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Carbon Tax Slashes Tarong Energy Profits October 5, 2011 - Tarong Energy - now part of Stanwell Corporation - made a net loss after tax for 2010-11 of $465.7 million, solely due to a write-down of assets in the lead up to the introduction of the Federal Government's new carbon tax. In its Annual Report, tabled in State Parliament last week, Tarong showed an operational profit after tax of $33.7m (down from $91.5m in 2009-10) however the writedown of assets was a massive $499.4m. "As a result of the impact of the Federal Government's proposed carbon pricing mechanism announced on 10 July 2011, the impairment tests resulted in the generation and mining assets being written down by $709,602,000 ($664,912,000 reduction in property, plant and equipment and $44,690,000 reduction of goodwill)," the report noted. "A further impairment of $3,916,000 was recognised in relation to land. The total loss on measurement of assets to fair value less costs to distribute was $713,518,000, contributing a $499,464,000 after tax loss to the result." Tarong's actual revenue over the 12 months rose to $607.6m (2010: $497.2m) as did the amount of power generated: 10,014 Gigawatt Hours (2010: 9150GWh). Other highlights from the annual report: Queensland's severe weather in January has led to the urgent progressing of a new ash and ash water management strategy for the two Tarong power stations. This includes the possible construction of a floodwater diversion channel from the Black Creek Dam catchment around the ash dam into Meandu Creek. This channel would minimise the potential of the ash dam overflowing during heavy flooding. The report noted that the ash dam reached the mandatory reporting level (MRL) during the January rainfall; DERM was notified immediately and Tarong provided written reports to the government daily until the water levels dropped. Tarong Energy's 2010 Christmas functions, which approximately 500 employees attended, cost $29,037. Download Tarong Energy's 2010-11 Annual Report here (2.75MB PDF)

Are You Having An Identity Crisis? October 5, 2011 - If you are, the answer could well be to "think branding" ... Kingaroy businesswoman Lynnelle Richardson's "Network 5" group for business and career women will be focussing on branding at their next get-together, which will be held at the Booie Bello Vista on Wednesday, October 19. Lynnelle promises the event will be an opportunity to "sip, sell & socialise" on the deck of the Bello Vista from 5:30pm. Cost is $25 which includes a glass of champagne plus hot breads, dips and tapas. For more information, and to book, contact Lynnelle on 0419-719-120. * * * The Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry's October Meet and Greet will be held on Monday, October 31, from 5:30pm at Swickers Kingaroy Bacon Factory, 206 Kingaroy-Barkers Creek Road, Kingaroy. There will be a $10 cover charge for this event. To book, contact Joanne Thorp on (07) 4162-8466.

Plan Predicts Population To Reach 42,900 October 4, 2011 - The State Government's long-awaited regional plan for the Wide Bay Burnett, unveiled late last week, shows population in the region will jump from 293,500 in 2010 to 425,200 by 2031. This includes rises from 33,040 to 42,900 in the South Burnett Regional Council area and 1200 to 1700 at Cherbourg. An estimated 4500 more houses will be required to cater for this growth. Acting Minister for Local Government and Planning Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan 2011-2031 - which covers an area stretching from Bundaberg to Blackbutt - would provide the framework for sustainable growth for the region. She said State and local authorities would now "have the legal clout" to back up plans for sustainable growth. Ms Palaszczuk said six local councils - Bundaberg, Cherbourg, Fraser Coast, Gympie, South Burnett and North Burnett - had been involved in the development of the plan. In the South Burnett, water has been identified as a key issue, with demand "likely to exceed supply in the short term". "Infrastructure and investment may be required to provide a long-term solution to water security, in particular for Kingaroy, and to a lesser extent Nanango, Wondai and Murgon," the plan notes. At Cherbourg, the emphasis is on boosting jobs and providing better access to services at Murgon. "The regional plan recognises the need to promote new opportunities for industry and small business, such as the re-use of the existing abattoir facility and the establishment of new businesses in Cherbourg," Ms Palaszczuk said. "Job growth can also be stimulated by building on the community's close proximity to and partnership with Murgon, and working more closely with the South Burnett Regional Council." Download the complete Wide Bay Burnett Regional Plan 2011-2031 Plan receives "cautious blessing" from Gympie Council

