Home Page

Kelly's Back In Business! May 5, 2009 - A former South Burnett business has sprung back into life after a short time away ... but proprietor Kelly Taffe is confident all her old clients haven't forgotten her! Kelee's Makeup Artistry re-opens its doors today at Shop 2, 32 King Street, Kingaroy with in-store specials for Mother's Day. Kelly specialises in all waxing and beauty needs including make-up for weddings, formals or any special occasion. She also offers facials, manicures and pedicures. She can be contacted on (07) 4162-8336 or by email

Council Seeks Comments On New Corporate Plan May 1, 2009 - The South Burnett Regional Council today unveiled a draft of its Corporate Plan which will guide the region for the next four years. The plan identifies priorities for council and will guide decision-making, budget deliberations, operations and the allocation of resources up to 2013. Council is seeking feedback from the community on the draft Corporate Plan. Community Meetings will be held at: Murgon Town Hall, Thursday, May 7 from 5:30pm Nanango Cultural Centre, Wednesday, May 13 from 5:30 pm Wondai Memorial Hall, Thursday, May 14, from 5:30 pm Kingaroy Reception Room (Town Hall), Tuesday May 19, from 5:30 pm Residents are also invited to fill in a feedback form which must be returned to Council by June 1.

Target Country Kingaroy Opens Today April 30, 2009 - Kingaroy's latest national franchise store, Target Country, will be opening its doors to the public for the first time at 8:30am today. Target Country is located in the expanding Town Centre complex between Kingaroy and Avoca streets which now includes SupaIGA, a bottleshop, Dominos and a Dollars and Sense discount variety store. The Target Country team had a "practice run" on Tuesday night when they invited guests to the official opening. Ready for business are the Kingaroy Target Country management team, from left, store manager Aimee McIntyre, trainee manager Candice Bleys, district manager Gerard Winzenberg and assistant manager Amanda Parnell

Tourism Board Funded To Provide Training April 29, 2009 - The Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism Board has been awarded $36,370 from the State Government's Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to provide tourism and retail training. "The 220 participants in this project will receive training to work in tourism, hospitality, retail and the service and supply industries," Parliamentary Secretary for Employment and Economic Development Jan Jarratt, (right), said. Board spokesman Paul Massingham said day courses to deliver selected units from the Certificate III in Hospitality would be offered throughout the region including at Kingaroy, Nanango, Wondai, Kilkivan, Cherbourg, Murgon and Goomeri. "Participants will also have access of up to six months support after they have completed the training," he said.

Positive Solutions For Difficult People April 28, 2009 - Do you have difficult people in your professional life? Aggressive or unmotivated clients? Then Sunshine Coast counsellor and speaker Ken Warren's upcoming seminars in Kingaroy may be able to help. The Managing Aggressive People seminar will be held at the Kingaroy RSL Anzac Room from 9:00am-3:00pm on Thursday May 14. This seminar is designed for disability workers, school staff, youth workers, counsellors, mental health workers, front-line staff and others who either deal with aggression of help these people to change their behaviour. The Engaging and Motivating Difficult Clients seminar will be held at the same venue the following day (May 15), also from 9:00am-3:00pm. This seminar is for counsellors, mental health workers, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, dieticians, deputy principals, youth workers and other helping professionals. For more information, visit the Positive People Solutions website * * * ABC Southern Queensland began a new segment this morning focussing on news from the South Burnett. Click here to listen to the report from correspondent (and BIEDO media and administration officer) Belinda Pennell.

Computer Service Is On A Roll April 27, 2009 - Champion tenpin bowler Morty Douglass, owner of South Burnett Computer Services and the Rd8 Technology Group, has relocated his business interests to (where else?) the Kingaroy Tenpin Bowling Centre on the Bunya Highway. Morty has purchased the bowling centre and closed the Leading Edge retail store which had been located next to Betta Electrical in Alford Street, Kingaroy. South Burnett Computer Services will continue to sell computers, telephone and communication equipment and other electronic items at the tenpin centre as well as offer computer repairs and run an Internet cafe.

Historic Dickabram Bridge Re-Opens To Road Traffic April 24, 2009 - The historic Dickabram Bridge - a key part of the Kingaroy-Theebine rail line - has reopened to motorists after months of rehabilitation work by the State Government. "Dickabram Bridge is Heritage-listed and is the oldest remaining large metal truss bridge constructed by Queensland Railways," Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said today. "Commissioned in 1886, the bridge is unique as it carries a roadway as well as a railway. Maintenance work was needed to sustain the life of the bridge, including replacing several major timber components such as decking and handrails. "The work will reduce future maintenance costs and ensure long-term durability of the bridge." For rail enthusiasts, a couple of interesting YouTube clips featuring Dickabram Bridge: Video 1 - Steam train crosses the Dickabram Bridge on the Kingaroy Branch, en route to Gympie - October 1984 Video 2 - Possibly one of the last trains to cross the bridge ... removing the empty wagons that had been parked near Byee for many years. NB. The poor condition of Dickabram Bridge was a major reason put forward at the time for the closure of the Kingaroy rail link.

