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SHIFT MINERMonday 28th March 108th Edition 2011 The Queensland mining community’s best source of local news

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News18-month apprenticeships for skilled workers » page 5

NewsWandoan’s green light as court action looms » page 7

NewsQueensland’s part in Japan’s recovery » page 10

Around TownA hairy good time » page 13

Money MattersRain disrupts construction in CQ » page 23

Locally Owned and Operated - www.shiftminer.com

THE union has accused mining companies of placing profits above people, after a hor-ror month on Queensland mine sites.

Mining giants BMA and Anglo Amer-ican have made headlines for a string of close calls in March.

The most dramatic incident occurred at Anglo’s Dawson mine near Moura, where a dump truck drove right over the top of a ute

during an early morning shift change.Just hours before, at Dawson’s Callide

mine near Biloela, a bulldozer was buried during excavation works.

While no-one was injured in either inci-dent, CFMEU healthy and safety spokes-man Chris Gilbert said that was miraculous.

“This is purely and simply production pressure over safety,” he said.

“It’s no surprise to me that after a low production period stretching over many wet months, that now suddenly there is a dra-matic rise in serious incidents.”

“It has to be pressure to ramp up produc-tion, and short cuts are being taken.”

Mr Gilbert said members were reporting cases of being asked to work in dangerous situations. » continued page 22

The kids cleaning up Australia » page 13

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- Shift Miner Magazine, 28th March 2011

108th EDITION. 2011CONTENTS

Serves 4

Hoisin sauce originates from a variety of different places throughout South East Asia, most commonly found in China, Vietnam and Cantonese cuisine. It has quiet a distinct

in stir-fries, marinades and for barbequing.

When you don’t have much time and are looking for a quick and easy meal to feed the family this stir-fry is a great healthy option.

INGREDIENTS:

200g pkt egg noodles

60ml Hoisin sauce2 tbsp peanut oil¼ cup of shallots, thinly chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed1 brown onion, cut into thin wedges1 tbsp freshly grated ginger1 red capsicum, thinly sliced60ml sweet chilli sauce2 tbsp rice wine vinegar2 tsp brown sugar

METHOD:

Cook the noodles in a saucepan of boiling water following packet directions or until just tender. Drain well.

Combine the Hoisin sauce, sweet chilli sauce, vinegar and sugar in a jug. Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat until very hot and smoking. Add the chicken to the wok and fry for 3 – 4 minutes or until golden. Remove from wok.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok over high heat. Add the onion, capsicum, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 2 – 3 minutes or until just tender. Add the chicken and Hoisin mixture back into the wok and toss to combine. Add the noodles and toss until well coated in the sauce.

thick and rich add a little water to dilute.

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Hoisin Chicken Stir-fry

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IT is the elephant that just will not leave the room.

Climate change.Under Kevin Rudd, we had the emis-

sions trading scheme.Now, under Julia Gillard, we have a

carbon tax.What disheartens me most about this

debate is how transparently political it has become.

I yearn for the politics of old, for a return to conviction politicians and a stoush where Labor and the Conserv-atives could have an honest but heat-ed debate and different platforms on this most pressing of policies.

I am tired of watching career politi-cians, whose entire sense of policy is kept alive by the drip feeding of never ending opinion polls.

I want to hear what they actually think, and what their plan of action is.

I am also tired of politicians pretending that if we decide climate change is an issue, then consumers should not have to pay more for the basics like electricity and groceries.

How else will we change behaviour?Almost three-quarters of all homes in

south-east Queensland now have air-con-ditioning, according to a survey by the Queensland government.

That’s 1.6 million units.Our energy use in Queensland is

now running at more than double the population growth.

Yet, that same survey uncovered that 75 per cent of Queenslanders believed it was important to reduce energy consumption.

To me, that says people sitting in the air-conditioned comfort of their living room think they can combat climate change by switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and using recycled shopping bags.

It’s time we all got real.

FROM THE EDITOR21

Alex Graham

19

HERVEY’S BOUNTY

SPORTS UPDATE

20

STIRRED UP

The Bowen Basin’s premier magazine

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REGULARS

14 STUFF TO THE EDITOR

15 FRANK THE TANK

18 YOUR HEALTH

22 MONEY MATTERS

NEWS 4 Migration to mining

Visa changes for mega projects

6 Exploring Qld Re-establishing lost ground

9 Kids on loaders? New laws say no minors

11 Dyno-versity Moranbah’s new industry

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16

MINER’S TRADER


108th EDITION. 2011NEwS

THE much talked about skills shortage in Queensland industry is just months away from reaching a whole new level, accord-ing to one recruitment specialist.

“We’re within months of a real issue for skills,” said Outback Industrial

director Peter Martin.“I have noticed that in the last six or

eight weeks things are really pushing for-ward with a lot of people we deal with.”

“The second half of this year will start getting desperate.”

As part of its plans to deal with the escalating skills crisis, the federal govern-ment last week announced it would make changes to visa requirements for overseas workers in mining.

A new visa will be developed to allow “mega” resource projects to use overseas workers to supplement the local labour force where there are critical shortages.

Those changes have been cautiously welcomed by Mr Martin.

“It certainly looks good but my main concern - as always - is the delivery,” he said.

Mr Martin pointed to a similar migra-tion scheme set up several years ago to allow Pacific Islanders coming to Austral-ia to pick fruit.

“The idea was great in theory but it fell flat on its face because when it came to sorting out the detail after everyone had their two bob’s worth, it became impossi-ble for people to access with ease.”

“In the end about 25 people were brought in under that scheme because it

was so convoluted and difficult that it was beyond the use of employers.”

Mr Martin said he hoped the new min-ing visas didn’t fall into the same trap.

“Because of the grunt behind this, with such strong industry and government back-ing, it might be different.”

The federal government has also accepted a recommendation that the 457 visa process should be improved so appli-cations can be finalised within five days.

“Having 457 visas approved in five days is simply unheard of,” said Mr Martin.

“At the moment they can take up to three or four months, so again if this becomes a reality it would be fantastic.”

Not surprisingly, Mr Martin said the pressure point for the skills short-age at the moment was for tradesmen in central Queensland.

“Anyone with a trade - particular-ly mechanics, welders, boiler makers and specialised versions of those fields are in high demand.”

“Having 457 visas approved in five days is simply unheard of, at the moment they

can take up to three or four months...”

@

Shortage to become chronic

in 8 weeks


108th EDITION. 2011

Cockatoo backCockatoo Coal’s Baralaba mine should be producing 50,000 tonnes of coal per month from May.The mine was inundated during Dec-ember’s deluge when the Dawson River broke through the mine’s levee banks.While there is still water in the bottom of the mine pit, mining was able to restart last month.Cockatoo’s managing director Mark Lochtenberg said over the next six weeks production should ramp up to 50,000 tonnes a month.The mine also has a 55,000 tonne stockpile now being sold......................................................................

Known quantityTHE quantitya and quality of a new coal deposit at Blackall in the Eromanga Basin is closer to being known.East Energy Resources is in the final stages of a drilling program at its Blackall coal project, where current estimates suggest there could be around 1.2 billion tonnes of quality thermal coal.Additional infill drilling is underway on the western edge of the southern portion of the project to work out a more exact measure of coal deposits.By drilling more holes, the company hopes to increase its JORC indicated resource report for the project, which it will complete and release next month......................................................................

Contractors in lineNew laws mean contractors working on mine sites will now have to work under the site’s safety management plan.The laws were passed by state parliament earlier this month.Previously, contractors were able to work under their own safety management plans.Queensland’s mining minister Sterling Hinchliffe said it meant everyone now worked under the same system.“This means contractors who are carrying out jobs like road works or building works on mine sites will be required to follow the same safety management plan as everyone else.”

FAST NEWS

NEwS

ONE of the vital plank’s in the federal govern-ment’s plan to deal with the skills crisis is already common practise in central Queensland.

The federal government has unveiled its response to tackling the skills shortage and agreed to adopt all 31 recommenda-tions from the National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce report.

Fast-tracking the apprenticeships of 1000 mature age workers is a key part of the plan.

“Workers with real skills will be able to gain trade qualifications in up to 18 months and secure highly paid jobs in the sector,” said the Minister for Skills Chris Evans.

East Coast Apprenticeships will run the new program, and Thiess and Anglo Amer-ican will be the first employers to use the expedited training course.

But Kerry Whitaker, who runs the Gladstone-based training provider GAGAL, said compe-tency-based training was not a new concept.

“It is common sense and here in cen-tral Queensland we have been doing it for years,” she said.

“At GAGAL, almost half of our appren-tices are over 21.”

“In fact, we have a 61-year-old electrician right now, and he will finish his time easily in the 18 months.”

But Ms Whitaker said employers in the south-east corner were a different matter.

“They don’t like adult apprentices there, they won’t touch them.”

In fact, Ms Whitaker said central Queensland industry had always been innovative when it came to training.

GAGAL pioneered school based appren-ticeships in 1997, and accelerated apprentice-ships in 2005.

“Competency based apprenticeships have been alive and well and living in cen-tral Queensland for quite some time.”

Despite the idea not being a new one, Ms Whitaker welcomed the move and said it could help ease the skills shortage.

