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Unmanned Aircraft Trials A Great Success May 20, 2010 - Trials using a private airstrip near Burrandowan have proved so successful that researchers hope to demonstrate by the end of this year that up to 50 aircraft - both real and simulated - can safely, and automatically, share a confined airspace. The Smart Skies project - involving Boeing, the Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation (ARCAA), CSIRO and the Queensland University of Technology - is developing an automated separation management system for aircraft. Tests conducted locally have included unmanned aircraft avoiding obstacles such as trees, buildings, powerlines and other aircraft. The $10 million project is due to be completed by March next year. Read the full story on Flight Global

Salvos Get Ready To Hit The Streets (and Park) May 19, 2010 - It's going to be a busy couple of weeks for the Salvation Army corps in Kingaroy - with a winter sleepout, a visiting band and the Red Shield Appeal all ready to go. This Saturday night, the Salvos will be hosting a Winter Sleepout for teenagers in Kingaroy's Memorial Park to help raise awareness of homelessness in the local region. There will be a Soup Kitchen (with soup prepared by local chef Jason Ford), games and guest speakers. Cardboard will be provided but participants should bring their own sleeping bags as it's guaranteed to be COLD! One of the largest Salvation Army bands in Queensland - the Carina Brass Band - will also be performing free concerts on Saturday at 4pm and 7pm and then will back up on Sunday at the Salvos' hall in Mary Street to conduct workshops with local town and school bands. Then on Thursday May 27, local businesspeople are invited to attend the Kingaroy RSL for the official launch of the 2010 Red Shield Appeal annual doorknock. Guest speaker will be Bill Hunter, chaplain to the Brisbane Broncos, and there will also be an auction on the night. For more information about any of the above events - and to RSVP for the Red Shield appeal launch - contact Lt Craig Harlum on 0408-623-701.

Second Underground Coal Gas Project For Kingaroy? May 18, 2010 - A possible second Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) project near Kingaroy has moved a step closer with the signing of a $2m agreement between Red River Resources and Black Gold Resources. The companies are investigating coal deposits south-west of Kingaroy, about 9km from the Cougar UCG project. Independent consultants have inferred coal resources of 82.1 million tonnes in the exploration permit area EPC 1181. Red River says these coal seams aren't suitable for coal seam gas exploitation or underground mining but are "entirely suitable" for underground coal gasification technology. The State Government has placed a moratorium on further UCG evaluation programs until 2011-12 when a report will be presented to Cabinet but Red River is confident the EPC 1181 coal seams are unlikely to be declared off-limits in this review. The Heads of Agreement between Red River and Black Gold is subject to approval by shareholders of both companies. Read the Red River Stock Exchange Announcement (538kb PDF) Listen to Red River Resources managing director John Karajas on Boardroom Radio

South Burnett Professionals Urged To Consider Surat Basin For Work May 17, 2010: South Burnett professionals looking for better money and/or a career change are being urged to consider relocating to the Surat Basin to help fill an anticipated labour shortage. The recent announcement of the BG Group coal seam gas project in the Basin (which is expected to produce enough gas to supply China for 20 years) will create up to 8500 jobs during the construction of the plant and pipeline and then require thousands of engineers, petroleum engineers, seismic exploration geologists, production engineers, piping engineers, and supervisors in all these categories for on-going management of the project. Sophie Macdonald, principal of Skye Recruitment which specialises in supplying staff to the Queensland oil and gas industry (pictured), says that Queensland doesn't have enough professionals right now to work on current projects, let alone future ones like the BG Group project. "We're starting to recruit from overseas in places like the UK, South Africa, Canada and the Middle East," she says. "The industry is offering very attractive salaries and packages to try to secure staff. So there are plenty of opportunities for South Burnett professionals too." Skye Recruitment publish a regular e-newsletter for clients and candidates in the oil and gas industry to keep them advised of current and up-coming employment opportunities. You can sign up for it by visiting their website.

Win One Of 10 Free Double Passes To The Big Screen Film Festival On Saturday 22nd May May 14, 2010: The Big Screen Film Festival is coming to Nanango and Blackbutt for the 4th year running on May 21st, 22nd and 23rd. And to celebrate the launch of our new look website we have 10 double passes to give away! The double passes are to Saturday night's Big Screen feature attractions in Nanango: Subdivision - a hilarious new Australian comedy filmed in Hervey Bay which explores what happens when two small-town carpenters have their world turned upside down after a big developer moves into the area; and Aunty Maggie And The Womba Wakgun, a rib-tickling short comedy film about Aunty Maggie, three hungry nephews and a nuisance rooster that features the South Burnett's very own Leah Purchell in the lead role (pictured above). Both films will screen at the Nanango State High School Hall in Elk Street, Nanango from 6:30pm on Saturday May 22nd. And to win a free double pass, all you need to do is be one of the first 10 people to email us with your name and phone number no later than 4:00pm on Monday 17th May.