Drought Status Lifted April 23, 2009 - The South and North Burnett regions have been removed from the official drought list following recent rainfall. Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin yesterday announced the revocation of drought status of 12 local government areas across Queensland, effective April 21. Other shires include Gympie, Lockyer Valley, Ipswich City, Somerset and the Southern Downs. At the height of the drought, in February 2004, 66.5 per cent of Queensland was drought declared. This has now been reduced to 41 per cent. "Producers who believe they have not received adequate rainfall to alleviate drought conditions can contact Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries on 13-25-23 for an Individually Droughted Property declaration which gives the same access to drought assistance as having the whole area declaration," Mr Mulherin said.

Kunioon Farms May Be Spared From Coal Development April 22, 2009 - Queensland Country Life is reporting today that farms not already purchased by Tarong Energy for the proposed Kunioon coal mine may now be "saved" from development. According to QCL, Tarong Energy is only continuing with "voluntary" land acquisitions at this time. Tarong Energy announced recently that it had reappraised the geology at the existing Meandu mine near Nanango and had found more coal there than it originally thought. These new reserves would be adequate to continue "well beyond" 2012, the original date set for closure of the mine. Read the full story on the Queensland Country Life website

Five-Day Heritage Muster At Boondooma Homestead April 21, 2009 - The five-day "Spirit of the Bush" Heritage Weekend & Balladeers' Muster - one of the South Burnett's most popular annual events - will kick off tomorrow at 1:00pm at the historic Boondooma Homestead. Some of Australia's top balladeers and bush poets will appear including Brian Young, Gary Fogarty, Dean Perrett, Shaza Leigh and Harry Early as well as walk-up artists. There will also be competitions for Homestead Balladeers, Bush Ballad Song, Australiana Art and Poetry. For more information contact Buddy Thomson or Lynne Bennett on (07) 4168-0168 or by email. Camping is available on site. The Boondooma Heritage Weekend & Balladeers' Muster draws huge crowds ... this is last year's muster from the air

Mark Your Diaries - September 12! April 20, 2009 - It's official! The 2009 Kingaroy Peanut Festival will be held on Saturday, September 12. An application to incorporate a community group to run this year's festival was sent to the Department of Fair Trading today. An association was formed and an executive committee elected at a meeting held in Kingaroy last Wednesday night. President is Dafyd Martindale, Secretary Anne Miller and Treasurer Ray Wilton. Support for the festival has been confirmed from a number of local community groups and businesses, including Quota, Lions, Scouts, PCA, The Peanut Van, South Burnett CTC and The Artists Cottage. South Burnett Regional Council Mayor David Carter and Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell have also offered their support. A formal request has been made to the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry for all assets from former Peanut Festivals to be passed on to the new group.

Sharing Indigenous Cultures With Many April 17, 2009 - Well-known Cherbourg resident Patti Bond has launched a consultancy to provide cross-cultural training for local organisations, especially those involved in policy development, program planning and evaluation. The Mai'Yandah Consultancy will deliver training packages that increase knowledge and understanding of Australia's traditional, historical and contemporary Indigenous cultures and build positive attitudes and communication. Patti has 35 years experience working specifically with Indigenous issues and is a Certificate IV Workplace Trainer. The consultancy, which is sponsored by the Bunya Wakka Wakka Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, can be contacted on (07) 4168-3044. NB. Mai'yandah means "many" in Wakka Wakka so Patti will be "sharing her culture with many".

Focus on Promotion April 16, 2009 - The Country Focus in Nanango has branched out ... into personalised promotional items. Flexsys Promotions, which will be located behind the Country Focus at 49 Drayton Street, now provides personalised items such as mugs, caps, keytags, mousepads and a variety of other items for individuals, sporting clubs and businesses. Owner Ross Towell said he and his wife Sandy had been involved in a similar business in Brisbane and realised there was a gap in the market after they came to the South Burnett. Rather than continuing to send away to Brisbane or Toowoomba for promotional items, which was proving costly, they decided to solve the problem by starting their own business here. Flexsys can be contacted on (07) 4163-2266.

Kingaroy To Host ABARE Conference April 15, 2009 - The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) will be holding a Regional Outlook Conference in Kingaroy later this month. The conference, at Kingaroy RSL Club on April 29, will feature discussions by a number of well-known local residents including Barb Madden (Smithfield Fieldlot), Dr Graeme Wright (PCA) and Rob Patch (The Peanut Van) as well as ABARE economists and analysts. Sessions will be chaired by Scott Lamond (ABC Rural), John Day (DPI&F), Cr David Carter (South Burnett Regional Council) and Linda Silburn (BIEDO). Regional Outlook Conferences allow ABARE to deliver commodity forecasts, economic analysis and research results directly to rural and regional communities. For more information contact Angela Ellerman at ABARE on (02) 6272-2303, by email or download a conference program (274kb PDF). * * * Today marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of St Mary's Catholic Church in Kingaroy. The sometimes controversial Archbishop Duhig travelled from Brisbane to officially open and bless the building on this day in 1909.

