Issue 115 • January/February 2014TOP PERFORMING AIRLINE ASIA-PACIFIC 2013

TOP PERFORMING REGIONAL AIRLINE 2009-12

BEST REGIONAL AIRLINE

A U S T R A L I A N

READERS’ CHOICE AWARD

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FOODIE HAVEN Fabulous food, wine and

events galore in Orange

QUEEN OF BEES Cate Burton’s beeswax

candle business is on fire

Meet ARIA winner Jessica Mauboy

DARWIN’SBRIGHTEST STAR

Destination of the month: Orange groves in Narrandera.

WELCOME to the January/February issue of OUTthere, and happy new year to all of our passengers.

To familiar faces, welcome back; and to those travelling with us for the first time, welcome aboard! Whether you are travelling for business or leisure, we hope you enjoy your flight and that you’ll return soon.

As we begin our 12th year of operations, we are thankful to our passengers for your continued support, and look forward to 2014 with great anticipation.

We are proud of the longevity of the Rex Group, particularly due to the challenges overcome by the aviation industry during the past 12 years. We are also proud of the contribution our services make to the communities and causes that rely on them.

Late last year, the mining industry recognised Rex subsidiary Pel-Air for its commitment to high safety standards. Pel-Air operates fly-in, fly-out services for Australian mines, and last year achieved the ‘gold’ status under the industry’s common safety audit standard: the Basic Aviation Risk Standard developed by Flight Safety Foundation. This accreditation demonstrates the dedication of Pel-Air management and staff to provide the highest standards of service.

Another vital area for Pel-Air is as a defence support operator for the Australian Defence Force. In October 2013, Pel-Air was invited to showcase its aircraft through a fast jet formation for the Royal Australian Navy at the International Fleet Review in Sydney. Those at Pel-Air were proud to be a part of such an occasion.

As we head in to a new year, the Rex Group of companies looks forward to delivering the same fundamental services to the individuals, communities and organisations that rely on us.

So until next month, from all 1,000 of us at Rex, Air Link, Pel-Air and AAPA, we invite you to sit back, relax and let us do the flying.

Dear friends of

welcome

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VI rexnewsRex subsidiary, Pel-Air, flies high at the International Fleet Review.

IX rexinsiderRex is proud to welcome onboard our new wine partner, Jack Estate.

XI rexcommunityRex supports a producton of Calendar Girls for cancer research.

XVII don’tmiss & bushteleThe latest news and upcoming events from around the Rex network.

XIX regionalstopoverMichelle Hespe recharges in NSW’s lush Riverina region.

01 checkinMeet jewellery designer Samantha Wills, whose intricate designs are sought-after.

03 entertainment A selection of compelling books, music and DVDs to keep you entertained.

05 citybitesCheck out some city hotspots.

06 highlightCorryong hosts a spectacular festival to celebrate The Man from Snowy River.

08 closeupJessica Mauboy is on top of the world, representing her Indigenous heritage through an explosive career.

15 drivetimePack the kids for a rollicking driving holiday through the Hunter Valley.

21 food&wineDiscover what all the fuss is about in Orange, a foodie’s haven.

27 agribusinessAfter a bumpy political ride over the last few years, how do our cattle exports fare?

33 schooltimeWhat should you consider when choosing a school for your children?

36 smallbusinessFrom hobby to burgeoning empire, Cate Burton of Queen B discusses her business.

• news & views• international mining• resources sector issues• finance & technology

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Issue 115 • January/February 2014

contents

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La Bossa wines are ideal for enjoying with great food, close family and friends.

DE BORTOLI

d e b o r t o l i . c o m . a u

OUTthere is published by Business Essentials (Australasia) Pty Limited (ABN 22 062 493 869), trading as Edge, under license to MGI Publishing Pty Ltd. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the Publisher. Information provided was believed to be correct at the time of publication. All reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. OUTthere cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are sent to the magazine, they will not be returned. Some images used in OUTthere are from Thinkstock and Getty Images.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle HespeEmail: michelle.hespe@edgecustom.com.auASSISTANT EDITOR Mitch BrookIN-HOUSE WRITER Simone Henderson-SmartINTERN Dana GroopSUB-EDITORS Kris Madden, Kathryn Wakelin PRODUCTION MANAGER Brian VentourPREPRESS COORDINATOR Tarn MountSENIOR DESIGNER Guy PendleburyPRINTER SOS Print & Media

CONTRIBUTORS Amal Awad, Sanchia Pegley, Christine Retschlag, Fiona Poynter, Kris Madden, Oryana Angel, Jane Slack-Smith.

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES NSW, QLD, VIC, TAS, ACT02 8962 2600, advertising@edgecustom.com.auWA, SA and NT sales agent:Helen Glasson, Hogan Media: 08 9381 3991Email: helen@hoganmedia.com.au

OUTthere is published by Edge51 Whistler Street, Manly NSW 2095 Phone: 02 8962 2600, www.edgecustom.com.au

I went camping in the holidays. That’s not a big deal for some, but I haven’t been camping for years, and I’m so glad I took the time out to go away with my family to a lovely caravan park in Hawks Nest. What a beautiful, relaxing part of the world! My sister and I drove up from Sydney with two kids crammed in the back seat, surrounded by the hundreds of things you simply have to have for camping. Such as portable speakers and grills.

We set up our tents near the little 1970s caravan that my parents own. Foldout tables and chairs were quickly arranged under the trees, and cold drinks were cracked open as a warm afternoon set in. Other people came and went, and as in any caravan park, some stopped for a chat, even if they were driving by. That’s the thing about camping – a whole bunch of people who don’t know one another come together and bond over food, drinks, the weather and surf, and the fact that they’re all in it together. A camping ground becomes a transient village community where everyone has their own little spot, but still feels a part of something bigger. We had people asking about what we were cooking for dinner, others recommending places to eat and things to do, others stopping by just to chat about their day and ask about ours.

It got me thinking about all of the ports on our routes, and how they are all towns and cities in their own right, but that the routes that join them all up make them a part of something larger – Australia. And how the people you meet when you travel in this country so openly welcome you into their community. Australians tend to be so good at making others feel a part of the place they have arrived in.

I hope you enjoy your trip today and that you make some special connections with some of the locals where you land. And take some time out soon to go camping! It not only had me feeling incredibly relaxed, it also made me very proud to

be called Australian. I think we do friendliness really well.Happy New Year to you all. All of us at OUTthere hope

that 2014 holds many great things for you. And drop us a line anytime – we love hearing from you.

Michelle Hespe and the OUTthere team

From the editor...

CUSTOM MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

Above: Chilling out, Hawks Nest Holiday Park, NSW.

Cover photograph by Liz Ham

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PUBLISHER Geoff CampbellCHAIRMAN Chris Innis CEO Eddie Thomas

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IN OCTOBER last year, Rex subsidiary Pel-Air participated in the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) International Fleet Review, with a fast jet formation flyover above Sydney Harbour.

The fleet review was a unique spectacle commemorating the centenary of the first entry of the RAN fleet into Sydney Harbour. Sydney warmly welcomed 8,000 sailors aboard 50 ships from 20 nations over the course of the spectacular event.

The ceremonial fleet review by Quentin Bryce, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, accompanied

by Queen Elizabeth II’s representative, Prince Harry, was conducted on Saturday 5 October 2013, with the main festivities concentrated on this day. Air shows, including flyovers and displays from multiple rotary-wing and fixed-wing civil and military aircraft, were part of the review.

Pel-Air conducted a flyover above Sydney Harbour with a single Westwind (representing the company’s passenger transfer/operations support function), followed by a three-ship ‘Vic’ formation in visual trail, consisting of a Westwind with

a Learjet on each wing (representing the tactical role of Pel-Air).

The day’s spectacle culminated in a magnificent fireworks and lightshow centred on Sydney Harbour’s famous landmarks – the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

IN THE NAVY

“Sydney welcomed 8,000 sailors aboard 50 ships for the event.”

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PEL-AIR ACHIEVES ‘GOLD’ BARSTHE MINING industry relies on the services of aviation companies to access the often remote locations it operates in. The Basic Aviation Risk (BAR) Standard was developed from an industry-identified need to establish a common safety audit standard that could be applied to onshore resource sector aviation support activities. It provides contracting companies with the level of safety assurance required by their respective organisations.

Flight Safety Foundation developed the standard in conjunction with

a number of extractive industry companies. It is built from a risk-based model framed against the actual threats posed to aviation operations. It directly links these to associated controls and recovery and mitigation measures, as opposed to the outdated prescriptive format that was previously used within the industry.

Flight Safety Foundation is an impartial, non-profit international member-supported organisation formed in 1947 to pursue the continuous improvement of global aviation safety.

Rex subsidiary Pel-Air supports the demanding safety standards expected by the mining industry, as they are in line with the Regional Express Group’s commitment to safety. Pel-Air recently achieved the gold registration status under the BARS program, becoming only the sixth aircraft operator to achieve the recognition. The gold registration status is awarded upon completion of three audits to the satisfaction of Flight Safety Foundation.

Congratulations to everyone at Pel-Air who made this significant safety achievement possible!

“Rex subsidiary Pel-Air supports the demanding safety standards expected by the mining industry.”

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www.jackestate.comProud supplier on board

Regional Express

Respect the Past - Create the Future

IF YOU’RE a wine aficionado, you may have noticed a recent change to the wine being served in-flight. Rex is proud to welcome onboard our new wine partner, Jack Estate.

Jack Estate is located in the heart of one of Australia’s premium wine producing regions, Coonawarra, in South Australia. Established in 2011, Jack Estate is the newest addition to the famous Coonawarra red strip. Family owned and operated, the winery is the extension of a century-old family tradition in agriculture and viticulture – from growing to producing.

In this short period of time, Jack Estate has achieved outstanding results by crafting award-winning premium quality wines. This is a reflection of their winemaker Shannon Sutherland’s passion for “allowing the unique characters of each premium parcel of fruit to showcase its true identity, while

carefully crafting the Jack Estate wines to reveal the rich textures, depth and diversity of the local regions.”

So why not take a trip to Jack Estate’s new cellar door. It has an elegant, earthy charm that leaves the visitor feeling like part of the Jack Estate family. Jack Estate is 30 minutes’ drive from Mount Gambier airport. Rex flies to Mount Gambier from Adelaide daily, with 23 return services per week, and from Melbourne daily with 18 return services per week.

Until your next visit, sit back, relax and enjoy a glass of South Australia’s finest onboard!*

Rex is pleased to be able to support a flourishing local, community-oriented business. We hope you enjoy the new variety of wine.

*Bar service is available after 11am on all sectors exceeding 30 minutes.

Welcome Jack Estate

This image: Jack Estate winemaker

Shannon Sutherland.

Rent an Economy (Group X) through to a Full Size (Group E) car with Avis in Australia before 28 February 2014 and receive a free single upgrade* up to a maximum Full Size Sports (Group P) car. Quote coupon number UPPA009 at the Avis counter on arrival.

Enjoy the convenience of renting.

Go to the Avis counter on arrival.

*Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other coupon or promotion, including package tour, corporate, travel industry or Government rates. Valid for a single car group upgrade, from a Group X to Group A, Group A to Group B, Group B to Group C, Group C to Group D, Group D to Group E, Group E to Group P. Subject to vehicle availability at time of rental.

conomy (Group X) through to a Full Size (Group E) car with Avis in

FREE UPGRADE

ENJOY THE AVIS EXPERIENCE WITH A

GREAT NEW

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Travel in Rex-tra Style!Book Rex-tra Legroom on-line now*

Emergency exit row seats have a couple of inches of extra legroom and can now be reserved for less than $10.00 each sector*. These seats also allow you to be one of the first to disembark at arrival.

You can purchase Rex-tra Legroom any time on-line by selecting the Amend Booking icon on our website. You will need your Rex Booking Reference for this.

If you have purchased your ticket through a travel agency or travel manager, ask them for the relevant Rex Booking Reference. And the next time they book your Rex flight, remember to ask them to add in the Rex-tra Legroom directly.

*Terms and conditions apply.

WAGGA WAGGA’S School of Arts Community Theatre (SoACT) recently put on a show based on the 2003 film Calendar Girls. Rex Wagga engineer Howard Tucker’s wife Jill was one of the stars of the show, which raised money for the Cancer Council and Breast Cancer Council.

The movie Calendar Girls is based on a true story about a group of middle-aged women from Yorkshire. In 1999, they supported their recently widowed friend by posing for a nude calendar in order to raise money for cancer research.

Rex was more than happy to assist in promoting the show, with the Calendar Girls ladies quick to grab a few photos with the aircraft.

Calendar Girls

“Wagga Wagga’s School of Arts Community Theatre (SoACT) recently put on a show based on the 2003 film Calendar Girls.”

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Firms and Shapes

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Q. Why do the flight attendants insist that all window blinds be up for take-off?A. The most critical phases of a flight are the take-off and the landing. In the most unlikely event of a situation that requires an emergency evacuation, it is important that crew and passengers are able to have a clear view of the outside conditions in case of obstructions. For example, before exits are opened, staff must check for fire or other obstacles that may present potential hazards during the evacuation.

Q. Why do you have to stow your hand luggage in the overhead lockers, under the seats or in the seat pockets for take-off and landing?A. Flight crews are required by Civil Aviation Regulations to secure the cabin as well as possible for take-off and landing. As mentioned, these are the most critical phases of the flight, and securing as much hand luggage as possible ensures that in the unlikely event of an emergency, the exits and aisles stay as clear as possible, in case evacuation is necessary. It is also important to keep hand luggage secure whenever possible to ensure that heavier items do not become airborne within the cabin. This is especially important when the aircraft is experiencing turbulence.

Q. Why do you feel so tired from flying?A. As the aircraft altitude increases, air pressure decreases. As the pressure of the air decreases, the body absorbs less oxygen than it would at sea level – therefore, it must work harder to supply oxygen to the body’s cells. As the body is working harder, it becomes more tired.

Q. Why do you sometimes feel pain in your ears or sinuses during ascent or descent?A. The sinuses and middle ear are air-containing cavities that connect with the nose via narrow channels. As aircraft ascend and cabin pressure drops, air passes out of these cavities (without any effort from the passenger) to balance the cabin pressure. It is a different matter during descent, as the cabin pressure increases. The channels close down and

must be actively opened by holding the nose and blowing to inflate the cavities. Facial and ear pain can occur during descent if re-inflation does not occur, and this is much more likely if the passenger has nasal congestion. If you must fly with a cold or hay fever, use a decongestant nasal spray before descent and buy some ‘ear planes’ to plug your ears. (Information contributed by Dr Daniel Hains, ENT Surgeon.)

Q. When can electronic equipment such as laptops, iPods and mobile phones be used? A. With more new technology being used by passengers every day, it is difficult for flight crew to differentiate various items of electronic equipment. Most electronic items are permitted for use while in cruise – however, only after the FASTEN SEATBELT sign has been switched off. Mobile phone use is also permitted provided that the phone’s ‘flight’ mode has been activated prior to boarding the aircraft.

Q. What is the average speed of the aircraft in flight?A. Approximately 500 kilometres per hour.

Q. Why do you have to get permission from the Captain to move to a vacant seat?A. The aircraft’s take-off speed is calculated by the weight and balance of the aircraft, and many factors need to be considered for a successful take-off. They include the weight of passengers and where they are seated, the weight of cargo, freight and fuel, the distance available on the runway et cetera. For example, if there are 100 or more kilograms of freight in the cargo, the balance of the aircraft will be better maintained if passengers are seated in the forward rows.

AIR TURBULENCEQ. Aircraft often experience air turbulence, but what causes it?A. Imagine the air around the aircraft is water in a stream. We can see how water is disturbed around rocks or when two streams converge. Turbulence in the air is similar: as the aircraft passes through cold air or in the vicinity of terrain that has disturbed the airflow – often incorrectly referred to as ‘air pockets’

– the aircraft climbs and descends in the same way that a boat moves on water. Though turbulence can be uncomfortable, it poses no threat to the aircraft and is akin to driving on a rough or unsealed road. More severe turbulence can be associated with developing thunderstorms. The SAAB 340 has a sophisticated weather radar that pilots use to avoid these areas. Occasionally, a flight attendant will discontinue serving passengers in turbulent conditions; this is a precaution to ensure everyone’s safety.

Q. Why should you keep your seatbelt fastened even when the FASTEN SEATBELT sign is switched off?A. On occasions, the flight crew cannot foresee turbulence or it is not picked up on the flight-deck radar. Because of this, we could unexpectedly experience turbulence at any time. The company recommends that you always keep your seatbelt fastened while you are seated – for your safety, just in case unexpected turbulence is encountered.

ENGINE NOISESQ. Why do the aircraft’s engine noises change during flight?A. Aircraft need more power to climb than to descend, in the same way that a car needs more power to go up a hill than down one. The SAAB 340 turboprop has more than enough power to climb, so shortly after take-off you will notice a change in noises as the power is reduced. The pilots also control the pitch angle of the propellers for various stages of the flight and, as they ‘change gears’, this can also be heard in the cabin.

Q. What should you do if you see or hear something that does not look or sound right or normal?A. Please advise your flight attendant. The flight attendant may be able to answer your query and allay any fears. If not, the flight attendant will contact the flight deck and advise the pilots of anything unusual. Rex encourages open communication and will always treat a passenger’s concerns with the utmost seriousness.

As you sit back in comfort en route to your destination, enjoy this compilation of light reading that the Rex crew hopes you will find interesting and informative.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Exercise and stretch regularly while seated.

In-flight comfort

SHOULDER STRETCH Reach right hand over left shoulder. Place left hand behind right elbow and gently press elbowtoward shoulder. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

NECK ROLL With shoulders relaxed, drop ear to shoulder and gently roll neck forward and to the other side, holding each position about five seconds. Repeat five times.

KNEE TO CHEST Bend forward slightly. Clasp hands around left knee and hug it to your chest. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds. Keeping hands around knee, slowly let it down. Alternate legs. Repeat 10 times.

FORWARD FLEX With both feet on the floor and stomach held in, slowly bend forward and walk your hands down the front of your legs toward your ankles. Hold the stretch for I5 seconds and slowly sit back up.

OVERHEAD STRETCH Raise both hands straight up over your head. With one hand, grasp the wrist of the opposite hand and gently pull to one side. Hold the stretch for I 5 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

KNEE LIFTS Lift leg with knee bent while contracting your thigh muscle. Alternate legs. Repeat 20 to 30 times for each leg.

SHOULDER ROLL Hunch shoulders forward, then upward, then backward, then downward, using a gentle, circular motion.

ARM CURL Arms held at 90° angles, elbows down, hands in front. Raise hands up to chest and back down. Alternate hands. Repeat in 30-second intervals.

ANKLE CIRCLES Lift feet off floor, draw a circle with the toes, simultaneously moving one foot clockwise and the other foot counterclockwise. Reverse circles. Do each direction for I5 seconds. Repeat if desired.

FOOT PUMPS Start with both heels on the floor and point feet upward as high as you can. Then put both feet flat on the floor. Then lift heels high, keeping the balls of your feet on the floor. Continue cycle in 30-second intervals.

SEATED EXERCISES

SEATED STRETCHES

Flying can be demanding, as altitude may make your body more sensitive to the effects of alcohol and caffeine. Sitting in one place for a long time can be uncomforrable and slow down your blood circulation.To help your body adjust to flying and to maintain your personal comfort and well-being, we recommend you take the following steps:

Keep Hydrated Drink plenty of fluids – water, juice, non-caffeinated soft drinks – to prevent dehydration, fatigue and headaches. Minimise intake of alcohol and coffee. Moisten the face to help reduce the drying effects of cabin air.

Eat Lightly Eat lightly on longer flights to avoid indigestion – our in-flight menu is designed to provide lighter option meals.

Exercise We encourage you to do the gentle on board exercise diagrammed on this page to enhance your well-being during the flight. We recommend you do these exercises for about five minutes every one to two hours. You should also occasionally walk down the aisles, as space permits. In addition, we recommend that you avoid crossing your legs.

Please note: You should not do any of these exercises if they cause you pain or cannot be done with ease.

Moving About The Aircraft You may move about the aircraft as space permits and when the seat belt sign is off. However, when the seat belt sign is on you are required to remain seated with the seat belt fastened.

If you feel unwell, tell the cabin crew. They can assist with the more common inflight complaints and, if necessary, can seek further advice and assistance for you.

On Descent Ears and sinuses can cause discomfort, due to the change in air pressure on descent. To minimise discomfort:• Yawn or swallow frequently;• Pinch your nostrils together and blow firmly

into your cheeks with your mouth closed.If you have ongoing discomfort, seek the advice of the cabin crew.

THESE PACKAGES ARE ALL INCLUSIVE

OF FOOD & BEVERAGE

Buy a patch of sky and help us save lives.

Visit Buythesky.com.au now and choose your patch.

When you buy a patch of sky along a Royal Flying Doctor Service fl ight path your donation helps us continue to fl y our life-saving missions. You can also receive updates on fl ights through your very own patch of sky. This way you’ll know what your donation is helping us to achieve.

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Touch techIn October Microsoft released two new Surface tablet models, the Surface 2 and the Surface Pro 2, along with a host of new Surface accessories. With improvements to both screen resolution and battery life, these two new tablets also incorporate improvements to the Kickstand, making it more comfortable and easier to use your Surface on your lap or your desk. In an effort to make sure customers get the full use of their new tablets, Microsoft has enabled all users to have one year of free Skype calls to landlines in over 60 countries, and unlimited Skype wi-fi for one year.

