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Breakthrough Technology At PCA January 16, 2007 - The Peanut Company of Australia's innovative near infrared (NIR) scanning technology (pictured at right during testing) went "live" in the blanching plant at their Kingaroy complex last week. This is the first time NIR scanning has been used anywhere in peanut processing. The scanner tests for moisture, oil and Hi Oleic content. PCA are also developing techniques to test for more product parameters. Read more on PCA's website

Nominations Sought For Wide Bay Advisory Group January 15, 2007 - This is your chance to get involved in the South Burnett's future ... Nominations close this Friday (January 19) for people interested in becoming a member of the 10-person Ministerial Regional Community Forum which advises the State Government on regional issues. Forum members represent a broad cross-section of social, economic and environmental interests throughout the region and all Queenslanders are invited to apply. This is a voluntary position but is an opportunity to get your voice heard. For more information or to receive a copy of the nomination form and information pack, phone (07) 4151-9747 or send an email

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! December 15, 2006 - Southburnett.biz would like to wish all our readers a very happy and safe Christmas and a prosperous 2007! The website will be running as usual over the holiday break so please continue to send in any updates or changes to business listings, however our news briefs will be taking a short break until January 15. A huge thank you to everyone who has assisted us over the past 12 months!

Crackerjack Drive Through South Burnett December 14, 2006 - We all know the South Burnett is a crackerjack spot ... but it's nice to know that Tourism Australia also thinks so! Tourism Australia recently released their new "Your Great Australian Journey Starts Here" fly/drive brochure (right) which describes in their words "14 crackerjack drives" in Australia. And right up there with Uluru and Kakadu is the loop through the South Burnett and a special mention of our local wine trail. Free copies of the brochure, which also includes drives through North Queensland and Central Queensland, are available at the South Burnett Visitor Information Centre in Kingaroy.

Nominations Sought For Health Council December 13, 2006 - The State Government is calling for nominations from community members interested in serving on the new South Burnett Health Community Council. The Health Department has created 37 of the new advisory bodies across Queensland which will replace existing district health councils. Health Minister Stephen Robertson said the councils would give communities a more direct say over the performance and quality of local health services. There will be up to eight members (including a local GP) on each council and appointments will be for four years. Closing date for nominations is February 12, 2007. For further information visit the website or phone 1800-077-308.

Team South Burnett Heading To Adelaide December 12, 2006 - Team South Burnett, headed by local celebrity foodie Jason Ford, will be off to Adelaide next year to test their skills - and our region's produce - against the best Australia has to offer. TSB will be competing in the 2007 Australian Regional Culinary Competition. Their efforts will highlight the South Burnett to a national audience via the popular cable TV channel Lifestyle Food. Jason recently launched the TSB's own website to keep the media and everyone else up-to-date with what's happening in their competition bid. He's also keen to hear from local companies who are interested in coming on board as sponsors.

New Owners At Motel December 11, 2006 - New owners have taken over Kingaroy's newest motel, the four-star Ascot Lodge Motor Inn at 69 Kingaroy Street (next door to Red Rooster). Terry and Marilyn Cutler took over the business last Monday and in Terry's words "have hit the ground running". The Ascot Lodge restaurant is open to the public for meals on Mondays to Thursdays from 6pm.

Dennis Has Q-Done It! December 8, 2006 - One of the original trainees from the South Burnett Online project, Dennis Phethean, has started his own web business ... Quay-Design Internet Developments & iT Solutions. Q-DIDiTs is based in Nanango and offers web design services, consultation, hosting, domain registration and IT support. Dennis can be contacted on (07) 4163-3287 or by email

New Faces At Murgon Business December 7, 2006 - Tucker's Smash Repairs at Murgon has new owners and a new name ... Murgon Paint and Panel. The business is located at 13 Lamb St, Murgon and Kimberley and Mark Kunde can be contacted on (07) 4168-1868 or by email. The business, which boasts a spray and bake oven, handles all smash repairs and is a recommended insurance repairer.

South Burnett Features Again In Newsletter December 6, 2006 - Passchendaele Farm and Mulanah Gardens feature in the Summer 2006 edition of South-East Queensland Country Club newsletter, (right), which is widely distributed to subscribers by Tourism Queensland. There's also a free plug for the Wondai Christmas Carnival and the Kingaroy Christmas Carnival although unfortunately the dates printed are now incorrect. The Wondai Carnival is on December 24 (not December 23 as stated on Page 1) and the Kingaroy Carnival is on December 14 (not December 7 as stated on Page 5).

