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Office Award For Burnett Insurance October 22, 2009 - Gary Howes, from Burnett Insurance in Kingaroy, has been presented with an award for achieving the milestone of writing 10,000 applications in BrokerCENTRAL. Gary is obviously doing his part to help the environment ... BrokerCENTRAL is a software program which provides a virtual paperless office, assisting the flow of paperless communication between insurance brokers, clients and insurers. Andrew Bennett, from software distributor InsuranceCONNECT, presented the award to Gary and Fay Scherger, (above right), on the Sunshine Coast recently.

Local Wineries Pick Up 15 Medals October 21, 2009 - South Burnett wineries won 15 medals - the same tally as last year - at the prestigious 2009 Courier-Mail Mercure Brisbane Queensland Wine Awards. The awards were announced on October 10 at a gala dinner in Brisbane. Clovely Estate, from Moffatdale, was the most successful local winery, picking up 10 medals, including a gold for their 2007 Left Field Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre (GSM). Read more on South Burnett Wine

Go Green Opens Shopfront October 20, 2009 - Greg and Kelly Taffe's Go Green Generation (Solar South Burnett) have opened a shopfront at Shop 2, 32 King Street, Kingaroy (next door to AP Computers). The business covers solar electric system installations, energy-efficient home rewiring and home and business energy auditing. Greg and Kelly are Government-accredited through the Clean Energy Council and Association of Building Sustainability Assessors (ABSA) accredited for Renewable Energy Assessing (Green Loans). For more information, they can be contacted on (07) 4162-8336 or the shop is open from Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm and Saturdays 9:00am-1:00pm.

Barry Back In Charge October 19, 2009 - Former proprietors Barry and Bernadette Dixon are back in charge at K-FM Kingaroy (96.3FM) and Nanango (87.6FM). Michael and Mandy Monk took over the reins at the station last year and rebranded it as Our Country FM with a country music format. They relinquished the lease last Friday. The couple, who are expecting their first child, will continue the Our Country format at their stations in Wondai and Murgon and have plans to expand these businesses. Michael has also reignited his former career as DJDirex with a gig at the Hotel Cecil in Wondai on Friday night. Barry and Bernadette Dixon also own the Maranoa Town & Country Mail fortnightly newspaper and R-FM 88FM Roma.

Catholic Archbishop Visits Kingaroy October 16, 2009 - Catholic Archbishop John Bathesby, (pictured above with South Burnett Regional Council Deputy Mayor Keith Campbell and Member for Nanango Dorothy Pratt), has marked the centenary of St Mary's Catholic Church in Kingaroy and the 90th anniversary of the Our Lady of Peace Church in Kumbia by celebrating Mass in Kingaroy today. The Archbishop also visited the South Burnett Catholic College to take part in a re-naming ceremony. From today the school will be known as St Mary's Catholic College. He also blessed two historic commemorative plaques which have been relocated to the front of St Mary's Church. Last night, Archbishop Bathesby was the guest speaker at the Kingaroy State High School speech night.

New Restaurant Opens In Kingaroy October 15, 2009 - Kingaroy has a new restaurant following the recent opening of Millie's at Shop 2, 32 Alford Street (near Betta Electrical). It is open seven days from 9:00am to 3:00pm for breakfast and lunch and from 6:00-10:00pm Wednesdays-Fridays for dinner. Dinner reservations are essential. Owner Ian Thomas told SBBiz that the menu was Italian and modern Australian and takeaways were also available. Millies can be contacted on (07) 4162-7709.

$7150 Grant For Energy Centre October 14, 2009 - The South Burnett Energy Centre - which was ceremonially opened to the public during Funfest last Saturday - is among the first recipients of Ergon Energy's new Envirofund. The $100,000 initiative is aimed at helping regional Queensland communities work towards a more sustainable future. Ergon Acting Area Operations Manager Mr Tony Bygrave said $7150 had been awarded to the South Burnett Regional Council to purchase energy conservation tools and computers for the Nanango complex. Mr Bygrave said 129 applications seeking almost $2 million in funds were received for Envirofund grants, far exceeding Ergon Energy's expectations. "There was a lot of work sifting through the applications to short list and select worthy recipients, so we understand there will be some disappointed applicants," he said.