“It may do, because it could open the mining industry up to adult wannabe apprentices from the south-east corner.”

“The idea is a good one, and it’s great that they have adopted something that has been happening in CQ for such a long time.”

“It is common sense and here in central Queensland we have been doing it for years.”

Anglo on board with new apprenticesANGLO American is the first major coal com-pany in central Queensland to embrace the government’s plans to offer accelerated appren-ticeships for people with industry experience.

The 18-month advanced entry trades skill-ing program is part of a broader range of measures to address the burgeoning skills cri-sis within the industry.

“This is looking outside of the box as opposed to doing what has always been done,” said Anglo American’s principal of operations training Debbie Butler.

She said the new program was specifical-ly designed to train up people who already had some industry know how.

“If a lay person is thinking do I have the skills for this, they should be asking themselves am I as good as a second year apprentice?”

Ms Butler said Anglo American would

continue to run its schools-based apprentice-ship program alongside the new offering - and in fact, intended to increase its intake as well.

“This program is by no means a replacement of our traditional apprenticeship program.”

“This is just another pathway into the industry, and it is about tapping into a cur-rently under-utilised resource.”

Ms Butler said the company was now in the process of deciding which of its central Queensland sites needed apprentices, and in what disciplines.

The trial phase of the federal govern-

ment’s accelerated apprenticeship program will be co-ordinated through East Coast Apprenticeships.

“The beauty of this plan is we can specifically ask for exactly what we need, and it can be cus-tomised to our requirements,” said Ms Butler.

Registrations are now open for anyone who thinks they might be eligible for the accelerated program.

You can find out the details online at the East Coast Apprenticeships website ectraining.com.au - just follow the links to the national apprenticeship program page.

“If a lay person is thinking do I have the skills for this, they should be asking themselves am

I as good as a second year apprentice?”

Reinvented wheel - still good for skills

TWENTY-ONE new apprentices have started work at the Gladstone Ports Corporation, in what has been a record intake.

There are now 68 apprentices and trainees working at the port, which represents 10 per cent of the port’s entire workforce.

Among this year’s intake are three Indigenous apprentices and one stevedore trainee.

21 new faces at Gladstone port

Stevedoring trainees Tarun Schefe, Ryan Kennedy and Darcy Taylor will learn ship mooring skills during their traineeship [Craig Chapman Photography]


108th EDITION. 2011

THE push is on to restore investor confi-dence in Queensland as a place for miner-als and energy exploration.

A new body called the Queensland Exploration Council (QEC) has been set up by the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) to re-etablish the state as a leader in the field.

In the latest Fraser Institute survey, Queensland fell in terms of attractiveness from its lofty position of 8th in the world in 2006-07 to 38th in 2010-11.

QRC chief executive Michael Roche used the recent state government decision to ban sand mining on North Stradbroke Island as a casing point.

‘Events of this week where Sibel-co had existing mining leases cancelled on a political whim make promoting the state as an exploration destination all the harder,” he said.

“However we are a confident lot, and this will not deter us in our determination to restore investors’ faith in Queensland.”

Mr Roche said some of the state’s larg-er mines were coming toward the end of their life, and new exploration was needed to uncover the next big deposits.

‘Unfortunately, with the policies we are seeing out of government such as Wild Riv-ers declarations, proposed strategic cropping land legislation, and now the cancellation of mining leases, Queensland’s rating as a secure place to invest has taken a tumble.”

The new Queensland Exploration Coun-cil aims to lift the profile of the importance of exploration, and promote Brisbane as a service centre.

Leading this push will be QEC’s inau-gural chair Geoff Dickie, who has recent-ly retired as the state government’s

deputy coordinator general.“Geoff brings a wealth of knowledge

and experience to the role with his career in both state and federal governments where he was closely involved with policy and pro-

grams in support of the resources sector, and as a qualified geologist heavily involved in the junior resources exploration and development sector, both in Canada and in Australia,” said Mr Roche.

NEwS

Dickie to put exploration top of Qld agenda

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EXPLORATION in Queensland appears to be bouncing back, with almost 50 permits granted last month.Nearly half the permits related to exploration in areas in the north of the state around Mt Isa and Charters Towers. However, a number of major companies continue to develop their coal prospects in central Queensland.Among the notable explorers are Brazilian giant Vale, which is undertaking thermal coal exploration in the emerging Galilee Basin, near the small town of AlphaIt has secured an exploration permit in an area 150 kilometres north of Emerald.Aquila Resources is exploring an area north-east of Glenden, and Matilda Coal has been

granted an exploration permit in an area 30 kilometres north west of Rolleston.Five mineral development licences were granted - these allow the holder to further develop and analyse areas within their existing exploration permits. The most notable of these was for Vale, which now has a licence to develop an area 24 kilometres north of Coppabella.Just two mining leases were granted, one for a Sandstone quarry near Brisbane and the other for a gold and tin mine near Mareeba in the far north.The number of exploration permits granted during February was about the same as during January.However, both represent a 30 per cent jump in the number of permits being granted late last year.

Exploration permits still up


108th EDITION. 2011

XSTRATA’S massive Wandoan coal project has been given the environmental tick of approval by the federal government.

That is the final government hurdle for the goliath thermal coal development, and paves the way for Xstrata to make a final invest-ment decision and apply for a mining lease.

The company has previously said it hopes to be mining at Wandoan in 2014.

Like the massive Galilee Basin propos-als to its north, the Wandoan project will redefine large scale coal mining in Australia.

The initial plan is to develop an open cut drag-line mine capable of producing 30 mil-lion tonnes of coal a year.

That would be dwarfed by stage 2 of the project, which would take annual produc-tion to 100 million tonnes.

The coal in the deposit is so close to the

surface that the strip ratio is just three to one, meaning for every bit of coal extracted, only three bits of dirt will need to be cleared.

In the initial phase of the mine, Xstrata will build a huge coal handling and prepa-ration plant that can process nearly 6000 tonnes of coal an hour.

A 10,000 tonne train is expected to be loaded every two hours.

More than 3000 construction jobs will be created while the mine is being built and there will be 1800 permanent jobs during the initial stage.

However, Wandoan project has signifi-cant infrastructure requirements, not least of which is the construction of a 210 kilo-metre railway track to take the coal to port.

It is understood negotiations with effected landholders in the rail corridor

are close to being finalised.Xstrata Coal’s chief operating officer

Reinhold Schmidt said the latest approval was important for company.

“The Wandoan Coal project is an important part of Xstrata Coal’s organ-ic growth strategy with the potential to deliver transformational volume growth and provide significant opportunities for surrounding communities and the

Queensland economy,” he said.The environmental approval covers the

construction and operation of an open cut coal mine and supporting infrastructure in the mining lease area to the west of the Wandoan township.

It also provides approval for the raising of Glebe Weir on the Dawson River and the installation of an underground pipeline to the mine.

NEwS

Mega mine passes all government hurdlesDickie to put exploration top of Qld agenda

DESPITE federal approval for the Wan-doan proposal, residents of the small Wan-doan township say they are apprehensive about a range of issues surrounding the proposed mine.

At the top of the list of concerns are plans to allow Xstrata to mine within two kilometres of the edge of town.

Under the current plans for the mine, mining can’t be undertaken within two kil-ometres from a point in the centre of town.

Concerned residents believe this will mean mining will be undertaken just 600 metres from residential areas on the edge of town.

They argue the combined effects of dust and noise will make the small com-munity unlivable.

Last month the Wandoan Community Consultation Group launched legal action to try and stop mining close to town.

The President of the Wandoan communi-ty consultation group Bill Blackley says they are still waiting to hear back from the courts.

“As far as I know, a small community like this lodging an objection sets a new precedent, so we are unsure what will hap-pen from here.”

“It is our understanding that now that we have lodged the objection, it is the decision of the court as to whether the objection is upheld or thrown out.”

While mining close to town is the big-gest concern, Mr Blackley says they are

also concerned over other land issues.“They [Xstrata] have got four produc-

ers taking them to court over the price they are willing to pay for the land they will acquire to develop the mine,” he said.

“There are plenty of concerns about the missing link railway and the State Devel-opment Authority compulsorily acquiring the land for that corridor,” he added.

The environmental group, Friend’s of the Earth, has also lodged an objection to the mine with the land court regarding carbon emissions.

“The mining and burning of this coal, whether used domestically or overseas, will create absolutely massive, and totally unacceptable, greenhouse gas emissions of 1.3 billion carbon dioxide equivalents over its life,” said Friend’s of the Earth spokes-man Dr John Mackenzie.

“This is not up for dispute – it’s clear-ly stated in the Environmental Impact Assessment statement.”

Wandoan objections still in legal limbo

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“Like the massive Galilee Basin proposals to its north, the Wandoan project will redefine large scale coal mining in Australia.”

The Wandoan mine will be the largest coal mine in Australia

Some landowners, Wandoan residents and green groups are still fighting the mine


108th EDITION. 2011

MINING community action groups will meet directly with the town planners who are charged with drawing up the future lay-out of two Bowen Basin towns this week.

There is increasing community concern about the presence of huge mining camps built on the outskirts of Moranbah and Blackwater for transient workers.

