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Project Report Open To Public June 8, 2007 - Kingaroy residents interested in the proposed Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen Cultural Memorial Centre have been invited to peruse a copy of the consultant's report (right) at the KCCI Offices in O'Neill Square. KCCI President Mr Rob Patch urged people to view the 94-page report (plus appendices) prepared by the Pacific Southwest Strategy Group for Kingaroy Shire Council before criticising the project. The complex will provide a much-needed conference centre in Kingaroy, a performing arts venue and facilities for high school and TAFE students to use. The report suggests operating surplus will cover annual maintenance costs after four years of operation.

$20m Boost For Power Station June 7, 2006 - What weighs 180 tonnes, costs more than $20 million to supply and install ... and is proof that Tarong Power Station is not about to close down? This Hitachi stator, (pictured above), arrived at the station on Tuesday, part of Tarong Energy's asset renewal program which aims to secure the power station's long-term future by ensuring it can continue producing reliable electricity at an efficient price. Tarong Power Station Manager Bill Renshaw said transporting the stator from the Port of Brisbane to the power station had posed a significant challenge. Four prime-movers and a trailer with 112 tyres carried the load on its 60-hour journey.

Skills For The Future Forum June 6, 2007 - The Wide Bay Burnett Area Consultative Committee (WBBACC) has invited businesses struggling with skills and labour shortage issues to attend a "Skills for our Future" forum to be held in Maryborough next Wednesday. The forum, at the Brolga Theatre, will examine practical solutions to this critical issue and challenge participants to convey their individual skills/labour challenges and advise government if there is more they should/could be doing in particular areas. For more information, see the WBBACC's May 28 newsletter.

New Faces At Country Focus June 5, 2007 - Ross and Sandy Towell are the new faces at the Country Focus community newspaper which is distributed fortnightly in Nanango Shire, Yarraman and Cooyar. They can be contacted at 57 Drayton Street, Nanango, on (07) 4171-0753 or reached by email

Workshops Explain Succession Planning June 4, 2007 - The Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation, in conjunction with AusIndustry, is presenting two Succession Planning workshops in the South Burnett this month. The workshops will be held on June 12 at Kingaroy TAFE College and on June 13 at the new conference centre at Bahun Jal Mono at Ficks Crossing, near Murgon. They will cover topics such as smooth inter-generational handovers, exit strategies to reduce tax and retirement options. Cost is $30. For more information - including starting times - and to book, phone BIEDO on (07) 5484-1652.

ASK Flying High on Biz June 1, 2007 - Peter McNamara, from Air Services Kingaroy (ASK), is the latest South Burnett business to take advantage of a free poster page on Southburnett.biz. ASK is based at Kingaroy Airport and offers flight training in recreational aircraft as well as recreational aircraft maintenance, overhauls and repairs. Peter can be contacted on (07) 4163-2733 or by email

Relay For Life On Again! May 31, 2007 - The South Burnett Relay For Life community fund-raising event - which was such a huge success last year! - is on again in August but at a new venue ... the Kingaroy Showgrounds. The event will start at 3pm on Saturday August 25 and conclude at 9am on Sunday August 26. Teams of between 10 and 15 people will each aim to raise $1000 to aid in the fight against cancer. Last year in Kingaroy 44 teams raised an amazing $71,000 for cancer research and patient services! For more information about this year's event, visit the Relay For Life website or phone Storme Vunderink on 0411-339-772.

Craig Lowndes To Visit For Store Opening May 30, 2007 - Australian V8 Supercar driver and 2006 Bathurst 1000 winner Craig Lowndes (right) will be coming to Kingaroy on Saturday to be the guest at the grand opening of Star Tyrepower's renovated premises at 190 Haly Street. Lowndes will be in-store to meet fans and sign autographs. Star Tyrepower's Peter Ploetz has also organised a sausage sizzle from 10am-2pm and there will be a live broadcast by Radio C-FM to add to the atmosphere.

Community Fund Calls For Submissions May 29, 2007 - Rio Tinto Coal Australia's Tarong Mine Community Development Fund is calling for applications for its funding round which closes on June 15. Since 1999, the fund has distributed almost $1.2 million to community-led projects in Kingaroy, Nanango and the northern part of Rosalie Shire. It aims to assist projects that will help local communities meet economic, social and educational challenges. Guidelines are available from Margie Magnussen on (07) 4160-7231.

Tarong Energy Opens Info Centre May 28, 2007 - Tarong Energy has opened a information centre in Yarraman to provide local communities and property owners in the New Acland and Kunioon coal transport corridors with information about the project. The centre is located at 13A Margaret Street (opposite the IGA Supermarket) and is open Tuesday-Thursday from 9am to 5pm. A community sausage sizzle will be held outside the centre this Friday (June 1) from noon-4pm.

Last Chance To Have Your Say On Council Mergers! May 25, 2007 - 5pm today is the deadline for councillors, council employees, ratepayers ... in fact anyone concerned about the forced amalgamation of local councils ... to have their say to the review commitee. The Local Government Association of Queensland-sponsored website Local Democracy explains how you can make a formal submission to the State Government (which may be a bit late now) but also includes a feedback form which will be forwarded to Premier Peter Beattie, Local Government Minister Andrew Fraser and State MPs. This is an opportunity for all residents to have their say on what the future boundaries of our South Burnett councils should look like.