Seilers Have A Food Design For Life October 3, 2011 - Organic farmers Wil and Meg Seiler, from Crownthorpe, near Murgon, are expanding their popular organic business to also include permaculture schools and design. The new business will be called Life Food Design, although they'll still be using Bottle Tree Hill Organics as the marketing arm for the farm. The new umbrella business will tie together the couple's organic farming, food promotion, host farm, permaculture instruction and farm design businesses. They'll still be selling organic pork, bacon and ham - which they've been doing now for 12 years - as well as olive and gourmet food products, organic vegetables, mango products, honey, seasonal beef, seeds, plants and organic garden products. Their permaculture educational programs include primary and high school sustainability day programs plus an introduction to permaculture for teachers and parents. They are also planning workshop weekends for people interested in an introduction to permaculture, organic food productions, landscape design for farms or animal husbandry. Farm tours are also available by appointment. The Seilers can be contacted on (07) 4168-4669.

Another Amazing Weekend in the South Burnett! September 30, 2011 - There's so much happening, we don't know where to start ... Kingaroy's Quota Club will be hosting a Spring High Tea Garden Party tomorrow to raise funds for the AGL Action Rescue Helicopter. There'll be performances by the South Burnett Community Orchestra string group and Sing Australia as well as raffles, art union, plant sale and lucky dip. Cost is just $20. The High Tea will be held from 1:30pm in the gardens of the Peterson family property 'Hopevale', just off the D'Aguilar Highway at Coolabunia. The annual Kingaroy Lions Charity Rodeo is on at the Kingaroy Showgrounds from 7:30am tomorrow to about 11:00pm. The Junior Rodeo will be followed by the Open Rodeo program from 12:30pm. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for pensioners, concessions and students or $40 for a family pass. And, of course, the Nanango Markets and Nanango Funfest (see story, below)! There's also the Cooyar Campdraft, a Health Choices Expo in Kingaroy, boxing and an Undercover Wear Party to raise funds for the Wondai SES. For more information, see the South Burnett Online Event Calendar * * * APN News & Media, publishers of the South Burnett Times newspaper, has cut staff numbers by 6.5 per cent across its regional media division. In his 2011 Interim Report to shareholders, CEO Brett Chenoweth said APN's first half profitability had been seriously impacted by floods, cyclones, multiple earthquakes, nervous retail markets, weak economies and low levels of consumer and business confidence. "Our overall results were well down from where we would like them to be," he said. The report said regional media markets across Queensland and northern NSW began to slow towards the end of 2010, particularly those not exposed to the mining and resources sector. "Overall (regional media) revenue was down 4 per cent year-on-year, retail advertising was down 10 per cent, property was down 13 per cent while employment was up 6 per cent," the report stated. Initiatives to save $7 million a year have been earmarked, including the closure of loss-making magazine titles and the Mackay and Bundaberg printing plants. * * * Cougar Energy has filed a Notice of Appeal today in the Queensland Planning and Environment Court against the decision by the Department of Environment and Resource Management in July this year to close down its UCG project at Kingaroy. Cougar Energy says it has set out significant grounds for appeal against DERM's decision. The next step will be to seek directions from the Court as to the timetable for the conduct of the appeal.