WorkChoices Seminar On Today December 5, 2006 - Commerce Queensland will be holding another of their Employer Advice seminars on the Federal Government's WorkChoices legislation in Kingaroy this afternoon. The seminar will cover agreement making, unfair dismissals, industrial disputes and right of entry and will be held at the Kingaroy RSL Club from 3pm-6pm. Cost is free but registration would be helpful. For further details contact Gail Clifford on 1300-138-470 or download a flyer (72kb PDF)

Business Planning Workshop at Moffatdale December 4, 2006 - The Queensland Wine Industry Association, in association with the Federal Government's Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business Program, will be holding a business planning workshop in the South Burnett later this month. The AusIndustry Business Enterprise Planning Workshop will be held at Clovely Estate, Steinhardts Road, Moffatdale (near Murgon) on Tuesday December 12 from 9:30am to 4pm. The workshop is targeted at the wine industry but other small business operators, especially in the tourism industry are also welcome to attend. Cost is $89 for QWIA members and $129 for non-members. For more information, contact Trevor Watts on (07) 4631-2679 or download an information flyer (39kb PDF) and registration form (36kb)

Kingstons Office National Joins SBBiz December 1, 2006 - There's been movement within our free Southburnett.biz poster pages this week, with a new one being launched, changes to another and a farewell to an old friend. The new page is for Kingston's Office National which is located in Haly Street Kingaroy. Kingston's offers a full range of office supplies and office furniture. John Cahill's Kingaroy Ridge Wines, a long-time resident on SBBiz, has released its tastebud-tempting 2006-07 Summer recipe which is available to download from its Cahills page. And finally, we bid farewell to Kingaroy Cheese which has launched its own website. Kingaroy Cheese's poster page had been in service since 2002 providing the company with a free toehold in cyberspace.

Bundaberg Solution To Forum Request November 30, 2006 - A Skilling Solutions Queensland office will be established in Bundaberg - with a mobile consultant to service other regional towns - in response to a request made at the Ministerial Regional Community Forum held in Kingaroy in June. The forum requested that a face-to-face training and career information service be established in the Wide Bay-Burnett Region with a mobile outreach capacity. The official State Government response to the forum can be downloaded here (40kb PDF)

Worried About Bird Flu? November 29, 2006 - The Department of Environment, Health and Community Services has provided the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry with booklets entitled "Being Prepared for a Human Influenza Pandemic". These are aimed at the business community and encourage strategic planning within businesses to cope with the effects of a pandemic. A limited number of copies are available at the the KCCI Office at O'Neill Square, Kingaroy. Further information is also available on the Federal Government's Pandemic Business Continuity website

Cole Inquiry Clears Kingaroy Company November 28, 2006 - South Burnett-based duboisia processor Alkaloids of Australia has been cleared of allegations that it paid illegal kickbacks to the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein. In his report released yesterday, Commissioner Terence Cole said there was no basis for any adverse findings against Alkaloids, its directors or its export manager Chris Joyce. "I am satisfied that neither Alkaloids nor Mr Joyce paid, agreed to pay or intended to pay any 10 per cent fee to Iraq," Mr Cole wrote. "The evidence does not establish that Alkaloids of Australia, its directors or Mr Joyce might have breached any Commonwealth, State or Territory law by Alkaloids exporting hyoscine to Iraq during the oil-for-food program." A full report can be found on The Australian's website.

November Tourism Talk November 27, 2006 - South Burnett Local Government Association Tourism Project Officer Narelle Duggan has released the latest edition of South Burnett Tourism Talk, her regular newsletter on tourism happenings around the region. This edition includes a review of the Peter Howard Masterclass at The Belltower, information on the Great Bunya Drive launch and the Regional Tourism Association Annual Conference. Click here to download Tourism Talk (309kb PDF).

Bethany Finalist in State Awards November 24, 2006 - Congratulations to Bethany Cottages, who was a finalist in the Hosted Accommodation section at the recent Queensland tourism awards. Bethany, run by John and Karyn Bjelke-Petersen, was the only South Burnett tourism business to make it into the finals although the Fraser Coast South Burnett Regional Tourism Board was a finalist in the Destination Marketing category for its Fraser Coast campaign. Click here for a full list of winners and finalists

Bio Fuel Forum On Tomorrow November 23, 2006 - Don't forget the Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation's Bio Fuels Regional Forum will be held in Kingaroy tomorrow. Companies and councils that use alternative energy and fuels for vehicles and machinery - as well as industry technicians - will be discussing the production, processing and use of bio-fuels. The forum will be held at the Kingaroy TAFE College from 8:30am. For more information about the forum download an information pack (117kb) and registration form (88kb)

Football Websites Kick Off! November 22, 2006 - Two new South Burnett soccer websites have been launched in recent weeks. The first belongs to Kingaroy Junior Soccer Club and the second to South Burnett Football, the controlling body for all senior and junior soccer in the South Burnett. Both websites were built by Martin Stern, self-confessed football tragic and Queensland Roar fan, from South Burnett-based Print and Beyond