MINERSLIFEMONTHLY
Issue 23 — March 2013
WORK
Inside this Month Page 5
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Find out why crossfit is taking Are our high wages sustainable? over the world
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What has the Quinalow pub got on offer? Page 1
MINERSLIFEMONTHLY
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➤ EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
What’s on this month
Notes from the Editor Just before we went to print for this issue I attended the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise evening held at the Dalby Bowls Club. One definite perk was the bar, but it was also interesting to meet such a diverse range of people. The resources sector is so large that we are sometime guilty of stereotyping its workers. I’m sure many Australians, when they hear the term miners, would immediately think of men driving dump trucks. However at the enterprise event I met all manner of people from construction workers, to people on the HR team. Another definite highlight for many workers in our humble S. Basin around this time of year would have to have been the Chinchilla Melon Festival. As our lovely front cover shot proves the men in orange (QGC) were out in full force, and Origin also helped out with some sponsorship. This is an event that only rolls around every two years, and skiing on watermelons is something you can tell the grandkids about in years to come. On page 6 of this month’s issue we’ve got a great story about some workers who took initiative to help out in a fundraiser for a local with MS who needed a new wheelchair. These are the stories that make the energy sector great, examples of the men and women sent to work in a community actively involving themselves in it. We hope to uncover many more of these stories for our pages. Enjoy this month’s edition and we will see you in May, when the CFMEU May Day celebrations kick off.
The Miners Life Monthly - Thirsty Work is published by the Dalby Newspapers, 119 Cunnningham Street, Dalby Q4405. Phone 4672 5500. Miners Life Monthly - Thirsty Work is printed by APN Print, 50 Industrial Avenue Toowoomba Q4350 (2012) Free publication and is not to be sold. All material published in the Miners Life Monthly - Thirsty Work is subject to copyright provisions. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. DISCLAIMER: the information contained within Miners Life Monthly - Thirsty Work is given in good faith and obtained from sources believed to be accurate. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher; Dalby Newspapers will not be liable for any opinion or advice contained herein. Page 2.
as fundraiser for Youngcare. Saturday, March 23 – Concert by Western Downs Winds at St John’s Anglican Church, Dalby 6.30pm. All tickets at door, adults $10, students $5, family $20. Saturday, April 6 – Fickle Folk Club plays at Mary’s Commercial Hotel 2-5pm. All singers, musicians and music lovers welcome. For more phone Pam Fay on 4663 2184. BOWENVILLE Saturday, April 6 – Bowenville Hall Committee old time dance from 8pm. Music by Mark’s Music. Tasty supper. Admission $9. Come along for an enjoyable night out. For enquiries phone Narelle on 4663 7736. BRYMAROO Saturday, March 30 – Rodeo at Brymaroo Rodeo Grounds 6pm. CHINCHILLA Saturday, March 16 – Pelican Rural Fire Brigade Annual Community Car Boot Sale and Classic Car Club Show and Shine, stationary engine display at Pelican Hall Burra Burri Rd, Pelican. Gates open 8am. For more information phone Scott on 0419 684 699. Sunday, March 17 – Markets at Chinchilla Visitor Information Centre 7.30 am to 12.30 pm contact Lindley on 4665 7556. JANDOWAE Saturday, March 9 – Afternoon tea for cancer at 34 John St, Jandowae 3pm includes market stalls. Saturday, March 23 – Jandowae Show at Jandowae Showgrounds, ring events, horses, cattle, pavilion displays, fashion parade, kids’ entertainment,
CONTACT US
EDITOR Lisa Machin - 07 4672 5506 GROUP EDITOR Derek Barry - 0407 648 224 WRITERS Lisa Machin, Nancy Evans, Richard Coombs, Jill Poulsen MEDIA SALES CONSULTANTS Lisa Burges, Tracey Murphy, Laurell Ison, David Richardson GENERAL MANAGER, SURAT BASIN PUBLICATIONS David Richardson ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES T: (07) 4672 5500 F: (07) 4672 5510 E: advertising@dalbyherald.com.au Dalby Newspapers, PO Box 5, Dalby QLD 4405 WEBSITE Suratbasin.com.au EMAIL thirstywork@suratbasin.com.au
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A quick roundup of what events are happening around the district. If you have anything of interest you would like to submit, please contact the Dalby Herald office. DALBY Friday, March 8 – Zonta International Women’s Day Breakfast at Dalby RSL, Guest speaker Mrs Iyla Davies, Head and Chief Executive of the Women’s College at the University of Queensland. Tickets adults $38, students $32, available from Schrecks. Saturday, March 9 – Newmarket Race Day at Bunya Park Racecourse, five race program, gates open noon, first race 1pm, fashions of the field, Charlie Nolan Band after races until late. Saturday, March 16 – Markets at Dalby Showgrounds 6am to noon contact Stan 0429 696 775 Saturday, March 16 – Thiess BushKids Golf Day at Dalby Golf Club, register 6.30am for shotgun start 7am. Book at Pro Shop 4662 4622. Saturday/ Sunday, March 16 and 17 – Gardens at Dunmore Homestead 203 Dalby-Nungil Road Dalby and Square Mile open through Open Gardens Australia, 10am to dusk admission $7. Sunday, March 17 – St Patrick’s Day concert presented by Dalby Singers Community Choir and Dalby Country Music Club at Dalby Senior Citizen’s Centre starting 1pm. Admission $5, school age children free, afternoon tea provided, lucky door prizes and raffles. All welcome, all tickets at door. Saturday, March 23 – Dinner dance at Anzac Room Dalby RSL
rides, night rodeo. Sunday, March 24 - Jandowae Markets at Lions Park 8am to noon. Lions Club will be cooking Breakfast in the Park including bacon and eggs, donuts and cappuccinos. Contact Jack 4668 5103. Saturday April 6 – Jandowae Races including Jandowae Cup JIMBOUR Sunday, March 24 – Garden day at Maclands, market stalls, vintage cars, mechanical bull, children’s entertainment, 10am until late. JONDARYAN Saturday, March 9 – Old time dance at Flagstone Creek Hall (Jondaryan Woolshed) dance to live band Jus Dancin 8pm to midnight. Adults $10, children $5, includes supper. Sunday, March 17 – Big Sunday Country Brunch at Jondaryan Woolshed 9am to 11am. Genuine home cooked, all you can eat brunch plus live music, shearing demonstrations, guided tours and rides on miniature trains. Bookings 4692 2229. Friday, March 29 – Dinner at Woolshed 5.30pm, Spotlight tour and trivia competition for kids. Saturday, March 30 – Easter Egg muster, Easter bonnet parade, miniature train rides, billy cart races, orienteering, disco and social night with DJ. Sunday, March 31 – Easter Sunday - Damper making class, guided tour and history talk, animal nursery. Saturday, April 13 – Old time dance at Flagstone Creek Hall (Jondaryan Woolshed) dance to live band 8pm to midnight. Adults
$10, children $5, includes supper. ROMA Friday March 8 – Clearview Rise Twilight Markets 5pm to 8pm, free barbecue. Saturday, March 16 – Roma Farmers and Artisans Markets at Big Rig Parklands Riggers Road 8am to 12.30pm Friday, March 22 - Roma Social Dance RSL Hall 8pm Phone Bev 0427 864 807 Saturday, April 27 – Friends of Westhaven Cent Auction at Westhaven Nursing Home Parker St Roma 2pm ST RUTH Saturday, March 23 – Old time dance at St Ruth Hall 8pm. Adults $8, high school student’s $3 supper, novelty events, raffle and lucky door prize. Enquiries to 4662 1710 Saturday, April 27 – Old time dance at St Ruth Hall 8pm. Adults $8, high school student’s $3 supper, novelty events, raffle and lucky door prize. Enquiries to 4662 1710 TARA Saturday, March 9 – Tara Show at Tara Showgrounds Saturday, April 6 – Tara Markets 7am to 2pm Tara Men’s Group Shed cnr Day and Fry Streets. Contact Frank 4665 3847. WARRA Saturday, March 9 - Warra Country Markets, Warra Memorial Hall, Warrego Highway 8am noon Site fee $5 donated to local charities, Phone Stephen 0422 828 762 Saturday, April 14 - Warra Country Markets, Warra Memorial Hall, Warrego Highway 8am noon Site fee $5, Phone Stephen
➤ CFMEU’S SHANE BRUNKER
Privatisation threat We are well into the new year now and workers should at this stage be familiarising themselves with their work entitlements and their company’s requirements for things such as pay, hours of leave and penalty rates. Also remember never to push the boundaries of safety because of company pressure. At this stage in the year a lot of our focus will be turned towards a major impending problem for our industry. This is the possible possible privatisation of the electricity industry, given the Costello Report that came out March 1. One of the recommendations in this report is that the Newman Government should privatise all government owned entities. This would have big implications for our workers, namely it would mean the two power corporations
Shane Brunker, Vice presdient of the Queensland District Branch of the CFMEU. (Stanwell and CF Energy) would have to go out on the open market and be sold to an investor. This could mean possible job cuts for our workers. Job cuts on such a scale are normally done through restructuring if it is a private entity as it would be in this case. Another detrimental impact of this would be the spike in electricity prices that Western Downs residents would have to pay, being footed with the bill.
