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Monday February 23, 2015 193rd Edition

M A G A Z I N E

THE END OF 100% FIFO? New government plans for scrapping 100% FIFO Âť Â Â Full report page 5

Dawson mine fatality “not good enoughâ€? Âť   Page 5

Worst behind us?

2015 will be better Âť Â Â Page 4

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Shift Miner Magazine

CONTENTS NEWS

4

23 6 7

4 6

Galilee gone?

9

Bluff project shuts quietly before Christmas

9

Bitter medicine for ailing Cockatoo

Saraji on “operational readiness”

Regulars

1 Around Town 1 17 Miners Trader 8 16 Franks the Tank 20 Puzzles Queensland mining community's best source of local news

SHIFT MINER Locally Owned and Operated

M A G A Z I N E

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Galilee a disappearing dream?

Despite headwinds Adani remains resolute about the Galilee

THE chances of mega mining projects in the Galilee Basin getting off the ground are looking smaller by the day in the face of persistent low coal prices and a collapse in political support.

Prior to the election Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk reversed generations of Labor policy confirming they would no longer invest public money in major infrastructure to facilitate private mining developments.

Following their astonishing win in the polls, that pre-election promise is now post election policy.

“Labor will not support the financially risky plans by the

LNP for taxpayers to fund a private company’s dredging operations at Abbot Point even before its planned mine has proved to be commercially viable,” Premier Palaszczuk said.

“Nor will we support the use of taxpayers’ funds to support a new rail line.

“In developing the export LNG industry Labor made sure private companies carried such costs, not taxpayers.

“That remains our approach.”

However even with government support aside, Adani and GVK Hancock’s proposed thermal coal mega-mines, remain

Dawson and Foxleigh being sold AS foreshadowed last month, Anglo American has added Foxleigh and Dawson to the list of its coal mines up for sale in Queensland.

In December last year the company announced that its Callide mine near Biloela and its Dartbrook mine in New South Wales were both on the market, and that they were reviewing their current coal portfolio in Queensland.

However last week they announced they had decided to add Foxleigh and Dawson to the list of assets up for sale.

Anglo American’s coal chief Seamus French said the mines were high-quality assets expected to generate significant interest.

“The four assets included in the sale package represent an impressive resource base of high-quality export coal, a long history of benchmark operational performance and good infrastructure access,” Mr French said.

While Anglo American says the sale makes strategic sense for them, they are ruling out a fire sale, and will only move forward if they can get a reasonable price for the mines.

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extremely doubtful due to the sheer size of the investment required and the very fragile economics surrounding them.

Graziers at the epicentre of the high profile GVK Hancock mega mine, say they have lost faith that anything will go ahead anytime soon.

“The last time I heard from GVK was nine months ago, and the last time I saw anyone working on their site was over twelve months ago,” one grazier said.

“I mean it might be different for the Adani project, but despite all the talk, nothing is going to happen in the near future in my opinion.

“What we need is for the Government to award a mining lease to GVK Hancock, and that will force them to show their hand.

“But I don’t think they [GVK Hancock] have the money; at least that’s what I have heard on the grapevine.

“Also no one is sure whether our compensation agreements count for anything, since the state government declared the whole area a state development area (SDA), so if they [the

agreements] were activated by the mining lease, we would at least know where we stand.”

The Queensland Resources Council says the decision by the new government to not invest in infrastructure was a major shift in Labor policy in Queensland.

“Labor will not invest in a new multi-user rail line from the Galilee Basin to the port of Abbot Point, despite the fact that successive Queensland governments have invested in such infrastructure over many decades to open up mining areas such as the Bowen Basin and the Mount Isa Minerals Province,” the QRC said.

“Labor will not provide any financial support for the dredging program at Abbot Point required to provide export capacity for Galilee Basin mines, this is a government-owned port and successive Queensland governments have taken seriously their responsibility to ensure port development keeps pace with demand.”

However Adani’s CEO and country head, Jeyakumar Janakaraj, has remained resolute

about the their project.

During the election campaign he said they would work with every partner and every government in ensuring it proceeds.

“The decision of Adani to proceed or not to proceed with this important investment is based on one thing – the cost basis of the project; this remains the case,” he said.

“Importantly, the mine at Carmichael, which lies at the heart of these projects, will be within the first quartile of the cost curve.”

Owners of the less advanced GVK Hancock mining venture, further south in the Galilee, have also told media the election result will not derail their plans.

“Both parties clearly campaigned heavily on job creation, and the development of the Galilee Basin is clearly one of the strongest prospects for job creation in Queensland’s foreseeable future,” a spokesman said.

“We look forward to working with whatever government is formed to advance our projects to a point where construction and job creation can commence.”

Gut feeling the worst might be behind us THE worst is behind us and trading conditions will improve in the mining sector in 2015, according to a leading Queensland resources analyst.

“Having seen a few tops and bottoms in the sector over the last 15 years, I just get the sense that the last quarter was the bottom,” Portfolio Manager at Bizzell Capital Partners Peter Wright told Shift Miner.

“At the top of the boom you see an over exuberance and huge premiums paid on everything, then at the bottom you see this sentimental view that nothing any good will happen in the sector ever again.

“We hadn’t seen [really bad sentiment] in the markets until finally iron ore and oil prices crashed in the last quarter.”

Mr Wright said he expected a catalyst for change would come, although he did not know what form it would take.

The near 25 per cent fall in the value of the Australian dollar in the last six months means the price Central Queensland resource companies receive for commodities like coal has improved by nearly 25 per cent.

Added to the change in fortunes, the price of fuel has dropped dramatically and all sites

are now operating at a much lower cost.

The operating conditions have markedly changed over the past two years in the sector.

At the height of the boom, one mine was offering $300,000 a year for an exploration manager and received three applications, according to Mr Wright.

Currently that same mine is receiving more than a dozen applications a week for the same role but for a much more modest salary package.

In another case that highlights the change in salary conditions, Mr Wright said a miner in a high level production role for one of the region’s biggest miners was earning more than $700,000 a year.

Made redundant, he had recently taken a job for a small miner in North Queensland for $160,000 a year, and was happy to have it.

“In a number of respects it [the falling dollar] is very positive,” Mr Wright said.

“When you are selling in US dollars and receipting in Australian dollars it has a marked effect on net present values or, in other words, Australian assets become inherently cheaper, and it is usually a catalyst for takeover activity.

“At the last bottom of the market after the GFC, Chinalco launched a bid for Rio Tinto and from that you saw a series of bids for assets.

“If you are an investor and you are now seeing assets in Australia that are 25 per cent cheaper and revenue is 25 per cent better, with a rapidly deflating cost environment, it starts to look attractive.”

So will this translate to increased activity in Central Queensland and the arrival of the long awaited maintenance tsunami?

There is a case of optimism, according to Mr Wright.

“You would like to think the owners of these assets would be taking a longer term view on their operations, and feeling a bit more confident about the outlook,” he said.

“I think that a lot of competitive pressures have now subsided, and one of the problems in resources is that it tends to get considered in terms of an absolute boom or an absolute bust.

“But I think that there is a more sustainable middle ground where good operations can make a very reasonable return on their investment.”

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FIFO reversal for BMA projects

NEWLY elected member for Mirani, Jim Pearce, says reversing the current fly-infly-out (FIFO) arrangements for BMA’s workforce at the Caval Ridge and Daunia mines will be completed in the first 100 days of government.

Currently, all employees working on BMA’s two newest mines near

Moranbah must commute to work and stay in nearby mining villages to be eligible for employment.

Ironically, the decision to allow 100 per cent compulsory FIFO for the first time ever in Queensland was approved at the height of the boom by the former Anna Bligh led Labor government.

Tyre death “not good enough” MINING’s peak body in Queensland says companies need to have a “good look” at themselves and is calling for a high level meeting in the wake of last week’s death at the Dawson mine near Moura.