Last week, public submissions closed on the plans for those towns, drawn up by the Urban Land Development Authority (ULDA).

However, a press conference on the steps of parliament house in Brisbane by union-sponsored community advocate Jim Pearce, and community group represent-atives Kevin Cracknell and Kelly Vea Vea, has secured a meeting with the ULDA.

“We met with the ULDA and deputy pre-mier’s office the next day,” said Ms Vea Vea.

“Paul Lucas has called for an urgent summit to take place on Thursday, with the coordinator-general, ULDA executives, rep-resentatives from the Blackwater Progress Group, and Moranbah Action Group, and Jim Pearce to take part.”

Ms Vea Vea said ideally the community would have liked the consultation period extended.

“The Isaac regional council is currently

surveying the social and economic impacts etcera of development to the community.”

“He [Paul Lucas] didn’t extended the consultation period but with the urgency of the next meeting he has scheduled it seems he is stepping up to the plate.”

Ms Vea Vea said many felt the ULDA’s intention for the two towns was not clearly outlined, and could potentially be dictated

to by the needs of big mining companies. “We hope that the summit gives us a bet-

ter understanding of the strategies and tar-gets for the ULDA’s planning.”

“At the moment they give no ideas as to targets for accommodations styles or how they will deliver things like affordable hous-ing, there doesn’t seem to be a strategy.”

“Reasonable balance is all we’re ask-

ing, we feel the state government needs to direct the ULDA to provide a reasonable mix of family and FIFO accommodation options,” Ms Vea Vea said.

Meanwhile, the Isaac regional coun-cil will this week release the results of its “adaptive communities” survey, which asked how people would prefer to see non-resident workers accommodated.

NEwS

MINING giant BMA took the Isaac regional mayor by surprise when it announced a $13 million donation to Moranbah recently.

“It was unexpected, yes,” said Cedric Marshall.

“And it will be a positive for the community.”The funding will go towards three key

community projects: $5.5 million for the Regional Youth and Community Services Centre; $2.5 million for the Greg Cruick-shank Aquatic Centre; and $5 million over five years for affordable housing.

However, some in the town are more

cynical about the latest funding injection.Moranbah Action Group chair Kelly

Vea Vea said while the contribution was welcome, it needed to be put into context.

“Our community has applied significant pressure to BMA over the last few months as a direct result of their destructive 100 per cent fly in fly out agenda.”

“We believe that these contributions are a reaction to the pressure being applied to reduce the FIFO mining.”

Ms Vea Vea said BMA generated bil-lions of dollars in revenue from mines in the region.

“No-one saying they don’t contribute, but do they contribute to the sustainabili-ty of our town?”

But the mayor said the contribution showed a real commitment to the community.

“The $5 million for affordable hous-ing will be very helpful in supporting the work that council is doing to progress that project,” said Cr Marshall.

“As well as working with the communities within Isaac region and the Central Highlands,

BMA is also trying to support local businesses with a new program running in Emerald, Dys-art, Moranbah and Blackwater.”

But Ms Vea Vea isn’t convinced.“It’s important we focus on real invest-

ment in our community.” “Real investment in permanent family

housing, rather than temporary camps, real investment that doesn’t remove the choic-es of workers to live with their families in our region,” she said.

BMA’s ‘surprise’ $13M for Moranbah

Locals want town plans explained

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A PROMINENT Queensland businessman says new laws to stop children from operat-ing machinery on mines and quarries are a deliberate attack on his family run business.

Back in 2009, a complaint was received about Dick Karreman’s then nine-year-old grandson driving a 30-tonne front end loader at the family’s quarry at Mt Cotton in Brisbane.

Dane Karreman had clocked up 500 hours on the Caterpillar 980J loader dur-

ing school holidays and on the weekends, and worked in a cordoned off section under strict supervision.

The mines inspectorate was called in, and ordered the boy stop operating any machinery at the site.

Since then, his grandfather has been locked in a legal battle with the mines inspectorate and the state government to have that directive over turned.

“This is a one off, he was unique and our situa-tion was unique,” Mr Karreman told the WINO.

“I’m not arguing for kids on mine sites, no-one wants that, but this is about bureauc-racy gone crazy.”

Earlier this month, the state government brought in new laws that now mean chil-dren under 16 cannot operate machinery on any mine or quarry site in Queensland.

“This is the lengths bureaucrats will go to in order to get even,” said Mr Karreman.

“This is about bureaucrats who were chal-lenged, and who have now changed the law to suit their own agenda and it is very, very sad.”

“The law as it stood was perfectly ade-quate, and relied on competency not age.”

Mr Karreman said he fears the new laws will have implications for farmers.

“This is the thin end of the wedge, they will now go and do this to farmers next - tell them their kids can’t drive utes or operate in tractors.”

“It also means if you have an apprentice they can’t touch the machinery until they are 16, it’s just absolutely ridiculous.”

The LNP Member for the Redlands Peter Dowling spoke up for Mr Karreman when the new laws were debated in parliament.

“He [Dane] has worked with numer-ous persons. He has been supervised and assessed by numerous people... apparently he is a damn good operator,” Mr Dowling told parliament.

“His basic capacity to operate the loader is not disputed in any way, shape or form.”

“This [the laws] is totally about getting back - payback, it is getting square - nothing more, nothing less.”

That defence prompted the energy minis-ter Stephen Robertson to suggest Mr Dowl-ing was involved in a “cash for comment” scandal, because the MP had accepted a $1000 donation from Karreman Quarries.

Mr Karreman has laughed off the suggestion.“If that’s cash for comment, I want my

money back,” he saidMr Karreman said Mr Dowling was his

local member, and he had previously giv-en similar donations to the former Labor Member for Redlands John English.

He has also vowed to continue to fight the new laws.

“I have told my son and my grandson, this is a war - and we might have lost this battle, but the war is not yet over.”

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Locals want town plans explained

“This is the thin end of the wedge, they will now go and do this to farmers next - tell them their kids can’t drive utes or operate in tractors.”

Heavy industry laws to impact family business


108th EDITION. 2011

AS Japan’s nuclear crisis is played out, one mining analyst says Australia is well suited to embrace nuclear energy.

Mine Life’s Gavin Wendt said while anti-nuclear campaigners would use the Jap-anese example as ammunition, the issue shouldn’t drop off the national agenda.

“Australia is one of the best locations in the world for nuclear power stations because we are one of the most geologically stable - so we should not be distracted from having the debate,” he said.

Mr Wendt said it was unlikely the Japanese crisis would have any impact on countries that have already embraced nuclear power.

“In resource poor countries like Japan, the problem is providing base load power and that’s why Japan has 55 nuclear power stations.”

“These sorts of incidents are pretty rare and the plants involved this time are the older plants.”

“Certainly developing nations like India and China are not going to turn their backs on nuclear, they need them to grow and their gov-ernments have already made that decision”.

“You are not going to start to see plants being decommissioned or new plants being delayed.”

Prior to the earthquake in Japan, the nuclear debate had once again resurfaced in Australia.

Just last month, the former Prime Minister Bob Hawke called for a serious national discus-sion on nuclear power in Australia - given the country already mines and exports uranium.

Australia has a third of the world’s ura-nium deposits and five operating urani-um mines across South Australia and the Northern Territory.

In Queensland, while uranium explora-tion is permitted, mining is banned.

But as the human toll of the nuclear cri-sis in Japan is just beginning to be known, in the federal arena both sides of politics are talking cautiously.

The Prime Minister Julia Gillard told the ABC’s Q&A program recently she didn’t think nuclear energy was right for the country.

“We are a country with abundant solar, wind, geothermal, tidal, you name it, we have got renewable sources of energy.”

The Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has also made it clear the Coalition has no poli-cy for promoting nuclear power.

However, the Deputy Liberal Leader Julie Bishop had a different take.

“This nuclear emergency in Japan is of great concern and it is inevitable that safety standards will have to be reassessed in the wake of this crisis,” she told reporters on Monday.

“However, nuclear power is the only low-emission technology currently capable of supplying the constant energy we need for large cities and industry.”

“If reduction of carbon emissions is a top priority for humanity across the globe, nuclear power must be considered.”

Australia should still consider nuclear: analyst

“Australia is one of the best locations in the world for nuclear power stations because we are one of the most geologically

stable - so we should not be distracted from having the debate.”

NEwS

Daryl Watson Engineering

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JAPAN’s earthquake tragedy is expected to have significant implications for central Queensland’s coal industry.

Mining analysts agree both the immedi-ate knock-on effect and long term impacts of the disaster will felt in the Bowen Basin.

“At this point it is difficult to look at this issue from any other perspective than as a terrible human tragedy,” said Clyde Hend-erson from Energy Economics.

“However, if we do look at it from a coal perspective its is going to have impli-cations for both steel making coal and coal used for power generation.”

“It’s hard to see any other outcome oth-er than a large increase in demand for ther-mal coal with coal fired power stations running flat out to supply the demands for-merly met by nuclear power [in Japan].”

Fellow analyst, Gavin Wendt from Mine Life agrees.

“Obviously there is going to be a big ques-tion mark over Japan’s ability in the short term to continue to power itself,” he said.

“Something is going to be needed to fill the gap, and that is going to mean addition-al demands for coal and LNG and Austral-ia is ideally placed to step in.”