This is not something we will take lying down and there will be a public campaign beginning, spearheaded by the Council of Unions, and we will be lobbying government coming up to the next election. In other news for the year so far, CFMEU has a number of enterprise agreements across the Western Downs in the balck coal mining and energy sectors. We are also looking to increase out membership across the Surat Basin, and anyone interested should get in youch with their local branch or check out our website. We will be having our annual May Day celebration in the next few months to rally the workers together and enjoy a social environment. This is ususally held in Dalby and is a great chance for our members to bring their families and enjoy a day of barbecue, kids activities socialisation.
MINERSLIFEMONTHLY
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Fun police hit Easter events MARANOA Regional Council has agreed to fund any deficit in the Easter in the Country budget after Origin Energy controversially pulled out of sponsoring the event. The company pulled thousands of dollar funding just weeks before the event over concerns for animal welfare. On Wednesday, council voted to fill any deficit left in the event’s budget, up to the value of Origin’s sponsorship. President of the Easter in the Country committee Jenny Flynn said they were extremely pleased. “The Easter in the Country committee is delighted to have the support of the Maranoa Regional Council,” Ms Flynn said. “It just goes to show what Easter in the Country means to this community.” Ms Flynn said the committee had already filled some of the budget gap left by Origin’s pull out and they were speaking with other sponsors. She said the committee hoped they would be able to fill the gap without the assistance of council. In previous years, Origin has been one of the event’s major sponsors.
was a one off and council didn’t want to set a precedent for funding the event in coming years. He also said Origin’s decision to pull funding was “appalling” and they were “hiding behind the animal welfare issue”. “This is more to do with the reduction of profit margins for the APLNG project,” Cr Loughnan said. In other Easter in the Country news, the event program has been released With a mix of old and new attractions, this year’s Easter in the Country is shaping up to be a terrific fun-filled fourday weekend. Highlights will include the annual art gallery exhibition, crazy egg hunt, bush poetry, a family fun day and a giant street parade. Easter in the Country starts with the Mayoral breakfast on Thursday morning, March 28, and ends with the XXXX night rodeo on Sunday, March 31. Other activities include an art exhibiton , fishing compeThere will be no goat racing this year in Roma as Animal Lib put the squeeze on sponsors. Photo Derek Barry / The Western Star tition, family fun day, street parade, races and speedway. You can view the full events An Origin spokesperson mal welfare. venes RSPCA treatment of spokesperson said. confirmed their withdrawal “If it involves animals, such animal policies, the sponsorMayor Robert Loughnan program at easterinthecounwas due to concerns over ani- as livestock, and it contra- ship cannot proceed,” the stressed the council funding try.com.au.
Chinese chalk up record coal profits
IN A TIME when many mining companies (especially coal) are crying poor, a Chinese government-owned operation has posted mind blowing profits. The coal mining firm operating in Central Queensland has broken production records and posted a profit of more than $400 million in results released in February. Yancoal owns Cameby Downs in Surat Basin, near Miles. It also owns the Yarrabee Mine, west of Gladstone and Rockhampton, plus has a joint venture with Peabody Mining for the Middlemount mine. In a release to the Australian Stock Exchange, Yancoal reported its net profit climbed $100 million in 12 months, rising from $301.5 million for 2011 to $406.1 million for the 12 months to December 31 last year. Across its portfolio of nine projects, including a number in New South Wales, Yancoal produced 14.7 million tonnes of coal and sold 14.8 million tonnes, eclipsing former records. But despite the apparently positive results, its ASX release suggested Yancoal would focus on cost-cutting as it battled against the rising cost of mining and falling coal prices plaguing the resources sector. According to its statement, the issues “forced Yancoal to review each of its mining operations with the aim of reducing costs as much as possible”.
❝ It will take a while Chief economist of the Queensland Resources Council David Rynne
for things to stabilise and build that investor confidence again
“This work will continue into 2013; however significant progress has already been made by reducing the use of contractors and consultants where possible.” The company flagged it aimed to secure more customers so sales could keep up with the growing amount of metal-making or metallurgical coal being mined. Yancoal also suggested it was “cautiously optimistic” about coal prices improving, after hitting what it saw as the market floor in late 2012. In a market where economists were delivering bleak outlooks following a turbulent past four years, it is a sign things might be looking up. Chief economist of the Queensland Resources Council, David Rynne, said the data coming in was showing there was hope in sight, however improvements remained tentative. “It will take a while for things to stabilise and build that investor confidence again,” he said.
Manager of the Mirage/Oasis Paul Thomas shows off the swanky new digs in Dalby. Photo Lisa Machin / Dalby Herald
New rooms no mirage YOUNG hearts will be heavy in Dalby after the Mirage nightclub called last drinks. While the club will still be able to be used as a nightclub if the owners change their mind, cashing in on the lucrative housing industry in a mining town was just too good an opportunity to be missed. After renovating its upstairs rooms, the Oasis Hotel offers accommodation in 21 refurbished rooms; a mixture of singles, queens and kings, and the digs are plush. Each room also has a large balcony to sweeten the deal.
The club’s last night of operation was in January, and manager Paul Thomas said accommodation will replace the nightclub as the main source of income. The rooms were booked for a month straight by mining companies for their workers, with more bookings throughout the year pencilled in. Mr Thomas said he had to make a smart business call on the decision. “The loud music and noise wasn’t an option anymore when we turned our attention to the accommodation side of things,”
Mr Thomas said. “It was a business decision, but the option is always there to reopen the nightclub if we wanted to go that way. “We decided to close due to the success of the bookings.” One thing is for sure, the rooms beat staying in a mining camp, as one worker told Thirsty Work. The Oasis will continue under its normal liquor license and the public bar will be open until 2am Friday and Saturdays. Check them out in Cunningham St, Dalby. Page 3
MINERSLIFEMONTHLY
Big guy’s secret
By Nikki Morrison IT’S NOT OFTEN clients tell me that their goal is to increase in size or mass. But last week I had two, both men, both keen to build body mass. It got me thinking that this type of training can really benefit everyone. Muscle hypertrophy is a style of training which increases muscle size. I often hear women say they don’t want to get big and bulky. The good news is, while you will get a better shape, you won’t bulk up like a man. Results from this type of training occur to a greater degree in men due to differences in hormone levels. Hypertrophy training assists with fat loss by increasing muscle size, which in turn increases our metabolic rate It is an intense workout, with a large volume of sets and reps that makes it very challenging. The goal of hyper-
trophy training for an intermediate lifter is to accumulate 250 plus reps per workout. The weight should be moderate (about 70% of 1RM). The tempo of the workout should be slower (3:2), with sets performed in 60-70 second durations. Here is an example of an intermediate whole body workout based on the guidelines for hypertrophy training. Squats 3 x 12 Lunges 3 x 12 Bench Press 5 x 15 Assisted chin ups 3 x 10 Lat Pulldown 3 x 15 Shoulder Press 3 x 12 Total reps = 258 Plus core exercises A beginner to hypertrophy training should make the following adjustments: light to moderate weight (60% 1RM), less exercises, two sets, 12 reps, a quicker tempo (2:2).
