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Cooking Star To Visit Local Libraries May 19, 2011 - TV cooking star Kim McCosker - of 4 Ingredients fame - will be appearing at Nanango and Wondai libraries next Monday (May 23). The best-selling author, (right), who grew up on a citrus farm in Mundubbera, will be presenting Food Tales which is described as "a narrative feast" - an exploration of the stories behind favourite recipes or memorable food experiences. Kim and her fellow author Rachael Bermingham have enjoyed phenomenal success after publishing their first cookbook in 2007. "4 Ingredients" was the best-selling book in Australia in 2008. Two TV series have followed plus international book deals. Kim will be at Nanango Library from 9:30am-12:30pm and at Wondai Library from 2:30pm-3:30pm. Food Tales in a joint initiative of the Queensland Writers Centre and the State Library of Queensland.

Trudi Shares Her Strategies For Business Success May 18, 2011 - Kingaroy businesswoman Trudi Bartlett is launching her new business consultancy From Headache To Heaven with free workshops in Murgon and Kingaroy this month. Trudi promises that in just a couple of hours she can share with participants seven successful business strategies which can help turn business struggles into success. Her first workshop is on tomorrow (Thursday) from 6:00pm at the Wakka Wakka Centre in Murgon. The Kingaroy workshop will be held at the Kingaroy RSL Club next Monday (May 23) from 6:00pm. For more information, and to book a seat, contact Trudi by email * * * The Burnett Catchment Care Association has released the latest edition of its Burnett Buzz newsletter which contains information about upcoming rural workshops and local events. It can be downloaded here (965kb PDF)

Singer-Songwriters To Pass On Skills At Murgon May 17, 2011 - Four of Australia's leading singer-songwriters will be heading to Murgon in July to conduct a Queensland Music Festival workshop with local budding lyricists. Kev Carmody, Clare Bowditch, Dave Faulkner (Hoodoo Gurus) and Stephen Cummings (The Sports) will conduct a free four-hour song-writing workshop for anyone aged over 16. The workshop will offer tips on composing lyrics and learning how to overcome creative blocks. The workshop is free but pre-registration is essential due to limited spaces. Online registrations opened yesterday and close on July 8. To register online, visit the QMF website The Song Trails project has been organised by the Queensland Music Festival and is sponsored by Tarong Energy, APRA and Queensland Rail. * * * The South Burnett Regional Council is seeking feedback on the recent South Burnett Biz Expo held at the Kingaroy TAFE College last month. If you'd like to fill in the short survey form, click here

Porters Honoured With Life Memberships May 16, 2011- Former Kingaroy residents Col and Marie Porter have been honoured with life memberships of the Livestock Transporters Association of Queensland (LTAQ). The Association celebrated its 30th anniversary in Brisbane recently. Col and Marie, who have retired to Hervey Bay, founded Porters Livestock Transport in Kingaroy and Col was an inaugural member of the LTAQ and a former delegate. Porters was the first livestock carrier in Queensland to operate B Double trailers on livestock. In 2009, it carted 604,955 head of cattle and covered 4,115,000km. The company is now known as Martins Stock Haulage after joining the Martin Group of Companies and operates a fleet of semi-trailers, B Doubles and Road Trains from Oakey, Roma, Kingaroy and Rockhampton. Read more about the LTAQ conference on the Queensland Country Life website

New Joint Venture Takes Over Murgon Leather May 13, 2011 - Teys Bros - owners of Murgon Leather - have entered into a new joint venture with one of the world's largest agricultural companies, Cargill, to combine assets in Australia. The joint venture between Teys Bros and Cargill Beef Australia - if approved by regulators - will trade as "Teys Australia – A Cargill Joint Venture" and will operate as a 50-50 partnership between the two companies. It will include the assets of both companies' existing beef processing and cattle feeding businesses as well as Teys' Murgon tannery and value-adding facilities, and Teys' share of its wholesale divisions. According to a Cargill Australia media release, the combination of the two beef businesses will consolidate Teys' position as the second largest beef processor and exporter in Australia. The joint venture will have the capacity to process 1.5 million head of cattle per year. Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services and has been operating in Australia since 1967. Formed in 1865 in the United States, Cargill now operates in 66 countries. Allan Teys, (right), will be chairman of the new joint venture and Brad Teys will serve as CEO. Geoff Teys will be responsible for cattle procurement. The company's head office will be located in Beenleigh. A company spokesman said it would be "business as usual" at Murgon Leather despite the management changes. Read the Cargill Australia media release

