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Monday, May 12, 2014 182nd Edition
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Shift Miner Magazine
CONTENTS NEWS
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Online tool to boost FIFO resilience
5 GVK water decision does not jeopardise project 6 QCoal decision bad for industry
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7 Coking coal valuable asset 8 Reckless near-miss with coal train 9 Qld gets 14 new projects 9 Safety warning for gas workers
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10 Mobile workforce causes headache
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11 Toowoomba becomes drilling hub
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Eternal vigilance the price of safety
By Angus Peacocke The death of electrician Paul McGuire at Anglo American’s Grasstree mine near Middlemount last week has left the mining community shocked. It’s a bitter reminder of the relentless danger that lurks around every miner and gas worker across Queensland. Mr McGuire’s death is the first
underground in Queensland in seven years, however he is the eighth miner in eight months to die on an Australian mine site. Put another more terrifying way - it means a miner on average dies every month somewhere on an Australian mine site at the moment. Not to mention that the most recent figures available from Safework Australia
say that in the five years to 2012, there were an average of eight injuries a day serious enough to warrant a week or more off work in the mining sector. Miners and gas workers don’t get paid big money - they get paid danger money. It will be weeks or months before the final details of last weeks tragedy can be understood and analysed. However this much we know. Mr McGuire was an electrician and was doing underground maintenance in an area of the mine where he shouldn’t have been. He was found by workmates lying on the ground and he was unresponsive. Resuscitation commenced immediately and continued as his body was brought to the surface. However he was unable to be revived. The mine site was shut down immediately, police and the mines department were called in, and investigations begun. So what went wrong? Was there a breakdown in process or was it all just a terrible accident? Well none of that can be known until investigators diligently work through the evidence and draw their conclusions. A sentiment echoed by CFMEU spokesperson Steven Smyth who warned miners not to prejudge the incident. “The mine is one of the gassiest in Australia but no concerns have been
raised recently,” he said. “Our investigation will focus on why the experienced miner was in a restricted area. “The area of the mine where it was, what instructions were given to go and work in there? “What procedures were in place? “And all that other type of stuff that you work through in an investigation to get to the conclusion of it.” “The big thing is to have an open mind - don’t make any assumptions, don’t point the finger; let the evidence lead you to an outcome.” The tragedy at Grasstree mine is the first Queensland fatality over the past 12 months, however it comes less than two months after Queensland’s commissioner for mine safety Stewart Bell sounded a warning. Ironically that warning was to mining contractors who seemed to be over represented in statistics relating to mine safety. “If you look at fatalities over the past 10 years within Australia, it is usually a contractor,” Mr Bell told Shift Miner in March “We have a situation of someone inexperienced working alongside someone experienced and not understanding the risk.” But Mr McGuire was not inexperienced and not a contractor - underscoring why when you go to work today whether you’re a lifer or a greenskin the price of your safety is eternal vigilance.
Online tool to boost FIFO emotional resilience AN online induction tool has been launched in a bid to boost the emotional resilience of Australia’s growing population of fly-in, fly-out workers. Developed by Mining Family Matters, the induction tool features professional advice from a psychologist and practical tips for keeping employees happy and healthy despite regular separation from loved ones. Mining Family Matters creator Alicia Ranford says Making It Work When You Work Away offers proactive advice on key
issues including the importance of setting goals, overcoming mood swings, avoiding arguments about how R&R is spent, and staying connected without 24/7 phone access. “It’s designed to forewarn employees about the most common emotional pressures faced by FIFO workers, and arm them with simple strategies to overcome any issues that do arise,” Ms Ranford said. “Everyone benefits: the individual worker, their family and their company – because an employee who’s happy and content with
life back home is much more likely to be focussed and productive on the job.” The induction tool, created in conjunction with international online training company Health Safety Works, is specifically tailored to ensure information is relevant to individual FIFO workers whether they’re single, in a relationship or have children. “Whenever we run city-based emotional resilience workshops for FIFO workers, they always tell us how great it would be to
get the information to all employees up on site,” Ms Ranford says. “Of course that isn’t practical given the remoteness of many FIFO operations – so we decided to create an online training tool to help workers anytime, anywhere.” Making It Work When You Work Away is targeted at companies keen to boost the emotional wellbeing of new and existing employees on FIFO and DIDO (drive-in, drive-out) rosters, or who regularly travel away for work in any industry.
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
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GVK water decision does Pilbara on the Aurizon not jeopardise project
GVK Hancock has responded swiftly to any suggestion that its decision to walk away from “optioned” water contracts in Emerald says anything about the future of its Alpha projects. In a written statement, the company said its decision to reduce the amount of water it had under contract from Emerald irrigators simply reflects its changing needs. “In the past we secured allocations of excess water supply in the region, but through ongoing planning refinement we have significantly reduced the amount of water we will require,” the spokesperson said. “So it makes no business sense in continuing to pay holding costs for water supply allocations
for which we have no use, and are continuing on with licensing for the allocation that we require. “We will continue to work with the Queensland Government to develop the necessary infrastructure to secure a regional water supply for our operations in line with the Galilee basin development strategy. “We are continuing to advance our projects to a point where construction can commence and we wouldn’t be doing that if they weren’t viable.” The “option” deals gave Ms Rinehart the ability to buy the water at some future date if required for the Galilee mines, but allowed irrigators to continue to use the water in the interim while enjoying a deposit plus interest payment on the total remaining value of that water. One irrigator told Shift Miner they received a phone call advising them that GVKHancock intended to “cancel the agreements” last week. However another irrigator, who had a similar agreement, told Shift Miner they had not heard anything from GVKHancock regarding the cancellation of their agreement.
GVK also sought to respond to broader speculation in other media about the economic viability of its Alpha projects “We remain firmly committed to the development of our Galilee basin coal assets and we are continuing to develop our projects to a point where construction can commence,” GVK added in its written statement. “If analysts are applying the same cost structures found in other existing regions, such as the Bowen basin for example, to our largescale greenfield site, they would clearly get their figures wrong.” “Even in the current market conditions, our Galilee Basin coal assets are differentiated from other mines due to their projected low production costs, sought-after coal quality, advanced stage of approvals, advanced stage of construction readiness and access to a proposed viable transport solution connecting our assets to export markets.” “We are continuing to take our projects to a point where construction can commence and we wouldn’t be doing that if we thought the projects weren’t viable.”
