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Date Set For Kingaroy Christmas Carnival October 17, 2007 - The annual Kingaroy Christmas Carnival - organised by the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry - will be held on Thursday December 13. Stallholder and entertainment application forms can be obtained from the KCCI Office in O'Neill Square or downloaded from the KCCI website. This year's carnival will again feature the Endeavour Foundation's Christmas Lights ceremony in O'Neill Square. Each light represents a donation to Endeavour from a local business. For more information, contact Susan Speechley at Endeavour on (07) 3908-7100. For more information about the Kingaroy Christmas Carnival, including sponsorship of this community event, please contact KCCI Manager John Carey on (07) 4162-8466.

Are You Enrolled To Vote? October 16, 2007 - The deadline for new voters to fill out, sign and return an enrolment form is 8pm tomorrow (Wednesday October 17) ... if you miss this deadline you will not be able to vote at the Federal Election on November 24! Enrolment forms are available from the Australian Electoral Commission website. You can check that your enrolment is still current with the AEC online If the details listed are incorrect, you have until October 23 to update them with the same form as above. For further information, phone the AEC on 13-23-26.

Comments Sought On Need For Regional Planning October 15, 2007 - The Wide Bay Burnett Ministerial Regional Community Forum (a regional body which advises the State Government on local issues) is seeking input from South Burnett residents on the need for the development of a Statutory Regional Plan. This plan could cover infrastructure, human services and industry development. Comments (before this Wednesday October 17) have been invited on the topic: "The need for and impacts of developing a Statutory Regional Plan for the Wide Bay Burnett Region". Submissions, which should be sent to PO Box 1939, Bundaberg, 4670, will be used as discussion points during a public workshop which will be held in Childers on Friday (October 19) from 9:30am at the Isis Cultural Centre. For more information, contact Helen Hughes on (07) 4151-9748.

Starting A Business? October 12, 2007 - If you're thinking of starting a new business, a Department of State Development workshop to be held later this month in Kingaroy is for you! The free Starting a Business Pilot workshop will be held at Kingaroy RSL Club on Tuesday October 30 from noon to 2pm. The workshop will cover business planning, legal structures, marketing, record keeping and time management. For more information or to book, phone State Development on (07) 4121-1780.

Team South Burnett Gets Set For Adelaide! October 11, 2007 - Team South Burnett - a collection of local chefs headed by team captain Jason Ford - is ticking down the days to the LifeStyle FOOD Channel Australian Regional Culinary Competition which will be held in Adelaide next week. The competition, at the tafeSA Regency Campus, promotes professional cookery emphasising locally grown and produced foods. Teams have just three hours to create a three-course menu for four people, pairing each course with Australian wines. Team South Burnett are scheduled to compete next Thursday. There are eight award categories and prizes will be presented at the awards dinner later that evening at the Hyatt Regency, Adelaide ... so fingers crossed for the South Burnett!

Tarong Welcomes Thiess in $500m Deal October 10, 2007 - Confirming rumours that have been whispered for weeks, Thiess has announced it will operate the Meandu coal mine at Tarong from January 31. The $500 million deal was signed yesterday by Tarong Energy, who earlier this year agreed to take over the mine from Rio Tinto Coal Australia. "All Tarong Mine employees will be offered positions on no less favourable terms by Thiess," Tarong Energy chief executive officer Helen Gluer said. Download State Government press release (16kb PDF) and Thiess release (16kb PDF)

24-Hour Freedom In Kingaroy October 9, 2007 - The South Burnett has a new 24-hour petrol station with the opening this week of the Freedom Fuels outlet on the corner of Kingaroy and Knight streets, Kingaroy. Freedom Fuels sells unleaded petrol as well as environmentally friendly E95 and E98 ethanol blends and biodiesel. As well as fuel, drivers can also fill up at the Grinding Time coffee shop and Xpress convenience store. Manager Darren Gadischkie can be contacted on (07) 4162-1204.

