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1 The Queensland mining and gas community s best source of local news Monday January 15, th Edition SHIFT MINER M A G A Z I N E Locally Owned & Operated PUSSIES GALORE! AT YOUR DONGA DOOR» Page 4

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3 10 7 Shift Miner Magazine CONTENTS NEWS 4 Two miners seriously injured 5 Speaking out on safety 6 Mackay struggles through downturn 8 Bowen holds its breath 9 New motel a symbol of change? Regulars 15 Frank the Tank 20 Miner s Trader 22 Off Shift 20 Sport Queensland mining community's best source of local news SHIFT MINER Locally Owned and Operated MAGAZINE Phone: (07) Fax: (07) angus.peacocke@shiftminer.com Editor: Alex Graham Advertising: Angus Peacocke Published fortnightly by Fitzroy Publishing Pty Ltd A.B.N PO Box 1440, Rockhampton Q 4700 Invoice Today & Get Paid Today! * Yes, there is an alternative to a business overdraft. We ll show you how to take the handbrake off your business & put your cashflow back into gear. Call: or Bruce Meredith: Reliable Debtor Finance Solutions *Conditions apply.

4 News Outsmarting the cat: slowly, slowly catchy monkey FERAL animals are on the rampage in the Bowen Basin, with mine sites and accommodation camps overrun with pests. Traditionally assumed to be a farming problem, Central Queensland mining leases have become the perfect breeding ground for feral animals like pigs and cats - safe from recreational shooters and with an abundant supply of water and food. George Myer has worked as a feral animal controller for more than 20 years, and currently lives and works in Sarina, south of Mackay. He has been employed by local mines and accommodation villages over the past 12 months to tackle the problem. It is full on at the moment, he told Shift Miner. Cats are especially a problem because each mine has so many lighting plants and cats are nocturnal so they are just feasting on everything from small marsupials to insects. They hang around the crib huts and in the mine itself, especially around the lights. Mr Myer is currently working at an accommodation camp at Coppabella where he says the feral cat problem is the worst he s ever seen. If you walk through the camp at night it s nothing to count 40 to 50 cats and they re just the ones you see so I would say there are hundreds of them, he said. I used to work for a local council in Sydney and this is far worse than the problems they had at big shopping centres down there. Mr Myer said the problem is perpetuated by camp guests feeding the cats. These cats aren t vicious, they don t attack, although if they were cornered that could be a problem, he said. But they are bold, they ll follow you into your room no problem and then you have to shoo them out. Mr Myer said catching the cats was not as easy as you d think. In fact, a failed attempt by another trapper last year saw a handful caught but no dent in the overall numbers. Our program will run over six months and the idea is to get the cats used to going into the traps and being fed. We do this by letting some of the cats go. You have to outsmart the cat, rather than just going in there and catching the dumb ones, which is easy. It s slowly, slowly, catchy monkey. Mr Myer stressed all his programs were run humanely. At heart, I really like cats they are a nice animal and a lovely pet but in this situation they are a plague. But the cats will be handled with respect. It s not just cats stalking mine sites and accommodation camps. Feral pig are also on the rise. It s really dry at the moment and pigs are nomadic so they ll move anywhere to get a feed and a drink, he said. They often live in barren parts of the mine that aren t being used because no-one goes there so it is safe habitat and they can always get a drink on a mine site. Mr Myer said it was common for miners - particularly at night - to see pigs on site, and they were often getting hit by cars. For some reason the people loading the trains and the train drivers are the ones who mention pigs the most, so for whatever reason they seem to hang around the railway lines a lot. Given farming and mining are side-by-side in Central Queensland, Mr Myer said it was important both industries worked together to get on top of the feral animal problem. At the moment pigs are breeding up on mining leases and then eating the crops next door, he said. The other thing to consider is that a mining lease would actually be the ideal place for native animals to have a bit of a run because it s not being farmed. But in order to do that they would have to stem the onslaught of cats. There s nothing worse than seeing a cat with a bilby or a baby koala. Comment or SMS Two shocking accidents in five days A Saraji miner was badly burnt when the dump truck he was operating caught fire on the BMA mine site last Tuesday. It s understood the 51-year-old was injured as he tried to flee the truck after the engine caught on fire. He was airlifted to Brisbane for specialist medical treatment. At the time of print, a spokesperson for BMA said he was stable and responding well to treatment. The truck was a Cat 793 rear dump truck, and as a precaution BMA immediately stopped all trucks working on the site until they had been inspected. Just four days earlier, an electrician suffered serious leg injuries during an underground accident at Glencore s Oaky north coal mine. The contractor was flown to the Mackay Base Hospital after he was pinned by a coal conveyor near the face of a longwall. He was released quickly and brought to the surface for immediate medical treatment before being airlifted to hospital. The Queensland Mines Inspectorate is investigating both incidents. The two serious accidents come four months after Queensland s first underground coal death in seven years. Thirty-four-year-old electrician Paul McGuire died at Anglo American s Grasstree mine in May this year. Investigations are still ongoing, but it s understood Mr McGuire was in a restricted area of the mine. He was found by workmates lying on the ground and is believed to have suffocated on noxious fumes. It will be up to the Queensland coroner to make a final report and recommendations regarding the death. New Centre for Scientific Inquiry Boarder Weekend Camps WITH ONE HEART WE CREATE A WELCOMING HOME Concordia offers excellent academic, sporting and cultural opportunities for day and boarding students Years 7 to 12. Year 7, an integral part of our Middle College since 2007, has learning blocks for core curriculum subjects. Electives such as Technology, Sport Science, Music and German are also offered. In Senior College (Yrs 10-12) options include: German Sport Science Technical Studies Physics Legal Studies Hospitality Art Drama Chemistry Music and Music Extension Senior Skills lessons for Years 11 and 12 Vocational plus many more! REdLANds CAMpus: 154 stephen st Toowoomba Qld th September 2014

5 News Thiess Curragh under fire MARK Di Ruggiero and Guy D Armenia are two miners with an axe to grind and no fear of retribution. Over the past two months, Shift Miner has run a series of articles outlining serious safety concerns that have been raised anonymously by dozens of resource industry workers. Now, for the first time, two miners who worked on the same site are prepared to put their names to the allegations. Both men contacted Shift Miner independently of each other. Mr Di Ruggiero is currently fighting an unfair dismissal claim against his employer Thiess at Curragh mine near Blackwater. Despite the ongoing legal battle, Mr Di Ruggiero said he had serious safety concerns about the workplace that he raised with management and were continually ignored. When hazard reports are filled in it is months before problems are dealt with - if they even are dealt with, he said. If operators complain about an aspect of safety they are just taken off the machine and someone who won t complain is put on. Machinery is constantly being operated long after problems have been reported and parts are always on order but nothing gets fixed. Mr Di Ruggiero emphasised that this was not the fault of the fitters, who he said were under enormous pressure to keep machine availability up. For example, the guard rails near the operator s cab on a truck snapped off, meaning it would not support the weight of an operator if they tripped and grabbed the rail. Instead of maintenance parking up the machine when that was reported and welding it or fixing it properly, rags were wrapped around it and secured with three zip ties. Mr Di Ruggiero said standard operating procedures (SOPs) were not readily available in the crib huts, with workers only able to access them from an internal computer system. But we didn t have access to that computer system, so you can t say we had access to SOPs. Mr Di Ruggiero said he was appalled at the lax attitude to safety at the site, and was speaking out because he was genuinely fearful someone would lose their life. I don t care if I never work in the industry again, he told Shift Miner. Someone could die and it s about time we started speaking out. His sentiments are echoed by 51-year-old Guy D Armenia, a straight-talking veteran of the mining industry. You don t need a good memory to tell the truth, said Mr D Armenia. I am happy to put my name to this because I am speaking the truth. Mr D Armenia is currently on workers compensation after a serious accident at the mine back in March. He was operating a dozer in a wet area on the side of a river, pushing wet sand off hard coffee rock when it fractured. A bucket of a digger that was working below the dozer was used to stabilise it, but the ground slumped, and the dozer slipped 10 metres. I had a good chance to fall from height, it was put your bucket in front of my blade or else I would have fallen vertically and the dozer would be on its roof, he said. According to Mr D Armenia, he has become the fall guy for an accident that was waiting to happen. A manager called me in and said in a funny sort of way I m happy it was you up there and not someone else because it could ve been worse. He said he was going to have to give me my first and final [warning] in order to justify his position to his boss. Then he asked me to help write up a safe work method for the task because there wasn t one. I thought that was a bit rich. Mr D Armenia said there was no SOP, no JSA and no safe work method for the task. The truth is if we did everything by the book you wouldn t be able to move any dirt, he said, matter-of-factly. I can see it from management s point of view and I can see it from the worker s point of view, but the problem is management want it all their own way and we just get screwed when something goes wrong. Mr D Armenia said miners were too frightened to speak out in the current climate. The only thing miners have got to keep companies honest is your paper, he said. It s a terrible state of affairs but it is the truth. Shift Miner approached Thiess in relation to the alleged safety breaches, but the company declined to comment. Comment or SMS th September