AUSTRALIA’S largest freight rail operator, Aurizon, wants to start digging as well as carting. In collaboration with Chinese steelmaker Baosteel, Aurizon has made a $1.4 billion bid for Aquila Resources. The move would give it a foothold in the lucrative iron ore market and is a bid to kickstart the stalled $10 billion West Pilbara Iron Ore Project. It also would give Aurizon a significant stake in two advanced coal projects in Central Queensland. Baosteel already holds a stake in Aquila, which in turn has a 50 per cent shareholding in the iron project, but the steel giant had become frustrated with the lack of progress according its vice president Wu Yiming. “We are going to get things started and if our bid is successful our intention is to progress development,” he said. Despite some analysts predicting demand for iron ore will soon cool, Aurizon is still keen to buy in on the action, with chief executive Lance Hockridge saying it was not “zero growth” in terms of demand. “Partnering with Baosteel
we have observed a customer and partner who has their own demand,” he said. “Baosteel is developing a new steel works in the south of China, the first stage will be the production of around 10 million tonnes of additional steel. We are confident on the back of that - the engagement of the end customer - this is a long-term and stable prospect for us.” Aurizon was formerly known as the state-run QR National, before it was floated on the stock exchange in 2010. Last month Aquila released a supplementary study of its proposed Washpool hard coking coal project near Ensham mine East of Emerald. It reported proven coal reserves of 95 million tonnes, and probable reserves of 13 million tonnes at the site, and outlined a mine that could operate for 15 years producing more than seven million tonnes a year of hard coking coal. It has also settled its legal dispute with its joint venture partner Vale for the development of the Eagle Downs coal mine in the Bowen Basin
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QCoal court decision bad for industry
LOST: Farmer Garry Reed to QCoal to the Land Court to stop the diversion of Coral Creek. (Photo: ABC)
A RECENT Queensland Land Court decision that will allow Q-Coal to divert a creek in order to extend the life of its Sonoma mine to six to eight months is harmful to the wider industry, according to an expert. Dr Scott Rayburg of Victoria’s Swinburne University said the court case was disappointing because it did not challenge current status quo - regulations don’t require coal companies or engineers to operate under best scientific practice. “If QCoal had lost, it would have been a win for the industry
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to set a precedent for higher quality modelling,” Dr Rayburg told Shift Miner. At the heart of the issue is the fact current regulations mean consultants can model waterway diversions without inputting any scientific data to determine possible impacts. “In the case of Coral Creek, QCoal said there was no data - so they created a model without data.” said Dr Rayburg, who appeared as an expert witness for farmer Garry Reed. Mr Reed took the mine to
court, as the proposed diversion of Coral Creek could leave his property with no water. Waterway diversions have failed so many times in the past that the Australian Coal Industry Research Program (ACARP) recently carried out an investigation. It found that poor modelling was to blame, however Dr Rayburg said they failed to go back one step further, where it was obvious the lack of data was the problem. “We know that diversions have failed in the past...Anything you do in one place can affect the river in any place upstream. “Even something as small as a 1km diversion has the potential to impact an entire river system. “This is what we want to avoid because it’s bad for the community, it’s bad for the environment and it’s bad for industry.” If regulations required data input, it would put an upfront cost of up to $100,000 on a project, but it would save money in the long run, Dr Rayburn said. At the moment, consultants will not run the risk of adding
these costs when quoting for mining business because they will not get the business, he said. “As soon as QCoal made that decision to divert the creek they could have started collecting data on that creek - even if it was sending one staff member out one day a week for one to two years to collect baseline data.” However, they did not do this because the regulations do not require this. Dr Rayburg said it was possible to create waterway diversions as a naturally functioning system rather than engineered creeks - but with good modelling. QCoal’s experts won the case because they said they were basing their modelling on industry standards. If the industry wanted to change the standards, they could, he said. Dr Rayburg, an expert in hydraulic modelling and fluvial geomorphology, said any changes to this would need to be driven by the industry. Shift Miner is awaiting a response from the Queensland Resource Council.
Aurizon grows despite slump A MAJOR coal company locked into a legacy contract with Aurizon is one the reasons the rail company saw a 14 per cent jump in Queensland coal volumes this quarter compared with last year. According to Aurizon, there was also an increase in demand despite the slump in coal prices. There has been an upward trajectory in volumes of coal transported, with 152 million tonnes (mt) in the financial year ended 2011, a slight drop the following year to 151.7mt, and an increase to 155.8mt last year. This financial is looking to be a cracker for Aurizon, with 127.7mt already transported and one quarter left to go. Despite the increase this quarter, volumes were impacted by weather-related port closures typical to during the March quarter. Aurizon has also seen its net tonne kilometres grow by 19 per cent, reflecting an increase in its longer haul contracts in Queensland.
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Komatsu lifts spirits in Mackay
Opening lifts spirits in Mackay
KOMATSU’S decision to invest heavily in Paget at Mackay should be seen as a “vote of confidence” in the local mining sector, according to its Australian general manager. Yesterday Mackay Mayor Deirdre Comerford officially opened nearly 2000 metres of new Komatsu shed space in Paget. While the complex has been a part of the landscape for a while, it nonetheless lifted the spirits of an industrial precinct acutely feeling the effects of the mining correction. One of the key tasks of the new building will be to service the world’s largest fleet of Komatsu 960E dump trucks that are currently operating in the Bowen Basin. However the new complex will also
house a track press, a 30 tonne crane, a wash bay and sales team, significantly enhancing their capacity to service mining equipment being used in the Bowen Basin. General manager Dean Gaedtke said the company is looking past the short-term downturn in the coal sector. “Our new Paget customer support facility is a major investment in our ability to better service our mining and construction industry customers throughout Central and North Queensland,” he said. “As far as we are concerned, it’s a real vote of confidence in the Central Queensland mining industry, and indicates
that we believe there is a long-term, stable future for the region.” Komatsu employs 580 staff around Australia, and the expansion in Paget is one element of Komatsu’s largest ever expansion in Australia. It follows the $55 million expansion of it’s head office in Brisbane. In March Paget businessman Allan Ruming told Shift Miner business people in the area were pessimistic optimists. “We have a level of optimism, but that is being managed with a high degree of understanding that in reality nothing much has changed,” he said. 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 political sphere hasn’t changed and there has only been minor improvements of two or three dollars to the price of coal. 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.”
CQ’s most valuable asset ANALYSTS at a coking coal summit this week have forecast that within the next 30 years demand for metallurgical coal will be so large we are unlikely to be able to keep up. Neil Bristow from H&W Worldwide Consulting told the Eurocoke summit in Scotland on Monday that demand for steelmaking coal is likely grow at around 2.5 per cent a year, and by 2050 seaborne trade of coking coal would triple. Australia is the largest exporter of metallurgical coal in the world, and most of it comes from Central Queensland. The forecast increase in demand takes into account alternative steel-making options, such as using ferrous scrap and new emerging technologies that allow pig iron to be made without coal. Mr Bristow said running in parallel to this, declining coal quality was going to further complicate things. “The industry has a real challenge meeting this growth in steel,” he said. “Coke oven technology needs to anticipate the coming decline in coal quality grades and new resources that will be typically of lower grade than the range of coals - led by premium HCC brands - currently mined. “The depletion of high-quality reserves and wider policy-and-attitude barriers to new mining is also a concern.” To meet the forecast increase in demand he says Mozambique and Mongolia would need to become major producers, and there would need to be more exports from Russia and Indonesia.
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High-vis ticketed on highway CENTRAL Queensland police are urging drivers to take care on the region’s roads where a combination of road works, heavy machinery and wide-loads and a huge mining-related traffic flow make conditions treacherous. While there has been a significant drop in road fatalities in the region this year, Senior Sergeant Ewan Findlater said the western corridor stretching to the mines in the Central Highlands was a busy stretch of road with drivers being caught daily for traffic offences. “There is plenty of activity in the Central Highlands so we patrol and pick up a lot of offences,” he told Shift Miner. “For whatever reason, fatalities seem
to go in cycles. If it goes bad, it goes really bad, but thankfully we haven’t fallen into that cycle at the moment - touch wood. “We have identified a lot more traffic flow and trauma, particularly with the Capricorn Highway. And our colleagues in Mackay report the same with the Peak Downs Highway - they had one incident last week.” Shift Miner had been told by another Rockhampton-based police officer that there were regular complaints to police regarding men wearing high-vis shirts and speeding in utes on the Capricorn Highway. However, Senior Sergeant Findlater says the problem is not restricted to the mining community. “That’s a fairly general comment. We get a lot of travellers too, but [high-vis wearing men] do make a fair proportion but I wouldn’t say they are the majority.” he said. “We have a fairly big tourist circuit, so we see a fair bit of inter-state and intrastate traffic using the roads. “The message is that police will maintain a high presence, but people need to realise it’s not just a policing issue - it’s a community issue, too.”
IN A NUTSHELL: • According to the latest statistics, all regions in Queensland except for North Queensland and Downs South West have seen a drop in road deaths. • Fatalities in Central Queensland have dropped by almost 40 per cent - from eight to five - compared with the previous 12-month period. • The highest number of deaths was in 2009 - at 10 - and this declined for several years before climbing up to eight in the period ending in 2013. • The Mackay/Whitsunday area saw the biggest drop - at almost 80 per cent from nine to two in the last 12-month period. • The Downs South West area has bucked the trend, with a steady increase in fatalities from five in 2012, to 13 the following year and now 17. • Statistics reveal that almost one in five deaths involved a heavy freight vehicle. • The biggest contributors to death were drink driving - 24 per cent, followed by speeding - 17 per cent, and then fatigue - 15 per cent.
