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Kingaroy Boosts Pulse's Bottom Line August 29, 2008 - KPH Private Hospital (formerly known as South Burnett Community Private Hospital) has contributed $545,787 in revenue and $91,552 in earnings (before interest and tax) to Pulse Health Ltd. Pulse acquired the Kingaroy-based hospital on April 7 this year so these figures cover only from this date until June 30. In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange released today, Pulse Health reported its operating revenue grew from $19,196 to $12,198,094 during the financial year (an increase of 63,545%), mainly due to its acquisitions over the period. KPH Private Hospital currently performs more than 700 operations a year and is licensed for 28 in-patients and four day patients. It has 12 medical beds, 12 surgical beds, one high-dependency bed and three palliative care beds. Download the full Results Report here (314kb PDF)

The UAVs Are Coming! August 28, 2008 - Kingaroy is the place to be ... this is the message from UAV enthusiasts from around the world who are on their way to the South Burnett to compete in the second annual UAV Outback Challenge competition which will be held next month. Queensland Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle said the Challenge, which will be held at Kingaroy Airport from September 23-25, was a great drawcard for the State. "This year's Challenge is bigger and better than last year with 36 teams competing from Australia as well as the United States, India, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey," Ms Boyle said this week. University and high school students as well as professional UAV enthusiasts will be competing for a total of $70,000 in prize money: $50,000 – winning team (open category) $10,000 – winning team (high school category) $8000 – winner documentary challenge (open category) $2000 – winner documentary challenge (high school category)

Final Map of Nanango Released August 27, 2008 - The Queensland Electoral Commission has released the final State electoral boundaries after reviewing comments from the public after the release in May of its interim review of boundaries. Readjustments were made to 22 of Queensland's 89 electorates, including the seat of Nanango currently held by Independent MP Dorothy Pratt. The border between Nanango and the new seat of Condamine has been tweaked to ensure that a couple of towns that had been split will now be put into the electorates as whole bodies. Download the final Nanango electoral boundary map (1.7MB PDF)

Spring Into Art and Craft at Kingaroy Gallery August 26, 2008 - Mark your diaries now ... the Kingaroy Information Arts and Heritage Precinct will be holding a Spring Festival of Arts & Crafts on Saturday, September 27! There'll be fun two-hour craft classes for just $10. Learn how to make a concertina book, a pottery magic pot or moulded bowl, a rag rug, cards or scrapbooking. Watch craftspeople demonstrate their skills and artists at their easels. There'll be displays of folk art, knitting, paper making, wood turning, block printing, glass beading and lots, lots more. To enrol or pick up a program, visit the Kingaroy Art Gallery, opposite the peanut silos, in Haly Street , Kingaroy from 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday-Friday or 10:00am-4:00pm on weekends.

Meet'n'Greet On Tonight! August 25, 2008 - The Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be holding its regular Meet'n'Greet tonight from 5:30pm at the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE (SQIT), corner of the Bunya Highway and Geritz Road, Kingaroy. There'll be presentations by Robert McIntosh (SQIT) and Jenny Gemmell, Relate Human Services. Cost is $10 for KCCI members and $13 for non-members. Drinks and nibbles will be provided. For more information contact Polly Birchall on (07) 4162-8466.

Free Information About Child Support Services August 22, 2008 - Separated parents can learn more about child support, what services are available and have a personal discussion with experienced staff at the Child Support Agency's free Community Information Session which will be held next Tuesday (August 26) at Cherbourg. Representatives from Centrelink, Family Relationships Australia and other local community service providers will also be in attendance. The Community Information Session will be held from 11:00am at the Cherbourg Community Hall, Barambah Avenue, and will be followed by a barbecue lunch for those in attendance. Parents who cannot attend the session can find out more information about the Child Support Scheme on the CSA website.

