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Wondai History Records End of An Era February 21, 2008 - Author and historian Tony Matthews, who wrote the respected history of the South Burnett, Landscapes of Change, will be launching his two-volume History of the Wondai Shire next month, just days before the Shire is absorbed into the new South Burnett Regional Council area. The new history is the result of months of research. It will be unveiled at a cocktail party at Wondai Town Hall on Thursday March 13 from 5:30pm. The author will be present to sign copies. South Burnett residents interested in attending the launch should contact Wondai Shire Council on (07) 4169-2555 as soon as possible for catering reasons.

Gloves Off For March 15 Election Poll SCOOP! February 19, 2008: The deadline for nominations for the new South Burnett Regional Council election on March 15 closed today. The following 26 candidates have tossed their hats into the ring to contest the seven spots on offer: Candidates for Mayor: Carter, Ian David - manager Coleman, Robert Charles - retired teacher Hilliard, George Robert - retired Horton, James Robert - farmer Kratzmann, Darryl Wayne - publican Division 1: (Nanango North) Green, Barry - transport operator Kerr, Lionel - farmer Tucker, Edward (Ted) - councillor Webb, Bruce - grazier Yeates, Glen - farmer Division 2: (Nanango South / Blackbutt / Maidenwell) Gregor, Ros - grazier Palmer, Debra - business Tillyer, Brian - retired Division 3: (Kingaroy South) Fleischfresser, Terry - self-employed painting contractor Lehmann, Maxwell - retired Tessman, Damien - labourer Division 4: (Kingaroy North) Campbell, Keith - consultant (as there were no other candidates in this Division, Keith Campbell will be elected unopposed) Division 5: (Murgon) Angel, Peter - farmer Coombes, Peter - farmer Duff, Kathryn - grazier Guse, Col - retired farmer Division 6: (Wondai / Proston) Dalton, Cheryl - councillor Mitchell, Robert (Bob) - mail contractor Bradley, Arthur Polzin, Kevin - primary producer Bird, Maureen Patricia (Trish)

Relate Opens in Kingaroy February 19, 2008 - Relate Human Services is in the process of setting up a new office in Kingaroy, at 72 Youngman Street. The private support care group offers services for youth aged 0-18 as well as adult care for people who require in-home support. Child safety support is also offered as well as counselling and occupational therapy. Relate Human Services can be contacted on (07) 4163-6946 or by email

Bumper Year For Local Tourism Website February 18, 2008 - The South Burnett Tourism website has enjoyed another bumper year of traffic. From February 2007 through to January 2008 the site received 53,820 visitors and the website's database processed 85,930 queries for anything from accommodation to tourist attractions. South Burnett Online CEO Dafyd Martindale said he was pleased with these figures even though they were down slightly on the preceding 12 months. "Considering the drought and the closure of several regional wineries, interest in the South Burnett as a tourism region still seems strong," he said.

Push for South Burnett PCYC February 15, 2008 - A Community Information Night will be held in Murgon next week to gauge local and regional support for the establishment of the first PCYC in the South Burnett. The proposal is for the Murgon Pulse Sports Complex to be managed by the Queensland Police-Citizens Youth Welfare Association. PCYCs are self-funded through their activities and government grants. The South Burnett PCYC would offer sports and recreation activities for the whole family, including seniors. The public meeting, organised by Murgon Shire Council and the Queensland Police Service, will be held at The Pulse, Macalister Street, on Tuesday, February 19 from 7:00pm. Download the survey form (154kb PDF) and bring it along! For more information, phone Clint on (07) 4168-1889.

March Deadline For Cultural Grants February 14, 2008 - $20,000 funding has been made available under the State Government's Strengthening Rural Communities Strategy for arts and cultural activities in rural areas, but you'll have to act quickly as the next round closes on March 3. Suggested projects for funding include: Cultural planning Community cultural development projects such as skills development workshops or artists-in-residence programs Creative streetscaping Public art Festival and event management For more information contact the Office of Rural & Regional Communities by email

Sorry Day February 13, 2008: Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history. We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation's history. The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future. We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians. We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country. For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry. - Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister

Rodeo Action in Kingaroy February 12, 2008 - A new listing on SBBiz this week is Frames Rodeo Australia, from Kingaroy. Campbell Frame can organise rodeo entertainment for sporting clubs or businesses all over Queensland and says this can also be a great way for groups to do fund-raising He can be contacted on (07) 4162-5558 or by email. Campbell also has a great video up on You Tube (press play button):