While the man killed this week was employed by Leighton Contractors, it is the third death in less than a year at an Anglo American owned mine in the region, and Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Michael Roche said a high level meeting was needed.

“I’m planning to get industry leaders together in the first half of this year to sit down and have a real good look at ourselves in terms of what we can be doing better, because it’s simply not good enough to have these continued fatal accidents at our mines,” he told media.

“I am sick and tired of hearing about fatalities involving tyre explosions.

“I’ve been in this job for 10 years, the first such experience was in 2006 and I just can’t believe that it continues to happen.”

Meanwhile Pam MacDonald, the widow of a man killed by an exploding tyre on a Central Queensland mine

site in 2010 told the ABC she was disappointed recommendations stemming from her husband’s death had not prevented a similar tragedy.

In 2010, her husband Wayne was killed in similar circumstances at Ango’s Foxleigh mine near Middlemount, and she said the incident at Dawson mine had stirred up memories.

“It never goes away and each time there’s a fatality in the mines I relive it all again,” she said.

“My heart goes out to this person’s family and his work colleagues, I can imagine, I can feel the pain that they would be going through.”

After a three day shutdown, work in parts of the Dawson mine have recommenced.

The incident happened early last Monday morning, killing one contractor and seriously injuring an apprentice. At the time of printing their names had not been released.

Investigations by two senior government mines inspectors are continuing at the site, and an investigation report will be prepared for the Queensland Coroner.

The policy was then ridiculed by the Campbell Newman led LNP government, but it was only the Labor party who, prior to the last election, said they would repeal it if elected to govern.

Following their astonishing win in the state elections, Jim Pearce says giving workers options for where they live is a major priority.

“It’s definitely happening in the first 100 days,” he told Shift Miner.

“We will be reviewing it, and a lot of people are forgetting that in their first EIS, BMA said they were actually going to go seventy-thirty and that would have people living in central Queensland.

“At that particular time [under Labor when it was first approved] you could say there was a lot of pressure with jobs and skills and all that sort of thing, but things have changed.

“We have now got thousands of people out of work in Central Queensland, and it is just unreasonable and immoral for a company to keep wanting to fly people in from Cairns or the South East corner.”

However, Mr Pearce is quick to point out that they are not looking to end the practice of FIFO altogether but rather to end the situation where it is compulsory.

Over the past few years, opposition to the practice has been growing among

Central Queensland residents and their political representatives.

As more jobs have been axed in the Bowen Basin, locals have become outraged that they are ineligible to apply for jobs at two of the region’s newest mines.

To get around the rules, some locally based miners have even been flying to Brisbane and then flying back up to pass the eligibility tests.

“I would have thought it was common sense to say that the jobs are here in Queensland, lets look after Central Queensland first,” Mr Pearce said.

“Do what I had to do if you wanted a job in the coal industry, I had to move from Campbelltown in NSW to Dysart to have a job.

“There was no Fly In Fly Out in those times, and because I moved up here I made living in Central Queensland my life.

“We should be giving people the opportunity of choices.

“Yes, someone might say, ‘I want a job at Caval Ridge and I am prepared to live in a camp,’ but someone else might want to have a job at Daunia or Caval ridge, but want their family living in Moranbah or Dysart.

“We all win that way and at the moment it is one sided, it is discriminatory.”

Blair Athol to re-open in weeks?

THE future of the Blair Athol coal mine near Clermont remains up in the air today despite Linc Energy saying it has sold the mine, and all of its other coal assets, to little known company United Mining Group (UMG).

In 2013, Linc Energy set up a subsidiary called New Emerald Coal (NEC) to house all its coal assets and, on the face of it, the Blair Athol mine was the jewel in the crown.

Not only is Blair Athol the only asset Linc or NEC appear to own that has a highly understood measured coal deposit, it is in care and maintenance which means a return to production is relatively quick and easy.

However, in reality, it is not yet an asset owned

by Linc or NEC - with purchase negotiations with its former owners the Blair Athol Joint Venture (BAJV) still not finalised more than 12 months after the deal was announced.

So, in fact, the sale announcement this week is actually of the ‘agreement to acquire’ Blair Athol coal mine not the mine itself, and it remains unclear what happens to the deal with UMG if, for whatever reason, an “agreement to acquire” is not reached between NEC and BAJV. In response to queries by Shift Miner, a spokesperson for Linc said they had “no reason to expect that the agreement to acquire Blair Athol would not be completed”.

However, the sale to UMG does allow for such an eventuality.

“New Emerald Coal, under control of United Mining Group expects to complete its acquisition of the Blair Athol coal mine

from the BAJV in the coming weeks and subsequently will re-commence operations on site,” Linc’s statement on the sale said.

“Under the revenue sharing agreement, Linc receives an indexed US$0.50 per product tonne of coal sold from the Blair Athol Project, if the Blair Athol acquisition completes.”

But assuming all those negotiations go to plan, the future for Blair Athol still remains uncertain with very few details available about the track record of the theoretical new owners UMG. An online search of UMG and its Managing Director Gary Williams reveals that the United Mining Group entity was formed just three months ago and that Gary Williams was an executive Director of South East Asia Resources, which last month was put in administration.

However, despite that, Mr Williams says he plans to convert Linc’s assets into a functioning coal mining business.

“The acquisition of Linc Energy’s conventional coal assets will provide a platform on which United Mining Group plans to build a substantial Australian coal portfolio over the coming years,” Mr Williams said. “ United intends to follow on from the good work started by NEC in its preparations for their commencement of operations at Blair Athol and plans to continue with development of Teresa as its next mine into production.

“United is continuing with its aggressive growth plans and is looking for additional synergistic acquisitions over the coming months.”

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Abandon a safe culture at your peril DON’T sacrifice safety in the pursuit of productivity. That is the key message underpinning next month’s Resource Industry Network (RIN) safety conference in Mackay.

Organisers of the event have secured a number of high profile speakers including BMA’s Asset President Lucas Dow, Boyne Smelter General Manager Joe Rea and Mackay Sugar CEO Quinton Hilderbrand, because of the valuable insights they can provide on managing safety cultures when business is difficult.

In particular, Mr Rea will share his valuable experience on how the Boyne Smelter achieved its best safety result in 32 years of operation while the aluminium market was its worst point in history.

Mackay-based chairman of the RIN safety committee Mick Crow says it’s about keeping safety front-of-mind even when times are tough.

“The whole thing I suppose is targeting the coal industry in a transition period where there is likely to be less business than more,” he told Shift Miner.

“Downturns come and go, what you can’t have is a focus on increased productivity at the expense of safety, and through good engagement and good skills you can ensure productivity and safety go hand in hand.”

The safety conference will be held at the Mackay Entertainment Centre on Friday 27 March.

Operational readiness at Saraji

THE relationship between contractors and their employers is continuing to evolve across mine sites in Central Queensland as companies look for further cost savings.

Contractor HSE mining says it has “completely changed” its site practices at the BMA owned Saraji mine in an attempt to lower costs and increase flexibility.

For just over two months, HSE has been operating on a new “operational readiness”

form of contract, which is a significant departure from the more common volumebased contract they had previously worked on.

Project Manager for HSE, Ian Jolliffe, said the change better reflects the current mining environment.

“Over the past few months, HSE has been in negotiations with BMA Saraji to modify our volume-based contract into something that delivers our usual high

standards in safety and productivity but with a more flexible structure,” he said.

“During September it was agreed that the best option to move forward for both parties is to have a complete change in past site practices and introduce an operational readiness form of contract.

“The introduction of this style of contract gives BMA the flexibility to choose what they would like HSE to supply and, as a result, substantially increase flexibility for BMA.” Under the new contract BMA has now brought the pre-strip planning, surveying and circuit supervisor direction back inhouse and is taking responsibility for all the associated variables as well.