Healthy chef Try as we might, our demanding lives mean our diets are often lacking in key vitamins and minerals. That’s why celebrity chef Teresa Cutter is branching out into supplements, creating a wholefood fruit and vegetable supplement range designed to give the body “health, energy, and vitality”. There are three types: a vegan-friendly organic pea protein (vanilla or chocolate flavour); pure native whey protein (vanilla or chocolate flavour); and an organic superfood, which tastes like blueberries. thehealthychef.com

Discover delicious Dine out on idyllic Kangaroo Island and enjoy a selection of local gourmet delights staged around the island’s natural pristine wilderness. There’s no better location to savour such fresh local produce and wines. The signature style of FEASTival is to provide degustation dining events that are diverse, personable and intimate underpinned by exquisite natural outdoor beauty. FEASTival is a five-day gastronomic celebration, incorporating over 30 individual events, where guests can choose to book a table from a variety of themes. Such themes include the intimate ‘Table Surfing, ‘Wilderness’ and ‘Pop-Up’ events as well as the new ‘Meet the Maker’ food and beverage tastings & soirées, all hosted by Australia’s leading celebrity and local chefs. tourkangarooisland.com.au/kifeastival

NOVEMBER 1 – FEBRUARY 23 Designing 007, Melbourne Get an up-close, inside look at the world’s most iconic secret agent. Designing 007 is a tribute to fifty years of suave spy style. designing007melbourne.com

JANUARY 20–27Murray River Int’l Music Festival, Mildura See world-renowned international and Australian performers play against a backdrop of scenic outdoor locations along the Murray River. artsmildura.com.au

JANUARY 24 – FEB 9Sydney Chinese New Year Festival A program full of mostly free events, markets and entertainment. Highlights include the Twilight Parade and the Dragon Boat Races. sydneychinesenewyear.com.au

FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 23Brisbane Comedy FestivalBrisbane Powerhouse will host more than 40 comedians from all over the globe, celebrating comedy in all its forms. visitbrisbane.com.au

JANUARY 24–27Tunarama, Port Lincoln A host of fun competitions, amazing local seafood, wine, fireworks and more – all celebrating the humble tuna fish. tunarama.net

FEBRUARY 8–16Hurley Australian Open of Surfing, ManlyThis event epitomises active youth culture, with skating, music, art and fashion supporting some serious surfing action. australianopenofsurfing.com

FEBRUARY 27 – MARCH 2Clipsal 500, AdelaideWith fast-paced car racing action and a new format (with two starts and finishes!) this is an exciting day for the whole family. clipsal500.com.au

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Image: Vince Vucello

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IT’S A REGION for which praise is not loudly sung, and yet there is so much to be said about this lush little pocket of country NSW, where much of our produce comes from. Flying into Narrandera/Leeton airport, the vista below is nothing short of gob-smacking. In every direction for thousands of kilometres, signs of abundant farming can be seen in every shade of green, yellow and brown. And with the majestic Murrumbidgee River winding its way through the endless fields, you could be mistaken for thinking you’re flying over a part of England.

Upon landing, there is something else abundantly clear – the locals are delighted you’ve come to explore their beloved region. Their friendliness, welcoming smiles and enthusiasm for things to do in the area are all anyone needs to kick off a trip to remember. And out here, with the fresh air and produce, it’s the ideal place to kick back, relax and recharge.

Go wild at AltinaYes, it is all about food out this way, but no trip to this area is complete without a few hours spent at the remarkable Altina Wildlife Park. It’s a safari park bursting at the seams with fascinating African animals, all housed in open-air enclosures with plenty of room to roam. The birth rate of unusual species here is off the Richter, testimony no doubt to the creatures’ contentment. It is the only zoo to have bred African

Cape hunting dogs this year in Australasia; the only zoo in Australasia to have maned wolves (successfully breeding four litters from wolves imported from Russia and Sweden); and the only zoo in Australasia with a genetically viable group of addax, with calves now on show. Altina has also had the most successful breeding program of scimitar oryx, with many births to date and new calves fresh on the ground.

On arrival, guests climb into a covered wagon pulled by a friendly clydesdale horse. With his best mate Zorro the Jack Russell beside him at the reins, Gino, owner and manager of the park, gives visitors an impressive tour and knowledgeable insight into his world and the lives of the many species – with a healthy dose of very dry Australian humour to boot.

Highlights of the tour include meeting a feisty rare white lion and lioness (watching them being fed and hearing them roar if they are in the mood); Mongolian horses in full-canter; ferocious wild dogs being thrown feed in the form of rabbits, and being a few steps away from exotic wolves and lovely lanky giraffes. The native birds, goannas, parrots, kangaroos and emus also roam among the enclosures by the river, and amid the picturesque gullies and plains dotted with river red gums. And for those who want to get even more up-close and personal with the many creatures at Altina, you can do a behind-the-scenes tour, take part in feeding time, and see the animals interacting with the animal carers.

RECHARGE IN THE

RIVERINAMichelle Hespe visits Leeton and Narrandera – country towns that are a part of the ‘food bowl’ of south western NSW, otherwise known as the Riverina Region.

Hundreds of grains. Millions of possibilities.

Learn Spanish

To discover delicious dishes like this Seafood Paella visit sunrice.com.au

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Hundreds of grains. Millions of possibilities.

Learn Spanish

To discover delicious dishes like this Seafood Paella visit sunrice.com.au

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production. “They all probably still think I am mad,” he laughs, looking out over the fields covered in all kinds of grass and weeds, the rice sprouting from amongst it. “That sight would scare the life out of most farmers!”

Leeton is also home to one of Australia’s leading branded food exporters, SunRice, which was formed in 1950 with the establishment of a single rice mill. With operations and markets spanning the globe, SunRice today supplies around 60 countries with diverse and nutritious food products. The company is considered an Australian icon, and is proudly grower-owned by rice farmers across the wider region.

Italians and orangesHow often do we all drink orange juice and not take a moment to think where the millions of oranges that go into some of the most popular juices come from? The Ciccia family, Italians who have lived in Australia for three generations are citrus farmers in Leeton, and you

“They work from sunrise to sundown to produce the orange juice that goes into Berri.”

Grains of lifeCruise down the road and take the leap from wildlife to wild grains, grown by Peter Randall, a passionate rice farmer who has gone against traditional farming methods to grow his NASAA-accredited organic rice. If you are keen to learn about where your food comes from, and are also interested in organic farming methods, a visit to Randall Organic Rice should feature on your itinerary.

Randall passionately believes that people deserve chemical-free, tasty rice that is environmentally sustainable, and he whole-heartedly believes that the spike in cancer and other illnesses correlates with the many pesticides and chemicals often used in farming. To him, it’s about resisting what he refers to as negative trends; such as “companies modifying organisms for profit, farmers killing ecosystems with chemicals, rising cancer rates, and large companies controlling food production.”

“I didn’t want my kids around chemicals,” Randall says simply. “I wanted a healthy environment for them, and it just tastes better.”

He confesses that many locals thought him crazy when he took the organic route, but the company is now turning a healthy profit, with his rice stocked in top restaurants and health food stores across the country. Randall intends to further grow his brand and develop his systems for higher

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could not find a more generous foodie family in love with both their produce and the region they call home. Nonna (meaning ‘grandmother’ in English) and her family love to meet visitors and show off what they do on the farm. And they do a lot. They work from sunrise to sundown to produce the orange juice that goes into Berri and other juices that people may recognise on the supermarket shelves. “My mother and father came here over 50 years ago and created the foundations for what we have become,” says their son Michael, proudly. “They’ve gone through hard times of drought and flood and everything else, but they made wise decisions and were always thinking to the future.”

Today, the hundreds of acres of the family’s orange groves are vibrant, delectable proof of the family’s hard work. It’s this hard yakka that has made their family business one that is felt and tasted every day, right across Australia and beyond.

Wine & dine, Riverina styleThe Riverina region is famous for its wine production, and many of the vineyards and winemakers are regularly scooping up awards. But one of the stellar performers in the region is a small operation with only four staff, called Lillypilly Estate Wines. Established in 1972, this Leeton wine producer grows all of their own grapes and produces wines that have won some of the best wine awards in the world, including a host of them from the AWC Vienna International Wine Challenge. In these prestigious awards, 11,514 wines from 1,760 producers out of 37 nations are blind-tasted by some of the world’s top wine judges. In 2012 alone, Lillypilly won eight awards, including a gold for their

2011 Moscato and a silver for their 2012 Sauvignon Blanc. And if you have ever wondered how wine blends are

created, a trip to Toorak Wines will not only give you enough information to have your head spinning with the wonderful world of winemaking, but you can also have a crack at blending yourself.

The family-run Italian business welcomes visitors with open arms, and you can sit down in the processing plant and take part in a wine tasting and blending class that makes you realise how much passion, effort and thought

goes into making the perfect drop. But as the wine makers will tell you themselves, the perfect blend is simply the one you love the most, so you might just make yourself incredibly happy in the process of blending their shiraz with cabernet. The company also produces top-notch wine labels Amesbury and Willandra Estate wines.

Don’t skip out of town before heading to Pages on Pine for lunch or dinner. Considered the most up-market place to chow down in town, and included in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide as a top regional restaurant to try, the owners are passionately focused on using the best local produce to create the fresh and inventive dishes that have the locals

flocking here on a regular basis. And the desserts have the whole town talking. There is always a new one on the menu to finish off a lovely night. The best thing is, you’re bound to start chatting to a table of locals on one side of you, only adding to the amount of other things you must do while you’re in town. So relax and try and fit it all in, as recharging, relaxing and soaking up the people and the produce of this special pocket of the Riverina is good for the soul.

Opening page: White lions

lounging at Altina Wildlife Park.

Previous page: Third generation

citrus farmer, Michael Ciccia.

Opposite page, left to right:

Winemaker from Lillypilly Wines, Robert Fiumara;

Gino (owner of Altina Wildlife

Park) and one of his beloved giraffes.

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STAYKindred Studio Apartments 2A Boree Street, LeetonThese beautifully decorated open-plan apartments are world-class and every detail is considered. With all the latest mod-cons, super-stylish and comfortable beds, and breakfast in your fridge upon waking, you’ll certainly be having a few lie-ins.kindredstudioapartments.com

WINE & DINELillypilly Estate Wines47 Lillypilly Road, Leetonlillypillywines.com.auToorak WineryVineyard 279, Toorak Road, Leetontoorakwines.com.auPages on Pine Restaurant119 Pine Ave, Leeton (02) 6953 7300

EXPLOREAltina Wildlife Parkaltinawildlife.comRandall Organic Ricerandallorganic.com

To visit the Ciccia citrus farm and for more information, visit Leeton Visitor Information Centre. leetontourism.com.au

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past on the street who carries herself a certain way; a beautiful vintage find at the flea markets; or an old black and white photograph.

I also draw a lot of inspiration from the richness of city architecture, conversations, warm summer nights or early mornings bathed in pink light. The pieces are my way of expressing these moments.

What’s next for the Samantha Wills brand?We have lots of exciting plans in the pipeline, particularly extending into new product categories such as leather and eyewear while, of course, staying true to our core bohemian luxury style. Stay tuned!

When you began selling your wares at Bondi Beach markets, did you ever imagine this would one day be how you made a living?I had hoped! At that time I was making jewellery at home on the dining room table – it was such a creative outlet for me outside a nine-to-five job. I’ve always been creative and making jewellery allowed me to express that. Taking that passion and making a career out of it was my dream and now it’s a reality.

When did you take a leap into the unknown and make design your profession?After selling my designs at Bondi markets, an opportunity opened up for me to rent a table during Australian Fashion Week. It cost $500, and I paid it hoping I would break even. By the end of the day, I had $17,000 worth of orders written down… I quit my job the next day.

What is the most important thing for you when it comes to consumers buying your products?Connection and a unique experience. We are very lucky to be living in a social media

world where I am able to directly connect with my customers. Through these channels, our customers are being heard and are able to share with me their own personal style rather than being told what they should like or how to wear it.

You are very active on social media and engage with fans. Why is this so important to you?Social media is a way for us to have a personal connection with customers. There is that sense of community and emotional connection that social media creates between customers and the brand. We treat it as a conversation in real life and real time – you wouldn’t ignore a customer who walked into your shop, why would you ignore them online?

You divide your time between Australia and the US. Is that ever a challenge?I am lucky enough to call New York and Sydney my two homes. New York City is a creative hub, brimming with originality and inspiring people. Sydney boasts the most beautiful beaches and sunrises like no other. Would you call living between these two spaces a challenge?

What inspires your creativity?I draw inspiration from various objects and experiences. It could be a girl walking

Jewellery designer Samantha Wills is an essential part of her brand. She talks to Amal Awad about creativity and what drives her.

minutes with …

Five

“I rented a table

during Australian Fashion Week … By the end

of the day, I had $17,000 worth of orders written

down… I quit my job the next day.”

Samantha Wills

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GET HAPPYPink MartiniGet Happy is the new album from acclaimed US ensemble Pink Martini. It features bandleader Thomas Lauderdale and his ‘little orchestra’, as well as lead singers China Forbes and Storm Large. The album includes guest vocalists Rufus Wainwright, Phyllis Diller, Philippe Katerine, Meow Meow, Ari Shapiro and The von Trapps.

Get Happy is Pink Martini’s seventh studio album. Their previous albums have collectively sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide.

Highlights include the late Phyllis Diller performing Charlie Chaplin’s ‘Smile’, and a duet by Forbes and Wainwright on ‘Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again’. The album also features songs sung in German,

Spanish, Japanese, French, Chinese, Farsi, Turkish and Romanian.

The ensemble has performed its impressive multilingual repertoire on concert stages worldwide with renowned symphony orchestras including the Boston Pops, San Francisco Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

WALKS IN NATURE: AUSTRALIA Viola Design

The ultimate guide for anyone hoping to experience Australia on foot, this is a compilation of the best walking trails in and around the major cities of Australia. There are 115 trails plotted out, complete with an all-important local food stop suggestion for each one. Ten per cent of the proceeds from each book go to Bush Heritage Australia.

ELEPHANTS IN THE BUSHClarrie Cameron

Campfire stories are revered by many cultures around the world, perhaps none more so than Indigenous Australians. In Elephants in the Bush and Other Yamatji Yarns, Clarrie Cameron is helping to preserve the Aboriginal art of campfire storytelling by putting his favourite yarns to paper.

THE MADONNA ON THE MOON Rolf Bauerdick

Set during the rise of communism in Eastern Europe, a young boy in a remote village in Italy is assisting his teacher in his classroom. As they hang a portrait of a new party secretary, the teacher tells the boy that he must kill the secretary. The next day, the teacher is gone. As crime erupts around him, the boy embarks on a journey to uncover the truth.

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watchADVENTURES IN ZAMBEZIAThis debut offering from Cape Town-based animation studio Triggerfish is set in the colourful and bustling bird city of Zambezia, perched on the edge of Victoria Falls in South Africa. The story centres on Kai, a naïve but high-spirited young falcon. Kai is desperate to spread his wings and leave the remote outpost where he lives with his very strict and overbearing father, Tendai (played to perfection by Samuel L Jackson). He runs away to Zambezia, where he encounters friendship, adventure and trouble, and learns the importance of teamwork and community while saving the day.

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entertainment

The Ultimate Bush Shindig!150th Birthday of Banjo Paterson

& Commemorating 100th year since the passing of Jack Riley

• 2014 Victorian Bush Poetry State Championships • Man From Snowy River Poem Re-enactment•The $60,000 Man From Snowy River Horseman’s Challenge Also featuring: High Country Rodeo, Snowy Mountains Station Team Muster, Equestrian Educational Arena, Ute Muster Competitions, Aussie Bush Idol Talent Quest, High Country Rock Concert with Baylou, Fanny Lumsden & The Thrillseekers, Danny Phegan-Longreach & Richard Perso, Street Parade & Street Party, Vintage Machinery, Attree Park Kids Party, Busking Competition, Dog Jump, Arts & Crafts Market, Art & Photography Show. Too much fun for just one ... so bring your mates!

3rd to 6th April, 2014

Corryong, Victoria

Bush Festival information at bushfestival.com.au Email: info@bushfestival.com.au Ph: 02 6076 1992

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BEACHSIDE BEAUTYWollongong

Those visiting Wollongong from Sydney, or heading to the big smoke from the ’Gong, now have every reason to stop off at the lovely seaside village of Thirroul en route. Thirroul is now home to Flanagans Dining Room – a laidback yet classy oasis with a cool beach shack styling. Mere steps from the beach, on the promenade in the historic Thirroul Beach Kiosk Building, the restaurant has a focus on great, fresh, seasonal produce in dishes that are presented with creative flair. The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2014 named Flanagans one of the top three restaurants in the Illawarra, and deservedly so. With dishes such as tempura bite-size barramundi gourjons with a paprika aioli, and venison kofte with a sour cherry jus, there is every reason to get excited about the seven-course degustation menu which, for $80 or $125 with matched wines, is a steal. Add friendly, knowledgeable staff and a stunning view across one of the prettiest beaches in the Illawarra, and you’ve got a great reason to linger over lunch or start dinner early to make the most of your visit. flanagansdiningroom.com.au

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LOCATION, LOCATIONSydney

For visitors in Sydney during the Sydney Festival this summer, at $220 a night Metro Apartments Darling Harbour offer an affordable option for those who love being right in on all the action. As they say, it’s all about location, and the apartments are also surrounded by attractions such as Wild Life Sydney Zoo, IMAX theatre, Madame Tussauds and the restaurants, cafes and bars of Darling Harbour. The 32 chic loft apartments have recently been renovated and include free internet and an upgrade to an executive apartment if there’s availability. The apartments are a popular choice for couples and families looking for a home away from home as they include a queen-size bed upstairs, a sofa bed downstairs, a kitchen with all the mod cons and a spacious living room for guests to eat in. Located in two separate buildings in Sussex and King streets, there’s the choice of the larger, contemporary-styled Sussex Street apartments with views over Darling Harbour, or the New York-styled King Street apartments have access to a rooftop pool and discounted parking only a stone’s throw away. metrohotels.com.au

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t’s a story that’s been told countless times in various incarnations, such is Australia’s love affair with Andrew Barton

(Banjo) Paterson’s epic poem, The Man from Snowy River.

Perhaps the most famous of the numerous screen adaptations is George T. Miller’s 1982 classic Australian film starring Tom Burlinson, shot on location in Victoria’s mountainous Alpine region. Further proving Australia’s unwavering love affair with the ballad, even the nation’s currency pays tribute, with the entire poem inscribed on the $10 note, along with an image of the esteemed poet himself.

A museum at Corryong, the setting for the poem, and the annual The Man from Snowy River Bush Festival also pay homage to Paterson’s legacy. The latter is a four-day spectacular that not only re-enacts the poem, but also celebrates the high country with bush poetry, rodeo, street parade, country rock concert and gruelling horse-riding competitions.

2014 will be a bumper year for the festival, marking not only the event’s 20th anniversary, but also the 150th anniversary of Paterson’s birth.

The legendThe poem itself tells the story of a horse owner who offers a large sum of money for the safe return of an escaped and valuable horse. Riders from the area attempt to capture it, but are no match for the rugged country. Only the man from Snowy River, with his skill and courage, survives.

Significant to the legend is its alleged basis in real life, with the town of Corryong claiming local brumby hunter and stockman Jack Riley to be Paterson’s inspiration for the poem. Legend has it the poet spent an evening in 1890 listening to Riley’s tales of adventure, which included the recapture of a thoroughbred stallion that had joined a mob of wild horses.

The true name of the tale’s hero remains unknown, with even Paterson himself recorded as saying his hero was based on not one person, but several.

The thrill of re-enactmentThe festival recognises the legend of Jack Riley in its program, with the annual ‘Riley’s Ride’. Each year, 50 riders embark on a four-day trail ride from Tom Groggin Station to Corryong, to commemorate his life and the part he played in the early

days of the district. At the end of the ride, the epic ballad is re-enacted.

The Man from Snowy River Challenge is the showcase event of the festival, which aims to find a modern day ‘man from Snowy River’. Horsemen and women from far and wide compete in this test of horsemanship, designed to test the skill, endurance and relationship between horse and rider. The top ten riders earn a place in the two final events, the ‘Brumby Catch’ and the ‘Stock Saddle Buckjump’.

There’s a range of challenges to complete, including ‘Banjo’s Bareback’, a course that must be completed riding bareback, and ‘Clancy’s Whipcrack’, which requires competitors to cut targets on a set course in a set time, followed by 30 seconds of freestyle whip cracking.

While horse riding is central to the festival, there’s also live entertainment, cattle dog demonstrations and a street parade. Most importantly, the bush festival captures the spirit of a time and legend that continues to capture the hearts of Australians. The Man from Snowy River Bush Festival is held in Corryong, April 3–6. bushfestival.com.au

The Man from Snowy River is an epic ballad that continues to be retold. Every year Corryong hosts a festival that re-enacts the chase. By Amal Awad.

of the high countryLegends

“The Man from Snowy River Challenge is the showcase event of the festival, which aims to find

a modern day ‘man from Snowy River’.”

© Stephen Mowbray © Stephen Mowbray

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THERE’S NO DOUBT about it. Jessica Mauboy, at 25 years of age, is one of Australia’s finest exports. She’s a globally acclaimed R&B pop singer and songwriter with a Sony contract in the bag, an awarded actress and an ambassador for Indigenous education. And she just scooped an ARIA in 2013 for Best Female Artist. She’s certainly come a long way since the nation first clapped their eyes on her, as a runner-up to Damien Leith on Australian Idol in 2006. Back then, Kyle Sandilands told her she had “better lose the jelly belly” if she wanted to make it in the music industry. Well, it’s pretty damn certain that when Kyle clocks the Jessica Mauboy of today, one of our most impressive and accomplished home-grown stars, he’d be hard pressed finding anything to pick on.

