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Message From South Burnett Disaster Group January 12, 2011 - The South Burnett Local Disaster Management Group met again in Kingaroy today at 10:00am. The group is currently meeting twice a day to strategise and prioritise the issues currently facing many residents and businesses throughout the South Burnett region. During these meetings the group cover issues from evacuations, safety of people, road access, immediate response issues and any other critical/life threatening issues. All other issues will be addressed as the flood recedes and when a more detailed assessment can be made. In more detail, the group discussed the following: There has been no change to the water supply at Wondai and Murgon. Council will assess the water treatment plants today and until this is completed there is no external use of water unless for cleaning of vehicle windscreens, mirrors and pet enclosures or emergency purposes. There will be further updates regarding this situation as the assessment continues. D'Aguilar Highway (Barker Creek Flats) from Kingaroy to Nanango is closed to all vehicles and is currently being assessed. The Group will further discuss the situation tomorrow at its meeting and will provide an update on the road closure at this time. Rumours are currently spreading around the region. The Group would like to clarify that there has been no evacuations and has not planned any evacuations. Residents are advised that official press releases will be issued by the Group, Council, Ergon Energy and Queensland Police regarding the South Burnett region. It is recommended that you ignore any information that has not been issued by the abovementioned organisations. The Group can confirm that Sunwater have assessed the Bjelke-Petersen Dam and there is no damage to the dam. The Blackbutt Range remains closed. The range is being assessed by engineers and further updates will be provided by the Group on Tuesday. The South Burnett Local Disaster Management Group would like to reiterate to stay home and to only travel if it's an emergency. If you are inconvenienced as a result of the current flooding and associated events please contact Council on either 1300-789-279 or (07) 4189-9100, the SES on 13-25-00 or if it is life-threatening 000. * * * As a result of the cut to the electricity supply in Wondai, the South Burnett Regional Council has advised residents that wheelie bins have been placed in Coronation Park for the disposal of perished food stuffs. Bins are also located in front of the Town's commercial premises for the businesses to use if their existing bins are not capable of taking the food that has perished.

Power To Be Restored Today January 12, 2011 - Ergon Energy expects to progressively restore power to most customers in the South Burnett by mid-afternoon. Crews have been deployed into the area by chopper this morning and are currently working on repairing damage to both the Redgate and Wondai feeder lines. The Wondai feeder, which supplies about 1300 customers, is expected to be re-energised by lunchtime. The Redgate feeder, which supplies almost 800 customers, including those in Cherbourg, is expected to be re-energised by mid-afternoon. However the Silverleaf feeder, which also supplies close to 800 customers, remains too close to floodwaters to be re-energised at this stage. An expected restoration time cannot be estimated at this point and Ergon has urged customers to prepare for the possibility that some may not have their power restored for some days. Power was restored to about 250 customers in the Chelmsford, Cushnie and Wheatlands areas between 5:00pm and 7:00pm yesterday by switching their supply from the Murgon sub-station to the Proston and Kingaroy sub-stations. UPDATE 1: Power was restored to the Wondai feeder at 9:45am. UPDATE 2 - 12:15pm: Power has been restored to Cherbourg. UPDATE 3 - 5:15pm: The Silverleaf feeder was re-energised about 3.50pm. Power has been restored to all South Burnett customers except for about a dozen where Ergon crews could not gain access to replace poles that have come down. UPDATE 4 - 5:55pm: The only outage at present is in the Mondure/Byee area and isolated homes around Nanango. Safety Tip: If your switches are under water, once the water recedes, please ensure you contact a licensed electrician to undertake an inspection before turning on your power. Latest Road Closures: South Burnett council area Gympie council area Toowoomba council area

Emergency Centres Set Up Across the South Burnett January 11, 2011 - Travellers stranded in the South Burnett - or residents forced to evacuate their homes - will be able to access accommodation and meals at Emergency Centres which have been set up by the South Burnett Regional Council. The Salvation Army and other local community groups are providing assistance at the Kingaroy Town Hall. Assistance is also available at the Nanango Cultural Centre, Blackbutt Community Hall and Murgon PCYC (formerly The Pulse). UPDATE Jan 13: Centres are currently catering for about 60 people. * * * Photographs of empty supermarket shelves in Kingaroy were posted on Facebook today. This afternoon, the South Burnett Regional Council said food supplies were getting lower as there is no access to the region. "At present the big concerns are for the Cherbourg community that is isolated and also for Murgon. Cherbourg is hoping to have supplies airlifted to that community sometime today, weather permitting. Other areas have food but not necessarily all lines are available." UPDATE January 12: Message from Cr Cheryl Dalton: Wondai, Tingoora, Silverleaf residents without power come and charge your appliances, mobile phones, laptop computers, heat baby milks etc at the Wooroolin Hall today - all free. Coffee and tea available, hot water for those wanting to fill thermoses and take home and, of course, I will be there to help if you have any questions. ABOVE: The Wondai-Chinchilla Road at Ballogie washed out by Okeden Creek. Photo courtesy: Martin Stern