However, Mr Jolliffe said while the changes had required significant re-training of both the site and head office workforce, it had been justified by the results.

“Many hours were spent coaching the HSE workforce to assist them to understand the changes as well as each individual’s requirements,” he said.

“The Brisbane office has also gone to great lengths to support the contract change – a big thank you to Cliff Dickson for assisting in the facilitation at site level.

“Thanks to the excellent work done by all; an exceptional outcome in cost reduction has resulted for our client and an injury free, productive month for HSE.”

Bandanna sell up starting soon

THE assets of the now defunct Bandanna Energy are expected to be put up for sale within the month as administrators race to stem the flow of take-or-pay contract costs accruing to the company.

Financial media has been reporting that Bandanna’s total liability to the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) could be as high as AU$1 billion (and growing), necessitating a fast resolution on its future.

Administrators, PPB Advisory, released an update for creditors this month outlining recent developments in the winding up process.

“The ASX have notified us that because the suspension [of shares] has continued for 60 business days, ASX Settlement Pty Limited has revoked approval of the company’s financial products ie shares,” PPB said in a note to creditors.

“This means that the CHESS subregister for these shares has been closed and it has converted to an issuer sponsored subregister.

“The administrators are currently

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obtaining valuations of the company’s assets with the intention to commence a sale of business process in early 2015.”

The most valuable item owned

by Bandanna is its Springsure Creek underground thermal mine project just south of Emerald.

Prior to entering into administration, Bandanna had secured all the necessary state and government approvals for the proposed mine and had advanced to a mining lease status.

To export coal from the proposed Springsure Creek mine, Bandanna Energy became a founding shareholder in the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET) and committed to take-or-pay contracts for exporting through the facility.

Ironically, this port access it negotiated at the height of the boom – once so highly valued – is now the reason the company went under and why the sale of its assets is being accelerated.

There has been some speculation that major miner Glencore, who owns more than a third of WICET, might buy the Springsure Creek project if it can get it at the right price.

Bandanna’s other assets include its Dingo West and South Galilee coal projects; however, they are both very early in the development stage, and one is a joint venture.

Bandanna also has eight coal exploration projects and an interest in a small number of oil shale projects.

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Arrow asks for faith

MANY of the 250 business people who made it to Arrow Energy’s information seminar in Rockhampton, left the event feeling a bit deflated about the project recently.

By Arrow’s own admission, pitching for work on the proposed Bowen Gas Project (BGP) “won’t make sense for everyone” according to spokesperson Robert McRuvie.

The main reason it will not make sense is that it requires a huge investment of time and effort without any certainty that the project will ever move forward, let alone your application making it through the rigorous application process.

While Arrow went to great lengths

to explain the time frames, systems and processes required for securing potential work on the project, it failed to deal with the elephant in the room.

That is, with Arrow’s owners ruling out building a gas processing plant in Gladstone a fortnight ago, why would you develop gas fields in the Bowen Basin with no clear plan for selling it?

“It’s an excellent question and probably one that I can’t answer straight away for you, because a lot of options are still on the table,” Mr McRuvie told the audience during questions.

“We are talking to a number of people,

companies and proponents around collaboration opportunities; all of those are still a long term negotiation and still under commercial discussion.

“But there will be something in place, but it is not something we can speculate on today.”

Late last year, Arrow received state government approval for its proposed BGP, which would be located about 150 kilometres southwest of Mackay.

If built, the BGP would probably be the biggest energy project in the region for the next decade, involving a staged expansion of about 4000 gas wells and infrastructure across an 8000 km2 area.

Arrow claims it would generate more than 1500 jobs during the construction phase from 2016, and about 700 permanent jobs.

However, with so many unknowns and Arrow’s declared low tolerance of incomplete or inexperienced work applications, many businesses might just put it into the too-hard basket.

Despite this, Arrow is encouraging firms to get involved now.

“It’s a long term game and that’s why we say it is not for everybody,” Mr McRuvie said.

“It’s an investment of a bit of time now and waiting for a reward a bit further back.

“We will try and provide you feedback as early as we can, and if you haven’t been shortlisted we will notify you of that so you don’t have to sit there waiting.”

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Further Aurizon strike action AURIZON rail workers are on a strike today at the Jilalan and Coppabella rail depots as negotiations continue over their new Enterprise Agreement (EA).

The action follows strike action two days ago at Bluff, Stanwell, Callemondah and Pring (near Bowen) depots.

Aurizon are currently negotiating a new wage agreement with the remaining two thirds of their workforce, after the 1400 white-collar workers handling technical and administrative jobs – mostly in Rockhampton – accepted a new EA late last month.

The headline elements of the new agreement were that wages would increase at 4 per cent a year, but Aurizon will once again be able to force redundancies and change locations and rosters to achieve productivity goals.

Employees on the new EA will also no longer enjoy free rail travel.

However, the EA was a close-run poll with 463 people voting for the change and 433 people against it.

So close was the result that unions challenged it through the Fair Work Commission, claiming 13 votes were ineligible.

However, the claim was rejected by the FWC and the new EA was registered and took effect a fortnight ago.

Craig Joy goes after ATO A WORKPLACE consultant in Mackay is challenging the Australian Tax Office (ATO) and the Fair Work Ombudsman over decisions he says are costing businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Craig Joy told Shift Miner that one engineering firm in Mackay has already been hit with a $400,000 bill for back payments, tax, super and other entitlements and he believes other businesses are in the firing line.

At the heart of the dispute is how businesses employ staff - on a permanent or contract basis.

While the ATO’s problem with bosses forcing permanent employees to become contractors is welldocumented, this issue is to do with a contractor relationship developing when neither party objects.

According to Craig Joy, the rules governing this are confusing and government agencies handling the area have different positions on it.

He says the Department of Employment, which oversees the Independent Contractors Act, has come around to his view that the Act is not about dictating staff should be contractors or employees if both parties have freely entered into the agreement.

However, Mr Joy said the ATO and Fair Work Ombudsman see it differently.

“The ATO and Ombudsman are both of the view that the intent of the Act is to tell people whether or not they are allowed to be contractors or whether they should be employees,” he told Shift Miner.

“The upshot of it is that you have people entering into contracts and years later the tax office can come along and say you shouldn’t be a contractor you should be an employee and they are then prosecuting the business.

“They are saying you should have been holding tax for this person and you haven’t been, and you should have been paying super for this person and you haven’t been, and this has been going on since 2006.

“One government department isn’t talking to the other, and the people in charge of the Act are saying this isn’t what it should be and the tax office is saying it definitely is and we are going to overturn it.

“One Mackay business just got slogged $400,000 for that and it happens all the time.”

So far Mr Joy says he has not heard back from either the Fair Work Ombudsman or the ATO, and he is now taking his complaint to the Federal Employment Minister Senator Eric Abetz.

Go to www.shiftminer.com to hear the full audio of this interview.

23rd February 2015

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Queensland coal producers the big winners CENTRAL Queensland’s coking coal producers have increased their share of the global seaborne market by more than five per cent in the last 12 months.

It is great news for Central Queensland’s coal industry who has been banking on selling more tonnes of coal at a lower profit to keep their operations sustainable.

Principal coal analyst for Wood Mackenzie, Rory Simington, says Central Queensland coal producers are the best places to ride out the current depressed market.

“Australia is a standout competitor in both the metallurgical (met) and thermal coal trade, but particularly the former,” he said in the Global Coal Outlook report released recently.

“Comparing 2014 from 2013, while global met coal import demand reduced by about 8 million tonnes (Mt), Australian exports rose by around 14 Mt, growing seaborne market share from 58 per cent to 64 per cent.”

While Mr Simington is forecasting low prices for the foreseeable future due to a continued oversupply of coal onto the world market, he does expect there will be accelerated shut downs in 2015.