6 Meteor Downs on track IT S not court action by environmentalists - but rather another global miner - that is holding up the development of U&D minings Meteor Downs South (MDS) coal project near Springsure. U&D Mining has just been in court for objections hearings, and expect to return in November to negotiate a mining lease compensation agreement. In both cases the landholder and sole objector is mining heavyweight Glencore (formerly Xstrata). Xstrata purchased the 17,000 hectare grazing enterprise Meteor Downs which covers the MDS tenement in 2011 for more than $21 million, as it looked to take ownership of the rural lands covering its own expanding Rolleston coal mine. General manager of the MDS project Darren Walker told Shift Miner the company is still looking to start work at the site next year. We have finished the objections hearing in court, and are waiting to get a recommendation back from the minster sometime in the next three months, he said. Subject to the court processes, we are still targeting mid-2015 as a start time for developing the project. Although that is dependent on the mining lease being granted, our negotiations with our joint venture partner Sojitz and, of course, the coal price. MACKAY mining services are still holding their collective breath waiting for the backlog of maintenance work that must be coming their way. The downturn has had a stranglehold on the mining hub of Paget for more than 18 months, and any green shoots don t seem to be taking root. Probably about three months ago we had some companies talking green shoots with shutdown and maintenance work but that seems to have dropped off again, Resource Industry Network (RIN) general manager Julie Boyd told Shift Miner. We are hoping that with the carbon and now the mining tax gone that will get rid of a lot of administrative burden for mining companies and the situation eases. It would be good if they let their finger off the push down button. Ms Boyd said the build up of maintenance work in the Bowen Basin must come to a head at some point. The day will come when they need to do some proper maintenance work and that will ease up the pressure on local businesses, she said. But the problem will be the need will come at once, it won t be staggered. When the sector does boom again, there is serious concern that the region will be crippled by a skills shortage, given so many businesses have been forced to let go of key staff. A lot of companies have lost a huge amount of skills and once things pick up again we are going to find ourselves back where we were, said Ms Boyd. Probably in the first year or so businesses were hanging onto quality staff even while they were retrenching others, but over the last six months there has been another big drop off. It comes as Rio Tinto s Kestrel mine, near Emerald, has announced plans to layoff 100 workers by the end of the month. Employees were told of the decision yesterday, and it s understood the axe will fall on both contractors and permanent staff. The Australian coal mining industry is facing extremely challenging conditions, with prices continuing to decline through 2014 and the Australian dollar remaining strong, said a Rio Tinto spokesman. We have worked to significantly reduce costs and improve productivity across all of Rio Tinto s Australian coal mines, but still more needs to be done. Regrettably, a number of roles at the Kestrel mine need to be reduced, as part of ongoing efforts to ensure the operation is competitive. The mine is Rio s only underground coal operation and underwent a $2 billion extension which opened in October last year. The expansion added 20 years to Kestrel s life and increased the News Kestrel jobs go as Mackay still struggles production of hard coking coal to six million tonnes a year. In some good news for the region, the state government has given a crucial tick of approval to a new gas project in the Bowen Basin. Arrow Energy s Bowen Gas Project (BGP), located about 150 kilometres southwest of Mackay, will provide more than 1500 jobs during the construction phase from 2016, and about 700 permanent jobs. The approval came at the same time as Arrow announced it would begin frontend engineering and design (FEED) work for its proposed upstream gas project - also in the northern Bowen Basin. Arrow Energy CEO Andrew Faulkner said both decisions were critical milestones in progressing the development of Arrow s significant Bowen Basin gas reserves. We welcome the Queensland government s approval of the EIS for the proposed Bowen development, he said. Arrow s decision to proceed with FEED demonstrates the attractiveness of our Bowen Basin reserves. BGP involves developing Arrow s tenements near its existing gas fields with staged expansion of about 4000 gas wells and gas infrastructure in a 8000km 2 area about 150km south-west of Mackay over 40 years. The project will now be assessed by the Australian government. 6 15th September 2014

7 Modern day gold rush at Clermont? GOLD! Diatreme found this in a valley at Rosevale in the Clermont region IN 1861 there was a major gold rush at Clermont in Central Queensland, and significant amounts of alluvial gold were panned from nearby creeks. The enduring mystery for explorers ever since has been where did that gold from? Alluvial gold is surface sediment and originates from a deposit in rock that is usually, but not always, located upstream. There is consensus among modern-day explorers that a large deposit of gold is waiting to be discovered in the Clermont region that could possibly lead to the establishment of a mega mine. Brisbane-based gold explorer Diatreme Resources has been granted further exploration rights over an area south of Clermont this month by the state government. Chief executive Neil McIntyre told Shift Miner a major discovery in the area was probably just a question of time and resources. The area is highly prospective, and major companies acknowledge that, he said. But it is an early phase exploration tenement, so the story is still unfolding. Major companies like Londonlisted Antofagasta have farmed into our area, and in their terms they are looking for a mega mine. An average gold mine produces 35-50,000 ounces of gold a year, a large mine around 100,000 ounces a year and a mega mine between 700,000 and a million ounces. There are only about 10 mega mines in the world, so a huge discovery at Clermont would be enormous for Central Queensland. However, Mr McIntyre said while the deposit was likely to exist, it remained elusive. I think there is a high chance of a major discovery in the region, although I couldn t give a timeline for when it might occur, he said. These things come down to time, money, some luck, and usually involve a number of small explorers punching their holes and trying to piece the geology together. But this area is not well understood. We are committed to making a major discovery there. Mr McIntyre said Diatreme Resources was in discussions with a number of larger companies about the possibility of a joint venture project to further explore the area. News Drilling to begin EXPLORER Orion Gold says it might have discovered a major gold deposit close to the small town of Marlborough, north of Rockhampton. A geographical survey of the Aurora Flats site, 65 kilometres north of Marlborough, will now be undertaken with drilling of key targets to take place before Christmas. Orion managing director Errol Smart said the deposit was an intermediate sulphidation system that extended for 3.5 kilometres. We are very, very excited about what we have been identifying, he said. These systems tend to be very large and can be very high grade. They also very often have very high grade silver content together with the gold. These kind of epithermal gold deposits are formed by volcanic arcs and occur in the Pacific Rim of Fire. It s only really over the last 30 or 40 years that they have become properly understood, said Mr Smart. A fold belt [in Queensland] has resulted in discoveries - or been host to discoveries - over the last 30 or 40 years or certainly since the 1990s of some of Australia s now strongest gold mining operations. Evolution Mining s Pagingo, Mt Carlton and Cracow mines are all based on epithermal gold deposits. Spigot valves, tick NON-DENOMINATIONAL EARLY LEARNING PREP TO YEAR 12 CO-ED BOARDING FROM YEAR 7 We d love to see you. INNOVATIVE THINKING: Stephen Fairbrother with the hydraulic valve opening tool PIONEERING plant mechanic Stephen Fairbrother has made life at Rio Tinto Alcan s bauxite mine at Weipa a little easier. His hydraulic valve opening tool won the site the prestigious innovation award at the Queensland mining industry health and safety conference recently. Mr Fairbrother saw the need for a safer and easier way of opening spigot valves that regulate the flow of tailing in the mine s large pipework systems. The hydraulic valve opening tool not only speeds up the task, but also eliminates potential injuries that are possible due to the force required to open the valves couple with their awkward positioning. We are always looking for ways to minimise risk of injury and the opening and closing of these valves has the potential to cause muscle strains, pinching and slips and falls due to wet or uneven surfaces, he said. The valves are tight and can take up to 10 minutes to open with some serious muscle work. I wanted to develop a tool that reduced manual handling, eliminated potential impact injuries and reduced the time to conduct the job and the associated fatigue. The new tool means operators can stand up and hold onto a cross bar handle that eliminates the injury risk. Recognition for the tool is a great thing but the innovation is something we strive for on a daily basis at Weipa, said Mr Fairbrother. Get to know The Rockhampton Grammar School. See if RGS is the right place for your son or daughter for entry in Year 7 or Year 10 next year or Call and make an appointment to tour the School, talk with staff and learn about opportunities available at RGS that will enable your child to do his or her very best, every day GRAMMAR One of Australia s Top Country Schools THE AUSTRALIAN 2012, 2013 One of Queensland s Best Secondary Schools THE AUSTRALIAN 2012, 2013 Every opportunity. Every student. Every day. INTERVIEWING FOR 2015 & 16 YEARS 7 & 10 15th September