Opening Tonight For Jo At Gallery May 13, 2011 - Kingaroy artist Jo-O'Brien-Welch will have a retrospective of her works on show at the Kingaroy Art gallery this month. Jo is a self-taught artist who began painting in May, 2006. She specialises in "realistic" paintings but recently has begun to experiment with pastels. Her exhibition will be officially opened at 7pm this evening and will run until June 3. For a taste of Jo's works, visit this website * * * The Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce's next Meet'n'Greet will be held on Monday from 5:30pm at the Melco Lanhams Mitre 10 and Trade store in Rodgers Drive, Kingaroy. Guest speaker will be company CEO Darren Jordison and entry is $10. For more information, contact KCCI Project officer Jo Thorp at the Chamber on (07) 4162-8466.

SBRC and TRC to Discuss Yarraman's Future May 12, 2011 - More than 140 people attended a public meeting in Yarraman last night to gauge whether townspeople want to stay with the Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) or ask to move to the South Burnett Regional Council (SBRC) area. The meeting was organised by the Yarraman Town Council. YTC Chairman Wayne Emms said there had been a lot of talk for a while about the future of Yarraman and the group had decided it was time to put the issue to bed "one way or the other". The meeting resolved to ask the two councils to meet to discuss the pros and cons of each position, including differences over rates. All ratepayers in the former Division 4 area of the old Rosalie Shire Council will now receive information in the mail seeking points of interest before another public meeting is called. Representatives from both councils were in attendance. Toowoomba was represented by Cr John McVeigh (the LNP candidate for the State seat of Toowoomba South) and Cr Anne Glasheen. The South Burnett was represented by Mayor David Carter, CEO Tony Hayward and Crs Barry Green, Debra Palmer and Cheryl Dalton.

LNP Says Flashing Signs Will Help Keep Kids Safe May 12, 2011 - LNP candidate for Nanango Deb Frecklington has welcomed her party's promise that if elected, flashing speed limit signs will be rolled out across Queensland to help protect children near schools. Mrs Frecklington, (pictured, right, with Kingaroy "Lollipop Gent" Beau Samuels outside Taabinga State School), said yesterday the State Government had ignored the alarming increase in motorists fined for speeding through school zones. "More than 14,000 motorists were fined for speeding through school zones last financial year, up more than a quarter on 2008/09," she said. "The LNP will spend $10 million over four years to improve the visibility of speed limit signs in school zones." Mrs Frecklington said high-risk school zones such as Taabinga State School would benefit from the flashing speed limit signs which would be an active reminder to motorists to slow down. * * * Cougar Energy's headaches over its failed Coolabunia underground coal gasification site are not over ... now DERM has rejected its Final Land Use and Rehabilitation Plan (FLURP) which was submitted on March 21. In a letter to the Kingaroy Concerned Citizens Group, DERM spokesman Rod Kent said the FLURP did not address the procedures required for decommissioning and restoration of groundwater at the site in accordance with Environmental Authority requirements.

KCCG Public Meeting Targets Bauxite Mining May 10, 2011 - The Kingaroy Concerned Citizens Group is reminding South Burnett residents that they will be holding a public meeting tomorrow night to discuss proposed bauxite mining in the region. Secretary John Dalton, (pictured, right, holding the "Shut The Gate" sign with other members of the KCCG), said local people need to be informed about matters which affect fertile farmlands "and the manner in which our government is issuing mining tenements" and why the State Government's "Strategic Cropping Land (SCL) criteria doesn't protect our farmland". The meeting will be held in the Tobruk Room at the Kingaroy RSL Club from 7:00pm. Mr Dalton said maps would be available to peruse. UPDATE May 12: Local residents at last night's meeting resolved to "lock the gate" and not co-operate with Queensland Bauxite until fundamental issues are resolved with the State Government Download the KCCG media release * * * A planned power supply interruption for Ergon Energy customers south of Murgon on Thursday has been postponed due to the recent wet weather. The outage, in Barambah, Elgin Vale, Gallangowan, Johnstown, Manumbar, Moffatdale and Redgate, is required to enable crews to safely carry out work on the Redgate feeder line. Ergon Energy will advise affected customers by mail when a new time is scheduled.