New B&B In Blackbutt October 8, 2007 - A new B&B has opened in Blackbutt ... Wiikirri Bed and Breakfast Retreat is located at 15 Bowman Road, within walking distance to town, and can accommodate up to four guests in two rooms. Owner Julie Taylor-Dixon is also a qualified dietician so "wellness retreat" packages are also available. Dinners are available on request and bookings can be made on (07) 4170-0395. And while one B&B opens, another closes ... Rob Neary has sold The Basha B&B at Blackbutt which has been reconverted into a private residence.

Last Chance To Nominate A Kingaroy Business! October 5, 2007 - Today's the last day for nominations for this year's Heritage Kingaroy Business Awards (download the attached nomination form (223kb PDF) and drop it in today the KCCI Office in O'Neill Square) Categories are: Mature Age & Disability Friendly Workplace Manufacturing, Trade & Agricultural Services Motor & Transport Services Outstanding New Business (started after October 1, 2006) Professional Services Professional Services - Sales and Marketing Retail & Wholesale Services Sport, Recreation & Health Services Hospitality & Tourism Services Tourism Ambassador Customer Service of the Year Outstanding Trainee Outstanding Apprentice Tickets are also available now for the Business Awards Dinner which will be held at the Town Hall on Saturday November 3. The award winners will be announced and professional entertainment provided by comedian Ian McLaren. Download booking form (70kb PDF). For more information contact KCCI Manager John Carey on (07) 4162-8466.

Garden Venue Opens At Memerambi October 4, 2007 - Christiene and Arthur Nettelfield have opened their Memerambi property "The Gums" as a garden wedding and function venue. Hillside Country Gardens is located at 598 Recreation Drive, Memerambi. There are six terraced levels of structured gardens, meandering paths, archways, stairways and grassed areas ... all perfect for photographers. There are also views of Mt Wooroolin and the surrounding district. The couple can be contacted on (07) 4164-2207. PS. You may recognise Arthur's name ... he is a well-known local country rock singer.

Big Praise For Small Vineyard October 3, 2007 - Possibly the South Burnett's smallest wine label, Cahills Wines, has scored a write-up in the latest edition of the James Halliday Australian Wine Companion. The 2008 edition of this definitive guide to Australian wines has rated both the Cahill's 2006 Unwooded Chardonnay and the 2005 Shiraz, much to the delight of vineyard owner John Cahill. John has also just released his recipe suggestion for Spring 2007 "Chicken with Pistachio Sauce and Sweet Potato Mash". It is available for download from the Cahill's web page.

Book Now For Business Workshop! October 2, 2007 - Small business consultant Linda Hailey will be presenting a marketing workshop in Kingaroy later this month for the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Linda aims to take the mystery out of marketing and is the author of two business best-sellers "Kickstart Marketing" and "Your Business Your Future". Her clients include Australia Post, Book City Franchise Systems, Johnson & Johnson and Westfield. The workshop will be held at the Kingaroy RSL Tobruk Room on Wednesday October 17 from noon. Cost is $18 per head (or $16 for KCCI members). Bookings are essential as seating is limited. For more information visit the KCCI website or phone KCCI Manager John Carey on (07) 4162-8466.

Pink Ribbon Breakfast in Kingaroy October 1, 2007 - A Pink Ribbon Breakfast to help raise funds for breast cancer research will be held at the Kingaroy Visitor Information Centre in Haly Street on Wednesday October 24. The breakfast, which starts at 7:15am, is being organised by Lesley Toppin - better known for her work with Kingaroy Shire Council! - who promises "yummy" food. Cost is just $3 but please RSVP to Lesley on (07) 4162-6254 by October 19.

Promote Your Job Vacancies In Sydney September 27, 2007 - Do you have any job vacancies that you would like filled? The Wide Bay Burnett Regional Organisation of Councils has arranged for regional vacancies to be promoted free of charge at the upcoming Queensland on Show, Work & Play Expo in Sydney this year. More than 9000 people attended a similar Expo held in Sydney last year. If you would like your vacancies to be brought to the attention of Sydney workers, download the attached form (15kb PDF) and fax it to WBBROC on (07) 4121-7095. For more information contact Angela Byrnes or Spencer Slatter on (07) 4121-0455.

