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Tarong Graduate Earns Award August 15, 2008 - Former Tarong Energy employee Desmond Roche has won a Future Leaders Award at the inaugural Transport and Logistics Industry Development Awards at the Queensland Supply Chain and Logistics Conference held in Brisbane earlier this month. Desmond, who is now a commercial analyst with Powerlink, completed a 12-month Tarong Energy Graduate Program which is designed to attract talented young graduates to the power industry. After gaining a Bachelor of Business at QUT majoring in international business and marketing, Desmond worked as a procurement officer at Tarong while studying for a Level 3 Certificate in Procurement which provided credit towards a Masters Degree in Procurement.

Champion Cheese From Barambah Organics August 14, 2008 - Murgon's Barambah Organics has won the overall champion product award at the recent Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) Queensland awards. The company's Barambah Crows Ash Brie has been described in the Courier-Mail newspaper as a "rich, creamy brie with a white mould exterior and a coating of vineyard ash". It is named after the crows ash trees on the Campbell family's Spring Creek farm at Manyung near Murgon. The latest award follows success earlier this year in the DIAA's national Dairy Products Competition where Barambah Organics won silver medals for its natural set yoghurt and low-fat yoghurt, and its Blueberry and Mango flavoured yoghurts.

Lowes To Open New Store Tomorrow August 13, 2008 - The second of the new stores in the expanded Kingaroy Shoppingworld complex, Lowes, will be opening tomorrow. Lowes is at Shop 41-42 (at the top of the travelator) and stocks men's and boys' wear and school uniforms for both boys and girls. There is also a range of clothing for larger men (sizes 3XL-7XL). Manager Katrina Southey can be contacted on (07) 4162-1239. Lowes is an iconic Australian brand which has passed through several phases of ownership. The company was originally founded in 1898 by William Lowe and became a public company in 1948.

Opera Heads Back To Kilkivan August 12, 2008 - Kilkivan's Prophet Gold Mine will be hosting more of the extremely popular Underground Opera performances next month. Opera on Broadway, billed as a night of opera and Broadway hits, will be held at the mine on September 26 and 27. Tickets will go on sale at Kilkivan News on Thursday or phone (07) 5484-1148. For more information, visit the Underground Opera Company's website or download an information flyer (1.1MB PDF)

Open Day at St John's August 11, 2008 - St John's Lutheran Primary School, at 84-92 Ivy Street, Kingaroy, will be holding an open day for parents and prospective students on Friday August 22. The open day will run from 9am to noon and will allow parents to see the facilities St John's has to offer. The school has a C & K Kindy on site and offers Prep as well as Primary education for Grades 1 to 7.

ActivEX Reports On Booubyjan Drilling August 8, 2008 - Mining company ActivEX has reported finding broad zones of moderate copper and gold mineralisation at a depth of 60 to 102m in its first test drilling hole at Booubyjan. In the company's June 2008 Quarterly Activities Report released on July 31, ActivEX reported that it had started its drilling program at Booubyjan on May 10 and had completed one hole of the planned 15 hole program. The drilling stopped at a depth of 402m. ActivEX's Booubyjan joint venture, with Minotaur and Mitsubishi, is testing a variety of anomalous copper and gold targets. Drilling on a second hole has now started.

Careers Market On Today August 7, 2009 - Kingaroy State High School will be hosting its annual Careers Market for South Burnett school leavers in the school's Indoor Sports Centre from noon until 6pm today. There will be a wide range of exhibitors and displays from employers and tertiary institutions. Admission is free. For more details contact the school on (07) 4162-2955.