Seeney Promises To Protect South Burnett Farms September 29, 2011 - The LNP will remove uncertainty for both farmers and mining companies if it wins power at the next State Election, Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney promised during a short visit to Kingaroy yesterday afternoon. Mr Seeney acknowledged that complaints by the Kingaroy Concerned Citizens Group were valid that the State Government's new Strategic Cropping Land (SCL) legislation left much South Burnett farmland unprotected. He said the Labor Government's new laws were based solely on soil criteria. However, the LNP would ensure that iconic farming areas like the South Burnett would be protected. The LNP proposed to draft Strategic Land Use Maps that would clearly define where mining activity can and can't take place. These maps would be drawn up after community consultation. "This is an absolute guarantee and a very clear message to the resource companies that are currently exploring the rich red soils of the South Burnett that they are wasting their time and money," Mr Seeney said. He also warned these companies that the LNP would look to reverse any deals the State Government enters into between now and the election. "We would look at them closely to see if we can find a way out of them," he said. However Mr Seeney said the LNP was not against mining and it was important that mining companies have security, too. "That's why it's so important to a have a regulated plan so miners can have security and farmers have security; everyone knows the areas where mines can be developed ... in the right places." Mr Seeney said the LNP had committed to double the agricultural production of Queensland by 2040. To do this, not only did farming land have to be protected but the rural skills base had to be re-built. R&D that was formerly carried out at places like the Bjelke-Petersen Research Station in Kingaroy was also important. "We will be looking to return these type of stations to their former role. The DPI is a hollow shell ... it bares very little resemblance to what it used to be," he said. Assets like the DPI's Redvale Farm, which has been marked for sale by the State Government, would be considered "critically important" by the LNP. ABOVE: Kingaroy peanut grower Robert Green with LNP candidate for Nanango Deb Frecklington and Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney * * * Charges laid against Cougar Energy for allegedly breaching the Environmental Protection Act in regards to its failed UCG trial have been adjourned to December 15.

Kick Up Your Heels And Have Fun In Nanango! September 28, 2011 - The annual Nanango Funfest town carnival - the successor to the popular Nanango Mardi Gras and Pioneer Festival - will be held this weekend with the main day of fun on Saturday to coincide with the Tarong Cup Race Meeting at Lee Park Racecourse. Saturday's activities will kick off at 8:30am with a sausage sizzle at Foodworks, followed by free facepainting and showbags for kids at the Energy Centre from 10:30am. At 11:00am, there'll be a Pet Parade at Roccos followed by hobby horse races. All children who enter will get a free showbag. The Street Parade will start at 12:30pm in George Street then continue down Drayton Street before returning to Pioneer Park. There'll be market stalls around town from 10:00am until after the parade. At 3:30pm, there'll be more free show bags available at Miss Melinda's Dance Display at the Nanango Cultural Centre. The annual Heritage King & Queen of the Mountain Footrace will start at 4:45pm. The action at Pioneer Park will start at noon. There'll be live bands on the main stage plus more market stalls, amusement rides, kite-flying, whip-cracking and hula hoop competitions. Free children's showbags will be distributed at 3:30pm and glow sticks at 6:00pm. The Boots and Bulldust Talent Quest will be on stage from 4:30-7:30pm until fireworks light up the sky about 8:00pm. For more information about Funfest, contact the Festival Hotline on 0419-863-079.

DEEDI Hosts Small Business Workshops September 27, 2011 - A series of workshops will be held in Kingaroy over the next two months designed to help local small businesses improve their performance. The activity-based workshops, hosted by the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, will be held on six consecutive Monday mornings, starting October 10. Each workshop will tackle a different topic: Improve your business performance (Oct 10) Attract new customers to your business (Oct 17) Retain your profitable customers (Oct 24) Financial management: Back to basics (Nov 7) Financial management: The how to (Nov 14) Planning your successful business (Nov 21) They will be held in the Taabinga Room at 214 Kingaroy-Cooyar Road, Kingaroy (the old DPI Research Station, opposite Kingaroy Airport). Each costs $44. Participants can choose to attend any or all of the workshops offered. For more information, and to book, contact DEEDI on (07) 4121-1780.