8 Bowen holds breath as Adani recruits The Abbot Point expansion project is still up in the air BOWEN residents are hoping it s not another false start for the local economy, as Indian giant Adani calls for expressions of interest for workers at its giant Carmichael mine in the Galilee Basin. The enormous coal mine has received all its state and federal approvals, and is waiting on the final federal environmental approval for its associated rail line linking the project to the Abbot Point coal terminal, near Bowen. Every stage of the process has been caught up in controversy, with green groups vocal in their opposition to the mine, railway and expansion of the port. The town that has felt the most impact over the past 18 months of uncertainty has been Bowen, where local businesses and tourism operators are struggling to stay afloat. Tourism Bowen chairman Paul McLaughlin said the town was in a catch-22. We want to stay positive but the town is really struggling, he told Shift Miner. Five years ago when people started to say we were going to boom, real estate agents were very proactive about getting people to invest in the region. We had 300 houses built and now - surprise, surprise - we have 300 empty houses because we re caught in the same downturn as the rest of the region. Mr McLaughlin said local business had more faith in the Adani project going ahead than other contenders in the Galilee Basin. Companies like GVK need a good return for them to get the project over the line but it s different for Adani because it is a bit of a one stop shop as they plan to use the coal themselves, he said. It s a different business model and they are not as reliant on the price of coal so we are hoping they will go ahead. Mr McLaughlin said green groups had held the region to ransom. They have really stuffed us around, he said. If only they had a genuine interest in pouring their money into water quality for the Great Barrier Reef, but all they re really interested in is shutting down the coal industry. The latest development comes in a significant about-turn on the Abbot Point coal terminal. The Queensland government has now approved for dredging material to be dumped on land rather than at sea. It will now be up to the federal government to also approve the change, which has been welcomed by the tourism industry and green groups. For locals, a final decision can t come soon enough. Mr McLaughlin, who runs a local resort, said his business takings were down another 20 per cent in the past financial year. However, he believed the outlook for the town would pick if construction work on the rail, port or mine began. If you have 200 construction workers in town then that s another couple of hundred kids, which means more teachers, more police and it just snowballs from there. From a tourism point of view, if you can get your base load up it allows coffee shops and little corner stores to keep operating in the off season and that enables them stay open longer term. News Miner kicks 40kgs and wins Kestrel mine general manager operations John Coughlan congratulates Craig Bailey on his win. NINE months ago Craig Bailey struggled to tie up his own shoe laces, but now the Kestrel mine worker has dropped 40 kilograms and lost 40 centimetres from his waist. Those staggering statistics saw Mr Bailey weigh in as the winner of the individual health award at the Queensland mining industry health and safety conference in Townsville. In nine months, Mr Bailey s dedication to the programme has seen him lose over 40 kilograms, reduce his waist measurement by nearly 40 centimetres, improve his Body Mass Index (BMI) by 10 points and better his cardiac health. I initially blew the first appointment for Rio Tinto s Achieve Health programme as I was a bit embarrassed and shy about my weight, Mr Bailey said. I had to find the courage to acknowledge my health and wellbeing. After the consultation, the Achieve Health programme showed me I had to address my cholesterol, waist circumference, body mass index, low level of physical activity and poor nutrition choices. With the support of on-site health professionals, Mr Bailey set individual goals focusing on behaviour change relating to diet, exercise and attitude towards healthy lifestyle choices. A lot of people said to me Don t worry - round is a shape, he said. But it s not that funny when you struggle to do up your shoelaces or even do up your seat belt. My programme set goals to help me get my health back on track whether that was by planning meals and their frequency or taking exercise tips such as choosing walking over driving. Mr Bailey said being able to include his wife Malissa on the programme had also helped. Kestrel mine general manager operations John Coughlan said it was encouraging to see many employees taking advantage of the health programmes on offer at the mine. A proactive health programme is pivotal in achieving a safe workforce and the Achieve Health programme is just one that continues to help our workers return home to their families safely each day and enjoy the things that are important to them. 8 15th September 2014

9 News New motel a symbol of change A VIEW TO THE FUTURE: The Shearer-Smith family diversify in Chinchilla AFTER more than 80 years in Surat Basin agriculture, the family behind the well known Smithfield Cattle Company are now investing in the future of the coal seam gas sector. The Shearer-Smith family have been in beef production in the Chinchilla district since 1928, but in recent years have diversified into other off farm investments. Their most recent is the development of Kings Park in Chinchilla - a 72-room accommodation facility in the heart of town. Andrew Shearer-Smith said the investment reflected a belief that the CSG sector would have a profound and long term effect on Chinchilla. Our family has been buying cattle and grain from producers in the Western Downs for over 25 years, he told Shift Miner. We have had other business interests along the way and been involved in property development more recently, but we are relatively new to working alongside the CSG industry. Chinchilla has long been a prosperous regional centre and the CSG industry has obviously injected a lot of additional infrastructure and amenity into the town. While construction projects for the CSG industry will come and go, the region is rich in natural resources and the CSG industry is here to stay. We think Chinchilla and the Surat Basin will go from strength to strength. While the facility has been designed to appeal to a range of people passing through Chinchilla on long and short stays, it is clearly also aimed at the resources sector. Mr Shearer-Smith says CSG companies are like every other employer in that they want their staff to live in a safe, secure and comfortable environment that is cost effective. Expectations about staff accommodation have increased significantly in Queensland s resources sector over the last 10 years, and Kings Park has been built with this in mind. The rooms each have a 24 sq metre balcony, high speed WiFi, Foxtel, an ensuite and kitchen. A restaurant and dining facility will also be added soon. As a family, we are strong believers that Australia s significance as a global food producer will strengthen as the global population grows and the standards of living of our neighbours in the Asian region improve, Mr Shearer-Smith added. Energy and agriculture will help power Australia s prosperity for many years to come so we hold a positive view of Chinchilla s future. Meanwhile, slightly further north and the Banana Shire mayor Shire Ron Carige says council is currently assessing applications for two new accommodation complexes in the small village of Taroom in the Surat Basin. The puzzling part is why developers still want to build there despite a significant cooling off of resources activity in the region. We have two applications in at the moment, he told Shift Miner. We could cater for the new facilities, and there are no real infrastructure issues, but what I don t know is where the demand is coming from. No one seems to be saying much, everyone is a bit tight lipped about what the accommodation could be used for. The most likely explanation for the interest in Taroom is that as the coal seam gas industry pushes north, new towns like Taroom will become workforce hubs. Certainly that has been the case for the nearby town of Miles, where the upgrade of the formerly obsolete airport in April this year has led to more than 25 flights a week into the town - mostly to service CSG sector. In parallel to this development, more than 5000 new beds have been made available and rents in the town have gone from $150/week to $1800/week and now sit at about $650/week. Mr Carige has also speculated that investment in Taroom reflects an expectation that there will be further CSG exploration in the district. Whatever the reason, the increased activity is likely to be welcomed by all businesses in the Banana Shire, which is currently coping with the downturn in the coal industry, drought and a pullback of existing CSG investment. It is biting a bit at the moment, Mr Carige said. I think a few businesses are not finding it easy and are having to make an adjustment to the new reality. I don t think a lot of people realised just how much money was going into the local community until the pipeline work ended. NATURALLY DIFFERENT UNDERGROUND PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR (DEPUTY) GROSVENOR MINE, MORANBAH, QUEENSLAND Anglo American s Coal business is the second largest Australian producer and the third largest global exporter of metallurgical coal. We are committed to creating sustainable value safely and responsibly and sharing the benefits of mining with our communities to make a real difference. We strive to create an inclusive environment for all employees. Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are encouraged to apply for all vacant positions. Construction on our $1.95 billion five million tonne per annum Grosvenor longwall mine is well advanced in Moranbah, Queensland. With the first of the 12ED25 Continuous Miners commencing in early 2015, Anglo American has exciting opportunities now for experienced professionals to become part of the team responsible for Grosvenor s transition from project to an operational mine. Reporting to the Mining Superintendent, you will be accountable for leading and coaching the Production Crews to ensure the site production plans are implemented and delivered whilst maintaining a focus on zero harm to employees and contractors. A key focus of this role will be to demonstrate the leadership to deliver exceptional results in a start-up operation. You will be responsible to hold your team to account for performance, contribute to the ongoing management of a reliable short term mine plan, and continually seek to identify areas for improvement to ensure operational excellence is achieved. To succeed in this role, you will have a minimum 5 years experience working within the underground coal mining industry with demonstrated understanding of the coal mining process and the relevant mining legislation. A current Certificate 3 (Deputy) Statutory qualification (Qld Mutual Recognition Ticket for NSW applicants) S1 S2 S3 & G2 are essential. Your proven management experience and ability to lead a team of production personnel to deliver against set targets will be key to your success in this role. You will have a strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to safety. Applicants shortlisted to the next stage will be invited to attend an Assessment Centre early September in Mackay or Brisbane. As well as a very competitive salary package, Grosvenor also offers even time rosters, subsidised residential and modern accommodation options, Fly in Fly out (FIFO) and Bus in Bus out (BIBO) work arrangements. If you have the ambition to work for a leader in the mining and resources area, and the drive to deliver results on a consistent basis, apply online by quoting Job No at ANG2335B 15th September