However, in good news for Australian producers, he expects most of the pain to be felt overseas.

“The scalability of Australian mines and their high coal quality has enabled the displacement of major competitors in the US, Canada and Indonesia,” he said.

“This trend is likely to continue thanks to a continued strong operating performance plus currency depreciation.”

How to cater to coal and CSG

THE recent opening of a full-time office in Chinchilla is the latest step by the Mackaybased Haynes Group on its journey to becoming a diversified mining service provider in Queensland.

For many coal-dependent businesses reeling in the wake of the downturn, getting a foothold in the booming CSG sector was an obvious goal for 2013 and beyond.

However, many who tried, found

the process extremely competitive and difficult and, in the end, a costly venture with very limited returns.

Despite this, Haynes Group Resources and Infrastructure Manager, Peter Fenech, says they have been one of the lucky ones.

“Well, the transition happened because we had set up an office in Brisbane, and we sort of piggybacked on other CSG businesses during the initial construction phase,” he said.

“To start with, we were in the mechanical space doing similar things to what we had always done from Mackay in the Bowen Basin.

“We had a crane operating – and still do – and we were providing field service to heavy machinery on six different sites.

“But then that work was sort of a catalyst for us diversifying into other areas like engineering and civil construction.”

“Since then a few other things have come along, and as the industry moves into the operational phase, we really thought it warranted the move into Chinchilla.”

Haynes are now one of five business who have bought into the newly built Chinchilla Business Hub with a view to a more permanent local presence in the Surat Basin.

According to the Haynes Group, one of the advantages of being local is that it has allowed them to recruit more than 100 skilled workers that can work on the next phase of the CSG industry, without the added costs of travel and accommodation.

“The major proponents and energy companies had a mad construction phase that they had to go through, but now in the operational phase, local content is going to come more into play,” Peter Fenech said.

“The clear message we have been getting is that those businesses that support communities and community development are going to get a slice of the cake.”

Mastermyne picks the bottom TONY Caruso, managing director of publicly listed mining services company, Mastermyne, is hopeful history will look favourably on the timing of their purchase of Diversified Mining Services (DMS).

Mastermyne first announced its intention to purchase DMS for around AU$20 million in October last year and finally put the deal to bed a couple of days before Christmas eve.

In the wake of the acquisition, Mastermyne says it will now operate under two main business groups – Mastermyne Mining Services and Mastertec Products and Services.

Mynesight, the group’s training and development business group, will continue to operate as normal.

In announcing the changes, Mr Caruso told Shift Miner he hoped history would judge the timing of the purchase favourably.

“If history judges that it is has gone well, then that’s a strong endorsement of the Mastermyne management that we made the right decision at the right time,” he told Shift Miner.

“Early signs are that the integration has gone really well, and the work is starting to pick up.

“We are starting to see a bit of uptick, whether that is a bit of relief from the dollar [I am not sure], but the guys have been very busy.

“We are already starting to open up

8

23rd February 2015

doors that DMS as a stand-alone couldn’t open themselves; I am confident that we have timed it right and it’s going to be a great add-on to the Mastermyne business.”

With DMS’s presence in Gladstone and by extension in the CSG sector, Mr Caruso said he was hopeful that they might be able to expand their presence in the Surat Basin.

While the company plans to retain a strong focus on its traditional coal businesses, they are hoping the rebranding will allow them to diversify into non-mining areas without their brand conveying pre-conceived ideas of what they can do.

“We wanted to maintain the focus of the work that DMS did, but we wanted to clearly differentiate between our below ground work and our above ground work,” he said.

“So we went through a rebranding exercise and what we came up with was all our production leveraged work will stay with the Mastermyne business, and the newly branded Mastertec business will do all our above ground work and our project work.”

“It will still all be operating under the Mastermyne Group Ltd, which is the listed entity, so it’s really just rebranding the two businesses so we have a differentiation between the parts of our business, which hopefully makes it easier for our customers.”

Shift Miner Magazine

News

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Another one bites the dust

ONE of Central Queensland’s most sure-footed coal developments, Carabella Resources’ Bluff Coal Project, is now dead in the water.

Shift Miner understands the project has been indefinitely mothballed, with all employees gone and the office shut down quietly just prior to Christmas.

It’s a very different picture to 12 months ago, when Carabella Resources had set up a register through Central Highlands Development Corporation (CHDC) for local businesses wanting to tender for goods and services at the mine.

By mid-way through last year, the company had secured all necessary environmental approvals and was just waiting on its mining lease application.

Production at the small, truck and excavator, open-cut site was due to begin in the first quarter of this year.

Now there are no plans for the PCI coal mine to go ahead.

Last year, Carabella was bought out by the privately owned Beijing coalminer China Kingho Energy, through its subsidiary Wealth Mining, who then delisted it from the ASX.

It also signed a deal with one of Queensland’s richest men and coal baron Christopher Wallin to acquire a tenement next door to its current holdings at Bluff.

In return for handing over the tenement, Mr Wallin received a stage 1 payment of nearly six million Carabella shares, with further payments to be made down the track.

The decision will be a blow to the coal town of Blackwater, and surrounding businesses, who had believed the mine to be a sure thing - even in today’s shaky economic climate.

Shift Miner tried to contact Wealth Mining and Carabella Resources, but so far our calls have not been returned.

The Bluff project’s demise is the latest in a string of small-cap miner disasters in the region.

Last year, Bandanna Energy went under, despite having gained all necessary approvals for its Springsure Creek mine.

The company was dragged under by its take-or-pay contracts at the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal (WICET).

Cockatoo Coal, which operates the Baralaba mine, has just sacked a quarter of its workforce and scaled back expansion plans as it struggles to stay afloat.

Little has been heard from New Emerald Coal (NEC) since it bought Rio Tinto’s Blair Athol mine for $2 with bold plans to re-start mining at the site more than 12 months ago.

CQ small caps struggling A LARGE number of Central Queensland’s small mining startups could disappear in the next 12 months as traditional sources of funding dry up.

When prices were at an all time high in coal, there was an unprecedented number of new publicly listed companies establishing themselves in the Bowen and Surat Basins.

Armed with an exploration permit, they sold shares in their business in return for cash, which was then ploughed into drilling and exploration work to “prove” their exploration tenement was a measured and saleable resource.

However, with coal prices in the doldrums and few cornerstone investors in the share market willing to invest, companies are facing a bleak future with no cash coming in to offset the steady flow of cash out.

Even if operations are at a standstill, rents and fees associated with a standard coal exploration permit can be more than AU$40,000 a year, while wages and corporate costs usually cost hundreds of thousands more – and all that before drilling starts.

Australian Pacific Coal, which has more than 20 tenements mostly in the Bowen Basin, is down to its last $300,000. In its latest quarterly statement CEO, Paul Byrne, reflected on the current difficult environment.

“This has been a difficult period in which to secure funding for exploration,” he said.

“We continue to attract interest in our projects, and there is clear recognition by potential investors that our company holds valuable projects.

“However, within the current risk averse economic environment potential, investors are generally only negotiating to secure their place in the future development of our resources.”

Bitter medicine for ailing Cockatoo COCKATOO Coal will slash its workforce by a quarter and halve the money it spends on expanding operations at Baralaba, as it battles to stay afloat.

In a statement to investors, the company said the current loan arrangements it had in place with the ANZ Bank were “untenable” at current low coal prices, and it had been forced to look at alternative ways to fund its expansions.

The option they have settled on sees them massively diluting the value of shares in the company by issuing AU$125 million worth of new stock at just $0.02 a share, which is 86 per cent less than they were worth before they went into a trading halt late last year.

There is at least some good news for existing shareholders because the shares will be offered on a pro rata basis to existing shareholders first.

The big winner in the deal (if there is one) appears to be global trading house and major Cockatoo shareholder, the Noble Group, based in Hong Kong.