There will, however, be some short term pain for iron ore and metallurgical coal.

“In the short term obviously there is going to be a fall in demand for metallurgical coal, because the country will take a while to get back on its feet,” said Mr Henderson.

“However, in the long term there is likely to be enormous steel demand for the reconstruction.”

Mr Wendt said past that initial knee-jerk reaction, the long term outlook is positive.

“Once the wreckage is cleared there will be a massive rebuilding effort, the biggest since World War II.”

“It is quite obvious that Japan is going to need more metallurgical coal, more coking coal, more iron ore and other bases metals used in the construction process.”

Queensland to fuel Japan’s recovery

“Once the wreckage is cleared there will be a massive rebuilding effort, the biggest since World War II.”



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THEY have come from South Africa, Hol-land, India, Canada, America and Trinidad - and now they call Moranbah home.

About 40 specialists from across the world have relocated to the Bowen Basin town to work for Dyno Nobel’s new ammo-nium nitrate plant.

“We have quite a mix of cultures among our new workforce,” said site manager Kyle Gimpl.

“That’s because this is not a big indus-try, and for these 40 jobs we needed people with industry specific knowledge.”

The new plant, which will supply local mines with the key ingredient for blasting works, is more than 60 per cent built.

“All the large structures are in place, and now it is the fine piping, the electrics and control systems,” said Mr Gimpl.

The company is finalising the other 40 positions that will complete its 80-strong full time workforce.

Its entire workforce will live in Moranbah, in housing that Dyno has either bought or built.

“We acquired 10 houses, we have built 39 and we have just announced we will spend $10 million to build another 28 houses,” said Mr Gimpl.

Moranbah is at the centre of a fierce debate over the use of fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers in the mining industry.

Mr Gimpl said it was a deliber-ate choice of the company to have its workforce live locally.

“It is a way of making ourselves look different.”

“This is very different to working in the mines, it is a very clean site, it a chemical

manufacturing plant and the package we are offering is attractive.”

“Also, a stable workforce is really impor-tant to us.”

“We are spending a lot of money getting all these people from different places and part of our philosophy is to create a stable workforce and we decided living locally was part of that package.”

Mr Gimpl said it was a site-specific deci-

sion, and Incitec Pivot ran FIFO operations elsewhere - like at its Phosphate Hill opera-tions near Mount Isa.

“When we had a look at this particular facility in Moranbah we found living locally was the best fit.”

The entire operational workforce is expected to be on board by June, and the site should ramp up to full production by March next year.

Dyno adds diversity to Moranbah

DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS: Part of Dyno Nobel’s workforce at its new Moranbah ammonium nitrate plant


108th EDITION. 2011arOuNd TOwN

Why not consider a career in health and aged care?· Flexible work rosters· Industry leading pay· Seeking medical officers, midwives, nurses, carer’s, Allied professionals

· Excellent career prospects· Across all mining areas including Rockhampton, Mackay, Gladstone, Bundaberg and Yeppoon

Go to www.mercycq.com/careersor call our recruitment team on (07) 49317481

MERCY HEALTH and AGED CARECentral Queensland Limited

The rain in central Queensland is virtually non-stop at the moment, cancelling sporting events, race days and stopping people from getting out and about on the weekends. That might explain why the local shopping centres are so packed at the moment - somewhere cool to bunker down while the rain falls. These snaps were taken at Moranbah’s Shopping Fair - recognise anyone you know

BLAME IT ON THE RAIN


108th EDITION. 2011arOuNd TOwN

Holding a social event you want photographed? Call the Shift Miner office on 4921 4333 to let us know. You can also give our office a bell if you’d like a copy of any of the photos in this edition.

Moranbah State School raised more than $6000 for the Leukaemia Foundation during its Crazy Hair / Shave for a Cure Day. The community rallied behind the school to reach the $5000 target that saw six people shave for the worthy cause. Students and community members watched in excitement as Grade 7 student Zach Laidsaar, Detective Travis

Zealey, Head of Special Education Nick Landolt and Grade 7 teacher Ben Moody joined Deputy Principal Heidi James and Grade Two teacher Tina Daniel for the Great Shave. Chants of ‘shave it, shave it!’ could be heard from the school’s new hall as local hairdressers clippered away. Almost every student and teacher took part in the fun event, with the hall a sea of crazy wigs and wild hairdos.

www.shiftminer.comBUY THIS AND MANY OTHER IMAGES AT

Shift Miner magazine – bringing the mining community closer together

The Blackwater Scouts were prepared to help tidy up their town when Clean Up Australia Day was looking for volunteers recently.BE PREPARED

Head of Special Education, Nick Landolt shaves for a cure

Deputy Principal Heidi James and Grade 2 teacher Tina Daniel get ready to Shave for a cure

Matthew Maidment and CJ WilliamsJena Page, Cassidy James and Gerimie Fajardo

Kristen McFarlan

Cohen Bromley gets into the spirit of Crazy Hair Day

Brothers Jhi and Dustin Berardi get into the spirit of Crazy Hair Day

Grade 7 student Zach Laidsaar after the shave

Andrew Bull, Marita Turra and Nathan Ebb

Teachers Kristi Elworthy, Erin Milton and Sharnah Carter

Kath McLean, Michelle Gouge and Cheryl Smith

SHAVE FOR A CURE

Hairdressers Talia Cookson, Leanne Featherstone and Melissa Lemke get ready to shave Deputy Principal Heidi James and Grade 2 teacher Tina Daniel


108th EDITION. 2011

Got somethinG to share? send us your text messages or phone photos to 0428 154 653 or email to [email protected]

STuff TO ThE EdiTOr

Stuff to the editor Taking no risks -

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CQ mine siteSent in

anonymously

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roll over”Sent in

anonymously

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PRIZES FOR THE BEST MINING PHOTOS.TAKE IT ON YOUR PHONE OR CAMERA AND SEND IT IN

Text to 0428 154 653Email [email protected]

Tune into the Michael J. Breakfast show

from 7:35 am every Monday for 4RO's CQ Mining Update, with special guest Angus

from Shift Miner.

Michael Bailey - Weekdays 5am - 9amBreakfast

Greg Cary - Weekdays 9am -12pmMornings

Alan Jones - Weekdays 1pm - 2pmAfternoons

www.4ro.com.au SALES ENQUIRIES: (07) 4920 2000

NEWS, TALK ANDTHE MUSIC YOU LOVE

Shift Miner Magazine received this lengthy letter from one long serving coal industry worker who is worried about the number of safety incidents at central Queensland mines:

The latest coal mine incidents prompted me to write this letter.

Firstly, my qualifications are that I joined the coal industry in 1961 and still do some work in the industry.

I started at the bottom and worked my way up to senior management.

During my time I was active in the union movement, so I feel I know a little about the coal mining industry, its culture and its history.

Secondly, I will not run down the present people in the industry but the systems and requirements of people leave a a lot of be desired.

I always blame the system more than I blame the people - but smart people use the system which they have a right to do.

Let’s deal with recruitment and paths into mining.

We get engineers and various uni people who are good at school, and in all fairness some of them work very hard to get qualifications.

These people, in general, should be kept doing the job they are trained to, and leave the day to day on-the-ground running of the mine to the ex-operators who become foreman and superintendents.

A lot of the mines use recruitment companies these days - and they are based well away from mine sites and run by people that do not know much about the industry.

They interview in a parrot fashion, with sheets of paper and a computer screen, so a lot of the time a person who interviews well will get the job.

I have seen this many times.

We need a path where people can go to, for example, a Centrelink office and apply for work in the mines, then a company can re-interview them if they choose to.

At least let’s have a common pathway to get started in the industry.

There are a lot of young people and unemployed people that if it was less expensive and clearer could get into the industry, and we recruit lots of good people.

Now for safety departments and HR.

A lot people come to the mines to work in the office, which is an important job.

It does not take some of these people long to see that the best jobs are in the safety department and HR - no shift work, no danger, good money, you don’t have to know much about mining and legally you have no responsibility, you have lots of say.

When these positions were first created in the industry it was to do the paper work and facilitate meetings, but today they have more say than knowledge or ability in the industry.

But again, you can’t blame people for using the system and taking it to the end zenith.

Now to get onto the mines department and inspectorate.

There is a person in the mine called the OCE (Open Cuty Examiner) or Deputy if working underground.

We will deal with the OCEs - this person holds a statutory position and is appointed by the SSE or the mine manager.

The mine cannot operate unless there is an OCE on shift.

This person inspects the mine, makes a report and signs the same, and ensure the rules are kept.

In former years when the mines inspector came onto the site, they always contacted the on shift Deputy

or OCE to keep in touch with things.

Today, I know of OCEs who have no had contact with mine inspectors for 13 years.

I myself cannot remember meeting one in the last eight years.

But the sad part is I have known the inspector to come on the mine site, see the SSE and Superintendent - which is fine - then speak to the safety adviser in his office, then see the shift elected person who two years before had been working in the retail industry - but alas, did not bother to contact the person who is in control of statutory duties THE OCE.

This happens most of the time these days and devalues the OCE position, and indeed the mines department.

One can hear this when the mines department is mentioned around the crib sheds.