It’s not surprising, considering Mauboy’s upbringing, that music flows through her veins. She comes from a suburban Darwin home that was often called the noisiest house on the block. Her father, of Indonesian descent from West Timor, regularly played the guitar, while her Australian Aboriginal mother could often be found singing. Being the youngest of five children, the house was always a hive of activity and music, and from very early on, Mauboy attended church, and then choir, with her grandmother. She grew up listening to country singers such as Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton, blending those tastes with large doses of urban rappers such as Tupac Shakur, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg. Mauboy loves to

play the piano while singing songs by Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and the Bee Gees, acknowledging Carey and Houston as her musical inspirations. Listening to Mauboy’s albums, it also comes as no surprise that she’s a big fan of Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé Knowles. In fact, it’s often been said that Jessica Mauboy is Australia’s answer to Beyoncé.

Things actually kicked off earlier than Australian Idol for Mauboy. At the age of 14 she won the Telstra Road to Tamworth competition at the 2004 Tamworth Country Music Festival and travelled to Sydney, scoring a recording deal with Sony Music Australia. She then released a country version of ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’, originally by Cyndi Lauper. The track didn’t get any traction, the contract finished and it was another two years before she auditioned for Australian Idol, progressing through to the grand final at the Sydney Opera House, where she became runner-up.

Since Idol, Mauboy’s musical journey has continued on a rapid yet steady rise towards becoming the star she is today. She released her debut live album, The Journey, in 2007, then briefly became part of an all-girl pop group called Young Divas. Leaving the group to pursue a solo career in 2008, Mauboy had a taste of the big time when she released her first studio album, Been Waiting. The number-one hit from the album, ‘Burn’, caused a big stir in the music world, and following that, she scored two hits in the top ten

Eight years ago, Jessica Mauboy was a young

girl from Darwin with a big voice and boundless

talent. Today, Michelle Hespe catches up with an

assured performer whose star continues to rise.

“She grew up listening to country singers such as Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton, blending those tastes with large doses of urban

rappers such as Tupac Shakur, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg.”

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(‘Running Back’ and ‘Because’) with her album becoming the second-highest selling Australian album of 2009. She was definitely in the limelight when it was certified platinum.

Mauboy’s second album followed in 2010. Called Get ‘Em Girls, the hit singles ‘Saturday Night’ and ‘Inescapable’ really started to cement a large Jessica Mauboy fan base. Her third studio album in 2013, called Beautiful, included her sixth top-ten single – ‘Pop a Bottle (Fill me Up)’.

To date, Mauboy has received fourteen ARIA Music Awards nominations and has won two: one for the Highest Selling Single – ‘Running Back’ and her latest as Best Female Artist. Also in 2013, she was ranked number 16 in The Herald Sun’s 100 Greatest Australian Singers of All Time.

The last time Jessica graced the cover of OUTthere was in 2010, when she kicked off her acting career by starring in the Aboriginal musical Bran Nue Dae. In 2012, she starred in The Sapphires, scooping an AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and travelling the world to promote the film.

With her singing career taking off, and a stint here and there on TV and in endorsement (including an advertisement for Head & Shoulders shampoo), Mauboy signed on to the Australian Government’s In2Oz program, designed to promote closer ties with Indonesia. Then in 2009, she began to make moves in sectors she’s always held close to her heart – charity and mentoring.

Mauboy teamed up with Bloom Cosmetics to create two designer collection nail polishes, two dollars from the sale of each polish being donated to Children’s Hospital Foundations Australia to support research into childhood illness.

Things continued to take off, with Mauboy performing for 92,000 people in Melbourne’s Federation Square for Oprah Winfrey’s famous visit

Down Under. And her performance was later aired on the Oprah Winfrey Show, ramping up her US reputation.The opportunities then kept pouring in. She was a support

act for the Australian leg of Chris Brown’s hugely successful F.A.M.E. tour, and then became the face of the video game, Nintendogs + Cats, joining forces with RSPCA to promote it. She played a role in Underbelly: Razor, launched a dress range with label KuKu at Myer and, in 2012, embarked on a Galaxy Tour across Australia with musician Stan Walker.

Then 2013 rolled along, and Mauboy received two nominations for the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards, and a nomination (which she won) for Northern Territory Young Australian of the Year. She appeared on the Ellen De Generes Show to promote The Sapphires in the US while travelling the world, performed for Barack Obama, and just recently she performed at the Emmy’s Governor’s Ball, “which was surreal!”, she squeals with delight.

Mauboy also became a mentor on The Voice (Australia), and the official ambassador of Yipirinya School, a bilingual and bi-cultural independent Aboriginal school, acting as a role model to students and helping to promote the school and assist with its fundraising. “I’ve always been involved in

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giving back, particularly in the area of education for Indigenous communities,” Mauboy says. “I think it’s incredibly important. I am currently the ambassador for the Yipirinya School in Alice Springs. It’s one of the only independent schools that run both an Indigenous and standard curriculum. Every time I go out there I am so inspired by the dedication of the teachers and staff and the passion of the kids to learn. It inspires me to be a better role model for them every day.”

The amount Mauboy has fitted into the last eight years is seriously impressive, and she’s the first to admit that she can’t believe her own life. “If you had told me some of the things that I would have been able to do, and the experiences I was going to have way back then, I would never have believed you!” she says. “It’s been such an amazing journey. I still pinch myself every day. Even though at times it can be incredibly tough, I just remind myself that I get to do what I love. How lucky am I?”

Mauboy released her latest solo album, To the End of the Earth, in 2013, which she’s complemented with an Australian promotional tour packed with 27 dates from November 2013 to January 2014. “There are a few exciting things on the horizon,” says Mauboy, “But right now, I’m completely focused on my tour. It’s my first major headline tour and I’m loving being out there connecting with my fans.”

Asked how she feels about the new album and how she has developed as both a songwriter and musician, she says with pride, “As I have grown up, so too has my songwriting. I’m able to communicate how I feel now without fear or self-consciousness. This is most definitely a more mature record and also my most personal to date.”

Mauboy admits that her hectic schedule can play havoc with her personal life. “This kind of career can be really hard on your relationships. I just make sure I get back to Darwin as often as possible, and my family does come with me whenever they can. It’s so important for me to have them around me – it’s what keeps me sane,” she says with a laugh.

“I love being back at home where I can really unwind,” she says. “My favourite things in the world are family, friends, food, nature, running and music,” she says.

And that’s the magic of Mauboy. She may now be an international superstar, but she’s also still a lovely girl from Darwin who can’t wait to jump on a plane, to be back in the city she loves and in the arms of her loving family and friends.

“At times it can be incredibly tough, but I just remind myself

that I get to do what I love. How lucky am I?”

TOUR DATES JANUARY 2014

Wed 8 Empire Theatre, ToowoombaThurs 9 C. Ex Services, Coffs HarbourFri 10 Lismore Workers, LismoreSat 11 Glasshouse, Port MacquarieSun 12 Tamworth Entertainment Centre, TamworthTues 14 Club Forster, ForsterFri 17 Evan Theatre, Panthers, PenrithSat 18 AIS, CanberraSun 19 Albury Entertainment Centre, AlburyTues 21 Eastbank Centre, SheppartonWed 22 Bendigo Stadium, BendigoThurs 23 Wendouree Centre For Performing Art, BallaratFri 24 Geelong Arena, Geelong

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essica Mauboy is at the top of her game. In the past six months she’s scooped an ARIA, performed at the 2013 Emmy

Awards in the US, appeared on the Ellen show, became the face of the NRL and released her third album Beautiful. Mauboy can now add performing in the Pilbara and staying at a mine site to this list. Mauboy recently delivered three consecutive performances to FIFO communities in the Pilbara to an audience of almost 1,500 miners.

Hosting a superstar class act like Jessica Mauboy for clients is far from typical for the industrial hospitality/facilities management company, Morris Corporation.

Lea Finau in marketing, says “We’ve heard of other acts like Jimmy Barnes and Noiseworks performing at remote villages before but never someone as ‘current’ as Jessica and never paid for by the caterer”.

So, just how did this idea come about? Morris was re-tendering on the multi-facilities management contract for the three villages and as the incumbent, wanted to provide residents with an ‘energised’ offer. At first, the idea of having Jessica Mauboy seemed ambitious but after a few phone calls to the right people, Morris discovered that they actually could, in fact, secure Mauboy. Morris just had to be successful in the facilities management contract – and they were!

The performances were fantastic and feedback from the site was fabulous with some even saying they thought the promo posters were a hoax and Jessica Mauboy wasn’t really going to turn up. For the FIFO workers, it was amazing to see Mauboy engage with the crowd encouraging them to get up and dance and sharing a joke or two with them.

The performance engagement was a part of the retendering win for Morris Corporation, which is reportedly worth $435 million, and includes providing catering and hospitality throughout Indigenous joint ventures at Pilbara operations run by Fortescue.

JESS MAUBOY FLIES IN (AND OUT)

Recent ARIA winner Jessica Mauboy flew in to entertain FIFO mining workers for Morris Corporation.

“Mauboy recently delivered three consecutive performances to FIFO communities in the Pilbara

to an audience of almost 1,500 miners.”

Queensland is the growth state and there are three distinct regions that are leading the way. Australian Events have three events that hit the heart of each of these regions in 2014, and you are invited to participate. These are dynamic events with special Industry Forums, site visits, business networking functions and a comprehensive two day exposition in each location. These events are short, sharp and focussed to allow businesses the best opportunities to grow industry connectivity and discover new opportunities for business development.

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MY CHILDREN are in awe when we collect our six-berth VW motor home from Apollo. Pulling down the steps to climb into the ‘house’, my 11-year-old twins clamber in to admire the compact TV with DVD, gas cooker, microwave, toilet and shower. We squirrel away our belongings and work through the checklist: external power unplugged? Check. Gas off? Check. Steps folded up? Check. Windows and skylights shut? Check. We’re ready to roll.

I set my sat-nav to Cessnock while one daughter straps into the large comfy passenger seat, and the other pops a DVD into the TV and settles into her seat-and-table-that-turn-into-a-double-bed.

As regular visitors to the Central Coast from Sydney, we are used to the familiar route, however the RV affords us a spectacular view we hadn’t considered. Cruising down smaller roads with ease, buildings become few and far between and I feel that sense of ‘getting away’. “Cows!” shouts one daughter, and I’m reminded that my beachside-city kids aren’t used to these doe-eyed beasts. Chocolate has been mentioned several times already, so we head to Pokolbin, making a beeline for The Hunter Barn – a haven for sweet tooths, and home to the world’s largest candy kangaroo.

Inside the fudge and chocolate shop I’m invited to join a wine tasting but this time, I settle for some tongue-tingling dark chocolate instead. We leave with big smiles and a bundle of Hunter treats that can’t be bought elsewhere.

Then we’re off to Valley Vineyard Tourist Park in Cessnock, and once settled into our site, the girls set off to explore while I get to work. Awning down, table and chairs out, mains power plugged in, air-con on, and I’m ready to get cooking.

Getting our beds organised is a family affair and it’s quickly decided that the girls will alternate between the two ‘exciting’ beds (one up the ladder, above the driver’s cab; and the one in the middle) and I’ll take the one at the back. Tabletops removed and converted, we snuggle up in one bed to watch a movie, talk about our day and our plans for tomorrow.

In the morning, we head to Yengo National Park to meet volunteers Jocelyn Grant and Adam Drylie from

Yes, it’s true, the Hunter Valley is all about the wine. But what does it offer the whole family? Sanchia Pegley takes off to find out.

Above: The beautiful Hunter Valley Gardens in full Spring bloom.

Imag

e: To

urism

NSW

drivetime

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Ngurra Bu, a not-for-profit organisation that shares Aboriginal culture with others.

We travel through vineyards complete with stunning sculptures, past horses and cattle, valleys and hill scenery until we reach Wollombi, near Paynes Crossing.

Wollombi means ‘meeting place of the waters’, and it has great significance for Indigenous Australians, with more than 17 cultural sites per square kilometre. Adam is of the Wiradjuri people, and Jocelyn is Gadigal-born. They welcome us then proceed to delight guests with information about the history of the area.

Our group is taken to an important Aboriginal site, where we are first cleansed with gum leaves.

“Usually we would burn these as part of a smoking ceremony,” explains Adam, “but because of the bushfires we can’t take the risk”.

The pair work well together, with Adam leading the cleansing ceremony and Jocelyn talking about bush medicine and bush tucker, and how the plants and wildlife indicate the weather and season ahead.

Our guides tell us about how to connect with the earth and how they teach their children to take only what they need, and use what they take.

We’re encouraged to remove our shoes and get in touch with the earth, stepping into the lore site and calling “Yaama!” (Hello! G’day!) to acknowledge our arrival. We spend a good hour marvelling at Indigenous engravings and learning about the region’s guardians; the feather-footed, the mentors and the lore leaders.

We stop at Finchley Lookout for a delicious lunch complete with stunning views across to Mt Yengo and Yengo National Park, where we discover that Mt Yengo is as sacred to NSW Aboriginal people as Uluru is to the people of Central Australia.

Adam and Jocelyn run the tours on a voluntary basis to raise funds for the bigger purpose behind Ngurra Bu – to educate disconnected Aboriginal people, particularly children, about their ancestry and culture.

I am inspired and humbled by the tour – and my daughters loved it, which is all I can ask for from ‘tweens. The group that shared the tour with us had taken a morning hot air balloon ride before the tour – what an opportunity: see the land from above and then learn about it at ground level.

Hunter Valley Gardens is next on our agenda and thankfully parking the RV is easy.

The girls’ favourite spot is the magical Storybook Garden, where you can roll down the hill with Jack and Jill and sit at the Mad Hatter’s table with Alice. There are 10 gardens in all, with plenty of roaming birdlife and charming topiary horses. Just beyond the lakes is a pretty chapel that the park’s owners, Bill and Imelda Roche, lovingly built for their daughter’s wedding. It’s hugely popular, with two weddings while we are there – the gardens making an idyllic backdrop for photos.

We hop on a train to tour the rest of the gardens, and learn much from the enthusiastic guide.

FAST FACTThe Hunter Valley is

Australia’s main region for the breeding and rearing of thoroughbred horses.The Upper Hunter area around Scone is one of the largest

horse breeding areas in the world.

Below: Ballooning is also a great way to see the region.

Image: Tourism

NSW

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drivetime

18

And then it’s wildlife time. Nestled in Werakata National Park, Hunter Valley Zoo is no Taronga, so keep your expectations in check. On arrival you can be forgiven for thinking you’ll be done within an hour, but there’s actually plenty to keep everyone entertained. We enter pens and hand-feed lambs, deer and goats. Regular talks by animal keepers are held throughout the day, and we cuddle Brittany the koala and pat a couple of snakes and an innocent-looking alligator. We walk among kangaroos and wallabies, see joeys in their mums’ pouches and are approached by a very confident albino kangaroo. Vibrant aviaries, cheeky monkeys, lazy wombats, Tassie devils and daring dingoes are all housed at the zoo, plus several peacocks strutting around.

Our last hurrah in the Hunter is horse riding with Hunter Valley Adventures and Horse Riding. Shimmer, Bonnie and Pepper follow a well-trodden trail through paddocks of cows and mobs of kangaroos.

We stop at a dam for the horses to drink and our guide Karen points out an enormous eagle’s nest high in the trees. For the rest of the time we continue our ride in awed silence. Twice we break into a trot – our horses are eager and they know the drill. One hour was enough (as the bruises testify) but it was one of the highlights of our trip.

Busy days lead to refreshing dips in the park’s pool, followed by relaxing BBQs outside the RV before snuggling up for a movie and a bed inside our ‘house’. And not a drop of wine passed my lips. That’s for another trip, and another story.

GET THEREThe Hunter Valley is about two hours north of Sydney via Pacific Highway, M1.

STAYApollo Motorhomes661 Gardeners Rd, Mascot, Sydney1800 777 779apollocamper.com/holidayValley Vineyard Tourist Park (Big 4)137 Mount View Road, Cessnock02 4990 2573valleyvineyard.com.au

EXPLOREWollombi Cultural CentreWollombi Road, near Payne’s Crossing02 4998 3488ngurrabu.orgThe Hunter Barn2320 Broke Road, Pokolbin 02 4998 6999thehunterbarn.com.auHunter Valley GardensBroke Road, Pokolbin02 4998 4000huntervalleygardens.com.auHunter Valley ZooLomas Lane, Nulkaba, near Cessnock02 4990 7714huntervalleyzoo.com.au

EATEllalong Pub80 Helena Street, Ellalong 02 4998 1217Blue Thai RestaurantDetails as per Valley Vineyard Tourist Parkvalleyvineyard.com.au/bluethai.html

Round-up

For information on events, attractions and accommodation deals go to

Lake Humewater sports

Super Rugby1 February

Lake HumeCycling Classic22 February

Albury Gold Cup27/28 March

Must seeexhibitions at theLibraryMuseum

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food&wine

21

Serious foodies are flocking to Orange. Simone Henderson-Smart pays a visit

to see what all the fuss is about.

pilgrimageORANGE

Photography: Richard Whitbread

If you’re a dentist, there’s never been a better time to make the move to regional, rural or remote Australia.

The new Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme (DRISS) has been designed to help you establish yourself in a community that will welcome your skills.

DRISS is an Australian Government initiative supporting dentists to take up private practice in regional, rural and remote Australia.

DRISS offers:

Relocation grants of between $15,000 and $120,000 scaled depending on the originating practice location and the proposed practice location.

Infrastructure grants of up to $250,000 to assist with establishing a new practice or to expand an existing one. Infrastructure grant funds can be used for building, refurbishment and equipment costs.

Grants are available for dentists moving to locations that are more regional, rural or remote than their current practice location to provide general dental services in private practice. To be eligible, dentists must be Australian citizens or permanent residents and registered with the Dental Board of Australia.

Funding round open 17 February – 26 March 2014

For more information or to make an inquiry contact the DRISS team:

Visit: www.rhwa.org.au/DRISS Freecall: 1800 475 433 Email: DRISS@rhwa.org.au

Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme is funded by the Australian Government

and administered by Rural Health Workforce Australia.

Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme

Dentists – make the move and be rewarded

22

food&wine

’m not going to lie; I love a good vino, or three. And for years I’ve heard about Orange as a ‘must visit’ destination for like-minded folk. Their annual F.O.O.D. week (Food of Orange District) each April lures many

fellow wine and food lovers away from the coast and across the Blue Mountains to this verdant and incredibly pretty town in the heart of NSW’s Central West. The locals also love a good festival, and so have packed the calendar with plenty of excuses for a visit – mostly food- and wine-related.

I happily discovered that my weekend escape to Orange coincided with the annual Lunch Amongst the Rhododendrons at Brangayne – a winery atop Mount Canobolas owned by the Hoskins family. Many of the hundred or so frocked-up revellers were travellers who return each year, and are lovingly referred to in manager David Hoskins’ welcome speech as ‘repeat offenders’. The rest are locals of all ages, many of them repeat offenders as well. But it’s more than just an excuse; the Hoskins really know how to put on a party.

For me, the party kicked off with a perfect blue-sky day and a chilled glass of crisp pinot grigio, followed by a stroll around the enchanting jasmine-scented gardens, before everyone was ushered into a marquee to feast on four courses of local flavours. I had to confess to fellow diners that my knowledge and appreciation of Orange wines was below average due largely to the fact that the shelves of Sydney bottleshops are far from heaving with them. The wines being

generously poured throughout the day at Brangayne changed that for me however; cold climate gems every one of them, full of fruit and spice. We all knew the sweet sound of a clinking box of bottles would be accompanying a lot of us home that day.

Midway through proceedings, Pamela the marvellous matriarch gave her speech to the crowd. A lovely blend of regal elegance and earthiness, she had a sparkle in her eye as she recalled the trip to France a decade ago that drove her and her husband to rip up their fruit trees and plant vines immediately upon their return home to Orange. Many others followed suit and now there are more than 1,300 hectares under vine in the local area. But it’s not just the elevation and cool climate that makes it great for grapes, explained Pamela.

“The soil here is incredible,” she enthused. “You can grow anything. It’s volcanic, it’s rich and you could eat it.”

Thankfully there was no dirt on the menu that day, but she does have a point. The soil is basalt-rich, volcanic and extremely fertile. Grapes love it, and so do all types of berries as well as apple and cherry trees, garlic and even truffles, though ironically, oranges don’t do well in Orange. It also produces great grazing for deer, pigs, cows, chooks and saltbush sheep.

A visit to regional providore – A Slice of Orange – makes it clear that the 100-mile diet would amount to total bliss in this region. It’s no wonder that as well as some of the

If you’re a dentist, there’s never been a better time to make the move to regional, rural or remote Australia.

The new Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme (DRISS) has been designed to help you establish yourself in a community that will welcome your skills.

DRISS is an Australian Government initiative supporting dentists to take up private practice in regional, rural and remote Australia.

DRISS offers:

Relocation grants of between $15,000 and $120,000 scaled depending on the originating practice location and the proposed practice location.

Infrastructure grants of up to $250,000 to assist with establishing a new practice or to expand an existing one. Infrastructure grant funds can be used for building, refurbishment and equipment costs.

Grants are available for dentists moving to locations that are more regional, rural or remote than their current practice location to provide general dental services in private practice. To be eligible, dentists must be Australian citizens or permanent residents and registered with the Dental Board of Australia.

Funding round open 17 February – 26 March 2014

For more information or to make an inquiry contact the DRISS team:

Visit: www.rhwa.org.au/DRISS Freecall: 1800 475 433 Email: DRISS@rhwa.org.au

Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme is funded by the Australian Government

and administered by Rural Health Workforce Australia.