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Bench Press 5 x 15
Assisted chin ups 3 x 10
Lat Pulldown 3 x 15 Photos Lisa Machin / Dalby Herald
Shoulder Press 3 x 12
Low GI...get on board
Author of Changing Habits Changing lives, Cyndi O'Meara with some Low GI products.
DIG IT
Meet Biggsy and Tiny!
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Let Biggsy the truck driver and her best mate Tiny show you around. She’s a feisty, independent woman making her way in what used to be a man’s world and Tiny is a big, burly shovel operator with a sensitive side. Check out each month as their story unfolds against a backdrop of huge machines and enormous holes in the ground.
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Comic written and drawn by Ad Long
THE GYLCEMIC Index (GI) measures the effect of food on your blood-glucose levels. Foods that contain carbohydrates cause your blood sugar levels to rise. Once in the body, insulin is produced and the glucose is transported from the blood to your tissues, causing glucose levels to drop. This cycle creates a bell-like curve. Foods with a high GI have a steep curve and a dramatic drop, while low GI foods have a much steadier curve. It is the dramatic rise in blood-glucose levels that can be damaging to our health, particularly our arter-
FAST FACTS ■ Foods that contain carbohydrates cause your blood sugar levels to rise ■ Foods with a high GI have a steep curve and a dramatic drop ■ low GI foods make us feel fuller for longer ies. In terms of weight loss, high GI foods make us feel hungrier sooner, about every 90 minutes. Also, the excess insulin created to transport the glucose can mean greater fat storage. On the other hand, low GI
foods make us feel fuller for longer by providing a more stable stream of energy. This means less snacking and generally better eating habits. Try and think about making two of your three daily meals contain low GI foods. This is important if weight loss is a priority, or if you want to maintain your weight. This type of diet is sustainable, and should be considered long term. It is about making better food choices and doing good things for your body, it is not about a ‘quick fix’ for weight loss. Low GI foods are those with a GI less than 55.
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The birth of our sayings
Denton Garratt-Johnson. Crossfit for a cure, fundraising event and open day for Crossfit CQ at 31 Stanley Street Rockhampton. Photo Sharyn O'Neill / The Morning Bulletin
The jog is old news
How interesting is the English language, particularly when it’s liberally sprinkled with ‘sayings’! We use these sayings commonly and we understand their meaning, but we have little idea of where they came from. A pity, because the origin is the most interesting part of the saying. For example ‘don’t throw the baby out with the bath water’. This saying originated in the middle ages when personal hygiene was rather different to what it is today. No electric pumps, no tap water, no bathrooms and showers.....no wonder most people only washed every few weeks. Families had a large bath that was carried in once a month and placed near the fire in the living room. The bath was filled by pouring in pots of water heated over the fire, something which undoubtedly took a good part of the morning. Then it was bath time for the whole family, starting with the eldest (usually the husband), then the wife, then the children one by one in order of age. The water soon became dirty and clouded from a month’s worth of accumulated dirt and grime on every member of the large family. By the time the baby was bathed the child was hardly visible in the dirty water. Hence they had to be very careful not to mistakenly throw the baby out with the bath water! The saying caught on, and here we are still using it almost a thousand years later. Stay tuned for our lingo legend column next months, when we get to the bottom of another weird saying.
Why is CrossFit taking over the world?
The good old days of coming off the field to have a halftime cigarette are long gone. These days you’re a bit odd if you don’t do some sort of exercise, but for many, ye old jog just doesn’t cut it anymore. So what is the latest craze? The thing that people get up early for to physically punish themselves? CrossFit of course. The idea behind this wor-
kout regime is not to get massive. It is to gear the body for fitness across any type of activity. Think of it as a cross section. Cross fit. It combines weights with aerobic and anaerobic exercise in powerful, short sessions. A session can typically be 30 minutes to an hour, several times a week, depending on how serious you are about whipping your body
into shape. These are high intensity workouts. One CrossFit session will be better than three average paced running sessions. Self confessed fitness junkie and CrossFit trainer Emma Archbold said it was training for everyone from a grandma to a younger sister.“It’s movement you use in everyday life,” she said. “It’s high intensity but it’s
scaled to suit different people’s ability. It’s up to the individual themselves and their ability.” Emma also said to expect the unexpected, as you never know what the session will be until you walk in.
FIND US ON OLD SAYINGS: Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water! Photo Contributed
New comm grants open now looking for support to purchase equipment, to improve building facilities or to develop training programs are all examples of projects which will be looked upon favourably during assessment by the selection committee. “We are committed to assisting local community groups, clubs and associations to ensure we’re all working together to make our communities better,” he said. The Easternwell Community Grants awards $48,000 spread across two rounds assessed bi-annually. Applications are now open and eligible groups may apply for funding up to $2000. Applications for round one must be received by the closing date April 5, 2013. Criteria and application forms can be found at www.easternwell.com.au/ourcommunity
Call us now for our Truckies Special www.sensationsonspine.com.au 61 Spine Street Sumner Park QLD 4074
Phone: 3279 2928 Previous winners of a community grant, Beck St Kindy in Dalby. Photo Contributed
Licensed Brothel
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The latest round of Easternwell Community Grants is now open, with a specific focus on local community groups, clubs and associations in Dalby. The community grants program aims to strengthen Dalby’s community groups in a number of different areas including education, health, indigenous, safety, training and youth. Easternwell, one of Australia’s leading drilling and well servicing companies, will award $48,000 worth of funding over the course of the year to the regions in which it has key operations. Since the community grants were launched in 2011, successful Dalby recipients have included Dalby State School, Dalby Beck St Kindy and Rotary Club of Dalby. Easternwell COO Darren Greer said community groups
Your Pleasure Is Our Business Page 5
PERSONALITIESOFSURAT
Kiwi hangi fundraiser
Easternwell’s general manager for camp management, Marco Waanders. Photo Contributed
Q&A with Marco from Easternwell ❝
Marco from Easternwell
I love to travel and explore new locations and countries
and prepare tender submissions for upcoming opportunities. 5) Did you think you would end up working in this field? Coming from an oil and gas background means I am in a good position to understand our client’s business needs. 6) What do you do on your time off? I love to travel and explore new locations and
IT’S great to hear about QCLNG team members pulling together to support people in need. Recently two workers, James Clarke and Kully Simpkins, from the northern water treatment plant project at Woleebee Creek, organised a traditional New Zealand Maori hangi at the Juandah Hotel, Wandoan, to raise money for a wellknown local, Jeff Murray, who has multiple sclerosis
countries. I am a mad fan of the V8 Supercars, especially Ford teams, along with the All Blacks rugby. 7) Did you have to relocate for work? When I took the role with Easternwell I was already planning on moving from Adelaide to Toowoomba, and as a significant part of my role is travelling, this does not phase me. 8) What is the best thing you have done/seen/ experienced through your work? Turning a small internal business (only providing services to Easternwell) into a large well recognised service provider to the wider industry..
and had been struggling with a broken electric wheel chair. The event was promoted by posters in shop windows and at QGC camps and gathered momentum quickly. About 400 people attended the event, which raised more than $8800 to buy Jeff a new wheelchair, computer tablet and mobility aid. Jeff himself was unaware he was the recipient of the
fundraiser until he was informed at the end of the hangi. James works for Silverstrand, a sub-contractor to GE Laing O’Rourke (GELOR) working on the treatment plant. Kully works for Shamrock Civil Engineering, another sub-contractor to GELOR. Food was provided by Shamrock and cooked by QCLNG team members.