Flooding Also Cuts Power January 11, 2010 - Ergon Energy has been forced to cut the power supply to about 2900 customers in the South Burnett as a safety precaution due to flooding. General Manager Service Delivery Paul Jordon said the rising floodwaters were now too close to Ergon Energy's powerlines to provide a safe clearance, so three feeder lines had been "de-energised". This had resulted in customers in Wondai, Cherbourg, Chelmsford, Cloyna, Cushnie, Merlwood, Moffatdale, Redgate, Silverleaf, Tingoora, Wheatlands and Windera having their power cut about 10:00am today. "About 200mm of rain fell overnight in the catchments for already flooded creeks and they were expected to continue rising into this afternoon," Mr Jordon said. "We have a chopper on the way to locate any damage that has been sustained and it will give us a better indication of when it may be safe to restore power after the peak has passed. "It is unknown when power will be able to be restored at this stage. Restoration of power will depend on the rate that the waters recede and any damage found on the system assets." UPDATE 5:30pm: Ergon Energy crews do not expect to be able to safely restore power today. Chopper patrols this afternoon confirmed that clearances remained insufficient to restore power and also located damage to poles and powerlines. Another 140 customers in other parts of the South Burnett are also without power supply because crews have not been able to access areas where damage has occurred. In Chinchilla, renewed flooding has resulted in 96 customers having their power supply disconnected.

Emergency Water Alert For Murgon & Wondai January 11, 2011 - The South Burnett Regional Council has advised that Murgon and Wondai are now under Emergency Water Supply Arrangements. No external use of water is allowed unless for cleaning of vehicle windscreens, mirrors and pet enclosures or emergency purposes. Council says these towns have sufficient supply for at least two days with these restrictions. It is working on alternative arrangements and will update progress daily.

Blackbutt Range Still Closed January 11, 2011 - The D'Aguilar Highway east of Blackbutt is still blocked following the landslip at the top of the Range on the weekend. Latest advice received by Southburnett.biz this morning is that there are fears that following the recent rain more landslides could occur on the Blackbutt Range so the highway will be closed until further notice. UPDATE 4:00pm: A Geotechnical Engineer has been engaged to undertake an assessment of the D'Aguilar Highway on the Blackbutt Range however the road will be closed for the next 72 hours until this assessment is completed. The townships of Murgon and Cherbourg have joined other South Burnett towns that are isolated (including Wattlecamp, pictured above right). South Burnett Mayor David Carter told ABC Radio this morning that helicopter food drops may have to be considered if the situation worsens. Evacuations have occurred in the Nanango and Kilkivan regions. Major roads closed this morning include: Brisbane Valley Highway (Fernvale, Toogoolawah) Bunya Highway (Murgon) Burnett Highway (Ban Ban Springs, Barambah Creek Bridge, Boonara Creek, Reedy Creek) D'Aguilar Highway (Barker Creek, Blackbutt Range, Kilcoy, Mary Smokes Creek, Sandy Creek) Wide Bay Highway (Bells Bridge) Latest Road Closures: South Burnett council area NB. This PDF should be read in conjunction with the following note from Council: "As there are many roads within our region, we are not able to inspect all of them at regular intervals. It also becomes misleading for Council to repeat out-of-date information into this table so some roads may not appear on the table. Please be advised to take care on all roads and follow the signage put in place by Council." Gympie council area Photo courtesy: Greg & Kelly Taffe