Dental Relocation and Infrastructure Support Scheme

Dentists – make the move and be rewarded

“Orange has three hatted restaurants, the only regional town in NSW to boast this many”

24

food&wine

best winemakers in the country, Orange has also tempted many top chefs to set up shop there too. In fact, there are three hatted restaurants in Orange – the only regional town in NSW to boast this many. Fine dining lovers with tighter budgets won’t be disappointed either. Local boy and former apprentice of celebrated chef Michael Manners, Scott Want is serving up a great menu at Bistro Ceello that’s peppered with local produce. The Mandagery Creek venison is a stand-out, as is the caramel hazelnut tart with rum and raisin ice-cream and salted caramel sauce that features nuts from local Fourjay Farm. The wine list is similarly Orange, and a glass of Philip Shaw’s chardonnay finds me at their cellar door the next day, tasting and talking and adding to the clinking in my car.

At Bistro Ceello I meet Charlotte Gundry from Taste Orange (an organisation that supports and promotes the region) and she tells me that the locals are passionate about the paddock-to-plate phenomenon, happily supporting local farmers and producers, and the events which promote them.

“Orange is really great at planning events with soul that connect with people,” she tells me. Her particular favourite is ‘Forage’, which happens during F.O.O.D Week, and is a lovely wander through vineyards and farms, giving foodies an up-close and personal look at where all this great local produce comes from.

“It’s so much fun,” she says. “It’s a great walk and every few hundred metres there’s a stall set up where you can taste things and drink wine and chat to the producers.”

It’s also one of the things that inspired Tom Ward from Swinging Bridge Wines to create a 100-mile grazing menu when he took over Union Bank Wine Bar recently.

“I wanted to create a place where winemakers and food lovers come to meet and chat and relax,” he says. “It’s really the only place in town that bridges the gap between restaurant and pub.”

The menu’s emphasis is share plates, and minutes can easily turn to hours as you slow down, sip, nibble and chat the afternoon away. He’s also set up a cellar door in the courtyard for tastings of his lovely pinot noir that took the trophy at the 2013 NSW Wine Awards. His cabernet sauvignon took one too for Best Organic Wine. He’s fiercely proud, not just of the quality of his wines, but of the entire region.

It’s this community pride that has helped shape Orange, a town full of people wanting to show off the best the region has to offer. Which, thanks to their wonderful events calendar, is very often.

The writer travelled courtesy of Destination NSW and Taste Orange.

GET THEREOrange is about 260km from Sydney. Several airlines fly there regularly. Rent a car from Avis: avis.com.au.

STAYArancia Luxury Bed & Breakfast69 Wrights Lane, Orange02 6365 3305, arancia.com.auDe Russie Suites Orange72 Hill Street, Orange02 6360 0973, derussiehotels.com.au

EAT & DRINKBistro Ceello179 Anson Street, Orange02 6361 1179, bistroceello.com.auLolli Redini48 Sale Street, Orange02 6361 7748, lolliredini.com.au

EXPLOREThe pretty little town of Millthorpe is a 30 minute drive from Orange, and its heritage buildings are home to designer stores, gourmet cafes and antiques. Splurge on a meal at Tonic. tonicmillthorpe.com.auOrange F.O.O.D. Week is held in celebration of the region’s food and wine from 4–13 April.tasteorange.com.au/slowsummer.htm

MORE INFOvisitnsw.com.autasteorange.com.au

Round-up

OutThere_210x275.indd 1 13/09/13 3:18 PM

agribusiness

27

The controversial issue of live cattle export has re-emerged as a hot

debate in the agribusiness industry. Christine Retschlag explores recent

developments in the sector and examines both sides of the argument.

IT’S A TOPIC as sizzling as a cattle branding iron. The issue of Australia’s live cattle export trade is once again a national focus and is unlikely to go away in a hurry.

In his first visit to Indonesia in his role as Prime Minister of Australia, and shortly after he secured the top job, Tony Abbott ensured that the controversial cattle trade was among the range of discussion items on his agenda.

The night before Abbott arrived in Jakarta in early October 2013, negotiators from Australia’s and Indonesia’s agriculture ministries agreed on a special quota for 53,000 additional animals, and an in-principle agreement to compromise on Indonesia’s demand for animal health tracking information, reported The Australian. According to the report, the compromise allowed for the special quote of “slaughter-ready” cattle on top of a December quarter quota of 46,000 head for fattening in Indonesia.

agribusiness

28

Commentators believe that among many of the strategies he deployed on his Indonesia visit, Abbott was trying to demonstrate that Australia was indeed “open for business” – as he had promised upon election – in a thinly veiled dig at the Labor Government’s suspension of live trade in the middle of 2011.

At that time, an animal cruelty expose on the ABC’s Four Corners program entitled ‘A Bloody Business’, prompted former Prime Minister Julia Gillard to suspend trade while the allegations were examined.

Two months later, export resumed, much to the relief of enraged farmers. But many claimed the damage had been done. In response to an avalanche of public anger, the then Federal Government also introduced the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), but critics said it did not go far enough, only meeting the barest minimum of welfare standards and still allowing for animals to be killed while fully conscious.

The Australian states that, overall, the live cattle trade has been reduced by 60 per cent since 2010 amid reports that Abbott also supports an Indonesian plan to invest in 1.5 million hectares of cattle land in northern Australia.

“We can work together … but it will take some effort, especially after the shock of the former Australian Government cancelling the live cattle export trade in panic over a TV program,” Abbott reportedly said.

“Last year, I visited the abattoirs in Indonesia, which were quite comparable to those in Australia, and reject any notion that Indonesian standards are lower than Australia’s.”

Among further signs that Australia’s live cattle export trade and the nation is, indeed, “back in business”, a week later in October, the ABC reported that the Western Australian Government had signed a memorandum of understanding with China to export live cattle. The MoU pledges “mutual

support for discussions” between Western Australia and its sister province of Zhejiang in eastern China, as well as both country’s national governments and local governments, to set up new trade protocols that would involve live cattle.

WA Premier Colin Barnett told the ABC that, under the proposal, cattle would be transported to a new “highly sophisticated” abattoir in Zhejiang.

“This would be a market as big, if not bigger, than the Indonesian market for our industry,” said Barnett.

“Can I stress this is the beginning, but I’m very optimistic we will reach agreement and that the Chinese national government will support it, but we’re not at that point yet.”

Not everyone is as optimistic as the Abbott and Barnett governments when it comes to the issue of Australia’s live export industry. A week after the WA announcement, Animals Australia, who are calling for a ban on all live exports, released a statement in which they claimed thousands of Australian sheep were facing brutal treatment and slaughter during the Muslim Festival of Sacrifice in the Middle East in October.

Animals Australia investigators alerted the Federal Department of Agriculture to what it claimed were “severe breaches of live export regulations” in Jordan and Kuwait, where Australian sheep were being offered for sale in roadside markets.

“One of the primary motivators for the introduction of these regulations was to prevent the brutal treatment of Australian animals documented every year during this religious festival,” said Animals Australia campaign director Lyn White.

“Australians have been horrified by scenes of Australian sheep being shoved into car boots and brutally slaughtered and now, despite the existence of these regulations, thousands of sheep will again face this fate.

FIFO syndrome symptom #10

Eating a steak with a snake called Jake.

Stop sharing your T-Bone with a Taipan. Fly in to the energy

and engineering opportunities and legendary lifestyle of

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FIFO syndrome symptom #10

Eating a steak with a snake called Jake.

Stop sharing your T-Bone with a Taipan. Fly in to the energy

and engineering opportunities and legendary lifestyle of

Taranaki, New Zealand.

agribusiness

30

“Regulations to make individual visual identification of sheep mandatory need to be urgently introduced by the Abbott Government, and removing ear tags before slaughter must be made a serious offence.”

Meanwhile, according to The Australian, both Indonesian importers and Australian exporters are hoping a new biosecurity system will see Indonesian live cattle shipments reach 500,000 head this year, and grow to more than 700,000 – a level the industry experienced when it was at its peak in 2009/10.

But in the same report, it seems unlikely that producers in the country’s Top End will be able to meet immediate additional quotas in Indonesia, with pastoralists citing destocking, a poor wet season, adverse trade conditions in Indonesia and the opening of markets in Vietnam and the Philippines as major issues.

Elders chief executive Malcolm Jackman, a key player in Abbott’s mission to Indonesia, said 53,000 additional cattle in three months would “be a bit of a struggle”.

“But I think people will get after it pretty rapidly,” he said. “It [Indonesia] is by far the most natural market … the market’s well-established, the relationships are well-established and because it’s so close, it works really well.”

In a report in Queensland Country Life in October, Federal Independent MP Andrew Wilkie attracted the ire of livestock exporters after he warned the Prime Minister against lowering animal welfare standards

during his visit to Jakarta. Wilkie described as “bizarre” Abbott’s suggestion that Indonesian abattoirs were “quite comparable” to those in Australia and accused the Prime Minister of preparing to put animal cruelty second to the Australia–Indonesia bilateral relationship.

“The fact is that most Indonesian abattoirs are barbaric charnel houses,” said Wilkie.

But Australian Livestock Exporters Association CEO Alison Penfold hit back at Wilkie’s comments as “simply wrong” and accused him of “slandering every single person” in the industry, from cattle producers to transport, feedlot and abattoir workers.

“The in-market transformation that’s taken place in such a short timeframe is very impressive and something that deserves better treatment than uninformed commentary from someone who are so far removed from the trade,” Penfold reportedly told Queensland Country Life.

“We take the accusations he’s making very seriously – and given those accusations, he needs to ‘man up’ and have the courage to talk to us directly.

“I’d simply like people to be informed.”One thing is certain. The issue of live animal exports

from Australia will continue to be a hotly debated topic this year, from the hallowed halls of Indonesian, Chinese and Australian parliaments to the cattle yards around the country, the backyard barbecue, the Middle East and beyond.

FAST FACTFive separate economic

reports over the past four years have confirmed that

live exports are undermining Australia’s meat processing industry — an industry five times more lucrative than

live exports.

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“The belief that ‘you get what you pay for’ in education in Australia still appears strong.”

advertorial

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NOT LONG AGO a secondary school’s merit was based almost entirely on its academic record. Many independent schools shone in this area, and were consistently ranked amongst the top performers in their state. Parents looking for the best opportunities for their children naturally gravitated to these schools, and with good reason – the results were there for everyone to see.

Fast forward to 2014 and you’ll see a different picture: parents wanting the best for their children expect much more than academic success alone. The job market has become increasingly competitive, and a well-rounded student with outside interests such as sport or music, along with a good work ethic, resilience, social confidence and a community conscience, will stand out from a crowd of information-fed robots.

On top of that, there is also the school’s stance on discipline, drugs and bullying to consider. How active and supportive is the teaching staff?

According to The Good Schools Guide, ethos is an important factor for parents when choosing the right school for their child. Many independent schools have a particular religious affiliation as do, obviously, catholic schools. Ethos also refers to the entire character of the school, and how staff, students and parents behave and treat each other.

Parents are gravitating towards independent schools that best offer all of these things; and the belief that ‘you get what you pay for’ in education in Australia still appears strong.

But how do you find the right school that can do all of that? Each child will have their own particular needs on top of that list too, making the choice even more complicated. The Good Schools Guide recommends first starting with the needs of your child, and going from there.

“Without a doubt,” the guide says, “the best way to start the search is to give some thought to your child’s potential to succeed at different things and in different environments. Get a clear picture of your child’s interests, abilities and weak spots; consider their academic strong points as well as their aptitudes in sport, art and other extracurricular areas; and finally ask your child to think about what they like and don’t like about school, and the things they would like to get out of secondary school.”

The guide explains that a reasonably complete picture of your child makes it easier to know what you are looking for in a school, and to recognise it when you find it. Finding the school most relevant to your child is also made easier with an advanced search feature on their website which allows a custom search of more than 6,900 schools based on a range of criteria.

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BEES’ KNEESQueen B, otherwise known as Cate Burton, is mad about bees. She has a business selling handmade beeswax candles and even hosts two hives on her Sydney apartment balcony, writes Mitch Brook.

Cate Burton appears totally at home in her hive. The queen of the enterprise that is Queen B smiles as she works deftly to construct the little boxes that will become the packaging of her unique high-end product – handmade, all-Australian beeswax candles.

A decade ago, Burton, owner and director of the boutique company, was suffering from severe anxiety attacks. Attempting to relieve the attacks and relax, she began to explore an array of pastimes. Two would become her passions: rolling beeswax candles and painting.

Through Queen B, Burton combines her two hobbies in a business she adores: creating artisan, 100 per cent pure Australian beeswax products, particularly candles.

Burton is a firm believer in beeswax as the best material for making candles. It’s natural, she explains, and, unlike the polluting paraffin varieties, they’re not treated with bleaching chemicals that create billions of tonnes of harmful dioxins.

Burton says her tests have shown that beeswax burns more slowly than the alternatives, such as soy or paraffin wax, and that it produces a more golden flame. Furthermore, beeswax is a natural ioniser, working to purify the air around it as it burns.

“When you consider that a female worker bee makes around an eighth of a pinkie nail of wax in her lifetime, even our smallest candle – a four- to five-hour tea light

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candle – has the life’s work of over a thousand worker bees in it,” says Burton, showing her passion.

“Beeswax constantly challenges us, so that even after a decade of working with it and over a million beeswax candles, I still learn new things constantly. I love the perfection of a beeswax candle that’s well made when you light it and watch the flame.”

The ‘hive’, as she calls her workshop and office, resembles ordered chaos, with a multitude of artistic devices, products and tools on display. Look out the back of Burton’s shop and you’ll see where the beeswax is purified and processed into its final form. This method involves melting the beeswax with hot water and straining it through filter paper, storing it for 22 hours and repeating the process. Then there’s another 22-hour wait before it’s ready to be hand-rolled, poured and hand-finished into high-quality end products.

“I am a perfectionist,” says Burton. “I have strong, uncompromising values and an analytical mind. So if I’m going to do something, it’s going to be absolutely beautiful; it is going to be uncompromised and it’s going to be extensively psychoanalysed! I’m going to read everything in existence about the subject and then throw all the existing literature in the air and test it thoroughly.”

Burton’s love for all things bee-related doesn’t stop with the use of their wax in her art. She’s fascinated

by the industrious little creatures, the buzzing communities that pollinate one third of our food and help make our ecosystems function. She even has two thriving beehives on her balcony in Sydney.

Early in the growth of her business, to further her understanding of working with beeswax, Burton studied a diploma of beekeeping in the pursuit of knowledge. Her studies sparked a fascination with the creatures, and she decided she wanted to install a hive near her workshop. Using the bees’ wax and honey, however, would cause the creatures to recognise and be attracted to its sweet scent, with them potentially invading her workshop – not something Burton needed in the already-buzzing space.

Burton thought her small apartment in inner North Shore Sydney suburb Neutral Bay would be unsuitable for hosting beehives, but after consulting one of her former beekeeping teachers, she realised her balcony was in fact big enough to host two hives. Her balcony beekeeping exercise has been a success. “In summer, my hives can be home to up to 120,000 bees, reducing to around 60,000 in winter,” she says. “They produced around 120 kilograms of honey last year.”

Burton also helps maintain several other hives around Sydney, including those at the Four In Hand pub in Paddington. Another of her beekeeping clients lives in Elizabeth Bay.

Previous page, above above and below:Queen B’s Cate Burton at work, painting in her workshop; a selection of Queen B pillar candles; pouring tealight candles made from 100% beeswax.

FAST FACTQueen bees are the only

fertile bees in a honey bee colony. They mate with male

bees, aka ‘drone bees’, whose only job is to mate with queen

bees; they don’t sting or contribute to work in

the hive.

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“I’m passionate about beekeeping,” she says. “We need urban beehives to pollinate all those community gardens and vegie patches everyone is planting. And I have to say that urban honey is, quite simply, extraordinary. Because the bees have such a variety of flora to forage on, the complexity of flavour in the honey is like a dance party on your palate.”

As the honey created by a hive changes depending on the flowers from which that hive’s bees collect pollen, honey from one hive will have a distinctly different taste to that of another. Burton’s own Neutral Bay Honey is a dark gold, with what she describes as a slight aniseed taste. The Elizabeth Bay honey is a light yellow in hue, with “a hint of marzipan”.

It’s small but memorable variances such as this – differences found in beeswax as well as honey – that make this creative Sydneysider love working with bees. In her workshop, you’ll find a Tesla water wand, a few types of filter paper, and the results of many tests, some successful and others not.

“That’s how I came to produce such high-quality wax for my candles, and how I continually improve it,” Burton explains. “A few years ago, our refining process was

nowhere near as lengthy, but it’s with continual tests of different methods that I improve the product.”

Her painstaking trial and error approach appears to be paying off, as Burton’s handmade candles and bee products are appreciated far and wide. And it’s not just ordinary consumers who value her candles – they’ve decorated the sets of prestigious shows including Opera Australia’s recent production of Tosca.

She’s not about to slow down: Burton’s plans for the Queen B business include continuing to refine her processes and working at maintaining the high quality of her candles and other bee products. Eventually, she’d love to expand and move to the country, extending her reach, and with that having the chance to make more of a difference in people’s lives.

Busy as she may be, fame and fortune aren’t Burton’s focus. Like her beloved bees, she’s a pollinator – keen to spread the sweetness around.

“My plans are pretty simple ... to light up people’s lives one beeswax candle at a time,” she says. “To be honest, I couldn’t give two hoots about selling candles. What does get me up every day is knowing that we’re making a difference to people’s lives.”

Below: Burton created this permanent light sculpture for Dom Perignon at Vue de Monde. The hanging bottles are beeswax, lit internally by LEDs.

“Burton’s plans for the Queen B business include continuing to refine her processes and working at maintaining the high quality of her candles and other bee products.”

Property Investing Is Rocket Science

You Can’t Become a Property Investor Sitting In a Seminar!

What if everything you need to know is right here in this article

My name is Ian Hosking Richards. I attempted what most people do; I began reading everything I could get my hands on and attending every seminar about the subject. I didn’t find that exercise particularly helpful. There was plenty of information but much of it was contradictory. The more I read the more confused I got. Maybe you’ve come to the same conclusion I did, the subject of property investing does not lend itself to a theoretical approach. You must take Action.

My approach might seem a little impulsive, I can assure you, it is actually a cunning plan that will allow you to get started straight away with minimal risk even without knowing everything about investing. See like you, I wanted to BE a property investor, not just KNOW about property investing. So I decided all I needed to do was to find the “right” someone who was already very successful in property investing and just copy his or her pattern. So I carefully chose my mentors and JUST GOT STARTED! I decided I’d keep my plan and actions quite simple and I stopped burdening myself with more unnecessary information.

Once I set my plan down on paper, my first few purchases were ‘copycat’ buys, I simply bought where they bought. Within a few short years I had achieved my goals and amassed quite an impressive portfolio. That’s when I was able to leave my day job.

Interesting how things have come full circle and now I have become the mentor. My attitude has changed a little. I still think that you don’t need to know everything before you get started, but it does make sense to have a good grasp of the basics. Learning by doing still seems a natural course to take. The basics I learned have become the basis of the ROCKET SCIENCE SYSTEM, I and the Rocket Property Group team use to help others, to more easily ACT on the dream of become a successful property investors.

“The approach I still use myself and teach others is simple and smart investing. I don’t consider myself particularly intelligent, and I am not good with numbers, but I am a successful property investor. Just as you create wealth by using leverage through bank loans, you should also be leveraging off the experience of others who know much more than you do.”

We meet with many people who come to us for advice. They are either “interested” in talking about property or “ready” to act. I never tell a client what to do. I can only ask one question “Are You Ready to Act?”.

What can you do right now to stop wasting your valuable time and start investing now? Instead of sitting on the fence, over researching, getting stuck in another seminar or panic buying the first thing you see, let Rocket Property Group guide you through The Smart Investors Planning Guide. You’ll learn a few simple guidelines to help you easily come to a decision if property investing is the way to achieve your goals.

No One Can “Make You” A Successful Property Investor In A Seminar, But Rocket Property Group Can Make It So Step-By-Step Simple That It Just Happens “For You”.

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09 FOREFRONT

Issue 07 – January/February 2014

A first for coalmine tunnel boring

TUNNEL54

17 INDUSTRY FOCUS 25 MINING REVIEW

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37 INNOVATIONS

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COMPETE FOR COAL WITH CREDENTIALS, NOT CASH The Queensland government is experimenting for the first time with non-cash bids for coal exploration tenders. Previously, exploration rights were granted to whichever party had the highest cash bid. In light of the demand for coal, the Queensland government has opted to make the qualifications for land more stringent. Now, in order to gain rights to the land, applicants will need to provide a detailed proposal outlining how they intend to use the land. This new method may make it possible for upcoming juniors to obtain land, since it emphasises quality of the plan over quantity

of resources. Tender will be awarded to whomever has the best plan, provided they have the resources to bring that plan to fruition.

CONTRACTORS AT RISK AT COAL SITES The Queensland Mines and Quarry Safety Report for 2012–13 shows that contractors account for 9 out of 10 coal mining industry fatalities. Stewart Bell, Queensland Mine Safety and Health Commissioner, proposes two potential reasons for that statistic. The first is that contractors are often required to perform unique tasks that may not have

standardised safety protocol. The second is that since contractors are independent hires, they may not ever be fully briefed on each individual site’s safety procedures. Bell urges senior managers to proactively instruct each contractor in their site safety standards, explaining that the only way to minimise contractor death is to conscientiously consider these workers as members of the team at each respective site.

