SHIFT MINER The Queensland mining and gas community’s best source of local news
Monday March 10, 2014 179th Edition
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Women take top jobs » Page 5
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Big mines tell small business “open your books”
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CONTENTS NEWS
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Open books - big business pressures small 6 Rocky jobs go 8 FIFO hit hardest by downturn 9 Diary of an illegal dumper 9 Banana camp dispute in court 10 New year brings little relief for Paget 11 CSG workforce big and gone bush 12-17 Productive workforce: where are the jobs?
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Open books - big business pressures small By Inga Stünzner
BIG business in the Bowen Basin has been demanding contractors open their books and then dictating the terms of trade, according to a local consultant. Mackay-based workplace consultant Craig Joy said he has been aware of the practice for the past three years and has seen the demands in writing. “It’s not as though these big businesses are just ringing up in the dark. The small business gets a letter and it’s signed on a letterhead by the guy at the big end of town,” he told Shift Miner.
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And it’s widespread amongst the big businesses operating in Mackay, Mr Joy said. “We have all these authorities say it’s a level playing field and then you have this.” Mr Joy said newer businesses have been targeted in particular, with the principal contractor telling them what margins are acceptable and what they will and won’t pay. “They then refer to it as partnering, but I think domineering is a better word.” Mr Joy said the potential for an abuse of power was alarming and would surely raise some concerns with the Office of Fair Trading.
Shift Miner has contacted the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and is waiting for a response. “I just can’t believe a company would say if you want to tender for us, show us your numbers. They can do that with a number of different companies and potentially choose not to work with someone if they don’t comply.” Mr Joy said there is also the potential for the principal contractor to tell the small business to do the job for a particular margin, and then go to another contractor with those numbers. Paget business owner Allan Ruming, who runs Group Engineering, said the practice was not new - and he had mixed feelings on the matter. “It can be useful if you want to guarantee work for a minimum period of time, but there must be an element of trust. It can’t be a one-sided affair,” he told Shift Miner. “It is certainly not useful if it’s just being used as a tool to pit everyone against everyone else.” Ironically, Mr Ruming said the downturn in some ways had been responsible for more trust between big and small business, because all the facts were on the table. “Mining companies have said lower costs so it’s very clear what you need to do. “In the boom you saw people who were
winning tenders that weren’t necessarily the best for the job for whatever the reason might be, but now all that subterfuge is gone. “There were a lot of strange things happening in the boom where some people were being paid ridiculous amounts of money for some pretty poor outcomes. “All that has been pulled back into gear. It is clearer what the objective is, when you put in the tender you know you have to be better than everyone else and sharpen your pencil.” Over the past 12 months Shift Miner has run a series of stories documenting how the downturn has seen contracts between big and small business torn up overnight, and contractors being asked to do the same job for less. Queensland Mines Minister Andrew Cripps said he has heard murmurings. “It certainly does little for the reputation of mining companies if the reports are accurate,” he told Shift Miner. There is a forum for mining supply businesses in Brisbane next month to help map out the 30-year action plan for resources in Queensland. “I had big industry gathered last week, but next month I will be getting the supply chain players together because I recognise they are extremely important and I want to hear their views. They may well raise these issues then,” he said.
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Cannington mine boss takes out top gong
INDUSTRY’S FINEST: Cannington mine’s Laura Tyler has taken out the prestigious Resources Award for Women
THE first woman to be appointed as an asset president within BHP Billiton has won the prestigious Resources Award for Women. Laura Tyler, asset president for Cannington mine in North-West Queensland, introduced the site’s first diversity plan to improve the attraction and retention of women in the company’s workforce. A mother of three, Ms Tyler has been a ‘working FIFO wife’ and
has worked across four continents. “We must encourage our male colleagues to speak out on the subject,” said Ms Tyler. “They remain the dominant hiring managers in our business and it is only through their engagement that we will see magnified change in the status quo. “Often I am the only women at the table in meetings. This needs to be corrected.”
The Queensland Resources Council has been steadily working to lift the proportion of women in ‘non-traditional’ roles in resources sector to 20 per cent by 2020. The number stands at 13.5 per cent in 2012-13, up from 11.9 per cent in 2011-12. Women now make up 17 per cent of the overall workforce in mining, up 14 per cent from 2011-12. “Disappointingly though, the proportion of female trades people languishes at just 2 per cent of the trades workforce,’ said the QRC’s Michael Roche. “We have a lot more work to do in this area, and not just for women. Trade training needs to come into the 21st century.” Other winners in this year’s awards include:
Rising Star - Cindy Emmett, Moranbah North mine Cindy Emmett is a single mother of four boys who put herself through university as a mature age student to attain her mechanical engineering degree. She now works as a graduate mechanical engineer at Anglo American’s Moranbah North mine.
Trade - Amy Woods, Mount Isa copper operations
Amy Woods in an underground install electrician at Glencore Mount Isa’s copper operations. Ms Woods says her shift roster allows her time to continue to work as a group fitness instructor at the local gym. She encourages the women she works with to have confidence in their skills and recognise they have earned their place in the crew, just like everyone else.
Operator - Leah Ross, Curragh mine Blackwater woman Leah Ross left a job as a butcher to drive mine trucks. She was Thiess Australia Mining’s first female dozer and excavator operator, first female coordinator and first female superintendent. She is now working as the mining superintendent, open pit operations, at Wesfarmers’ Curragh North mine.
Best company initiative - BMA During the development of its new Daunia and Caval Ridge operations, BMA committed to
developing a diverse workforce, comprising at least 30 per cent female employees and 5 per cent indigenous employees by 2015. As of January 2014, the Daunia team consists of 25 per cent women and the Caval Ridge project more than 23 per cent.
Gender Diversity champion - Craig McCabe, Wesfarmers Curragh mine Craig McCabe is the general manager of Wesfarmers Curragh mine, and one man who is committed to getting more women into mining. Mr McCabe has set about addressing the gender imbalance at Curragh by targeting women in recruitment for trade and technical roles, developing and identifying women for senior roles and offering flexible working arrangements. Since 2011, the proportion of women at Curragh has risen from 11 per cent to 15.3 per cent. “I want to start having brave and open conversations about why some men find it difficult to relate professionally with women in our industry and what needs to be done about it,” he said.
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How did anyone survive this? IT’S an image that makes you stop and think. Just how did the occupants of this ute make it out alive, let alone escape with minor injuries? The accident happened at an underground mine in New South Wales when an underground loader and a ute collided. The driver of the ute was collecting loader operators from two different work places and taking them to the crib room. The driver did not make contact with the loader operator before entering the tramming tunnel where it was operating. The loader operator did not see the ute in the tunnel ahead of him until it was too late. An investigation by the NSW mines safety department has found: • All three personnel involved were trained and experienced loader operators familiar with the workplace.
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• Operational conditions and visibility were good. • The light vehicle driver did not attempt to contact the loader operator as the driver believed the radio in the light vehicle could receive but not transmit (this was possibly due to a low vehicle battery voltage. The radio was tested after the incident and found to be fully functional). • The rotating beacon light on the light vehicle was most likely not working. The switch for the beacon was found to be in the ‘off’ position after the incident, or it was ineffective possibly due to a low vehicle battery voltage. • The red “bogging-in-process” warning light (which requires positive contact with the loader operator before advancing) at the entrance to the workplace, was not in use. There was no hard barrier at
this point of entry to the workplace. • The passenger of the light vehicle was not using a seatbelt at the time of the incident. The driver did not enforce the requirement to wear a seatbelt. • The light vehicle driver saw that the crusher light was red (which means that loaders should not tip – unless the light turns to green). The driver could not hear the loader operating. The driver then assumed that the loader was parked and that the loader operator was waiting for collection. In the time taken to drive around the tipple and into the tramming tunnel, the crusher light turned to green. The loader operator resumed tramming and was unaware of the presence of the light vehicle. • The light vehicle driver and passenger did not follow written safe work procedures (SWP) when accessing the incident area nor did the driver follow safe work procedures when collecting the light vehicle passenger from the other workplace immediately before the incident. • The written procedures, and training material, did not clarify a course of action to be taken in the event of a radio malfunction. The light vehicle pre-start
procedure required the light vehicle driver to test the effective operation of the radio. • In terms of hazard and risk perception, workers in the area appeared to be assessing risks and then deciding how and what to apply from written safe work procedures because they perceived the incident area as a lower risk underground area. There is an inference that this resulted in lower compliance with SWPs in the incident area compared to other areas on site. • Supervisors had not effectively monitored the compliance with SWPs associated with the risk of vehicle interactions in the incident area. • There appears to have been a ‘disconnect’ between mine management’s perception of procedural compliance with SWPs and on-the-job reality in the incident area. The department has made a series of recommendations, which you can read in full at www.resources.nsw.gov.au Have you had some near misses at your workplace? SMS us……. Comment or SMS 0409 471 014
News Rocky mining jobs go REDUNDANCIES have been announced at Joy Mining Machinery’s Parkhurst branch in Rockhampton. While it’s still unclear how many staff will go, Shift Miner understands workers were told about the cull last Tuesday. There have been rumours of job cuts for some time, and it’s believed the lay-offs are to do with a restructure of the company at a global level. There are more than 120 workers at the Parkhurst site, which is Joy Global’s major service centre for the Bowen Basin coalfields. Machinery is manufactured on site, and machines are also repaired and tested in the workshop. Shift Miner has contacted the local office and the company’s headquarters in New South Wales but neither were available for comment. The cuts are the latest in the mining-jobs haemorrhage over the past 18 months. Last month, 230 workers were let go at BMA’s Saraji mine near Dysart.
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Miner makes miracle escape Toxic culture
WALK-OVER: the driver of a ute was lucky to be alive when a dozer operator failed to stop.
THE NSW Mines Safety Investigation Unit (MSIU) is advising mining companies to consider using proximity detectors and designating ‘light vehicle only’ areas on mine sites following a serious accident. A large bulldozer operating in broad daylight at Mount Arthur coal mine backed
over a ute, crushing most of the front section but narrowly missing the driver. In its report the MSIU said the accident occurred after communication broke down between the operator of the dozer and the vehicle. “The light vehicle (LV) driver reported
he attempted to make positive radio contact with the dozer operator and believed that he had made such contact,” the report said. “However, the dozer operator was on another radio channel to his supervisor and did not hear the LV driver’s radio call.” The diver of the ute then stopped at the bottom of the ramp and waited for the dozer to stop. When the driver realised the dozer operator was not going to stop, he attempted to reverse. “The LV driver reported he was unable to engage reverse gear and he began sounding the LV’s horn. As the dozer approached, the LV driver remained in the LV,” the report read. “The dozer reversed 2.5 m over the passenger’s side of the LV with its left hand track before stopping and moving in a forward direction. The LV driver escaped without injury.” In its report the MSIU advised companies to consider implementing designated LV only roads and access areas and the use of proximity detection units on site. An excavator operator working nearby saw the incident and initiated the mine’s emergency procedure. Both workers were taken to the mine’s first aid room for assessment and later underwent mine drug and alcohol testing.