Don't Travel Unless It's An Emergency January 10, 2011 - The Local Disaster Management Group met today at the Council Chambers in Kingaroy to review the current situation and to put in place strategies to combat the intense rain that has fallen across the South Burnett region. The group consists of key stakeholders from the community including Council officers, Emergency Management Queensland, Police, SES, Ambulance, Ergon Energy, Queensland Fire and Rescue Services, various local welfare organisations, Tarong, Thiess, Centrelink, Queensland Health, Sunwater, aged care facilities, Department of Communities and other government departments. The group is requesting that residents do not travel over the next 48 hours. "The roads are in a bad condition and I highly recommend all motorists obey the road signs. Do not travel unless it is an emergency. Council officers are working extremely hard to keep up with the water movement and I ask that if you have to travel on the roads that you drive with caution." Mayor David Carter said. ABC News video of Toowoomba flooding:

Cougar Energy Raises Another $1m in Funding January 10, 2011 - Cougar Energy - the company behind the currently halted Underground Coal Gasification trial near Kingaroy - announced today that it has placed $1 million worth of new shares with investors. The funds will be used for working capital and to develop UCG projects in Australia and China. Last Friday, Cougar admitted low levels of benzene had again been detected in a monitoring bore close to its Kingaroy UCG pilot plant. Two test results from bore T5066 showed a level of 1 part per billion of benzene. No traces of benzene or toluene were detected in any other bores. The fate of the controversial Kingaroy UCG trial could be known as early as next Monday. Cougar Energy previously advised the ASX that the Department of Environment and Resource Management had told the company it would decide whether to accept Cougar's environmental evaluations on this date. News In Brief Businesses and homes in Woolooga, Kilkivan and Goomeri area were flooded and the Wide Bay Highway badly damaged at the weekend. See ABC-TV report and read more on the Gympie Times website. * * * Kingaroy-based BGA Agriservices has expanded its reach into NSW, opening stores at Casino and Tyndale. Read more on The Land website. * * * Centrelink has put in place special arrangements for South Burnett customers who are affected by flooding. Customers who usually lodge their forms in person can do so over the phone. These special arrangements are current to Wednesday (January 12) and only apply to residents in the following postcodes: 4306, 4601 (Goomeri), 4605 (Cherbourg and Murgon), 4608 (Wondai), 4614 (Yarraman), 4615 (Maidenwell) and 4615 (Nanango). * * * January 10 South Burnett road closures: Download PDF

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! December 10, 2010 - Southburnett.biz would like to wish all our readers a very happy and safe Christmas and a prosperous 2011! 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 10. A huge thank you to everyone who has assisted us over the past 12 months!

Kingaroy Library On The Move December 9, 2010 - The vacant shops in Haly Street, Kingaroy, will be put to good use after Christmas when they become the temporary new home of the Kingaroy Library. The council library in Glendon Street will close on December 24 and re-open on Monday, January 17, in new premises at 189-191 Haly Street. The move will allow further renovation of the Kingaroy Town Hall forecourt area and the current library facility. * * * The executive committee of the South Burnett Wine Industry Association was re-elected unopposed at the AGM held in Tingoora on Monday night. Re-elected were President Jason Kinsella (Moffatdale Ridge), Vice-President Kevin Temperton (Bellbird Wines) and Secretary Paula Greenwood (Greenwood's Vineyards). Read more on South Burnett Wine

So You Thought They Couldn't Be Bought? December 8, 2010 - The South Burnett Regional Council has come up with a novel way to raise money for charity - they've decided to flog off their councillors. South Burnett businesses will have the opportunity to "buy" a councillor next Thursday and put him/her to work. The Work a Day in Your Shoes slave auction - sorry, charity auction - will be held on December 16 from 6:00am to 9:00am in the Kingaroy Town Hall Forecourt, Glendon Street, Kingaroy, and will be accompanied by a BBQ brekkie by the Kingaroy Rotary Club. It will also be broadcast live by local radio stations 10.71 and CROW-FM. The money raised will help Angel Flight, a foundation that co-ordinates non-emergency free flights for financially and medically needy people anywhere in Australia. * * * UPDATE December 17, 2010 - Auction results: Here's the going rate for councillors ... Mayor David Carter - $1602 for a day of work at the Booie Bello Vista Restaurant and another day at Brumby's Bakery, Kingaroy Shoppingworld. Cr Keith Campbell - $1668 to work for charities including SB Care, the Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul and Meals on Wheels. Cr Kathy Duff - $300 - Kingaroy Office Central Cr Cheryl Dalton - $425 - Fortrus Quarries Cr Damien Tessmann - $370 - Donut King Cr Deb Palmer - $200 - CROW-FM Cr Barry Green - $250 - South Burnett CTC A total of $4814.00 was raised for Angel Flight as well as an additional $60 from the gold coin breakfast. Congratulations everyone!