COST TO BENEFIT ANALYSIS FOR NSW REGIONSAfter much deliberation, the New South Wales Government has passed an amendment that makes the state and the region the primary factor when considering prospective mining development projects. A cost/benefit analysis is made based on the specific resource in question. Potential economic benefits to the community from developing the resource, including job creation, expenditure, and state royalties are weighed against the expected costs to the community, such as air and noise pollution. The amendment applies to all current and future mining projects with the exception of coal seam gas or other petroleum production, or extractive industries. Implementing this amendment should regulate and ease the decision process, since the various specific factors are graded in order of importance beforehand.

FLY-IN FLY-OUT FAMILIES The trend of long distance commuting has become so common in the wake of the mineral boom that The House of Representatives launched a study to understand the particulars. They focused on Western Australia, specifically Busselton and Mandurah, and discovered that due to the poor economy, many of the locals have sought work in the Perth mining industry, rendering the Perth-Mandurah route as one of the largest work-related commutes in the country. Since Perth is 230 kilometres from Mandurah, the workers use a block-roster schedule. The regularity of the schedule and amount of time at work verses time at home is usually the determining factor between

3

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BACK TO SCHOOLAccording to the National Academy of Engineering (USA), engineers worldwide are facing a whirlwind of change. Technology is advancing at such a rapid pace that engineers must update half of everything they know every couple of years. Additionally, demands from customers are putting pressure on companies to adapt and evolve. For example, the fluid-power industry is challenged to improve reliability, reduce the size and weight of components and systems, and reduce the environmental impact of its work. To remain competitive, fluid-power companies must be open to the concept of lifelong learning for their staff and support their continuous improvement. In Australia the HYDAC Training Centre, which is now entering its third year, offers 10 practical courses on a variety of hydraulics topics. From understanding the basics of hydraulics, to tackling specific products such as thermal optimisation, filtration and electronics, HYDAC’s courses are designed to keep engineers on top of their game. Last year a milestone was reached when HYDAC began a partnership with the Kangan Institute to offer national recognition for its training. HYDAC’s technical training officer, Paul Marley, is very pleased with the response: “Since we made national recognition available for our Understanding Hydraulics 1 course, more than 31 per cent of attendees have added the national statement of attainment to their training outcome, and more than 58 per cent have purchased the supporting textbook.” For full details on courses and availability, and to download an enrolment form, visit hydac.com.au/school.aspx.

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whether or not the FIFO workers grow to enjoy their lifestyle. To balance out the challenges, FIFO jobs tend to pay approximately $40,000 more per year, and may prove to have a positive impact on local economies.

UNI STUDENTS WORKING TO IMPROVE MINING SAFETYSydney University and Adelaide University students and researchers are embarking on a three-year collaborative venture to better understand rock fracturing through a series of mesoscale experiments. Too much stress on the rocks contributes to the seismic instability that can lead to accidents, therefore the more they learn about the rock fracturing, the better they are able to prevent dangerous situations from occurring. Though the experiments are still in the preliminary stages, Dr. Luming Shen, the study’s chief investigator, says the project is already advancing geotechnical engineering.

NSW RAISES THE STANDARD FOR DUST CONTROLIn response to community concerns about the potentially detrimental effects of mining-related dust, The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) launched a multi-stage dust management

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Pipes are essential on many worksites, but when they fail, the consequences can be dire, with reduced productivity and damaged equipment among the possible problems. The latest response to reducing unscheduled downtime when pipes are damaged and minimising the risk of damaged equipment is the FIXAPIPE® Pipe Repair Kit. FIXAPIPE® is a fast, easy-to-use water-activated polyurethane-impregnated fibreglass bandage for the temporary repair of damaged pipes. Developed by a leading global manufacturer to reduce the increasing costs of maintenance, this one-person application system can be used without the need to deploy a full maintenance crew. FIXAPIPE® can be used on a variety of pipes, including metal, concrete, galvanised, ceramic, fibreglass, polypropylene, steel, rubber, stainless steel and copper. It can be applied to wet, dry, clean, broken, corroded and leaking pipes and will even set underwater. The internal bandage spool makes it easy to apply to straight lengths or difficult shapes, including T-joints, elbow joints, couplings and clamps, and reduces roll wastage. The kit includes FIXAPIPE® Steel Putty, which can be moulded to fill a void or crack of any shape. fixapipe.com.au

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agenda. The goal of the Dust Stop Program is to reduce dust by 80 per cent by August 2014. As of September 2013, the program was in its third stage, and mandated that all 30 of NSW open-cut coal mines to assess their own dust control plans. Specifically, the EPA requires mines to enforce poor weather plans.

BOOM BENEFITSA new report commissioned by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy union (CFMEU) reveals that while mining company profits have surged over the past 20 years, the amount that the companies are paying in wages has actually dropped, and workers salaries have decreased. Companies state that the discrepancy comes from the greater amount of taxes they are required to pay, but Andrew Vickers, the CFMEU divisional secretary questions how much companies are actually paying in taxes, compared to what they claim they are paying. The CFMEU is campaigning to have the mining tax changed, with the goal of ensuring that the mining boom benefits Australia at large.

WA’S CHINA EXPORTS ON TOPA new study has shown that Western Australia has pulled in $300 billion from exports to China between 2008-2013, exponentially more than every other state and territory. The reason being that Western Australia produces approximately 97 per cent of Australia’s of iron ore, and China’s rapid industrialisation requires massive quantities of the mineral. The Australian dollar has accumulated more value in response to this boom, and since constant growth isn’t sustainable, chief economist Dr Shane Oliver is concerned for the Australian economy when industrialisation in China slows, and the demand for iron dwindles.

Dr Margarita Vargas is looking

at corrosion in tropical

environments.

CUTTING EDGE CORROSION RESEARCHAccording to researchers at the North Australian Centre for Oil and Gas (NACOG) at Charles Darwin University, corrosion-related damage costs the oil and gas industry between three and five per cent of GDP, equating to trillions of dollars globally each year. NACOG reached this conclusion by looking at the different factors that affect the corrosion behaviour of offshore rigs and similar structures.

Located in the Northern Territory, Charles Darwin University (CDU) is well placed to look at issues relevant to the industry in tropical environments. One of the research areas at NACOG is microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). Dr Margarita Vargas (pictured) said that MIC is a problem in structures that are immersed in seawaters as well as in many other microbiologically active environments.

“At NACOG we want to find out how marine organisms affect the corrosion behaviour of structural materials such as pipelines and offshore rigs, particularly in the tropical environments,” Dr Vargas said. The $7 million NACOG centre has significantly strengthened the university’s capacity to offer training for the resource industry.

CDU is the first Australian university to offer bachelor and master programs in chemical engineering online. The programs prepare people looking to succeed in the mining, gas and energy industries. With an increasingly mobile population, online study allows students to successfully balance work and family. The only requirement to attend campus is for lab work in week-long intensive sessions. Industry demand for qualified chemical engineers looks set to remain strong well into the future, with challenging and well-paid opportunities. cdu.edu.au/studyengineering

“Microbiologically influenced corrosion is a problem in structures that are immersed in seawaters...”

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STATE OF PLAYFOLLOWING A TUMULTUOUS YEAR FOR THE RESOURCES INDUSTRY, WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2014?

WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

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Depending on whether you look at pure number of projects or the dollar figures attached,

coal and iron ore look set to continue to be dominant forces in Australia’s mining industry as it turns the corner into 2014. Major infrastructure and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and petroleum will also be big influencers in the Australian mining story, which experienced a less than fairytale existence throughout 2013.

But first, a caveat. Until that thorny issue of the carbon tax goes away, little is unlikely to unfold quickly. Major miners want certainty and they want it now. That’s just one of the issues unravelling on home soil. Overseas, they will be looking to the performance of the Australian dollar against the greenback to see how costly exporting minerals will be. Then there’s the issue of major customers such as China and whether they will continue to shop around for suppliers cheaper and closer to Asia, or whether their appetite for Australian resources has returned.

Crystal balls aside, some of the best indicators of what’s ahead lay in the Australian Government’s

Bureau of Resources and Energy (BREE) Economics Major Projects report published in April 2013. (At the time of going to press, the November report had not been released). In short, this snapshot of the mineral resources and energy sector found there were 113 projects at the publicly announced stage, with a combined planned capital expenditure spend over the life of the projects of between $121–$171 billion. At the feasibility stage, the stock of planned capital expenditure was estimated at around $232 billion from a total of 174 projects. But most interestingly, only 21 of those projects were completed at a value of $15.3 billion. So what happened?

The report’s executive summary paints an interesting picture, highlighting “an emerging trend” of project proponents delaying or cancelling high value resources and energy projects in Australia, with around $150 billion worth of projects delayed, cancelled or re-assessed in the 12 months leading to the report. They predict this trend to continue this year.

“In 2014, the stock of committed investment is expected to decrease by $8 billion, and then by a further $63 billion in 2015. From 2017 onwards, the stock of committed investment in the

“The report highlights an ‘emerging trend’ of project

proponents delaying or cancelling high value projects.”

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mining sector is projected to revert back to levels comparable to 2007,” the report states.

More optimistic, yet cautious, in their projections for 2014 is the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) in a Parliamentary Policy Briefing document released in late October. In the report, the MCA states that while the Australian economy and mining industry have entered a “more constrained and demanding phase”, it was both “wrong and defeatist” to declare the “mining boom” over.

“This view misrepresents mining’s long-run growth trajectory, the large gains still to be won from future investment and export growth, and the urgent policy challenge Australia now faces,” the MCA report states.

“Policy and regulatory settings are critical to the scale, duration and location of gains from future resource development. Research for the MCA concludes that policy decisions made now can create or destroy economic opportunity equal to more than five per cent of the Australian economy in 30 years’ time.

“The export expansion phase arising from past investment is still ramping up and there remains a significant opportunity for future investment projects. The reality, however, is that Australia’s position as a destination for investment and as a cost competitive supplier of minerals is not what it should be,” says the MCA report.

In a thinly-veiled warning to the ground Australia’s competitors could gain, the MCA report cites research by Port Jackson Partners which states more than half of the nation’s existing mines across thermal and metallurgical coal, copper and nickel have operating costs higher than the global average. Australia’s thermal coalmine operating costs now sit at a staggering 66 per cent above the global average.

Pointedly, the report goes to lengths to highlight three messages to the parliament:

• There is still significant future investment and export growth to be unlocked in coming years across a large number of projects.

• Australia needs to be “hungrier” in bringing on projects of all

“Australia’s thermal coalmine operating costs now sit at a

staggering 66 per cent above the global average.”

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13

sizes, including small and medium-sized mining projects.

• The urgency with which policy-makers tackle the nation’s structural competitiveness problem will determine if Australia secures maximum returns from future minerals resource development.

Highlighting other threats to the industry moving forward into 2014, in a speech to the World Coal Conference in Berlin in October, Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Michael Roche attacked environmentalists over their comments relating to mining and the Great Barrier Reef.

“The anti-coal movement – led by Greenpeace – is continuing to play on ignorance and emotion by claiming that the growth of coal exports from Queensland is the biggest threat to the Great Barrier Reef,” he said.

“Neither an increase in shipping traffic, nor decades of port dredging, have been recorded as contributing to coral cover loss, or a historical decline in the environmental health

of the reef. But dredging is the new bogeyman for anti-coal industry activists. They know that if they can block dredging, they can shut down existing ports and prevent port expansions, eventually leading to a shutdown of the Queensland coal industry.”

Acting QRC chief executive Greg Lane has told Inside Mining that Australia was starting to fall behind the rest of the world in terms of investment attractiveness.

“Australia is an expensive place to do business and we don’t have a mortgage over the world’s minerals and energy inventory,” he said.

“Queensland’s leading export industry is coal and it took a beating in 2013. It will bounce back as it has done in the past, but it will be leaner cost-wise to operate successfully in a global market that we believe is over-supplied for several years to come.”

So while the mining industry was held hostage to an election during 2013, all indications are that 2014 will be the year that ransoms are paid – one way or another.

DID YOU KNOW?• The minerals industry has accounted directly for up to 8 per cent

of GDP, upwards of 20 per cent of business investment and around 50 per cent of national exports, according to the MCA.

• The industry has paid more than $145 billion in federal company income tax and state royalties since 2001-02 – before

additional taxes like the carbon tax and the Minerals Resources Rent Tax (MRRT), the MCA reports.

• Less than 2 per cent of Australia’s land mass is currently under mine lease. Mining accounts for up to 30 per cent of Indigenous

employment in some regions and is the largest private sector employer of Indigenous Australians, according to the MCA.

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When it comes to OTR repairs, not many have the experience of Robbie Roser. He knows that every small step in Bridgestone’s unique OTR Tyre Repair System demands the most exacting of standards to ensure every repair complies with, or exceeds, Australian Standard AS4457.2-2008. The Bridgestone Tyre Repair System has been developed over many years and is based on a fundamental understanding of the tyre, providing ‘worlds best’ quality of repair and the highest levels of safety when the tyre is returned to service.

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RELIABLE tracking and communications systems are critical to ensuring both the safety of mine workers and the operational efficiency of the mine. Like most areas of technology, the landscape is changing fast, and significant advancements have been made even in the past few months.

Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, is playing a leading role in the development of tracking and communications technology for use in mining. The work forms part of an $86 million research effort, in collaboration with some major mining houses.

The CSIRO has developed a new real-time wireless tracking technology that can home in on mineworkers deep underground, helping save lives and boost productivity. The technology, known as Wireless Ad hoc System for Positioning (WASP), can track people and objects to an accuracy of about half a metre. “It is a great improvement on conventional methods, such as GPS and WiFi-based tracking, which in underground environments, are either inaccurate or don’t work at all,” says CSIRO.

The WASP technology can be used, among other things, to locate workers underground in emergency situations. It has the ability to act as a network, sending sensor data – such as a worker’s heart rate, core temperature or gas and radiation levels – to a receiving point at the surface of the mine.

WASP can also track materials and vehicles, enhancing productivity and preventing collisions. Mobile tags are attached to people and objects being tracked, while ‘anchor nodes’ are placed at fixed locations to form a cable-less infrastructure.

Minetec, a Western Australia-based mining communication company, commercialised the technology in August 2013, becoming the first company to incorporate WASP into its locating systems. “WASP is critical to modern underground mining and will significantly improve productivity, lower operational costs and reduce health and safety issues for mining operations,” says Minetec’s executive general manager Andy Sheppard.

Minetec has already deployed the WASP technology on a pilot basis in operational mines in Australia, Indonesia and South Africa.

WASP will work alongside more conventional, but no less critical technologies used every day in mining, such as telephones and direct access communication (DAC). Coalmine health and safety regulation requires that every mine must have telephones and DACs, with each form of communication checked daily.

The parameters of a DAC are considerably more limited than a telephone. But DACs play an important role in the operation of a mine by providing an alternative channel of communication to avoid blocking phone lines.

Left and above: Dr Mark Hedley and Dr Jay Guo show off WASP; the Trax+Tags II user interface.

industryfocus

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…that’s because he and his Hunter Valley team are repairing giant Off the Road Tyres in the world’s most advanced tyre repair facility.

When it comes to OTR repairs, not many have the experience of Robbie Roser. He knows that every small step in Bridgestone’s unique OTR Tyre Repair System demands the most exacting of standards to ensure every repair complies with, or exceeds, Australian Standard AS4457.2-2008. The Bridgestone Tyre Repair System has been developed over many years and is based on a fundamental understanding of the tyre, providing ‘worlds best’ quality of repair and the highest levels of safety when the tyre is returned to service.

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of the safety concerns related to the use of electrical equipment in the mine. All electrical systems used in underground coal mining must be incapable of creating a spark hot enough and for long enough to ignite the methane gases produced by the coal. Naturally, this makes generating electricity to power mine sites a challenge.

Powering onPower generation in mining can vary considerably, depending on the type of mine operations and the location of the mine. In Queensland, all of the state’s coalmines are connected to the Eastern Australian electricity grid. But every mine has its own generator to enable it to operate if power supply from the grid fails. These generators are small in comparison to the supply from the grid but allow for essential services to continue, such as ventilation, water control and gas monitoring.

Many Australian mines are unable to draw power from the grid because of their remote location. Mining giant BHP Billiton is building its own 190-megawatt gas-fired power station to secure future power supply for its West Australian iron ore mining operations in the Pilbara.

The development, known as Yarnima Power Station, incorporates cutting-edge technology. Yarnima will include gas turbines equipped

A DAC is limited to communications with the surface control room and the section of the mine in which it is installed. In contrast, telephones in mines also allow for communication with other ‘districts’ of the mine and in some cases, allow for external dial-out to suppliers, homes and other mines. Each mine must have a number of telephones located at key places, adjacent to sub stations and conveyor belts.

Personal emergency devices (PEDs) are another critical safety element of mining, used to warn of potential danger. Mine workers are alerted of a message when the lamp they are wearing starts flashing. “The message could say something like ‘Attention – mine evacuation in place – this is not a drill’,” says Tim Whyte, a former mine worker and now Queensland district secretary for mining trade union CFMEU.

But the devices are currently limited to one-way communication, allowing mineworkers to receive but not send messages.

In addition to its WASP technology, CSIRO has developed a two-way PED system. But this technology is yet to be commercialised, in part because of the high costs involved in switching from a one-way to two-way system.

Communications systems in underground coalmines face many obstacles, not least because

Fast Facts

CSIRO’s new WASP technology can home

in on mineworkers

deep underground,

helping to save lives.

The WASP communicates across a range of 400 metres to more than 1 kilometre. It can track people and

objects to an accuracy of about half a

metre.

Above: The Trax+Tags II in use.

industryfocus

20

with heat recovery steam generators to capture waste heat for the generation of additional power. This will minimise gas usage while increasing thermal efficiency and reducing carbon emissions. In the event of a gas service interruption, the plant has also been configured to allow normal operations to continue using diesel fuel. It is due to start operations in the first half of 2014.

Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines in North Queensland is one of the biggest mining operations in Australia, extracting copper and zinc. With no access to the Eastern Australian grid, Mount Isa Mines is now benefitting from power from the newly developed 242-megawatt gas-fired power station at Mount Isa, known as Diamantina. The power station has already begun delivering some electricity, although it will not be commissioned until early 2014.

Diamantina will produce sufficient electricity to supply mines and communities in the Mount

Isa region, with scope for further expansion in line with energy demand increases.

“Our primary power sources currently include Mica Creek Power Station, Mines Power Station and Xstrata Power Station,” says a Mount Isa Mines spokesperson. “When Diamantina Power Station comes online, we can expect a more reliable and efficient supply of energy, coupled with an increased capacity to supply and a reduced reliance on our internal power generation facilities for day-to-day operations.”

In deep coalmines, such as Anglo American’s Grasstree mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, methane is extracted from the coal seam and used to generate power. “The change to mining with methane in-seam and or surface-to-seam methane extraction has meant that previously unmineable seams have become mineable by the reduction of methane in the seam, which in turn, lowers the risks of ignition, outbursts and explosions,” says CFMEU’s Whyte.

However, there are downsides to the use of methane in power generation. The process creates high levels of coal dust that must be suppressed by the application of water at the coal-cutting face. If this is not done effectively, the dust becomes an explosion hazard.

“In deep coalmines, methane is extracted from the seam and used to generate power. The change has meant that previously unmineable seams have become mineable.”

industryfocus

FAST FACTS

• BHP’s 190-megawatt Yarnima Power Station development includes gas turbines equipped with heat recovery steam generators to capture waste heat for the generation of additional power and reduced carbon emissions. (shown below)

• The new 242-megawatt Diamantina power station will produce enough power to supply mines and communities across the Mount Isa region.

22

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LET THERE BE LIGHT

WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

Lighting is a crucial safety element in all mines, and there are some exciting advances in this vital area.

25

miningreview

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It’s about as iconic an image as Vegemite. A bunch of burly miners descending into a pitch-black pit and emerging 12 hours later, faces as dark as the breakfast spread itself, helmets a-light, and leaving

behind the mysterious underground world. While much has been written about what Australia extracts and exports from its mines, less has been penned about the operations themselves. Such as those finer details like lighting, which is critical when working in one of the most hostile environments on the planet.

Certainly, light is one question that Beaconsfield mine disaster survivors Brant Webb and Todd Russell would have pondered during the two weeks they spent trapped 900 metres underground in April 2006, when the mine in which they were working collapsed. The two reportedly had a “small amount of light” and it would have provided minimal comfort as the hours turned into days and then weeks before they were rescued from the tiny space in which they were wedged, initially believed dead. But while Webb and Russell said it was the humidity and confined space that were the most challenging elements of their entrapment, without light it would have been almost unbearable.

In 2011, Mine Site Technologies (MST), which is headquartered in Sydney and bills itself as a “global leader in providing communication solutions to the mining industry”, won recognition from the prestigious Australian International Design Award for its underground mining cap lamp. The lamp is a component of MST’s Integrated Communications Cap Lamp (ICCL), designed to provide every miner working underground with a complete single system solution for light generation, personnel tracking and receiving of emergency communications and alerts. It was built to replace the traditional incandescent bulb-type lamp, which has dominated the traditional miner’s cap lamp brands for more than 50 years, with modern LED lighting and optics technology.

“A cap lamp is an essential piece of working equipment for underground

miners. Many times it is an underground miners’ only light source in an otherwise pitch-dark working environment. Because of this, it is an essential safety tool as well, arguably the most important piece of a miner’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). It must function flawlessly for 12 hours or more on a single charge,” a MST spokesperson said.