A BOWEN Basin coal mine is being investigated by the Queensland Mines Inspectorate and Anglo American after serious allegations of bullying and cover-ups emerged. Bowen Basin community advocate Jim Pearce has confirmed he met with the inspectorate and Anglo representatives to discuss the allegations yesterday. “I spoke with both parties at a meeting in Brisbane but I am not prepared to make further comment than that,” Mr Pearce told Shift Miner. Mr Pearce first raised the claims about abusive and aggressive management practices and a culture of fear and cover-ups in a paid column in a local Mackay newspaper. Mr Pearce alleged in the column that senior managers frequently verbally abused workers and threatened employees with the sack if they challenged workplace health and safety. APN has since contacted Mr Pearce to say they will no longer publish his column. “APN has been advised by their legal team they were not to print my articles anymore,” he said. Meanwhile, Shift Miner understands Anglo plans to shed jobs at its head office in Brisbane, and most staff have been asked to reapply for their current positions.
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FIFO hardest hit by downturn Camp bed oversupply for CSG?
THE number of FIFO/DIDO workers in the Bowen Basin has fallen by around 9 per cent, according to the latest Bowen Basin population report. The report, released last week by Queensland Treasury and Trade, quantifies how many people are commuting to the Bowen Basin for work and where they are staying when they get there. The report found that in the 12 months to June 2013, the non-resident workforce fell by just over 2000 in the region, while the total workforce in the Bowen Basin held steady around 35,000. The drop in FIFO/DIDO workers is a conservative estimate as it does not include those who were off shift during the week the survey was conducted. That means it’s more likely the nonresident workforce fell by significantly more than 2000 - not surprising given 5000 jobs were reportedly lost in the
region during the same period. The Treasury report says the FIFO/ DIDO workforce has been most affected by the downturn. “Industry sources confirm that losses of production staff across the Bowen Basin were more likely to have affected contractors than permanent staff, as contractor workforces are more likely to be nonresident rather than resident,” the report said. “It is likely that many of the coal production jobs lost across the Bowen Basin during the year were held by nonresident workers. “Similarly, any downturn in construction jobs would also have impacted more on the non–resident worker population, given the predominantly FIFO/ DIDO nature of construction workforces.” Despite the vulnerability of the FIFO/ DIDO workforce, it seems more miners are choosing to work this way. The total FIFO/ DIDO workforce is now higher than it was in 2011 and more than double the number in 2006. The report also pointed to the increasing popularity of Worker Accommodation Villages (WAV) among miners. The number of people staying in WAVs increased from 88 to 93 per cent over the course of the year. Hotels and motels accounted for 5 per cent and caravan and other accommodation accounted for 3 per cent.
THE total number of mining camps in the coal and CSG sector has reached more than 200 and now accommodates more than 90 per cent of the total non-resident workforce. That means there are now approximately 70,000 beds available for FIFO/DIDO coal and CSG workers in Queensland in worker accommodation villages (WAVs). The Bowen Basin still has the lion’s share of beds with around 35,000, but the fastest growth is in the Surat Basin, which now accounts for 20 per cent of total bed numbers. In about the last 10 years, the number of camp beds has increased more than 300 per cent in the Bowen Basin and is incalculable in the Surat Basin because they didn’t exist five years ago. So with such meteoric supply growth in the sector, are we hurtling towards a massive oversupply? According to the figures just released by the state government - no. In the latest non resident workforce population figures, in an average week around 40,500 non-resident workers are looking for a bed in the CSG and coal sectors. That means, in theory, the occupancy rate in camps is on average around 60 per cent, based on there being about 70,000 beds available. However, those figures are likely to be a very conservative estimate because they don’t include non-resident workers not rostered on the night of the head count. By way of comparison, in 2013 the average occupancy for motels in
Australia was 65 per cent. However, the devil is in the detail, with some regions reporting an under - or over - supply of beds, depending on the fluid demands of the mining sector. In the Bowen Basin vacancy rates have soared. “The proportion of vacant and available beds in the region rose sharply from 7 per cent in 2012 to 28 per cent in 2013,” Queensland Treasury reported. “In the Central Highlands and Isaac regions this increase reflects a combination of growth in bed capacity and a reduced number of non-resident workers on-shift. “Availability increased in the Banana shire, despite rapid growth in the number of non-resident workers on-shift, demonstrating the magnitude of worker accommodation growth in this area. “Conversely, reduced bed capacity in Bowen [the town] did not lead to lower availability, due to the fall in non-resident workers on-shift.” In the CSG sector it’s a different story. The growth in bed supply has been matched by increasing demand, but nearly two-thirds of camps accommodate less than 100 people, and around half are mobile and located out of town. Given the mobile nature of the camps, occupancy is likely to be much higher because they tend to move in line with demand. Downstream in Gladstone, occupancy of the Curtis Island worker accommodation complex is likely to fall progressively over the next two years as construction work winds down.
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Diary of an illegal dumper
CAUGHT RED-HANDED: 12 litterbugs have been caught in an illegal dumping blitz.
TWELVE people are facing fines in the Isaac region after a crackdown on illegal dumping
that has seen council officers fielding daily investigations. Illegal dumping is a huge issue
for the region, forcing council to announce last year it would install four cameras in dumping
hotspots to catch the culprits. “Council environmental health officers have found everything from in-ground swimming pools, fridges, cars, televisions, building equipment and even personal documents thrown in creeks and native bush land,” Isaac Regional Mayor Anne Baker told Shift Miner last August. Council officers are close to setting up those cameras, but in the interim they have embarked on a three-week dump blitz. So far they have investigated 25 complaints from the public and 12 people have been issued with compliance notices. Isaac Regional Council chief executiveTerry Dodds said the majority of illegal dumping was domestic waste - including broken garden tools, paint tins, oil filters and broken electrical appliances. Personal paperwork is also dumped, including bills and medical information. In one instance, dumped personal diaries helped council officers identify the culprit. “It costs council anywhere
from $2000-$4000 each time we undertake compliance action and clear rubbish when most of it could be put in the wheelie bin,” he said. “Fines range from $220 for littering up to $44,000 for illegal dumping, while being responsible and using the landfill is much cheaper and safeguards our environment.” Mr Dodds said the town of Moranbah was particularly bad for illegal dumping and residents in the area should keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour. Council will continue to crack down on illegal dumping in the Isaac region and is actively looking for leads. Anyone with information relating to illegal dumping can contact Council’s Environmental Services Department on 1300 ISAACS (1300 472 227). Residents are reminded that council’s waste facilities are located at Carmila, Clermont, Moranbah, Middlemount, Dysart, Clermont, Glenden, Nebo and St Lawrence and a recycle shop in Moranbah.
Banana camp dispute in court By Angus Peacocke
AN unprecedented hearing in the Planning and Environment court last month could be the catalyst for major changes to the way some mining camps are approved. Moura real estate agent Steve Paton is challenging the legitimacy of the approvals process that allowed the Banana Workers Accommodation Village, on the outskirts of Banana, to be built in 2012. Mr Paton is claiming the camp didn’t meet with the council’s guidelines on development in a rural zone and that the developer of the village failed to accurately advertise the intended change of use for the formerly rural site. The co-owner of the Banana Accommodation Village, Rob Johnson, says the case is ridiculous, telling the ABC: “the appeal is purely commercially based” and that the complex “has all the relevant approvals”. However, while the court wades through the legalities of that particular case, it has opened up a discussion about the differing approvals processes for mining accommodation. Currently, the approvals process is based on the locality of the site and whether the complex is deemed to be permanent or temporary. Mayor of the Banana Shire Ron Carige said the standards for approving accommodation was not generally a problem, but he said there may need to be some clarification.
“I don’t really think there is a problem with the standards for getting accommodation approved, most people try and go through the right procedures,” he told Shift Miner. “In my view this is being driven by organisations looking to get the best position, but there are just as many regulations to get through whether you are in or out of town. “However, there is a difference in the cost and process required for approval depending on whether the camp is rated temporary or permanent and it is a regulatory area that could get some attention.” Western Downs Shire Mayor Ray Brown agrees. “There is a difference between construction camps that have a short lifecycle and camps that provide ongoing accommodation,” he said “But how do you define temporary? Does it mean the people staying in the camp are temporary or does it means the physical structure is temporary? “We have a camp in Chinchilla that accommodates up to 3000 people and it started off as a temporary accommodation complex. But it has approval, it’s within the town boundary and therefore we have planned for it. “The state government is wanting to streamline these processes, but the local authorities need to make sure locations are okay, advertise them, get objectors, and make sure they can supply an ongoing service.” 10th March 2014
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Greener pastures for Broadmeadow
NEW TECHNOLOGY: Lucas Dow, BMA asset president and Queensland’s Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Andrew Cripps.
BROADMEADOW underground mine has become the first BMA site in the Bowen Basin to use a new mining technology to boost productivity. An US$966 million extension to the underground coking coal
mine was officially opened last week, with the Queensland Mines Minister Andrew Cripps on site for a tour. Construction of the project began at the height of the boom in 2011, and the first new
longwall was commissioned in March last year. The mine’s production rate is expected to lift by 400,000 tonnes per year, partly due to the installation of new longwall top coal caving (LTCC) technology.
LTCC is used when coal seams are very thick and good quality coal is left behind because conventional longwall equipment can’t operate beyond a five metre mining height. The technology was pioneered in Europe before being refined in China. It was first introduced to Australia in 2006 at Yancoal’s Austar mine in New South Wales, and the only other mine to use it is Peabody’s North Goonyella mine in the Bowen Basin. BMA asset president Lucas Dow said the new technology would significantly boost productivity at Broadmeadow. “Unlike other conventional longwall mining techniques, longwall top coal caving allows both the lower and the top portion of the coal seam to be mined,” he said. The recent extension at the mine will sustain operations for another 21 years. The project also involved the conversion of an open-cut pit (mined by Goonyella Riverside) into a punch longwall operation.
More coal for Clermont? IT’S a partnership that could culminate in a new open-cut mine - but that’s a long way down the track. Australia Pacific Coal (AQC) has signed a non-binding Heads of Agreement with Linchpin Capital Group to jointly develop the South Clermont coal exploration tenement. The venture aims to complete proving the resource and then establish an open-cut mine at the site. Once the agreement is sealed, AQC will transfer its tenement into a newly formed entity, which will raise the funding for and conduct the exploration and development of the project. AQC will initially hold 50 per cent equity in the new entity and will be paid a management fee for services it provides to the operation. The company has interests in 32 thermal and metallurgical coal tenement in the Bowen and Surat Basins. It also has existing joint venture agreements in place with Rio Tinto and Cuesta Coal.