More families moving to Surat towns for gas jobs
REAL estate agents in the Surat Basin are reporting a new trend - fewer inquiries than during the CSG construction boom, but more from families. Toowoomba Surat Basin Enterprise chief executive Shane Charles said the change was in line with the move from the construction phase of the gas boom to permanent and hopefully local - jobs created in the operational and maintenance stage. “It is very pleasing to see this shift in inquiry from single workers to families in towns like Chinchilla and Miles,” said Mr Charles. “Industrial sales, which are a good
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lead indicator in an economy, also show that there have been a few good sales in those towns which means more businesses are relocating and that means bringing employees and families as well.” Principal at Property Sales & Rentals in Chinchilla Margaret Whip said there had been a definite change in inquiry. “It’s just happened over the last couple of weeks, prior to that it had been quiet since about October,” she said. “The calls are from families are they are relocating here from elsewhere.” For the past 12 months, the wider Surat region has been a hive of hi-vis activity, as tens of thousands of workers descended on the region to build the pipelines and infrastructure needed to supply and transport CSG from the gas fields to the port at Gladstone. Now, as jobs transition from construction work to ongoing operations and maintenance roles, businesses are starting to notice a change.
Mr Charles said policies at some of the major gas employers had changed, so workers who had previously driven in and out to work at the gas fields from Brisbane were now flying directly into Chinchilla or Miles. “People have noticed a little uncertainty,” he said. “Businesses like take-away shops are reporting a slight downturn in trade as more FIFO workers means less business in town.” President of the Miles Chamber of Commerce John Hoffman told Shift Miner the first quarter of this year has been notably quieter than in 2013. “Certainly things are quieter this year, not as many hi-vis shirts around,” he said. “I think there is a delay on some of the new CSG construction projects and they are in the final stages of the existing projects, which means there are not as many men on the ground. “But council has secured more water allocation for the town, which means when things pick up again we will be better prepared.”
Reckless near-miss with coal train ONE metre of space was all that separated a coal train from a car in a terrifying near-miss at a Central Queensland rail crossing recently. According to rail provider Aurizon, at dusk a large four-wheel drive with no headlights ignored a stop sign and an oncoming train at the Biloela Jambin Road level crossing, approximately 150 kilometres from Rockhampton. The coal train driver was forced to apply the emergency brakes, narrowly avoiding a collision by less than a metre. Aurizon’s acting vice president of safety David McMah has blasted the 4WD driver and said he was genuinely concerned the next incident could be fatal. “The incident is a disturbing reminder that some people are still willing to risk their lives and those of our train drivers despite the obvious dangers, our ongoing safety campaigns and the possibility of police charges,” he said “These near-miss incidents are extremely traumatic for our train drivers, who have every right to go to work each day without fearing reckless and downright stupid behaviour from motorists who are trying to save a few minutes on their journey.” Mr McMah said the two train drivers involved were extremely distressed, were now on leave and had been offered counselling. “Our train drivers can’t steer a train off the tracks to avoid a car and they can’t stop the train suddenly,” he said. “Coal and freight trains can be up to two kilometres long and can take up to one kilometre to pull up when the emergency brakes are applied.”
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Safety warning to gas workers
GAPS in how operators and contractors coordinate activities is exposing workers to injury or death on coal seam gas sites in Queensland. The Queensland Mines Safety Commissioner Stewart Bell has issued an official safety warning to all petroleum and gas contractors in the state.
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The warning comes after last week’s mine collapse across the border killed two men, taking the death toll across Australia to nine in seven months. Commissioner Bell said while none of the fatalities had occurred in Queensland, contractors were vastly over-represented in
Queensland resources industries fatal accidents, including the tragic death of a drill rig worker in the Fairview CSG field in June 2013. “Recent incidents within the coal seam gas industry also highlight concerns about the interactions between CSG lease holders and contractors,” he said. “Inspections and investigations conducted by the Petroleum and Gas Inspectorate continue to identify gaps in how operators and contractors coordinate their activities, exposing persons to the risk of injury or deal while conducting work at CSG site.” The Commissioner said ensuring contractors were managed effectively was a key
focus this year for the inspectorate. Meanwhile, investigations continue into last week’s fatal accident at Austar mine in the Hunter Valley. Operations are still shut down while government officials carry out a detailed inspection and investigations. Initial findings suggest a catastrophic rock burst or “pressure bump” caused a 15-metre long wall of coal to collapse, covering the men and the continuous mining machine in tonnes of coal. It’s believed the two men were killed instantly, as they were working on the side of the machine nearest to the rib of coal that collapsed.
Qld gets 14 new coal projects
IN the three months to March this year, 14 new coal mining projects have moved to an advanced stage in Queensland, according to the state government. The Department of Mines has granted five mining leases and nine mineral development licences, suggesting a number of miners are looking past the gloomy coal price headlines. The granting of a mining lease means the holder has met all the requirements set out by the Queensland government and are free to start mining. A mining development licence means the holder can do extensive analysis of a coal deposit to assess its viability as an operating coal mine. Three of the five mining leases relate to the Drake coal project near Collinsville where Qcoal is planning to begin building a new mine later this year. “This is one of QCoal’s key projects within the group comprising the existing Sonoma mine, the recently approved Jax project and the Byerwen project
that is close to completing its EIS assessment process,” the state government said. “The Drake coal project is planned as a greenfield open-cut coal mine that will extract 10 million tonnes per year of coal and a net six million tonnes a year of coking and thermal product coal for export.” Coal from the proposed new mines will be cleaned on site and railed to Abbot Point. The other two mining leases relate to BMA’s Caval Ridge project near Moranbah and the expansion of the Baralaba coal mine by Cockatoo Coal. There are currently 50 operating coal mines in Queensland: 41 in the central region, four in the northern region and five in the southern region. While the softer coal outlook has dampened enthusiasm for new mining ventures, production continues unabated from existing projects, with coal exports of 206.2 million tonnes expected for the financial year ending in June up around 15 per cent on last year.
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Bandanna: nine out of 12 ain’t bad ONLY three out of 12 landholders directly affected by the proposed Springsure Creek Project have lodged objections as public notifications for the coal mine closed last week. Bandanna Energy said this was thanks to a collaborative approach, which saw six objections in total: two others were from remote landowners in relation to groundwater and one from a community group. “This support from the substantial majority of landowners demonstrates a clear indication of the benefits generated from the project,” said Bandanna Energy’s managing director, Michael Gray. Bandanna Energy said it was working closely with each of the objectors to address issues raised in the objections. In parallel, the objections submitted will now be considered by the Land Court. It is uncertain what impact this will have on the timing for the grant of mining leases. Two of landowner objectors are seeking the provision of ‘makegood’ agreements in relation to potential groundwater impacts from the project. Bandanna Energy said it had to date
executed makegood agreements with a number of landowners across a broad area and will continue to engage with the two objectors in relation to similar agreements. “Bandanna Energy is committed to ensuring the coexistence of mining and agriculture in the region, and our Springsure Creek Agricultural Project is being undertaken as part of the overall project to demonstrate how agricultural productivity in the area is at least maintained whilst the mining takes place to ensure the ongoing viability of the land for agricultural uses,” Mr Gray. The company was pleased with community support for the project and had received overwhelming interest from contractors, suppliers and potential employees, he said. “That interest, the rigorous impact assessment process and the small number of objections submitted demonstrates the substantial benefits of the project to the region.” The company said it has been in joint venture discussions, and the notification process and progress towards granting mining leases were important steps in securing that funding.
