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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.

The Peanut Van Opens Fourth Store September 18, 2007 - Kingaroy's award-winning The Peanut Van has continued its 2007 expansion with the opening of a fourth outlet on Saturday ... this time at Aussie World at Palmview on the Sunshine Coast. Owners Rob and Chris Patch said former Kingaroy resident Paula Groer will be managing the new store which is located in the retail area adjacent to the famous Ettamogah Pub. The Aussie World store joins The Peanut Van's other outlets in Kingaroy, Childers and Chermside.

Kingaroy Museum Earns State Award September 17, 2007 - The Kingaroy Heritage Museum was presented with a special commendation award at the prestigious 2007 Gallery And Museum Achievement Awards (GAAMA) held on the Gold Coast on Saturday night. The awards, organised by Museum and Gallery Services Queensland (the peak industry body for museums), celebrate the significant work of individuals in the museum and gallery industry and projects they have initiated. "The Kingaroy Heritage Museum brought a very significant part of their collection, their peanut machinery, into the limelight. Previously hidden away in a back room, the machinery now forms part of a display exploring the history of peanut harvesting in the region," the judges noted. ABOVE RIGHT: Museum Manager Maria Thoumine with the GAAMA award

Boomerang Officially Takes Flight Today September 14, 2007 - The all-new Whitney Boomerang, (right), built by Dean Wilson Aviation in Kingaroy will be officially launched at 2pm today at Kingaroy Airport in front of a large audience of invited guests. The Boomerang is the first fully certified two-seat trainer in the world to face the new CASA crash test requirements. As a result it is now possibly the safest training aircraft in the world. Dean Wilson Aviation says it is also only the fourth aircraft certified FAR 23 (a Federal Aviation Regulation airworthy standard for planes of less than nine seats) to reach production in Australian history. The company, which already has overseas orders for 15 aircraft on its books, eventually expects to produce one aircraft per week in Kingaroy.

Tourism Conference In Toowoomba September 14, 2007 - South Burnett tourism operators have been invited to attend the third annual South East Queensland Country Conference which will be held at Picnic Point in Toowoomba on November 1. The one-day conference encourages networking within the tourism industry and the sharing of ideas. Key topics to be covered this year include regional events, regional cuisine, product bundling and Visitor Information Centre networking. For more details contact Kathryn Allen on (07) 3535-5470 or email her.

UAVs Ready For Outback Challenge September 12, 2007 - Sydney-based company Silvertone Electronics has announced it will be taking part in the UAV Outback Challenge which will be held at Kingaroy Airport from September 24-27. Silvertone manufactures remote control systems and has built a small fleet of its Red Flamingo UAVs for the competition. The challenge is to rescue a stranded bushwalker in a search area south of the airport. "Outback Joe" (a dummy wearing khaki clothes and an Akubra) and a detectable heat source will be placed somewhere within this area. The teams must locate Joe and then safely deliver a minimum of 500ml of fluid to him within an hour. More than 40 teams from six countries are expected to take part in the $60,000 competition. Download schedule (349kb PDF) for the three days of competition. Push the play button to see the Red Flamingo UAV in action

$500m Kunioon Mine Gets Green Light! September 10, 2007 - After months of uncertainty, Tarong Energy announced today that coal from Kunioon will power Tarong and Tarong North power stations into the future. Tarong Energy CEO Helen Gluer said $500m would be invested in the project and hundreds of jobs created. "This decision is great news for Tarong Energy and great news for the South Burnett," she said. "Up to 750 jobs will be created during the construction phase ... and the new mine will provide more than 500 direct and flow-on jobs." Tarong Energy will take over ownership of the existing Meandu Mine from Rio Tinto Coal Australia and will engage "an experienced mining company" to operate it until the Kunioon mine comes on line. Click here for the press release (32kb PDF)

Book Now For Food Industry Workshop September 10, 2007 - South Burnett Tourism Project Manager Narelle Colquhoun is organising an all-day Food Industry Workshop to be held at the South Burnett Enterprise Centre in Kingaroy on Tuesday September 18. The workshop, led by marketing analyst David Higginbottom, will explore: The current direction of the local food industry, Opportunities and threats Its integration with the wine and tourism industies, and The possibility of establishing a local "cluster" of producers to help position the South Burnett as a strong regional food brand. Cost is $40 which includes morning tea and lunch and all food producers within the South Burnett are invited to attend. For more information, download the attached flyer (156kb PDF), or contact Narelle on (07) 4162-6271 or by email