Again, I am not running down the inspectors as they all take safety seriously, I am talking about the system.

My recommendations are:

Change the recruitment system to a fair and transparent one by cutting out the middle people who don’t know about the industry.

Have people from within, like the superintendents and foremen and plant operators make those decisions.

Safety departments should have some people within them that have actually done some work in the field.

HR should use real world experience (not just the school yard and uni) and give some ownership to everyone on site to help the system to work.

And finally in regards to mines department visits - they inspector should endeavour to spend time with the on shift OCE.

Yours faithfully,

Tom Wharton


108th EDITION. 2011fair diNKuM

IN BRITAIN: A seven-year-old London boy nearly got more than he bargained for when he unwittingly purchased a $113,000 Harrier jump-jet on eBay.

The eager youngster hit the “Buy it Now” button and committed to purchase the British made fighter jet.

The boy’s father was forced to quick-ly contact the seller and explain the misunderstanding.

“His Dad rang up and profusely apol-ogised to us, so it’s still for sale,” said a spokeswoman for the British company in charge of selling the harrier. IN ITALY: Researchers specialising in solving art mysteries claim they have dis-covered that the model depicted in Da Vinci’s famous painting the Mona Lisa, was in fact a man.

It is claimed that Da Vinci’s apprentice and possible lover was the inspiration for the iconic painting, although this was imme-diately disputed by experts at the Louvre.

The chairman of the Italian committee for cultural heritage said that close exam-ination of the painting had even revealed

the letters L and S in the Mona Lisa’s eyes, L for Leonardo, and S for Salai, his supposed lover. IN SWEDEN: A Swedish bank robber has been busted by, of all things, a urine sample.

The man was foiled when he left three jars of urine behind after hiding inside a Copenhagen bank vault for three days.

Swedish police were able to use the urine to obtain a positive DNA match for the thief, who received a 21-month prison sentence for his trouble. IN THE UK: A British ice-creamist is serv-ing up a new frozen treat which he calls: “fresh, free-range and totally natural.”

What’s the catch? It’s made from human breast milk.

The ice cream parlour, located in a trendy London district, pays wom-en about 24 Aussie dollars for every 10 ounces of breast milk they donate to cre-ate the dish known as “Baby Ga Ga”.

Women wishing to donate are required to undergo the same screening processed used by the UK’s National Health Coun-cil for assessing potential blood donors.

FaIr DInkum!

Rod, I suppose it all depends on exactly what you’re looking for in a long term relation-

ship. If you want someone who is going to challenge you intellectually, then per-haps this girl isn’t right for you. Howev-er, if you do still like her I would suggest incorporating some more education-al activities into your relationship. Visit a museum or historical site, perhaps watch a documentary together. This may allow your girlfriend to broaden her intellectu-al horizons, and who knows, you may be surprised at just how smart she really is. Susan

Dear Frank, I’ve recently started dating a really nice girl, but sometimes I struggle to make conversation with her. Putting it bluntly, I feel like I’m a lot smarter than her, and a lot of the time she doesn’t know what I’m talking about. I don’t know if I want the relationship to continue, but is it possible to make it work with someone who isn’t on the same intellectual level?

Rod, MackayWell, Rod, I must admit that I’ve felt smarter than just about every woman I’ve ever dated, but I do have a well doc-umented fetish for the mentally gifted.

I would strongly advise you to consid-er the great number of advantages dating a dimwitted person brings about. I once supervised a group IQ test just so I could identify women of below average intel-ligence to prey upon. I wound up taking the female equivalent of Rain Man out on a date. It was a fantastic night. I won big on Blackjack and had a very interest-ing night in the bedroom. I never knew something as simple as compulsive count-ing could spice up lovemaking so much.

You see, Rod, it’s much harder to con-

vince an intelligent woman you’re tell-ing the truth when you’re clearly lying. For example, say your lady friend comes home to find you in bed with her sister. An intelligent woman will know instantly that you’ve been fooling around on her, whereas a slower woman may be able to be convinced that you and her sister were simply going over some paperwork, and logically the bed was the most comforta-ble place to do so.

I’ll let you in on something that very few people know, all of history’s greatest minds, Newton, Einstein, even Hawking and Gates, rose to the top by dating slow women. Do you think Einstein could have developed the theory of relativity if he had to waste valuable time talking to his wife? He used to set Mrs Einstein a simple math equation every morn-ing, knowing it would take her all day to complete and thus allowing him to work in peace. So ultimately, Rod, my answer to your question is of course it’s possi-ble to make it work with someone who isn’t on the same intellectual level as you, in fact, I’d go as far as to say you should only date women of below average intel-ligence from now on.

I feel compelled to warn you though, some women are very crafty, and will pretend to be dumber than they actual-ly are in order to lure you into a relation-ship and then rule you with an iron fist, believe me I know from personal expe-rience. When I met my third wife she was posing as a possibly inbred country bumpkin. She turned out to be a high-fly-ing corporate type with a bondage fetish. To this day I can’t look at a horse whip without feeling ashamed and slightly aroused. Frank

If you have a question for Frank and Susan Email Us at: [email protected]

Sensible Susan

Frank the Tank’s “Streakin” good love advice


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108th EDITION. 2011

What people noticed first and remem-bered longest about Bernadette when they met her was her scowl. The eve-ryday look on that woman’s face could peel the paint off walls. She looked like she was angry and in pain, at the same time, all of the time. It wasn’t unusual for kids to come away crying. Behind her back, Bernadette came to be nick-named The Scowl. I had nothing to do with that, of course. Well, very little.

The other thing people noticed about The Scowl was the constant criticism and put-downs that she aimed at her dear husband – and my best mate – Stan. It made people cringe. Stan put up with all this with the patience of Job. I don’t think he ever complained or told her off. That’s how Poor Stan got his nickname.

But every man has his breaking point.I was having a drink with Poor Stan at

the Mount Morgan Arms Hotel one Sat-urday afternoon when The Scowl filled the doorway with her whole self, and screamed above the noise of the rowdy crowd, “Stan, you’ve had enough to drink; come home!”

Poor Stan went as red as Karl Marx. The pub went quiet. People looked at their shoes and fidgeted with their coasters.

I expected Stan to put down his glass and shuffle off after her, like he usually did.

Instead, he took a long drink from his beer.

He said to me, “If I’d of killed her when I first wanted to, I’d be out of jail by now.”

That’s an old and tired joke; but I was pretty sure that Stan wasn’t joking. He never joked.

“I suppose it’s better late than never,” he said.

I could see he was close to his break-ing point, and that cut me up inside. Poor Stan was a bit spineless, but he was still my mate.

I said, “Don’t go back to your house. Why don’t you buy a carton and go round to my place? I’ve got to take care of something here in town, and then we’ll get on the grog. How’s that sound?”

Stan put his hand on my shoulder, said that sounded good, and went to the takeaway window. I said goodbye to Bob behind the bar, and left.

In half an hour, we were at my place, drinking.

We were still throwing them back, watching the sun set, when Sergeant Ted, the local police force, came around. He broke Stan the news that his wife’s body had been found only an hour ago.

She’d been found behind one of those big steel rubbish bins in the narrow lane behind the shops, on the top side of the main street. Sue from the fish and chip shop got a real fright, apparently.

Stan took the news of his wife’s sudden passing really well. He looked a little stunned, but more like a man who’d won lotto, than a man who’d lost his soul mate.

Sergeant Ted started his investigation right there by asking Stan if he’d killed Bernadette. Motive, the man had.

Stan didn’t reply straight up, then said it was obvious that it wasn’t him. Ted asked why that was.

Stan asked, “You said she were stabbed once in the back?”

Ted nodded. “That is correct.”“Well,” said Stan, “I always dreamed

o’ stabbin’ her right here in the front.” He pointed to his own chest. And never, ever, just the once. Maybe a dozen times. That’s what I always dreamed of doin’, and I reckon that’s the way I’d of done it, if I’d of done it, which I didn’t.”

It didn’t seem that this was the kind of evidence Ted was looking for, because he had a few words to say about that.

I butted in. “He was with me, Sergeant.”Ted didn’t like being interrupted

either, apparently. I never really liked Ted, so I got over it, and told my story.

“We left the pub not long after The Scowl showed up, about three...”

Stan interrupted, holding up his hand. “Don’t call her that,” he said, “please.”

“Sorry.” I shrugged. “We left the pub, with a carton, and came back here. We’ve been drinking since then. We haven’t seen her since. Have we Stan?”

Stan shook his head. “Not since she was at the pub.”

Sergeant Ted scowled, reminding me a bit of the late Bernadette. I shivered. Ted said good night, told us both to stay in town, and left.

Stan went inside and then came back with two beers. He handed one to me. “There’s only two left now,” he said, “and we’ll have finished the carton.”

“Then we’ll go for a walk and get another one.”

“Good idea.”We drank, and I listened to the

cicadas out in the scrub. We didn’t say a word until our beers were empty.

Stan said, “Thanks for covering for me mate. I didn’t kill her; but thanks for covering for me. Makes things easier.”

I slapped him on the back. “No worries, mate,” I said. “I know you didn’t kill her. It was the least I could do.”