Gap increases in CQ real estate A GAP between investors and first home buyers is appearing across Central Queensland, according to the latest report into residential property by valuers Herron Todd White (HTW). This is a marked difference to the capital city phenomena where escalating competition from property investors is making first home ownership for young couples nearly impossible. According to HTW, first home owners and property investors in Central Queensland seem to be keeping out of each other’s way in Gladstone, Rockhampton and Mackay. “Older more central accommodation in the $300,000 to $400,000 price bracket is attracting interest from first home buyers looking for a more affordable property investment,” HTW says of the Gladstone market. “Construction of new homes in modern estates has slowed significantly due to the decrease in investor activity. “The current oversupply of vacant land and new dwellings, means there is not considered to be any competition between first home buyers and investors.” It’s a similar story in Rockhampton. HTW said the relatively stable Rockhampton market combined with the different demand from the two groups meant there was minimal competition between them. In Mackay, it’s slightly different because the outlook for residential housing has
been coloured almost entirely by the fortunes of the coal sector. “The downturn in the coal industry continues to have direct flow-on effect to the Mackay residential market,” HTW said. “The local market has seen reduced demand and sales volumes over the past 12 months, with a particularly large decline in rental values on the back of increasing vacancy rates. “The major risk to the market is whether investors are prepared to continue to accept the lower rental returns and high vacancies in the short term future. “Should a large number of investors decide they do not want to accept this reduced yield, or interest rates begin to rise, it has the potential to increase supply of houses for sale and have a direct negative impact to the Mackay market.” One notable brighter spot on the Queensland coast is Cairns, where HTW said the property market had moved on from its low point in 2013 to a “recovery phase”. According to HTW, after years of stagnation houses are starting to move and an equilibrium has been reached between buyers and sellers. Cairns is a significant FIFO hub for mining in Central Queensland with a large contingent of BMA’s Caval Ridge and Daunia mines workforce hailing from the Far North.
Mobile workforce causes resource headache THE next four years could be a logistical nightmare for training with almost 40,000 new operations workers in the resources sector. A new report reveals that mobile learning could be the key to overcome fly-in, fly-out rosters and a geographically widespread workforce, which was a headache for induction, ongoing training and maintaining a cohesive workforce. Deloitte Access Economics report predicts digital technologies will play a critical role in designing the next generation, connected workforce in the oil and gas sectors. Deloitte National Oil and Gas leader, Mike Lynn, speaking at APPEA’s conference last month, said online training would become more important. “Ongoing training delivery and time to
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competency will present headaches, and online learning is playing a greater role in training program scale and efficiency, providing the opportunity to reduce the costs of delivery and allowing the deployment of content on a greater scale,” he said. Mr Lynn said mobile learning also opened up opportunities to deliver training ‘on the go’ and on demand. The report said large operations across multiple locations make employee collaboration and engagement harder to build and maintain, and getting the engagement wrong can lead to increased turnover and relying on remuneration to compete for talent. The report said collaborating on problems and ideas was essential for productivity, and collaboration across dispersed teams could
unlock talent and innovation and cut time wasted in accessing tacit knowledge. “Connectivity can clearly enhance collaboration and, therefore, productivity. And collaborative employees are also generally more satisfied employees,” Mr Lynn said. A survey of 500 employees across Australia and New Zealand, conducted by Stancombe Research & Planning and Deloitte Access Economics, found that satisfied employees were involved in higher reported levels of collaboration – collaborating 28 per cent of the working week with colleagues in the same location, country or internationally. Employees who were not satisfied with their employer collaborated only 12 per cent of the time. But connecting a workforce is not
simply a matter of handing out tablets to people and opening up access to social networks, Mr Lynn said. “It’s not all about technology. While technology is central, it forms only one part of the solution for creating a connected and collaborative environment. Workplace culture and management structure can be more significant inhibitors than the technology itself. “Internal social networks have a role here – particular where leadership team involvement can encourage knowledge sharing, collaboration and drive engagement. “Ultimately, an understanding of the productivity benefits as well as the less tangible impacts on engagement and collaboration need to be part of a strategic approach.”
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Ex-Xstrata boss eyes BHP assets AS mining monoliths try desperately to unshackle themselves from assets weighing down their balance sheets, one man is keen to cash in on coal. Former Xstrata boss Mick Davis knows how to organise a deal, so when he was flung to the waste pile during the Glencore merger he struck out on his own. Mr Davis has managed to raise close enough to $4 billion through his private equity vehicle X2 Resources and is looking for another $8 billion. It’s believed he’s in talks with BHP to buy up the mining giant’s thermal coal assets, which it is looking to sell in a de-merger. Resource analyst Gavin Wendt said it was all a question of timing. “An independent thinker like Mick Davis is in the
perfect position at the moment,” he told Shift Miner. “When we saw some of the big corporate mergers in companies like BHP, Rio and Xstrata there were inevitably going to be positions made vacant, so there are some very clever individuals out there with tremendous connections and access to capital because people are prepared to back them.” And now was the time to strike, according to Mr Wendt. “There are so many opportunities because resource companies are keen to tidy up their balance sheets and assets that should be held onto will be cast adrift.” Mr Wendt said many investors were disenchanted with major mining companies and the old adage “big is best”. “There are downsides to companies getting too big through acquisitions, and that has been felt in the resources sector in terms of lack of performance and return for shareholders,” he said. “Overheads are enormous, they’re unwieldy to manage,
they’re not particularly nimble and they are not very easy to grow without stepping on the toes of regulators.” Speculation about Mick Davis’s next big move comes as coal companies face coking coal prices sitting at a six-year low. Contract prices have fallen from $US143 a tonne to $US120 a tonne in the June quarter thanks to a drop in demand from China at a time when new coal projects have boosted production levels. “Coal really is a four-letter word at the moment,” said Mr Wendt. “Not too many groups have an optimistic outlook for the next few years.” He said that timeframe was a problem for companies that had already rolled out extensive costcutting measures for the past 12 months - but it wasn’t an issue for new players like Mick Davis. “Even if you find [and take over] an advanced project it takes time to swap hands and new projects would be in the stage of first commissioning when you would reasonably expect the coal market to pick
up. For patient investors that timeframe is fine.” Mr Wendt said there was no question the coal price would turn around. “The temporary impact on prices is related to demand which can fluctuate depending on China, but the longerterm issue is supply and as consumption steadily rises year on year more coking coal will be consumed,” he said. There are not many coal reserves left in the world that are easy to mine like Australia’s. “You are talking Mozambique and Mongolia, mines that are nowhere near the coast in the middle of deepest, darkest Africa or Central Asia so you have to spend a fortune developing infrastructure.” That’s why Queensland and New South Wales coal mines will continue to be valuable, he added. “If you are someone like Mick Davis you can look past the short-term pain and think where can I get my hands on an asset that has already been de-risked but its owner can’t afford to hang onto at the moment?”
Toowoomba becomes drilling hub THERE are 18 drilling businesses now operating from the Surat Basin, with half of them permanently set up in Toowoomba. The Toowoomba Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) is in the final throes of preparing a drilling capability profile of the region, and chief executive Shane Charles said Toowoomba had become a natural hub for the industry. “Currently we have at least nine of the major companies with a substantial base in Toowoomba,” he said. “We are supremely confident that more will come as overseas experience suggests that in light of the huge number of wells still to be drilled and then maintained that there will clearly be more requirements for a whole new range of businesses that will support the well drilling and servicing contractors.” According to the draft profile, there are almost 5000 wells in the Surat gas fields currently, but that number will increase to more than 32,000 over the next 15 years. That would mean an average of almost 2200 wells every year for 15 years. The industry is expected to grow in 2013-2014 by 10.7 per cent to reach $4.4 billion.