10 Shift Miner Magazine $39m in bed contracts OVER the past six years, Easternwell s camp management business has grown from 15 to more than 60 camps across Queensland and South Australia. The company has just secured another five new contracts and extensions worth $39 million throughout the Surat and and Cooper Basins. These include a $15 million contract with Santos to supply, manage and operate its 200-person Moomba overflow camp. It will create 40 new jobs. Easternwell is a subsidiary of Transfield Services and now provides accommodation to more than 3500 guests who consume more than three million meals a year. Camp management is a growing industry and Easternwell is at the forefront, said Transfield Services chief executive of resources and energy Joe Sofra. The business has demonstrated consistent growth and has further opportunities to expand in both the mobile and fixed camp markets. In the coming months Easternwell will be looking to recruit over 75 staff in various roles including camp managers, chefs, housekeepers, kitchen hands, gardeners, administrators and security. Mr Sofra attributes the business growth to the team s focus on quality of service, development of a strong and cohesive culture, new HSE initiatives, innovative health and wellbeing programs and ensuring that all cooking positions are filled by qualified chefs th September 2014 News Kestrel faces off against the world ON FIRE! The Kestrel mines rescue team is in Poland to compete in an international safety competition. A Rio Tinto mines rescue team is competing against the world s best in an international mine safety competition in Poland. The team from the Kestrel underground coal mine near Emerald, will have their high reputation for safety put to the test at the International Mines Rescue competition from 6 13 September. Seven workers will compete against teams from all over the world including Canada, India, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Vietnam in practical and theoretical mine rescue tests. Kestrel Mines Rescue team captain Derrin Powell said the team was excited about going up against the world s best. The world championships will be unlike any competition we ve entered before, he said. We will be making the most of the two days we have in Katowice in Poland, to familiarise ourselves with the rescue equipment before the draw is announced on 9 September. The two days of competition will test the key areas of rescue action organisation, emergency medical aid, servicing mine rescue equipment, working with measuring equipment and includes a mines rescue theory test. This is an incredible opportunity to learn from best practice in underground mining safety not just from coal mines but from a variety of underground operations. The team was invited to compete at the competition as the first team to win all three Australian rescue competitions open to Queensland mines in Kestrel Mine general manager operations John Coughlan said The Kestrel mines rescue team have prepared well for the world championships and their recent win at the Queensland mines rescue EK Healy Cup event was a good boost in their preparation. The team s tireless commitment to safety has earned them this opportunity and reflects the strong safety culture we have at Kestrel mine. We look forward to seeing the team represent Australia and compete at the championships knowing they have Kestrel mine and Rio Tinto cheering them on from around the globe. Editor s note: at the time of print, the results from the competition were not known but we will keep you updated in our next edition.

11 News Peak production behind us? Linc and Adani revisit FIGURES released this week by the Queensland Mines Department covering the period up until the end of May, have painted an interesting picture of coal production across the state. On the face of it, the Monthly Coal Report indicates coal production in the first half of 2014 appeared to be defying the economic wisdom that as prices fall, so will supply. The figures show that during the twelve months ending in May this year, total raw coal production was 46 percent higher than it was in the 12 months to May in Saleable coal production was nearly 11 per cent higher. However, closer inspection of the figures reveal that total coal production in the Bowen Basin looks to be passed its peak, with onsite cutbacks in late 2013 and early 2014 translating into significant falls in production for the month of May. Total production of raw coal in May this year was around eight million tonnes less than it was in the same month 12 months ago, reflecting a near 30 per cent reduction. However, the fall in the production of saleable coal was far more modest with production falling just two million tonnes to 16.5 million tonnes in May this year. In the absence of adverse weather events, one possible theory that could explain this is that companies are focussing efforts on high-value, low-cost coals and sending them direct to market to eke out a profit in this difficult period. The theory that the low prices in the coal market right now are borne out of an oversupply rather than significant falling demand is also supported in the figures. In the hard coking coal sector, exports to our biggest customers in Asia for the 12 months to May increased from 65 million tonnes to 84 million tonnes, although the value of those exports only increased from $10.5 billion to $12.2 billion, reflecting the falling coal price. However, looking at the month of May on its own, exports were virtually unchanged year-on-year and the total value of those exports actually fell due to the falling coal prices. In thermal coal, the supply response has been much larger, with May export tonnages to Asia down by nearly a third with a 40 per cent drop in value. Although, again, over the twelve months ending in May, exports of coal were slightly higher. Compared to previous downturns in the sector, a wind-back in production has taken longer to take effect this time around largely because miners are bound by expensive take-or-pay port and rail contracts. According to general manager of mine operations for QCoal Danny McCarthy, the contracts are distorting how businesses react to falling prices. We are seeing record volumes, and a lot of that is due to the fact that producers such as ourselves have got take-or-pay contracts, and in some ways it is cheaper for us to continue to produce at a loss than it would be to stop producing, he said. Some take-or-pay contracts that have been committed to during the boom or on the back of boom time large coal prices are up to 10 years in duration. There are certain triggers along the way no matter whether you are producing zero tonnes of coal or one tonne of coal, you are still committed to four or five million tonnes - depending on what your take-or-pay commitments are. If, for example, you multiply eight million tonnes by a large number, you get a very large number and if there were no take-or-pay commitments you would probably see some different scenarios playing out. Cuesta $63/tonne coal cost CUESTA Coal expects to have a clear idea about the viability of its Moorlands coal mine near Clermont by the end of the year. In a statement this week, Cuesta said its 2013 estimate that the mine could produce 1.9 million tonnes of thermal coal per year at around $63/tonne (FOB and excluding royalties) remained accurate. The Moorlands deposit is north-west of the Blair Athol mine at Clermont, and earlier this year Cuesta announced that drilling at the site had increased its JORC compliant resource by 92 per cent. Notably, the drilling confirmed a total measured resource of more than 118 million tonnes, and indicated resources of just over 52 million tonnes. Cuesta expects to complete and release its long-awaited draft definitive feasibility study (DFS) around Christmas time. The study will assess the mines feasibility based on the coal being mined using a truck and shovel, then trucked to the existing Blair Athol rail spur and railed to Dalrymple Bay coal terminal near Mackay. Ultimately the DFS will provide detailed capital and operating cost estimates for the project on which a final investment decision can be based, the company said. The DFS is a critical step for obtaining project finance to fund the construction of the Moorlands south pit. We are targeting completion of a draft of the DFS by the end of this year in both English and Mandarin, for the primary purpose of providing flexibility in obtaining project finance under the best commercial terms. Carmichael deal IN THE next 60 days we are likely to see just how fair dinkum Indian coal miner Adani is about its Carmichael coal project in the Galilee Basin. The signal will come in the form of a $155 million buy-back of the royalty rights it gave to Linc Energy in 2010, when it originally bought the coal tenements. At that time, Adani paid $500 million upfront for Linc s Galilee projects, and on top of that agreed to pay a $2 per tonne royalty to the company for the first 20 years of mining. This week, Linc and Adani announced they had revisited the original deal, and had agreed that for $155 million Linc would sell back its royalty rights. The deal is not an ironclad certainty, as both parties still have the option not to proceed. However, it does seem more than likely to go ahead, with Linc advising that it expects the deal to be finalised in the next 65 days, and the full amount to be paid within 12 months. Even for a big company like Adani $155 million is not chicken feed, and could be seen as a definitive statement about its intentions to build one of the biggest pieces of mining infrastructure this century. Queensland s Galilee Basin has been the talk of prospectors for more than four decades and the Carmichael mine and rail project is a $16 billion undertaking that would generate around 3000 direct jobs. Speaking on the deal, Linc s Peter Bond said the decision to sell such a potentially lucrative source of cash in the future was simply about focus. Linc Energy has a number of very good quality assets, the sale of the Adani royalty for $155 million is a great example of one of these, he said. And though I would have liked to keep this asset for the longer term, it makes sense to start to cash up our balance sheet and commence to drop out the debt and focus on our world class assets like the Sapex shale. In addition the reality is the price of steaming coal has nearly halved since we sold the Carmichael coal asset to Adani four years ago and the risk of holding the royalty long term versus what we can do with the cash today doesn t add up for us. Simply put we are selling our noncore good assets and cashing up, so that we as a group can focus on our great core assets. 15th September