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1) Where do you work? Easternwell Camp Management - Toowoomba 2) How long have you been with the company? 7 years 3) What is it about your job that gets you out of bed each morning? What do you enjoy? I enjoy working in a vibrant, growing company. Over the past 3-4 years I have watched Easternwell’s camp management business grow at a rate of approximately 100% per annum. 4) What do you do in an average day? Typically I strategise on the direction of our business, meet and negotiate new business with clients
Kully Simpkins hard at work in the kitchen on hangi preparations before the event. Photos Contributed
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Jeff Murray, who has multiple sclerosis, was touched by the fundraising efforts of local energy workers to buy him a new specialised chair.
INDUSTRYUPDATES
That salty taste is back again
LATE last year talk of finding a marketable solution for salt and brine produced as a bi-product of the CSG industry was dominating country media. It is an issue which remains very much on the cards, and one which the Western Downs Regional Council mayor Ray Brown has voiced his support for. Currently the GasFields Commission is preparing a formal request for
The move comes just as the State Government has released its new water management policy. The DNRM Coal Seam Gas Engagement and Compliance Plan 2013 promises “better community engagement, more field inspections and audits and a firm approach to industry non-compliance”. A CSG Compliance Unit has been formed to replace the former LNG Enforcement Unit with a “renewed
much pushing for beneficial ❝ Weuse ofarethisverybi-product General manager of the GasFields Commission Andrew Brier
HOME TRUTHS: Chief economist of the Queensland Resources Council, David Rynne, says high wages are not sustainable. Photo Lisa Machin / Dalby Herald
India to rescue
gas companies in the Western Downs to supply data on the amount of salt they produce, their projected estimates for the amount they will produce, and their management plans for the salt. The formal request will be sent to all companies involved in gas extraction in the Surat Basin region and the Commission hopes to have all information gleened from the request collated by the first half of this year.
focus to implement the plan.” General manager of the GasFields Commission Andrew Brier, which works closely with the State Government’s Department of Mines and Resources, said the Commission would be pushing for a solution to the salt produced in CSG mining. “We are very much pushing for beneficial use of this bi-product,” Mr Brier said.
New investment dollars on the horizon
❝ “Why lock up
Guest speaker David Rynne, Queensland Resources Council
resources that we know we’ll get to one day market?” challenges, the outlook is still sunny, with big investment dollars set to drop in from India. “India will be a huge growth market, much like China,” Mr Rynne said. “It is what we describe as ‘still on the tarmac,’ but when it takes off… hold onto your seats. “The demand for what we have in this part of the world is insatiable.” Industry representatives, service providers and workers were all present for the evening,
which was hosted by Dalby civil construction company Ostwald Brothers, and MC’d by executive general manager Matthew Ostwald. Mr Rynne said QRC’s priority for the year was to tackle the State Government’s “blunt” approach to Statutory Regional Planning, in which prime farmland is blocked from mining. He described it as “a bit blunt and arbitrary for our liking.” “Why lock up resources that we know we’ll get to one day market?” he said. “We are saying to the government ‘it’s too blunt.’” Mr Rynne said only time would tell whether workers would continue to enjoy hefty pay packets they have come to know and love, and a lot would depend on the economic climate stabilising in the months and years to come.
SALTY WATER: A holding pond for the salty CSG water companies are hoping to get a marketable bi-product from. By Scott Harlum
INTRODUCING
Native title battle A COMPLEX legal fight over a native title claim could decide who receives royalties from several massive southern Queensland coal seam gas projects. The long-running battle, which will be heard in the Federal Court in Brisbane later this week, dates back to a 2008 native title claim. It involves several possible traditional owners in the region surrounding Roma, St George and Surat. Among those fighting to be recognised as traditional owners are members of the Mailman, Binge, Combargno and Weribone families. While most of the potential traditional owners were previously listed on the claim, a meeting in Roma nearly a year
ago led to a competing claim. It is also understood the mediation was first heard through the National Native Title Tribunal, but due to an administrative change the Federal Court is now handling the mediation process. The case has also attracted the interest of numerous gas and mining companies operating in the region, including Origin Energy, Santos, QGC, Xstrata and Australia Pacific LNG. Mining companies operating in accordance with any successful native title claim would need to provide compensation to the affected traditional owners. The case has been in and out of mediation sessions since 2008.
Muddy Waters
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Drilling Superintendents Rig Managers Tour Pushers Drillers Derrickhands Rig Mechanics and Electricians
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Interested individuals please send your resume and cover letter including your qualifications, certifications, and salary expectations to: Careers@simmonsedeco.com or visit www.simmonsedeco.com Excellent compensation, benefits, and career advancement opportunities
Working in Partnership with Major Mining Companies Environmentally Friendly Unit Indigenous participation plan. ABN: 90 153 421 875
Ph: 0418 300 251 E: muddywaterswhwds@live.com.au
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GUEST speaker David Rynne had the audience’s undivided attention at this month’s Surat Basin Enterprise evening. A good crowd turned up to the Dalby Bowls Club to mingle and share a drink for what has become a popular industry event. Mr Rynne, the director of economics and infrastructure at the Queensland Resources Council, is a man who knows what he is talking about and is not a fan of sugar coating. “The wages are unsustainable,” he told the crowd. “I know we’re all enjoying them at the moment but they are not sustainable.” Speaking about a tumultuous couple of years for the energy sector, Mr Rynne said the industry had experienced two booms and two busts within two years - a climate bound to make investors nervous. Despite the
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SUDOKU
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x6
INTERMEDIATE
Keep your brain sharp in just 30 seconds. Start on the left with the number given and follow the instructions as you go across. Within the 30-second time limit, beginners have to complete their own challenge,
www.30secondchallenge.com
OF THIS
OF IT
OF THIS
OF IT
OF THIS
intermediates have to complete their own challenge AND the beginners’ challenge, and advanced players have to complete their own AND the intermediate. You can try to improve on your times each day.
DOUBLE IT
10% OF THIS
DOUBLE IT
+4 ÷12 x6 1/3 +24 5/7 x20 75% 20%
ANSWER
ANSWER
OF THIS
OF IT
OF THIS
ANSWER
OF THIS
30-SECOND CHALLENGE ANSWERS TO 165 - BEGINNER - 72, INTERMEDIATE - 35, ADVANCED - 147.
KEYNUMBO 6
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SOLUTIONS
Mind Twister © MARK SCRIVENER
AnswerCOSMOLOGY, DOLOROUS, BOOKLOVER, FOOTWORN, HOMONYM
2. 1579, 3421, 2489, 2511, 3256, 1744, 2389, ?
Answer2611. Each pair adds up to 5000. (E.g. 1579+3421=5000)
3. Can you find the names of three bushrangers from these clues? A) Lock up storm sound? B) Ruler of nighttime illumination? C) Last man to be in front of building.