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WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
The ANZACS were commemorated in services across the coal and gas fields this year. In Blackwater, a dawn service and mid-morning march were held in their honour [Photo credit: Jeanette Fletcher]
Lieutenant Christopher Freeman gave a very moving speech and a brief rundown of his time served in the Solomon Islands and Afghanistan
Marty McCarthy, Doc Savage and Peter Webb
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YEEHAH! The crowd enjoyed a spectacular night of action at the Blackwater rodeo recently [Photo credit: Jeannette Fletcher]
Cathy and Sienna Booker 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
A LITTLE BIT FANCY…
Like fancy dress? You’re not on your Pat Malone. The annual “Annie’s Day” charity golf event was held in Blackwater recently with nearly 200 golfers turning up on the day. Recognise anyone under the costume? [Photo credit: Jeannette Fletcher]
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FROm THE EDITOR
Life lost EVERYBODY would be in agreement that when you send a loved one to work, you expect them to return home safely. Tragically, this was not the case for one family with the death at Grasstree mine last week. Our thoughts are definitely with the man’s family and friends at this sad time. It is less than two months ago that Queensland Mine Safety and Health Commissioner Stewart Bell issued a warning to other states. Our state at that time had not had a fatality in the last 12 months. Although Queensland has one of the best mine safety records in the world, Mr Bell cautioned that we should not be too complacent. While investigations are continuing into this latest death, Mr Bell’s words are
more than appropriate: “We can’t become apathetic because every time we’re hurting somebody – that’s somebody who’s not coming home to his family in the same condition he left for work. “Every time we kill somebody, well, he’s not going home at all and his wife and his children and his mother and his father are all permanently affected.” The Queensland government in the process of reviewing its mining safety laws, with the Minister Andrew Cripps expected to announce final changes later this year. Inga Stünzner Comment or SMS 0409 471 014
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How to help a son missing his dad Q&A with psychologist Angie Willcocks from Mining Family Matters Q: My husband has been working away for many years now. We have two young boys with another on the way. My eldest has just been diagnosed with alopecia and we are quite concerned that he is missing his dad a little too much. I hear it at least two to three times a day about how much they miss their Dad. He is trying his hardest to get a job back home as we are very concerned but still no luck is there anything you can suggest I do or my husband does in the meantime until we find a position close to home? Usually I just acknowledge they are sad and say I miss him too and give them lots of hugs. We count how many sleeps as soon as he goes and they speak to him on the phone every day. We are both the same in how we parent and the rules are the same whether he is away or whether he is home. But just want to know any suggestions on how we can help him get through this. A: It sounds like you are doing all the right things to help your kids cope well with their dad being away. I’m sorry to hear about your son’s alopecia. Any medical diagnosis like this one can take some time to get used to, and can add stress, worry and grief to any family situation. Have you had a chance to have a look at any extra information and support? If not, perhaps have a look at www.aaaf.org.au It sounds like you and your husband have made the decision for him to work closer to home at this time, so I wish you two all the best with this next move. As I said, you and your partner are doing a great job at helping your kids to cope. Another strategy that might be worthwhile is to take a bit of a step back from daily contact when your husband is away. I know this sounds a bit backwards, but some families find that daily conversations, and daily reminders of ‘how long until dad is back’ and counting sleeps can add to the stress and heightened emotion. Keeping busy and thinking less about dad can be a way that some kids cope better with the absences. You could
start this by stopping mentioning how many sleeps, and just see if your son can follow your lead with this. It’s possible that he will continue to ask you, and obviously you would continue to answer him, but perhaps don’t offer the information. This probably won’t help immediately, but it might over the next few swings. I love the way you accept that they are missing their dad, and let them know it’s OK to be sad. An extra step that you could add to this would be to acknowledge the feeling (as you already do) and then get the kids busy doing something that takes their mind off the issue. For example: “I know you miss daddy, and he will be home soon. Now let’s take our mind off of missing daddy by doing something fun” (make a cake, watch a movie, kick a ball around or go for a bike ride). Encouraging your kids to do something that really engages them can sometimes help because when they are fully engaged they don’t have time to think about how much they are missing their da d. This helps them feel a bit more in control of their feelings. Also, when you tell them you also miss their dad, maybe explain some of things that help you to feel a bit better. For example: “I miss daddy too. When I feel that way, I read a book or watch my favourite TV show or do some gardening and it helps me to feel better.” One final thought is that you could spend some time emphasising that your son and his dad are still connected through love even when they are physically apart. This helps ease the missing feeling for a lot of kids. To help with this, have a look at some books like The Invisible String and You, Me and the Rainbow. I wish you and your family all the best. Reprinted with permission from Mining Family Matters
Do you have strategies to help you when you are working away from your family? Comment or SMS 0409 471 014
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Frank the Tank’s Dear Frank,
I’ve been with my man for just over a year now and we get along great. The only thing I can’t stand is the fact that he is a real mummy’s boy. He can’t make a decision without consulting her, and I feel like he sides with her over me. How can I finally get him to cut the cord and break free from his mum? Tina - Blackwater What a pleasant surprise Tina. Sometimes my vast wisdom is lost on the fairer sex, so I’m glad to see there are ladies out there who appreciate streakin’ good love advice. In order to answer your question I’m going to have to don my Sigmund Freud signature edition psychoanalysis helmet, which incidentally also distributes alcohol directly into my mouth via two straws. This serves to better unlock my psychiatric talents. Many years ago I was one of the top minds in the country in the field of psychiatry,
however after a number of female patients claimed my hypnotism treatment program resulted in a constant compulsion to disrobe publicly, my licence to practice medicine was unceremoniously revoked. There are a number of reasons why your gent may still be running home to mum every time something goes wrong. Perhaps he was breastfed for too long as a child. I once encountered a fellow who didn’t cease breastfeeding until his teenage years and as a result is affected by a veritable encyclopedia of unhealthy psychological issues. I recall police were once required to forcefully eject him from a milk bar after he demanded the shop attendant personally produce a bottle of milk for his consumption. He wound up applying for gender reassignment surgery and I believe is now a famous musician. I think he calls himself something Ga Ga. Causal factors aside, I expect you want some advice regarding how to actually break the bond between your man and his mother. Well worry not Tina, I shall not disappoint you. The easiest way to turn a
Fair Dinkum!
RELAX… he’s off the menu.
IN CHINA - you wouldn’t think
you’d need to pass a law to prevent people from eating endangered animals - but it seems you do. In China, people who eat rare animals will be sent to jail for 10 years or more, as the government tries to crack down on a growing social trend. Apparently, consumption has increased
“Streakin” good love advice
child against their parent is to remind them of a traumatic childhood experience that can be blamed on negligent parenting. If your bloke had a happy childhood I’d suggest concocting an elaborate lie in which you pillory his mother’s parenting ability. When still practising psychiatry, I would often convince my patients they had endured terrible trauma to ensure their return business. Try convincing your boyfriend that his mother willingly beat him as a child for talking out of turn, or that it was her intention to adopt him out to a Russian circus in exchange for a flagon of port and three packets of rolling tobacco. If you’re looking to really scare him straight, I would recommend inviting a man over for dinner to pose as your estranged father. After a few glasses of wine you should begin vigorously kissing this pseudo father in a manner that will likely be considered very inappropriate. Your man will be so horrified that he’ll agree to anything to get ‘dad’ out of the house, including spending less time with his mother.
Tina, This is a more common problem than you may realise. For a lot of Aussie blokes mum is still number one. This is, however, a very delicate subject in that your man is likely to get quite defensive if you come right out and criticise his mum. I would recommend sitting him down and explaining that sometimes his relationship with his mother makes you feel like you’re being put to one side. Try not to tell him what annoys you about his relationship with his mother, but rather what he can do to improve his relationship with you.
Susan
Frank
IN SOME HOME-GROWN IDIOCY IN THE SKIES ABOVE AUSTRALIA
as the country has become richer because there is a “social cache” attached to spending thousands of yuan on eating rare animals. The country has 420 endangered species including the panda, golden monkeys, Asian black bears and pangolins. Panda stir-fry anyone? Or perhaps a bowl of noodles with black bear sauce? Okay, enough bad puns, let’s move along.
SENSIBLE SUSAN
- surely you’ve all heard by now of the hapless Queensland plumber who sent a plane full of people into terrorism high alert when he banged on the cockpit door with his fists. Apparently, he thought the cockpit was the toilet and he was banging because he was busting. The unfortunate “wrong door” incident had some pretty serious consequences, including being handcuffed and escorted off the plane to police waiting to question him in Bali. The international airport was in lockdown and those police were armed to the hilt. He’s since been released and won’t be charged, and in a brief statement to the media said it was all a “huge misunderstanding”. Apparently he’d experienced a panic attack and run for the toilet. If he was panicked then, imagine what he must have been like afterwards.