Commission To Review Divisional Boundaries May 9, 2011 - Queensland's independent Local Government Change Commission may re-draw the South Burnett Regional Council's internal divisional boundaries after an increase in electors in Division 4 - currently held by Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell. Deputy Premier and Minister for Local Government Paul Lucas has asked for the review ahead of next year's local government elections. "Since 2007, the population of South Burnett Regional Council has grown by more than 1700 people, which is an increase of more than 5 per cent," Mr Lucas said. "The Council has advised Division 4 – which includes part of Booie, Corndale, Crawford, Kingaroy and Memerambi – may be outside quota before the next election." The Change Commission has invited submissions from the public over the proposed changes. A public meeting will be held this Friday (May 13) from 12:45pm in the Reception Room at Kingaroy Town Hall. Whether Gympie Regional Council should stay "whole of shire" or form divisions has also been referred to the Local Government Change Commission. Mr Lucas said Gympie Council recently undertook some community engagement to determine the public's support for a move to divisions. "Overall there was a significant majority of people (61 per cent) who were in favour of divisions," Mr Lucas said. "However only 2 per cent of electors responded to the survey." "In recent weeks a number of residents have spoken to me outlining their concerns that the Council has decided not to acknowledge the results of the survey supporting divisions. In light of this I have decided to refer this matter to the Change Commission for independent review and assessment." Further information about the review process can be found on the Electoral Commission of Queensland website

June Will Be Jumping With Art Opportunities May 5, 2011 - Local community arts group Jumping Ant Arts Inc is gearing up for a big month in June with a series of workshops and a large exhibition planned for Kingaroy. Workshops, which will be held at the Kingaroy Heritage Museum. are: Hands on Clay @ the Museum - June 22, 10:00am-3:00pm - Tutor Fay Stumm will teach participants how to create an abstract animal. Learn basic clay and slab construction techniques. The pieces created will be bisque fired. Cost is $40 which covers clay, firing costs and the use of all tools for the workshop. Suitable for beginners. Printmaking @ the Museum - June 29, 10:00am-3:30pm - Tutor Sue Goddard will be holding a monoprinting workshop using a Uber Uno mobile press. Cost is $40 which includes use of inks, plastic dry point plate and two sheets of Stonehenge printmaking paper. Participants will need to bring an apron, a hard roller (any size), old paintbrushes and a lead pencil. Suitable for beginners. Pastels @ the Museum - June 8, 10:00am-3:00pm - Master pastellist Karol Oakley will lead a day of pastel painting with one-on-one tuition. Cost is $20 but students should bring their own materials (a list is available from Jumping Arts Inc). No previous experience is needed. Textiles @ the Museum - June 15, 10:00am-3:00pm - Tutor Judy Gray will teach the use of weave-it looms. Participants will need to bring along yarn, a wool needle and scissors. Four inch looms will be supplied for use on the day. Cost is $20 and no prior experience is necessary. Members of Jumping Ant Arts will have their works on display at the Antfest 2011 exhibition during June at the Kingaroy Art Galley (June 4-29). The group will have a stall in Kingaroy Shoppingworld on Monday, May 18, with more information about its month of activities. For more information - or to book for any of the workshops - contact Fay on (07) 4168-1925. NB. There is a maximum of just 10 participants for each workshop, so book early!

Stay or Go - Yarraman To Discuss Its Future May 4, 2011 - The Yarraman Community Council has called a public meeting next week to discuss the future of the town. Yarraman, which was formerly part of Rosalie Shire Council, is now on the northern fringes of the huge Toowoomba Regional Council. The South Burnett Regional Council surrounds the town on three sides. The public meeting, to be held on Wednesday, May 11 at the Community Hall in Browne Street, will discuss whether the town should stay with the Toowoomba super-council or petition to join the South Burnett Regional Council. A light supper will be provided. Vote in our Facebook poll UPDATE May 10: Votes are currently running 39 for Yarraman to join the South Burnett to 1 against - with South Burnett Regional Mayor David Carter backing the "for" vote.

Free Course For Childcare Workers May 4, 2011 - The Workforce Council is organising a three-day course in Kingaroy to unpack the new National Quality Framework for long day childcare services. The course will be held over three Fridays - June 3, July 22 and September 2 - at the Old Cheese Factory Conference Centre at Taste South Burnett, 67 William Street, Kingaroy. It will be led by Anna Neilsen, an experienced pre-school teacher and university lecturer who holds a Masters in Education - Early Childhood. The course is aimed at all professionals involved in long day care. Participation from target service groups will be free. For more information, contact the Health and Community Services Workforce Council Inc on 1800-112-585. * * * Durong South State School is urging local residents to shop at SupaIGA in Kingaroy during May - and buy items marked with the Community Chest tag as the school will receive a small percentage of the sales profit. Parents will also be cooking a BBQ in the carpark this Saturday and on May 21.

