOAT FOR SALE

TRAILER FOR SALE

CUSTOM BUILT TRAILER

For Sale - Extra Deep Custom Made Trailer.

Constructed to be a base for a camper trailer!

$ 1,200

Call: 0455 460 546

RIGGIN FOR SALE

BUSINESS FOR SALE

2012 LEWIS 590 KINGFISHER CC

ALLYCRAFT 3.95M TINNIE

BAREBACK RIGGIN

FISH AND CHIP SHOP

With only 68 hrs on the clock this boat will not disappoint. Featuring a 135 Mercury optimax engine with hydraulic steering and SS prop still with manufacturers warranty. The hull is in excellent condition, as to the oceanic trailer that it sits on.

2007 30HP 2 stroke Yamaha outboard with very low use. Serviced around 20 hours ago.

I have 2 bareback riggins for sale $400 each.

Can post anywhere at your expense.

Thriving fish and chip shop located in palm beach. Easy to run, books are showing good profit + cash flow.

$ 3,700

$ 400 each

$ 69,000

$ 38,900

Call: 0400 808 395 TRACTOR FOR SALE

Call: 0438 149 006

Call: 0400 505 015

Call: 0414 531 722 TOOLS FOR SALE

LOADERS FOR SALE

THIS SPOT FREE for subscribers

A414 HI-CLEAR INTERNATIONAL TRACTOR

EIMCO LOADERS FOR SALE

New Seat upholstery Motor recently fitted with new engine kit. Tractor is ready for work

Eimco ED10s $240,000 plus GST, ED7s $150,000 plus GST, 130s $25,000 plus GST

$ 5,000

$ 25,000 upwards

Call: 0448 306 145 TOOLS FOR SALE

STIHL CHAINSAW MS 460

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

GENSET GENERATOR

Bench grinders x 2 on stand. Price negotiable.

$ 150

Call: 0429 150 468

Call: 0400 995 354 GENERATOR FOR SALE

DUAL BENCH GRINDERS ON STAND

SHELL WOODEN BOX END FOR SALE

PORTABLE ROUND YARD FOR SALE

SHELL WOODEN BOX END

PORTABLE ROUND YARD

Very good condition.

Atlas Copco QAS 80 1960kg, 2008 generator.

Ex government machine.

Shell wooden box end - ideal for sign in man cave or shed. Has wire already on the back for hanging.

Each panel is $90 Gate is $100 Or all together for $1400 Each panel has 6 rails.

$ 850

$ 18,000

$ 55

$ 1,400

Call: 0457 633 845

Call: 0418 879 880

Call: 0428 681 908

Call: 0474 524 430 30th May 2016

17

Shift Miner Magazine

Off Shift

www.shiftminer.com

Frank the Tank’s Dear Frank,

I recently fell in love with a Swedish boy called Sven... He was only visiting the Beef City (Rockhampton) fleetingly, and is now back in Sweden pursuing his dream of being a pilot. I think he loves me too, what should I do? - Sally Dear Sally, To be honest I don’t usually field questions from women, because women usually have the whole love thing sorted out. But you have a tricky problem, which requires a crafty solution, so I am here to help.

For starters, you need to ask yourself some tough questions. You said that Sven was only in Beef City fleetingly. After knowing him for such a short time, can you be sure that you are in love? I mean you did have a fling with him right? You didn’t just get a foot massage from him, read that his name tag said “Sven” and remembered that he said he’d like to be a pilot one day. Because that’s not love. That’s just desperation.

I’m gunna assume that you had an actual relationship with the fella - so the next question is, what’s so good about him? Sure, he’s probably tall, blond, well muscled and has an exotic accent. But what is that compared to the image of a slightly obese Aussie in a wifebeater and

shorts scoffing a sanger whilst winking at you cheekily before laughing about it with his mates at your expense?

I’m sorry, but I am just sick to death of these foreign types thinking they can come to our country and steal our women! The Seppos did it in WW2 and now it looks like the Scandinavians are doing it in 2016! It’s just not fair dammit! I don’t get you women sometimes. I mean, how can you compare us Aussie blokes with a bunch of blond exVikings? Sure they may be better looking, cultured, multi-lingual, have environmental responsibility and varied furniture solutions for modern living. And yes, granted, their health systems, freedom of press, education, infant mortality rate, crime levels (and bleak crime TV shows) and general standard of living is the best in the world.