IN AMERICA - a woman has
been caught up in a fowl legal battle. Over a duck. A woman who was visiting her mother in Oregon is suing her neighbour, seeking $275,000 for pain and suffering she says were inflicted when a pet duck ambushed her for no reason. According to court papers, the 62-yearold fell and broke her right wrist and sprained her elbow and shoulder trying to run away from the bird. It’s believed the duck has since been put down. It all sounds a bit quackers to us. (Ed’s note: the bad puns will seriously stop now.)
STILL IN AMERICA
- and the New York Police Department has learnt a hard lesson in social media campaigns. The NYPD wanted citizens to upload photos of themselves with police officers in a bid to brush up its image. Instead, the Twitter campaign was bombarded with pictures of apparent police brutality. Many of the images went viral. Not quite the campaign they had hoped for...
12th May 2014
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CLASSIC MOVIE Review by Justin Carlos
Blast from the past IN 1985 cinema goers all over the world were introduced to Marty McFly, Dr Emmet Brown and a time traveling sports car. The Back to the Future trilogy is among the most popular in cinema history, but in my view the original film is still the best. It focuses on high school student Marty McFly (Michael J Fox), a generally nice
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guy who is desperate not to end up like his father, a meek man who is still bullied by one of his old high school classmates. Marty is friends with inventor and local crackpot Dr Emmett Brown, who claims he has successfully built a working time machine. After an experiment to test the time 1
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his mother and father fall in love to ensure his existence before he can get back to 1985. Produced by Steven Spielberg, it was unlikely that Back to the Future was going to be anything less than a box office smash, but the film has stood the test of time being generally regarded by fans and critics alike as one of the greatest movies of all time. The film’s success can largely be attributed to the skillful writing and direction of Robert Zemeckis, who manages to seamlessly blend action/ adventure with elements of comedy and drama, and then encapsulate all these sub genres into what can perhaps most aptly be described as a science fiction narrative. The influence of the Back to the Future franchise is still apparent on popular culture more than two decades after the original film as released. TV shows such as Family Guy frequently parody scenes from the film, and Nike put 1500 pairs of ‘Marty McFly’ sneakers on eBay to raise money for Michael J Fox’s Parkinson’s research foundation. If you’ve never seen Back to the Future - or even if you have - I highly recommend making time in the very near future (all puns intended) to check it out. Like all classics it seems to get better with age, and there’s just something innately cool about a car that can travel back in time.
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LAST EDITION’S SOLUTIONS D I S C E R N A E A U MU DGU A R S U D T E X C H E QU L E R A N N E I G O C L U E D U P E I D A B A DG E D E A D S R A N DOM G C F S T E F F I
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Shift Miner Handy Cross blank grid.pdf ©Lovatts Publications 5/03/09 artist – mb
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Shift Miner Magazine
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The first time an art gallery spoke to me...
SPOKEN TO: Advertising in the 80s
THE Rockhampton Art Gallery this month is running an exhibition of photographs taken and used in the infamous “Get Wrecked on Keppel” advertising campaign in the 1980s. Most notable are the large, wall-sized advertisements featuring happy young
singles - without mobile phones, ipads, much clothes or a headful of fear about sunburn and cancer. “Get Wrecked at Keppel” the ad says, and I find myself saying “Okay, I’m listening”. It could be just me, but so far as tourism
messages go, that nailed it for me. When I was a boy it was widely understood that a beach holiday to a tropical Queensland island or other location was about simplicity. It was about wearing shoes and shirts as infrequently as you could. As a point of fact, my cousin and I considered it a competition to see who could be shoeless for longest - displaying our calloused feet proudly come the end of the holidays. Sure, when we got older things got a little less simple because we had to consider our booze. But even that was relatively simple. There was XXXX for Queenslanders and for the Southerners a battle over Tooheys or VB. Sometimes we might go for a sneaky carton of throwdowns - but that was because you seemed harder by drinking them so quickly (and they didn’t get as hot). Ironically, last week I was back at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast where it all began, where all these childhood beach memories were fondly formed. While there is no denying the stunning beauty of the beach, I was shocked to observe the endless corso of cafes and eateries. More shocking still was the number of people eating undercover in the key sunburn hours of 9 to 12 in the morning. These days tourism campaigns feature
lovely - oh so tropical - outdoor (alfresco) eating options, a range of coffee shops that would not be out of place in Italy and the mention of nearby boutique shopping experiences. Kill me. The idea of a hot coffee, on a hot day, in a hot state, in a hot country is only slightly less insane than people who say cold pizza is better than hot. The idea of shopping for more clothes on a beach holiday (unless it’s a sneaky pair of boardies because you come from the bush) is against everything a beach holiday stands for. As for food - well it’s cooked chook and some salad (iceberg lettuce) at lunch, BBQ at night and if you have got the right bait a flathead for brekky. Lets leave the Alfresco sophistication to those quiche-eating surrender monkeys the French - and get back to basics. Let’s get wrecked at Keppel. If you want to go back to the days of anxiously perusing the pages of Dolly Doctor, togging up in your Brian Rochford bathers, grabbing a Ken Done tote and hitting the beach with a token bottle of SPF10 sun cream then check out the exhibition by going to www.rockhamptongallery.com.au. If you have no idea what I am prattling on about you were not a child in the 1980s.
NATURALLY DIFFERENT ANGLO AMERICAN’S GROSVENOR MINE, MORANBAH, QUEENSLAND Anglo American is one of Australia’s largest producers and exporters of metallurgical coal. We are committed to creating sustainable value safely and responsibly, and sharing the benefits of mining with the communities we operate in to make a real difference. We strive to create an inclusive environment for everyone who joins us and achieve diversity within our workforce. Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are strongly encouraged to apply for all vacant positions. Construction on our world class five million tonne per annum Grosvenor longwall mine is well advanced and will reach pit bottom later this year. With the first of the 12ED25 Continuous Miners commencing in early 2015, Anglo American has exciting opportunities now for experienced professionals to become part of the team responsible for Grosvenor’s transition from the project phase to an operational mine. Anglo American is seeking experienced individuals who are looking for a new challenge to further their career and develop their talents within our organisation. We currently have vacancies in the following roles: Anglo American offers a very competitive salary package, even time rosters, subsidised residential and modern accommodation options, Fly in Fly out (FIFO) and Bus in Bus out (BIBO) work arrangements for Grosvenor. If you have the ambition to work for a global leader in the mining and resources industry and the drive to deliver results on a consistent basis, apply online by quoting the relevant reference number at www.angloamerican.com.au
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12th May 2014
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Bait Shop Banter
also Rocky Dam Creek.” Prawns are still around in decent numbers, with good catches at Victor Creek at Seaforth and in all the northern creeks around to St Helens.
IN TOOWOOMBA - If
WARWICK WARRIORS: Lake Leslie is a popular fishing spot in the Surat Basin.
IN GLADSTONE - the
weather is beautiful, and so is the fishing. According to Dylan at Tackle World Gladstone plenty of people are getting out wide, and plenty are coming back with off shore spoils. “The fishing reports are just excellent at the moment,” he told Shift Miner. “We’re hearing daily reports of big catches of Spanish mackerel and coral trout.” Further inshore, and salmon and grunter are biting, with big bream to be had in the creeks. Crabs and prawns are also about in good numbers. “The two best spots for crabs at the moment seem to be the northern end of the Narrows and at South Trees inlet,” says Dylan.