“Mines are a rugged and hostile environment where equipment has to be ready for the abuse and the restrictions and requirements imposed on equipment operating in hazardous atmospheres. The circuit design offers both thermal

and spark reduction techniques commensurate with the requirements of intrinsically safe apparatus,” said MST.

MST’s design of the ICCL battery pack, which provide an integrated system of lighting, tracking and alerts, received this same prestigious award in 2005 and has sold more than 30,000 units.

Underground mine lighting products need to be designed to meet, if not exceed, mechanical requirements, taking into account impact, drops, flammability, strain, static discharge, thermal differentials and ingression protection. The Ingression Protection Rating, also referred to as the

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InsideMining_PositionPartners_Survey_Sept2013.indd 1 31/07/13 9:51 AM

Above: LED lighting and an LED headpiece, both essential mine safety tools, in use in an underground mine.

miningreview

27

and tracking technologies within the cap lamp, compared with overseas operations.

Kent says simply setting up any permanent lighting to survive a harsh mine environment, which is subject to corrosive water and physical damage by machinery in a confined work area, is one of the major challenges.

“In terms of health and safety, you need to ensure adequate lighting where required in this particularly hazardous environment, where there are many safety issues for workers operating in poor visibility conditions with heavy machinery,” he says.

“In the special case of coal mines, lighting systems in the working areas

and all personal cap lamps need to be certified as explosion protected. In the case of personal, battery-operated cap lamps, they need to be intrinsically safe to ensure their safe use in areas where is a potential for methane gas to be present.

“Mine lighting has been an essential technology since miners first went underground. For decades it was only personal lighting, but with the introduction of machinery underground, lighting expanded to ensure their safe use. But the miner’s personal cap lamp still remains an essential item of personal protective equipment to this day with every miner going underground wearing one.”

International Protection rating, classifies and rates the degree of protection provided against the intrusion of body parts such as hands and fingers, dust, accidental contact, and water in mechanical casings and with electrical enclosures.

Under Australian conventions, each person underground must carry a light source, as many parts of a mine have no general lighting, and all mobile machines also need lights to ensure safe use. The practice is similar across all states.

MST senior executive Denis Kent, a former mine manager, told Inside Mining that Australian mines tend to use better quality cap lamps and incorporate communication

“Under Australian conventions, each person underground must carry a light source, as many parts of a mine have no general lighting, and all mobile machines also need lights to ensure safe use.”

miningreview

28

WE MOVE THEM,WE FEED THEM,WE ENTERTAIN THEM,WE ARE MORRIS.

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miningtalks

30

miningtalks

31

By 2025 the mining industry will look very different than it does today, with automated sites, high-speed telecommunications, regional mapping and advanced robotics all in the mix.

The rollout of the federal government’s National Broadband Network (NBN) is expected to create a wealth of opportunity for the mining industry, including facilitating increased remote mining operations.

Wayne Gerard, Australian mining entrepreneur and founder of several companies in the mining sector, says future innovation in the mining industry relies on the NBN and its availability in mining regions.

“The NBN is critical for the mining industry to realise productivity and efficiency gains, to enable Australia to compete globally. Automation and remote operations are set to transform Australian mining, and with this comes the demand for fast broadband capability,” said Gerard.

“For the mining industry the NBN is critical for growing efficiencies, improving safety and maximising return on investment.”

Software development for the global mining industry is a very important growth area and one in which Australia already excels – about 60 per cent of the world’s mining computer software is developed in Australia. In addition, general exports of mining equipment, technology and services are currently valued at more than $5 billion a year.

Gerard says widespread adoption of new technologies such as cloud computing and Software as a

Service (SaaS) is also revolutionising the mining sector. SaaS and cloud integration allow companies to integrate their various applications so data is entered once, saving time and creating consistency across business centres.

“Other technologies such as autonomous vehicles, wireless mesh networks and the industrial

application of the Internet of Things will all deliver significant commercial advantages as they mature,” he says.

According to a recent industry poll conducted by Informa Australia, the technologies that will have the biggest impact on mining are autonomous or near-autonomous vehicles and the automation of knowledge. These were followed by advanced robotics, with mobile internet further down the list.

Mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton have both launched remote operation centres in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, calling the move mining’s future.

BHP Billiton Iron Ore’s Integrated Remote Operations Centre (IROC) in Perth, which opened in July this year, is billed as a world-class operational control centre, providing BHP Billiton with a real-time view of its entire Western Australian iron ore supply chain.

The IROC uses technology applications comprising a mine fleet management system, train control and fixed plant control systems for mine and port operations. CCTV and radio systems are used for communication with the site.

miningtalks

32

“The NBN is critical for the mining industry.”

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“The IROC is able to operate remotely on a 24-hour, 365-days-a-year basis and plays an integral role in driving the company’s productivity agenda to achieve growth to 220 million tonnes per annum,” said BHP Billiton Iron Ore’s president, Jimmy Wilson.

“For the first time we can see our total supply chain in real time and in one place, enabling us to proactively make the right decisions for the whole business.”

However, the large-scale uptake of autonomous and remote operations technologies also has its problems. According to a report prepared by the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining (CSRM) at the University of Queensland, such technologies change the nature of employment in the mining sector and affect the way mines interact with the communities in which they operate.

Employment in some roles will be reduced, while new roles will require

new skills. Industry representatives suggest a possible 30 to 40 per cent reduction in the mining workforce (50 per cent reduction in operational roles) at those operations that adopt large-scale automation.

Combined with the move to relocate workers in centralised remote operation centres, this has potentially significant implications for semiskilled and unskilled workers who live in regional and remote areas and are not geographically mobile.

Indigenous groups, in particular, may be significantly affected by a large-scale uptake of automation, the CSRM reports. More than

50 per cent of Indigenous employees in Australian mining operations occupy semiskilled positions.

On the plus side, the report also states that autonomous and remote operation technologies may also present opportunities for other demographic groups, such as women and people living in larger regional centres, to participate in the mining industry, thus spreading the benefits of mining and increasing workforce participation in the sector.

The Mining Industry Skills Centre is just one organisation looking at the education and training requirements of automation, as well as what the mine of the future will be, more generally.

With Rio Tinto moving more than 100 million tonnes of iron ore using autonomous haul fleets at its Pilbara operation since it started trials five years ago, and about 300 people trained in the operation, it seems the future of mining is already here.

34

“Technologies change the nature of

employment.”

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Shelter Station - Inside Mining Rocks Ad 12/9/13 3:08 PM Page 1

DUE TO RAPIDLY CHANGING TECHNOLOGY, MINING SITES WILL OPERATE VERY DIFFERENTLY IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE.

Image copyright © 2013 Rio Tinto

WORDS: ORYANA ANGEL

innovations

37

FORESTRY POWER GENERATION MINING DEFENCE OIL & GAS MARINE

FROM fully automated underground hard rock mining machines and mineral exploration in space, to autonomous drills and driverless trucks, new technology is steering the mining industry into a period of dramatic change.

Technology has the potential to revolutionise mining, both now and in the future, says Alan Broome, chairman of Austmine, the peak body of the Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) industry.

At the forefront of this charge is the development of automation – equipment and systems that don’t require physical human operators.

CSIRO Minerals Down Under Flagship business development and commercialisation director Ian Dover says increased productivity and reduced overall costs are the main drivers of this technology.

“It is also extremely useful in improving safety – removing people from situations that are hazardous because of monotony,” he adds.

One such example is the CSIRO and Australian Coal Association-developed LASC longwall technology,

an automated system to take coal off the mine face. The majority of new underground coalmines in Australia now use the technology and many others have been retrofitted, representing a 50 per cent uptake by the industry in just a few years.

Technology development is a buzzword in the sector right now due to the current industry cycle.

“When things are going gangbusters, companies have little

time to think about developing new technology,” explains Dover. “Because of the dollars involved in the infrastructure, it’s not the time to risk playing with innovation, when everything has to be very reliable. The real questioning and critiquing starts to occur when we are getting into the lower part of the cycle.”

As the last boom stretched for a solid decade, the technology currently used in many Australian

Image copyright © 2013 Rio Tinto

39

innovations

mines is based on technology that was around 10 years ago. But this hiatus hasn’t stopped the big miners and organisations like the CSIRO, universities and METS companies continuing to work on developing new technology.

“It’s a matter of getting innovation, which has been taken to a prototype level, into the mining operations,” says Dover.

The average time to get a new piece of innovation to a global market, he adds, is 12 to 15 years, a number he hopes can be reduced. “It would mean good technology will find its way into mining operations faster – which means greater productivity, safety and environmental improvements.”

Some of the technologies that CSIRO and its partner organisations have developed include tele-operated rock breakers and ship loaders that can be operated in real time, 3D mobile mapping technology, underground location tracking technology and an online coal measurement system.

Australia is highly competitive across the spectrum, including the development of mining software and equipment, scientific analysis, exploration assessment technology, mineral processing technology,

environmental services and health and safety services and equipment.

Broome says Australian-developed mining technology has been around for a long time and we are a clearly a world leader in the field.

“Australian mining technology has led the global mining industry historically,” he points out. “Much of the technology used in mining around the world has its origins in Australia, even as far back as the 1800s and the gold rush.”

On the downside, some are concerned that the push towards automation will mean job losses in the industry. However, Broome says this is not an issue.

“There won’t be a reduction in people, rather they will be redeployed into different skill sets,” he says. “We’ll still need the same number of people maintaining the system, but we will need more sophisticated people using more sophisticated technology.”

This means different areas of employment, adds Broome. Rather than a lot of people deployed in equipment on mine sites, he says they will be in operating centres, remote from the mine site. That potentially means more software developers, specialist

“Much of the technology used in mining around the world has its origins in Australia, even as far back as the 1800s and the gold rush.”

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innovations

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communications personnel, systems, electronics, software and other niche technical disciplines.

Rio Tinto, a world leader in the technical revolution, sees employment of innovations as a positive for the workforce.

“While some specific roles are likely to disappear over time, a far greater number will be added or enhanced,” a Rio Tinto spokesperson tells Inside Mining.

In Rio Tinto’s autonomous operations in the Pilbara, the company has trained more than 270 employees to operate and work alongside its expanding fleet of driverless trucks.

Rio Tinto launched its Mine of the Future program in 2008 to find better ways to extract minerals, reduce environmental impacts and improve safety. Since then, autonomy is where the company is most progressed.

“We’re focused on operating the first significantly autonomous iron

ore mine by combining autonomous drilling, semi-autonomous blast loading with autonomous trucks and a range of advanced sensing and telecommunications technologies,” says the spokesperson.

The company has already taken a significant leap in surface mining, with much of this work taking place at its iron ore operations in the Pilbara.

By 2015, the world’s largest fleet – 150 driverless trucks – will be deployed to the region, and driverless trains and autonomous drills are not too far behind.

“Autonomous haulage also results in improved equipment reliability,” says the company spokesperson. “Artificial intelligence in the equipment learns the layout of the mine, how to recognise and avoid other vehicles and obstacles, and how to transport loads rapidly and efficiently with the least wear and tear, delay and use of fuel.”

Image copyright ©

2013 Rio Tinto

“In the Pilbara, Rio Tinto has trained more than 270 employees to operate and work alongside its expanding fleet of driverless trucks.”

innovations

42

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The launch of All Trenching Australia (ATA) and Reay Services Group (RSG) into the NT infrastructure market was celebrated as a success by those who attended the launch and Christmas party on Friday 6 December at SKYCITY casino in Darwin.

Influential attendees from major NT construction organisations were impressed with the capacity and capability of ATA/RSG, in particular the fleet of Vermeer trenching machines that are available for the cutting of trench profiles.

ATA’s trenching machines are 10 times more efficient than using excavators to complete the same task. These machines have the capacity to deliver a shallow, thin trench or cut a profile 6 metres deep and 1.8 metres wide. Should a wider, purpose-specific trench be required, these additional parameters can be met by implement or machine set-up or change.

RSG is all about pipes. Its core activity is the design, construction and installation of gas and water pipeline systems. This activity, supported by sister company

ATA with its fleet of trenchers, ensures ATA/RSG is a one-stop shop for the installation of pipelines.

The official launch of ATA/RSG at SKYCITY was facilitated on a Friday evening by NT Deputy Chief Minister The Hon. David Tollner MLA. Mr Tollner had witnessed the capability of the trenching machines and during his opening speech congratulated the managing director of ATA/RSG,

Brett Reay, for having the foresight to invest resources in Darwin, which has culminated in the establishment of the business in the NT, with offices located at 10 Campion Drive, East Arm, Darwin.

The ATA/RSG group takes pride in its corporate activities with a continual

focus on leaving a credible legacy in the regions where it is engaged. The company believes localising training and employment outcomes ensures operations are delivered in a safe, proactive manner while the money that is paid within the local community provides the lifeblood that supports people wanting to achieve.

The team at ATA/RSG are excited about the future of the NT and are looking forward to a long and fruitful engagement while delivering infrastructure in a safe and cost-effective manner. reaygroup.com.au

Northern Territory launch celebratedNorthern Territory Deputy Chief Minister The Hon. David Tollner MLA launched All Trenching Australia and Reay Services Group’s NT division, based in Darwin, with a night of celebrations.

“RSG’s core activity is the design, construction

and installation of pipeline systems.”

Above: Managing director of ATA/RSG, Brett Reay, and NT Deputy Chief Minister The Hon. David Tollner MLA.

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Understanding the challenges faced by the resources industry in its unrelenting quest to curb overheads such as operational costs, Allshelter, a leader in innovative weather protection systems, has responded with the launch of the next wave in container shelters. Available in kit form, these multipurpose super-size models (up to 14 metres high and 30 metres wide, excluding container size) are easy to assemble, dismantle and relocate. Eliminating the eroding cost of permanent construction, these flexible and environmentally adaptive structures provide a dynamic, cost-efficient solution.

Allshelter was Australia’s first manufacturer of container shelters, which have since become one of the most sought after alternative covering system in the mining industry. Listening to its customers’ need for larger configurations and taking into account their recommendations, Allshelter is now offering additional quality options as part of the standard range.

“It was a logical step – expanding our range and size offerings will support our customers,” said Roger Reddel, director at Allshelter. “In applications where height and width really do matter, it is vital for the optimal solution to be selected from a standard range, which can significantly

reduce design and implementation time, effort and purchase cost.”

The new shelters are specifically developed to mount containers, providing intelligent solutions. See the table below for dimensions and features (sizes do not include container).

Ideal for mine sites and short- or long-term projects, the aesthetically pleasing container shelters minimise costly downtime caused by rain or other weather events and maximise employee efficiency by providing fittingly ventilated conditions out of the sun. The high-strength semitranslucent woven polyethylene fabric provides ultraviolet protection, natural light and a cooler environment.

All structures are site-specific wind-rated and engineered to withstand winds

greater than 300 kilometres per hour with the cover on.

Allshelter was the first Australian container shelter manufacturer with triple certification including ISO9001 and the first to offer a warranty on the frame and cover of its wind-rated shelters.

Allshelter stands above the rest as a result of its commitment to quality and dedication to best-in-class performance in customer service.

“Continuous improvement and the need for new applications will keep us releasing more products and empowering solutions to help the mining industry and keep our customers coming back,” said Reddel.

Allshelter products are available through allshelter.com.au or by calling +61 2 6898 2244.

Size-wise sheltersAllshelter unveils a new range of container shelters in a variety of sizes to benefit the resources industry.

Shelter CASA Wide Range CALS Extra Wide Range CATA Tall Range CALT Extra Tall Range

Height 1 to 5 metres 4 to 8 metres 2 to 7 metres 9 to 14 metres

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Ubiquitous wireless networks are having an enormous impact in everyaspect of our lives. In business, smartphones and tablets connectedto cloud based services are transforming productivity. This technologyis creating exciting business models and whole new ways of deliveringservices. Machine-to-Machine communication in specialisedapplications such as Autonomous Haulage and telemetry has thepotential to deliver enormous productivity gains and reduce costs.

Challenge Networks has taken the advances in carrier class 3G and nextgeneration 4G (LTE) technology and adapted these to the specialisedrequirements of the mining industry. We can economically scale an enterprisesolution from a single site covering a small mine operation to siteclusters providing coverage to hundreds of square kilometers.

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n the coming decades the Australian mining industry will face a number of challenges: keeping tight control of costs while increasing production; more difficult mining conditions; and

ensuring the highest levels of safety. The latest mining automation technology offers solutions to these challenges. Mining automation truly is the future of mining, not only in Australia but around the world.

For the Australian mining industry, automation is an economic imperative to ensure it maintains control of costs and remains competitive in the longer term. At the same time, miners are expected to ensure the highest levels of safety in their operations. Mines will also go deeper over the next 25 years, so mine managers will face numerous challenges to ensure they can operate safely and cost-effectively. These challenges are combining to make mining automation ever more attractive.

Within the next 10 years we expect to see the age of the ‘intelligent mine’ with fully autonomous machines, process-like production and mine-wide

information networks. By removing workers from mine danger zones using the latest remotely operated equipment and automation options, mine management can deliver the safest possible mining environments, even in the world’s deepest mines and most inhospitable conditions.

Increased levels of automation also ensure more predictable and consistent mining operations, resulting in higher productivity and lower mining costs.

Over the past 10 years Sandvik Mining has been developing a range of mining automation systems, known as AutoMine, designed to offer scalable levels of automation to suit individual mines’ needs.

In underground hard-rock operations Sandvik’s automation offerings include:• AutoMine Hauling, a fully automated

ore transportation system• AutoMine Loading, a semi-automated

production system (bucket loading is by remote control) with fully automated haulage

• AutoMine Lite for single load-haul-dump operations, providing an advanced alternative to conventional remote-controlled systems.In underground coalmining Sandvik’s

AutoCut automates continuous miners, providing improved cutting consistency, higher production and increased safety.

In surface coal and hard-rock mining Sandvik offers AutoMine Surface Drilling for drilling in hazardous locations, with operation either by remote control or fully autonomous drilling and tramming.

Australia is leading the way in the adoption of automated mining technology, with some of our largest underground hard-rock mines having successfully implemented AutoMine systems in recent years.

The future is hereAustralian-based Rowan Melrose, Sandvik Mining’s recently appointed global automation manager, outlines the benefits of automation and what’s on offer.

techspecial

49

It’s unbelievable to think that not so long ago few companies in the resources sector understood the need for their workers to wear flame-resistant clothing in high-risk environments where they were susceptible to arc flash and flash flame.

Today’s flame-resistant garments provide vital protection as well as comfort, with brands such as Bisley Workwear, a division of the Gazal Corporation, always ready to introduce the most advanced safety technology in association with TenCate, which is recognised as the leading global innovator in flame-resistant fabric.

Bisley manufactures a rugged range of inherently flame-resistant clothing with TenCate Tecasafe® Plus in a regular weight of 237gsm and the lightweight 197gsm.

Because its flame-resistant properties are actually built into the fabric and won’t wash out, the range provides ongoing premium protection against arc flash and flash flame. It also complies with industry-specific Australian and international standards NFPA 2112, NFPA 70E and ISO 11612.

Designed with the wearer in mind, Bisley’s flame-resistant range consists of light and regular-weight shirting, cargo work pants and coveralls in orange, navy and high-visibility yellow and combines maximum comfort with exceptional functionality and durability. The special cellulosic fibre content ensures superior moisture management.

Even after repeated launderings, the fabric retains its as-new look, outstanding abrasion resistance and strength. It also maintains its permanent-

press appearance better than other protective fabrics.

Regarded as one of Australia’s most trustworthy brands, Bisley has a heritage dating back to the 1950s. As an operating division of Gazal Corporation Pty Limited, it has become Australasia’s fastest-growing work wear brand.

The Bisley range encompasses work wear, protective wear, safety wear, casual wear and business wear for men and women, and custom-made garments can be designed to company specifications.

David Gazal, executive director of Gazal, attributes Bisley’s success to

investing in innovative technologies while standing by the brand’s quality and value for money. “I believe it’s a combination of our competitive pricing, exceptional quality and accessibility that sets us apart from our competition,” he said.

Bisley’s flame-resistant range is available from Gazal Corporation’s WA and NSW distribution centres, with an 8-week production and delivery lead time on stock fabrics. Dedicated manufacturing lines also ensure scalable production, while quality assurance, testing and certifications are set to the highest global standards. bisleyworkwear.com.au

Protecting your workersIn environments where employees can be exposed to flames, heat, arc flash and flash fire, flame-resistant workwear is essential to protect your most valuable asset: your workers.

advertorial

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Action Drill & Blast is Australia’s fastest growing drill and blast contractor.

Providing services to the civil and mining industries, many of our team have over 20 years’ experience across a diverse number of projects and commodities including iron ore, gold and coal.

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Robust, Powerful & Reliable High Pressure Cleaners.Often the toughest operating conditions such as in the mining sector, call for portable and durable machines. Kärcher’s hot water high-pressure cleaners with operating pressures of up to 3500 psi combined with flow rates reaching 37 l/min offer the complete cleaning solution. Water-cooled, diesel-powered Kubota Engines in conjunction with industrial duty tri-plunger low RPM pumps and a rugged steel frame makes these high pressure cleaners the ideal machines for heavy duty cleaning applications.

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TAFE Western is a highly valued regional provider of vocational education and training with a footprint of nearly 500,000 square kilometres, which covers more than 50 per cent of NSW. The institute services nearly 40,000 students and more than 1000 employers, 2000 apprentices and 1500 trainees – in more than 400 vocational courses.

As a preferred and trusted partner with industry, TAFE Western has become adept at finding flexible and innovative ways to design, deliver and manage education and training services. At the beginning of 2013 the institute launched its new Business Capability Unit to meet the needs of industry, businesses and employers in NSW. Since its launch, the unit has been focused on one priority: to provide a centralised and first-class service for all of TAFE Western’s industry customers.