Shadylane Vineyard To Host Meet and Greet May 24, 2007 - The Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry's May Meet'n'Greet will be held from 5:30pm next Monday at Shadylane Vineyard Cottages, 293 Weekes Road. Topics for discussion include: An overview from Kingaroy Shire Council on the council amalgamation issue, Discussion re the retention of historic railway infrastructure in the CBD, A presentation by South Burnett CTC on student work placements, and An overview of planning for the new-look 2007 Peanut Festival. KCCI members ($11) and non-members ($14) are invited to attend but for catering purposes, please RSVP to the Chamber today on (07) 4162-8466.

2007 Wine Conference in Toowoomba May 23, 2007 - South Burnett wineries and grape growers have been invited to attend the 2007 Wine Business Conference which will be held in Toowoomba on July 24. Conference topics include consumer trends in wine, marketing and branding, vineyard management and inventory management. Cost is $45 (including lunch). Booking forms and more information can be downloaded from the State Government's wine industry development website.

The Peanut Van To Open Shop In Brisbane SCOOP! May 22, 2007 - Almost two years to the day since we announced that Kingaroy's iconic tourism attraction The Peanut Van was expanding to Childers, another new outlet is opening ... this time in Brisbane. Owners Rob and Chris Patch announced today that trading will commence at the new store, located at 725 Gympie Road, Chermside, on June 15 with an "official" opening planned for later in the month. This is a traditional shop-front store rather than a van but will still feature the full range of peanuts and peanut products available in Kingaroy. A DVD will provide information about growing peanuts and the peanut industry. Rob said there were also plans underway for a fourth outlet to open within six months elsewhere in Queensland. And of course, it is still business as usual at Kingaroy and Childers!

QUT Team Challenges For UAV Title May 21, 2007 - Competitors are deadly serious about the $60,000 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Challenge - Outback Rescue competition - to be held in Kingaroy from September 24-27 this year. The Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation's competition is the first of its kind in Australia and is open to secondary and university students, as well as hobbyists and film makers. A QUT team posted the following sneak peek of their entry on video-sharing website YouTube last week ... they've thrown down the gauntlet! (press play button)

MP Proud of Investment in Swickers May 18, 2007 - Swickers Kingaroy Bacon Factory and Barkers Creek Pork have featured at one of Asia's premier food and hospitality trade events, HOFEX 2007, held in Hong Kong this week. State Development Minister John Mickel said he was proud to see Swickers at HOFEX 2007 and listed the State grants which he said at helped Swickers increase its global markets. A grant of $50,000 enabled Swickers to implement an export development plan, then $657,000 allowed it to upgrade its domestic slaughter floor to export standard while a third grant of $100,000 helped it to implement world-class best practices, he said.

Coastal Displays To Woo Tourists Inland May 17, 2007 - South Burnett Visitor Information Centre manager Carolyn Knudsen reports that the South Burnett now has a dedicated display space at Noosa Marina, Maroochydore and Kawana Visitor Information Centres and - as of next week - Caloundra. The displays, designed to tempt coastal tourists inland, will be in place until the end of August. The recently released Kingaroy map (right) will also be distributed in Visitor Information Centres at Maroochydore, Glass House Mountains, Pine Rivers, Lockyer Valley, Eidsvold, Maryborough Fraser Coast, Hervey Bay and all South Burnett VICs.

BIEDO Workshops Scheduled Throughout South Burnett May 16, 2007 - The Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation (BIEDO) will be offering a series of business workshops (52kb PDF) in the region over the next few months. Workshops in succession management are scheduled for Kingaroy, Murgon, Kilkivan, Nanango and Wondai. Download a flyer (245kb). Workshops in financial management are planned for Murgon, Blackbutt, Nanango, Kingaroy, Wondai, Proston, Kilkivan and Goomeri. Download a flyer (67kb). For more information about this program, which has been funded by AusIndustry, contact BIEDO on (07) 5484-1652.

Women ... It's Time To Shine! May 15, 2007 - The 2007 Queensland Smart Women - Smart State Awards are seeking nominations to shine the spotlight on women (or girls) achieving great things in science, engineering or information and communication technology. There are 13 categories - and a total prize pool of $32,500 - so why not nominate yourself or someone you know! Entrants can be secondary students, under-graduates or post-graduates, women in industry / business or women in the community / public sector. For more information, visit the Smart Women Awards website or download the flyer (79kb PDF)

Super Seminar in Kingaroy April 14, 2007 - Sunsuper is hosting a seminar for employers in Kingaroy next month to explain the Federal Government changes to superannuation which come into effect on July 1. The employer update will be held from 9am-11am on June 1 at the Kingaroy RSL. It will focus on budget changes and financial planning from an employer perspective, with keynote speakers from the ATO and Commerce Queensland. For more information, contact Dave Murgatroyd on (07) 5479-5399, visit the Sunsuper website or download a flyer (247kb PDF)