New Face On Ergon Energy Board September 26, 2011 - Former Human Resources Manager at BHP Billiton, Ms Annabel Dolphin, has been appointed to the Board of electricity provider Ergon Energy, replacing former Townsville mayor Tony Mooney who has been transferred to the Board of another State Government-owned corporation, SunWater Ltd. Minister for Finance, Natural Resources and The Arts Rachel Nolan announced the appointments on Friday. Current Ergon Board member Ralph Craven was re-appointed. Ergon Energy services about 680,000 customers across more than one million square kilometres of Queensland. Its network consists of approximately 150,000km of powerlines, one million power poles and associated infrastructure such as major substations and power transformers. Ergon also own and operates 33 stand-alone power stations that provide supply to isolated communities across Queensland which are not connected to the main electricity grid, including the Barcaldine gas-fired power station along with its associated infrastructure. * * * South Burnett Regional Council is advising Murgon residents that it is monitoring the water supply from Barambah Creek after a blue green algal bloom was detected. Council says the water supply remains safe to drink although consumers may notice a change in taste and smell. It adds activated carbon to the treatment process during algal bloom outbreaks to minimise taste and odour problems.

Chemical Present 'Before UCG Trial' September 24, 2011 - Cougar Energy says the chemical thiocyanate was present in water samples it took at Coolabunia before it began its Underground Coal Gasification trial. Responding to reports (see story, below), that thiocyanate and formaldehyde had been found in water samples taken on a nearby property, a Cougar Energy spokesman drew attention to Environment Minister Vicky Darling's comments that formaldehyde and thiocyanate "are common components in a range of products, including agricultural products". The spokesman said Cougar had detected thiocyanate on a neighbouring agricultural/farming property close to the company's Kingaroy site, but before Cougar started any operations at Kingaroy and well before it started construction of its now-closed Kingaroy plant. "Thiocyanate was found during our tests of bores on the neighbouring farming property in 2008 and 2009 when Cougar was establishing its base-line levels prior to starting any operations at the site. These base levels were needed so that we could identify any change to levels when the Kingaroy operations eventually got under way," he said. The spokesman said Cougar also noted that the latest Queensland Government announcement was quite specific that it had not determined the source of the contaminants in the water spring on the Kingaroy property and was continuing with investigations. "We also see the Government's statement that "It is also important to note this incident has no connection with coal seam gas or BTEX chemical compounds". Operations at Cougar's Kingaroy plant were halted 18 months ago in March 2010.

Calling All Bookworms! September 23, 2011 - It's almost that time of year again ... when Kingaroy Town Hall is packed with books (about 15,000!) and bookworms. The 2011 Taabinga Rotary Club's Bookarama will be held on the weekend of October 8-9. This year, all profits raised will go towards emergency helicopter services. Doors will open at 9:00am-4:00pm on Saturday, October 8, and from 9:00am-noon on Sunday, October 9. There'll also be lucky door prizes, raffles, a sausage sizzle and more. If you've got some books that you'd like to donate for the sale, they can be left at JA Carroll & Son, Solicitors, 12 King Street, Kingaroy or Elders Insurance, 191 Kingaroy Street, Kingaroy. As well as books, the Taabinga Rotary Club is also looking for people who are interested as joining as members. If you're interested call Paul on 0447-485-246 or Graham on 0417-070-141 for more information.