Calling All Craftspeople May 3, 2011 - The Hand Made In Country project is still looking for South Burnett craftspeople to register with them to help foster a visitor trail of "handmade holidays" throughout the region. The project is an initiative of Toowoomba Golden West and South Burnett Tourism and Southern Downs Tourism. They are looking for woodworkers, silversmiths, stonemasons, quilters - either individuals or groups - and people who just interested in the project to register so they can be included in future networking and communciation. Registration is free. Forward your name, address, email/website info and trade/art type to Krista Hauritz by email or contact her on 0421-148-098. UPDATE May 4: An information session on the project is being held in Stanthorpe this Friday at the Queensland College of Wine from 2.00pm–4.00pm. Workshops cost $10 per person, payable at the door, to cover catering costs. Please RSVP to Krista (contact details above). * * * The South Burnett Regional Council has been forced to again close Gordonbrook Dam after very high levels of blue green algae have been detected in the water. Access to the dam has been closed, including the boat ramp, and fishing prohibited from the banks. The dam will remain closed until water samples indicate acceptable levels.

Council Backs Proposal For Bottling Plant April 29, 2011 - A move by the local wine industry to construct a shared bottling plant has moved a step closer following this week's South Burnett Regional Council meeting. Not-for-profit community organisation South Burnett CTC Inc requested support from the Council for the construction and operation of a regional wine and olive oil bottling plant at Murgon. The proposed plant could be built on land near CTC's Gumnut Place, a registered Australian Disability Enterprise, and may provide employment opportunities for Gumnut clients. South Burnett CTC sought assistance from Council in applying for a grant under the Regional Development Australia Fund. Councillors voted to provide in-principal support for the use of the nominated parcels of land, subject to approval from the Department of Environment and Resource Management.

Campbell Newman To Visit South Burnett April 27, 2011 - Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman will be visiting South Burnett towns tomorrow and Friday to meet with local residents. Mr Newman will start his tour of the Nanango electorate in Esk tomorrow morning before moving onto Yarraman and then having lunch at the Fitzroy Hotel in Nanango at noon. In Kingaroy, he'll visit Swickers and then officially launch the campaign office for local LNP candidate Deb Frecklington at 21 Avoca Street at 3:00pm. Mr Newman will then meet Kingaroy residents during a town walk before having dinner at the Booie Bello Vista tomorrow night. On Friday, Mr Newman will spend more time in Kingaroy before meeting with local residents in Blackbutt and Kilcoy. * * * David Thomson was this morning named as the Queensland Party's candidate for the State seat of Nanango. QP Leader Mr Aidan McLindon said Mr Thomson is a former Vice Chairman of the Nanango LNP branch and had been joined by another seven local LNP branch members who had defected to the QP. "Mr Thomson has a proud record of 12 years service with the RAAF and has been recognised for his work modifying aircraft. He is now working for the Red Cross in Kingaroy," Mr McLindon said. The Queensland Party was established in 2010 after Mr McLindon, the Member for Beaudesert, quit the Liberal National Party claiming he had been intimidated and bullied.

KCCG Joins Fight Against Bauxite Mining April 27, 2011 - Fresh from their apparent victory over Cougar Energy, the Kingaroy Concerned Citizens Group is arming for battle against bauxite mining in the South Burnett. Group members also see a link between proposed bauxite mines and the recent release of Strategic Cropping Land criteria to protect key farming land (see SBBiz story April 14) but which apparently does not protect local farming land. The KCCG is planning a series of meetings to "inform and support the many farmers" who could be affected if bauxite mining goes ahead. Their first meeting will be held from 7:00pm on Wednesday May 11 at the Kingaroy RSL. The KCCG says several landholders have been approached by Volcan Holdings seeking access to begin exploration for volcanic bauxite. The group claims the State Government has recently approved Exploration Permits for "virtually the entire red soil farmlands" of the South Burnett. "Many farmers were pinning their hopes on the Government's Strategic Cropping Land as a means of protecting their cropping land against short-term mining and energy interests," KCCG secretary Mr John Dalton said. "However, they were dismayed to learn that the two defining feature of their fertile land are the two aspects that appear to rule them ineligible for SCL status, and the protection that goes with it. "Strategic Cropping Land guidelines recently released by DERM states that soil must not have an acidic ph level of less than 5, and that the inclination of the farm paddock must not exceed 5 per cent. It would appear that many of the fertile red volcanic soils of the South Burnett fall outside one or both of these criteria." Mr Dalton said some group members saw this as a co-ordinated event. "The State Government grants permits to explore for volcanic bauxite one month, and then rules out SCL protection of the same soil type the next. It is difficult not to be cynical."

