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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wanted: Some Bloomin' Beautiful Buskers April 18, 2011 - The organisers of Blackbutt's Bloomin' Beautiful Festival in September are looking for some buskers keen to perform during the weeklong event. This year's festival will feature shows, exhibitions, guided walks, literary events, music, film and theatre. The organising committee also hopes to animate the village's streets with "sight, sound and spectacle". If you're a musician, living statue, performance artist, poet - or just think you've got what it takes to entertain the public - the festival organisers want to hear from you. They want "unplugged" buskers with no PA. Artists will be able to put out tip jars and sell CDs. For more information, call Laraine on (07) 4163-0135 or email her.

LNP Candidate Still Sees A Lot Of Hard Work Ahead To Win State Seat April 15, 2011 - LNP candidate for Nanango Deborah Frecklington, (right), has wished State MP Dorothy Pratt well for the future but says despite Mrs Pratt's retirement announcement today, there is still a lot of hard work ahead to win the seat. Speaking to SBBiz this morning, Deborah said she had been visiting towns throughout the electorate since her LNP endorsement in March. "There would have been a lot of hard work ahead for me whether Dorothy had decided to re-stand or not," she said. The Kingaroy solicitor said she saw a career in politics as being a natural progression of her role as an advocate for the people. "I have always been interested in politics, coming from a conservative background," she said. Deborah, 39, was raised on a cattle property at Guluguba, near Wandoan, and attended Ipswich Girls Grammar school. Her father, grazier Don Stiller, was mayor of Taroom Shire from 1997 until council amalgamations occurred in 2008. Deborah and her husband Jason managed cropping properties at Meandarra while she studied law. She said her family had made a commitment to the South Burnett region when they moved here in 2007. Deborah is a partner with Andrew Kelly in Kingaroy law firm Kelly & Frecklington Pty Ltd and her husband owns the Gloria Jeans Coffees franchise in Kingaroy Shoppingworld. The couple's three children, Isabella, 13; Lucy, 11; and Elke, 8; attend St John's Lutheran School. She also has family in the region. Her sister Jackie Allery is principal at Raine & Horne, Kingaroy. Deborah has been a member of the LNP since June 2010. Speaking on ABC Radio this morning, Independent Member for Nanango Dorothy Pratt said she no longer wanted to participate in politics. "I had such faith in democracy as they say," she told the ABC. "But I am now under no illusion as to the fact that we don't have it in Queensland and we don't have anyone who really wants to ensure that we do in the future. There is a culture in Parliament that I find quite distressing - I just don't want to be a part of that any more." Dorothy was elected to Parliament in 1998 as a member of One Nation but later resigned from the party. Listen to Madonna King's interview (ABC Radio) with Dorothy Pratt

Eight Key Criteria Identify Strategic Cropping Land April 14, 2011 - The State Government has released the eight proposed criteria that will be used to identify strategic cropping land in Queensland. Environment and Resource Management Minister Kate Jones said the government had hired some of Queensland's best soil scientists to help develop the proposed criteria which would now be used to draft strategic cropping land legislation. The criteria aim to reliably and consistently identify Queensland's best cropping land, ie land that is suitable for a range of crops in most seasons. They cover slope, rockiness, Gilgai microrelief (small depressions in the land caused by wet weather), soil depth, drainage, soil pH, salinity, and soil water storage. The Department of Environment and Resource Management is now finalising guidelines to help landholders and developers identify whether their land is "strategic cropping land" or not. These guidelines and a "how to" guide will be released next month. The criteria, technical report and an independent expert review are available on the DERM website