Welcome To The New SouthBurnett.Biz Version 4.0! May 13, 2010: Hello everyone! If you're a regular visitor to our website you'll have noticed a big change from around 11:00am this morning. This is when we launched SouthBurnett.Biz Version 4.0. Our new look has been designed to upgrade our website from the 800x600 dial-up world that most of the South Burnett lived in a few years ago to the wide-screen, ADSL and wireless broadband world that roughly 97% of us live in today. While we were at it, we've also updated the towns in our coverage areas to relocate them into the new Shires that came into existence after the forced Council mergers in March 2008; and we've tried to make our search facility a little more obvious too. Right now - every single month - our visitors run more than 21,000 queries through our databases (that's slightly more than 250,000 a year). So over the next few months you can expect to see a number of other exciting and significant improvements to our website. And we'll let you know about each of them as they occur. In the meantime, though, we'd certainly like to hear your comments on our new look and you're most welcome to phone them through to us on (07) 4162-3899 or to simply email us your views.

Jade Wins Bronze Medal In National Competition May 12, 2010 - Congratulations to Jade Strack, from Nanango, who has won a Bronze medal in the Auto Electrical category at the WorldSkills Australia trade excellence competition held in Brisbane at the weekend. Jade, who is employed by Kingaroy Auto Electrics, underwent his training at the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE. More than 500 competitors, all regional winners in their categories from across Australia, competed in 50 trade and skill categories in front of 250 judges. Competitors were judged against national and international benchmarks, training packages and employability competencies. Gold medallists will get the opportunity to compete at the 41st International WorldSkills Competition in London next year.

OriginOil Joins Algal Oil Project May 11, 2010 - OriginOil and MBD Energy Ltd have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will further the development of a renewable oil project to be tested at Tarong Power Station. OriginOil will supply MBD Energy with its Quantum Fracturing™ and Single-Step Extraction™ systems which transform algae into a source of renewable oil. Tarong Energy has committed to building a test facility which will capture carbon dioxide emissions from the power station and use them to grow oil-rich algae in solar bioreactors (see SBBiz Nov 20, 2009). In the full production systems, OriginOil's technology will be integrated into the MBD system to enhance algae growth and then perform oil extraction. Two other Algal Synthesiser power station projects will also be developed: at Loy Yang A in Victoria and Eraring Energy, NSW. Read the Origin Oil press release UPDATE July 20, 2010: $5m grant from Federal Government

Workshop To Help Businesses Do It Better May 10, 2010 - The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) will be holding a Managing For Profits workshop next month in Kingaroy. The workshop has been designed to give participants an awareness of the financial elements involved in running a successful business. Other topics to be covered include financial terminology, basic financial ratios and understanding financial statements. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, June 9 from 1:00pm-4:00pm at the Kingaroy RSL Club. Cost is $44 and registrations are essential. For more information and to book, phone DEEDI's Maryborough Business Assistance office on (07) 4121-1780.

Juli Targets Business Success May 7, 2010 - Former PCA Marketing Manager and Marketing Director at APN Australian Publishing (publishers of the South Burnett Times), Juli Robertson, (right), has launched her own business consultancy, JTB Consulting. The well-known former Kingaroy resident is offering "whole business" solutions on growth, advertising and marketing to a broad range of clients, including many in the South Burnett. Juli has also recently launched a new website, www.jtbconsulting.com.au and is an approved supplier of the Queensland Government's Jobs Assist program. Juli can be contacted on 0417-707-280 or by email

Singalong With Bronwyn Bishop May 6, 2010 - Federal MP Bronwyn Bishop will be joining the Blackbutt community at a seniors luncheon on May 19 to help raise runds for the Blackbutt-Benarkin Aged Care Centre project. As well as guest speaker Bronwyn - who is the Opposition spokesman for Seniors - there'll be entertainment from the Blackbutt Singers and a sing-along with Golden Oldies pianist Shirley Nelson. The fun starts at 11am and there will also be a lucky door prize and raffle. The charity fundraiser is being organised by the Yarraman branch of the Liberal National Party. For more information, contact Jim Bond on 0419-668-656.

Council Approves Multi-Million Dollar Murgon Development May 5, 2010 - In a split decision, the South Burnett Regional Council has granted preliminary approval to override the Planning Scheme and allow a multi-million dollar residential, industrial and motel project at Murgon. The application by the Murgon Property Group was first submitted to Murgon Council in 2007. After vigorous debate at the April 7, 2010 SBRC meeting, councillors voted to let the application lay on the table until the next meeting to allow time for council staff to draft conditions for approval. At the April 27 meeting, a motion that would have approved the motel component only was defeated 4-3; then a motion to defer a decision until the May meeting was also defeated 4-3. The final motion to approve the development, subject to conditions, was carried 4-3 with Crs David Carter, Kathy Duff, Barry Green and Damien Tessmann voting in favour. Approval for the residential component is now subject to the provision of information to council on the stability of the land, water and sewage requirements, footpaths and cycleways, drainage and an analysis of housing trends and demographic data for Murgon.