It's Official - We're Open for Business April 21, 2011 - Acting Queensland Premier Paul Lucas has issued a media release in the wake of his whistlestop visit today to the South Burnett and it confirms what we all know, ie we're open for business! Mr Lucas lunched at the Booie Bello Vista after inspecting local roads damaged in January and then went to Murgon to talk to business people. He has predicted a good Easter for local tourism businesses. "The tireless efforts of locals ... has meant the South Burnett region will see a bigger than usual crowd over Easter this year, " he said. "Thanks to Rangers and community members from surrounding areas, all camp grounds, day-use areas and walking tracks in the Bunya Mountains National Park are open for the Easter period. With all three National Parks open, around 10,000 are people expected to travel to the South Burnett region for Easter. "Around 3000 tourists are expected in Bjelke-Petersen Dam Park meaning it is almost booked out, with another 3000 visitors expected in the fully-booked Manar Tourist Park." Download Mr Lucas's press release

A Community Foundation . . . For Gifts That Keep On Giving April 20, 2011 - Small groups of South Burnett residents met at the Tingoora Hotel last night and at Captain's Paddock Cellar Door on the Booie Range this morning to discuss the possible formation of a South Burnett Community Foundation. The concept of forming such a group came from Wooroolin resident Karen Seiler and has been further developed by local members of the Queensland Rural Women's Network (QRWN), including Georgie Somerset and Carolyn Stone, and visits to similar groups operating at Buderim and Ipswich. A Community Foundation exists to accept donations, bequests and do fund-raising for worthwhile community projects. The difference from current fund-raising schemes - including service clubs - is that the money donated "works forever". The donations are permanent endowments which will benefit the community in perpetuity. All projects are funded from investments, leaving the original donations untouched. The two meetings were briefed by Sue Charlton, (pictured, right, with Tim Loth from Tarong Energy), from the Stand Like Stone Foundation which services the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, and Vince Gauci, from the Broken Hill Community Foundation. Sue is also chair of Australian Community Philanthropy, the umbrella organisation for all Australian Community Foundations. The "Stand Like Stone" group was formed in 2004 after two years of planning and is working towards having at least $1 million invested. Projects supported are usually assisted with grants of about $1000. Donations to this group are tax deductible. The Broken Hill group was started in 2000 with seed funding of $500,000 from the mining industry and now has $1.3 million invested. Since then it has funded about 80 projects to a total of $400,000. The focus for this group is sustainability so projects must be framed in a way to create jobs. This group hopes to gain tax deductible status in the near future. Those in attendance at the meetings included Mayor David Carter and councillors from the South Burnett Regional Council and representatives from Centacare South Burnett, South Burnett CTC, QRWN, Agforce, DEEDI, BIEDO, Tarong Energy, Centrelink and former Test cricketer Carl Rackemann, (pictured, left, with Vince Gauci). Georgie Somerset announced at the Tuesday night meeting that the QRWN's Barambah Branch has committed to donate $11,000 if a South Burnett Foundation is established. A Steering Committee of local residents will now continue to investigate the proposal. South Burnett CTC paid the expenses for Sue Charlton to visit the South Burnett

ACICC Digs Deep To Help Local Students April 19, 2011 - The Aboriginal Community Interest Consultative Committee (ACICC) has released its 2010 report detailing projects funded over the past 12 months. During 2010, 28 high school students from around the South Burnett received scholarships after being selected by their teachers for their demonstrated leadership qualities. This program has been running since 2006 and several scholarship recipients are now studying at university. Many of the projects supported were at local schools. Assistance went to Cherbourg State School's Budburra Books project, tutoring at Tingoora State School, the Annexe at Murgon State School and projects at Wondai State School and St Mary's Catholic College. The ACICC consists of representatives from Tarong Energy, the South Burnett's Traditional Owners (Wakka Wakka) and the broader South Burnett Indigenous community. Tarong Energy CEO Helen Gluer congratulated the ACICC for the "courage and foresight" they had used when deciding how funding would be invested in the South Burnett Aboriginal community. * * * Brad Smart, from the Smart Radio Group, has confirmed that Kingaroy station 4SB (Radio 1071), is on the market along with other stations in his Smart Radio Group including 4VL Charleville, 4LM Mt Isa, 4ZR Roma and 4HI Emerald. Brad told industry blog Radioinfo that the stations "are in areas that are expanding because of mining and natural gas, there's a lot of people and money coming into these listening areas".