New year brings little relief for Paget By Alex Graham
MINING supply businesses in Mackay’s Paget precinct are still hurting, and the end is not yet in sight. “We’re pessimistic optimists,” Group Engineering’s Allan Ruming told Shift Miner. “We have a level of optimism, but that is being managed with a high degree of understanding that in reality nothing much has changed.” Mr Ruming said many of the variables the industry had hoped would shift in the new year were still yet to move. “The dollar hasn’t come down, the
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political sphere hasn’t changed and there has only been minor improvements of two or three dollars to the price of coal. “We also haven’t seen the end of cuts and cost reductions. Saraji just threw 230 to the wolves a few weeks ago and I have heard rumours there is more to come.” Many businesses had been pinning their hopes on a so-called tsunami of maintenance work in the new year, propelled by increased production rates at mines in the Bowen Basin. However, the wave is yet to make land. “There has certainly been an increase in
maintenance, I mean you can’t have record production without it,” said Mr Ruming. “But pretty much a high tide with a few big waves would be a big improvement on what we’re currently seeing.” The one area that is going ahead strongly is underground mine maintenance, largely because the regulations are much more stringent than for open cut mines. “The consequence of not doing maintenance above ground is a truck breaks down, but the consequence of not doing maintenance underground
is someone gets killed or you lose a major piece of equipment that can’t be recovered. “At the end of the day there is a lot more risk and lot more legislation covering underground mines.” Mr Ruming said the current trading conditions would not be permanent. “This is not the new norm; this is the waiting room for the game,” he said. “But when it arrives it might be like playing international rules, it’ll be a different ball, it’ll be a new way to score goals and the rules will be totally abstract.”
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Final section of WICET rail installed to the stockyard, located on the north of the Gladstone-Mt Larcom Road, prior to export. The rail receival area is now 60 per cent complete, with the civil works for the tunnel under the North Coast Rail Line and the structural steelwork for the rail receival building now finished. The sheeting, mechanical and electrical fit-out are now underway at the building. Stage One construction of WICET is approximately 80 per cent complete, with the new port scheduled to load its first coal ship in November this year. The terminal is owned by eight individual coal companies and will be managed by the Gladstone Ports Corporation.
WICET project MILESTONE: the final section of rail line comprising the Wiggins Island Rail Balloon Loop is installed through the rail receival structure.
THE Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) is on the road to completion, with the installation of the final section of railway line needed to get coal to port. The 13-kilometre rail balloon
loop is being been constructed by Aurizon to facilitate trains transporting coal to the project. The final stage of track laying was finished earlier this month, with an 110-metre section of railway line pushed through the
rail receival structure. The rail receival building houses the dump station which takes delivery of coal from the trains, transferring it onto the 6-kilometre overland conveyor, which then transports product
Cost: $2.5 billion Stage one capacity: 27Mtpa Planned capacity: 80Mtpa Stage one partners: Acquila Resources, Bandanna Energy, Caledon Coal, Cockatoo Coal, Glencore, Northern Energy Corporation, Wesfarmers Curragh, YancoalAquila
CSG workforce big and gone bush THE latest snapshot of the CSG workforce has confirmed what many had already suspected that the CSG workforce is large, mobile and heading north. There are now around 12,5000 non-resident or FIFO/DIDO workers in the Surat Basin, according to the latest population report put out by Queensland Treasury. The snapshot was recorded in the last week of June 2013, and the numbers are almost double what they were in 2012.
The estimate is regarded as conservative, as it does not count those off-shift at the time. In terms of geography, all the workforce is found in the three shires of Toowoomba, Western Downs and Maranoa; however, the vast majority, or 97 per cent, are within the Western Downs and Maranoa. Unlike further north in the Bowen Basin, most of these people are working and living outside of existing town boundaries. “The distribution of non-
resident workforces within the Surat Basin differs from other key resource regions in Queensland,” the report says. “A relatively small proportion of FIFO/DIDO resource industry workers are accommodated in population centres. “Instead, most non-resident workers in the Surat Basin are now housed in rural Worker Accommodation Villages (WAV) located on or close to gas field tenures while on-shift.
“This pattern reflects the decentralised nature of the region’s CSG/LNG gas field development and the mobility of some workforce elements, such as drilling and pipeline construction teams.” If you follow the gas pipelines downstream to Gladstone, just under 5000 non-resident employees were at work in CSG in June 2013. The majority of that workforce is now accommodated on Curtis Island, and is expected to peak and then fall later this year.
$90m rigs quiet, mobile and safe TOOWOOMBA-based Easternwell has won a $90 million contract to build and operate specialist rigs for gas supplier QGC. Under a $50 million contract Easternwell will construct two servicing rigs. These rigs, which are smaller, quieter, and more mobile than those used for drilling, will be used for maintenance of QGC wellsites in the Surat Basin. They will be built at Easternwell’s Toowoomba factory. QGC and Easternwell have also signed a separate $40 million contract for the construction of a drilling rig for exploration. The rig incorporates the latest technology including automation, meaning it is safer for workers than older models. All the rigs are expected to be operating from the second half of 2014. The contracts support the jobs of 56 skilled workers who will crew the rigs and the 24 mechanics, engineers, welders and design staff at the factory. QGC operations director Walter Simpson said innovation was essential to minimising impact and improving safety. “We strive to operate with respect for people, the environment and property,” Mr Simpson said. “That means adopting best practices and innovating to limit impacts and maximise benefits for all the people associated with our business. “As with all of our major contractors, Easternwell is committed to using local suppliers of goods and services and to employing and training local people where possible.” QGC has been working with Easternwell since 2010.
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WORKFORCE Where are the jobs?
What sort of money? New productivity benchmarks?
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SNAPSHOT Shift Miner takes an in-depth look at the mining and gas sectors in Queensland and what’s in store for its workforce in 2014. Some of the new trends to emerge are a push for a productive workforce, the rise of labour hire and an ongoing desire for fit and healthy employees.
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HE past 18 months has seen a major correction in Queensland mining, with thousands of jobs shed, the coal price down significantly and all mine sites working to boost productivity while slashing costs. Boom-to-bust is the very nature of the industry, but this was the biggest resources boom in several life times, so the other side was always going to be rough. “A few years ago there would be 6000 places advertised and only 200 applicants. Now it’s the other way around,” Mackay-based workplace consultant Craig Joy says. Add to this dramatic turnaround the fact that most new projects have moved from construction to an operational phase - and the Bowen Basin is a very different place today than two years ago. Energy Skills Queensland’s chief
executive Glenn Porter says that until commodity prices turn around, it will be more of the same. “The Bowen Basin is maintaining and not doing anything too fancy unless prices go higher,” he told Shift Miner. “There are still discussions on whether the Galilee Basin is taking off and if it does, there will be a demand in construction. Those projects are still bubbling along.” The industry may still be sluggish, and big pay packets may be dead in the water - but there are still plenty of jobs to be had and plenty of money to be made.
Jobs bounce back There are early signs the coal industry may, in fact, be bouncing back with coal mining majors looking to to recruit low-level engineers for the first time in over a year.
It’s a tale of two industries - as mining rides out the correction, the gas sector is surging ahead. Shift Miner’s editor Inga Stünzner takes a look at where the jobs and opportunities lie this year and beyond. One recruitment agency told Shift Miner last month that companies are actively recruiting engineers with two to five years experience. “Some of the majors are starting to see the fruits of cost-cutting over 18 months so their margins are increasing and recruitment is easy up,” the agency spokesperson says. “I think the realisation is that they still need people at these operations, so while they will continue to run leaner, they still need good technical people to maintain productivity.”
Productivity up When coal prices rocketed downwards, coal companies started pouring their energy into boosting production at mines - or simply put, getting more coal out for less. In the boom, emphasis had been
placed on getting coal out at any cost, but in 2013 that changed to getting coal out for the least cost. Productivity has ramped up to such an extent that export tonnages along the Dalrymple coal chain increased nearly 20 per cent in the first three months of last financial year - the highest in more than five years. It’s a similar story for Abbot Point terminal near Bowen, where throughput of coal was up nearly 50 per cent. At Hay Point, coal exports were up more than 40 per cent in the last 12 months. With the increase in productivity has come an increased need for maintenance, and that’s why recruitment agencies have begun to notice a movement in labour supply at the trades level.