The Business Capability Unit’s team of dedicated client managers provides the link between TAFE Western’s customers and the diverse range of educational products and services offered by the institute. Furthermore, this ensures TAFE Western has a streamlined and efficient customer model that provides a single customer point of contact.

TAFE Western client managers help employers to get the most for their training dollar by assisting them to access government funding to extend their training budgets. They also provide guidance and expertise in meeting compliance, legislative and industry-specific training requirements.

Recently, TAFE Western has been working with the Bernardi Group, a strong and growing regional business committed to providing learning opportunities and relevant training for all of its employees.

TAFE Western and the Bernardi Group have developed a partnership to undertake a workplace training and assessment program in the Bernardi’s Marketplace (Super IGA) and Discount Dave’s retail stores operated by the group.

In partnership with TAFE Western, all Bernardi employees are offered pathways into the Certificate III in Retail Operations, with school-based trainees undertaking the Certificate II in Retail Services. On the back of the partnership’s success to date, TAFE Western is now working with the organisation on a new opportunity for a flexible and customised training pathway into the Certificate IV in Retail Management for store supervisors.

“Although it was noted this was going to be a massive job, it was not until I started working alongside TAFE Western employees that I truly understood what the task involved in mapping our documents, manuals and employee learning materials

into a cohesive program customised for our business needs,” said Dianne Collie, HR manager for the Bernardi Group.

“To put it plainly, the work that resulted was amazing! TAFE Western was able to decipher the course requirements and discern how our documentation could be mapped to the required course competencies, as well as identify gaps in the Bernardi Group documentation – and all in record time, as there was a tight timeline to meet. Thanks to the work of TAFE Western, our trainees of 2013 are enjoying their course of study the Bernardi Group way, and the group looks forward to our ongoing partnership with TAFE Western,” Dianne said.

For more information about customised training solutions and workforce development, or to start a discussion about how TAFE Western can work with you, please call 1300 823 393. wit.tafensw.edu.au

Skills training for every industry TAFE Western works with industry clients to configure training solutions that meet their needs.

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TECHNOLOGY NEWLY ADAPTED TO EXCAVATING MINING PROJECTS IS DELIVERING SUPERIOR SAFETY AND PROJECT COMPLETION SPEED.

WORDS: MITCH BROOK

ACCELERATED

BORING

n an Australian first for mining, and a first for coalmines worldwide, Anglo American’s Grosvenor project will use Earth Pressure Balance (EPB)

Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology to sink two mine drifts, or tunnels. This will provide access to a metallurgical coalmine in Moranbah, south-west of Mackay, in Queensland.

An EPB TBM is an enormous machine that is used to bore tunnels, with a screw conveyor removing conditioned soil from the tunnel face and balancing soil and water pressures without the use of slurry. The EPB TBM contains a precast segmental lining, which is installed

as the machine excavates, providing a nearly maintenance-free tunnel.

Anglo American’s Grosvenor project’s TBM is provided by Robbins, with technical support provided by GHD, a leading engineering and environmental consulting company.

“We are providing a range of services from geotechnical investigations and detailed tunnel design, to reviewing the TBM specification, launch and excavation methodologies, and EPB operating pressures,” says Richard Fechner, GHD’s global technical leader, energy and resources.

The EPB TBM is eight metres in diameter, and will excavate two one-kilometre-long drifts from the surface down to the coal seam. One

will be used to transport personnel and equipment down to the mine and the other will house a conveyor to remove material from the mine.

“The TBM is operated by workers inside the machine and the tunnel,” says GHD project director Brendan Henry. “The tunnel lining is installed inside the machine so that the workers are never exposed to the ground.”

The benefit of using such technology to excavate drifts down to the coal seam is that workers are protected from hazards during excavation, and access to the seam will be granted more quickly than it would by other excavation methods.

“This will enable Anglo American to access the coal seam

techtalk

54

in a fraction of the time a traditionally excavated drift would take,” says GHD’s Fechner. “It will provide a maintenance-free access tunnel structure for the life of the mine, expected to be 40 years.”

EPB TBM isn’t a new technology to be used in Australia. GHD has previously worked on a number of significant projects in Australia’s major cities that required EPB TBM technology to excavate tunnels. Examples of recent Australian projects where this technology has been used include the Epping to Chatswood Railway Line in Sydney, the Legacy Way road tunnels in Brisbane, the Sugarloaf Pipeline Alliance in Victoria and the Melbourne Main Sewer.

While the technology has been used in Australia for other projects for some time, risk management protocols have made it difficult to apply the EPB TBM to mining projects.

“One of the key reasons TBMs have not been used is the potential for encountering gas,” says Brendan Henry. “For this reason, Anglo American’s Grosvenor project’s TBM is zoned into explosive risk and non-explosive risk, with innovative ventilation systems to safely manage methane gas.”

The Grosvenor TBM was commissioned on 21 October 2013. The project is worth $1.95 billion and the company considers this a key milestone for their project. “It is exciting to reach this milestone

today after almost 1.5 years of construction activity,” says Anglo American’s head of underground excellence, Dieter Haage. “The earth pressure balance machine will allow us to reach the coal seam early next year, bringing us that step closer to longwall production in late 2016.”

The mine is projected to produce five million tonnes during every year of its operation, with Grosvenor project director Glenn Tonkin saying that “the TBM tunnelling method will deliver advances in safety, higher quality drifts and faster project development.”

Anglo American will retain the EPB TBM for potential use on future projects.

FAST FACT• EPB TBM technology has been used

for a range of non-mining projects around Australia, including boring tunnels for roads, rail and sewers.

techtalk

55

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In 2002 a small group of parents of children with CF

decided to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis WA (CFWA) which, at the time, was in need of financial support.

The 65 Roses Grand Ball forCystic Fibrosis was born and$42,986.25 was raised.

Realising the potential they had to raise significant funds, and driven by the need to do all they could to make a real difference for people with CF, in 2003 this same group, in addition to raising money for CFWA, raised funds to donate to research.

Since then, the group has grownto encompass people with CFand family friends. This verydedicated and extremely hardworking group have continuedto organise the 65 Roses GrandBall for Cystic Fibrosis, making it an annual event. Their major focus being research. Why?

The answer is best told in thenumbers. Life expectancy inAustralia for people with CF in

the 1960’s was 5 years. It is now 35 years. Deaths in Australia of younger people have, thankfully declined dramatically since 1998. The six years from 1998 to2004 saw a fall of 70% in thenumber of deaths of peoplewith CF aged under 20 years.

The greatest contributing factorto this is undoubtedly research.Research leads to improvements in treatments,which in turn leads to longer, healthier lives.

To date the 65 Roses Ballshave raised $910,976.13 forCFWA and CF research.

In 2012, Conquer Cystic Fibrosiswas incorporated, thus allowing for expansion and increased fundraising for CF research.

The Ball, the major fundraising event has been renamed “The Conquer Cystic Fibrosis Grand Ball”.

Unfortunately there is still nocure for Cystic Fibrosis. But thatis something Conquer CysticFibrosis Inc, intends to change.

There is still no cure for Cystic Fibrosis

A major focus on delivering innovative ideas to the pipeline construction industry has seen pipeline constructor Murphy Pipe & Civil rapidly increase its presence across Australia’s resources sector. With more than $1 billion in pipeline work already on its to-do list in 2014, the Queensland-based company has been a true success story since entering the Australian pipeline construction arena in 2008.

While Murphy Pipe & Civil has many years of experience as a constructor of traditional steel pipelines, the company ventured into uncharted territory in 2010 and invested heavily in Spiderplough technology to accommodate the growing needs of Queensland’s coal seam gas (CSG) sector.

To say the investment gamble has paid off for Murphy Pipe & Civil would be an understatement. The company’s extensive research and development into this new technology delivered a much faster and much safer ploughing method for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipeline installation, soon garnering plenty of interest from the CSG industry.

On the back of this interest, Murphy Pipe & Civil picked up the Queensland Gas Company (QGC) contract to build Australia’s largest CSG gathering network and increased its investment in Spiderplough to now possess the largest fleet in the world.

While the company has been busy with CSG commitments over the past three years, it has also secured large-

scale steel pipeline contracts in its home base of Queensland. In recent times, the company has stretched its steel pipeline construction arm to Western Australia with three large-scale projects now successfully completed for the Sino Iron Ore Project and Rio Tinto’s Coastal Water Project. Such was the company’s success in the west, it recently opened a Perth office to further increase its presence in this booming resources region.

With a workforce of 1,800 pipeliners currently delivering pipeline solutions for some of Australia’s leading resources companies, Murphy Pipe & Civil’s future certainly looks bright.

To find out more about this innovative company’s achievements and unique capabilities visit mpcgroup.com.au.

SUCCESS IN THE PIPELINEAn innovative pipeline company’s research-and-development investment is paying big dividends.

Above and this image: The introduction of Spiderploughs to the CSG sector has attracted widespread adoption due to the technology’s

increased safety and productivity; Murphy Pipe & Civil played a key role in the delivery of large-scale pipelines for the Sino Iron Ore Project in WA.

advertorial

57

Communications for Australian resources

All images are for illustration purposes only. Satellite coverage zones and technical specifications are subject to change and are for general guidance only. Terms and conditions apply. For more information go to newsat.com or call +61 3 9674 4688. ©2013 NewSat Ltd ABN 12 003 237 303. newsat.com/jabiru-2

Jabiru-2 coverage

High intensity zones

NewSat’s Jabiru-2 satellite will deliver highly focused Ku-band coverage to satisfy the demanding communication requirements for resource projects in and around Australia.

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WHETHER for love or money, homeowners are increasingly taking up tools to personalise and improve their homes. As a nation, we’ve devoted hours of time to home renovation shows like Channel Nine’s The Block.

While enhancements can increase the value of a home, for many it’s about lifestyle, as Mortgage Choice’s 2013 Homeowners’ Intention Survey revealed earlier this year. According to the survey, 43 per cent of Australian homeowners plan to renovate.

Polling 1,000 Australian mortgage holders, of those who plan to renovate, 77 per cent of them saw undertaking upgrades

Making a house a home

as a way to improve their quality of living.

On the funding front, 72 per cent had budgeted between $0 and $20,000, while 20 per cent were preparing for spending between $20,001 and $50,000. Only nine per cent had a budget exceeding more than $50,000 for home improvement.

Australia’s biggest renovatorsWhile the thirst for improved spaces is a nationwide trend,

research from Commonwealth Bank shows the average home renovation blows out the budget by nearly $3,000. Based on a survey of 1000 people, the result emerged from homeowners who have completed renovations.

The reasons for spending over a budget are identifiable – and avoidable. Forty-eight per cent of respondents had to pay for unexpected material, while 47 per cent cited labour costs. Timing was also a factor for renovators, with almost 58 per

If the success of home renovation shows is any sort of yardstick, Australians love fixing up their homes, writes Amal Awad.

propertyguideNational

59

Contact our Residential Sales Team:

Karen Kretchsman 0417 700 811 Barbara Waters 0418 445 556Sherrie Tuppurainen 0403 888 506Karley Geale 0412 474 341

Commercial Industrial: Nellie Smithurst 0413 121 241Kim Coghlan0432 168 952

77 Camooweal Street,Mount Isa

Ph: 07 4744 8000sales@jaysre.com.au

Jays Real Estate is family owned and operated, boasting 3 generations who work in the business. As Mount Isa’s largest agent, Jays has remained independent of national franchise agencies, standing alone on its record of professionalism for over 30 years. We strive to give old fashioned service and care, with plenty of local knowledge.

Investors be aware, we have tenants waiting for residential property. The current rental market is tight due to a strong demand.

Brand New Townhouses for SaleEach townhouse consists of:

- 3 bedrooms & 2 bathrooms- Ensuite & WIR to main - BIR to the second & third

bedrooms- Double Lock up garage- Open plan living area- Modern fittings and fixtures- Landscaping with shared

recreation area- Deck

LISTED: $495,000.00 REF: One11

www.jaysre.com.au

CASH POSITIVE INVESTMENT PROPERTYFEATURE PROPERTY ANDERGROVE, MACKAY$379,900 Terrace Home and Land With No Body Corporate rent unfurnished @ $450pw/rent furnished @ $550pwCash Flow Per Annum $4,238The Mackay Regional Council area is one of the fastest growing in Queensland, with an average annual growth rate of 2.9% The Mackay region is the gateway to the rich coal deposits in the Bowen basin.

• Suitable for SMSF• 3 Bedrooms• 1Bathroom• 2 Car Garage• House Area 150m2• Registered

FULL TURNKEY INCLUSIONS• Stone kitchen bench tops • Remote operated garage • Full landscaping package

• European Stainless Steel Appliances • Air conditioning - split system • Quality carpets, ti les and blinds

ADDITIONAL FREE BONUS OFFER • Free Legal’s • Free depreciation schedule • Free landlords insurance (12 months)

• Free lawn and garden care (12 months) • Free independent inspection

Whether you’re a first time investor, or an investor adding to your portfolio our professional team will assist you to develop an individual investment strategy and to locate quality, high performing properties that will enable you to achieve your

individual investment goals. Our professional team can arrange financing the deal with lenders who understand the needs of property investors

REAL ESTATE FOR REAL LIFE

HOUSES, TOWNHOUSES & DUPLEXESFROM $330,000 TO $550,000SUITABLE FOR SELF-MANAGED SUPERANNUATION FUNDS

ALL OF OUR PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED IN PRIME RENTAL AREAS AND WILL HAVE PROFESSIONAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Contact Alan at: info@wilsonrealty.com.au or on 0421 705 116.

In the following high-growth areas in QLD:• Chinchilla • Miles • Roma • Emerald • Gladstone • Mackay • Moranbah • Clermont • Blackwater • Kingaroy • Coomeran • Pimpama • Northlakes • Brisbane

www.wilsonpropertygroup.net

cent saying the improvements took longer than expected.

“The longer time required is likely to be particularly inconvenient for the 76 per cent of renovators who lived in their home during the renovations,” said the bank at the time.

Interestingly, around two thirds of homeowners had to compromise on renovations because they were short on funding. According to the survey results, the most common changes included:

• progressing with a less grand design (21 per cent);

• using cheaper or lower quality materials (19 per cent);

• postponing renovating some areas of the house (18 per cent);

• using second hand materials (11 per cent);

• going without renovating areas of the house (11 per cent); and

• fewer or smaller rooms (9 per cent).

THE FIXER-UPPERER: WHERE THE WORK GOES

• Respondents indicated the top areas of the home they intended to renovate first, the top three being: - Kitchen – 28%- Bathroom – 27%- Outdoor entertainment area – 15%

• The scale of renovation varied: - Major cosmetic renovations (e.g. retiling or replacing cupboards) – 54%- Major structural changes (e.g. changing the layout of the home) – 27%- Minor cosmetic changes (e.g. coat of paint) – 19%

propertyguideNational

61

The heart of good property investment is finding the next boom, but it can be tricky. Traditionally, it

was seaside towns that displayed the double-digit growth we were looking for. Today, it is locations

with high employment growth that is sending property prices soaring. Blue Horizons, has

identified two towns backed with the strength of mining and gas developments, that are packing

a fierce punch. Chinchilla and Miles, in Queensland’s Surat Basin, are the next hotspots; rural

towns set to explode thanks to the $30 billion worth of coal and gas projects surrounding them.

A boomtown is about more than just the booming employment – it’s about the corresponding

development in both residential and commercial arenas. Skyrocketing rents and capital gains are in

store for anyone smart enough to invest in property now. You are in the perfect position to expand your

wealth beyond your expectations.

Blue Horizons is your perfect partner. We specialize in offering high yield, rapid capital growth prop-

erty investments resulting from mining and industrial expansion. We have been 100% focused on

the Surat Basin since 2008. You can find comfort, knowing that Blue Horizons puts their money

where their mouth is – we have such confidence that this region will be the stand out performer

in the Eastern states for the next 10 years we have personally invested ourselves. This investment

opportunity mirrors the same property boom that has occurred in various mining towns over the last

decade, including the Bowen Basin, Mackay and Gladstone. Blue Horizons led the charge in both of

these cases, with our investor clients in the Bowen Basin and Gladstone now enjoying properties that

have doubled in value.

The precedent has been set and it is now common knowledge that towns leveraged to resource booms

are quickly followed by skyrocketing property prices and rental demand. It is not too late. In fact,

housing prices in the three key support towns for the Surat Basin, Chinchilla, Miles and Roma, remain

affordable and representative of new house prices in any part of Australia. The astute investor buys

before the boom. This region is at the very beginning of a breathtaking growth spurt. Here is where

you come in. With the benefit of Blue Horizons experience and knowledge, you can be one of the

forerunners, investing in property to maximise your profits.

The extra bonus that comes attached to the Surat Basin is that the region is not solely dependent on

the resource boom. While coal and gas projects are providing the impetus for growth, the region is

already thriving in its own right with a staunch and proven agricultural industry. Surviving droughts

and economic uncertainty, the Surat Basin’s agricultural roots have remained a stalwart pillar for the

community.

FLY IN TO YOUR FUTURE RETIREMENT

Brisbane

ChinchillaMilesRoma

Corr Piccone: 0409 455 604Helene Thomas: 0402 059 909www.bluehor izonsproperty.com

To find out more, please fill out the contact form on our website,www.bluehorizonsproperty.com. Corr or Helene will contact you within 48 hours of your enquiry.

TOWNHOUSES IN THE SURAT BASIN. RETURNS UP TO 14.4%Blue Horizons Property is proud to announce this exciting new high-yielding property investment in the heart of the Surat Basin. This is one of the most attractive offers seen in the last 12 months. With a very limited number of townhouses and rental figures booming, offers are being taken on a first come, first serve basis only.

Situated in the heart of the Surat Basin, Queensland

3 to 4 bedroom townhouses from $439,000 to $469,000

Rent returns yielding up to $1,300 per week

High end accommodation with superior inclusions

Strategically located close to centre of gas boom town

Only 10% deposit required with completion mid 2014

Very limited number of these townhouses available

*Images and colours are indicative only & may vary from the finished product

THE NEW ERA OF MINING? THIS WAY!

Join the movement towards The Future of Mining.It’s This Way: sandvik.com/thisway

There can be only one true forerunner. In mining automation, it is undoubtedly Sandvik AutoMine™. Sandvik AutoMine™ product family covers fleet automation, drilling, single loader automation, block cave draw control and process management systems. It provides for increased fleet utilization / improved working conditions and safety / increased production / reduced maintenance costs due to optimized tramming speeds and smoother equipment operation. Above all, Sandvik AutoMine™ provides preeminent safety, productivity and peace of mind for your operations.

SANDVIK MINING Part Sales 1800 1 7263845 | General Enquiries 1300 1 7263845 info.smc-au@sandvik.com | www.mining.sandvik.com/au

AMM-Automation-ThisWay-DPS.indd 1 12/17/2012 10:47:55 AM

Sandvik Mining’s expertise in mining automation results from more than 20 years of continuous research, development and close collaboration with customers, to make mining both safer and more efficient.

Today, Sandvik AutoMine® is the most advanced automation solution in the mining industry.

Offering a wide variety of optimised products for different mining applications, AutoMine® significantly increases minesite productivity and greatly enhances safety, ensuring efficient and optimised surface and underground mining operations.

AUTOMINE®: THE FUTURE OF MINING.THIS WAY!

THE NEW ERA OF MINING? THIS WAY!

Join the movement towards The Future of Mining.It’s This Way: sandvik.com/thisway

There can be only one true forerunner. In mining automation, it is undoubtedly Sandvik AutoMine™. Sandvik AutoMine™ product family covers fleet automation, drilling, single loader automation, block cave draw control and process management systems. It provides for increased fleet utilization / improved working conditions and safety / increased production / reduced maintenance costs due to optimized tramming speeds and smoother equipment operation. Above all, Sandvik AutoMine™ provides preeminent safety, productivity and peace of mind for your operations.

SANDVIK MINING Part Sales 1800 1 7263845 | General Enquiries 1300 1 7263845 info.smc-au@sandvik.com | www.mining.sandvik.com/au

AMM-Automation-ThisWay-DPS.indd 1 12/17/2012 10:47:55 AM

Sandvik Mining’s expertise in mining automation results from more than 20 years of continuous research, development and close collaboration with customers, to make mining both safer and more efficient.

Today, Sandvik AutoMine® is the most advanced automation solution in the mining industry.

Offering a wide variety of optimised products for different mining applications, AutoMine® significantly increases minesite productivity and greatly enhances safety, ensuring efficient and optimised surface and underground mining operations.

AUTOMINE®: THE FUTURE OF MINING.THIS WAY!

propertyguideNational

66

WITH the silly season behind us for another 12 months, it is time to starting thinking about your property investment goals for 2014. What are you aspiring for this year? To get the right answer you have to ask the right question. If you want to spend 2014 doing what you want to do, rather than what you have to do, you need to ask yourself, “What am I going to do differently?”

Have you ever considered retiring before 40? It’s possible with property. Let’s say you need approximately $140,000 in passive income each year to continue your current lifestyle. How would you achieve this? For the purposes of this example, let’s pretend you’ve invested in six properties over 10, 15 or 20 years and have paid off all the debt on your properties. Assuming an average property value of $350,000, you’d have a total of $2.1 million worth of real estate (these figures don’t assume any capital growth).

You may be wondering how in the world you could pay off so many properties so quickly. It’s certainly very possible, if your investments are efficiently structured, to achieve such a goal. At Positive Real Estate we’ve helped hundreds of property investors achieve these kinds of results. We can show you how!