Noxious Weed Spread By Floodwaters April 13, 2011 - The South Burnett Regional Council will be contributing $24,000 to help treat an outbreak of parthenium along Barambah Creek. Recent floods have distributed seeds from the noxious weed along waterways and across creek flats. Native to South and North America, Parthenium hysterophorus is a declared Class 2 pest plant under Queensland legislation. It reduces beef production and costs cropping industries millions of dollars every year. Its pollen contains potent allergens that can cause reactions such as dermatitis and hay fever. It was first recorded at Toogoolawah in 1955. The South Burnett Regional Council and Biosecurity Queensland are mapping the extent of the current outbreak which covers about 80km of creek banks and 45 properties. Due to the size of the infestation, Council is asking landholders to assist by reporting outbreaks on their properties so this information can be used to contribute to the mapping. Mapping will identify priority treatment areas and where buffer zones can be put in place to contain the outbreak. If you would like to report parthenium on your property - or need more information on the Parthenium Management Program - contact Council on  (07) 4189-9122. After hours inquiries can be made to Cr Kathy Duff on 0437-020-705.

New Team Heads Up SBTA April 12, 2011 - Cathy Davis from Hillview Cottages will head up the South Burnett Tourism Association's new management team following the group's recent AGM. Shannon Scott (Taste South Burnett) was elected Vice-President and Judy Cooper (Crane Wines) will be Secretary/Treasurer. Other members of the management team are Hazel Patterson (Kingaroy Kitchen), Elaine Madill (Wondai Art Gallery), South Burnett Regional Mayor David Carter (who will chair the meetings), Bernie Cooper (Crane Wines), Rhonda Kath (Mulanah Gardens) and Jayne Deshon (Deshons Retreat). Cr Carter emphasised that the association covers the whole South Burnett area, not just the area within the regional council boundaries. "It encompasses Blackbutt, through Yarraman to the Bunya Mountains and across to Goomeri and Kilkivan," he said. The next meeting of the association will be held tomorrow at the South Burnett Energy Centre in Nanango. * * * South Burnett CTC will be officially opening a shade structure at the Pound Street Community Garden in Kingaroy on May 5. The sail has been made possible with assistance from the Tarong Energy Community Partnership Fund and the South Burnett regional Council.

Researchers Are Picking Our Brains April 11, 2011 - Market research companies seem to be very interested lately in the views of South Burnett residents ... One company has been surveying residents about their perceptions of Tarong Energy by randomly phoning selected households and businesses and organising focus groups. Tarong Energy says the research will build upon past studies undertaken in 2006 and 2009. Another group has been contacting local community groups and businesses to assess the social impact of mining on the community. This survey is being undertaken by the School of Justice at the Queensland University of Technology to assess the impacts of non-resident mining labour on local communities. If you wish to take part in this survey, and are aged over 18 and live in a community affected by mining, click here A third group has been phoning random households with questions testing awareness about digital television transmissions and the upcoming closure of the analogue network in the region. * * * Cougar Energy has placed 90 million new shares at a price of 3.0 cents per share, raising $2.7 million before transaction costs ...less than the $6m which had been predicted, (see story below). Cougar said it will use the new funds to focus on the further advancement of its international UCG project portfolio including projects in China and possible sites in Indonesia and Malaysia.

South Burnett Biz Expo Is On Today! April 8, 2011 - The inaugural South Burnett Business Expo is on today at the Kingaroy TAFE college. There's six keynote speakers - including motivational speaker, Olympic gymnast and dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist Brennon Dowrick - and nine seminar sessions. Seminars will cover online and social media, ways to retain and retrain staff, opportunities created by the National Broadband Network, government and council tendering, supply chains, and succession planning. There'll be a talk by Kingaroy businesswoman Andrea Steele on "how to grow your business". There's also a rural stream focusing on farm management (Alan Broome), the grain industry (Ian Crosthwaite) and beef production (Damien O'Sullivan). Keynote speaker Dr Scott McNeil will be explaining how to "Realise the Potential of Your Business (Importance of Innovating)". Other keynote speakers include Cre8you (who will be giving visitors the opportunity to win a digital Flip camera valued at $199), Phil Harding from the South Burnett Regional Council, Graham Archdall, James Mangan and Brian Jarvis. A showcase of local services and expertise will be in the auditorium all day and there'll be lots of opportunities for business networking. Cost is just $10 which includes lunch and morning and afternoon tea and the networking session between 5:00pm-6:00pm. We'll see you there! Download the South Burnett Business Expo Program (355kb PDF) * * * Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) could be the "Wal-mart of energy" * * * No South Burnett businesses register on Join Forces website