Smile - You're On Google Maps! August 6, 2008 - South Burnett residents beware ... you may now be on Google Maps! Google unveiled its latest Google Maps application "Street View" yesterday. Google cars trawled all over the major Australian cities snapping ground level photos of homes, traffic and footpaths which have been integrated into the popular Google Maps application (a collation of maps and satellite photos). Surprisingly ... most of Kingaroy and Nanango is now available online! Just go to Google Maps, type in "Kingaroy" or "Nanango" and click on "Street View". Zoom in and drop the "little man" icon onto the street you want to see. You can "walk" up and down the street, turn corners etc in a seamless string of linked photos. You can even spin 360 degrees on the spot and check out buildings on the other side of the road! Other South Burnett towns do not appear to have been snapped in so much depth and unfortunately Murgon, Cherbourg, Proston, Hivesville and Maidenwell have missed out completely. However, the level of detail in the photos captured is incredible! Note... the street addresses are close but not always completely accurate!

Yallakool Tourist Park To Re-Open Next Month August 5, 2008 - Yallakool Tourist Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam near Murgon will re-open in late September, three months earlier than expected. South Burnett Regional Mayor David Carter said yesterday reopening Yallakool Park had been the number one priority of the new Council since amalgamation in March. Yallakool was closed in May 2007 because of low dam levels and issues with the sewage treatment plant. "The benefits to the community of re-opening Yallakool are enormous," Mr Carter said. The grand final of the 2008 MotorGuide Bass Electric Convention fishing competition will be held at the dam on September 20-21 and a community celebration to mark the re-opening of Yallakool is scheduled for October 12. Download the South Burnett Regional Council press release (54kb PDF)

$1.2b Wind Farm Boost For Business August 4, 2008 - South Burnett businesses are expected to benefit from the construction of the $1.2b wind farm at Coopers Gap, south-west of Kingaroy. The farm will straddle the border between the South Burnett Regional Council and Dalby Regional Council and will consist of up to 252 turbines - each capable of producing 2MW - and produce enough electricity to power 320,000 homes (1.7 million megawatt hours of electricity per annum). Recently appointed South Burnett Regional Council CEO Tony Hayward said he expected local companies would have the capacity to contribute to the project. The constructors are aiming to source some tower components locally to save on transport costs which could open opportunities for South Burnett businesses, especially engineering companies. If approved by the two councils, construction by Investec Bank (Australia) Limited and Windlab Systems would start late next year with the wind farm being fully operational by 2011. A public information meeting about the wind farm will be held from 10am at the Cooranga North Hall next Saturday (August 9). Download information brochure (194kb PDF)

Peanut Festival Fun For Everyone! August 1, 2008 - The annual PCA Kingaroy Peanut Festival will be on Kingaroy this weekend! The fun starts at the Kingaroy Showgrounds at 10:45am (so there's plenty of time for the sun to warm up!). Entry is just $5 for 18 and overs. Highlights include the bid to break the Guinness World Record for tugging a peanut thresher, arm wrestling, the Supa IGA Queensland Strong Man Games plus amusement rides, a skydiving jump, helicopter and trike rides and Combat Laser Skirmish. Download the full Festival program (15kb PDF)

Opportunity For Local Food Producers July 31, 2008 - South Burnett growers and food producers have been invited to take part in the next South Bank Growers Market which will be held in Brisbane on Sunday August 24. Food columnist Kerry Heaney said organisers were looking for another region to add their gourmet growers market. Any producers interested in flying the flag for the South Burnett at the South Bank Growers Market, should visit the South Bank Lifestyle Markets website.

Free Information About Broadband July 30, 2008 - The Australian Telecommunications Users Group (ATUG) will be a bringing the 2008 Regional Communications Roadshow to Kingaroy on August 19-20. The information display has been designed to provide residents, community organisations and businesses with information about the latest developments about broadband and 3G mobile services in regional communities. ATUG will be at Kingaroy Library from 11:30am to 3:30pm on August 19 and at Kingaroy Shoppingworld from 8:30am to 12:30pm on August 20 to answer any questions about broadband and registering for the Federal Government's broadband subsidy scheme. There will also be information about digital TV, internet security and the Do Not Call Register. For more information visit the ATUG website

Restaurant Opens At Sports Centre July 29, 2008 - The Blackbutt Gallery Restaurant opened recently at the Blackbutt Sports Centre complex in Janice Court, Blackbutt. The fully licensed restaurant offers a range of cakes, cafe snacks and light a-la-carte meals and is open Mondays to Sundays from 10:30am to 2:00pm. The venue is also available for function bookings. Phone Sharon Day on (07) 4163-0872 for more information. The Blackbutt Chinese Takeaway is still operating from the same venue with Chinese dine-in or takeaway food, Wednesdays to Sundays from 5:00pm-8:00pm.