In return for jointly underwriting the new share issue, they do not just get access to highly discounted shares, they have also negotiated an expanded off-take arrangement for 28 million tonnes of coal over the next 20 years as well as a five per cent stake in some of Cockatoo’s other undeveloped coal assets.

Their investment also sees them get another seat on the board of directors of Cockatoo Coal.

In announcing the new arrangements,

Cockatoo said the equity raising was the best of the options available to them.

“Cockatoo has selected the equity-raising path following an exhaustive process evaluating multiple alternatives to secure the company’s future and believes that it provides an appropriate response to the current coal sector challenges, which have placed significant pressure upon the company’s financing position,” they told investors.

“The new funding is planned to be sufficient to execute the revised mine development plan, cover all associated transaction costs and sustain the business during a period of forecast depressed coal prices prior to a period of expected substantial demand growth in the ULV PCI market over the next decade.”

In taking this new direction, Cockatoo has incurred bank fees of more than $5 million and will pay significant take-orpay costs as it fails to meet its planned export tonnages through the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal.

Under the scaled-back development plan for Baralaba, Cockatoo will reduce pit depths on the new “outrigger” pit terraces by 25 per cent to 150 metres, reduce overburden removal by 15 per cent and focus almost exclusively on mining PCI coals for the next two years.

Completion of its Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP) has been put back five years to 2020, and they will not achieve full exports of $3.5 Mt a year until 2018.

23rd February 2015

9

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Around Town

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www.shiftminer.com Shift Miner magazine – bringing the mining community closer together 23rd February 2015

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Shift Miner Magazine

Around Town

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KIWI & RUGBY COMMUNITY CELEBRATE WAITANGI DAY IN EMERALD NZ lost 39 to 18 in front of a crown of nearly 1000 [photos by James Laws]

New Zealanders prepare for war, with traditional pre-game haka

Gavin Woods

Chris & Eddie McCullagh

Jack, Darinia, Jason, Marxmin

(L-R) Pahau Milne, Isiah Perare, Chase Handford

(L-R) Manu, Jeanette,Teresa,Maye, Lakyn(baby)

Barbara & John Robin

Julie & Jack Phelan

Boss Walker, Billie

(L-R) Sally, Steve, Lachlan, Hamish Ware

Cory Beros, Maddison Roberts

(L-R) Daria, Ned, Harry, Barry Wills

(L-R) Taromi, Toni,Hinekawa,Carl, LJ

Kim Stewart, Emma Holzwart

Robert Donaldson, Legh Thomasson

Buy this and many other images at

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12

23rd February 2015

Shift Miner Magazine

Around Town

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AUSSIE! AUSSIE! AUSSIE! Celebrating the best day on the calendar (Australian Day, of course) in Blackwater. [photo credit: Jeannette Fletcher]

(L-R) Laurette Burnette, Callum, Bailey, Rachel and Janelle Denman

(L-R) Lydia Dagan, Zach Henderson, Kathryn O’Sullivan and Tegan Collon

The Bakers

The junior Black Rock Singers

(L-R) Philip, Mary and Mack Nixon with Hollie, Rebecca, and Sophie James

Rhonda and Una from the Blackwater QCWA

(L-R) Winners of best dressed were Hollie James, Calise Eaton, The Grant Family Kaitlyn Williams and Best Hat was won by Adam and Sarah Ryan

Frank and Dorothy Wilson

(L-R) Olivia Connell, Hannah and Michael James

CHRC Councillor Kev Cracknell was MC for the day

Volunteers who make Australia Day celebrations possible

(L-R) Liam, Indy, Tali and Nadia Kronk

The Junior and Senior Citizen of the Year cutting the cake

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.

23rd February 2015

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Shift Miner Magazine

Around Town

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SCHOOL’S BACK

Across the country, kids are back at their desks and Blackwater State School is no exception. [photo credit: Jeannette Fletcher]

(L-R) Lilly, Bella and Logan Vipen

Joshua and Bailey Dawson

Braithen and Maddison Weaver

Lollypop lady Teresa Munro

(L-R) Mason and Trace Sims and Kaleb Mauloni

Adam and Sarah Ryan

(L-R) Felicity, Shanae and Koen White

Ruby and Macey Evans

Arianne and Neve Flint

Shaylee Booker

(L-R) Cooper Ellis, Trae Alexander and Zack Hare

Xavier and Hayley Conway

Blayze Lucas and Jim-Bob Collins

Ella Watts and Aaron Kupa-Caudwell

(L-R) Kaitlyn, Courtnie, Kloe and Chelsie Williams

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.

14

23rd February 2015

Shift Miner Magazine

Off Shift

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MadMumzie.com

talking resolutions and goal setting

It’s a new year, and as usual every man and their dog is talking resolutions and goal setting. Things change throughout the year, so it could be a good time to see where you’re at, and plan the next 12 months.

2014 was a challenge for many of us.

How about you?

Did you lose your job, or change workplaces? Perhaps you finally retired?

What about your relationships? Are

you both happy? Did you start a new one, finish up, or still single after all that trying?

Did you buy or sell a house, move to a new area, or back in with mummy and daddy? Maybe the kids moved back in with you?

Did you have a baby, get pregnant, or sadly, farewell a loved one?

Did you get fitter or fatter?

Are you a rich miner, or did you need help from friends and family, or go on the dole?

Are you happy and living life to the fullest, or thinking about picking up that phone to Lifeline or Beyond Blue?

It is a narrow path we tread, and one step either side can change everything.

Let’s go mining related now (Ask Frank the Tank and Sensible Susan for that relationship advice!)

Any goals other than a new boat?

Here’s a couple to get you started.

Drink less at camp.

3 nights instead of 5 this year.

Contact kids more.

They don’t even have to be your own kids. What about your nieces and nephews? The grand kids? Kids are good for the soul, not tarnished with adult views and logic. Big dreamers, inventors and just bloody funny at times with Make a bigger effort at work. the stuff they say, or try to say, even Don’t laugh! Do it for yourself, not them. teenagers. Interact and have fun with Don’t tell anyone, just try and improve them more, the old cliché “Quality time.” in everything you do. Why? It’s a way to Help out at their school, and keeping fit challenge yourself, keep the mind active will stop those tuck shop arms! and make the shifts go quicker.

Seriously 350 words ain’t enough SM....head to www.madmumzie.com for Eat healthier food.

With all the choices in the mess (depending extended version of my articles, or target on your camp) you could eat healthy, or do the editor to give me more words! ;) your darndest to get that trucker’s belly!

No need to have eggs every way. Fried, Happy New Year poached and scrambled! Only eat pavlova Mad Mumzie xx This will help with any weight related goals, save you money, and you can officially not be an alcoholic!

23rd February 2015

15

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Off Shift

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Frank the Tank’s

Dear Frank,

Having recently been made redundant from mining, I have been pursuing a career in acting. Let me tell you, there couldn’t be a different work environment. Like many actors, I have had to start with local theatre and I am in a play where I have to kiss one of my co-stars, who I also know off stage.

I suspect my girlfriend is getting very jealous about it. Can you give me some advice on how to assure her? - Tom Dear Tom, Let me getthis right, you have chosen to make a fortune, kiss glamorous women in exotic placesChrist, I hate actors. I really do.

You know the ones I mean. The “serious actors”. Not knockabout blokes like Will Ferrell, Owen Wilson or Eddie Murphy.

They’re not even actors really, they’re just bloody funny lads being filmed doing crazy stuff. I don’t even think their movies are scripted. Yeah, they’re great.

But not those high falutin “serious actors” like you.