Good: 14 words Very Good: 19 words Excellent: 32 words
3
5 Follow 8 Moved 9 Small, live coal 11 Capture 12 Fairies 14 Period of time
1. These five words are missing their O’s . Can you replace them? CSMLGY, DLRUS, BKLVER, FTWRN, HMNYM
TODAYS FOCUS
8
3
FOCUS WORD
* Each word must contain the centre ‘Focus’ letter and each letter may be used only once * Each word must be four letters or more * Find at least one nine letter word * No swear words * No verb forms or plurals ending in ‘s’ * No proper nouns and no hyphenated words
7
4
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Focus Word among amongst angstrom atom gram mango manor mart mason mast matron moan moat morn most noma norm orgasm ramson ransom roam roman smart smog soma stoma storm stroma STRONGMAN tram
3
An All Australian Word Game
15 Arrive at 16 Teams DOWN: 1 Beginning 2 Affect favourably 3 Boy’s name 4 Melody
AnswerA) Thunderbolt. B) Captain Starlight C) Ben Hall (last man=N to BE= BEN)
SUDOKU Crossword Across: 1 shirk, 3 peace, 6 returns, 7 treasures, 10 sacrifice, 13 breathe, 15 reach, 16 sides. Down: 1 start, 2 impress, 3 Peter, 4 air, 5 ensue, 8 shifted, 9 ember, 11 catch, 12 elves, 14 era.
9
ACROSS: 1 Evade work 3 Freedom from war 6 Comes back 7 Valuable items 10 Make an offering of 13 Respire
4. Can you unscramble these to get seven words related to a certain art? POSTER, CAVE VI, AGE ROLL, MOOD RATE, AT AN END, A GOAD I, TO NEL AnswerTempo terms in music- PRESTO, VIVACE, ALLEGRO, MODERATO, ANDANTE, ADAGIO, LENTO
5. What is this saying? A concreted mineral aggregation of a generic sort perpetually or perennially in rotary motion about its axis will be prevented from the positive accruement of a byrophytic, vegetative material. AnswerA rolling stone gathers no moss.
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The best medicine
Need a chuckle 1. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel, and were standing in the lobby discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the manager came out of the office, and asked them to disperse. “But why?” they asked, as they moved off. “Because,” he said, “I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer.” 2. A woman has twins, and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt, and is named Ahmal. The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him Juan. Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband she wishes she also had a
picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, “They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal.” 3. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet he suffered from bad breath. This made him a super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis. 4. There was the person who sent 20 different puns to his friends, with the hope that at least 10 of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in 10 did.
Ross Noble hits the truth
MAKING SENSE: Ross Noble: How come Miss Universe is only won by people from Earth.
Quote of the month Recession is when a neighbour loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. - Ronald Reagan Page 9
OUT&ABOUT
Kaye Maguire of Maguire Coaches and James Carew of Hermage Bank.
Matthew Ostwald of Ostwald Brothers and Ken Fox of GHD Engineering.
Want to see what the locals are up to? Pick up a copy of our area papers Dalby Herald
Every Tuesday & Friday
Jody Cole of BUSSQ, Elle Megaw and Liz Mazzra of Outsource Institute of Technology. Photos Lisa Machin
Next TSBE at Diamantina
The Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise evening enjoyed a packed house in Dalby in February. Guest speaker was chief economist from the Queensland Resources Council, David Rynne. Toowomba mayor Paul Antonio and the Dalby Chamber of Commerce president Nick Koenig also were also in the crowd. The next event will be held at the newly finished Diamantina workers village at Roma, where each room has an ensuite, reverse cycle air-con, Pay TV, and fridge. The village also boasts impressive recreational facilities including a gymnasium, fully licensed bar, training rooms, tennis courts, alfresco barbecue facilities, pool tables, cafe, general store, swimming pool and sauna to name a few.
The Western Star
Every Tuesday & Friday
Bill Gamack of AMVL Migrations and Bruce Cameron of Cottrell Cameron and Steen Surveys.
Balonne Beacon Every Friday
Simon Mortess of Macs Engineering, Kirsty Slack, and Grant Torta of AWX.
Mandy Jackson of Waminda Disability Services and Gavin Walton of TSBE Dalby enjoy mingling at the TSBE evening held at the Dalby Bowls Club in February. The bar was also in operation for the evening.
Chinchilla News Every Thursday
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Page 10.
John Young of AMVL Migrations and Shane Schlofield of Ostwald Brothers.
Nick Farquharson of Ozcon and Wilhelmena Mclean of Origin Energy Chinchilla.
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MINERSLIFEMONTHLY
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Chinch’s melon madness
WHERE else can you go to a beach party in a country pub by night and slide on a mess of watermelons by day? If you missed the Chinchilla Melon Festival this February you will have to wait two long, boring years until it rolls back around. The festival has come to be an annual highlight for the sleepy town, this year drawing a record 12,000 visitors for the weekend fun. With so many people in town the mobile phone lines went dead and organiser reckon that was the first time the satellites have been overloaded in Chinchilla. For the Friday night the Club Hotel (popular drinking hole of mining/energy workers near and far) was transformed into a Hawaii in Chinchilla style beach thanks to tonnes of sand being dumped in it. The next day the real fun began, with spectators flocking to watch hundreds of people take on the challenges in the melon games arena. There was bit too much guy thigh on display here for our liking, with crowd favourites undoubtedly the lads wearing nothing but budgee smuglers and novelty bow-ties. Finishing dead last in the ironman challenge, they won the crowd over with their antics. Other events included pip spitting, the ironwoman race, melon throwing and of course
the melon bungee. In this event four competitors are joined by a huge rubberband around their waists and must pull against each other on a melon-strewn tarp to try and reach the watermelon in their corner before their competitors. A sign at the entry declares “You will slip and fall in this
event. Injuries are likely.” That’s the great thing about the country...they’re not into molly-coddling. And of course, who could forget the famous melon sking. The local footy team did a great job pulling competitors (with their feet in watermelons)down the smashed me-
lon strewn runway all day. QGC were out in force putting in a great effort in both sponsorship and people power. A busload of Brissie employees came down for the event to help out in the games arena. The XXXX bar did a roaring trade all day, with one lucky drinker winning the ultimate
mates’ getaway trip to XXXX Island. That afternoon Chinchilla State State School sports oval transformed from a squishy, sloppy, slipper melon games arena to a serene setting for a family oncert. You didn’t have to be a fan of country music to thoroughly enjoy the show put on by
Charity in a can for Thiess ❝
Thiess’ Community and Stakeholder Relations Manager, Kyle
As you can imagine over the hotter periods our guys use the machines a lot more, which means they’re also helping to raise more funds
Thiess Dalby staff enjoy a cold drink while raising funds for BushKids (front from left) Jo Wulff, Vamsi Gollapinni, (standing) Kyle Roggenkamp, Braeme Sibbitt, Joshua Dodd (BushKids) and Roisin McHugh. Photo Nancy Evans / Dalby Herald STAFF at Thiess sites across the Dalby/Chinchilla region have struck on a novel but simple way of raising funds for their chosen charity. Without feeling pain in the hip pocket nerve they have raised more than $2000 in just over seven months. In July 2012 the first drink vending machine was installed in the Dalby office with a percentage of the proceeds donated to the BUSHkids Page 12.