Learn More About Solar Energy May 4, 2010 - Air Solar Kingaroy is inviting South Burnett residents to find out more about solar power options in a free seminar to be held at the Kingaroy Town Hall next week. The seminar, which will include displays in the Town Hall forecourt, aims to explain how solar energy works, how "return-to-grid" systems operate and the benefits of heat pump technology. Up-to-date information on current government rebates will also be available. There will also be slide shows and a guest speaker, Paul Edwards, from the Green Energy Council. The seminar will run from 6-9pm on Wednesday, May 12.

Pulse Health Backs Federal Health Takeover April 30, 2010 - Pulse Health Limited, operator of the South Burnett Private Hospital in Kingaroy, is looking forward to the takeover of the public health system by the Federal Government. In a statement, Pulse said the new system, which will see public hospitals funded nationally but run locally, would create "significant outsourcing opportunities" for businesses like Pulse. Pulse CEO Dr Ian Kadish said the company also has plans under evaluation that if success would "significantly enhance our earnings in their first 12 months of operation". Pulse Health has lifted revenue by 30 per cent to $17.3 million in the six months to 30 December 2009. Earnings before interest, tax and depreciation rose $917,000 from $279,000 to $1.196 million. The Sydney-based private hospital provider also owns and operates the Westmead Private Rehabilitation Hospital in Sydney and Forster, Bega and Gympie Private Hospitals.

New Real Estate Guide Hits The Streets April 29, 2010 - A new real estate guide, South Burnett Homeview, (right), has been distributed around the South Burnett featuring full colour glossy advertisements for homes and business in the region. Publisher Sherry Leach also prepares a Southern Downs edition of the guide and both versions are also available online at www.treechangeqld.com Properties from Goomeri to Blackbutt have been advertised in this first edition, which is available at most local real estate agencies.

Learn More About Some Common Scams April 28, 2010 - The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released an easy guide for small businesses to help them identify and avoid many common scams. The guide, which can be downloaded here, has details about common scams including overpayments, unauthorised advertising, expensive fax-back schemes and confusing domain name "renewal notices". The ACCC also operates the SCAMwatch website which can help small businesses - and everyone else too! - recognise and report scams.

Hitch Halts Gas Production at Coolabunia April 27, 2010 - Cougar Energy announced today that gas production at its Coolabunia test site will recommence in four to six weeks after a blockage temporarily forced it to halt production. "After the successful initial gas production phase, restrictions to air and product gas flows were observed, and the gasification process was temporarily discontinued to allow for well inspection," a press statement said. "This revealed blockage to the inner casing of both P1 and P4 (wells) caused by thermal expansion, and work is now under way to assess their potential for recovery and future use ... The installation of two new process wells, which were scheduled for later this year, will now be brought forward so that the gas production program for the next 12 months can be continued." Production of syngas began at Coolabunia on March 16 this year and Cougar says initial results indicated high quality gas had been produced, confirming the suitability of this coal deposit for underground coal gasification (UCG) technology. Listen to Cougar Managing Director Dr Len Walker explain the glitch on Boardroom Radio. Dr Walker also announces Cougar has been given approval to develop the pilot plant at Coolabunia up to 30MW generating capacity.

UCG Consultative Committee Seeks Members April 23, 2010 - The Underground Coal Gasification Project Kingaroy Community Consultative Committee (KCCC) is seeking two new members to join its ranks. The current committee of nine includes a mix of community and Cougar Energy representatives but this group believes it needs to obtain a broader cross-section of people attending to increase the number involved in the consultation process. People interested in nominating for the committee should contact chairman Mayor David Carter by email or on 0429-999-029 for more information. Download the KCCC's April newsletter (772kb PDF)

Have Your Say On Daylight Saving! April 22, 2010 - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland is inviting all Queensland businesspeople to have a say on the proposed daylight saving trial in Queensland. This is a quick snap poll by the CCIQ and to be counted you must have your say by the close of business tomorrow. The CCIQ will circulate the results of the poll to all Queensland MPs to allow them to consider the business perspective on this issue. To complete the poll, click here

Go Stargazing At Maidenwell April 21, 2010 - James Barclay will be holding a 12-hour Astronomy Course for budding stargazers at his Maidenwell Astronomical Observatory on August 14. The day will start at 9am in the Star Theatre with theory sessions. At 7pm, the focus will shift to the Observatory for a four-hour session covering star maps and using telescopes. Cost is $300 and bookings must be made by August 7. For more information, contact James on (07) 4164-6194 or 0427-961-391.