You really are all a bunch of nambypamby, freeloading, bleeding-heart, latte swilling, chardonnay sipping, drama-queens worshiping some pipe smoking, cardigan and sandals wearing, frenchie, pinko, postmodernist-whatever, pseudo-intellectual, bearded director; blindly gulping down

every mediocre utterance as if it were a direct, gospel quote from the sermon on the mount, as if it would bring true enlightenment on how to accurately portray the collective human experience. No offense.

If you don’t mind me saying, and to be honest I don’t really care if you do, 99% of all decent actors are dead. I’m talking about John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Charles Bronson, and Steve McQueen.

Marlon Brando may have been a bit too much about being “emotionally truthful” instead of “so tough you can break a 2 by 4 over my head and I’ll just ask where the mozzie repellent is”, but he did have one saving grace: in Brando’s day, every woman in the English speaking world wanted to have his babies. Not even just the English speaking world. Everywhere!

Afghani women after watching A Streetcar Named Desire in their huts would run outside and scream at the desert moon: “Allah Ackbar! STELLA!!”

But these days? Well, I suppose there are few good actors around that come close to exuding the essence of a masculine hero.

But do they get an Academy Award for their efforts? Nup, forget it. Where are the Oscars for Stephen Seagal, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzinator and even our far-eastern friends like Jackie Chan (mate, have you seen how many blokes he can take out with a bucket, a newspaper and two ladders)?

But no, who gets an Oscar? Russell

“Streakin” good love advice

Crowe. I’m sorry, but there was a time was that if you were an old-school actor playing a Roman General who finds his burnt-beyond-recognition wife and son, instead of blubbing like a little school girl and becoming a slave, you would demand the script change so that you find a Belgian designed, specially modified, laser-mounted, polymer and alloy-based 5.7x 28mm P90 submachine gun that has been casually dropped next your villa by some time-machine explorers from the future and then go on a Roman orgy of blood, death and destruction.

Anyway, despite the fact that the American Film Institute recently proclaimed Citizen Kane as the greatest film of all time instead of Under Siege or Death Wish 2, I still have some hope for the future of the entertainment industry.

So I’m gonna help you out.

Course, you’re not doing a film now are you? You’re doing a play. BORING! We all know that theatre is even worse than film. The blood looks fake (sometimes you don’t even get that, just a red ribbon “representing” blood, as if that would fool anyone...) and there are no realistic explosions. For my money, the only legitimate theatre is the good old high school musical. And that’s mainly because I was in one. I played Veruca Salt in our local high school production of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. The reviewer

(the librarian) said it was the most realistic portrayal of a spoilt and aggressive 9 yearold girl played by a slightly overweight 15 year-old boy she had ever seen. So I obviously know what I’m talking about.

Anyway, the point is, is that you will get to snog some hot actress. I’m assuming she’s a stunner, otherwise you wouldn’t be worried about the missus having her knickers in a twist over it. So here’s my advice, for what it’s worth: If she does bring up that she’s worried or jealous about you having a go with this co-star of yours, just casually say: “Don’t worry darl, I wouldn’t touch her with a barge pole. The director told me she has syphilis”. Easy!

Have fun!

Frank

SENSIBLE SUSAN Well thanks Frank. That was a huge help. You spent the entire time ranting away at the entertainment industry instead of trying to help the poor boy out. Tom, just talk to her. If your relationship is strong she will understand that you are merely playing a character and there is no threat to your relationship. Good luck..

Susan

Classic MOVIE Review with Justin Carlos

Merry Christmas Clark Griswold I suppose every family has its traditions over Christmas and fortunately for us, one of ours was sort of forced upon us.

Before the days of streaming and rampant

16

23rd February 2015

digital piracy, simple folk were forced to watch whatever was on offer - at the time that it was offered by the big networks.

Not being a ratings period, what was

on offer over Christmas was invariably old films, and so began our Christmas tradition of watching them.

Now nothing gets me into the spirit of things like a good Christmas movie or two.

Year after year I just can’t let the festive season go by without watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Packed with one liners and a veritable buffet of slapstick comedy gold, Christmas Vacation is an undisputed classic for comedy lovers.

Chevy Chase reprises one of his most memorable roles as the well-meaning bungler, Clark Griswold.

As Christmas approaches Clark decides he’s going to make it one to remember for his family, right down to the last detail.

The film then follows the Griswold family’s disastrous attempts at getting into the Christmas spirit. There’s a light display that could be seen from space, a Christmas tree that contains live animals and leaks flammable sap, and of course, an insufferable visit by the in-laws.

Randy Quaid plays ‘Cousin Eddie’, the Griswold’s dimwitted cousin-in-law, and provides some of the film’s most hilarious moments. Amidst the turmoil of hosting Christmas, Clark Griswold anxiously awaits his Christmas bonus cheque, with which he plans to use to buy his family a swimming pool.

When his mean spirited boss cancels Christmas bonuses Clark Griswold has a meltdown and does the only logical thing, kidnaps him and attempts to force him to pay him his bonus.

What makes Christmas Vacation so enjoyable is the fact that the Griswold’s dysfunctional holiday celebrations remind us of an over-the-top version of our own Christmas celebrations.

Everybody has an uncle that likes to have too much to drink on Christmas day, a set of meddling in-laws, or a relative that always goes overboard with the decorations.

Despite the dysfunctional nature of the Griswold’s family Christmas, the film still manages to deliver a heartwarming message about the holiday season, and although some may find it a bit cheesy, it doesn’t detract from the comedic elements of the movie.

Featuring a number of recognisable faces (for example, Johnny Galecki from The Big Bang Theory, Julia Louis-Dreyfus from Seinfeld and Doris Roberts from Everybody Loves Raymond) Christmas Vacation is a must watch during the festive season.

If you’ve never seen the film before, or even if you have, I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy, it’s sure to make your Christmas vacation a bit more jolly.

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02/2009 Mitsubishi Fuso Truck 19544kms, Bobcat S185 Turbo 2197hrs showing 4 way bucket.

01/2000 Volvo NH12 6x4 Tipper Truck.

779980kms showing Cummins 525hp 6 cylinder diesel 18 speed Road Ranger air bag suspension.

2 x weekend pass soundwave tickets $150 each.

2001 Ford Courier Ute as is. Cruise Control XL Service Body 180000kms Well Maintained & Serviced Bull Bar Work Light UHF Radio Tinted Window Vice High Clearance Lights.

Price on application

Price on application

$ 150 each

$ 6,000

Call: 0408 690 416

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23rd February 2015

Call: 0408 690 416

Call: 0457 026 759

Call: 0427 965 058

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

AIR COMPRESSOR FOR SALE

BUSINESS FOR SALE

CAR FOR SALE

2013 KAWASAKI KVF 750

DIESEL AIR COMPRESSOR

EMERALD HOME BREW SUPPLIES

FORD FALCON XY UTES AND PARTS

V twin, eps, electric 4wd switch and front diff lock, high and low range, independent front and rear, has led lights on the front, cigarette lighter plug, tow ball, very very good condition only little under 700km.

30 cfm diesel air compressor, dimensions are 960H x 1180L x 480W. A1 condition, less than 300 hrs use. Was purchased 3 years ago for over $5000.

This affordable thriving home brew supply business is for sale. WIWO. It has excellent, loyal & steady clientelle with new customers arriving daily.

2 x ford XY utes (suit restoration) and variety of spare parts. Will not separate. Please call as no texts will be responded to.

$ 2,500

$ 120,000

$ 2,500

$ 7,000

Call: 0447 184 677 GENERATOR FOR SALE

Call: 0429 355 456 TRUCK FOR SALE

Call: 0428 340 634

Call: 0427 227 612

CARAVAN FOR SALE

CAR FOR SALE

HONDA GENERATOR INVERTER

MACK TITAN 2005

SPACELINE CARAVAN

TOYOTA HILUX

Honda E U inverter 10i very good condition.