Stellar Effort From Narelle February 11, 2008 - Former South Burnett Tourism Project Manager Narelle Colquhoun, (right), has set up her own business, Stellar Event Management. Narelle's contract to assist the South Burnett tourism industry finished earlier this year but she has decided to stay on in the region. Her new business specialises in the co-ordination and management of community events, corporate functions and weddings. Narelle can be contacted on (07) 4162-5250 or by email

New Businesses On SBBiz February 8, 2008 - Over the holiday period a number of new businesses either opened or were added to SBBiz for the first time: Gone Bonkers discount store at 48 Mackenzie Street, Wondai, which is being run by Sean and Liz Nickolson who can be contacted on (07) 4169-5776 or by email Giftware and handbag retailer Expressions of Lime opened at Shop 7, 138 Haly Street, Kingaroy. Owner Christi-Anne Bowman opened the business in the old Peter Francis Jewellers store. Expressions of Lime can be contacted on (07) 4162-8300. At Kilkivan, the old Mick Sweeney Meats at 25 Bligh Street has become Kilkivan Meats with new owners Ray and Jane Gunn. Contact details remain the same. In Yarraman, Talk Realty - yes, another real estate agent for the South Burnett! - has opened at Unit 1, 16 Toomey Street. Narelle Walsh is the main contact on (07) 4163-8266. Web business Super Synergy, run by Justin Coogan, has set up in Kilkivan. Justin can be contacted on 0427-812-411 or by email

Forum Seeking Comments On Housing Issues February 7, 2008 - The Wide Bay Burnett Ministerial Regional Community Forum is seeking public input on the topic "Getting the Housing Mix Right For Our Future". Forum members are seeking suggestions about ways to ensure the region has an appropriate mix and access to housing which matches local needs. Community feedback will form the basis of a proposal that will be presented to the State Government at the next Ministerial Regional Community Forum which will be held on Monday April 7 at a venue to be announced. Written comments should be submitted by Friday, February 22, 2008 to PO Box 1939, Bundaberg, 4670. A discussion paper is available from Helen Hughes at the Department of Communities on (07) 4151-9748 or by email

Tourism Annual Report Released February 6, 2008 - The 2006-07 Annual Report of the Fraser Coast South Burnett Regional Tourism Board was released over the holiday break with some interesting statistics: Total domestic publicity value gained by FCSBRTB and Tourism Queensland for the South Burnett for July 2006 to June 2007 was valued at $5,541,018, estimated by the advertising value equivalent During the 2006/2007 period the Southburnettholidays.info website received 14,276 unique visits resulting in over 78,990 page views, with more than 1100 visitors visiting member websites. Download the Annual Report (1.4MB)

Farewell To Rio Tinto ... and Welcome Thiess! February 5, 2008 - The formal handover of the Meandu coal mine near Nanango to Tarong Energy took place on site last Friday. The ceremony also marked the formal departure of Rio Tinto Coal Australia from the region and the introduction of Thiess Pty Ltd who will operate the mine on behalf of Tarong Energy. Qld Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said the decision by Tarong Energy to purchase the Meandu and Kunioon coal reserves would provide a long-term fuel source for its two power stations at Tarong. “It's a real shot in the arm for the people of the South Burnett who have been severely affected by the drought,” he said. Tarong Energy Chairman Graham Carpenter said the Meandu mine would be able to maintain coal supplies to the power stations until the Kunioon mine was operational around 2012. ABOVE: Tarong Energy CEO Helen Gluer, QNP Thiess General Manager Michael Rosengren, Thiess Mining Executive Manager Simone Wetzlar and Tarong Energy Chairman Graham Carpenter

Overhaul for southburnett.biz February 4, 2008 - We're back ... and there's been a lot happening! Firstly, Polly Birchall, the co-ordinator of last year's Kingaroy Peanut Festival, has been hard at work updating the listings on SBBiz. She's doublechecking listings that have not been updated for sometime, so if you have not heard from us for a while, expect a telephone call! There will also be some changes to SBBiz from late March. Following in line with the Council amalgamation, we will be removing some towns from the directory however we will be retaining the listings for all the towns that traditionally have been included in the South Burnett, including Yarraman, Cooyar and most of the former Kilkivan Shire. The major / minor category structure is also being reviewed and refined to make searching even easier. The Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce would like to thank the Tarong Coal Community Development Fund (and Rio Tinto Coal Australia) for supporting this upgrade of the SBBiz. PS. Don't forget, there is a free KCCI Meet'n'Greet on this evening from 5:30pm at the Visitor Information Centre in Haly Street, sponsored by Kingaroy Shire Council. For more information, contact John Carey on (07) 4162-8466.