Chemicals Detected In Livestock Water September 22, 2011 - Two chemicals, formaldehyde and thiocyanate, have been detected in water samples taken from a spring used to water livestock on a Kingaroy property. The Department of Environment and Resource Management is investigating after the chemicals were detected in routine water samples. Environment Minister Vicky Darling said today the two chemicals were common in a range of products, including agricultural products. Formaldehyde can also occur naturally. She said the State Government was taking the incident very seriously and hoped to find the source of the contaminants soon. DERM officers will take more samples at the property this week. Ms Darling emphasised the incident had no connection with coal seam gas. "It is also important to note this incident has no connection with coal seam gas or BTEX (benzene, toluene and xylene) chemical compounds," she said. Ms Darling said Biosecurity Queensland would advise on the impacts to livestock. UPDATE September 23: A spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Resource Management told SBBiz this afternoon that DERM officers took samples from a number of properties at Coolabunia on September 7 as part of routine monthly sampling around the the Cougar Energy Underground Coal Gasification test site. Formaldehyde and thiocyanate were detected at just one private property. DERM's monthly sampling provides independent results in addition to Cougar Energy's sampling program which is being undertaken in accordance with the requirements of Environmental Protection Orders issued in July and August, 2010. DERM's routine sampling also includes spring-fed tanks on Bellbird Road. However, DERM said no contaminants were detected at levels of concern at this location. A spokesperson for Biosecurity Queensland said thiocyanide can cause goitres or enlarged thyroid glands and disruption to thyroid hormone production in livestock. However it was unknown at this stage whether the chemical could be transferred to meat. While formaldehyde is a carcinogenic, once it is consumed by cattle it is turned into formic acid which has no carcinogenic effects. It is highly unlikely that any carcinogens would be transferred to meat. Formic acid is allowed to be added to animal feed as a preservative. Biosecurity Queensland is conducting further investigations into the effects both chemicals have on livestock. It is also conducting a formal risk assessment into the Coolabunia incident in conjunction with Queensland Health and Safe Food Queensland. ABC and Courier-Mail interviews with Damien O'Sullivan

Charity Auction Raises $6450 ABOVE: Cherry Carroll with Chris and his step-mum Kerry Cotter. ABOVE RIGHT: South Burnett Regional Mayor David Carter with a work by Carmel Nott that he purchased September 22, 2011 - Congratulations to Cherry Carroll, from Nimue Gallery in Kingaroy, and young artist Chris Sanchez who managed to raise an amazing $6450 for the Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation at a charity art auction held in Kingaroy on Tuesday evening. Auctioneer Bill Steffensen put 71 lots under the hammer, ranging from small jewellery pieces to large oil canvasses. The eager buyers snapped up some real bargains while enjoying curries prepared by Chris's father, Burning Beats Cafe owner Paul Stoddart. All the artworks were generously donated by artists, including many well-known local names. Chris, who has the extremely rare Kearns-Sayre Syndrome, had a target of $5000 for the evening which was well and truly smashed. If you couldn't make it to the auction, you can still donate to Chris's fundraising team on the Everyday Hero website

Facelift For Murgon VIC September 21, 2011 - The South Burnett Regional Council has advised that the Murgon Visitor Information Centre will be closed for renovations from Thursday, October 6, to Sunday, October 30. While the Murgon centre is closed, tourist information will be offered to visitors at the Murgon Council Office in Gore Street. Of course, visitors can also seek directions at any of council's four other Visitor Information Centres: Blackbutt (Authentic Slab Hut) - ph (07) 4163-0633 Nanango (South Burnett Energy Centre) - ph (07) 4189-9446 Kingaroy (Information, Art & Heritage Precinct) - ph (07) 4189-9172; or Wondai (South Burnett Region Timber Industry Museum) - ph (07) 4189-9251.