620 hp Cummins Gen II, Dana D52-190P Rat 5.25, Meritor AC6T six rod, 22 series eaton, 140 GCM, 64 inch bunk with TV, Brand new Eco wind bunk cooler, New radiator with low km’s Repainted May 2013, Immaculate inside and out.

2011 SR dual cab manual diesel in vgc, has heavy-duty steel tray, SR5 alloys, window tinting, New 2” lifted springs and shocks, bullbar and tow bar, snorkel, air bags on rear axle.

$ 650

40ft Spaceline. Caravan. Only used for staff housing. Great condition. Bedroom has full size double bedBathroom has laundry (Washing Machine and Dryer) Split System Air Conditioner Microwave, Fridge, TV etc Tri Axle all been rebuilt.

$ 125,000

$ 35,000

$ 27,000

Call: 0499 387 879

Call: 0417 752 995

Call: 0458 895 823

Call: 0427 818 597

23rd February 2015

19

Shift Miner Magazine

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Bait Shop Banter

The weather at the time of printing. No fishing this week but likely to cause some activity for crabs, prawns and bait.

IN YEPPOON

IN MACKAY - still plenty

- it has been windy for a fortnight and at the time of printing was going to get a lot more so in the next 48 hours. Cyclone Marcia was expected to dump as much as 400 mm of rain on the Capricorn Coast, with winds well over 100km an hour.

So what does it mean for fishing in the cyclone’s wake?

Well obviously there won’t be any tight line until the storm has passed, and the seas have settled down, however Adrian from the Secret Spot in Yeppoon, predicts there will be a big run on bait, crabs, prawn and Barramundi.

of fish around if you can put up with the rough weather.

According to Ashley at Nashy’s Compleat Angler they have been getting upwards of 10 Barramundi per trip up the creeks and estuaries.

Always on lures and mostly at low tide, although after some heavy rain they caught their fish on high tide.

Everyone in Mackay is talking about all the crabs at the moment, and there seems to be plenty of pots in the water and crabs in the fridge However since I am writing this

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before the arrival of a possible cyclone, he warns really rough weather might stir up the mud and make fishing difficult for the next few weeks.

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IN GLADSTONE

- at the time of printing they were not too worried about the fishing, since they were sandbagging the building as a king tide pushed water up drains - and that was before the predicted storm surge from the weekend’s cyclone.

While no two cyclones are ever the same, Ollie at Pat’s Tackle World in Gladstone says typically big winds, rain and tides do tend to get the fish active again, but of course you can’t fish them until the storm is passed.

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“All your back billabongs, all the creeks, all the estuaries, they all get a good flush out, and once it settles down you get some good fishing,” he said.

“The freshwater flow push the crabs out of the estuaries and the Banana Prawns out to sea, although it does usually set us up for a good prawn season.”

Prior to the Cyclone they were catching Barramundi below the overflowing Awoonga Dam, and he expects the fishing might really pick up, once the cyclone passes through.

If you have a good photo or fishing yarn send it through to our resident bait chucker-

angus.peacocke@shiftminer.com

DOWN ACROSS 1. Non-sexual (relationship) 1. Cheerleader’s accessory 5. Pierce with spear 2. Rouses (from sleep) 9. Rissole 3. Circle (planet) 10. Set off 4. Uncouth (3-4) 12. Deposed 6. Rote learned 13. Viscose fabric 7. Examination 14. Difficult 8. Ignite 16. Cruel & depraved 11. Deck mop 19. Male felines 15. Listless 21. Manufactured 17. Becomes rigid # 72 24. Confidence 18. Trespassed 25. Licence to market goods 20. Gentle (of lighting) 27. Position after seventh 21. Childhood illness 28. Agreeable 22. Couches 29. Entice 23. Flew by jumbo 30. Rated 26. Bottle box

LAST EDITION’S SOLUTIONS N I B B L I N A A O A MA R K I NG E I N G L A N D S L I Y G N P A NG S E M WE S T E R N I C N U M I AM I D M L T E I R A Q I S N T E GR E A S E

8 5 6 7 9 4 2 9 3 1 7 8 SHIFT MINER Handy Cross 1848 - (15A grid) 5 2 ShiftMinerHandy098s. pdf © Lovatts Publications 22/09/2010 1 3 4 6

1 3 2 4 6 5 9 7 8

7 1 6 3 5 9 8 4 2

G S

D D E B T F I R A N OC E A S

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# 73

Numbers You Can Trust* *When audited by the CAB Shift Miner Handy Cross blank grid.pdf ©Lovatts Publications 5/03/09 artist – mb

M A G A Z I N E

www.shiftminer.com Proudly Audited by

For more information visit www.auditbureau.org.au

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23rd February 2015

T S E V E D E L E E S S W S E E E D E E D

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Shift Miner Magazine

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Basilisks back to Blackwater

Sid Mills (right) wants to make basilisks more local.

The Blackwater Basilisks rugby club has made the tough decision this year to leave the Central Queensland Rugby Union (CQRU) competition.

Instead they will return to the ranks of the Central Highlands Rugby Union (CHRU) competition, where they will play against Capella, Clermont, Emerald,

Airlie Beach And Whitsunday

Moranbah and Rolleston.

While the CHRU competition is generally regarded to be a weaker competition, Basilisk’s coach Sid Mills says it in no way suggests their decision three years ago to play in the CQRU was based on performance.

Instead, it was a decision to try and

make the club more engaged with the local community by having more games at home or at least nearby.

“The biggest issue was that we were probably only going to get about three home games this year in the CQRU, while in the Central Highlands competition we will get at least seven and probably 11 ,” he told Shift Miner “It was also based around the fact that a lot of our players and supporters, just couldn’t make the 400 kilometre round trip to Rocky on most weekends to play while they were on a mining roster.

“Despite the downturn in mining, we still have the depth to play at CQRU level, but we just think it will be good for the club to have less time traveling.”

According to Mr Mills the decision has already led to a few local players coming back to the club and with the first season game not until May, he says they are getting a good turnout at training.

“We have had a few guys come back to the club who had gone to play for Capella, and a couple of players who switched over to league are also back with us,” he said.

“We are currently getting about 17

at training which is a big improvement on last year, when sometimes we were only getting four.

“This year I really want to make sure everyone across the team has the skills to do what is required in all parts of the game.

“So we have been working on getting forwards that can play like backs and backs that can play like forwards.”

Technically it is the first year that Sid Mills has stepped up to the official coaching role with the Basilisks, but in reality he has been heavily involved with the team for at least two years.

The Basilisks train Thursday night at 7pm sharp and anyone is invited to attend and get involved with the club.

In other CHRU news, a new committee for 2015 has been elected with Eddie Shaw returning as President, Justin Sloper Vice-President, Jeff Hansen Treasurer and competition manager and acting Secretary Angela Sutherland.

Greg Schwarz and Ben Marshall will return as coach and manager of the Highlanders representative side.

The Basilisks have two trial games coming up, with one at home this weekend in Blackwater.

Ph: 07 4947 6269 or 0408 760 994

5 ACRES BLOOMSBURY HOME PLUS S/C ACCOMMODATION

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IMMACULATE GARDENS AND OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING SEA VIEWS AND STYLE 2 BRM APARTMENT WHITSUNDAYS

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CONVENIENTLY LOCATED TO AMENITIES AT CANNONVALE THE BEST VALUE 3 BEDROOM UNIT IN SAILZ VILLAS

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3 BEDROOM, AIR CONS, DOUBLE GARAGE, FULLY FENCED

23rd February 2015

21

Shift Miner Magazine

Off Shift

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“TE PIRIPONO O TE KOTAHITANGA” Holding onto truths and values that bring all people together in harmony

New Zealand expat community working in the Queensland coal and gas sector.

According to the Emerald rams who hosted the annual Waitangi Day rugby match in Emerald last week, more than 1000 people passed through the gate on Saturday afternoon.