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rt IV Work Health & Safety – Fire Warden – Fire Extinguisher – Chief Warden – Fire Saf afetty Advisor Ad – Health & Safety Rep – Safely y Access the Rail Corridor – CP CPR – First Aid – Adnced First Aid – Issue Work Permits – Light Vehicle Defensive Drivvin ng – Low Voltag ag ge Re Re ue – Confined Space – Supervise Conffined Space – Confined Spac Rescu ac ce Rescue – Work ely at Heights – Vertical He eights Rescue – Supervisor (S1S2S3) – G2 G – Train ner Ass ssessor – Wotonga Induc sse ction – Standard 11 Indu uctions – G3 – G7 – Forklift – EW WP – High Risk Wo ences – Render Hazardouss Materials Incidents Safe – Road Cra ash h Re esc cue ue – Support Sho otfiring & Store, Handle and Transport Explosives – OCE Programs – De epu puty Programs SE Legislation Preparation – Fire Team Operations – Basic Lifting g – Dog ogging – Non Slewing Crane – Gan ogg ntry Crane – Vehicle Loading Crane – RPL for RII Compet etten e encies – Und ound Lifting – Breathing App paratus- Cert IV Work Health & Safety y – Fire Warden – Fire Exttinguisher – Chie ef Warden – Fire Safety y Advisor – Health & Safety Rep – Sa afe fely Access l Corridor – CPR – First Aid – Advanced First Aid – Issue Work Perrmit m ts – Light Vehicle Defe ensive Driving – Low Voltage Rescue – Confined Space – Supervise Confin ne ed d Space – nfined Space Rescue – Wo ork Safely at Heights – Vertical Heightts Res R sc scue – Supervisor (SS1S2S3) – G2 – Trrainer Assessor – Woton nga Induction – Standard 11 Induction on ns – G3 – orklift – EWP – High Risk Work Licences – Render Hazardous Matterrials In Incidents Safe – Road Crash Resc cue – Support Shotfiring g & Store, Handle and Transport Explossiivves – OC grams – Deputy Programs – SSE Legislation Preparation – Fire Te eam a Op pera pe r tions – Basic Lifting – Doggin ng – Non Slewing Crane e – Gantry Crane – Vehicle Loading Cra an ne e – RP RII Competencies – Underground Lifting – Breathing Apparatuss Cert C IV Wor ork Health & Safety – Fire Warrden – Fire Extinguisher – Chief Warden – Fire Safety Advisor – He ealt lth & ety Rep – Safely Access the e Rail Corridor – CPR – First Aid – Advvan nced Firsst Aid – Issue Work Permits – Liight Vehicle Defensive Driving – Low Voltage Rescue – Confined Sp pa ac pervise Confined Space – Confined Space Rescue – Work Safely at a Heightts – Ve V rtical Heights Rescue – Supervisor (S1S2S3) – G2 – Trainer Assessor – Wotonga Induction – SStta rd 11 Inductions – G3 – G7 7 – Forklift – EWP – High Risk Work Lice enc ces – Rend de err Hazardo ous Materials Inc cidents Safe – Road Cra ash Rescue – Support Shotfiring & Store, Hand dlle e d Transport Explosives – OC CE Programs – Deputy Programs – SSE E Legislation L Prre ep par a ation n – Fire Team Op perations – Basic Lifting g – Dogging – Non Slewing Crane – Gantry Cran an ehicle Loading Crane – RPL for RII Competencies – Undergroun nd Lifting – Breat atth hiing Ap pparatus Cert IV Work Health & Safety – Fire Warden – Fire Extinguisher – Chief Warden e Safety Advisor – Health & Safety Rep – Safely Access the Rail Corridor o – CPR – Fiirrsst Aid – Advanced Firrst Aid – Issue Work Perm mits – Light Vehicle Defensive Driving – Low Volt scue – Confined Space – Supervise Confined Space – Confined d Space S Rescue – Wor ork Safely at Heightts – Vertical Heights Resscue – Supervisor (S1S2S3) – G2 – Trainer Assess Wotonga Induction – Standa ard 11 Inductions – G3 – G7 – Forkliftt – EWP – High Risk Wo Work r Licences – Ren nder Hazardous Materia als Incidents Safe – Road Crash Rescue – Suppo 10th March 2014
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WORKFORCE SNAPSHOT Continued
Future in small mines The other glimmer of hope lies with small, adaptable mines. While the big players, such as BMA, Anglo American and Glencore have been cutting costs and laying off workers, the future is looking bright for the likes of Bandanna Energy and Stanmore Coal - with both getting closer to starting new projects. Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche told Shift Miner earlier this year that their approach to date has been impressive. “They are giving it a red hot go. They are taking very seriously the signals from the state government on things like coexistence with agriculture. “They are also designing their mines with cost structures that could withstand the current climate.” With costs well down for engineering and construction and a plentiful skilled workforce, now is the time to build. Bandanna Energy is one small company taking advantage of the situation. Since it carried out initial costs estimates two years ago, the latest weakening in mining construction has lowered its operating costs substantially - making the mine more economically viable. Managing director Michael Gray is optimistic. “I think the current coal pricing is tough and remain weak, but important too is that it is oversupply rather than a lack of demand,” he says. “It depends on how long that oversupply will occur and I think it will be consumed over the next few years, and we want to position ourselves as to where the new supply will come from 2015-16 onwards,” he said. Stanmore Coal has also been bucking the trend. This small coal explorer has been looking for opportunities to firm up existing projects in the Surat and Bowen
Basins and fast-track production. In January, it signed a joint venture agreement with a Japanese Governmentowned company for its Surat Basin Clifford Project. In its last quarterly activities report, Stanmore Coal said the company was preparing to act on the short-sightedness of the majors. “History reflects that many successful new coal projects and companies are built in difficult market conditions when large resource company strategies are driven by short-term shareholder expectations,” the report reads. “The company aims to capitalise on these opportunities through transaction structures which limit the need for upfront capital or will identify new sources of capital to finance these transactions.” Mid-cap miner Cockatoo Coal is also ploughing ahead after it was granted two new mining leases last September for its Baralaba mine expansion in the Bowen Basin. The $311 million expansion will increase production at the mine from 750,000 tonnes per annum to 3.5 million. The Baralaba mine currently ships its coal through the RG Tanna terminal at Gladstone port, but the extra tonnage will go through the Wiggins Island terminal (WICET) currently under construction. “The timing of the expansion is designed to dovetail with the completion of Wiggins Island and our three million tonne allocation,” Cockatoo’s executive director Peter Nightingale told Shift Miner. Clermont’s Blair Athol mine, now under the stewardship of New Emerald Coal, is also ready for operation but is waiting on official paperwork to be signed off by the state government before it can begin in full swing at the site. New Emerald Coal chief executive Michael Mapp says plans to have workers on site in January had been delayed
Labour hire doubles in 2013 By Angus Peacocke
QUEENSLAND mining companies are forging ahead with projects and they still need the right people to do it - but they are looking for new, productive ways of manning them. That’s according to One Key Resources managing director Grant Wechsel, who told Shift Miner demand for labour hire doubled for them throughout 2013. “Every position is now critical, you don’t just send people to a site anymore,” he explained. “There is a high level of management required to make sure they are hitting benchmarks.” Mr Wechsel said at the same time as demand doubled, the nature of the labour hire business had also substantially changed.
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Two or three years ago, labour hire was considered an option for the last 20 per cent of the workforce, he said. Now it’s considered a productivity alternative, which means labour hire personnel need to hit the ground running. “In the past there was a misconception or maybe even a reality in some cases that other labour hire companies treated their people poorly, and they were delivered on site with very little support,” he said. “That has certainly changed today.” Mr Wechsel said his company has a full screening process to match experienced people with the right machine so workers can get on with the job quickly and easily. “It means that you have a committed workforce, with good attendance, achieving their benchmarks,” he said. “It’s about creating a culture of productivity.”
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because the company was still awaiting its official tenure transfer from former owners Rio Tinto to be approved. Despite hundreds of lay-offs, some of the big mines are also in growth mode. BMA’s Daunia mine was officially opened last month but has been operating over the past six months, and its enormous proposed Red Hill mine - mothballed in 2012 - is now back on the cards. The miner is also looking to expand its Broadmeadow and Goonyella mines near Moranbah. Not to mention Caval Ridge, which expects to be in operation at the end of this year. The big focus is what will happen in the Galilee Basin, where momentum is slowly building up - at least on paper with four mega mines on the cards. Infrastructure continues to be a bugbear, although there has been some headway with GVK and Aurizon agreeing to work with existing rail.
Wage wake-up The big change, along with the shedding of thousands of jobs, has been a dramatic drop in wages. Last year Mr Joy saw some clients’ wages drop from $120 an hour to $75, and other wages from $40 an hour to $30. “The wage correction is still going on, like it has for the past 12 months, and I don’t see that it will stop.” Although there are still some businesses in Mackay paying higher
wages, they are on the brink of falling over, he says. Safety officers, once taking home one of the top pay packets, have seen their salaries slashed by 10 per cent in Queensland and a whopping 20 per cent in Western Australia. A survey of more than 1000 people people working in safety for publicly listed companies found wages Health Safety and Environment officers working in Queensland have, on average, has seen their wage fall from around $191,000 to $171,000, while in WA the same role has fallen from $227,000 to $180,000. The inflated wage was due to people in regional roles being paid a premium to the point where some people were earning more than their city-based bosses. Mr Joy believes wages could still be wound back, because the market is still being inflated by big mining and contracting companies that force smaller operators to take on their site agreements. “It’s a situation that doesn’t need to exist in the first place. People don’t need to be told to work for inflated rates when there are blokes happy to work with what they have,” he said. “When you’re told you have to work $40 an hour for what you were being paid $30 an hour to do, you won’t be unhappy. But you will be unhappy when the business can’t sustain that and falls through six months down the track.”
NOW HIRING
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Looking for local LOCALS - not FIFO workers - are still the preferred option in Queensland mining, according to leading contingent labour and recruitment firm Workpac. General manager of operations Cameron Hockaday said employers were still looking locally, not because of any philosophical preference, but simply because of the productive advantages. “The message we are getting is definitely that there is a desire to support local engagement,” Mr Hockaday told Shift Miner. “It is genuinely a big criteria when we try and recruit people. Our customers want a workforce living close to the site, preferably in a local town, turning up on time and fresh for work.” Mr Hockaday said despite the downturn, demand for the right skills had not disappeared from the coalfields. However, he said due to the uncertainty in the market, the way in which businesses put on staff had changed. “The question being asked of us is how can we deliver our services with more efficiency, which I think is very different to two years ago when it was very much about production at any cost,” said Mr Hockaday. In a time of tight budgets, he said contingent labour had become particularly attractive to employers because they know the people they are getting are skilled, experienced and “production ready” for the machine they are going to operate. This lowers downtime, reduces onsite training and ultimately delivers
increased productivity. Mr Hockaday said despite the downturn, there was still plenty of movement in the labour market. “There is still definitely hiring in the sector. “The quoted industry annual turnover figure is around 23 per cent according to Energy Skills Queensland’s Heartbeat report for the mining industry, so there are opportunities even when mines are in a steady state.” “But expectations have certainly adjusted, it’s no secret that pay rates have come back a few pegs.” Further south, in the booming CSG sector, the use of contingent labour hasn’t been as widely adopted. “In the gas sector things are a little bit different,” he said. “That industry is being driven by the big permanent model, and perhaps that is because they are looking for a very specific set of highly skilled people - and maybe those people don’t lend themselves to the contingent labour model. “Having said that, we did assist some of the subcontractor businesses in the Surat Basin locate people locally.” Mr Hockaday said the one gamechanger for the outlook in Queensland mining was the Galilee Basin. “That’s the big elephant in the room… it could be anything from six months to two years [from development] depending on who you talk to. “That’s the big wild card in the mix.”
