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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.

Christmas Carnival On Tonight! December 13, 2007 - The Kingaroy Christmas Carnival - organised by the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry - will be held tonight from 5pm to 9pm. There'll be all the usual rides, market stalls and fun of the fair ... plus FIREWORKS! The Endeavour "Christmas Lights" ceremony will be held at 7:15pm in O'Neill Square and it is expected that Santa will take a break from his busy pre-season preparations to drop by immediately afterwards.

D'Aguilar Highway 'High Risk' December 12, 2007 - The stretch of the D'Aguilar Highway between Harlin and Kingaroy has been included in a national report which lists Queensland roads which "deserve attention" due to their high risk. The AUSRAP (Australian Road Assessment Program) report released this month by the Australian Automobile Association rated Queensland highways for risk. The Bruce Highway, particularly the section between Cooroy and Gympie, was rated the worst. It had 181 casualty crashes and 27 deaths between 2001 and 2005. The D'Aguilar Highway between Caboolture and Kingaroy recorded 305 casualty crashes and 13 deaths during the same period. Sections of the road near Kingaroy were rated "high risk" for both collective and individual risk. Download the full report (2.8Mb PDF)

Prize-Winning Way To Woo Repeat Visitors December 11, 2007 - The South Burnett Tourism Association has started a Visitor's Club to keep tourists in the loop about what is happening in and around the South Burnett. Tourists who drop their details into a wine barrel, (right), at any of the local Visitor Information centres will be sent a quarterly newsletter on upcoming events, new attractions and specials in a bid to entice them back for another South Burnett holiday. They will also have a chance to win monthly prizes. South Burnett residents are also welcome to drop their details in to the barrels to receive the newsletters but will be ineligible for the monthly prize draws. "The entry form includes a number of demographic questions to help us determine the motivation of our visitors, this will then put us in a better position to direct our regional marketing efforts," Tourism Project Manager Narelle Colquhoun said. ABOVE: Kingaroy Information Centre Volunteer Carolyn Andrews and Centre Co-Ordinator Jayne Deshon

Support Offered to Equine Industry December 10, 2007 - The Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry is offering a business support program for businesses affected by the outbreak of equine influenza. The aim of the program is to help businesses in the "red zone" prioritise actions for recovery. Eligible businesses will be able to professional expertise for up to three consultation sessions. Businesses must operate in the equine industry or be part of the industry's supply chain; derive at least 25 per cent of their income from the industry; be located in the red zone; have experienced a significant downturn in business income (25 per cent or more); and have been operating when the EI outbreak occurred on 25 August 2007. For more information, visit the State Government's Smart Small Business website

Pay Scales Set For New Council December 7, 2007 - The Local Government Remuneration Tribunal has released the pay scales Mayors and Councillors will receive when the new boundary system comes into effect on March 15 next year. Each Queensland Council - except Brisbane - has been placed in one of 10 categories based on criteria including area, population, assets and expenditure. Salaries have been set as a percentage of Queensland MPs. The Mayor of the new South Burnett Regional Council will receive a salary of between $82,260 and $101,250 plus an amalgamation loading of $9180. The Deputy Mayor will receive $53,790-$69,610 plus $6170. Ordinary councillors will receive between $44,300 and $60,120 plus a loading of $5220

Useful Guides For Community Groups December 6, 2007 - The Wide Bay Burnett Area Consultative Committee has posted some very useful resources on the web to assist local community groups, service clubs ... in fact any group that holds regular meetings. The resources, a result of the recent Making Meetings Work seminars held throughout the region, include agenda templates, meeting rules, conflict of interest policies and budget samples ... in fact, all the things that groups never think about until something goes wrong. The information can be found at www.wbbacc.com.au/meetings

Kingaroy Christmas Carnival Next Week! December 5, 2007 - The Kingaroy Christmas Carnival - organised by the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry - will be held next Thursday night from 5pm to 9pm. There'll be all the usual rides, market stalls and fun of the fair. The Endeavour "Christmas Lights" ceremony will be held at 7:15pm in O'Neill Square and it is expected that Santa will take a break from his busy pre-season preparations to drop by immediately afterwards.

Warren Truss Elected National Party Leader December 4, 2007 - Former Kingaroy mayor - and third generation Kumbia farmer - Warren Truss, (right), was yesterday elected Federal Leader of the National Party. Warren entered Federal Parliament in March 1990 as the Member for Wide Bay and was a Minister in the Coalition Government for 10 years with portfolios including Customs and Consumer Affairs; Community Services; Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Transport and Regional Services; and Trade. He was a Kingaroy Shire Councillor from 1976 to 1990, including seven years as Mayor and served as President of the Burnett District Local Government Association, Chairman of the Fraser Coast South Burnett Regional Tourism Board, Deputy Chairman of the Queensland Grain Handling Authority and was a member of the State Council of the Queensland Graingrowers Association. Warren is the son of another well-known local, the late Errol Truss, OAM, who was chairman of the Bean Growers Co-Operative from 1968-1991. Errol introduced one of the first tractors into the Kumbia area, a Model A McCormick Deering.

Thiess Opens Temporary Office December 3, 2007 - Thiess QNP Mining, who will be taking over operation of the Tarong Coal Mine from Rio Tinto Coal Australia on January 31, have opened a temporary office in Kingaroy. The office is located at 95B Youngman Street, adjacent to the South Burnett Medical Centre. Thiess QNP Mining can be contacted on 1800-048-341.