12 Around Town LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES... Mackay businesses gathered for a RIN breakfast presentation recently. David Saunders - Croc Solid Mining, Justin See - AG Group (L-R) Leon Williamson - Exact, Adrian McNichol - Emeco, Peter Van Iersel - Longwall Support Hanna Tow, Marcia Mackenzie - Greyhound (L-R) Nicholas Flor - SmartHR, Mark Jones - Crawford Pipes, Chester Brodie - Ergo (L-R) Laurie Willett, David Bampton and Shane Bowman - Haynes Group George Martin - Dowdens, Wade Rolfe - Aggreko (L-R) Merv Bunt, Arty Stokes and Melita Smith - Stokes Mining Services (L-R) Dean Kirkwood - Manpower, Brendan Kealy and Craig Hutton - Shamrock Civil... A SENIOR MOMENT... Seniors Week was celebrated in style at Capella, with lunch and entertainment by Shirley Valentine. [photo credit: Jeanette Fletcher] The King and Queen of Seniors Week with Shirley Valentine Shirley Valentine with the rest of the Shirleys in the audience Annette and Barney Davison Dorothy and Frank Wilson Les and Marjorie Lingard Selma Draper and Bluey Harris Holding a social event you want photographed? Call the Shift Miner office on to let us know. You can also give our office a bell if you d like a copy of any of the photos in this edition th September 2014

13 Around Town A BIT OF BUSH GLAMOUR It was high stakes fashion at the Dingo Races recently, as locals and those from farther afield put their best foot forward. [photo credit: Jeannette Fletcher] (L-R) Meghan Kidd, Amelia Ahern, Tina Devonshire, Jodie Rehbein and Rebecca Stokes (L-R) Tara, Ann, Ainsley, Nicole, Tally and Mel Dominic and Maria Richardson won senior Fashions on the Field Josh and Dorinda Freeman Tori Fursman and Jesse Spencer John McAuley-Powell and Charlie Walker (L-R) Clare, Tiffany, Kristina and Logan Moo and Evie Ellie Beak won the years female Fashions on the Field Jake Dixon won male years male Fashions on the Field (L-R) Trent Williams and Lindsay Stafford with Matt Clarke and Molly Daly Glenn Price in the Dingo Trap Throwing competition Emma Plampin and Sam Darke Buy this and many other images at Shift Miner magazine bringing the mining community closer together 15th September

14 FROm THE EDITOR EXPERIENCED animal trapper George Myer reckons feral cats could survive on the moon. They are certainly doing more than just surviving in Central Queensland at the moment, where they have bred to plague proportions on mine sites and at accommodation camps. Miners will be familiar with the piercing eyes of a cat watching from the side of the road - seemingly in the middle of nowhere - when they drive home at night. Feral pigs are also out there in increasing numbers, especially around water points and, for some unknown reason, railway lines. It seems mining leases have become a haven for feral animals, but George Myer makes the interesting point that they could become a haven for native animals [see our article on page 5]. Central Queensland is dotted with Photos to THE EDITOR Sent in by one of our readers farms and mines, and so mining leases could offer a sanctuary for native wildlife away from cropping and grazing where their natural habitat is interrupted. However, the sheer number of feral cats on mining leases at the moment means native animals have a fierce and hungry predator. Perhaps it is time for a partnership between miners and farmers in Central Queensland, in order to get on top of the feral animal problem? It would seem the problem can t be properly addressed unless both industries are on board and strategies are taken across a large geographical area rather than restricted to individual farms, mines and accommodation camps. Comment or SMS Text in your best snap to Stuff to the Editor Dear editor, Firstly I want to apologise for taking so long to write in relation to your article about safety on QLD mine sites at this point in time. Secondly, I can only thank you and echo what was said in your article - everything was 110% correct, I couldn t have written it better myself. The issues are spot on: if you bring something up in relation to safety you get a target on your back. I myself am staunch with safety and am always bringing concerns up constantly and carry a massive target on my back but I know what I m doing is right so it doesn t worry me too much. The problem is I come from a unionised pit and most people are in the union but think that if they rock the boat they will get sacked. I m not sure why they think they don t have a voice or can t bring anything up without getting punished, that s why we have the union to help us should something go wrong. Most people are scared they will get offside with the supervisor and lose their cushy little number they are on just kicking back. I ve suffered myself by not getting trained because I m always on the safety side. They tell you it s business needs but people who don t speak up and started later than me are getting trained but I m not, so I know what it s about. We have many avenues we can go down with regards to reporting issues to the SSHR or ISHR but people don t know about them and don t really have the guts to stand up and say it. The company is happy to let you break the rules all the time, no worries, to keep production going but should someone get hurt from it or an incident occur they have all these rules in place so they can brush their hands and say no we had nothing to do with it, why SHIFT MINER The Queensland mining and gas community s best source of local news Locally Owned & Operated Monday August 25, th Edition BOOM TO BUST SPOTLIGHT ON THE ENDLESS CYCLE OF WAGES» Page 4 Off Shift M A G A Z I N E were you breaking the rules?. If you stop the job and say no, that s against the rules then bang, you re a trouble-maker, and talked about in the office and so forth. I ve asked many times when they are going to stop with the fake, pathetic, disingenuous approach to safety and actually stop and follow their own rules and charter values they have in place but no answer is ever given. The maintenance side of things as reported in your other article is a joke too. I have never seen so many information tags on the gear in the whole time I ve been mining. It s just a joke! I have been saying for quite some time its not going to be long until someone s life is taken because of all the rubbish going on and breaches of the rules. I myself stand up for safety because I don t want to have it on my conscious that I killed someone and know I could have stopped it by just following the rules in place. I don t know how people justify not following the rules, how could they live with themselves knowing that a family might never sees their dad again all because they were to piss weak to stand up and say that s not right!. Sheer stupidity in my eyes. Thank you for the great article and I hope many more continue to come as the push is on harder for production yet profits and tonnages are up and we continue to get the same story of the Aussie dollar is high and times are tough and all of the smoke and mirrors they carry on with to justify cutting jobs. Let s hope no one gets killed and we start getting some push around safety, thanks for the great read. Name supplied but not published. Numbers You Can Count On * *When audited by the CAB MAGAZ I N E For more information visit Proudly Audited by 14 15th September 2014

15 Off Shift Frank the Tank s Dear Frank, I ve been with my man for just over a year now and we get along great. The only thing I can t stand is the fact that he is a real mummy s boy. He can t make a decision without consulting her, and I feel like he sides with her over me. How can I finally get him to cut the cord and break free from his mum? Tina, Blackwater What a pleasant surprise, Tina. Sometimes my vast wisdom is lost on the fairer sex, so I am glad to see that there are ladies out there who appreciate streakin good love advice. In order to answer your question I m going to have to don my Sigmund Freud signature edition psychoanalysis helmet, which incidentally also distributes alcohol directly into my mouth via two straws, which serves to better unlock my psychiatric talents. Many years ago I was one of the top minds in the country in the field of psychiatry, however after a number of female patients claimed my hypnotism treatment program resulted in a constant compulsion to disrobe publicly my licence to practise medicine was unceremoniously revoked. There are a number of reasons why your gent may still be running home to mum every time something goes wrong - perhaps he was breastfed for too long as a child. I once encountered a fellow who didn t cease breastfeeding until his teenage years and as a result is affected by a veritable encyclopedia of unhealthy psychological issues. I recall police were once required to forcefully eject him from a milk bar after he demanded the shop attendant personally produce a bottle of milk for his consumption. He wound up applying for gender reassignment surgery and I believe is now a famous musician, I think he calls himself something Ga Ga. Causal factors aside, I expect you want some advice regarding how to actually break the bond between your man and his mother. Well worry not, Tina, I shall not disappoint you. The easiest way to turn a child against their parent is to remind them of a traumatic childhood experience that can be blamed on negligent parenting. If your bloke had a happy childhood I d suggest concocting an elaborate lie in which you pillory his mother s parenting ability. When still practising psychiatry I would often convince my patients they had endured terrible trauma to ensure their return business. Try convincing your boyfriend that his mother willingly beat him as a child for talking out of turn, or that it was her intention to adopt him out to a Russian circus in exchange for a flagon of port and three packets of rolling tobacco. If you re looking to really scare him straight I would recommend inviting a man over for dinner to pose as your estranged father. After a few glasses of wine you should begin vigorously kissing this pseudo father in a manner that will likely be considered very Streakin good love advice inappropriate. Your man will be so horrified that he ll agree to anything to get dad out of the house, including spending less time with his mother. Frank SENSIBLE SUSAN Tina, This is a more common problem than you may realise, for a lot of Aussie blokes mum is still number one. This is, however, a very delicate subject in that your man is likely to get quite defensive if you come right out and criticise his mum. I would recommend sitting him down and explaining that sometimes his relationship with his mother makes you feel like you re being put to one side. Try not to tell him what annoys you about his relationship with his mother, but rather what he can do to improve his relationship with you. Susan Fair Dinkum! IN IRELAND - If you really want something, sometimes it is better to just come straight out and ask for it. Now take a leaf out of this Irish chap s book for instance. In need of a new tenant, this industrious fellow placed an advert on a property rental website in which he clearly stipulated his terms and conditions: room available for a sexy adventurous dame to share bedroom and body. According to the Irish Mirror there were a range of other conditions attached to the ad, with the Dublin room only available for non-smoking, broad-minded, smart, sexy, confident, unconventional and adventurous dames. Our man was willing to accept someone on condition that they consider sharing this double bedroom, their body and life experience for the duration of their stay. He helpfully included some detail about himself: With a sexy, outspoken and laidback gentleman such as me. And continues: If this fabulous idea of mine appeals to you in the slightest, please don t be shy and don t hesitate to get in touch privately so we get to know more about each other before a potential meet and greet and/or a viewing of our place. The gent said he would charge rent of 290 ($400AUD) per month for anyone who accepted his offer. He also laid down two rules: the new tenant must: 1) Be happy. 2) Don t meddle with anyone else s happiness. CAPTION: Bavarian countryside meets Abercrombie. All seems pretty reasonable? Sadly, the website daft.ie (despite the name it is not a spoof and it claim s to be Ireland s largest property website) didn t agree and the advert was soon taken down. A sad day for free speech and plain speaking! IN JAPAN - Gee, they work hard for their living and yet they still have time to do something for charity! A group of Japanese porn queens have recently offered up their breasts to be squeezed in a 24-hour-boob-a-thon. The nine adult movie stars told local media they could barely contain their excitement about the Stop! AIDS campaign event. I m really looking forward to lots of people fondling my boobs, Rina Serina told the Tokyo Sports newspaper. But I would be very happy if you would please be delicate. The event, the 12th since its launch in 2003, was due to be broadcast on adult cable television, with punters donating to the anti-aids campaign in exchange for a feel. I never thought my boobs could contribute to society, added the ponytailed Serina, apparently unaware of any contradiction. Fellow porn actress Iku Sakuragi had no qualms about being groped by hundreds of pairs of hands. It s for charity, said the 21-yearold. Squeeze them, donate money -- let s be happy. Ahhh wise words for such tender years. IN THE UNITED STATES - Wiesnkoenig, the official supplier of lederhosen for the Munich Oktoberfest, is hoping its fashion-forward take on traditional German clothing takes off in America with the opening of its flagship US store inside a Cincinnati brewery. A young and hip fashion from Germany, says Wiesnkoenig s soon-toopen American website. Now anything that has to announce it is young and hip is immediately getting into traditional and daggy territory. However we are assured that this high quality Bavarian fashion inspired by dirndls and lederhosen is worn by young, dynamic and trendsetting people across the fashion capitals of Europe. Wiesnkoenig is the only officially licensed supplier of the original lederhosen for the Munich Oktoberfest. We re not selling costumes to make it look like Germans, said Oliver Pfund, a Wiesnkoenig consultant who lives in Munich and is helping his sister, a Munich-born Cincinnati resident. We want to show people here in the US you can wear the lederhosen with Chuck Taylors, you don t have to wear the suspenders (braces), he said. Or you can wear the dirndl with cowboy boots. Now I think we can all agree there are some style elements that can be worked with bust-hugging bodice check, but unless you are a male performance artist, leather lederhosen might be a tricky look to encompass into your everyday wardrobe. 15th September