Beauty Parlours Go Head 2 Toe July 28, 2008 - Another new beauty business has opened in Kingaroy ... Head 2 Toe is located in the old Unique Cutz premises at 135 Kingaroy Street (opposite the RSL). Amanda Seabrook offers make-up and facials, manicures and pedicures, waxing for men and women, eyebrow and eyelash tinting and beauty packages as well as Swedish relaxation massage. Head 2 Toe is open Tuesday to Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm and Wednesday nights to 7:00pm. Amanda can be contacted on 0407-490-092.

Can You Help St Vinnies? July 25, 2008 - The local conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society has an unusual request for South Burnett residents ... do you have any pre-loved reading glasses or sunglasses that you could donate to the charity? The St Vinnies group in Kingaroy is helping gather together these items for a charitable group that sends much-needed medical supplies to the Asia-Pacific region. If you can help, contact the St Vincent de Paul Society on (07) 4162-5099.

WBBACC To Host Regional Development Meeting July 24, 2008 - The Wide Bay Burnett Area Consultative Committee (WBBACC) will be holding a public meeting in Kingaroy next week to consult with the local community about regional development issues. The Federal Government is examining a number of new regional initiatives to ensure that investments in regional Australia promote sustainable economic growth. The Kingaroy meeting will be held at 5:30pm on Wednesday July 30 at the South Burnett Enterprise Centre, 6 Cornish Street. Everyone is invited to attend but if you cannot make it, the WBBACC has a questionnaire which can be downloaded and emailed back to them by July 31. For more information, contact WBBACC Executive Officer Cameron Bisley on (07) 4121-7099.

Open Day At Old Distillery July 23, 2008 - The Old Distillery, tipped to become the South Burnett's latest tourist attraction, will be holding an opening celebration this Saturday from 11:00am to 3:00pm. The fudgery is located adjacent to the Belltower Restaurant on the Booie Range and features views across local farmland. Owner Bronwyn Bisley will have fudge available for tasting and there'll be a wide range of gifts and homewares for browsers. For more information, contact Bronwyn on 0417-136-930. UPDATE: Because of the rain, the open day has now been delayed until SUNDAY August 3

Valerie Can Help Pilot Your Business July 22, 2008 - Valerie Sapin, (right), is the local face of Flying Start, a support service for local small businesses launched recently by the Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation (BIEDO). BIEDO CEO Linda Silburn said the one-on-one support would assist people to get a clear picture of where their business was currently, where they wanted to be, and how to get there. The program is being delivered by “business pilots” based in the North and South Burnett. Valerie is the South Burnett Business Pilot and is based at the South Burnett Enterprise Centre in Kingaroy. Cost is $250 for a 10-hour personalised Business Health Check. For more information phone BIEDO on (07) 4169-7851

Forum Seeks Feedback From Local Volunteers July 21, 2008 - The Wide Bay Burnett Ministerial Regional Community Forum - an advisory body to the State Government - is inviting comments from South Burnett volunteers on their experiences and challenges. Volunteer participation rates across Australia are dropping possibly due to challenges including the rising cost of fuel and transport and the cost of regulatory police checks. The Community Forum would like to hear about personal experiences of volunteering and has provided a short survey (22kb PDF) which should be returned to Helen Hughes by email, mailed to PO Box 1939, Bundaberg, 4670 or faxed to (07) 4151-9750 by August 5, 2008.