Tourism 'A Pillar' Of Queensland Economy September 20, 2011 - Did you know there are about 400,000 small businesses in Queensland ... and fully one-third of them are involved in the tourism industry? This amazing statistic was shared by the Opposition Spokesman for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business Jann Stuckey during a briefing session with the executive of the South Burnett Tourism Association in Kingaroy yesterday afternoon. The Member for Currumbin was invited to visit the South Burnett by LNP Candidate for Nanango Deb Frecklington. Jann, who has a background in tourism marketing, said tourism was one of the "four pillars" of the Queensland economy that the LNP believed had to be a government priority, ie Agriculture, Construction, Resources and Tourism. "Tourism is critical for Queenland," she said. "If you took out mining at the moment we'd be in a bad way." She said Queensland had dropped to the Number 3 spot as a preferred holiday destination for Australians and this wasn't just because of this year's natural disasters. "I am very keen to re-position us to Number 1 position where we belong," she said. "Tourism is Australia's second biggest export, more than agriculture." Jann said she believed the South Burnett had a lot to offer tourists, particularly in conjunction with other regions, but had been neglected by the current State Government. "The regions have been totally starved." Funding for tourism had not kept pace with the CPI and had dropped in real terms by between $7-$10 million. She said part of the reason for her visit was to identify the strengths of the South Burnett, see where there are shortcomings and hear the perspective of tourism operators. "Feedback is very important. At the end of the day, the operators should be running tourism and the government should be giving it a guiding hand." SBTA president Kathy Davis (Hillview Cottages) said a change in focus by Tourism Queensland from "destination" to "experiential" marketing had hurt the South Burnett region, particularly the winding back of the South-East Queensland Country marketing campaign. She said some local operators also still required "lifting up" to make use of newer forms of communication such as websites and email. SBTA vice-president Shannon Scott (TASTE South Burnett) made the point that tourism in the local region wasn't going to get any better unless tourism in all of Queensland improves. However he said the "fundamentals" such as road signage had to be fixed. He said he would also like to see the new merged Regional Tourism Organisation, which covers an area from the NSW border to Kilkivan, be given the status and funding of a "Super RTO". "We want to know if we can become a big player," he said. Lack of infrastructure was also identified during the discussion as a key factor holding back the South Burnett, including poor mobile phone and wireless internet reception. Shannon emphasised improvements were also necessary on the D'Aguilar Highway, including more passing lanes. Lee Evans (Yarraman Caravan Park) pointed out that backpackers were discouraged from visiting because of the lack of public transport to enable them to easily get around. He said councils were also being pressured by lobby groups to spend ratepayers' money to establish and service free camping areas on the edges of towns but the visitors these areas attracted rarely spent money in the region. ABOVE: Lee Evans, Jan Stuckey, Kathy Davis, Deb Frecklington and Shannon Scott * * * Brooklands resident Grant Newson officially announced on Twitter this morning that he will be standing for The Greens at the next State Election. He previously stood for the Federal seat of Maranoa but was unsuccessful. He joins Carl Rackemann (Katter's Australian Party), Deb Frecklington (LNP), John Dalton (Independent) and David Thomson (Queensland Party) who have put up their hands for the seat of Nanango.

Help Chris Raise $5000 To Fight Rare Diseases ... Buy A Painting! September 20, 2011 - Don't forget ... Nimue Gallery in Kingaroy is throwing open its doors tonight to help raise money to fight some very rare genetic diseases. Gallery owner Cherry Carroll has asked local and Brisbane artists to donate works which will be auctioned to raise funds for the Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. So far 32 artists have donated 56 pieces of art and as there are no reserve prices, there could well be some great bargains to be had! Young artist Chris Sanchez, son of Burning Beats Cafe owner Paul Stoddart, has the extremely rare Kearns-Sayre Syndrome which at present has no known cure or treatment. Chris, who is confined to a wheelchair, has formed a fund-raising team and has pledged to raise $5000 for AMDF. If you can't make it to the auction, you can donate directly to Chris's fundraising team on the Everyday Hero website The Nimue Gallery is located in King Street, Kingaroy, next door to the Carrollee Hotel. The auction will start at 6:30pm.

LNP Promises A Separate Qld Agriculture Department September 19, 2011 - LNP Candidate for Nanango Deb Frecklington says her party consulted extensively with farmers and industry groups before releasing its Agriculture Strategy last week. She said the strategy aims to double Queensland's food production by 2040 to help feed a growing world. "Agriculture has an exciting and productive role to play in the future, not just feeding Queenslanders but feeding an increasingly hungry world," she said. "Food security is vital and Queensland desperately needs a long-term plan and a government that genuinely values food production." Ms Frecklington said the LNP was committed to a stand-alone Agriculture Department to drive and support the growth and sustainability of farms and rural industries. "This department will make research, development and extension a key plank to improve productivity," she said. To ease the growing land use conflicts between miners and farmers, Ms Frecklington said statutory land use planning would give everyone involved a say and a clear understanding of what was required, backed by legislation and local council plans. "The LNP will not only protect our best farm lands but conduct an audit on lands where more intensive agriculture could be carried out and extra production achieved," she said. Further information on the LNP's agriculture policy can be found on the party's website