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17 Off Shift MOVIE Review with Eleanor Thomson Welcome to the Jungle: The Bachelor Australia Blake and one of his breathy babes, Jess, connecting over candles. I KNOW, I know, it isn t a movie but surely a show that provides this much entertainment deserves to be acknowledged? Buggered when you finish work? Smashed from looking after the kids? You need some dead head telly time to help soothe those frayed synapses into a state of rigor mortis. The Bachelor Australia has a lot to offer on this front. There is nothing like a bit of rubbish reality tv to get you through the week. Are there days when your life feels shallow and meaningless? Well snap out of it! It could be worse. You could be a contestant on The Bachelor! For those uninitiated, the plot is highly complex. One man (the bachelor) pits himself as the prize in a love contest between 30 lovely ladies (the bachelorettes). Our man/maniac of the moment is PUZZLES year-old Blake Garvey, an auctioneer from Perth. He is tall, buff, brown eyed and uses his Barry White style bass to richly caress his admirers (or that is at least how the laydees seem to react to his every utterance). All pretty puke really but there is plenty about this show to be horrified at, amazed, amused as well as repelled and repulsed. That is what makes it such ridiculously compelling TV. There is something intrinsic to our human nature which enjoys witnessing other people making fools of themselves or putting themselves in foolish positions. This phenomenon, which has played out through the ages through mediums such as clowns, freak shows and bloopers is particularly at home in reality TV. It is perhaps through witnessing others failings we can feel more comfortable and less threatened by our own. If the players are young and hot even better. All very Schadenfreude really. Well thanks for the punter s couch psychoanalysis but what I cannot fathom is why any woman in her right mind would desire to duel for the desire of one bloke on national telly? It seems like there are some seriously confident or crazy sheilas out there in Bachelor-land. But then it is hardly a portrayal of reality. It is more a heavily engineered pantomime playing with simplistic stereotypes than any reflection on true life. In Bachelor-land all ladies love candles...lots of bloody candles; all ladies love flowers and foliage growing and flowing over every surface (I have a hunch that most of the flora at the Bachelor McMansion is false...hard to believe I know); all ladies love gratuitous demonstrations of wealth and all ladies love being hand-fed food by a man. Now all of the above make me want to ACROSS 1. Dreamt 5. Sailor s yes (3,3) 9. Growth 10. Running chore 12. Southern US state 13. Lustre 14. Feel angry 16. Asian language 19. Revolved around 21. Requests,... for 24. Extreme malice 25. Juvenile delinquents 27. Heavy smacks 28. Footwear fastener 29. Magic saying, open...! 30. Next (to) barf for an unseemly long amount of time but then I am not a lady who would join blood bath at The Bachelor fight club. It is very kind of the bachelorettes to suspend reality for the audience s viewing pleasure but they are soooo convincingly gushy about anything bachelor that you could be forgiven for taking them seriously. I mean he is a real estate agent. Nothing wrong with real estate agents. But you know ladies, he doesn t own a superyacht, he doesn t own a series of prime pimp mobiles, he doesn t own a helicopter and I am pretty bloody sure he isn t a member of the Sydney Polo Club. He doesn t even own the rotating wardrobe of outfits that highlight his guns and cling sculpturally to his cut torso. But week-in-week-out the girls go gaga over the awesomeness of their dates and revel in the degree of romantic effort the bachelor goes to just to make them feel special. As one doe-eyed devotee decreed: That is a gesture and a half for him to fly her baby over from Melbourne to Sydney. Firstly, the baby referred to is actually a pet chihuahua called Bambi; and secondly, I am guessing the bachelor didn t personally organise the plane tickets or pick up the pooch from the airport. Thank goodness there is Osher (or the artist formally known as Andrew G who was a long haired hipcat back in his days of Channel V I blame Australian Idol for sowing the seed of commercial celebrity success) to contribute some funeral director style gravitas to the high end melodrama. Old Osher must think it is pretty pissfunny making a packet out of popping up every now and again to make a comically solemn pronouncement to a posse of delusional princesses. That anyone would wittingly and voluntarily submit themselves to this modern day pageant/blood sport in the hope of being crowned Miss Popularity/Beauty Queen/Last Loon Standing is beyond me. Oh, but I guess you also win Blake. A man whose major life skill is an ability to make multiple women feel loved simultaneously. Wow, what a bonus. DOWN 1. Frozen water spike 2. Amass 3. Articles 4. Put into bondage 6. Measuring rod 7. Re-evoked (memories) 8. Place in jeopardy 11. Body powder 15. Final proposal 17. Jailbirds 18. Dumps 20. Responsibility 21. Humiliated 22. Leave empty 23. Consent 26. Amphitheatre centre LAST EDITION S SOLUTIONS D E F I N I T E I G U A N A E I I W E N P A C A D E M I C P L E A S E C N C S G I C R O R C H E S T R A G H O S T N E E R N N U S L E D B U I L D E R P E Y T A E A D M I R E S M E E T S I I A A S E S O N I C M U T I L A T E D A E I E I E O I B A N I S H E N H A N C E S L C T E P K O E V E N S O J E T T I S O N th September

18 Off Shift Too much wacky backy at the DEA? DRUG enforcement. Now that s a serious business. It takes up massive resources, intelligence, man-hours and a serious amount of money worldwide. But it seems in the States they are SERIOUSLY serious about drug enforcement. In addition to enforcing U.S. drug control policy, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also happens to produce all manner of woven badges for its various units. Now I wouldn t personally know an illicit substance if it leaned over the fence and asked to borrow a bucket bong, but it seems to me that these badges could only have been conceived by someone indulging in the drugs that killed River Phoenix. There is nothing like a grim reaper to get the message across. Lucy in the sky with diamonds and unicorns? Green Reapers where puns are potent. I ll have what he s having! Touché! Genius inventions of our time... The human mind is a marvellous thing. It seems there are almost no restrictions to what our collective brains are capable of conceiving socks that stay up, trousers you don t need to iron and microwaves that go ping. Marvellous. So sit back and let Shift Miner guide you through some of the latest Ahhh that s marvellous moments. These products mightily prove there is no off on the genius switch. Having trouble coordinating ugly power cords with your decor? Why not try disguising said ugly cord with an even uglier cord that looks like a vine? Genius. A broken screen decal you can use to fool your mate into looking like a bozo. Genius. The Fridge. An app that keeps track of perishable food. Putting aside the fact you would have to become a refrigerator zealot. Genius. Little hands to wear on top of your fingers. So many hands, fingers and thumbs. Ummmm. Genius. Love drinking beer out of a can? Love drinking beer out of a stein? Love Oktoberfest? Love Fräuleins? Genius th September 2014