Confused By Daylight Saving? October 13, 2009 - Daylight saving came into force in southern States last week creating all the usual confusion with interstate business phone calls and subscription TV program guides. If you're as confused as we are, a handy calculator on the ABC Local Radio website could be worth bookmarking: Daylight Saving Calculator

Workshop Spotlights Business Systems October 12, 2009 - Today is the last chance to book for a Business Systems Workshop being held at the Kingaroy TAFE College on Thursday afternoon. Presenter Kim Schafer will be teaching participants how to understand the purpose and functions of business systems, the differences between processes and procedures, how to collect data and then write operational manuals that are crystal clear and easy to read. Cost is $55 per participant (with discounts available for three or more people on the one registration). For more information and to book, contact Kim on 0429-699-977.

Nanango's Festival Of Fun On Tomorrow! October 9, 2009 - Nanango's annual town festival Funfest will be held will be held in and around Nanango's CBD tomorrow with a Pioneer theme: 7:30am - Poet's Breakfast at the Nanango Darts Club 9:00am - Opening of the Uniting Church Floral display 10:00am - Ringsfield House photographic competition 11:00am - Billy tea, damper and historic machinery displays at the new South Burnett Energy Centre 1:30pm - Street Parade followed by amusement rides, live music and market stalls at Pioneer park 4:00pm - King and Queen of the Mountain Footrace 5:00pm - Talent Quest at Pioneer Park 8:00pm - Fireworks at Pioneer Park

Local Teams Competing For Cancer October 8, 2009 - The countdown for this weekend's Relay For Life at Murgon Showgrounds has well and truly started with local teams and individuals competing hard to be at the top of the fund-raising tree. All funds raised will assist the Cancer Council. Top individual South Burnett fundraiser so far is Trudi Bartlett who has raised an amazing $1516. Trudi's team, GJ Gardner Homes, is also topping the Teams List with $2685. Other teams competing include the South Burnett Regional Council Team ($1343), Kandy Kids ($1506) and Roland's Runners ($1420). For more information, or to sponsor a team, visit the Relay For Life website. Relay For Life is more than just a fundraiser. It is an opportunity to get together and celebrate cancer survivors, remember loved ones lost to cancer, and fight back against a disease that takes too much.

Learn How To Be More Wildlife Friendly October 7, 2009 - The Burnett Mary Regional Group will be hosting the Better Catchments and Healthy Habitats Showcase today and tomorrow at the Kingaroy RSL. This is an opportunity for participants to learn about soil health, animal identification and grazing land management. There'll also be "live" endangered animals (or so we have been promised!) on display including a quoll, glossy black cockatoo and a hairy-nosed wombat. The showcase is on from 10:00am to 4:30pm today and from 9:00am to 2:00pm tomorrow. Tonight at the Belltower Restaurant, the Burnett Mary Natural Resource Management Awards will be given to individuals and organisations to acknowledge their work in natural resource management in the region. For more information about either event, phone (07) 4181-2999.

PepperTree Joins Healthy Hotels Program October 6, 2009 - PepperTree Cabins in Kingaroy has joined the Healthy Hotels Program run by sanitising specialists Health Protect International. PepperTree's Matthew Diesel told SBBiz yesterday that his business was the first accommodation provider in Kingaroy to be accredited under the program. To qualify, all rooms, carpets, beds and mattresses were sanitised, sterilized and treated for allergens. This program is then repeated on a regular basis. Matt said this type of treatment was used by major international hotels and motels in Brisbane and was rated as very important by travellers.

Local GM Wins AIM Award October 5, 2009 - South Burnett Times General Manager Mike Dorey has won an Australian Institute of Management Excellence Award. Mike won the Rural/Remote Manager of the Year category in the Toowoomba regional finals announced last Thursday. He will now go on to compete in the Queensland finals. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Le Grand Ballroom at the Sofitel Brisbane on November 13. The Rural/Remote Manager of the Year is for managers who live and work 75km or more outside of their nearest AIM network or provincial city.