IN MACKAY - the Easter and
you’re new to the gas fields you might be looking for a place to chuck a line in on your day off. According to Nathan from Fish n Bits in Toowoomba there are three dams in the region that are fishing well at the moment. The first is Cooby Dam, near Highfields, which is an easy half hour’s drive from Toowoomba. “There’s lots to be caught at Cooby at the moment; it’s fishing well on salt water
yabbies and blades,” Nathan says. There have been regular reports of bass and yellow belly at depths of between 38 and 45 foot. Closer to Crows Nest is Cressbrook Dam, and it’s starting to come along with hardbodies and blades working well at the moment. “The other place you could try is Leslie Dam near Warwick,” suggests Nathan. “It’s fishing really well on troll with big oar-gee lures.” Over the next few weeks the bass and yellow belly should start to slow up, and the cod are just starting to bite. If you have a good photo or fishing yarn send it through to our resident bait chucker-
angus.peacocke@shiftminer.com
ANZAC Day long weekends were the best spells for fishing the region has seen for months. Bruce from the Compleat Angler says while it’s still technically in between the summer and winter seasons, the fish are out there biting. “Now is the time to be on the lookout for mackerel, queenfish, tuna and cobia,” he says. Bruce says sweet lip have also been about in good number around the offshore islands - and there have been reports of good catches of coral trout and nannygai too. “In the estuaries at the moment you are looking at blue salmon, whiting, grunter and Jacks,” he says. “At the moment the best catches of blue and king salmon are coming out of Constant and Murray Creeks and
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Shift Miner Magazine
Bluff put on 120 in 2 games 05-05:14: THE coach of the Bluff Rabbitohs has welcomed the teams perfect start to the 2014 season - but has stopped short of accepting the “try machine” label. On Saturday the Rabbitohs piled on 58 points against against Springsure in the Central Highlands rugby league competition. Just seven days after putting on 62 unanswered points against the struggling Middlemount Panthers. Coach Josh Byrne says it is a perfect start but it doesn’t mean it is not going to get harder. “I think we have got plenty of points in us, we had some pretty good signings in the off season like Mitch Wyatt who came over when Tieri folded,” he said. “It seems like it has taken a long time for the season to come round, but everyone has been working hard and we have always got at least 12 at every training.” “But our starting attitude against Springsure wasn’t the best and I had to give them a spray at half time, but they reacted to that and we put on 34 unanswered points in the second half.” “But I don’t think we can get carried away with it, every team is going to get better the more games they play, and Springsure were travelling without a full bench.” Newcomers Liam Law and Craig Dodd were singled out for special mention in the backs whilst forward Billy Byrne has had his best ever start to the season in the forwards. Looking to the future Byrne says the timing of this weeks general bye is good, because they have a few injuries they need some time to get over, before they play the two Emerald sides back to back.
Cubs maintain standard for Emerald Tigers 28-04-14: THE Emerald Tigers are feeling optimistic about their season after their 38-all draw with last years premiers Clermont on the weekend. Clermont are again expected to be the benchmark in 2014, and with a large number of new players this year the Tigers expected the Clermont game to be an important test. President Jay Edwards said they didn’t disappoint. “We are pretty happy coming out with a draw, the boys really stood up and we have some really good talent,” he told Shift Miner. “We have made a fair few backline changes since the grand final last year, and we don’t seem to have lost too much.” “Isaiah Hewitt who played on the wing and at full
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Sport Monday - Roundup
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back, had a great game and scored three tries.” “He can really play anywhere and the way he runs the ball reminds me of Greg Inglis in his younger days, he even looks like Greg.” “He was really well supported by two of our other U18’s players who have stepped up this season, Sebastian Steggler and Joshua Johnstone.” However scoring tries outwide can only happen when the forwards are doing their job, and president Edwards was glowing about the work put in by the forward pack. The games intensity took its toll on both teams in the second half with defensive lapses, dropped balls and lower completion rates becoming a feature as “lactic acid” started to take it’s toll. But with more games and more game fitness, President Edwards is hoping that problem will fix itself. The tough game also took its toll in other ways with half a dozen players injured. Fortunately for the Tigers they now have two weeks off due to two byes. So by the next game all players except for two are expected to have recovered. A second rower with a possible cracked kneecap and a fullback who dislocated his shoulder are expected to be out longer.
Brahmans too fast at breakdown 28-04-14: A devastating 22 point lead in the first half for the Proserpine Brahmans was too much for the Moranbah Miners to claw back in the second half of their game on the weekend. The game was a try-a-thon with a final score of 44 points to 28, with Moranbah scoring 22 of it’s 28 points in the second half. Moranbah coach Dave Roberts said they allowed Proserpine to get too much momentum at the play-the-ball. “The play the ball was just too quick, it was like a game of touch football,” he told Shift Miner. “We were down a few players and they had a bigger pack than us - that’s not an excuse - but we just couldn’t slow the play-the-ball down enough.” “We have got to work on holding them up in the tackle and then getting them to ground, which slows down the breakdown and allows our defence to get organised.” “Out wide they had some good centres and they just had too much room to work with.” On a more positive note the Miners won the second half 22 points to 18 and their completion rate problem seems to have been fixed. Young Nat Hinchliffe also continued his good form getting Players Player for the second week running. The Moranbah Miners line up against Sarina at home this weekend, and their headline players, Tronc, Lowe and Budworth are expected to be available to play.
Chinchilla Suns steal gasfiels AFL crown
All the action in Chinchilla when the Suns defeated Dalby for the second time this year
28-04-14: THE Chinchilla Suns senior
AFL side proved their first round defeat of nearby gasfields rival the Dalby Swans was not a fluke over the weekend. The Suns narrowly won the game by eight points after clawing back from a 17 point deficit at halftime. The game was the second of three games against Dalby this year meaning that the Suns - in their second year as a club - have the wood on Dalby in 2014. Club president Jay Paget told Shift Miner the win required patience and hard work. “It was a really hard fought eight point victory,” he said. “We were seven points down in the first quarter and 17 points down at half time, but we fought back to within 3 points in the 3rd quarter and kicked five goals to Dalby’s three in the 4th to win by 8.”
“Cam Percival and Kristian Muir kicked 4 goals each and our younger players like Dylan Squires and Jesse Jones-Scholes really stood up and put in great performances.” “Cam Percival was best on ground with his strongest performance this year.” The Sun’s are feeling optimistic about the season, however they remain aware of the fact that they are not travelling for away games well. “Next week we are off to Warwick and travel has proved difficult in the past put we hope to change that this weekend,” President Jay Paget added. “Things are really starting to pull together for the club and it’s a direct result of all the hard work everyone has put in.” “We can only take things one week at a time but momentum is building and the club is moving in the right direction.”
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Sport Monday - Roundup
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Youthful bush pigs not TO be taken lightly
Many faces have moved on after Clermont won the shield in 2013
2-05-14: The Clermont Bush pigs might not make the same weight at the local chillers, but coach Kurt Andrews says that won’t make them easy to catch in the Central Highlands Rugby Union competition. Andrews has accepted what some might say is a poison chalice - the task of coaching a side that last year won the premiership and then lost 12 players to retirement.
In a stroke of luck for Clermont though - depending on which way you look at it - the U18’s rugby league side folded a month ago, meaning the open rugby side picked up a coach and six players. Naysayers might say the only way is down for 2014, but Andrews who was one of the founding Bush Pigs players - has backed up against a big tree and is ready to fight.
“We have got a lot of youth coming through, including half a dozen players who followed me over from league,” he told Shift Miner. “Most of them have played junior rugby and league, but none of them have played at a senior level before, so it’s going to be a test for them.” “We still have a few old heads in
there, but clearly we are not going to have the weight of some of the older teams, but what we lose there we will make up in speed.” “We intend to run a few teams ragged.” Among the players showing a lot of early promise is Kurtis Bont who received players player in round one. While Captain - and relative old hand at 25 - Matt Tait is expected to provide a solid foundation in the scrum and leadership for the young side. Due to a late draw change Coach Andrews was unable to make the first game of the season against Moranbah last week. However despite the 8 point loss, Andrews is not reading anything into it. “Well I wasn’t able to be there in person, but I do know the boys were down a few key players and maybe a little unprepared at this level.” “Like everyone out here we have to manage shift work.” “And they definitely had a lot of weight on us, but we will work on our strengths at training.” “I know a lot of people say young players won’t train, but not these blokes, all of them are really keen and training numbers have been excellent.” The Clermont Bush Pigs train Tuesday and Friday night at Clermont sports ground at 7pm. Any new players will be welcomed with open arms.