5 minute fictionLifting Point

Bernard S. Jansen is 32, married has three young boys. He lives in Emerald, works as an engineer at a local coal mine and is active in his local church. Read more of Bernard’s writing online at surgebin.blogspot.com or email him at [email protected]

GOT AN IDEA FOR A STORY? Let Bernard know - email him at [email protected] or hop on his blog surgebin.blogspot.com

Off ShifT

Shift MinerHandy 15A blank gridShiftMInerHandyblank.pdf©Lovatts Publications 2010

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10

11

12 13

14 15 16

17 18

19 20 21

22 23

24 25 26

27 28

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89 #MUIDEM

3 1 81 5 8 26 2 9

8 36 8 7 3

5 71 6 9

5 7 8 26 9 3

1. Leave

2. Oscars, Academy ...

3. A second time

4. Eire, Republic of ...

6. Consistently

7. From the menu (1,2,5)

8. Astound

11. Onto

15. Lewd

17. Twilight periods

18. Laughed throatily

20. Repeat

21. Covetous

22. Frugality

23. Advantages

26. Dumbfound

ACROSS 1. Exciting

5. Body of warships

9. Pacified

10. Horrified

12. No longer useful

13. Memorise

14. Clay lump

16. High seas robbers

19. Van or car

21. Delights

24. Wall recess

25. Migraines

27. Admiral Horatio ...

28. Pinpoint

29. Brutal person

30. Fire-resistant material

DOWN

SHIFT MINERHandy Cross 1996 - (15A grid)ShiftMinerHandy104s. pdf© Lovatts Publications 14/12/2010

Q U A R R E L S D O R A D OU P O O I P DE X H I B I T S S N I P E DU I I T A T A ME N D A N G E R S M E L E ES S R A E L N

M A R Y P U N I E S TS A B T D SK I C K I N G N O S YI I L A E S UR A D I I D R A W B A C K SM R T S T R R HI R A Q I S S E P A R A T ES I E N C P RH O N E S T A S S E S S E S

# 97 7 6 5 3 2 4 9 1 88 9 1 5 6 7 3 2 43 2 4 8 1 9 7 5 64 1 8 7 3 2 5 6 95 7 6 9 4 8 2 3 19 3 2 1 5 6 8 4 71 8 3 4 7 5 6 9 22 4 7 6 9 3 1 8 56 5 9 2 8 1 4 7 3

LAST EDITION’S SOLUTIONS


108th EDITION. 2011Off ShifT

FISHING IN YEPPOON

THERE’S been a break in the weather, and Capricorn Coast locals have had a rare chance to get out wide lately.

Those that have, have been reward-ed with a fine bounty of mackerel around many of the outer islands.

According to Ben from the Secret Spot, Findlays Reef and the pinnacles are fishing well.

“We’ve had a few reports of some good catches of grunter,” he said.

Ben also reckons beach fishing is pulling some good hauls of whiting off Bangalee and Farnborough.

Up the creeks and estuaries there are still plenty of crabs at Coorooman and Corio Bay.

And while prawns are also about, they are still a bit small - more like bait size than eating size.

FISHING IN MACKAY

IT has been a long wait for the fishermen of Mackay, and there have been a few more chances to get out wide of late.

“I mean every couple of years you get a good wet season, but this has been eight months long now,” said Nathan from Tack-le World Mackay.

“The weather still isn’t great, but there have been more opportunities in the last fortnight than there has been in a while.”

If you do get the chance to get out, the reefs have been hard work of late, but the deep water channels are fishing nicely.

“We’ve had reports of nannagai, red emperor and fingermark,” said Nathan,

Those who prefer to stay up in the creeks and estuaries until the weather breaks will be rewarded with a good feed of crabs.

And if a spot of recreational fishing is

what you’re after, head to Kinchant Dam and pull in a few barra.

“The dam has been really good of late, very consistent fishing.”

FISHING IN GLADSTONE

IF you haven’t heard that all the barra are in the Gladstone creeks and rivers down-stream of Awoonga Dam you must be liter-ally be living under a rock.

Anglers from as far a field as Melbourne have been heading north to be a part of the action - and finding a private spot to drop in your lure is impossible.

According to Dylan from Pat’s Tackle World, you can have up to 50 boats in a 100 square metre area.

“At some stages you can have up to 200 trailers down at a ramp on a Sunday, and they are all chasing barra,” he said.

And things can get pretty heated.“Oh yeah, it’s not just fishing down there

but boxing as well.”“If you want some good entertainment

pick up a carton and go sit on the side of a ramp and just watch.”

Despite waterways bursting with peo-ple, barra are still being pulled up by any-one that goes out.

Another metre of water is flowing over the wall again, so the whole system will soon have another flush out.

If you want to get away from the crowds and head out wide (weather permitting) you will also come home with a bounty.

“People who are spending time out wide are coming back with some good lippers and nice sized trout at the moment.”

Bait shop Banter

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tide times Mar/AprilMon 28 Tue 29 Wed 30 Thu 31 Fri 1 Sat 2 Sun 3

Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht

0510 3.61 0608 3.75 0041 1.31 0121 1.16 0154 1.05 0224 0.98 0253 0.93

1141 1.34 1230 1.15 0653 3.86 0730 3.91 0803 3.93 0832 3.90 0900 3.84

1743 3.18 1835 3.43 1309 1.01 1343 0.91 1413 0.85 1440 0.80 1506 0.79

2350 1.50 1916 3.62 1950 3.76 2021 3.87 2050 3.96 2117 4.02

0044 1.80 0147 1.50 0232 1.29 0310 1.18 0343 1.14 0413 1.13 0441 1.15

0707 5.03 0758 5.24 0838 5.34 0912 5.35 0942 5.31 1009 5.22 1034 5.09

1347 1.34 1430 1.11 1506 0.99 1537 0.94 1604 0.93 1630 0.92 1653 0.94

1944 4.46 2027 4.75 2102 4.94 2134 5.07 2203 5.16 2230 5.24 2256 5.29

Mon 4 Tue 5 Wed 6 Thu 7 Fri 8 Sat 9 Sun 10

Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht Time Ht

0323 0.92 0353 0.96 0424 1.05 0456 1.19 0533 1.36 0002 3.66 0057 3.53

0926 3.75 0954 3.62 1021 3.45 1047 3.27 1117 3.10 0618 1.53 0723 1.66

1531 0.81 1556 0.89 1620 1.01 1643 1.16 1708 1.32 1201 2.93 1314 2.79

2145 4.04 2216 4.01 2247 3.93 2321 3.80 1745 1.51 1857 1.69

0508 1.21 0536 1.32 0604 1.49 0016 5.08 0047 4.91 0130 4.71 0236 4.55

1058 4.92 1122 4.72 1148 4.48 0634 1.70 0711 1.93 0803 2.13 0926 2.23

1715 1.00 1737 1.11 1800 1.27 1215 4.23 1249 3.97 1340 3.72 1512 3.56

2322 5.28 2348 5.21 1826 1.47 1859 1.69 1949 1.94 2117 2.12

If you have a good photo or fishing yarn

send it through to our resident bait chucker- [email protected]

Muggy then autuMn conditionsWeek 1 - Heavy rain caused some of the rivers to rise with flash flooding 20-23rd March. Some 7 day totals (mm) to 24th March: Kingsborough 111, Middlemount 93, Emerald 90, Gregory Hwy. 87, Springsure Jnt. 73, Comet Weir 72, Clermont 71, Taroom & Woodleigh 69, Blue Mountain 65, Thangool 27 and Moura 24. The Daw-son River at Knebworth jumped 2.6m to 7.6m Sun 20th March, before slowly falling. Other rivers like the Comet, Isaacs, Connors, Nogoa, Mackenzie and Denison Creek all reported massive rises. At Yakam the river rose 9 metres in 36 hours. Even the Fitzroy rose to 5.2m in Rockhamp-ton – closing the lower car park.

First fog for the season last Tuesday, mainly in the south. Then muggy, very warm to hot conditions followed through the Coalfields. A small surge of dry air made mini-mums south of Emerald 17/18C, while the north sweltered with 23/24C temps overnight. Then a large high in the Tas-man Sea pushes cooler windy conditions over the week-

end, for most of the week. Has autumn finally arrived?Not good for the boaties... Fresh to strong winds with

gusts over 30 knots will persist for most of the week. Seas should peak around 4 metres with squally showers. Some of these showers could be heavy from Shoalwater Bay north to Abbot Point. Then move west by mid-week. More flash flooding for the Isaacs/Conners and Macken-zie is possible.Week 2 - Like a broken record the SOI remain above +20. The Monsoon Trough (MT) keeps well north as the SE surge brings relief to the oppressive conditions. Another cyclone develops east of New Caledonia; indicat-ing the tropics has may have another punch left in the MT to move south. Winds ease a fraction over the weekend of the 2/3rd Apr. Left over swell; could be a bit “lumpy”. This could make fishing good for the people with a strong constitution. A trough in the west could cause some afternoon storm activity. Then another high merges into the Tasman Sea. This could cause a reinforcement of the winds. Autumn at last!

YOUR WEATHER FORECASTWith Mike Griffin


108th EDITION. 2011Off ShifT

YOUR WEATHER FORECAST

IN the idyllic waters off Hervey Bay, the water is, more often than not, as glassy as one could hope for.