Farmers Snubbed By DPI&F Sell-Off Plan October 2, 2009 - The DPI&F's Bjelke-Petersen Research Station at Kingaroy will be downgraded and stripped of assets under a State Government proposal unveiled this week. As well, the Redvale and Kingsthorpe research farms will be sold to help fund the development of a new facility near Toowoomba which will focus on "irrigation and water use efficiency in broadacre farming". Kingaroy's DPI&F centre will be rebadged as an "Agribusiness Service Centre" leaving a question mark over breeding programs and dryland farming research carried out locally. The shake-up is part of the State Government's "Fresh Approach" for grains research and development. In a media release, Primary Industry Minister Tim Mulherin said the proposals had in-principle support from Agforce and would now undergo detailed planning and costing analysis. LNP Takes Stand Against Research Centre Sales Grains Research Foundation media release Queensland Country Life report: "Grain Research Centre Sale Shock" The State Government's media release

UAVs Still Looking For Joe October 1, 2009 - Today is the last day of the third annual UAV Outback Challenge competition at Kingaroy Airport. International, local and school teams have built Unmanned Airborne Vehicles (UAVs) and are competing for great prizes. The main event is the $50,000 Search and Rescue Challenge to find "Outback Joe" ... a task so difficult that in the two-year history of the event, no team has yet managed to pull it off.

It's Decorate A Donut Day! October 1, 2009 - Take your children up to Donut King in Kingaroy Shoppingworld today, and they'll be able to "Decorate A Donut" and help the Kingaroy Local Ambulance Committee raise funds to support local paramedics. The event will take place beside the travelator (the moving steps) near Donut King between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Children will be able to decorate a donut with their favourite sweets for just $2. The Local Ambulance Committee will also have "Angel" (a mini-ambulance) on site for children to have a free ride and a paramedic will be taking taking free pulse and blood pressure readings. Contrary to popular belief, the ambulance levy included in electricity accounts does not provide all the most current and up-to-date equipment for first response ambulance paramedics. The LAC fundraising helps provide this vital equipment.

Cougar Energy Project 'On Schedule' September 30, 2009 - Construction work on Cougar Energy's underground coal gasification site near Kingaroy is "on schedule", the company has told the Australian Stock Exchange. Cougar also announced that it had signed a 30-year contract (subject to the lodgment of a bank guarantee) with Ergon Energy for network connection services to the project. It is also working with the power company to offload electricity generated during pre-production trials and to determine the optimal configuration of new transmission lines which will be required as the project develops. Download the full Cougar Energy ASX statement (584kb PDF) Water quality fears

RSPCA Plans New Kingaroy Kennel Complex September 29, 2009 - The RSPCA has applied to the South Burnett Regional Council for assistance to develop a new $250,000-$300,000 kennel facility in Kingaroy. This project would act as a prototype for a multi-million dollar centre the RSPCA is planning to build in Brisbane and would help it test structures, processes and systems beforehand. The RSPCA has requested Council support by way of direct financial support or in-kind donations, including the waiver of application fees, assistance in helping to streamline application processes and help through the provision of a temporary access at the rear of the RSPCA compound so that trucks and large machinery can enter the property. Representatives from the RSPCA have been invited to address Councillors at their meeting in Kingaroy tomorrow before a decision is made on the application.

'Unforeseen Circumstances' Force Sale of Tinny Pub September 28, 2009 - Tingoora's iconic hotel, owned by Dan and Wayne Kratzmann since 2003, could soon have new owners. The pub was passed in at auction on the Gold Coast on Friday when bidding reached $1 million but agent Brad Lipp confirmed today there are three "very interested parties" negotiating for the property and a sale is expected within 10 days. "Unforeseen circumstances" have forced the quick sale of the pub, according to the auction notice with "immediate disposal required". Turnover is estimated at approximately $30,000 a week. The Tinny Pub first opened in July 1907 and is believed to have had just four owners since then. A drive-through bottleshop was added in 2006.