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Shift Miner Magazine
Money Matters
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The price is right
CENTRAL Highland businesses will learn how to master an integral part of the tender process - quoting - at an upcoming workshop. The Price is Right is a practical workshop to increase participants’ ability to quote effectively and efficiently by helping them understand their own cost structure, market position and competition. The workshop is being presented by the Central Highlands Development Corporation (CHDC) in partnership with the Local Buying Community Foundation. “This training is a direct response to considerable feedback we’ve received from businesses, who say one of the most difficult challenges in the tendering process is determining the right price,” said CHDC general manager Sandra Hobbs. It’s been a tough time for business in the region, with more than 80 shutting up shop over the past 12 months as the
Mackay rentals tighten
downturn bears down on Emerald. It’s hoped the workshop will provide some real assistance to other businesses still grappling with the new economic reality of the region. “By attending this workshop, businesses will be able to quote much more confidently, knowing they’ve set a price that’s competitive, while still promising a decent return,” said Ms Hobbs. Key topics include pricing and business strategy; understanding your business financial position and performance; tendering for work; and understanding your customer. The workshop will be delivered by Bentleys Chartered Accountants business advisory manager Ryan Rostron. The half-day workshop is on Thursday, 8 May at CHDC, Wally McKenzie House, Emerald Showgrounds and bookings can be made at www.chdc.com.au
“IT’S better than it was and we’ve probably reached the bottom but it’ll be a long road to recovery.” That’s the blunt assessment of the state of real estate in the resources hub of Mackay by REIQ zone chair Peter McFarlane. At the end of last year rental vacancy rates were the highest on record, sitting at 7.7 per cent. In a small piece of good news, that has now dropped to 7.5 per cent in the March quarter. “I have been in real estate for 30 years and the vacancy rate was the highest I’ve ever seen,” Mr McFarlane told Shift Miner. “There has certainly been some improvement, and since the beginning of the year our office has seen a change in the amount of serious rental inquiry.” Mr McFarlane said there was always going to be a correction in the market, but many had not expected it to be so sudden or marked. “People can’t seem to remember Mackay before the boom for some reason. We continually told our landlords while rents were going up by $50 every six months, this is a purple patch and there will be an adjustment down the track. “But we thought rents would just stabilise and stay there for a few years.” Instead, Mackay was identified as an investment hot spot and southern
developers and builders descended on the Northern Beaches area, opening up new subdivisions for out-of-town investors. “Overall, 35 per cent of Mackay’s total number of dwelling are rentals but in these new developments in Blacks Beach and Bucasia it is more like 80 per cent,” explained Mr McFarlane. “The promises these developers are making to investors are not coming to fruition and people have started to learn they are not going to get $600 rent a week - more like $400.” Mr McFarlane expected that in the next 12 to 18 months investors would sell off their properties, and they would be bought by local owner-occupiers, helping to stabilise the market and bring down rental vacancy rates. However, he said the downturn in the mining sector meant job security was now a big issue for first home buyers who might be interested in the area. “A lot of people who have been put off by mining supply businesses were casual employees so they left with no big payout; they were just cast aside with no financial back up,” he said. “We are living in a much more mobile society so people can just pack their bags and leave town.” Nonetheless, Mr McFarlane was hopeful vacancy rates on rentals would drop back to around 5 per cent by the end of the year.
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
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Money Matters
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MONEY TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS
Aged Care
Recognising that aged care may be necessary for a loved one can be distressing. The issues surrounding aged care are complex and the uncertainty around where to move, how much it will cost and where the money will come from can be overwhelming. There will be many personal, as well as financial, decisions that will need to be made and it can be
difficult to know what to do. Aged care advice is a complex and specialised field and each individual’s situation will be different. However, seeking the advice of a financial adviser experienced in this area can ensure you explore all available options for achieving the right balance between generating an income, maximising the Age Pension and minimising aged care fees.
You don’t have to go it alone
An aged care adviser can provide an impartial perspective, peace of mind through the knowledge that you have made an informed decision, as well as, illustrate different scenarios and their financial impact (including the role of the family home), assist you to work through the decision making process, negotiate with the facility providers on your behalf and assist you with all necessary paperwork. If this is an area in which you would like further information, or you want to continue the conversation with a professional in this field, contact Jeff White on 07 3114 8621 or Simon Milton 07 3114 8652. This will at the very least give you the peace of mind that there is someone who can help.
Stock of the month: Sydney Airport (SYD) – Current Price $4.30 Sydney Airport corporation own and operate the Sydney Airport. The asset can almost be described as investing in a large shopping centre with a plethora of retail outlets; then there’s the added benefit of charging your customers for parking. The airlines, who pay Sydney Airport to land there, brought over 37.9 million passengers through the doors in 2013. This number is expected to keep growing over time, creating many opportunities to continually increase cash flow. The company currently has a dividend yield of 5.2% and is a prudent long term investment. A further benefit is the company has first rights of refusal on the development and operation of a second Sydney Airport should one finally eventuate. Please call Jeff White on 07 3114 8621 for further information on Sydney Airport.
Win an Apple Ipad Mini!
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter by emailing the word “subscribe” to jeff. white@morgans.com.au before 30 June 2014 and go into the draw to win a 16gb Apple Ipad Mini valued at $350. Prize will be drawn on the 14th of July. The winner will be notified by email on the day.
ROOM WITH A VIEW
Please call Jeff White on 07 3114 8621 for further information on Greencross.
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589, Williams Road, Broome
Exotic homes
Price: $4,600,000 The real estate agent guarantees living here is like nothing else. Spectacular views. A climate-controlled infinity pool. More than 4 hectares of your own space. And your choice of eight bedrooms throughout several dwellings. If the price tag makes the dream a bit unrealistic, why not live in the main bungalow and rent out the others? Or perhaps a yoga retreat? If you like pina colada… and walks in the rain…
for the mobile miner
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Contact: Brian O’Rourke, First National Broome, 0409 650 828.
1025 Elephant Pass Road, Gray, Tasmania
Price: $720,000 Byfield is a little known hamlet just shy of the Capricorn Coast. When you turn off the main road, just before you hit Yeppoon, you are suddenly transported into a greener, cooler and more tropical world with fruit farms and a national park the two main features of the area. It’s not every day the only shop in the district is up for sale, and attached to it a five-bedroom, two-bathroom residence. Included in this price tag is the store, cafe that seats 80, extensively renovated house, six-car accommodation, dam, and almost two acres of freehold land. If you’re looking for the ultimate tree change, this could be for you. Contact the owner Rod Taylor on 4935 1190 for details.
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2234 Byfield Road, Byfield
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Price: $798,000
Victor Island, Off Sarina
The views from this peaceful and private home are staggering. Not to mention the 30 acres of well-fenced paddocks ideal for stock or horses. All of this is just a 10-minute drive from Tasmania’s beautiful east coast beaches and the little town of St Mary’s. There’s also an established orchard and garden and two spring fed dams and all capped off with a gorgeous three-bedroom home. Contact: Dane Cumming, Surf Coast Realty, 0419 630 019
Price: $1,950,000 Secluded private island paradise. Need we say more? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy your own private tropical island just south of the world famous Whitsunday Islands. Imagine Robinson Crusoe with creature comforts. The island has a large and beautifully maintained main house and caretaker’s cottage. There’s a massive shed to store all the toys you will need to take full advantage of your unique surroundings. Imagine spending your days walking on the beach, swimming or snorkeling without a tourist in sight. All you need to do is rustle up a cool $2M… Contact Mike Althaus, ATK Real Estate Solutions, 0405 102 312.
Send your exotic dream property details and low resolution images to justin.carlos@shiftminer.com 12th May 2014
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