Tickets On Sale For Tourism Awards Night September 26, 2007 - Wondai Memorial Hall will be hosting this year's Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism Awards for Excellence on Saturday October 27. Tickets for the glittering awards dinner, billed as "A Magical Night In The South Burnett", are now available from the Fraser Coast South Burnett Regional Tourism Board. Cost is $100 per person or $950 for a table of 10. There will also be a bus service running from Kingaroy and Murgon to Wondai with limited seats available. Phone (07) 4122-3444 for more information.

UAVs Begin Hunt For Joe September 25, 2007 - If you see some odd little planes circling the area today and tomorrow, don't be alarmed ... they're just looking for a bloke called "Joe" who's lost in the "outback" ... The inaugural Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Challenge - Outback Rescue competition is being held at Kingaroy Airport. Seven teams are competing for a total of $60,000 in prize money. Four search and rescue teams will attempt to find the "lost" bushwalker using autonomous air vehicles, while three Queensland High School teams will demonstrate precision payload delivery. Of the original 42 nominations only these seven teams successfully demonstrated the required level of capability to compete. The competition is being supported by the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry, the QUT-CSIRO Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation, Boeing Australia and the US-based Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. Download schedule (349kb PDF) for the three days of competition.

What Southburnett.Biz Is ... And Isn't! September 24, 2007 - After a recent telephone call we thought it timely to remind our readers of a few basic facts about Southburnett.biz. Firstly, we're a business directory - we aim to list all businesses within the South Burnett area. This means we're like an online version of a telephone book - but with a lot more useful information! And we do this because we want to make it easier for South Burnett residents to use local businesses first. This has to be a good thing! However the people behind this website (Kingaroy Shire Council, the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry and South Burnett Online) do not endorse the use of a particular business simply because it's listed here. If you receive poor service at a South Burnett business (unlikely we know, but it does happen!), you should take your complaint directly to the business involved. If this isn't successful, there may be other avenues of action open to you including ombudsmen, industry associations, consumer affairs departments, Small Claims courts etc. And if there's fraud involved, then complaints should be made directly to the police. We do urge readers to contact us if they find inaccurate or "dead listings" so we can amend them ASAP. However Southburnett.biz will not remove a listing simply on the basis of a consumer complaint (especially an anonymous complaint). We have no way of judging whether such a claim is true, made by a business competitor or simply malicious. We'll only remove a listing if - after checking - we find that the business is no longer in operation.

Free Drought Assistance Workshops For Farmers September 21, 2007 - South Burnett farmers have been invited to attend free Federal Government Drought Assistance Workshops to be held in Kingaroy, Goomeri and Gympie next week. The focus of the workshops will be how to access the Drought Assistance Professional Advice and Planning grant. They will also advise farmers on what grants and funding they are entitled to, how best to access it and who can assist. There will be consultants, training providers, DPI&F, Centrelink and other government staff available to answer questions. Workshop dates and locations: Kingaroy - Wednesday September 26, 10am at DPI&F (opposite Kingaroy Airport) Goomeri - Wednesday September 26, 6pm at Goomeri Golf Club (BBQ dinner available for $12.50 per person) Gympie - Thursday September 27, 10am at DPI&F Gympie UPDATE: The Kingaroy workshop has been cancelled.

Quarantine Zones Split South Burnett September 20, 2007 - The DPI&F has introduced new Equine Influenza quarantine zones in a bid to relax some restrictions on horse movements. A new quarantine procedure has divided Queensland into two zones, Red and Green with the border passing through the heart of the South Burnett. Kingaroy, Wondai and Murgon shires are in the Green Zone while Kilkivan, Nanango and Rosalie shires are in the Red Zone. Horses can be walked or ridden freely within the Green Zone, however a waybill is required to transport horses by truck or float. Movement restrictions are still in place in the Red Zone and owners must apply to the DPI&F for a licence to move a horse, including riding or leading it outside its property. Also, horses cannot be moved from one zone to another without a permit. For more information phone 13-25-23 or visit the DPI&F's website.

South Burnett Health Website Unveiled September 19, 2007 - South Burnett Online has launched another online database service - a sister website to Southburnett.biz - to assist South Burnett residents and health practitioners. South Burnett Health was developed with assistance from local medical practitioners to enable consumers to find up-to-date health and social welfare information. Everything from Aged Care services to Youth Services are listed. The site also plans to publish regular health news items.