19 Off Shift Bait Shop Banter Jade Miller with a plump little barra from Coorooman Creek (photo supplied by Secret Spot Bait & Tackle) IN YEPPOON - The Cap Coast has been busy with big numbers of fisherfolk and fish at the recent Tight Lines Fishing Classic, according to Adrian at The Secret Spot Bait & Tackle. With a whooping 31.6kg Spanish mackerel taking out the heavyweight title it sounds like there are plenty of reasons to try your luck and get out amongst it. If you want to head Corio or Coorooman way there are plenty of blue salmon about and Adrian reckons they are falling victim to Nashy s Flashes and Zman Curly Tails. Coorooman and the town reaches of the Fitzroy are also turning up a few barra as evidenced in our pic of Jade Miller. Adrian says the water colour further up the Fitzroy and away from the mouth has been looking good and barra, threadfin and blue salmon have been surfacing accordingly. Offshore is also looking good. with Adrian and his wife picking up a mixed bag of nannygai, fingermark and cod plus two 11 and 13 kilo cobias on a recent day out due east of Barren Island. A lot of good red emperor are on the loose from the fern country due east of Flat according to Adrian. So with monster macs, red emperor and barra on the chew what possible reason is there to not bait up? IN MACKAY - Hit the high seas and muster in some mac, says Ashley from Nashy s Compleat Angler. Mac are still going great guns and plenty of big fellas averaging kilo have been coming in via trolling ribbon and garfish - particularly around Bailey and Keswick Islands. Bottom fishing has also been pretty good, and Ashley reckons he went out recently and brought in a good mixed haul of trout, kobia and reds on Berkley Gulp soft plastics. He also scored himself a couple of nice big giant trevallys using Reflextion Swimbaits. Not to be ignored, the river has been fishing consistently for barra and while Ashley says there seem to be plenty of fish averaging 70-80cm coming out he says success is all about timing your attack. The beaches are turning up whiting, grunter and bream and the dams are starting to come on happy days! IN GLADSTONE - Great weather has been turning up the fishing heat around Gladstone, according to Dylan from Pat s Tackle World. Offshore has been bringing in plenty of mackerel and the bottom species have really been firing up. The estuaries have likewise been fishing well with salmon and grunter in good supply. The warmer weather has also seen the usual suspects, barra and mangrove jack starting to heavy in. Action at Lake Awoonga is still warming up and it will take a bit more heat before it starts really firing. Crabs are around if you fancy throwing in a pot. If you have a good photo or fishing yarn send it through to our resident bait chuckerangus.peacocke@shiftminer.com Top picks For more events in the mining community go to shiftminer.com Mackay PBR Touring Pro Saturday, September 20, 2014 Region: Queensland, Mackay You don t forget the first time you experience the brutal power of a bull up close. Nothing else compares to watching first hand man against powerful beast. You certainly won t forget the person who invited you to experience the Professional Bull Riders in Mackay. The Mackay Touring Pro Series is filled with extreme sporting entertainment live at Virgin Stadium. The competition consists of 40 of PBR Australia s most accomplished bull riders doing battle with 10 of the state s most extreme bucking bulls. This is not a rodeo - this is the mother of all extreme sports wrapped up in a pyrotechnic, pulsating rock concert atmosphere, with camera angles and big screen replays that will give you the ultimate bull riding experience. For further information go to: Flower, Food and Wine Festival Friday, September 19, Sunday, September 21, 2014 Region: Queensland, Toowoomba Part of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers and staged over three exciting days in Upper Queens Park, the Ergon Energy Flower, Food and Wine Festival serves up a veritable smorgasbord of experiences for the whole family. Indulge in boutique wine and beer tasting, Farm to Plate cooking demonstrations, spectacular floral displays and workshops, gardening demonstrations, and even a Play Space just for the kids. Soak up the sunshine with family and friends and embrace all things flower, food and wine as the Festival tempts all of your senses! For more details go to: Barry Morgan s World of Organs Thursday, September 25, 2014 Region: Queensland, Mackay He puts the Boss in Bossa Nova! He puts the Yes! In Polyester! He s the best thing since tinned pineapple rings! The Rhythm of Life s been great at Barry Morgan s World of Organ s Superstore in Adelaide s Sunnyside Mall. UNTIL NOW. Braden Caden s just moved in next door with his store Digital DeciBells. He s Hard Sell in a Blue Suit. Is this the end of Barry, and the Golden Syrup Sounds of the 70s? Is the cozy era of the brown skivvy and the suede pouf finally over? Well just watch Barry switch it up an octave! They ll have to pry his Hammond Aurora Classic from his cold, dead, rhine-stoned fingers first, shoppers! But not before one last serenade from Skyhooks to Lady Gaga. Barry Morgan has charmed his way in to Australian lounge rooms with his unforgettable performances on Spicks and Specks, Gordon Street Tonight and The Circle. Since then he s played to sellout audiences at the Sydney Comedy Festival, Melbourne Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe and the Famous Spiegeltent. He s even been seen displaying his organ for NZ Comedy and the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. Barry ll get you in the Moog! For extra details go to: Barry Morgan - Organ is Not a Dirty Word. 15th September

20 Rams win by a wooly whisker Sport Monday - Roundup Capella crowd couldn t get their boys over the line Marcus Coster - Biloela, Karl Marr - Emerald, Nev Suell - Emerald Tony O Reagan - Emerald, Damien Herring - Bundaberg, Buzz Mallyon - Emerald JUST one point was the difference in the grand final of the 2014 Central Highlands rugby competition in Moranbah on Saturday. In a grinding encounter, the Emerald Rams beat the Moranbah Bulls six points to five making them premiers for Moranbah scored the only try of the game, and would probably feel that they were unfairly treated by match officials with the penalty count going against them. However, that said, a lot of the penalties came when Moranbah was defending their own line and under a lot of pressure from the Rams. Rams coach, Greg Schwartz said both teams had the chance to win. In the end I think it just came down to which team made the least mistakes, but it was a real war of attrition, he said. I thought it was a pretty even match across the field, they scored a try and we kicked two penalties and we missed three others. THEY may be isolated and small in number, but that doesn t appear to be an obstacle to the rowers of the Middlemount Community School rowing team. The team of three recently returned from an inter-school regatta held on the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, and despite all the challenges brought home a swag of trophies. Winners are grinners: Emerald Rams celebrate their GF victory They did get penalised more often, but I don t know whether that was because our forwards were a little bit more structured and that casued them to infringe, or whether they were just unlucky. But we have only kicked 9 penalties all year, and certainly when you are defending your line and there is a lot of pressure [like there was on Moranbah] it can be tempting to encroach. Moranbah had every chance to win though. They had us camped on our line for the last eight minutes or so and we were down to 14 men late in the second half after one of our players was sin binned. But I guess it shows our desperation and keenness that we were able to scramble and hold on. Not surprisingly in such a forwards oriented game, coach Schwartz was glowing in his praise for his loose forwards. Number eight Mahae Austin and breakaways Nick Hickey and Rocky Matherson received a special mention. Nicola Pickering won the U14s single scull over 1000 metres, grade nine student Kimberley Oats won the division one and two single scull in her age group, and Taylor Hetherington came sixth in her age group final. Then, if that wasn t exhausting enough, the three person squad jumped Keith Lacey, Geoff Comiskey, Greg Magee - Capella DESPITE their bravery, the Capella Cattle Dogs just lacked a second point of attack in their loss to the Emerald Rams in the Central Highlands rugby union elimination final a fortnight ago. The 22 to 12 point victory meant in boats together and came second and then third in double scull events in two different age groups. Middlemount might be the last place you would expect to find a rowing club, but with the support of the local community and a bit of dedication, coach Joe Jarvis says anything is possible. This is our third season of the sport and the first for these girls, he told Shift Miner. Last year we had 12 kids involved, but this year we are just back to three, but there is growing interest, and I am hoping we might be able to get some boys involved soon. I relocated out here for work and had been pretty involved with the sport Lindsay Hutchen, Joe Maloney, Greg O Brien - Capella Chris Guernier, Stewart Brotherton, Steve Ware - Emerald the Rams travelled to Moranbah last weekend to play the Moranbah Bulls for the 2014 Premiership. Even though it was an away game for Capella, their supporters nearly outnumbered the home team in Emerald. No river? No worries - say Middlemount rowers Isolation no obstacle for Middlemount Rowers Demi Richmond, Penny McKechnie, Sharon Richmond - Capella Meredith Carter, Kaelene Hooper - Emerald Matt Ray, Shane Black - Emerald through my kids back in Bundaberg, so I just wanted to continue it on here. Already the club has acquired a handly little fleet of boats, with Mr Jarvis donating three of his own, and another couple on lease from the Fitzroy Rowing club in Rockhampton. The club trains three times a week on the nearby Bundeera Dam and they are exploring ways of developing some sort of storage facility near the dam to save on transportation. Anyone interested in dipping their toe - so to speak - can contact Joe on The racing season sits outside the footy season so could be a great sport for boys wanting to get fit before first kick-off th September 2014