ROOM WITH A VIEW

Price: $63,000,000 You need to be seriously into drinking coffee to get the best out of this one.

for the mobile miner

However with that view over Central Park in New York, you are probably not going to be leaving home to often.

SWEETWATER, Hunter Valley

This magnificent cooperative apartment is a French chateau with a mansard roof atop the landmark Pierre Hotel. Visible from afar, this apartment is a part of the iconic New York City skyline.

Become the most popular coal miner in the Hunter Valley - at least for Origin night anyway.

»

ELYSTAN HOUSE, New Farm Auction

Need a bit of cupboard space and a magnificent Queenslander in the heart of Brisbane to store it?

Elystan House is a landmark property that has been admired by so many for so long, but for just a handful of lucky families, Elystan House is known as ‘home’. This timeless six bedroom, five bathroom, family home synonymous with elegance and character, is an opportunity the market has been waiting for. Sitting proudly above the quiet and picturesque Elystan Road, this historic New Farm property has a street presence that is second to none. A true statement of lifestyle and opulence, this gorgeous home has been renovated and restored by renowned architect Kevin Hayes, to incorporate every modern luxury imaginable.

Contact Matt Lancashire at Ray White New Farm on 0416 476 480

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23rd February 2015

»

Steeped in history this is the site of one of Australia’s oldest vineyards. A Southern European Vineyard Estate of a bygone era. A planned hamlet, a series of interlocking properties of differing timeless Era’s, on the crest of Sweetwater, overlooking the Sweetwater valley.

It is unique in many ways, especially in beginning on the 41st floor making it the highest prewar cooperative apartment in Manhattan. The residence has 360 degree views including all of Central Park.

It boasts the hotel’s original ballroom with a 23 foot ceiling; cozy sitting rooms; a paneled library; terraces in each of the four corners of the building; five or more bedrooms; five fireplaces and an interior elevator. The residence has been exquisitely renovated and enjoys full hotel services. Built in 1929 at the southeast corner of Central Park on the site of the original Elbridge Gerry mansion, The Pierre is the tallest prewar building on the Park.

Owned at one time by J. Paul Getty, it has been an established cooperative building for over 55 years.

To order your coffee contact Scott Harris at Brown Harris Stevens, New York, New York.

»

Price: not disclosed

Carefully nurtured and cared for vineyard, producing the Hunter’s finest wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Included in the deal are a cellar door / with apartments, managers gatehouse, approval for additional accommodation and function centre, olive grove, abundant water.

Stu Currington winning Man of the Match.

A big hongi goes out to all the organisers including Alec and Angela Sutherland, Zak Costar, Rodney Famui, Jim Fabish, Sean Hammond and Len Harrison and of course the sponsors Mosely Mining and J&L Mining.

THE PENTHOUSE AT PIERRE, New York

Exotic homes

Contact Alan Jurd at Jurds Real Estate on 0417 677 924

While there was certainly a celebratory feel from the sideline, no games a “friendly” when it is NZ against the rest of the world in Rugby..

But despite the best efforts of the big Kiwi side, the rest of the world was too strong in the end beating them 39 points to 18, with

»

Waitangi Day is a public holiday held on the 6th February every year to commemorate the signing of New Zealand’s founding document - the Treaty of Waitangi.

So naturally enough it ranks high on the social calendar for the considerable

TURTLE ISLAND, Gladstone Price: $5,000,000

Finished up at Curtis Island….looking for some new digs?

This truly is a private Island fit for a movie star or recluse celebrity. This home is perched high up on one of the handful of fully freehold private Islands on our magnificent Queensland Coast.

This luxurious and spacious themed Australian designed home looks towards the east over the surrounding Islands and beyond to the Great Barrier Reef, with Lady Musgrave, Lady Elliot and Heron Island coral cays less than an hour from your own private jetty.

This sensational home has its own guest wing with three separate fully private bedrooms, which are more like a high quality resort room with their own lounge, bathroom and TV plus veranda, with views and perfect idyllic in-ground pool at their doorstep.

The main house has one of the largest kitchens imaginable, with enough cooking and preparation area that could cater for the biggest celebrity party or just enough for that hungry family. There are various levels of temperate fridges, one for the Champagne or Beer, the other for your general goods and then there’s the freezer for all the ice and other frozen goods. You could conceivably live there for months without restocking as the home has a pantry and goods store that is as big as a domestic bedroom.

Contact Coldwell Banker Gold Coast

Send your exotic dream property details and low resolution images to justin.carlos@shiftminer.com

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23rd February 2015

23

Shift Miner Magazine

Advertising feature

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“Our guests experience a high level of service... we can deliver this cost effectively to our clients”

level of service but we can deliver this cost effectively to our clients.

Blackdown back in the Bowen Basin

“For example our chefs serve guests personally from the buffet, and his helps with food presentation and consistency, as well as giving the opportunity for our staff to interact with our guests” And the approach seems to be working.

One guest at Tieri recently provided feedback that he considered the Blackdown operations in the mess at Tieri: “to be the new benchmark for catering in the Central Highlands”.

“Receiving this sort of feedback is a real bonus for us and is very important to our staff,” Nathan Marsh said “However, our job is to ensure that this high standard of service continues, day in, day out, and week in, week out.

“This is why our quality control systems are at the core of everything that we do, in every service industry there are well run sites and those that don’t run so well and there can be inconsistency in standards across different panels of service staff.

B

lackdown Accommodation Services (Blackdown) is a central Queensland based business which has been set up by a small group of people who have worked together over a long period of time.

Blackdown staff are extremely experienced in managing villages in the Bowen Basin and will now continue that association through their recent appointment by Oaky Creek Coal to run their villages in the Tieri region.

Simon Spencer, managing director of Blackdown says they are looking forward to working in the region.

“We were very pleased to have been selected by Oaky Creek Coal to run their Tieri operations after an extensive tender selection process,” he said.

“Our other village contracts have been in the Surat Basin region as well as one at Sarina, so it’s good to get our teeth back into the coal industry, especially as things look like

“Blackdown has quickly established a reputation for delivering consistently high service standards...” they are starting to pick up again.

“Many of our team have over 20 years experience of operations in this area.”

Nathan Marsh, operations manager is currently commissioning the contract at Tieri and notes that being smaller has been a real advantage “As a smaller local provider, Blackdown has quickly established a reputation for delivering consistently high service standards across all areas of our operations,” he said.

“We don’t have high corporate overheads, and are able to pass

on cost savings to our clients.

“Food can vary depending on whether the ‘good’ chef is on roster, but this isn’t our way of

We work closely with suppliers to reduce costs on an ongoing basis, and are always looking for ways to improve what we are doing.

doing business, our systems, menu, recipes and audits ensure that there is only ever one high standard of service experienced by our guests.”

“We have a hands-on approach to our business, our site managers’ core role is to be out in the villages ensuring that our staff are delivering for our clients.”

Blackdown is looking to expand in its core market in Central Queensland.

With a key focus on food services, Mr Spencer says they have worked hard to differentiate themselves from other caterers in the resources industry.

“We are different,” he said.

“We felt that we were not going to succeed in the industry by simply offering the same services that have been in place for decades.

“However, because of our experience, we know what works and what doesn’t – hence we have tweaked the standard service offering rather than changed it radically.

“Our guests experience a high

For further information or contact details, please see our website at www.blackdownservices.com.au

“We are keen to leverage off our local footprint and experience in our core market,” Mr Spencer added “We know what we are good at and what we are not – so we won’t be chasing work offshore or in other states.

“However we see ourselves as a longterm provider in regional Queensland, which is where I have lived, worked and raised my family for nearly 25 years.

“We focus on training and job opportunities for local staff as well as providing opportunities for regional suppliers, and most of our suppliers are based in regional Queensland so any business that we win helps keep the dollars circulating around this area.”