Time Is Running Out To Have Your Say! December 7, 2010 - The deadline for South Burnett residents to have a say on the draft Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan - an important State Government planning document that will shape the direction of the region until 2031 - is rapidly approaching. The regional plan plan, (see SBBiz, October 4), sets out strategic directions - where people are going to live, land use options, growth areas, green space - in fact, everything from air quality and noise to economic development, tourism development, transport and waste recycling. It can be downloaded from the Department of Infrastructure and Planning website Public comments close on December 24, 2010.

Algal Bloom Closes Gordonbrook Dam - Again December 6, 2010 - Local residents or visitors hoping to do a spot of fishing at Gordonbrook Dam, (right), over the Christmas break will be disappointed with the news today that the dam has again be closed due to water quality issues. The South Burnett Regional Council says recent sampling has detected very high levels of blue green algae following fresh inflows into the dam over the past few months. All access to the dam has been closed, including access to the boat ramp and fishing from the banks. Council says the dam will remain closed until subsequent water samples indicate acceptable levels. UPDATE: December 21, 2010: Recent rainfall has allowed Council to re-open Gordonbrook Dam over the Christmas period. The dam is open for limited boating and recreation. Only boats with electric motors (max 6 knots) are permitted, as well as man-powered vessels such as kayaks and canoes. No ski-boats, jet skis or other fuel-powered boats are allowed on the dam.

Two Representatives From South Burnett On Merged Tourism Board December 3, 2010 - The South Burnett will have two representatives on the Board of the newly merged Toowoomba, Golden West and South Burnett Tourism Association. They are Neil Archer (Red Rock on Booie) and South Burnett Regional Mayor Cr David Carter. They will join: President Debra Howe (Toowoomba Regional Council) Vice-President James Haig (Department of Environment and Resource Management - Environmental Protection Agency), Secretary Stephen O'Brien (Park Motor Inn - Toowoomba) Treasurer Cr Robyn Fuhrmeister (Balonne Shire Council) and Board Members: Deborah Bailey (Cobb & Co Museum, Toowoomba) Helen Bawden (Museum of Australian Army Flying, Oakey) Cr Joy Denton (Maranoa Regional Council) Gerry Golder (Gundy Star Tourist Van Park, Goondiwindi) Michelle Hogan (City Golf Club, Toowoomba) Cr Andrew Smith (Western Downs Regional Council) Branton Woodhead (Crows Nest Motel)

Pilot Carbon Capture Plant Opens At Tarong December 2, 2010 - A pilot carbon capture plant - which captures carbon dioxide from flue gases - was officially opened at Tarong Power Station today, (right). The $5 million project is a partnership between the CSIRO and Tarong Energy Corporation. The post combustion capture (PCC) technology uses a liquid solvent to capture carbon dioxide from the station's flue gases and has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power stations by more than 80 per cent. CSIRO Advanced Coal Technology Director Dr John Carras said the PCC technology could help strike a balance between the increasing global demand for energy and the need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The pilot plant is designed to capture about 1000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. It will be used to assist the development of efficient PCC technology at a commercial scale. The pilot plant was officially launched by Mines and Energy Minister Stephen Robertson.

New Face Joins CTC Board December 1, 2010 - Michael Hammond, from Thiess, was elected to the Board of South Burnett CTC Inc at the not-for-profit association's Annual General Meeting held in Kingaroy this evening. Re-elected were John Quatermass (patron), chairman Howard Leisemann and Board Members Nina Temperton, Max Lehmann, Geoff Hosking, John Box, Keith Campbell, Michael Carroll, Eric Cross, Graham Easterby and Jenny Walters. Mr Leisemann said there were many individuals and businesses who had assisted the organisation over the past 12 months but he extended a special thank you to Thiess who had helped CTC establish a commercial laundry at The Gumnut Place in Murgon. He also thanked CTC's managers and employees for their dedication and support. Secretary Nina Temperton said CTC was currently running more than 40 programs in the community, including 65 per cent of employment services contracts in the South Burnett, however she cautioned that this Federal Government contract would expire in 2012. It was also announced at that the meeting that the National Australia Bank would be assisting CTC through its "staff volunteer days" over the next 12 months. ABOVE: Relaxing after the meeting, South Burnett Regional Council Mayor David Carter, Nina Temperton and Howard Leisemann Download CTC's 2010 Annual Report here