Roar Against Depression August 21, 2008 - Durong businessman Martin Stern, from Print & Beyond, is organising the World's Longest Football Match as part of a bid to raise money for depression advocacy group BeyondBlue. The record attempt will be held on the weekend of October 26 in Brisbane. The Orange Army (the Queensland Roar Football Club's Supporters Club) will be lending a hand but Martin is seeking assistance from anyone who can either provide sponsorship or help on the day by playing, refereeing etc. For more information, contact Martin on (07) 4168-0273 or visit the website

Fundraising And All That Jazz August 20, 2008 - Kumbia Kindergarten will be jazzing it up at its biggest ever fundraising event, Jazz On The Lawn, which will be held from 11:00am to 5:00pm on Sunday August 31 at Cardowan Homestead near Kumbia. The Windy City Jazz Band will provide entertainment and there'll also be wine and food available. Organiser Louise Pace, from the kindy, said non-alcoholic drinks would be served free to the first 25 registered "designated drivers" and there would also be a chance to win great prizes. Cost is $15 for adults. Phone Clare on 0488-550-358 for more information or to book tickets. PS. Cardowan Homestead is at 1563 Ironpot Road ... and organisers say it will be well sign-posted.

Peanut Growers Head North For Conference August 19, 2008 - The annual Peanut Conference - which attracts peanut growers from all over Queensland - will be held in Bundaberg on August 26-27. Guest speakers include PCA Managing Director Bob Hansen, agronomist Peter Hatfield (Arachis Australia) and DPI&F speakers from Brisbane, Kingaroy, North Queensland, Toowoomba and Bundaberg. For more information, contact Dr Graeme Wright at PCA on (07) 4162-6311 or download a conference agenda

Tarong Graduate Earns Award August 15, 2008 - Former Tarong Energy employee Desmond Roche has won a Future Leaders Award at the inaugural Transport and Logistics Industry Development Awards at the Queensland Supply Chain and Logistics Conference held in Brisbane earlier this month. Desmond, who is now a commercial analyst with Powerlink, completed a 12-month Tarong Energy Graduate Program which is designed to attract talented young graduates to the power industry. After gaining a Bachelor of Business at QUT majoring in international business and marketing, Desmond worked as a procurement officer at Tarong while studying for a Level 3 Certificate in Procurement which provided credit towards a Masters Degree in Procurement.

Champion Cheese From Barambah Organics August 14, 2008 - Murgon's Barambah Organics has won the overall champion product award at the recent Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) Queensland awards. The company's Barambah Crows Ash Brie has been described in the Courier-Mail newspaper as a "rich, creamy brie with a white mould exterior and a coating of vineyard ash". It is named after the crows ash trees on the Campbell family's Spring Creek farm at Manyung near Murgon. The latest award follows success earlier this year in the DIAA's national Dairy Products Competition where Barambah Organics won silver medals for its natural set yoghurt and low-fat yoghurt, and its Blueberry and Mango flavoured yoghurts.

Lowes To Open New Store Tomorrow August 13, 2008 - The second of the new stores in the expanded Kingaroy Shoppingworld complex, Lowes, will be opening tomorrow. Lowes is at Shop 41-42 (at the top of the travelator) and stocks men's and boys' wear and school uniforms for both boys and girls. There is also a range of clothing for larger men (sizes 3XL-7XL). Manager Katrina Southey can be contacted on (07) 4162-1239. Lowes is an iconic Australian brand which has passed through several phases of ownership. The company was originally founded in 1898 by William Lowe and became a public company in 1948.

Opera Heads Back To Kilkivan August 12, 2008 - Kilkivan's Prophet Gold Mine will be hosting more of the extremely popular Underground Opera performances next month. Opera on Broadway, billed as a night of opera and Broadway hits, will be held at the mine on September 26 and 27. Tickets will go on sale at Kilkivan News on Thursday or phone (07) 5484-1148. For more information, visit the Underground Opera Company's website or download an information flyer (1.1MB PDF)

Open Day at St John's August 11, 2008 - St John's Lutheran Primary School, at 84-92 Ivy Street, Kingaroy, will be holding an open day for parents and prospective students on Friday August 22. The open day will run from 9am to noon and will allow parents to see the facilities St John's has to offer. The school has a C & K Kindy on site and offers Prep as well as Primary education for Grades 1 to 7.