NA Meeting Opens Tonight April 14, 2009 - Narcotics Anonymous, a self-help 12 Step program for people who feel they may have a problem with drugs - legal or illegal - will be opening a new weekly meeting in Kingaroy tonight. According to the NA website, recovery in NA focuses on the problem of addiction, not on any particular drug. The basic premise of anonymity at meetings allows addicts to attend without fear of legal or social repercussions. The new Kingaroy NA meeting will be held on Tuesday nights from 7:30pm at the Biscuit Tin (the small meeting room behind the Catholic Church Hall) at 15 Albert Street. For more information, contact NA Kingaroy by email or phone the Brisbane Helpline on (07) 3391-5045.

TAFE Staff Thanked For Loyal Service April 9, 2009 - Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE staff have been rewarded for their long years of service to the South Burnett community. Institute Director Paul Murphy presented seven staff with service certificates and badges at an informal ceremony recently. Gold Awards for 20 years' service were presented to June Robson (counsellor) and Peter McFarlane (teacher), Silver Awards for 15 years' service to Catherine Richards (planning and performance officer), Janice Nielsen (workplace training officer/teacher), Sharon McFarlane (teacher) and Fay Groom (librarian) and Bronze Award for 10 years' service to Tamara Geritz (workplace training officer). SQIT Director Paul Murphy (back row, third from left) presented SQIT Kingaroy campus staff with their service certificates and badges. From left, Fay Groom, Peter McFarlane, Tamara Geritz, Cathy Richards, June Robson, Janice Nielsen and Sharon McFarlane

Foxy Ladies Move To Kinleymore April 8, 2009 - Foxy Ladies Quilting - which has always been a popular stopover for tourists at Wooroolin - has relocated to larger premises at 109 Dionysius Road, Kinleymore (between Hivesville and Proston). Owner Jenny Watson said the new studio and gallery features displays of quilts as well as the huge quilting machine in action. There would also be craft classes. It will be open 8:30am to 4:00pm daily. She said another plus for the new location was that there was plenty of room for caravans and coaches to park. Signs are being erected on the highway and at Hivesville to help people find the new location. Foxy Ladies Quilting can be contacted on (07) 4164-2224 or by email Don't forget the second meeting of the newly formed Peanut Festival group will meet tonight from 5:30pm at the South Burnett Enterprise Centre (in the IT Centre - Shed 1). Everyone welcome, especially representatives from service clubs!

Three Useful Workshops Scheduled April 7, 2009 - There are three workshops being held in Kingaroy soon which may be of interest to South Burnett residents: 1. Planning for Success at the Kingaroy RSL, 1:00pm-4:00pm, Wednesday April 29. Cost $44.00. This State Government workshop is designed to give participants the knowledge and skills needed to plan for improvement in their business and to determine what is needed in a business plan. Registration phone (07) 4121-1780 2. Charitable & Non-Profit Gaming - Rules & Regulations Training. The Queensland Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing is offering training courses for not-for-profit groups at Kingaroy RSL on May 13 from 6:00pm-7:00pm. Cost $22. Registration phone (07) 3872-0910. 3. Smart Marketing at the Kingaroy RSL, 1:00pm-4:00pm , Wednesday May 27. Cost $44.00. This State Government workshop covers the one area of business that can dramatically increase sales. Develop marketing strategies to grow your business and discover how to implement these strategies with a minimum of fuss. Registration phone (07) 4121-1780.

Cougar Energy Raises $4.2m April 6, 2009 - The underground coal gasification (UCG) project at Kingaroy has moved a step closer with the announcement by Cougar Energy on Friday that it had received commitments for a $4.2 million capital injection. Melbourne Capital has arranged the placement of 70 million Cougar shares at 6 cents each (less the costs of the placement). Cougar has previously announced that it plans to construct a pilot UCG plant near Kingaroy later this year and has plans for a second UCG project in the Surat Basin. It hopes to eventually construct a 400MW power station near Kingaroy. NB. In another fightback against the recession, the new Harvey Norman store is opening in Kingaroy today and a new Target store will be opening in the Kingaroy Town Centre (the SupaIGA precinct) on April 30!

CTC Scoops 65% Of Job Placements April 3, 2009 - South Burnett-based CTC Employment Services is celebrating after being awarded an amazing 65 per cent of available regional positions in the Federal Government's new Jobs Services Australia contract announced yesterday. The remainder of positions in the Gympie Employment Service Area (ESA) have been awarded to a recently formed consortium, Employment Services Queensland (trading as One-Stop Employment), which consists of Career Employment Australia, Challenge Employment and Training, Skill Centred Queensland and the Cairns Regional Community Development & Employment ATSI Corporation. The controversial $4 billion Federal Government reform of employment services, which officially begins on July 1, has left other local employment service providers equally stunned. CHR Employment Services, JobFind Centres Australia and Mission Australia received no local placements under the new contract. The independent competitive tender was run by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.