Sunday Trading Application Before Commission November 30, 2010 - A renewed application by the National Retail Association to allow Sunday trading in Kingaroy will be heard by a Full-Bench of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission today. The application, which will be heard at the Kingaroy Courthouse, seeks trading hours from 9:00am-5:00pm on Sundays and 8:30am to 5:30pm on public holidays (except Christmas Day, Good Friday, Anzac Day and Labour Day). The South Burnett Regional Council does not support the proposal. At their November meeting, councillors voted 5-1 against supporting the application due to the impact it would cause on smaller communities in the region. Cr Barry Green was the dissenting voice. The last time this idea was mooted was in 2005 when the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a public debate to discuss the idea. There was strong opposition from local shopkeepers and a petition was presented which included 65 signatures from CBD traders collected in just two afternoons. UPDATE 1/12/10: NRA Executive Director Gary Black told SBBiz today the Commission had reserved its decision after hearing evidence from about 10 witnesses, both for and against the application. He expected a decision would be handed down early in the New Year. The NRA represents many national chains including Gloria Jeans, Best & Less, Target and Woolworths.

Council Approves Youngman Street Motel Site November 29, 2010 - The South Burnett Regional Council has voted to approve rezoning of a block of land behind the South Burnett Private Hospital to allow construction of a motel. The land, which fronts 76-78 Youngman Street, Kingaroy, will be now included in the Business and Commercial Zone to allow the construction of a 28-unit motel plus a manager's residence. The two blocks have remained vacant for many years following the removal of cottages on the site. Kingaroy real estate agent Freeman Estates is now marketing the land on behalf of the developer. The council approval for the development will remain current for four years.

Cougar Energy 'Here To Stay' November 26, 2010 - Cougar Energy Chairman Malcolm McAully told shareholders at the company's AGM in Melbourne today that Cougar was "here to stay" despite a most challenging year. He admitted the company had struggled to manage the consequences of a decision earlier this year by the Queensland Government to shut down its Kingaroy UCG pilot plant. "Cougar Energy remains confident that Underground Coal Gasification can provide a cost-competitive and cleaner source of power generation," he said. He criticised reporting of the water contamination scare in Kingaroy and the "premature" reaction of the State Government. "Cougar Energy remains undeterred by the, at times, ill-informed public comment and the seemingly premature reaction of the Queensland Government to events at Kingaroy," he said. "In fact at times it appeared that the discussion in public was based more on fear and hysteria rather than reality. "We, at Cougar Energy, understand the need for thorough scrutiny and debate about our business as we demonstrate the viability of UCG as an alternative energy source of the future. However the debate must be informed by facts and not misinformation nor deliberately misleading statements and accusations." He said Cougar Energy was strongly committed to achieving the re-commencement of the operations at Kingaroy but was also exploring UCG opportunities elsewhere. Download the full address by Mr McAully here Cougar Energy considers legal action

Treasurer Promises No 'Operational ' Job Losses As Axe Falls On Tarong Energy November 25, 2010 - Tarong Energy - operator of the Tarong and Tarong North power stations near Nanango - will cease to exist from July 1 under a restructure plan announced by the State Government today. Operation of the two power stations will be rolled into a new body which will also be responsible for the Stanwell, Collinsville and Swanbank E power stations. Premier Anna Bligh told State Parliament this morning that as a result of a review begun in December 2008, Queensland's three power-generating companies would be merged into two. A second new body would be responsible for the Kogan Creek, Gladstone, Callide B, Callide C and Wivenhoe power stations. Treasurer Andrew Fraser said consultations would begin today with employees, including the current CEOs, and unions about the restructure plan. While he promised there would be no job losses for the operational workforce at the power stations, he said the restructure would impact on some corporate and office positions. "There will be no forced redundancies for award or agreement staff," he said. Mr Fraser said the mergers would save $60 million through reduced corporate overheads, improved asset management and maintenance synergies. These savings would be used to expand the Climate Smart Home Service. * * * Ergon Energy crews began a major upgrade to the electricity network near Kingaroy today to cater for growth in the south-east of the town. Crews from the South Burnett and Bundaberg worked on high-voltage powerlines on the D'Aguilar Highway near Taabinga State School and Clarke and Swendsons Road. Next Thursday, they will work on lines along Harris Road. They will also upgrade poles as part of the project and replace a transformer on Harris Road. About 70 customers may have lost power today while the work was being carried out.