But could they beat us at cricket? Nup, forget it. Could they sink a slab as fast as us?

No way! But the biggest thing us Aussies have going for us is our world-renowned romantic streak and our preparedness to completely and utterly humiliate ourselves for someone we want to just lift up against a wall and.... umm… love.

Picture this: Which would you prefer?

Your Swede, down on one knee, outside your window with an acoustic guitar in hand, softly crooning some weirdo Nordic love song or a drunken, flanny and ugg boot wearing, bare-arsed Aussie taking a

“Streakin” good love advice

piss on your front porch while calling out “SALLLLYYYY!!!” Marlon Brando style?

Well, I think that argument is over.

I fear, though, that it is possible you are in some way brain-damaged and might still want to get it on with Mr Ikea, so if you do indeed want to fly in the face of all reason and logic then this is what you must do.

Stalk him.

Yeah, you heard me. Stalk him. Or what I like to call “Covert Admiration”. Basically, you need to sell all of your stuff, buy a ticket to Sweden and hire a Private Investigator to work out where he lives. Next, rent an apartment close by and start taking pictures of him from afar. Then, draw love hearts on the photos and start mailing them to him, or just slip them under his door. He will be immediately intrigued. Then, just start to get creative. Leave anonymous gifts for him at work. Ring at all hours of the day and breathe sexily into the phone. Break into his house and colour coordinate his underwear. Stuff like that.

So, after about six months of this, assuming he hasn’t moved house for some strange reason, you can finally knock on his door, all scrubbed up and looking shmick and when he answers the door shout “Suprise! You know all that weird stuff that’s been happening over the last six months? Well, IT WAS ME!” I absolutely guarantee that he will immediately fall into your arms in rapture

and you can get about the business of making little blond children.

Stalking does work. You just have to be persistent, clever and slightly deranged. But you’ve chosen a Swede over an Aussie, so you’re obviously ticking the third box. Good luck!

Frank

SENSIBLE SUSAN

Dear Sally, From personal experience, I have found that long distance relationships are really tough. You misunderstand each other, jump to conclusions based on paranoia and get very lonely. But if you really love this guy, I say go for it. As soon as you can, go for a holiday in Sweden. Actually being together, even for only a few weeks will give you a better idea of whether the relationship has legs. Then you can come back and decide whether you are going to go to him, or he is going to come to you. If you think that Frank’s description of Aussie males has a ring of truth, I suggest you go to him.

Susan

MadMumzie.com

Contract labour hire…what needs to change?

I am no financial guru pretending to understand exactly why there is more labour hire these days, and there is so much to be said on this subject, my small space in Shift Miner can’t do it justice, but here goes!

The downturn has increased challenges for many in the resources sector. Big business wants operations to continue at lower costs, and a cheaper, more flexible workforce seems to help the bottom line.

It is well known when big business closes their doors; it filters through the whole community - just look at Townsville!

As workers, we want our mines to keep operating and ensure our jobs are safe. While it is good when these companies do keep our jobs, the knowledge of no “permanent” positions in the foreseeable future is not so good. It creates division

18

30th May 2016

and uncertainty among the workforce and an “us and them” mentality. This deepens when the labour-hire workers are doing the same job for much less money.

Personally, I have worked both permanent and labour hire. The main issues I have experienced and see currently are: Don’t dare get sick because you won’t get paid.

No holidays, unless you choose to go without pay.

Try getting a loan for a house as a contractor. Many banks won’t touch you, or want to see you have been there for years. (Sadly some have) “Motelling” is the new accommodation catch cry. Bring everything with you, every trip.

Little or no training, and not being authorised to operate equipment you have prior competencies for.

Perhaps the hardest of all

is that you could lose your job with the next phone call, or in some cases, a text. No notice, no reason, just don’t come back (of course, this varies with different sites and labour-hire companies).

Hopefully, the government enquiry will help shed some light on these and many more issues, and put some common sense laws in place. In the meantime let’s all try to get along and support each other.

Better still let’s hope the outlook for the resources sector improves, and we all get a permanent gig again, but I’m a glass-half-full kind of gal!

Mad Mumzie X Google “Madmumzie” to go to my website.

Shift Miner Magazine

www.shiftminer.com

Off Shift

30th May 2016

19

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