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Shift Miner Magazine It’s a gas IT’s a tale of two industries. As mining tries to pry its way out of the doldrums, the gas industry is ramping up and adding sparkle and optimism to Queensland’s economy. In its 20-year forecast, Energy Skills Queensland expects the gas workforce to peak around 15,000, with increasing employment opportunities in rural centres such as Miles, Chinchilla, Dalby, and Wandoan and across to Gladstone. For the past 18 months, Gladstone has been gripped by the CSG construction boom, as thousands of workers descended on the city to build the three LNG plants and associated infrastructure on Curtis Island. The workforce on the island will peak at about 10,500 mid-year, but as the construction phase starts to wind down, operational and maintenance workers will be in demand. Deloitte Australia’s national director of oil and gas, Geoffrey Cann, predicts this will be the best growth opportunity for services companies in Gladstone for the next 40 years. Key areas of service will include transport, utilities, emissions, spare parts and maintenance - all requiring labour, according to Mr Cann. However, Energy Skills Queensland chief executive Glenn
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Porter says the real jobs growth won’t be in Gladstone but upstream in the gasfields. “Recruiting and training for a range of upstream positions - such as the drilling and well service area - are going through major growth,” he told Shift Miner. Between 30,000 and 40,000 wells need to be drilled over the next 20 years and this rapid growth has seen a severe shortage of experienced drillers. The use of cutting-edge technology from Canada and the US - beyond what has ever been seen before in Australia - has added pressure to drilling companies. “There is a massive gap in training,” Mr Porter said. Companies, who would prefer to be in the business of drilling, are employing experienced toolpushers and drill managers on 457 visas and carrying out training in order to fill the gap. “Ideally, they would like the infrastructure to be there, but it’s not and they are forced to train their own workers, and it is putting a lot of pressure on them.” Mr Porter says this is just a short-term solution, as the industry is committed to training. “They are not just committed to training, but committed to
providing career paths where you have the ability to move up with further development and training. So there are opportunities.” With many drilling companies developing their own training, there are opportunities for those with no experience in the sector to start out as leasehands or floorhands and over seven to 10 years work their way up to drill managers. “Generally the drilling industry are recruiting people from a range of backgrounds - some have trades, some worked in various roles outdoors.” People from an agricultural background are particularly attractive as they work with their hands, work outdoors and are used to hard, physical work. Other opportunities are in the well-engineering space, where between 500 and 1000 jobs could be created in the next 12 months. “There’s also fuel development,” Mr Porter says. “Once you have a well in the ground, you need to capture the gas and water and shift it to different places, so there is a need for basic civil construction and pipework.” The well-servicing industry is another big growth industry, as once you drill and get the gas out, you need to ensure the well continues to push the gas out.
Disengaged workforce kills productivity PUSHING for increased productivity during a time of job insecurity may just achieve the opposite, according to an industry psychologist. Naomi Armitage, director of Gryphon Psychology, specialises in psychology services for the mining industry and said the uncertain environment is having a big impact on workforce engagement. “What we’re getting is a lot of queries about at the moment is from management saying their workforce seems to be really disengaged,” she told Shift Miner late last year. “But disengagement is a product of an uncertain environment. If you are uncertain over a long period of time, then you don’t put a lot of effort into what you do. In an uncertain environment, you are even more stressed, so you become more disengaged, and when you’re disengaged you tend to withdraw.” Ms Armitage said it comes down to what sort of leaders you have. There are two types. “The first type is the authoritarian leader. When they get stressed, they tend to become even more authoritarian. “They are the ones who will say: ‘You lazy so and so, get working, do this etc’. People will comply, but as soon as you walk away, they will put down their tools and they won’t perform,” she said. The second type of leader - and the one that is far more effective - is the cooperative leader. “This leader works with their workforce and communicates. They
will say to their workforce that they are in this situation together, so how can we manage it? These people ask for feedback, are more involved and they take more responsibility.” There are more of the authoritarian leaders in the industry, and the more stressed they get, the more they tell their workforce to knuckle down. “It makes the situation worse,” Ms Armitage said. It is about modelling behaviour, she said. If you are a leader who will take a cut in pay or will take on extra tasks yourself, your workforce will be more willing to do the same. “This is no different to how you manage your kids. If you wear your seatbelt, your kids will wear their seatbelts. I talk about parenting a lot.” Engaging your workforce is also linking issues and policies to what people value. “Know what your workforce wants. If it is productivity, we know that people value job security, so it will be talking about how cutting costs here etc will make your job safer. “It’s about getting leaders to understand that.” Most companies are already taking this approach when it comes to safety. If you have a rule, it’s about going back to your workforce and asking them why the rule is there. “It’s linking it to a personal value. For example, if you don’t follow a certain process and you lose your arm, how would that affect your life? “We forget about that.”
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Productivity “desperate for resuscitation” By Alex Graham
QUEENSLAND coal mines need to drastically reduce waste if they want to significantly increase productivity on site - and cost cutting is not the best way to achieve it. That’s the opinion of productivity specialist David Irvine, who runs consultancy firm Siecap. Over the past 12 months, Mr Irvine has been looking at the ways to drive productivity at several Bowen Basin mines struggling in the era of the high Australian dollar and low coal prices. “There has been a massive swing in terms of focus,” Mr Irvine told Shift Miner. “We are working at several sites to look at new ways to remove waste and get more efficient at everything we do.” Mr Irvine said the biggest waste on mine sites was too much inventory - a legacy of bad practice in boom times. “We are looking at the inbound supply chain in terms of fuel, tyres, explosives, parts and how to manage that flow of material,” he said. “Typically people have a bad habit of buying too much and
don’t have a good process of being able to review what they need and manage their inventories. You have a high amount of working capital and things sitting around with no strategy for storage.” Mining companies have spent the past 12 months cutting costs by slashing contracts and letting
go of staff. However, Mr Irvine said cost cutting doesn’t drive sustainable development. “Quite often you damage relationships with suppliers so while you might achieve a shortterm saving you lose a lot of good will,” he said. “The real value is in re-
engineering systems, not just doing things in a certain way because it’s the way it has always been done.” Companies are often daunted by an overhaul of all systems, so a gradual process is put in place. Workers, too, can often baulk at change if too
much is expected in one hit. “It is certainly something that is challenging, and where companies fail is often in the big bang approach,” said Mr Irvine. “You need to set a vision for the future and go about it in a staged approach, celebrating the changes as they are made.”
Eat well, sleep well and get the job done WE are what we eat - that’s the message most of us grew up with. If it’s true, it doesn’t bode well for miners who are famous (or infamous) for their high protein and fatty appetites (read: known to enjoy a counter meal in any pub west of the Pacific Ocean). However, this is changing according to Easternwell camp management general manager Marco Waanders. He says while the days of steak and chips at dinner time haven’t disappeared, there is a growing group of miners who want to look and feel good.
And, from his observations, it has big implications for productivity. “We believe there is a strong connection with what you eat and how you perform at work,” Mr Waanders told Shift Miner. “We recently had an instance where we had two identical camps working on similar projects.” “One camp implemented our healthy eating program which saw a complete overhaul of the meal options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the other camp continued to provide unhealthy options. “Over time, the camp
which maintained a healthy menu incurred fewer incidents and delivered a higher level of work.” Easternwell has mining accommodation across both the Surat and Bowen Basins servicing both the CSG and coal sector. While they might be delivering the changes, the demand for change is coming from their clients. He says employees want to work for businesses who make their health and wellbeing a priority. “Mining camps have
definitely advanced from what they were 10 years ago and the driving force behind this change is the increase in competition for the same workers. “While the new eating alternatives are offered across all our sites, we are not trying to force people onto them; we are just offering people an alternative if they want it. “For the future we are working on new ways to reduce the amount of salt, sugar and sodium in our menus, which are all contributing factors to diabetes and heart disease.”
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Around Town
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PUNTERS PARADISE The weather was superb for the crowd at the annual Bluff Races held recently. [Photo credit: Jeannette Fletcher]
Leylan Spark and Dani Lohmann giving some words of encouragement to their horse Rytarga
(L-R) Lexy, Cash, Macey and Sarah Crawford
Jemma Holmyard and Nik Beilharz
(L-R) Ailsa LeGood, Dawn McNellie and Betty Widt
(L-R) Rebecca Broom, Megan Latchford, (L-R) Nicole Johnson, Hayley Daniels, Caitlyn Byrne, Michelle Window and Moo Howells and Bubba H. Dana O’Brien and Maddison Hatton
Lynn Groombridge and Pam Jones
(L-R) Sally Bricknell, Tina Devonshire, Ebony McDonald, Sarah Chirgwin and Jodi Rehbein
Scotty Murray’s Bucks Party mates
(L-R) Winners of the Fashion on the Fields - Mitchell Power and Maddison Hatton ( Best Dressed Couple), Cathy Hoare (Best Dressed Senior Lady), Kristin Peters (Ladies Fashion), Dana O’Brien (Best Accessories), Dawn McNeville (Best Headwear), Jada Broderick (Best Dressed Junior Female), Chris Conway (Best Dressed Male), Cash Crawford (Best Dressed Junior Boy), and Elara Hollamby (Best Dressed Junior Girl)
Cash Crawford who won (L-R) Riley McKenzie, Dicko and Josh Snell best dressed junior male
(L-R) Cathy Hoare, Kim Brown, Peta McNamara, Vicki Pearce, Kristin Pearce, Rachel De Jong, Benita Hay, and Amanda Bradshaw
(L-R) Ollie and Aaron McLaughlin
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
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LITTLE KICKERS!
Recognise anyone you know? Middlemount locals out and about at Saturday morning Little Kickers or Sunday morning brunch recently. [Photo credit: Nicky Way]
(L-R) Lunetta, Tony, Sophie and Emily Friend
Felicity Guilonard and Tanya Miller
(L-R) Elijah White, Michael Vanzyl, Lauchlan Rasmussen, Michael John and Ezra White
Top Row (L-R) : Kev Jacobsen, Steve Cobbin, Finn Jacobsen, Jacob Cobbin Bottom Row (L-R) : Asher Jacobsen, Nicole Jacobsen, Kathy Cobbin, Kaitlyn Cobbin
Meisha and Korrin Bourke
Chris and Bryon Herricane
Jane and Neri White
Matt and Max Way
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FROm THE EDITOR
Strong-arm tactics IT is alarming that big companies in the mining industry have been demanding contractors open their books and then dictating what margins a small business can make. It flies in the face of competition and fair trading. What is even more surprising is that this is not a hidden practice but apparently a widely accepted norm. To me, this clearly anti-competitive in nature and I can’t imagine how it could happen in any other industry. What happened to letting the market dictate the price? Mackay-based workplace contractor Craig Joy makes a very fair point in our page 4 article that the conduct is hypocritical of principal contractors. These are the very same businesses who drove up the prices in the boom times - demanding that everything be done yesterday with no expense spared - and now they are scrutineering their
sub-contractors’ books. It is no different to an employer telling their employee to show their bank accounts, dictating a budget to live by and then determining what they will pay. This is an industry that lives and dies - by market conditions but obviously on its own terms. And it is very much a David and Goliath battle, as what small business - reliant on these contracts - is going to object? To do so means the end of your business. If you are business who has been told to open your books, we want to hear from you and we will keep your identity anonymous. Inga Stünzner Has your business had to open its books? SMS or email us…. Comment or SMS 0409 471 014
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Stuff to the Editor Here at Shift Miner we love hearing from you. Drop us a line anytime and tell us a little about your neck of the woods. Recently we received this email from Bowen’s biggest fan. It’s a tribute to the home of the giant mango: The theft of the big mango in Bowen was a publicity stunt. But let me tell you about Bowen. It is a true haven, the most beautiful little town. On any given day it can be found on the edge of, in the midst of, recovering from or not giving a damn about a $$ boom. Call it mining or shipping or construction or tourism it’s not important. What is so awesome about Bowen is its Queensland-ism - it’s a very laid back small coastal town between Mackay and the North Queensland hub of Townsville. Mackay has a large coal miner population that are very self-aware and overly sensitive to the point of them being almost permanently spooked, which I think they have a right to be. Living between the axe and the block does that. Townsville has become a Sunday trading, fast-paced and central service hub for North Queensland. I can’t help but think the captains of industry and policy brains-trust will be twisting and crafting Townsville into a very Brisbane-style city in the next decades - which may well be a good thing. Then there’s Bowen. Bowen sits alongside Cooktown for me as jewels of the North Queensland Coast. They are so laid back that I am reminded the only way to get that feeling is by not caring about it.