Dalby Centre. Since then an additional 14 machines have been installed at Thiess sites throughout the region. Thiess’ Community and Stakeholder Relations Manager, Kyle Roggenkamp said since installing the machines staff have raised an additional $2,320 for BUSHkids through sales of 15,000 cans of soft drink. “We have fifteen drink and
donate vending machines across our sites and the proceeds are an easy and budget-friendly way to give consistently to our project charity of choice – BUSHkids,” Mr Roggenkamp said. “It’s another great way to contribute back into the community as these funds are raised directly by our workforce every time they purchase a soft drink.” “As you can imagine over
the hotter periods our guys use the machines a lot more, which means they’re also helping to raise more funds,” he said. Thiess staff have also assisted BushKids by renovating their rooms including installing a kitchenette and will soon start on a makeover of the therapy rooms. As its next major fundraiser Thiess is organising a BUSHkids Charity Golf Day to be held at Dalby Golf Club on March 16.
country music artists Markus Mieir and The McClymonts. MC for the night was popular Triple J presenter Alex Dyson, from Breakfast with Tom and Alex. His chat had kept the melon-coverd crowds in the arena entertained all day and his introductions of the artist was just as hilarious.
Is future derailed?
THE future of the Westlander is looking shaky with the Queensland Government conducting a review of transport across the state. The viability of the train is being questioned after the state government admitted they were subsidising the service by $2236 per passenger. A spokesperson for the Queensland Minister of Transport and Main Roads Scott Emerson said they were asking regional councils for advice. “It is important we have this conversation, particularly when some services like the Westlander cost taxpayers more than $2000,” the spokesperson said. The department said demand for the Westlander service has declined dramatically from almost 13,000 passengers in 1994/5 to about 6400 last year. “There has not been a review in almost six years and so the way people travel has obviously changed in that time,” the department spokesperson said. “In December (2012) we had as low as 10 passengers on the train,” the spokesperson said. The Westlander train service only travels twice a week from Brisbane through to Charleville, stopping in Dalby, Yuleba, Roma and Mitchell. It takes a staggering 15 hours for the train to get from Brisbane to Roma, and the same amount of time for the return journey. The state government has not ruled out closing down the service, which would no doubt be a blow to regional tourism.
MINERSLIFEMONTHLY
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CULTURE SPARROW | with Patrick Williams| patrick.williams@scnews.com.au
Social media no magic wand
It takes more than clicking ‘like’ to save a life in reality I COULD have saved a life this week. A boy could have received a life-saving kidney transplant if I did one simple thing. And I didn’t do it. Why? Because sadly, “liking” a picture on Facebook isn’t going to change a life. Maybe you’ve seen the same image (pictured right) – it’s doing the rounds at the moment. Chances are one of your Facebook friends was one of the 408,937 around the world to already like it. It’s a shot of a poor sevenyear-old boy from the UK, sitting next to what looks like a dialysis machine. He’s holding up a sign that reads: “If I can get a million likes on Facebook and raise awareness of organ donation, my mum says I could get a new kidney.” You’re probably wondering the same thing as me: “What sort of mother puts their son’s life in the hands of a million strangers online?” But before we get too outraged, there’s something you should know.
❝
If you want to change the world, get out there and register as an organ donor
.
It’s just a poorly written sign. Mum isn’t putting total faith in the hands of the internet community. She just hopes this online campaign can find a kidney for her son, bypassing a national waiting list with hundreds of other children on it. I’ll confess, at first I thought this was a hoax. Sadly, it turned out that this boy, and the rare genetic disorder killing his kidneys, are real. It’s tragic, and I do hope he gets his kidney and another shot at life.
TRAGIC: This image of a seven-year-old boy from the UK with kidney failure has received more than 400,000 Facebook “likes” but PHOTO: FACEBOOK is he any closer to getting his kidney transplant? I just don’t see the campaign as the key to pulling off this miracle. Too many people think “liking” something and doing nothing to follow it up will
change things. Real action is needed. If you want to change the world, get out there and register as an organ donor. That’s a positive move in the
right direction. A simple “like” is nothing – it’s intangible. Social media is powerful, but it’s not magical. My “like” would do nothing
to get this boy closer to a new life. I do hope he gets his kidney, I really do, but I think the search should remain in the real world.
Daleys back in Quinalow
Greg and Cheryl Daley have returned to the Quinalow pub after previously owning it 20 years ago. Photo Richard Coombs / Dalby Herald
IF YOU’RE looking for a new watering hole, the Quinalow Hotel is probably your answer. About 30 minutes north of Dalby, the Quinalow Hotel not only has a bit of character, it’s also got a great story behind it. The recycled publicans at the Quinalow Hotel said coming back to the small town was “just like putting on an old slipper”. Greg and Cheryl Daley took over the freehold on the pub in October last year, some 20 years after owning it the first time. “We just felt really comfortable coming back,” Greg said. “There are not a lot of changes, which is a good thing. “The little ones who were kids now have kids of their own.” The Daley own the pub between 1993/94, but after 18 months in Quinalow decided it was time to move on. “We were in our mid-30s, looking for greener pastures, doing other stuff,” Greg said.
“We had a few other different things we wanted to do.” After owning other pubs, dabbling in the restaurant industry, getting into the property market and Greg getting back on the tools as a plasterer, whispers started to snowball about possibility of buying the pub back again. After to-ing and fro-ing with the pub owner, an agreement was made and the Daleys were ready to call Quinalow home again. Not being brought up in the area, the pair says it was the people which were a main attraction to retire in Quinalow. “It’s just the people, there are no ferals,” he said. “Everyone has a bit of a go at you and it’s all in good fun.” As for the future, the pair has no plans to leave the area any time soon, instead they’ve begun renovating the pub.
FIND US ON
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MINERSLIFEMONTHLY
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Some ski 4 breakfast?
While most people are content to shake themselves into the working day with a cup of coffee, one bunch of locals prefer a high speed jaunt behind a ski boat. For Brady Cumming and a few friends the best way to begin a weekday is with an early morning water ski on Lake Broadwater. “Two or three of us guys go early at 6am before work,” Mr Cumming said. “It’s a good refreshing start to the week, good start to the day.” Following an extremely short closure in January, after water levels dropped dangerously low, the lake was flooded in the Australia Day weekend floods, much to skiers’ delight. The spot has been buzzing with kayakers, skiers, boaters, and tubers since then; re-cementing its position as one of Dalby’s prime attractions. Seeing the lake full has revived calls from many residents for action to be taken keeping it full all year round. Mr Cumming said the lake was an important part of Dalby life, including stimulating local business through people buying fuel for their boats and food for their barbecues. It raises an old debate. “It used to be always full, but in the last ten years we’ve had drought periods where it’s been dry,” Mr Cumming said. “I’d definitely like to see something done to keep it full all year round.”
MAKING WAVES: Local Greg Rockliff carves up a wake on Lake Broadwater recently, following a good dose of rain. Photo Contributed
Monsters eat it up
If you have the urge to see a four tonne truck get airborne, then you have a date with the Dalby Showgrounds. The monster trucks you may have seen stationed around Dalby are part of the Extreme Bullride and Monster Truck Spectacular set to wow Dalby on Saturday, March 9. The event will include a rodeo, large fireworks display and monster truck show. These hulking machines have a 551 big box chevy motor, fuel injected super-
charge, top speed of 130km hour, and cost around $280, 000 each. The engine’s take such a battering they last only six to eight shows and then need to be fully rebuilt. The bull ride will be held in the undercover arena, and organisers hope the weather will hold out and the show will go on. Australian monster truck champion Outback Thunda is on display at Johnson’s Holden dealership, ‘Spot’ is displayed at Beaurepaires and the famous flame throwing jet quad bike(which
shoots out 20m flames) is also parked at Mitre 10. The huge trucks will also be heading to local schools for a visit while here. Gates will open from 4pm, or 3.30pm for pre sold ticket holders, and the show will commence from 6pm. There will be live music after the show and also a meet and greet with the cowboys and monster truck drivers at the foodcourt and bar areas. Tickets on sale through Mitre 10 or online at www.monstertruckpromotionsaustralia.com/
Dalby is set to be awed by these monster machines in one big show, after rain postponed the first event. Photo Contributed Page 14.