Murgon SES Supporters Win Award For Being Great PALS September 16, 2011 - Congratulations to the Murgon SES Support Group Inc which has won the Volunteer and Community Groups Category at this year's State finals of the Australian Safer Communities Awards in Brisbane. The group invented, patented and trademarked an efficient, safe, battery-operated LED lighting system known as PALS - the Personal Assistant Lighting System. This was completed with help from the local community consisting of 4000 people and 30 businesses. So far 10 SES groups have benefited from the Personal Assistant Lighting System. A total of $200,000 has been put through the support group since April 2010.

Ruralco Snaps Up BGA AgriServices September 16, 2011 - Diverse agribusiness Ruralco is in the process of wrapping up its purchase of Kingaroy-based BGA AgriServices after acquiring more than 90 per cent of issued shares. Ruralco made a cash offer of $12.17 per share last month. BGA AgriServices' Board unanimously recommended that shareholders accept the offer; this was followed by a similar recommendation from major shareholder Bean Growers Australia Limited which controlled approximately 64.9 per cent of the company. Ruralco has now commenced compulsory acquisition of the balance of BGA AgriServices' shares. Ruralco owns the CRT brand (a large network of independently owned stores) as well as being involved in wool and livestock, real estate, fertiliser manufacture, stock feed, grain storage, handling and distribution, and financial services throughout Australia. BGA AgriServices was already a member of the CRT network. It provides a large range of agricultural products and services in the South Burnett, Wide Bay, Brisbane Valley and Northern NSW regions. Locally, it operates stores in Kingaroy, Murgon, Goomeri and Kumbia. UPDATE 1:00pm: Ruralco General Manager (Commercial) David Foung confirmed this afternoon that it would be "business as usual" at the four South Burnett stores. He said Ruralco was looking forward to assisting BGA Agri management to grow the business into the future. Mr Foung said Ruralco has "a suite of other offerings" which BGA Agri may take up in future, including financial services, insurance and water trading, but this would be up to BGA management and the suitability of local markets.

It's A Whole New Community Garden (But Don't Worry About The Old One) September 16, 2011 - Recent media reports about the upcoming re-launch of the Pound Street Community Garden in Kingaroy tomorrow could have left residents with the impression that produce from the previous garden was dangerous. But that's not the case ... A press release from the South Burnett Regional Council said timber used in the original garden beds had been treated with unsafe chemicals so had been removed. However a quick phone call to Council clarified that people who had enjoyed produce from the previous project shouldn't be worried. The old garden beds were removed for a number of reasons, including the fact that Council had the ultimate responsibility for the garden as it's located in a public park. The old timber was removed not because it was dangerous to health but because council staff didn't know the full history of the materials used in the original construction. There were also concerns about sharp edges and weldmesh arches which children could climb. The multiple small beds, which included tyres and irregular shapes, were also a nightmare for council staff to whippersnip. "We now know exactly what's in the garden beds and we know that they either meet or exceed Australian standards," SBRC Manager Natural Resources and Parks Greg Griffiths told SBBiz. "The three new large beds are also a better height for people so they don't have to bend and there is easy access for wheelchairs." Mr Griffiths said the new beds had been lined with black plastic sheeting so there could be no doubts about their future safety and their design also meant that at times when the Community Garden was not being used to grow food, council staff could plant flowers to enable a nice display in the park. There will be a gala opening of the new Community Garden from 9:00am this Saturday. RHealth and BIEDO are promising lots of free fun activities for mums, dads, grandparents and kids. There'll be market stalls, a circus workshop and tuckerboxes for the first 100 entries.