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MACKA Y
It is not apathy, it is almost coolness. Bowen’s streets and roads are relief from the dyslexic, Rukic’s Cube of the modernday OCD town planning trend, which makes it very easy for plumbers to pipes up 14 houses a week in a new building estate but leaves me with biblical thoughts of flood and fire at 0500 on Sunday when the kids next door are playing xbox in their bedroom, which thanks to design, is 3.5 metres from my bed. Bowen’s layout predates this and is unique. Leaving the town centre heading north, travellers approach the arterial link up. The three-way intersection has no 90 degree feed to make it overly easy: I guess it’s where the Old road meets the New road. Driving in from the south requires more than following the 3km to McCrap signs as well - if the driver is not thinking he may well bypass Bowen all together. Bowen is not a watersport/reef type holiday set up. It feels like what I imagine coastal holidays would have been in 60s before tourism made an unholy alliance with credit card providers. A holiday in Bowen would be a true switching off - walking, reading, fishing, eating, drinking and lots of not much.
CARTON OF BEER FOR YOUR EYES! It’s back by popular demand.
Rescued! Sent in by one of our readers.
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You SMS us a photo to 0428 154 653 of something you’ve seen on site. A bogged digger, the boss’s chocked motorbike - whatever tickles your fancy. Tell us in the text message what we’re looking at. Every three months we’ll decide on a winner and post you out a carton of beer! So SMS your pics to 0428 154 653
on
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Frank the Tank’s Dear Frank, My girlfriend is great and I really like her. There’s just one problem - she insists on going everywhere with me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favour of spending time together, but sometimes it’s good to have some ‘bloke time’. How can I get her to give me some space without hurting her feelings? Dan, Rockhampton Heavens above, Dan! How about showing a bit of backbone and standing up to your girlfriend? I swear 21st century men have gone soft. Back in what I like to call ‘the golden age’, women spent 24 hours a day in the kitchen, with the exception of a weekly two-hour excursion to the grocery store. My first girlfriend didn’t see the moon until she was 30, and that was only out of necessity (I ran out of beer and was forced
to authorise a late-night grocery outing). Unfortunately things have changed remarkably, and I for one blame technology. Facebook, smartphones, wi-fi and other things of that nature are nothing more than fancy ways for your girlfriend to keep track of you. I know what you’re thinking, “Frank, I’d never be stupid enough to give away my whereabouts to my girlfriend on Facebook.” Well, you should be worried about your mates. No matter what the situation there’s always someone who thinks it’s a good idea to ‘tag’ everybody at their current location. Imagine the trouble I get into when I arrive home and have to explain why “Frank the Tank was at ‘midnight donkey show’ with eight others”. Gripes with technology aside, a clingy girlfriend is the worst experience I’ve ever had to endure - and I once tried to perform my own colonoscopy using a digital camera and a roll of glad wrap.
Fair Dinkum!
“Streakin” good love advice
The best way to escape the neediness of your girlfriend, Dan, is to employ what I like to call ‘the smoke bomb’. Say your girlfriend insists on tagging along to the pub. You say, “Sure thing, honey, no problem.” As soon as you arrive, excuse yourself to use the gents and then ‘poof!’ you’re gone. The only downside to this technique is it has a virtual 100 per cent guarantee you’ll be single within 24 hours, although for some people this may not be a problem. Keeping your girlfriend and your personal space is a much more delicate operation and can only be achieved through pharmaceutical drugs. If you’ve got a big night out with the boys planned, spike your girlfriend’s drink a few hours prior with a few sleeping pills. She’ll spend the next 15 hours under the sandman’s sweet embrace while you visit local gentleman’s establishments unencumbered by your girlfriend.
IN NEW ZEALAND
IN THE US - Brace yourselves.
According to one of America’s top clowning organisations, the US is staring
down the barrel of an unprecedented clown shortage. Older clowns have begun dying, and apparently there aren’t enough younger
Dan, Like most things relationship-wise, the best course of action is a good oldfashioned talk. It’s possible your girlfriend wants to go everywhere with you because she thinks it’s what you want. The worst thing you can do is ignore this situation until it becomes a really serious problem. Have a chat with your girlfriend and just be honest; tell her that you need some time to watch footy with the guys or have a round of golf. In many cases spending a bit of time apart can actually make your relationship stronger.
Susan
Frank clowns stepping up to take their place. The President of Clowning America told a media outlet that many children just do not see clowning as cool anymore. It has not been reliably reported whether children have ever considered clowning cool.
DYING BREED: like WWE champion Doink, who passed away last year, clowns are dying out faster than they are being replaced in the US.
SENSIBLE SUSAN
Prime Minister John Key has issued a formal statement denying that he is a shape shifting reptile from outer space. As crazy as it sounds, one of Mr Key’s constituents filed an open information act asking the prime minister to prove that he wasn’t “a David Icke-style shapeshifting reptilian alien”. In a statement to a TV news station in New Zealand, Mr Key said he had taken the unusual step of visiting both a doctor and a vet to confirm that he was not a reptile. He also denied ever having been to outer space.
IN THE UK - A couple’s wedding day was ruined after a fight between
guests broke out at the reception. What caused the sudden outburst of violence? A pork pie. The reception was cut short after police had to be called to break up the disturbance. Officers with the West Yorkshire Police Force took to Twitter following the closure of the wedding, saying they had been called to break up a large fight. They also added ‘#dayruined’.
IN CHINA
- Parents can now anonymously dump unwanted babies at one of 25 ‘baby hatches’ across the country. The hatches have been set up by the country’s authorities, despite criticism that it encourages people to give up their children. The hatches allow parents to anonymously place a baby in an incubator, press an alarm and then leave. The baby is then collected a short time later. The baby hatch program is designed to give abandoned children a better chance at survival.
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MOVIE Review by Justin Carlos
Aussie horror icon back for second stab HEHEHEH:get ready for another bout of the creepiest laughs in Aussie cinema history.
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Mick Taylor and British tourist Paul Hammersmith, who unwittingly becomes the subject of Taylor’s psychotic pursuit. After the success of the first Wolf Creek
as deranged Aussie serial killer, Mick Taylor, in Wolf Creek 2. The main plot of the film is a sort of violent cat-and-mouse game between
EIGHT years ago John Jarratt gave Aussie movie goers one of the creepiest laughs in cinema history. Now he’s back to reprise his role
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Across 1. Decision 5. Preserved (meat) 9. Setting agent 10. Verse 12. Running (of stockings) 13. Hawk’s claw 14. Glides on snow 16. Intermittent rain 19. Clergymen 21. Zodiac crossover 24. Swagger 25. Sent by flight post 27. Tripoli native 28. More old-fashioned 29. Arabic village head 30. Trusted in, ... on
film, it’s somewhat surprising it took eight years for a sequel to be made. Fans of the first film and horror movies in general are sure to enjoy Wolf Creek 2. There is no shortage of murder and mayhem and Mick Taylor is just as demented as he was in the originally outing. Like a lot of recent horror films Wolf Creek 2 looks to add some authenticity to the narrative by telling the audience, ‘this film is based on actual events’. Wolf Creek 2 is an exaggerated account of the plight of English backpacker Paul Onions, who was picked up by Ivan Milat in the early 90s but managed to escape unscathed. The film is certainly entertaining and features a number of chilling scenes, although one can’t help but feel ‘Mick Taylor’ has become a ‘larger than life’ character, like Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street. Wolf Creek 2 sees Mick spouting a constant stream of Aussie slang - at times verging on the cringeworthy - which appears specifically designed to cement the character as the horror genre’s newest anti-hero. If you enjoyed the first Wolf Creek film, or enjoy horror movies in general then Wolf Creek 2 is a must see. On the other hand, if you’re at all squeamish about blood, guts or psychotic Aussie bushmen then maybe give this one a miss.
Down 1. Keep balls in air 2. Hoodwink 3. Bishop’s hat 4. Children’s nurses 6. Genetic alterations 7. More considerate 8. Lack of hearing 11. Hollandaise sauce dish, ... Benedict 15. Rejection (5-4) 17. Disciples # 62 18. Introductory statement 20. Suddenly lose control 21. Revel 22. Tiled 23. Loved 26. Emerge
LAST EDITION’S SOLUTIONS S I C K N E S S C H A E O P I N I ON S T E L D A I N F E S T I NG A S N E SMUG S V S O A N Y T I ME O N N S A N GROU T S UG U P N Y O A I S L E S W I R I S N D E S I S T E G
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Shift Miner Handy Cross blank grid.pdf ©Lovatts Publications 5/03/09 artist – mb
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Interesting exam answers
IN honour of school starting back for another year, we’ve compiled a list of hilarious answers to exam questions by students, and the equally hilarious responses by teachers. Some of these kids undoubtedly scored a zero on the exam, but we’ll give them top marks for creativity.
Tracey’s wrong This student could expect an A+ for their answer, had Frank the Tank been teaching the class.
Points for trying Finally, a teacher who appreciates drawings of giraffes in lieu of actual knowledge. If only all school teacher’s held the same view.
All the single planets… This teacher obviously wasn’t a Beyonce fan…
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Wrong subject This student’s talents appear to lie in art rather than math...although the teacher did give them a nine for the problem, which doesn’t seem too bad.
The human body Well...this is disturbing. This student’s next exam should probably evaluate their mental health…
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No phone’s at the Colonel’s table! and his illuminati of herbs and spices to capitalise on lonely, phoneless diners? Without memes, instagram and snapchat, patrons might be more inclined to treat their loneliness with the reckless consumption of fried chicken. More serious than the potential impact on one’s cholesterol is the removal of a very valuable ‘shield’. A phone allows the fast food patron to look otherwise engaged while consuming their meal. PHONE HOME: well, you can’t at one Sydney-based KFC. Without that shield of engagement you’re free to be approached by other patrons of KFC who may pose questions like: ONE KFC store in Sydney is insisting that • Can I sit with you? patrons check their phones at the door • Are you going to eat the rest of that? before eating a meal. • Do you mind if I wipe my face They say that when customers come in on your napkin? they all look ‘pretty lonely’ staring at their • Would you like to see my collection phones while they eat, so they’ve decided of human skin? to play mother and enstate a ‘no phones at My gut feeling is that a phone ban the table’ rule. won’t reduce the number of lonely This...is...ridiculous. diners, but may increase drive through Sure, if you’re out to dinner with a group congestion. of people, or even dining alone at a swanky Patrons are far more likely to purchase restaurant, it’s bad form to whip out the old their food through the drive-thru, park smart phone at the table...but at KFC? their car and dine in the sweet embrace of If you’re having lunch alone what their phone. difference does it make if you’re texting or In the interest of public safety, if you do using Facebook? decide to partake in a fried chicken feast in Surely customers would look infinitely your vehicle, ensure you clean your hands more lonely slumped in a booth at KFC without their phone to keep them company. thoroughly before driving. Chicken grease on the steering wheel is Perhaps it’s a clever ploy by the Colonel
SHIFT MINER’S PICK What’s Happening?