ActivEX Reports On Booubyjan Drilling August 8, 2008 - Mining company ActivEX has reported finding broad zones of moderate copper and gold mineralisation at a depth of 60 to 102m in its first test drilling hole at Booubyjan. In the company's June 2008 Quarterly Activities Report released on July 31, ActivEX reported that it had started its drilling program at Booubyjan on May 10 and had completed one hole of the planned 15 hole program. The drilling stopped at a depth of 402m. ActivEX's Booubyjan joint venture, with Minotaur and Mitsubishi, is testing a variety of anomalous copper and gold targets. Drilling on a second hole has now started.

Careers Market On Today August 7, 2009 - Kingaroy State High School will be hosting its annual Careers Market for South Burnett school leavers in the school's Indoor Sports Centre from noon until 6pm today. There will be a wide range of exhibitors and displays from employers and tertiary institutions. Admission is free. For more details contact the school on (07) 4162-2955.

Smile - You're On Google Maps! August 6, 2008 - South Burnett residents beware ... you may now be on Google Maps! Google unveiled its latest Google Maps application "Street View" yesterday. Google cars trawled all over the major Australian cities snapping ground level photos of homes, traffic and footpaths which have been integrated into the popular Google Maps application (a collation of maps and satellite photos). Surprisingly ... most of Kingaroy and Nanango is now available online! Just go to Google Maps, type in "Kingaroy" or "Nanango" and click on "Street View". Zoom in and drop the "little man" icon onto the street you want to see. You can "walk" up and down the street, turn corners etc in a seamless string of linked photos. You can even spin 360 degrees on the spot and check out buildings on the other side of the road! Other South Burnett towns do not appear to have been snapped in so much depth and unfortunately Murgon, Cherbourg, Proston, Hivesville and Maidenwell have missed out completely. However, the level of detail in the photos captured is incredible! Note... the street addresses are close but not always completely accurate!

Yallakool Tourist Park To Re-Open Next Month August 5, 2008 - Yallakool Tourist Park on Bjelke-Petersen Dam near Murgon will re-open in late September, three months earlier than expected. South Burnett Regional Mayor David Carter said yesterday reopening Yallakool Park had been the number one priority of the new Council since amalgamation in March. Yallakool was closed in May 2007 because of low dam levels and issues with the sewage treatment plant. "The benefits to the community of re-opening Yallakool are enormous," Mr Carter said. The grand final of the 2008 MotorGuide Bass Electric Convention fishing competition will be held at the dam on September 20-21 and a community celebration to mark the re-opening of Yallakool is scheduled for October 12. Download the South Burnett Regional Council press release (54kb PDF)

$1.2b Wind Farm Boost For Business August 4, 2008 - South Burnett businesses are expected to benefit from the construction of the $1.2b wind farm at Coopers Gap, south-west of Kingaroy. The farm will straddle the border between the South Burnett Regional Council and Dalby Regional Council and will consist of up to 252 turbines - each capable of producing 2MW - and produce enough electricity to power 320,000 homes (1.7 million megawatt hours of electricity per annum). Recently appointed South Burnett Regional Council CEO Tony Hayward said he expected local companies would have the capacity to contribute to the project. The constructors are aiming to source some tower components locally to save on transport costs which could open opportunities for South Burnett businesses, especially engineering companies. If approved by the two councils, construction by Investec Bank (Australia) Limited and Windlab Systems would start late next year with the wind farm being fully operational by 2011. A public information meeting about the wind farm will be held from 10am at the Cooranga North Hall next Saturday (August 9). Download information brochure (194kb PDF)

Peanut Festival Fun For Everyone! August 1, 2008 - The annual PCA Kingaroy Peanut Festival will be on Kingaroy this weekend! The fun starts at the Kingaroy Showgrounds at 10:45am (so there's plenty of time for the sun to warm up!). Entry is just $5 for 18 and overs. Highlights include the bid to break the Guinness World Record for tugging a peanut thresher, arm wrestling, the Supa IGA Queensland Strong Man Games plus amusement rides, a skydiving jump, helicopter and trike rides and Combat Laser Skirmish. Download the full Festival program (15kb PDF)