HOLIDAYDESTINATIONS
Cliffs, salt, sand- that’s living Yuraygir Coastal Walk will stay on the brain
If you feel the urge to get out and see some real beauty, with a salty breeze smacking your face, then this one is for you. The Yuraygir Coastal Walk will take you through the longest stretch of protected coastline in NSW, and can take varying amounts of time, depending whether you want to stop and camp along the way. To do the trek in one go takes about four days of solid walking, camping each night, and is a good challenge. The walk will take you along the 65km trail from Angourie in the north across stunning cliffs, overlooking beaches, to Red Rock in the south. Angourie is also a surfing reserve, famous around the world, and you can watch these skilled buggers catch the perfect wave from a cliff-top vantage point. Spiky pandanus and windlicked cliffs make this walk a spectacular one. You travel
over cliffs, beautiful rocks, and wind through bushland. Fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing below you. The area is also known for its coastal emus, which some trekkers are lucky enough to spot. This area is one of Australia’s unique strips of coast that boasts beach, bush and rainforest. There are also stunning caves to explore. You can also visit old indigenous campsites and see artefacts which get your head around the history of this wind whipped place. As you walk keep one eye to the ocean as this stretch of coast is famous for whale and dolphin spottings.
FAST FACTS ■ Grafton to Angourie and the trailhead of the Yuraygir walk is a one hour drive. ■ For camping along the walk call (02) 6641 1500.
IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER: The Yuraygir Coastal Walk on the NSW North Coast provides walkers with extraordinary visual experiences along the 65 kilometre track from Angourie to Red Rock, such as these caves at Shelley Beach, south of Angourie.
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DIGITALDOWNTIME ➤ TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
➤ MOVIE REVIEW
Great chippies app CHIPPIES listen up; we’ve got the app for you. After testing by pros from around the world, BuildCalc is ready to give you more function and more answers with less complexity, less hassle, and less confusion. BuildCalc has an advanced baluster function complete layout of railing and staircase balusters with less guess work - and with all the flexibility you need for every custom job. It’s got an advanced stair function including dimensioned drawings of your stringer, stringer installation, and finished staircase. And you can email a PDF of these drawings right from BuildCalc. What about the fence function? Just give BuildCalc a fence row length and it will tell you how many posts, rails, pickets, and or panels you need. Or there are the interactive functions like the stair, baluster, compound miter, and rafter functions. Want to change input values? Change the
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➤ TOP 10 MOST WATCHED UTUBE CLIPS 1 The Harlem Shake v1 (TSCS original) 2 Gangnam Style - PSY (Jayesslee Cover) 3 Cactus Bodyslam Stunt 4 Daytona 300 crash 23/2/13 Spectator view 5 Knife wielding maniac at Buckingham Palace 6 You let the best girl go!! By sir dennis and lord louis 7 Harlem Shake (Cody Simpson) - Tour Bus Turn Up 8 8 Surprise Eggs Unboxing Toy Story Disney Pixar Cars 2 Angry Birds Barbie Eggs like Kinder Surprise 9 9 Cutest Things That Ever Happened (Gordon Hamilton) 10 Adele's fight with Chris Brown at the Grammy's
➤ TOP 10 ITUNES AUSTRALIA DOWNLOADS 1 Just Give Me a Reason (feat. Nate Ruess) - Pink 2 Harlem Shake - Baauer 3 Impossible - James Arthur 4 Beneath Your Beautiful (feat. Emeli Sandé) - Labrinth 5 Feel This Moment (feat. Christina Aguilera) - Pitbull 6 Lanterns - Birds of Tokyo 7 I Could Be the One (Nicktim Radio Edit) - Avicii and Nicky Romero 8 Same Love (feat. Mary Lambert) - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis 9 One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks) - One Direction 10 When I Was Your Man - Bruno Mars
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Description: A look at the lives of Pete and Debbie a few years after the events of Knocked Up. Rated: [PG] Running time: 134 minutes Stars: Megan Fox, Paul Rudd, Chris O'Dowd Review: I can hear my joints click when I walk. I've just turned 38. It's the same age Debbie (Leslie Mann) pretends to be ahead of her 40th birthday in This Is 40, as if 38 was that much less like being middle-age. Goodness knows what state I'll be in in a couple of years. But if director Judd Apatow's spin-off from 2007's Knocked Up is anything to go by, turning 40 is the moment middle-class lives are supposed to either fall apart or into place. While Debbie is struggling with her age she's oblivious to the mess husband Pete (Paul Rudd) is hiding from her. He's turning 40 too. Together they're too financially over-committed to afford midlife crises but Debbie doesn't know this. She's busy reconnecting with her family, including her estranged father (John Lithgow), and envying the body of one of the assistants in her boutique (Megan Fox). Twenty years ago these 40-year-olds might've bought sports cars and had affairs with much younger people who like shiny things. But Debbie and Pete don't have the cash for any of that. Instead, they're banning cupcakes, abusing Viagra, joking about murdering one another and trying to relaunch the careers of borderline retiree rock stars (Graham Parker). Middle-age never looked more like youth. But maybe that's just a lie 38-year-olds tell themselves.
➤ GAME REVIEW
Latest game: Crysis 3 ONE of the best looking shooters has finally returned, and it looks to be the best yet. Crysis 3 is Crytek's latest graphical powerhouse, and it looks to not only be the best looking, but it strives to be the best shooter around. This time around, as Prophet, the story is definitely a lot more personal. Your surrounding characters are stronger as well. Cell is once again serving as the "evil corporation" and they're responsible for stripping fighters of the nano-suit. This leaves Prophet as the sole owner of the
last nano-suit, and he uses it to go up against Cell. The big new weapon in Crysis 3 is the new
bow, which is essential in stealthy game play. You can stay in cloak mode while you use the bow, which makes the
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Life after metal LOCAL composer Nathan Carlson said moving back to the genre of his youth has made him a better musician and he was ready to take on the musical work after the release of his first EP. The ex-heavy metal guitarist, who now releases music as The Nathan Carlson Project, has ventured to the other
❝
GUINESS TIME: Bar and Gaming Attendant, Natasha Lord pours a Pint for St Patricks Day. Photo: Chris Owen / The Satellite
Beverage review
Local composer Nathan Carlson
Music is the language of the soul. To me it’s infinity end of the musical spectrum with his new venture and describes his sound as “melodic synth-pop from down under.” Carlson has played the guitar for 12 years, smashing the fret board for upward of 16 hours a day at his prime. “But it came to the point where nothing was happening with it,” he said. “It got to the point where it was boring. I just didn’t feel it.” So Carlson went back to the 70s and 80s electronic music he grew up with, and into
Nathan Carlson is looking to expand his fan base with the release of his debut EP Starfall. Photo Richard Coombs / Dalby Herald What: The Nathan Carlson heard music. And it just snowcomposing. Project debut EP Starfall balled from there.” He started playing around When: available for downMoving back to the elecwith sounds around three or load at cdbaby.com or in hard tronica genre has Carlson in four years ago and found it copy in April touch with his emotional side easier to write a complete Where can you find his once more, something he song from a keyboard and music: facebook.com/Thebelieves is vital. synthesiser than a guitar. NathanCarlsonProject, twit“Music is the language of “This is what I am,” he said. ter.com/nathancarlson8, naththe soul. To me it’s infinity,” he “This is what I’ve always ancarlsonmusic.com.au said. been into since the first time I
DON’T like Guinness? You’ve tried the wrong stuff. This is a drop not to be tried from a can. Head to Ireland....or alternatively to a decent local pub, and ask for a pint of the black stuff. A good bartender should pour it, let it sit, and top it to the brim. You want a good creamy head. A good Guinness will make you feel like you’ve just had a hearty counter meal. A few years back Guinness had a huge overhaul of all its taps around all the bars in Ireland. There was something amiss.......the Irish were
complaining the brew had gone bad. So the company carried out mass inspections and refits and now, as many an Irishman will tell you, the drop is back to its best. Try out these beauties: Irish Car Bomb: Guinness with a shot of Jameson and Baileys dropped in. Belfast Car Bomb: Jameson dropped in. American Car Bomb: Guinn. with a shot of Crown, Kahlua, and Baileys dropped in. A Black Velvet: Guinness floated on champagne and Black Satin: Guinness floated on hard cider.