This is because Fraser Island does her best to protect the coastline from the south easter-ly swells that blow in from the Pacific… mak-ing for near perfect fishing conditions.

Indeed, the waters are so calm, that film director Andrew Traucki chose to waste a lot of money filming the majority of his lat-est (and extremely mediocre) thriller The Reef in this section of the deep blue.

But that’s not important.What is important is the abundance of

tasty reef fish found beneath the surface.

After launching the tinny from River Heads, we set a course for ‘Big Woody’, one of the other islands neighbouring Fraser.

With only prawns and squid for bait, we admittedly didn’t set our sights too high.

The plan was to drift the bait just off the beach and try and jag a flathead.

What happened in fact, was we mistak-enly stumbled over a patch of reef and spent the next half and hour pulling in everything from perch to yellowtail to parrot fish.

What did stop us, however, was the sheer number of sea turtles and dugongs break-ing the surface for a gulp of oxygen, a quick look around and a nonchalant grunting before diving down once again.

After several unsuccessful attempts to capture a few on film, we decided mangrove jack would make an ideal dinner and set sail for the mangroves (funnily enough) nearer to the boat ramp.

It was here that our little outing turned to poo as the heavens opened and we didn’t get another bite all day.

Still, a haul of tasty reef fish was enough to start planning the next outing… next time from a kayak!

Own Your Own

In The Heart Of The Whitsundays

New fishing huts for $60,000 (plus GST)Quarter shares available for $15,000 (plus GST)Great Crabbing and fishing on Private Property.

Creek and Ocean Access, with boat ramp.

For details please call 0427 984 551 or 0488 594 666

An afternoon (reef) delight

Back in August 2010, former Shift Miner staffer Lincoln “Linx” Bertoli decided to ditch the comforts of a steady pay packet and go and live the dream. Lucky bugger. For the rest of us stuck working to earn our keep in this cruel world, Linx will now taunt us with a regular column in “Off Shift”. If you can’t be there yourself, you might as well live vicariously through someone else... and just hope something unfortunate happens to him out there on the open road...

HAULING THEM IN!

NEXT month more than 1400 Lions clubs across the nation are looking for a hot plate - to BBQ up a storm and raise money for childhood cancer research.

The event is held every April, and is popular in the mining communities that make up the Bowen Basin.

The Tieri Lions Club have taken up the challenge and will hold its Biggest BBQ combined with a trash and treasure sale on Sunday 3 April from 10.00am at the Tieri Shopping Centre.

Tieri Lions president Jacqui Hensel said last year’s BBQ raised more than $1000.

“Last year we cooked and cooked till eve-ryone was full to bursting point,” she said.

“As well as selling sausages and steak sandwiches, we sold cold drinks and sweet treats, we didn’t have very much stuff left over when we closed up shop at 12.”

“The trash and treasure sale was great too, stall holders brought down their own

tables and anything they had at home that they wanted to get rid of and stayed until it sold, all we asked for was a $5 donation to childhood cancer research.”

It’s not too late to get your local Lions’ Group to host a Biggest BBQ.

What if you don’t have a Lions group in your town? Why not organise a work BBQ, collect donations and send them to: Aus-tralian Lions Childhood Cancer Research Foundation, PO Box 97, Mortdale NSW 2223 - and send us your pic of the Biggest BBQ you’ve seen or held.

So far the good old Aussie barbie has helped Lions raise over $4.5 million for this worthy cause.

If you would like more information on this nationwide event contact Jim Ede on 02 9153 5523 or [email protected] or if you would like to hold a stall at the Tieri Lions event contact stall coordinator Nicky Way on 0409 615 118.

How big is your BBQ?


108th EDITION. 2011YOur hEalTh

Serves 4

Hoisin sauce originates from a variety of different places throughout South East Asia, most commonly found in China, Vietnam and Cantonese cuisine. It has quiet a distinct

in stir-fries, marinades and for barbequing.

When you don’t have much time and are looking for a quick and easy meal to feed the family this stir-fry is a great healthy option.

INGREDIENTS:

200g pkt egg noodles

60ml Hoisin sauce2 tbsp peanut oil¼ cup of shallots, thinly chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed1 brown onion, cut into thin wedges1 tbsp freshly grated ginger1 red capsicum, thinly sliced60ml sweet chilli sauce2 tbsp rice wine vinegar2 tsp brown sugar

METHOD:

Cook the noodles in a saucepan of boiling water following packet directions or until just tender. Drain well.

Combine the Hoisin sauce, sweet chilli sauce, vinegar and sugar in a jug. Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat until very hot and smoking. Add the chicken to the wok and fry for 3 – 4 minutes or until golden. Remove from wok.

Heat the remaining oil in the wok over high heat. Add the onion, capsicum, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for 2 – 3 minutes or until just tender. Add the chicken and Hoisin mixture back into the wok and toss to combine. Add the noodles and toss until well coated in the sauce.

thick and rich add a little water to dilute.

Zest Eatery Open 4.00pm to 8.00pm daily

Hoisin Chicken Stir-fry

COPPABELLA | DYSART | MIDDLEMOUNT | MORANBAH | NEBO

1300 622 222themac.com.au

Quality TK Jewellery for youUniquely designed solid 925 Silver ring with Gold Plated features

of a Dump Truck from $295.00 plus postage.Various other Heavy Machinery and Kenworth Truck rings available soon.

Contact Angela www.tkjewellery.com.au

Call 0407 165 197

For those too busy or embarrassed to ask the important questions about their healthEXPERT ADVICE

Tammy Farrell is a registered nurse, nutritionist and author of ‘The Real Man’s Toolbox – A DIY Health Manual for Men’. Tammy grew up in the Hunter Valley with two brothers in the local coal mines. In 2007, she started to give health talks in the Hunter, and that’s when she began compiling the book, helping hundreds of men answer questions about their bodies.

Hi Tammy,

We have recently been discussing fatigue at work again a continuing safety concern due to one of our blokes having a micro sleep. Seriously, anyone who works shift work experience fatigue, the only way to stop fatigue is to stop shift work. What are your thoughts?

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for your question, but I may

just have to disagree with you here.

Fatigue does not occur purely as a

result of shift work or night duties. I’m

sure many of you reading this have chil-

dren, and for many of you, you may not

even do shift work yet you still know

what fatigue feels like. The constant

disruption to your sleep when having

a new baby in the family will certain-

ly cause fatigue if not also sending you

nutty, and incredibly short fused!

Fatigue will occur any time you do

not manage a good routine and keep

to good sleep habits, especially when

you are on night duties. When you are

working shift work you really do need

to have a strategy for your body to get

optimum rest.

Other causes of fatigue include poor

eating habits, being awake for long

periods at a time, inadequate amount

of sleep (less then eight hours), jet lag,

poorly planned rest periods, health

problems and emotional stress.

According to Queensland Workplace

Health and Safety, being awake for

17 hours is the equivalent of having

a blood alcohol level of 0.05. Being

awake for 20 hours is the equivalent of

having a blood alcohol level of 0.1. No

wonder your focus becomes an issue!

Fatigue can have a significant impact on

your body over the long term, poten-

tially influencing heart disease, high

blood pressure, diabetes, depression

and gastrointestinal problems.

Tune in again next week, and we’ll dis-

cuss a little more on the topic of fatigue

and how it can - and will - affect your

safety at work.

Stay healthy, stay informed.

LOOKS LIKE EVERYONES KICKED A GOAL.Interested? call Dan on 0400 391 639

YOUR BRAND SUPPORTING LOCAL SPORT?

If your local club has any news or

photos it wants added to this page,

you can submit your articles to

[email protected]

What’s happening in SpORT in your town?

In rugby league....A trial game between the Dysart Bulls and Emerald

Cowboys ended in a 16 - all draw last week.It was the second trial of the year for the Dysart Bulls and

their coach Bill Devine said the game was a good hit out.“The game did not reach great heights as both teams

tried players out of position and many were having their first run for the year,” he said.

“Thee Sixteen-all draw was a fair reflection of the evenness of the game with both sides failing to complete sets but showing plenty of courage and early season fitness.”

He said the best on field for the Bulls was “Boofa” Hicks, who received plenty of support from Clayton and Josh Kilpatrick.

Captain for the Dyart Bulls Snow Sullivan, was also singled out for praise as was Matty Morrel who made good ground once he moved back into his favoured position at Prop.

In rugby union....Moranbah State High School hosted the selection trials

for the U15 and U18 Central Highlands Schoolboys sides recently.

The day was a major success with the number of players arriving to play nearly doubling the numbers of recent years.

Out of the 90 players who trialed, two very strong teams were selected to attend the Capricornia trials in Rockhampton next month.

According to regional development manager for Queensland rugby union Joel Johnston, Junior Rugby is going from strength to strength.

“The number of players turning up only reinforces the growth of the game in the Highlands with similar trials over the last couple of years struggling to reach 50 players,” he said.

“This increase in numbers reinforces the valued work of the committee, teachers and volunteers over the past couple of years along with the significant aid of the Xstrata Coal partnership which is now entering its third year.”

“It’s exciting to see the numbers attending these trials and the strength of the teams, not only in regards to the players selected but also the number of quality players that missed out.”