21 Sport Monday - Roundup Upset of the season in CHRL final Ed Bulfin -Brisbane, Scott Perry - Townsville, Selwyn Toby - Yeppoon, Glen Mackie - Blackwater Kim & Leith Vaughan - Bluff Kerry & Tony Kuhl - Blackwater Doyle Dickfos - Blackwater, Simone Starch - Blackwater Lisa Campbell - Blackwater, Justin Parsons - Blackwater, Sharon Law - Gladstone, Henry Phillips - Duaringa, Veronica Phillips - Rockhampton Andrew McGregor, Dane Heron, Ben Lavendar - Blackwater Steven Bell - Emerald, Jamal Mohammed - Clermont Sally & Jay Edwards - Emerald Frank Lambley - CHRL, Rob Crowe - QRL, Cr Graham Bell - CHRC Lenny Ryan, Jay Allen, David Smith, Travis Elliot - Blackwater HOW many times have we seen it happen before? A footy team goes through to the grand final undefeated - only to be beaten in the one game that counts. Football can be a cruel mistress, and the outstanding Bluff side will spend this week wondering what went wrong in their 48 to 38 point grand final loss to an almost faultless Clermont outfit. I don t know whether it was the 1000-strong crowd or the sheer weight of expectation on the Bluff side, but for the first 20 minutes they seemed almost in a daze. And a painful daze it was, because by the time they had awoken from it at about the 30 minute mark, Clermont had raced to a 24 to 4 point lead. Clermont played some dazzling football with astonishingly quick play the balls allowing them easy metres up the middle, before sending it to their super fast backs outwide who scored some beautiful trys in the corners. For the second third of the game, Bluff started to take control, and in fact by the 50th minute it looked like they were set to make one of their textbook second half comebacks with the score at 24 to 22 points. However, that was as close as the game got, with Clermont scoring three quick tries around the 60th minute and racing to a 48 to 26 point lead, which for all intent and purposes ended Bluff s hopes of a fairytale season. Looking at the game in general, it was a fantastic contest and I don t think either team would feel they played badly or squandered their opportunities. If there was a difference, it was in the ability of both teams to get off their own line in defence and close down the easy metres up the middle. On too many occasions, Bluff didn t seem to have the urgency needed off the line, allowing Clermont to get a roll on. From my point of view, the standout player for Clermont was No 7 Astin Nunan, who had a perfect night with the boot, converting every try. He also showed a maturity and toughness beyond his years directing play and weathered some heavy defence from Bluff s big men. For Bluff, Mitch Wyatt had another strong running game, setting up and scoring a number of crucial tries for the Bluff side. Referee Tim Steinhart also had an outstanding game (despite what some of the sideline sledging would suggest) treating the game with a very even hand and policing the breakdown to ensure the game remained a free flowing spectacle for everyone watching. Also a special mention has to go to to the Bluff Rabbitohs community who staged an outstanding event, and made for a wonderful footy spectacle on a cool and clear bush night. 15th September

22 Money Matters ROOM WITH A VIEW Palace View Penthouse, St James, London Exotic homes for the mobile miner Exquisite Tropical Hideaway, Hawaii If this sounds like your dream 80s TV escape contact Jana J. Troute at Who doesn t harbour a hankering for Hawaii? Ever fantasised about scooting about the Big Island with Thomas Magnum in his red Ferrari 308 GTS? Sure you have, and you know what? You too could have a little bit of the moustachio magic if you buy into this rather neat hideaway at Kohala By The Sea. The large lanai and patio area include an infinity pool, spa, outdoor shower and even your own delightful waterfall. You can watch and listen to the songs of the breaching whales when they visit Hawaii each season, they are that close. This home is designed for lively entertaining with gated front and back large grassy yards and tropical landscaping. Volleyball, badminton, croquet there s room for it all. Features include: African mahogany trim, travertine floors and disappearing sliding pocket doors (in both the main house and ohana/ guest cottage) to optimize the panoramic views. OMG a guest house!?!? Magnum my love you can just move right on in!!! Ultra-Modern 7 Bed Villa, Mallorca» Price: $3,000,000 Price: $17,000,000 Maximum quality of life now there is a pretty attractive opening sales pitch! This villa in Cala Llamp deserves to be called a gem. In addition to providing a perfect homely feel, this property is also gentle on the environment due to highest-quality technology and a closed energy concept. On a clear day, one can catch a glimpse of the neighbouring island of Ibiza but the spectacular sunset in front of the property is an everyday phenomenon. Another characteristic of this property is the plot length of more than 55 metres. There is a 15 5 metre swimming pool with a transparent automatic canopy and a selectable light show. In addition, there is a large sun terrace with its own olive tree, a covered summer kitchen with a gas grill, a gas fireplace, a hot tub and a lawn area. The entire building services can be controlled and monitored via a state-of-the-art system even from abroad. Countless custom-made details for this living concept make this property a perfect home in a perfect location. And SOLD!!! Say g day Serge Cowan ibiza@uniqueliving.com (he guarantees that he personally reads every message) 22 15th September 2014 I once met a family who trundled over to London every time they had a new kid so they could get their first hair cut at Harrods. Aww bless isn t that a cute family ritual? Now here is a lovely London pad that would suit just such a family with more money than sense. Amazing, newly refurbished penthouse apartment in the heart of St James s, with wonderful views and over 800 sq ft of extensive terracing. Arranged over the 5th and 6th floors of a very well-run portered apartment building on St James s Street, this penthouse has been subject to an extensive refurbishment program. The accommodation comprises three to four double bedrooms with three bathrooms ensuite, a living/ kitchen/dining room and a dramatic formal reception room with floor-to-ceiling glass doors and a wraparound roof terrace with the most spectacular views of iconic London landmarks. A fantastic launch pad for many a fine family story to tell the folks back home. Give the suitably British, Lulu Egerton at a call for more information. Paradise Island, Paradise Island» Price: $20,000,000» Shift Miner Magazine Price: $22,000,000 I mean this place is called Paradise Island for fooksake! Does anyone need any further convincing that this estate demands to be on their wish list? Built over sixty years ago by the American A&P heir Huntington Hartford, who was responsible for the development of Paradise Island. When acclaimed thespian Sir Richard Harris acquired it 28 years ago, he renamed it Kilkee House after the county of his birth in his native Ireland. This property has hosted icons, including the Beatles, Sir Richard Branson, Peter O Toole, Pierce Brosnan, and Nicolas Cage. The current owners have lovingly restored it, with impeccable attention to detail and great respect for the past. Built more than 60 years ago and restored to its original splendor, Kilkee House is a majestic historic estate perched on a private stretch of land on Paradise Island, in The Bahamas. Kilkee House is the perfect combination of luxury, privacy, and modern convenience on over two acres of the world s most soughtafter water wonderland. Own this beauty and you can get about wearing kaftans and singing Sweetie I ve been to Paradise but I ve never been to me. Surely that kind of craziness is worth buying into? Contact John Christie at H G Christie Ltd for the keys to Paradise Send your exotic dream property details and low resolution images to justin.carlos@shiftminer.com

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24 QUEST TOWNSVILLE QUEST MACKAY QUEST MACKAY ON GORDON QUEST ROCKHAMPTON QUEST GLADSTONE QUEST TOWNSVILLE ON EYRE Quest has you covered in regional Queensland Contact any of our great properties directly for the best possible rates: Quest Gladstone questgladstone.com.au Quest Rockhampton questrockhampton.com.au Quest Townsville questtownsville.com.au Quest Mackay questmackay.com.au Quest Mackay on Gordon questmackayongordon.com.au Quest Townsville on Eyre questtownsvilleoneyre.com.au (Opening December 2014) Quest Townsville Quest Townsville on Eyre Summer Offer at QUEST Mention Shift Miner when you book the Quest Best Rate direct with the property to receive a free bonus night with any 3 night stay booking. Includes Free Parking, and Kids Fun Pack. Quest Mackay Quest Mackay on Gordon Quest Rockhampton Quest Gladstone Visit questapartments.com.au or call