➤ DJANGO UNCHAINED HITS TARGET
REVENGE: Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio in a scene from the movie Django Unchained. Photo by Andrew Cooper/ Sony Pictures Australia. Photo Contributed Star Christoph Waltz described his screenwriting as “poetry” after receiving his own Oscar for Supporting Actor.
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Jacki Weaver was trumped by Jackman’s co-star Anne Hathaway for the Supporting Actress, while Naomi Watts missed out on Best Actress to Silver Linings Playbook star Jennifer Lawrence, who nearly tripped as she walked on stage to accept her award. While he missed out on a nomination for Directing, Quentin Tarantino went home with a statuette for Original Screenplay for his gun-slinging pre-Civil War drama Django Unchained.
Coles
ARGO was the big winner of this year’s Oscars, where all three Australian hopefuls went home empty handed. Director Ben Affleck was tearful as he accepted the Best Picture award for the drama he also starred in and produced. As widely predicted, Hugh Jackman lost his first shot at an Academy Award to Daniel DayLewis for his committed portrayal of US President Abraham Lincoln.
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Double Oscar
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St Patricks Day
March 17th
12PM SHAVE FOR A CURE & SAUSAGE SIZZLE WITH A GOLD COIN DONATION TO GO TO CANCER COUNCIL IRISH BAND - “FICKLE FOLKERS” FROM 4pm DINNER SPECIAL: “IRISH STEW” - “GUINESS PIE” DRINK SPECIALS: GUINESS & IRISH CIDERS
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SPORT
Players fire up for action Off-season gains shape a near-perfect future for the game, the clubs, the players and the fans, says Tony Durkin
The odd off-field drama aside, has there been a more productive build-up to an NRL season than during the past few months? And on a fair-dinkum basis, the theatre engulfing the players away from the game simply adds to the intrigue and whets our already voracious appetite for kick-off day. Season 2013 has the ingredients to be the best in years. During the off-season, a new CEO was appointed, a $1billion-plus TV deal was struck by the NRL, a sponsorship and digital rights partnership worth more than $100 million over five years was signed with Telstra and a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was reached between the players and the NRL. That financial security shapes a near-perfect future for the game and its shareholders – the clubs, the players, the sponsors and the fans. But let’s face it – we, the rank and file are only vaguely
ACTION HEROES: Melbourne’s Cameron Smith and Brisbane’s Sam Thaiday.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
concerned about those small details. What we want is brilliant on-field action, a competition where we scratch our heads each weekend before filing our tips, and an end-of-season points table that is top heavy. And we pray that our stars keep shining. Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Paul Gallen, Greg Inglis, Sam Burgess, Jarryd
Hayne, Brett Morris, Sam Thaiday and Benji Marshall are among a throng of household names who are bound to excite us every week in 2013. They will do it under a new referee regime and boundeby some tweaked rules, all of which will hopefully make the game even more appealing to the millions who watch it from March to October.
Cowboy’s co-captain Johnathan Thurston primed for another great season. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
➤ FISHING REPORTS
Dams are full, wet a line Local Fishing Reports Fishing has been good despite the rain. Salt water yabbies and worms have been working the best bait wise. The best lures for cod and goldens seem to be 55mm Stump jumpers and Smak spinners. Coolmunda Dam: Golden perch are being caught on trolled hard bodied lures towards the dam wall and along the old creek bed. Page 18.
Somerset Dam: Bass and golden perch are biting on mask vibes and blades near the bottom at the start of the timber at Kirkleagh. Bjelke Petersen Dam: The dam is still flowing over the wall and fishing has been patchy. Red claw crayfish have been caught in the bays towards the dam wall. Boondooma Dam: Silver perch and fresh-
water jew have been caught on live worms and frozen prawns on the bottom in the cleaner bays and it would be worth setting a few pots for red claw crayfish. Borumba Dam: Bass and saratoga are being caught at dawn and dusk on surface lures around the dam edges and schooling bass located with sounder on soft plastics in the deeper parts.
Coastal: Sand whiting are biting on the making tide along the beaches from Burrum Heads to Urangan and mud crabs out from the mouth of the rivers and creeks. Bream whiting and flathead are biting at the mouth of the Noosa River, in Weyba Creek and Noosa Sound. Send your photos to basstobarra@bigpond.com.
Peter Kerr shows a nice bass he caught at the ABT tournament at Genbawn Dam.
SPORT
And the screen goes Red The Reds are shaping up as a challenging force
SUPER Rugby fans are breathing a sigh of relief with the game they play in heaven back on our TV screens for another season. For us Queenslanders, our attention will be focused on the Reds and how their 2013 campaign will play out. We’re one and one so far this season, after going down to the Brumbies in round one in Canberra, but knocking off the enemy south-of-the-border at Suncorp in round two. The Reds are dealing with a few changes this season. Firstly, they’ve got a new head coach in former Western Force head honcho Richard Graham. But the Link lovers need not fret; the former head coach is still on board, moving into a director of coaching position. So the Reds have the brains trust at the helm for them to perform well, but can they convert on the field? Captain James Horwill is still sidelined, recovering
from a serious hamstring injury. His rehab is on track and his injection into the Reds’ run-on team will bring a burst of confidence into the playing group. Then there’s arguably the best half back in the world, Will Genia, who will be sidelined for a couple more weeks. The Reds forward pack has also lost a key flanker in Scott Higginbotham to the Rebels. With Queensland’s depth, missing two key players hasn’t made a massive difference. Ed Quirk played out of his skin against the Tahs last weekend. Youngster Liam Gill has a couple of Super Rugby seasons under his belt and is a leader on the side of the scrum. With the likes of veterans Cooper, Ioane, Shipperley and Harris, plus 52-game stand in scrum-half Ben Lucas, the Reds still have the goods.
TIME WILL TELL: Will the Reds be able to pull off a stellar effort and win again? Only time will tell on that one. Photo: Contributed
SIGN UP: Thiess and BUSHkids band together for a golf fundraiser. Photo: Nancy Evans.
Tee off for Bushkids Dust off those golf clubs and head to the Dalby Golf Club for the Thiess BushKids Golf Day on Saturday March 16. The three-person ambrose is tipped to be a great day of golf and fun so get in now and register your team of three, whether it be family, friends or work colleagues. If you don’t have a team you can register as an individual and be placed in a team.
“A charity golf day seemed like the perfect idea,” said Thiess’ Kyle Roggenkamp. Cost is $40 per player which includes 18 holes of golf, lunch and a bag of goodies. Club and buggy hire can be arranged through the Pro Shop. There are heaps of trophies
to win plus some great raffle prizes. Registration is at 6.30am with a shotgun start at 7am. Thiess’s community and stakeholder relations manager, Kyle Roggenkamp said Thiess and BUSHkids have been working on community fundraising ideas. “A charity golf day seemed like the perfect idea,” he said. To register phone 07 4662 4622 or email dalbygolfclub@bigpond.com. Page 19
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