“The support of rugby by local schools has been fantastic, and no matter what the program, the Central Highlands has been one of the top performers state-wide over the past 2 years.”

“None of this would be possible without the support of the teachers and the principals.”

CH U15 team: Blake McGuinees, Tristan Martin, Pat Cochrane, Josh Johnston, Joe Tiare, Mace HArtley, Tom Britt, Rhys Martin, Jason King, Connor Jones, Isaiah Huet, Robert Fuz, Estin Hunter, Seb Steigler, Astin Nunan, Hayden Luke, Branden Ferguson, Brodie Jackson, Henry Schaumberg, Chris Henderson, Jarrod Morris and Jordan Schaefer.

CH U18 team: Tom Marshall, Scott Turner, Joe Marshall, Gerard Brennan, Ben Kerswell, Jake Eden, Llyod Steigler, Bristow Hughes, Mark Hubner, Darcy Hardess, Isaac Marsson, Jordan Milburn, Kieron Pratt, Mitchell Wienert, Hayden Marshall, Morgan Webster, BJ Vickers, Declan Morrissey, Clayton Reynolds, Ricky O’donnell, Tahna Epiha

In more rugby union newsThe Dawson Valley Drovers rugby union club, with

the support of its major sponsor Rabo Bank, has raised thousands of dollars for the flood effected community of Theodore.

Chief organiser of the Rabo Bank Charity Rugby Day Jack Wright said the event was a roaring success.

“I just want to say a big thanks to all the ex-players that made the effort to travel to Moura to catch up and have a run with the old Drovers,” he said.

“After beer and port, the Old Boys raised about $1,000 for Theodore from the day, although the final total raised on the day will be much more - but we haven’t got the final figures at hand yet.”

“The “Golden Oldies” was played in good spirits with only one player fromt he Drovers old Boy side committing the unforgivable sin of tackling a player with golden shorts.

These players are untouchable due to their age (Over 65). The player in question was immediately “tin” binned for his tackle.

In the competition games later in the day, the Dawson Valley Drovers won both games against Frenchville with Reserve grade winning 12 -11 and A grade winning 47 -5.

CLUB CONTACTS PERSON CONTACT

Dysart Bulls RL Gavin Reid [email protected]

CQ Cruisers Clinton Saunders [email protected]

Blackwater Basilisks RUFC Kerry Lee Katchel [email protected]

Emerald Tigers RL Jay Edwards 0448 154 231 [email protected]

Emerald Brothers Cowboys RL Damon Walsh [email protected] (07) 4987 4610

Moranbah Bulls RUFC Joel Hunter 0429 575 276 [email protected]

COMMUNITY CALENDAREvent details date venue start

Rugby Union Capricornia Schools U18 trials 31/3/11 Rockhampton All Day

Rugby League A Grade Emerald Tigers vs Middlemount Panthers 2/4/11 McIndoe Park Emerald Evening

Rugby Union Basilisks Ruigby Union Football Club v Frenchville 2/4/11 Blackwater Afternoon

Rugby League A Grade Dysart Bulls vs Cowboys 2/4/11 McIndoe Oval Emerald Evening

Rugby Union Central Highlands vs Mackay Senior Rep Trial 2/4/11 Clermont Afternoon

Rugby League A Grade Dysart Bulls vs Clermont 9/4/11 Clermont Evening

Rugby Union Rolleston 10’s Rugby Union 9/4/11 Rolleston All Day

Rugby League A Grade Emerald Tigers vs Springsure Mountainmen 9/4/11 Springsure Evening

The Blackwater Basilisks competing in the recent Gatorade 7s competition in Rockhampton

Playing for charity - The Dawson Valley Drovers Charity Rugby Day


108th EDITION. 2011MONEY MaTTErS

“Our members are continually being harassed by management for stopping oper-ations they think are not safe.”

He said the incident at Dawson mine was a textbook example of light and heavy vehicle interaction that should never occur on site.

“This is a case of a light vehicle parked alongside a heavy vehicle for a hot seat change so it could keep operating through crib time.”

Meanwhile, two BMA mine sites were banned from blasting for more than a week, after two separate incidents involving toxic fuming.

Six Peak Downs mine workers were hos-pitalised after concerns they might have been exposed to a nitrogen oxide cloud dur-ing blasting work.

On the same day, 18 workers from BMA’s Saraji mine were inside a crib hut which might have been exposed to a nitro-gen oxide cloud following blasting.

Mr Gilbert said over the past couple of years fuming clouds had been worsening, but it was not known why.

“While you can minimise fuming with good practise and procedure, for some reason it has

been getting worse whether it’s a change to the product supply or fuel I don’t know.”

“But there has been a growing acceptance of fuming, and nobody has wanted to put their hand up and take responsibility for it.”

“Mines are blaming suppliers and suppli-ers are blaming mines.”

Mr Gilbert said there had been sever-al cases recently where the Peak Downs highway had been closed while blasting

occurred because of fuming.“These blokes being hospitalised was very

scary - but it was also a great wake up call.”A mines inspectorate spokesperson said

120-150 shots were fired each week during blasting operations at mines in Queensland and less than two per cent resulted in fumes.

“Normally a one kilometre exclusion zone is more than adequate to protect per-sonnel from fume events during blasting operations,” said the spokesman.

“In the Saraji incident, for example, per-sonnel were 4.2 km from the blast zone.”

Now, new guidelines are being developed to minimise fumes during blasting operations.

An industry steering group has been set up - after talks between mining companies, explosive suppliers, the inspectorate and the unions last week.

“All explosions generate gas and it is accepted that post-blast fume events will never be fully eliminated,” said Queensland mining minister Sterling Hinchliffe.

“The steering group’s task is to develop new guidelines that further minimise the risk.”

Draft guidelines will be presented to the government by May 6.

Profits over people: CFMEU

Stages 7 & 8now selling

CRUSHED: What was left of a ute after a dump truck drove over it at Dawson mine

FROM PAGE 1


108th EDITION. 2011

5 MELALEUCA CLOSE MOUNT JULIAN 4800AUCTION 7th MAY 2011 - 11 AM ON SITE MORTGAGEE EXERCISING POWER OF SALE

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CENTRAL WHITSUNDAYS UNIT FULLY FURNISHED

IDEAL FIRST HOME OR INVESTMENT WHITSUNDAYS

3 BRM, RENOVATED, FULLY FENCED, 1 CARPORT

PROMINENT HIGH PROFILE AREA 5 X 5 YEAR LEASE

COMMERCIAL LEASE OPPORTUNITY. NEW FIT OUT

The ultimate entertainer’s delight. Recently completed 7 bedroom, 4 bathroom, air conditioned home which is situated on a private fully fenced 1500 m2 (approx) allotment. The property is further complimented with a magnificent entertaining area, pool, spa plus a huge double garage with adjoining gym/study. Stainless steel kitchen appliances. Centrally located to centro shopping centre, hospital, schools and whitsunday coast airport.

$320,000

$125,000

AUCTION

$300,000

$214,700

MONEY MaTTErS

THE relentless wet season in central Queensland is continuing to hammer the region’s construction industry.

Both residential and commercial con-struction projects in the Mackay area have been severely impacted, according to Master Builders regional manager, Malcolm Hull.

“Some of the commercial projects have just struggled to get off the ground,” he said.

An unseasonably wet winter period fol-lowed by a steady downpour during the summer months has already caused delays to major construction projects like the Canelands shopping centre expansion and the Mackay Base Hospital redevelopment.

According to Mr Hull, if history is any-thing to go by then more wet weather could be on the horizon.

“March is traditionally the wettest month of the year, so we just have to hope there’s not too much disruption.”

Despite difficulties in the industry, Mr

Hull said builders were not having to leave the Mackay region in search of work.

“The guys are very conscious of cost-ing, and [are] doing a lot of quoting, it’s hav-ing more of an effect on some builders than others.”

“Some guys get to roofing at the right stage, but others doing groundwork are delayed.”

But it seems the effects of floods, cyclones and record-low housing approvals is hitter harder elsewhere in the state.

According to the Urban Develop-ment Institute of Australia, 8000 construc-tion jobs have been lost over the past three months.

The worst hit areas have been Cairns, the Sunshinse Coast, Darling Downs and Wide Bay Burnett regions.

Builders are hoping the Premier’s Build-ing Revival forum to be held later in April will help the sector combat the downturn.

“The guys are very conscious of costing, and [are] doing a lot of quoting, it’s having more of an effect on some builders than others.”

Smart Move

Rain worst nightmare for CQ builders

Moranbah 07 4949 2000 Wendy Tieri 07 4981 7900 Nicolle Capella 07 4988 7600 Marelle Bowen 07 4786 0100 Rebecca Mobile Banker 07 4944 4126/0417 792 736 Nick Dysart 07 4941 1100 Anne Mackay 07 4944 4100 Damon

Emerald 07 4980 6500 Boyd and Hayley Blackwater 07 4986 0400 Liza Biloela 07 4990 1100 Janet Monto 07 4166 9000 Rebecca Mackay West 07 4957 9300 Nenzi Mt Pleasant 07 4942 1955 Laurelle & Kellie Sarina 07 4964 8900 Val & Selina

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