St Patrick’s Day Races Rockhampton Saturday, March 15, 2014
A highlight of the racing calendar, St Patrick’s Day Races is guaranteed to be a day of great racing, dining, fashion and fun! Racegoers are encouraged to dress to impress as there will be a range of fantastic prizes to be won in Fashions on the Field. Support the Rockhampton Jockey Club and the Catholic Schools, and celebrate in style!
Alternate realities? Parallel universes? Strassman’s side-splitting new show tumbles down the rabbit hole - a mind-bending journey where nothing is as it seems. March 21, 7pm Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre Tickets available from $54.90. Purchase online, from MECC Box Office or over the phone.
Shockwave Sunday, April 6, 2014
Link for More Details: www.human.org.au/programs/shockwave/
Entry Cost Adult: $15.00
Region: Queensland - Blackall
Gates Open 11am Address: Reaney Street Rockhampton, Queensland 4700 Phone: 07 4931 3600
David Strassman Live! Friday, March 21, 2014 Mackay
Shockwave is a festival designed by, for and with young people and the wider community of Central West Queensland to celebrate, exchange and learn about creative arts and as an opportunity for young people’s artistic expression. The multi-award winning Shockwave Festival forms part of a creative skills development program working with young people aged 10 to 25 from throughout Central Western Queensland.
Want more events in your world?
Go online and look at our events guide. It’s updated daily. www.shiftminer.com or get the iPhone app
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Strangest foods in a can SOME foods are well suited to being canned, soup for example. Others, well, that’s a different story. Take a look at some of the strangest foods ever sold in a can. Cheeseburger in a can
Fish teeth?
This raises a lot of questions. Is the burger already cooked? Do you heat it up? What keeps it fresh inside the can? All I know is your chance of winning the lottery is far greater than the canned burger looking anything like it does in the picture.
This appears to be a can of piranha, or fish of some kind. I’m not sure if you’ll find this on the shelves of your local supermarket. It looks more like something you’d eat to win immunity on Survivor.
Whole chicken in a can
Roasted scorpions
Okay...so maybe the cheeseburger wasn’t so bad. Having seen what ‘Sweet Sue’s’ fully cooked, homestyle chicken looks like there’s no way in hell I want to visit her kitchen. If you were thinking of serving canned chicken at your next family get together...don’t.
Why not add some flair to your cooking with a few roasted scorpions? They’re great on a pizza, or they can really take a salad to the next level. Now that they come in a can it’s also much safer than attempting to catch and roast them yourself.
Beer laws you won’t believe WHEN it comes to drinking a beer the law is pretty straightforward, right? Don’t drink and drive, don’t drink in public and don’t drink if you’re underage. As it turns out there are some very strange laws relating to the amber ale out there, and here are some of our favourites.
Crocodile curry There’s just something wrong about curry in a can. Sure, it’s possible that it could be really delicious and great value for money. I think it’s more likely that liberal consumption of this crocodile curry will see you spending several hours on the can.
More than it can chew
Scotland Forget drink driving in Scotland. It’s illegal to be in possession of a cow if you’re intoxicated. We’re interested in how this law came into being. Were the people of Scotland so frequently wreaking drunken, bovine-based havoc that a law needed to be passed? If you know the answer please contact us.
Nebraska, USA It’s illegal to sell beer in your home unless you’re concurrently making a kettle of soup.
Iowa, USA So, you fancy having a few down at the local, staggering home and hopping in bed with your wife? Not in the state of Iowa. It’s illegal to have more than three sips of beer on board while in bed with your wife. Non-compliance is punished by way of a fine, though it’s pretty doubtful this law is ever enforced.
Western Australia
MAN-BOOBS: crushing beer cans between breasts is illegal in Western Australia, but we are not sure if this includes attaching stubbies to your man-boobs.
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In Western Australia it’s illegal to crush a beer can between your breasts. Think this sounds crazy? Apparently not adhering to this law recently cost a pub in the west $1000 in fines. We’re not sure if this law is strictly aimed at the fairer sex, or if the word ‘breasts’ also encompasses manboobs.
SHOCKED onlookers at Lake Moondarra, near Mount Isa, thought an enormous water python had bitten off more than it could chew when it attacked a crocodile last week. But it hadn’t. Mount Isa mother Tiffany Corlis captured the contest on camera, taking a series of shots that documented the huge snake’s assault on the croc. ‘‘[The crocodile] was fighting at the start, so it was trying to keep its head out of
water and survive,’’ she told ABC North West Queensland Radio on Monday. ‘‘But as the morning sort of progressed, you could tell that both of them were getting a little weaker. ‘‘Finally, the croc sort of gave in and the snake had uncoiled for a little while and had a brief break and then actually started to consume the crocodile.’’ And according to snake experts, this is not unusual.
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Bait Shop Banter
in the coming weeks to allow anglers to get offshore. “We’re really waiting for the weather to come good so we can get out and chase a few red fish,” said Nathan. Nathan reckons Victor Creek is well worth a look if you’re chasing barra, and that there’s a few prawns around Seaforth as well.
Gladstone
- Although the weather has prevented any offshore fishing, there’s plenty happening in the creeks and estuaries around Gladstone. “There’s plenty of barra around, the estuaries have been fishing extremely well. South Trees inlet has been holding
YEPPOON
- Like most places along the coast, windy weather has kept anglers confined to the creeks and estuaries of late. Adrian from the Secret Spot Bait and Tackle in Yeppoon said the fishing is ‘feast or famine’ at the moment. “There’s been a lot of people catching good barra at the town reaches on live mullet, but they haven’t really fished well on the bigger tides.” Good numbers of salmon are also appearing in the creeks and estuaries, but landing them has provided similarly frustrating. “There’s a lot of bait in the water and it’s really stirring up the salmon, but despite that they’ve proved hard to hook at
big numbers of good size grunter and mangrove jack and there’s been a few salmon getting around in the harbour.” If you’re out in the estuaries it’s well worth running a few pots as well. “We’ve had a lot of good, full crabs caught lately, and they seem to be pretty consistent across the entire Gladstone area,” said Dylan. There have also been catches of good size flathead at the narrows, and plenty of barra in the upper reaches of the river. If you have a good photo or fishing yarn send it through to our resident bait chucker-
angus.peacocke@shiftminer.com
times,” said Adrian. Crabbing in the rivers and estuaries around Yeppoon and Rockhampton has been excellent on the big tides, so it’s well worth running the pots.
Mackay
- Unpleasant weather has kept the fishing around Mackay fairly quiet recently. Nathan from Tackle World Mackay said that while the fishing hasn’t been good overall, some spots are still producing nice catches. “The Seaforth area has been fishing and crabbing quite well, with the creeks not having as much fresh water in them that’s really the best spot at the moment.” It’s hoped that the weather will improve
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Middlemount Races date is set
WINNER: Winston the dachshund was the winner in 2013 and will be back this year.
HORSES, humans and dachshunds are off and racing to the biggest social event on the Middlemount calendar. The 26th Middlemount Races is set to take place on Saturday, August 2, and the committee is wasting no time in organising this popular event. Race Committee President Bill Gray said the first committee meeting went well and the call for sponsors has gone out. “We’re aiming to make the race day an event the whole family can enjoy and the whole community can get behind of course we can’t do that without the support of our sponsors,” he said. This year the hotly contested Fashions on the Field, the corporate VIP lounge, Dachshund Races, Band Shoeless Joe and a five horse race event will return. “We get great support from our sponsors but by the time you pay for the rides, entertainment, prize money, security, liquor licensing requirements, catering, infrastructure, race track upkeep
and other costs it soon goes. “Last year the younger kids and adults were covered, this year, if we can find some extra sponsorship dollars we would like to be able to offer rides for the bigger kids too,” Mr Gray said. The 25th Anniversary Middlemount race day got a pat on the back when they were awarded Event of the Year at the Isaac Regional Council Australia Day awards for 2013. Bill Gray said the award was a great credit to the community and the sponsors who support the event. “Lots of community groups and sponsors get involved each year in the races and I think that’s part of the reason why it won community event of the year,” he said. Winston the daschund agrees and he’ll be back to defend his race winning crown! If you would like to sponsor the Isaac Regional Council Event of the Year, contact Sponsorship Coordinator Fiona Noon on 0433 250 639.
Tronc factor un-nerves competition AFTER finishing runners-up in last season’s competition the Moranbah Miners Rugby League Club are looking to go all the way in 2014. Many clubs in mining towns have reportedly been struggling for numbers recently, but according to club manager Michael Leonard this is not the case in Moranbah. “We’ve got a huge lot of guys to choose from so it’s been sensational.” “There are a lot of players coming back from injury this season so it’s made for great numbers.”
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Mr Leonard also said that mining companies in and around Moranbah appreciate the lifestyle of players outside of work, an attitude which, as reported by Shift Miner, is not held in all resource sectors. “We work as well as we can with the mines, and there’s times when the companies have definitely looked after us.” With the season kicking off March 22 in Mackay, the Miners are focussed on performing well again in 2014. “We had a great back-end of the season last year but suffered a lot of injuries, which really killed us.
“We’re definitely looking to go all the way this year, but you always need a bit of luck.” The Miners have also recruited former Bronco and Cowboys forward, Shane Tronc, a signing which is worrying other clubs in the region. “There are rumours about him playing and a lot of teams are worried, but he’s been out in a decent paddock so we’ll just have to see how he goes.” Mr Leonard said the Miners also have some exciting young talent set to make their mark on the upcoming season.
“We have a young fellow from Townsville who’s just turned 19 and he looks like he’s going to be an absolute sensation, he could probably play four or five different positions and I’d say he’ll push very hard for MVP this season.” With a lot of clubs picking up players in the off season the 2014 competition is shaping up to be fiercely contested. “We’re always worried about Souths, but Wests and Norths have both picked up decent players and Sarina is always reasonably strong, it should be a much closer competition than it has in previous years.”
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Money Matters
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Californian couple finds $10m in buried treasure
TREASURE HUNT: you may have dismissed finding millions of dollars worth of treasure as something from the movies, but it isn’t.