Gluer Named Interim CEO of Merged Power Corporation April 7, 2011 - The interim CEOs of the two new Queensland power generation companies were announced today by the State Government. Helen Gluer, who has been CEO at Tarong Energy since January 2007, has been appointed interim CEO to lead the restructured Stanwell-Tarong corporation. David Brown has been appointed interim CEO of the restructured CS Energy. Mr Brown was appointed CEO of CS Energy in December 2007. A State Government media release emphasised that after the restructure is completed, the new boards of the generating companies would be responsible for determining the process to finalise the appointment of permanent CEOs. The Shareholder Review of Queensland Government Owned Corporation Generators, known as the "Genco Review", recommended that the current three government-owned power generators being reduced to two from July 1 this year. Advisory Boards have been established for each of the two new corporations to guide the implementation of the restructure.

Trading Halt As Couger Seeks To Raise Up To $6m April 7, 2011 - Trading in Cougar Energy shares has been halted until close of trade on Friday as the company prepares for a new round of capital raising which could raise up to $6 million. AAP reported today that Cougar intends to place new shares under listing Rule 7.1, which covers share issues up to 15 per cent of a company's capital without shareholder approval. The company will seek to make the placement with institutional and "sophisticated" investors. * * * There's still a few tickets left for the Degustation Dinner which will be held at the Tingoora Hotel on Saturday night. The "South Burnett Showcase Food and Wine Evening", from 6:00pm, features an exciting menu paired with local wines. Cost is $60 per head and bookings can be made at the pub on (07) 4168-5150.

Federal MP Congratulates New LNP State Candidate April 5, 2011 - Federal LNP Member for Maranoa Bruce Scott will be visiting Kingaroy today to meet the LNP-endorsed candidate for the seat of Nanango, Deb Frecklington. Deb, a Kingaroy solicitor, (right), starred alongside her young daughter Lucy on stage at the recent Junior Cook-Off held as part of the South Burnett Wine and Food in the Park Festival. Mr Scott said he was also looking forward to catching up with Kingaroy locals. He will visit local school students, business owners and members of the Kingaroy RSL sub-branch. * * * UPDATE The schedule for the South Burnett Business Expo, (see story below), has been updated. Download the new Schedule of Events here (355kb PDF)

All-Day Business Expo To Stir Up Excitement April 4, 2011 - The inaugural South Burnett Business Expo will be stirring up ideas and encouraging business growth from 9:00am to 6:00pm this Friday at the Kingaroy TAFE college. There'll be six keynote speakers - including motivational speaker, Olympic gymnast and dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist Brennon Dowrick - and nine seminar sessions from which to choose. The expo is aiming high - hoping to create more employment, wealth, sustainability and liveability within the South Burnett region. Seminars will cover ways to retain and retrain staff, opportunities created by the National Broadband Network, government and council tendering, supply chains, and succession planning. Successful Kingaroy businesspeople Rod and Andrea Steele will be hosting a seminar on "how to grow your business". There's also a rural stream focusing on farm management (Alan Broome), the grain industry (Ian Crosthwaite) and beef production (Damien O'Sullivan). Other keynote speakers include Cre8you, Phil Harding from the South Burnett Regional Council, Graham Archdall, James Mangan and Brian Jarvis. A showcase of local services and expertise will be in the auditorium all day and there'll be lots of opportunities for business networking. To find out more about the event and to register to attend, call the South Burnett Regional Council on (07) 4189-9174 or send an email Cost is just $10 which includes lunch and morning and afternoon tea. PS. Anne Miller and Dafyd Martindale from South Burnett Online - the people behind this SBBiz website - will be hosting a seminar on online marketing ... see you there!