Explore the South Burnett Food and Wine Trail December 21, 2007 - Just in time for the festive season, the new South Burnett Food and Wine Trail map brochure, (right), has been released to allow tourists and locals to discover more about the region's attractions. The map includes information about local wineries and cellar doors, eateries and accommodation providers as well as an easy-to-understand road map which includes distances. Copies are available from Visitor Information Centres throughout the region or can be downloaded here: Download A3 brochure and map (3.9Mb PDF) Download A4 map (2.1Mb PDF - suitable for printing) PS. Southburnett.biz news will be taking a short break over the Christmas period and will be returning on February 4. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a happy and safe holiday season! The business database will be undergoing a major revision during the break so if your business is not listed or the listing needs to be updated in any way - or if you spot a business that has been closed - please send us a quick email or ring (07) 4163-6854

Good Oil At Maidenwell December 20, 2007 - Well-known Yarraman GP Bruce Carr and his wife Judy - owners of the Maidenwell Trading Post - have also found success on the national scene with their olive oil. The couple's Yalbury Olives olive oil took out a bronze medal in the Class 1 Single Estate Grown category at the recent National Extra Virgin Olive Oil Show staged by the Australian Olive Association in Canberra. The judges noted that the oil had a "herbaceous aromatic aroma and flavour". This is the same olive oil used for all the cooking at the Maidenwell Trading Post including deep frying and cake making!

Ratepayers Reject Council Mergers December 19, 2007 - Only 12.7% of eligible voters in the former six South Burnett shires voted "for" council amalgamations in the recent plebiscite. The State Government has repeatedly stated that the results of the poll will have no effect on its decision to press ahead with the merger process which is now well advanced. South Burnett Plebiscite Results Council Name Number of Voters Ballot Papers Counted Votes Yes No Informal Kilkivan 2467 1694 240 1450 4 Kingaroy 8269 4859 1417 3432 10 Murgon 2279 1381 347 1032 2 Nanango 6353 4092 1051 3028 13 Rosalie 6237 4467 460 3993 14 Wondai 3178 2175 166 2006 3 NB. The headquarters of the new South Burnett Regional Council will be in Kingaroy however the council offices in Murgon, Kingaroy and Nanango will remain open as service centres. ABC Regional Radio reported yesterday that the Transitional Committee had decided to keep the offices open to make the amalgamation as seamless as possible for all South Burnett ratepayers.

Kingaroy Win At Landscape Awards December 18, 2007 - The Kingaroy Information Art and Heritage Precinct has been recognised with a Merit Award at the recent Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Queensland Awards. Landscape architects John Mongard and Associates impressed the jury with their level of commitment to "successful town-making". "Working with a community to transform key spaces and create cultural and gathering spaces of lasting value was considered exemplary both in terms of process and as a strong model for the role design professionals can play in community culture building," the judges noted. The AILA awards are hotly contested with more than 60 entries. John Mongard thanked Kingaroy Shire Council for implementing the plan and vision. He hoped this recognition would be another stepping stone for the ongoing revitalisation of the Kingaroy Town Centre.

Kunioon Claims Local Business December 17, 2007 - The approval of the Kunioon coal mine near Goodger will spell the end of at least one local business. Owners of the award-winning Shadylane Vineyard Cottages, John and Marg Boland, have negotiated a buyout from Tarong Energy. The Bolands have been part of the South Burnett for a comparatively short time but have been very active in local activities. They plan to relocate to Toowoomba at some stage in the future to take up a new tourism venture.

Twilight Markets At Nanango December 14, 2007 - Virgil Smith has introduced regular twilight markets at his Touchwood Artisans Village complex on the D'Aguilar Highway east of Nanango. The markets are held on the first and third Thursday nights of every month from 5.30pm to 8.30pm. The first Thursday is also Pancake Night and Virgil said there are plans for a pig-on-th-spit to be introduced on the third Thursday. The Artisans Village features a large range of quality local art and crafts. Canvasses by local artists are on display in the art gallery. The Touchwood Artisans Village is open from 10am to 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. The adjacent Virgil Smith's Woodware is open seven days.