IF you thought the days of buried treasure were long behind us, think again! Over the past month tens of millions of dollars of buried treasure has been unearthed by everyday people. A couple in California who were out walking their dog stumbled across a tin of rare gold coins in almost mint condition, buried in the shade of a tree. A coin authenticator with the Professional Coin Grading Service of Santa Ana appraised the coins and
estimates their value at a whopping $10 million dollars. Recent discoveries have also been made by prospectors in Germany and Scotland. An amateur treasure hunter who was illegally fossicking in a German forest uncovered what is thought to be the country’s largest ever gold-and-silver relic discovery. He unearthed various relics from the Roman Empire, thought to date back over 1500 years. After a visit from police the amateur archaeologist has relinquished all findings to authorities. Charges are likely to be laid against the man, who reportedly caused irreparable damage to several of the artefacts he unearthed, thought to be valued at over $1.5 million. In Scotland a recent amateur find unearthed 322 coins dating back to medieval times. The treasure hunters who uncovered the coins immediately disclosed their find to authorities, and they were handed over to Scotland’s Treasure Trove Unit (yes, it’s real). Although fossickers in Scotland have no legal right to the coins they are often paid a ‘finder’s fee’.
CQ housing market on the decline
DESPITE house sales in Queensland peaking at the end of last year, the outlook for Central Queensland is not so bright. A quarterly report by the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ) found that house sales hit their peak in the last three months of 2013, making it one of the strongest quarters in recent years. While the data shows houses are selling like hot cakes in many regions throughout Queensland, sales in CQ mining towns continue to trend down. In Gladstone preliminary numbers of house sales reduced by 30 per cent over 2013. The market in Mackay is trending similarly, with house sales falling by over 30 per cent during the same period.
ROOM WITH A VIEW
Significant downturn to the north and south has not affected Rockhampton, preliminary sales numbers were solid for 2013 and the median house price rose 0.05 per cent (to $320,000). REIQ Rockhampton zone chair, Noel Livingstone, said the local property market remains stable, despite easing conditions in mining regions. “Rockhampton is fortunate in that it is does not rely solely on the mining industry, or any one industry for that matter and is therefore well-insulated from any downturn,” he said. According to Mr Livingstone buyer activity in the region is split between investors and owner/occupiers. “Investors continue to be attracted to the affordably-priced properties in the area and there are indicators that the rental market is improving,” he said. “Confidence levels remain steady with the outlook for the region quite positive,” he said. “Rockhampton’s property market has historically lagged behind that of the Brisbane market. “Seeing positive sales activity in Brisbane gives the Rockhampton region something to look forward too.”
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15 Giorgi Close
Exotic homes
Keppel Sands Price: $290,000
This is the affordable, low maintenance beach house you’ve been waiting for! Whether you’re looking for a place to retire or a weekender on the coast, this solidly built, two bedroom beauty offers real value for money. The front patio offers a top spot to unwind and take in the sea breezes. The interior is currently set up with one large bedroom and an upstairs loft, but could be easily modified to suit your taste. The kitchen is just five years old and there is accommodation for three cars - or your boat. Contact: Laurette Smith, Capricorn Coast Real Estate, 0439 751 130
for the mobile miner
Enigma Mansion
What better place to beat the CQ heat than on the apple isle? This sleek two-storey property offers amazing views of the Derwent River across to O’Possum Bay. Featuring five bedrooms, three bathrooms and two kitchens this offers versatility as well a views. A secure internal staircase allows the property to be used as two separate apartments, or makes it perfect for when the family comes to stay. With low maintenance, native grounds, off street parking and close proximity to schools, beaches and other services, this property is a must see if you’re seeking a southern sea change. Contact: Kate Schwartz, Petrusma Property - Sandy Bay, 0458 858 594
25 Cummings Street
Eungella, near Mackay Price: $699,000
If you’re going to live in South Africa why not do it in style? The ‘Enigma Mansion’ is located on Cape Town’s most prestigious residential coastline and boasts ‘indulgent interiors that surpass 7-star quality.’ Featuring an artistically designed olympic sized swimming pool, sauna, massage temple, 3D cinema, staff quarters and atelier (a fancy word for an artist’s workshop) the Enigma mansion is more like a resort than a private residence. If you’ve got a penchant for the artistic and a meagre 25 million euro in your back pocket, why not make an offer? www.luxuryportfolio.com
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Taroona, Tasmania Price: $595,000
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5 Kunzea Road
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South Africa Price: € 25,000,000
Do you want to get really high? Then you should check out this spectacular pole home high atop the mountains in Eungella, 80 kms west of Mackay. Imagine sitting in the spa with a beer in hand, taking in the view from your wrap around deck. Inside this home features polished floors throughout, a large, modern kitchen, as well as a wood heater for those chilly nights. If you’ve always pined for a hobby farm then look no further, with 21 acres and established cattle yards this home would be ideal for the amateur wrangler. Contact: Charles Borg, Borg’s Real Estate, 0418723205
Send your exotic dream property details and low resolution images to justin.carlos@shiftminer.com 10th March 2014
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Shift Miner Magazine
Money Matters
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MONEY TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS
The cost of education
HOW much is your children’s education going to cost and how can you pay for it? This is a big question that is discussed by family’s all over Australia. Sadly most parents don’t consider education costs until the bills hit the mail box. If you have a child this year and decide to educate them in state schools, you can expect to pay nearly $60,000 per child over the course of their schooling (preschool to year 12). If you instead send your children to private schools the costs are between $240,000 - $365,000 per child.
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10th March 2014
This is significant and scary if you consider someone with three children could end up paying upwards of $1 million to fund education costs for their family. Most of us aren’t lucky enough to win lotto or be left a big inheritance. For us everyday folks we have to do the hard yards and save. Luckily there are a few strategies that can assist us. The most useful is an “Investment Bond” or “Education Savings Bond”. In its simplest form, this is an investment fund. You put money in, it’s invested in
whatever assets you and your financial planner choose (Australian shares, international shares etc), it earns income and grows over time. The reasons that it works well for education expenses is all of the income earned each year is taxed internally, so you don’t pay the tax personally; and after holding the bond for 10 years you can draw funds out without having any capital gains tax consequences. If you start this investment when your children are very young then it will be able to be drawn by the time they reach high school, which is the most expensive part of their schooling. And don’t forget, anyone can contribute to the bond, such as grandparents parents. Overall an investment bond is a useful device to save for your children’s education in a way that will provide higher returns than banking rates without having to worry about tax. To discuss up an investment bond for your child’s future or continue the conversation, please contact Jeff White on 07 3114 8621 or Simon Milton 07 3114 8652.
MONTHLY STOCK TIP: SEEK (SEK)
Seek is Australia’s biggest online jobs site and has recently moved into direct recruitment; Seek also has interests in education businesses. Over the long term, we believe there is more value to come. Seek has expanded into Asia where print media is still the predominate advertiser, as this shifts to digital media over time Seek will benefit greatly. Please call Jeff White on 07 3114 8621 to buy stock in Seek. To ask them any questions or continue any of these conversations please email jeff.white@morgans.com.au or simon.milton@morgans.com.au and they will try to help.
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Money Matters
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Median unit prices rise across Queensland THE median price of units and townhouses rose throughout most parts of Queensland over the December quarter, according to a recent report by the Real Estate Institute of Queensland. The REIQ’s latest Queensland Market Monitor also found that preliminary numbers of unit sales increased by 6 per cent in the last year. REIQ chief executive Anton Kardash said sales of units and townhouses are continuing to improve in line with house sales, albeit in the south-east corner. “A key difference between the Queensland house and unit markets is that predominantly the lion’s share of these types of properties are located in the southeast as that is where demand for housing is the greatest,” he said. “In fact, demand for units in Brisbane has resulted in record numbers of off-the-plan sales lately. According to recently released research, more than 1000 new apartment sales were transacted in the December quarter – the highest level since 2002.” There was a jump in sales in the prestige unit market in Brisbane, with sales of properties priced between $500,000 and $1 million rising by 13 per cent. Demand for these properties was reflected in rise of median unit prices in suburbs such as Hamilton and Kangaroo Point.
Median prices of units and townhouses on the Sunshine Coast increased 6.3 per cent over the last quarter, and preliminary sales figures of units is up 14 per cent over the same period. “Maroochydore remains the most popular suburb for units on the Sunshine Coast with more than 70 preliminary sales recorded over the quarter,” Mr Kardash said. “The beachside suburbs of Mooloolaba, Noosa Heads and Coolum Beach all recorded sales growth over the quarter which is a sign that demand for prestige units is on the move as well. In fact, sales in the $500,000 to $1 million price bracket increased by 27 per cent
over the quarter on the Sunshine Coast.” Increases in activity occurred in all major regional centres in Queensland, except for Gladstone and Mackay. According to the REIQ, this is due to both centres still currently experiencing a ‘correction in stock levels’. Despite a weakening market in other resource centres, median unit prices in Rockhampton experienced substantial growth over both the December quarter, and for the year ending December. Outside the south-east corner the best performing regions were Townsville and Toowoomba. Both regions saw increases in sales activity and median price over the quarter.
In far north Queensland, the unit market in Cairns is not yet in the same league as the housing market, despite recent improvements. According to agents in the region, however, lower prices are attracting buyers and properties at the bottom end of the market are quickly disappearing. Median unit and townhouse price in Cairns decreased 14.7 per cent to $185,000, but was steady throughout the year ending December. A more reliable indicator of price movement is the yearly price change. In this regard, the Cairns median unit price was steady at $200,000 over the year ending December.
1 year change
Year ending Dec Qtrly change ‘13 median price
Dec ‘13 median price
Location
1.3%
$380,000
3.5%
$408,000
Brisbane City
-0.7%
$340,000
6.3%
$340,000
Sunshine Coast
-15.4%
$330,000
N/A
N/A
Gladstone
-3.1%
$310,000
2.5%
$276,750
Mackay
13.6%
$312,500
9.8%
$279,500
Rockhampton
Morgans is Australia’s largest retail stockbroking and financial planning network.
It is one thing to be clever and another to be
wise George R. R. Martin
Our advisers provide investment recommendations which are supported by award winning research. Clients have access to a wealth of experience in superannuation and self managed super fund advice, retirement and estate planning, portfolio management, strategic planning and personal risk insurances. Morgans and CIMB – Please visit www.morgans.com.au to understand the products and services within our alliance. Morgans Financial Limited ABN 49 010 669 726 AFSL 235410 A Participant of ASX Group A Professional Partner of the Financial Planning Association of Australia
Contact Simon Milton 07 3114 8652 or Jeff White 07 3114 8621 to discuss how we can help you. www.morgans.com.au/milton 10th March 2014
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