Let’s assume you’re enjoying an average rental yield of seven per cent on these properties. At Positive Real Estate we aim to hit that sweet spot of between six and seven per cent average rental yield. If we enjoyed a rental yield of seven per cent we would have $140,000 dollars worth of passive rental income each year and own $2 million worth of properties, free and clear!

Of course your results will vary because not all properties, despite our best efforts, will achieve this rental yield, and then those that do get a strong yield, won’t necessarily do this

Resolve to retire young

If you want to spend 2014 doing what you want to do, rather than what you have to do, you need to ask yourself, “What am I going to do differently?”

each and every year. This is why investing in property is a proactive endeavour, not a reactive one. We look ahead at what possible impacts certain conditions will have on the market place, especially where our properties are concerned, and we take steps to minimise any potential problems before they become a problem (e.g. set up a generous buffer to counter any fall in values).

Judy, a worker in the Australian mining industry, was earning less than $80,000 a year before joining Positive Real Estate 12 months ago. She had never owned an investment property before, but within three months of our Lifetime Mentoring Program, Judy settled on two positive cash flow properties, using her savings and new loans to make

the purchases. This starter portfolio now earns her an extra net income of $10,470 per annum. Her next steps are to make a third property purchase within six months, set-up a Self Managed Super Fund and buy one capital growth property within the next 12 months. In fact, one of her first property deals was a unit in Western Australia, made her an extra $65,000 in equity alone!

To find out more about Positive Real Estate’s tips and strategies for investing in property, come along to our next Property Investor Night. There’s no obligation to buy or do anything at our events, just take a bit of time out of your day and learn how you can change up your current investment strategy, or perhaps start a new one! You’ll be glad you did!

Pay Your Home Off FastIN LESS THAN 6 YEARS

Reduce Your TaxesPOTENTIALLY TO ZERO LEGALLY

Replace Your IncomeSET YOURSELF UP FOR LIFE

Passive Income Of $100K/YearRETIRE EARLY

Own $3,000,000 Of Real EstateDEBT FREE!

HOTspots & NOTspotsWHICH MARKETS ARE HOT & WHERE TO AVOID

Fast-Track Yourself. In 2 Hours Learn:

OUR

CLIENTS

Let our expert team show you exclusive deals in the right markets and how to use proven strategies to achieve your financial goals. Positive Real Estate is an exclusive, full-service investor agency who have brokered thousands of successful property deals in the past 10 years for our clients.

$150,000 capital gain made by our clients in less than 3 years

Discounted Sydney Townhouses

4 2 2

Positive Real Estate Pty Ltd Corporate Licence 1217226

www.positiverealestate.com.au/fifoGET STARTED (IT’S FREE) GO TO:

*Conditions apply, these scenarios do not take into account your personal circumstances, for more information on these results see the website. All information is of a general nature only and does not constitute professional advice. Please seek advice from licensed professionals about your personal situation. This information is subject to the disclaimer on www.positiverealestate.com.au/disclaimer

FREE EVENTS

Free access to our education & property - Simply come to our information only evenings (nothing on sale so leave your credit card at home). You don't even need to be ready to buy your next property! Just come to expand your knowledge and receive the free investor tools pack.

Over 10 years in operation

378,616 views14,883 likes

Walk Away Knowing:• The right locations within market hotspots • Simple explanations of complex finance concepts• Structuring investments to turn personal finance goals into realities

• Step by step roadmaps to reach these goals (based on past client results)• Safely build a portfolio from any financial situation• Balancing a portfolio for both capital growth and positive cashflow

• Diversifying a portfolio across di�erent national property markets to minimise risk• Strategies including: discount purchasing, renovation, strata titling, subdivision, house & land, duplexes, small developments, o� the plan.

FREE TOOLS EBOOKS AUDIOSVIDEOS SOFTWARESAM SAGGERSCEO of Positive Real Estate

1300 365 886OR CALL

We negotiated property for $540k.Recently sold for $690k

In Australia's No.1 Recession Proof

Market, Sydney!

20min drive to CBD opposite Canterbury golf course.

Rents for $620/week, cost nothingto hold with great tax benefits.

NEW SOUTH WALESNewcastle......................................14/01/14Parramatta ................................. 20/01/14Sydney CBD ................................21/01/14Liverpool .......................................28/01/14Central Coast ........................... 10/02/14Cronulla ........................................... 11/02/14Newcastle......................................17/02/14Wollongong................................18/02/14AUS. CAPITAL TERRITORYCanberra Dickson .................28/01/14Canberra Dickson .................. 11/02/14

VICTORIAGeelong........................................... 13/01/14Frankston ................................... 20/01/14Melbourne ....................................28/01/14Geelong..........................................10/22/14

SOUTH AUSTRALIACBD Adelaide Central........21/01/14Mawson Lakes........................04/02/14Southern Adelaide .............04/02/14CBD Adelaide Central.......18/02/14

WESTERN AUSTRALIACanning Vale .............................. 13/01/14Perth CBD ..................................... 15/01/14Canning Vale ............................ 20/01/14Canning Vale ............................ 10/02/14Canning Vale ..............................17/02/14

TASMANIAHobart ............................................ 20/01/14Launceston ...............................06/02/14Hobart .............................................. 11/02/14

QUEENSLANDBrisbane CBD ............................21/01/14Toowoomba ...............................22/01/14Townsville .....................................28/01/14Sunshine Coast ......................30/01/14Brisbane CBD .........................04/02/14Gold Coast.................................04/02/14Springfield ...................................12/02/14Gladstone ......................................17/02/14Rockhampton ...........................18/02/14Toowoomba ...............................19/02/14Mackay ............................................19/02/14

Victim to Victorious

Elaine ChaseWhen Elaine Chase came to Positive Real Estate in 2010, she had fallen victim to a property organisation that almost ruined her financially. Elaine was close to giving up when she heard about Positive Real Estate's Lifetime Mentoring Program. With the help of her mentor, Elaine and her partner have overcome their debt and now have over $2.1mil in equity on a portfolio worth over $4mil. She is now helping others achieve success and safely navigate the minefield of property investment as a Positive Real Estate Mentor.

If you start planning now, you have the potential to retire much younger than the average worker.

Pay Your Home Off FastIN LESS THAN 6 YEARS

Reduce Your TaxesPOTENTIALLY TO ZERO LEGALLY

Replace Your IncomeSET YOURSELF UP FOR LIFE

Passive Income Of $100K/YearRETIRE EARLY

Own $3,000,000 Of Real EstateDEBT FREE!

HOTspots & NOTspotsWHICH MARKETS ARE HOT & WHERE TO AVOID

Fast-Track Yourself. In 2 Hours Learn:

OUR

CLIENTS

Let our expert team show you exclusive deals in the right markets and how to use proven strategies to achieve your financial goals. Positive Real Estate is an exclusive, full-service investor agency who have brokered thousands of successful property deals in the past 10 years for our clients.

$150,000 capital gain made by our clients in less than 3 years

Discounted Sydney Townhouses

4 2 2

Positive Real Estate Pty Ltd Corporate Licence 1217226

www.positiverealestate.com.au/fifoGET STARTED (IT’S FREE) GO TO:

*Conditions apply, these scenarios do not take into account your personal circumstances, for more information on these results see the website. All information is of a general nature only and does not constitute professional advice. Please seek advice from licensed professionals about your personal situation. This information is subject to the disclaimer on www.positiverealestate.com.au/disclaimer

FREE EVENTS

Free access to our education & property - Simply come to our information only evenings (nothing on sale so leave your credit card at home). You don't even need to be ready to buy your next property! Just come to expand your knowledge and receive the free investor tools pack.

Over 10 years in operation

378,616 views14,883 likes

Walk Away Knowing:• The right locations within market hotspots • Simple explanations of complex finance concepts• Structuring investments to turn personal finance goals into realities

• Step by step roadmaps to reach these goals (based on past client results)• Safely build a portfolio from any financial situation• Balancing a portfolio for both capital growth and positive cashflow

• Diversifying a portfolio across di�erent national property markets to minimise risk• Strategies including: discount purchasing, renovation, strata titling, subdivision, house & land, duplexes, small developments, o� the plan.

FREE TOOLS EBOOKS AUDIOSVIDEOS SOFTWARESAM SAGGERSCEO of Positive Real Estate

1300 365 886OR CALL

We negotiated property for $540k.Recently sold for $690k

In Australia's No.1 Recession Proof

Market, Sydney!

20min drive to CBD opposite Canterbury golf course.

Rents for $620/week, cost nothingto hold with great tax benefits.

NEW SOUTH WALESNewcastle......................................14/01/14Parramatta ................................. 20/01/14Sydney CBD ................................21/01/14Liverpool .......................................28/01/14Central Coast ........................... 10/02/14Cronulla ........................................... 11/02/14Newcastle......................................17/02/14Wollongong................................18/02/14AUS. CAPITAL TERRITORYCanberra Dickson .................28/01/14Canberra Dickson .................. 11/02/14

VICTORIAGeelong........................................... 13/01/14Frankston ................................... 20/01/14Melbourne ....................................28/01/14Geelong..........................................10/22/14

SOUTH AUSTRALIACBD Adelaide Central........21/01/14Mawson Lakes........................04/02/14Southern Adelaide .............04/02/14CBD Adelaide Central.......18/02/14

WESTERN AUSTRALIACanning Vale .............................. 13/01/14Perth CBD ..................................... 15/01/14Canning Vale ............................ 20/01/14Canning Vale ............................ 10/02/14Canning Vale ..............................17/02/14

TASMANIAHobart ............................................ 20/01/14Launceston ...............................06/02/14Hobart .............................................. 11/02/14

QUEENSLANDBrisbane CBD ............................21/01/14Toowoomba ...............................22/01/14Townsville .....................................28/01/14Sunshine Coast ......................30/01/14Brisbane CBD .........................04/02/14Gold Coast.................................04/02/14Springfield ...................................12/02/14Gladstone ......................................17/02/14Rockhampton ...........................18/02/14Toowoomba ...............................19/02/14Mackay ............................................19/02/14

Victim to Victorious

Elaine ChaseWhen Elaine Chase came to Positive Real Estate in 2010, she had fallen victim to a property organisation that almost ruined her financially. Elaine was close to giving up when she heard about Positive Real Estate's Lifetime Mentoring Program. With the help of her mentor, Elaine and her partner have overcome their debt and now have over $2.1mil in equity on a portfolio worth over $4mil. She is now helping others achieve success and safely navigate the minefield of property investment as a Positive Real Estate Mentor.

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BUSHMOB’SBush Adventures!

Bushmob is a small company based in Central Australia that works primarily with young Aboriginal young people (and families) aged between 12 and 25.

Bushmob run an alcohol and drug treatment house, Bush Adventure Therapy, and an Outreach and Multimedia program.

Would YOU be willing to act as a Bushmob patron? Or be willing to make financial contributions or donations? Get in touch!

For more information on Bushmob and its services visit www.bushmob.com.au

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69

propertyguideNational

to create more perceived value than the actual cost. I used the strategies of successful investors to buy my first home. I bought it for $425,000 and did a renovation that took nine months, while I lived in it. The renovation cost $50,000 and at the end of the renovation, the property was worth $700,000.

So imagine if you complete a renovation (using not your savings, but some of the value from your home – we will look at this in one of the upcoming articles) and not only do you get the home that suits your needs, but also a property that is worth more. So when you sell, you sell for more and have more funds to invest in your next home or funds left over for that dream holiday. Or your daughter’s wedding, the kids’ schooling, or the Winnebago you’ve always wanted. The choice is entirely yours. That is the power of using your own gold mine – your home – to reach goals and make your dreams come true, faster.

renovations go over cost and over capitalise – but they really needn’t with careful planning.

As home owners, people often fall in love with things that they think that have to have. In fact, what you’ll find if you analyse renovations, is that property investors know the bang for their buck is in cosmetic renovations with no requirement for council approvals, so they wisely concentrate on a new kitchen and bathroom. Whereas home owners are often trying to create the ultimate space, so they have months of council planning issues, building and usually the uprooting of the family and moving out whilst it’s all done. And the outcome? They have the best house on the street and everything they want, but often they have spent too much and it is not until they come to sell that they realise that.

So what do you need to know to make money from renovating your home?

1. Consider what your requirements really are. This means make a list, and how long you realistically plan to remain in your home. Be honest!

2. You need to establish what type of renovation you need to satisfy your requirements. So if your house is too small and you do need to go through the whole council process, then be prepared for a long time commitment. It could in fact could be better to purchase a property that suits your needs. But before you rush out and do that, I will show you how to catapult your gold mine with strategies on where to buy. Potentially though, you might just need a quick and relatively painless cosmetic renovation

3. If you do need to renovate, how much will it cost and what will you get at the end?

If you want to optimise your renovation, you need to start thinking like an investor. That is knowing this one key to renovation success – you need

Mortgage broker and investment expert

JANESLACK- SMITH

“I have taught renovation for many years and renovated lots of properties so I know a thing or two and let me tell you the biggest secret – most renovations go over cost and over capitalise – but they shouldn’t!”

How to create more wealth from your homeYour Own Gold Mine

LAST ISSUE I shared how your home is actually a gold mine that you are sitting on, and how I believe there are three ways you can start mining that gold mine, so you can reach your goals rather than having to work for years on end. This month, let’s turn your attention to your current home and some steps towards making it work for you.

Most of us love where we live but we know we are not really getting ahead. Other people would like to move into something bigger, smaller, or more modern (the list goes on) but we know that the cost of selling and buying is high and so it is not really an option.

There is an option and that is to renovate. Australia is a ‘reno-nation’ – we are mad for it. I have taught renovation for many years and renovated lots of properties so I know a thing or two and let me tell you the biggest secret – most

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stic FibrosisCConquer

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Conquer Cystic Fibrosis through research

www.conquercysticfibrosis.com

Life expectancy in Australia for people with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) in the 1960’s was 5 years. It is now 35 years. Deaths in Australia of younger people have, thankfully declined dramatically since 1998.

The six years from 1998 to 2004 saw a fall of 70% in the number of deaths of people with CF aged under 20 years.

The greatest contributing factor to this is undoubtedly research. Research leads to improvements in treatments,which in turn leads to longer, healthier lives.

There is still no cure for Cystic Fibrosis, but it is something Conquer Cystic Fibrosis Inc. intends to change.

Ceilings • Wall Paneling • Shop AwningsFeature Walls • Kitchen & Bathroom Splashbacks

22 Vale Road Bathurst

02 6332 1738www.pressedtinpanels.com

Australian artist, Dee Jackson,creates beautiful watercolour portraits.

Dee JacksonBlack Yoghurt Designs

Tel: (02) 9416 2265 / +612 9416 2265Mob: 0439 986 452 / +61 439 986 452

Email: deejackson@deejackson.com.auwww.deejackson.com.au

Dee Jackson

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Positive Cash FlowFrom Day One.

Many clients have bought ATMs within their self managed super or pension funds.

Instant income - you will be paid calculated from the very first day you purchase your machines.

Buy in cash or borrow with property equity and pay down your non tax deductible debt on your home faster.

ATMs are brilliant for saving, as returns compound when monthly payments are deposited into a savings account.

Owning a fleet of ATMs, has become a well known business opportunity since Own Your Own ATM launched in March, 2009. Many of our clients have diversified their portfolio and are now enjoying 20% p.a. returns that an ATM business provides for the life of the agreement.

It is possible to use your ATM income to subsidise a large investment portfolio and not hit the serviceability wall, allowing you to make further investments in the future. Unlike a term deposit, where you are liable for tax at the first dollar of interest earned, ATMs being plant and equipment, can be depreciated to offset transaction income earned.

These private ATMs are placed in a variety of convenient locations throughout Australia. You own the Automated Teller Machines and experienced national ATM deployers place the machine in the site and manage it.

ATM income is directly deposited into the account of your choice. Legal agreements state the deployer must cover all costs for parts and maintenance, insurance and payment processing for the life of the agreement.

ATM owners are paid a minimum 20% p.a* or $.30 per transaction, whichever is higher, paid monthly.

In times of market volatility, a portfolio of ATMs can provide a steady income stream and potentially solve your cash flow issues

Since it’s inception after the Reserve Bank Reforms in March

2009 ATM ownership continues to hit all the right keys.

Disclaimer: Information provided is not intended to be Tax, Financial or Accounting advice. We recommended to obtain independent advice from your own Tax, Financial or Accounting Professionals as individual tax or financial positions may vary.

Contact us to receive further information at

www.ownyourownatm.com.au

BUSINESS HOURS ATMs TRANSACTION FORMULA

2,002

1,282

705

471

472

556

813

1,123

490

842

$600.60

$384.00

$235.00

$235.00

$235.00

$235.00

$243.90

$336.90

$235.00

$252.60

Luna Park KIC090600143

Sea Lake Foodworks KIC090600146

Caloundra Caltex KIC090600147

Hazelbrook Bowling KIC090200014

Tumbarumba Bowling Club KIC090200004

Wardell Liquor KIC091200001

Northhampton Supermarket KIC090300074

BP Childers KIC091200002

Grand Old Crow Hotel KIC090200028

Sportsmens Hotel KIC090300065

Total Amount Due $2,993.00

This portfolio of 10 business hour ATMs cost $140,000 plus gst.

0 -783 transactions $235 per month784 + calculated at $0.30 per transaction

Site Name Serial Number Total Total Monthly Transactions Amount Due

* Example: a business hour machine costing $14,000 ex gst, the annual return is $2,800 or $235 per month. Returns continue for the life of the agreement.

Positive Cash FlowFrom Day One.

Many clients have bought ATMs within their self managed super or pension funds.

Instant income - you will be paid calculated from the very first day you purchase your machines.

Buy in cash or borrow with property equity and pay down your non tax deductible debt on your home faster.

ATMs are brilliant for saving, as returns compound when monthly payments are deposited into a savings account.

Owning a fleet of ATMs, has become a well known business opportunity since Own Your Own ATM launched in March, 2009. Many of our clients have diversified their portfolio and are now enjoying 20% p.a. returns that an ATM business provides for the life of the agreement.

It is possible to use your ATM income to subsidise a large investment portfolio and not hit the serviceability wall, allowing you to make further investments in the future. Unlike a term deposit, where you are liable for tax at the first dollar of interest earned, ATMs being plant and equipment, can be depreciated to offset transaction income earned.

These private ATMs are placed in a variety of convenient locations throughout Australia. You own the Automated Teller Machines and experienced national ATM deployers place the machine in the site and manage it.

ATM income is directly deposited into the account of your choice. Legal agreements state the deployer must cover all costs for parts and maintenance, insurance and payment processing for the life of the agreement.

ATM owners are paid a minimum 20% p.a* or $.30 per transaction, whichever is higher, paid monthly.

In times of market volatility, a portfolio of ATMs can provide a steady income stream and potentially solve your cash flow issues

Since it’s inception after the Reserve Bank Reforms in March

2009 ATM ownership continues to hit all the right keys.

Disclaimer: Information provided is not intended to be Tax, Financial or Accounting advice. We recommended to obtain independent advice from your own Tax, Financial or Accounting Professionals as individual tax or financial positions may vary.

Contact us to receive further information at

www.ownyourownatm.com.au

BUSINESS HOURS ATMs TRANSACTION FORMULA

2,002

1,282

705

471

472

556

813

1,123

490

842

$600.60

$384.00

$235.00

$235.00

$235.00

$235.00

$243.90

$336.90

$235.00

$252.60

Luna Park KIC090600143

Sea Lake Foodworks KIC090600146

Caloundra Caltex KIC090600147

Hazelbrook Bowling KIC090200014

Tumbarumba Bowling Club KIC090200004

Wardell Liquor KIC091200001

Northhampton Supermarket KIC090300074

BP Childers KIC091200002

Grand Old Crow Hotel KIC090200028

Sportsmens Hotel KIC090300065

Total Amount Due $2,993.00

This portfolio of 10 business hour ATMs cost $140,000 plus gst.

0 -783 transactions $235 per month784 + calculated at $0.30 per transaction

Site Name Serial Number Total Total Monthly Transactions Amount Due

* Example: a business hour machine costing $14,000 ex gst, the annual return is $2,800 or $235 per month. Returns continue for the life of the agreement.

Positive Cash FlowFrom Day One.

Many clients have bought ATMs within their self managed super or pension funds.

Instant income - you will be paid calculated from the very first day you purchase your machines.

Buy in cash or borrow with property equity and pay down your non tax deductible debt on your home faster.

ATMs are brilliant for saving, as returns compound when monthly payments are deposited into a savings account.

Owning a fleet of ATMs, has become a well known business opportunity since Own Your Own ATM launched in March, 2009. Many of our clients have diversified their portfolio and are now enjoying 20% p.a. returns that an ATM business provides for the life of the agreement.

It is possible to use your ATM income to subsidise a large investment portfolio and not hit the serviceability wall, allowing you to make further investments in the future. Unlike a term deposit, where you are liable for tax at the first dollar of interest earned, ATMs being plant and equipment, can be depreciated to offset transaction income earned.

These private ATMs are placed in a variety of convenient locations throughout Australia. You own the Automated Teller Machines and experienced national ATM deployers place the machine in the site and manage it.

ATM income is directly deposited into the account of your choice. Legal agreements state the deployer must cover all costs for parts and maintenance, insurance and payment processing for the life of the agreement.

ATM owners are paid a minimum 20% p.a* or $.30 per transaction, whichever is higher, paid monthly.

In times of market volatility, a portfolio of ATMs can provide a steady income stream and potentially solve your cash flow issues

Since it’s inception after the Reserve Bank Reforms in March

2009 ATM ownership continues to hit all the right keys.

Disclaimer: Information provided is not intended to be Tax, Financial or Accounting advice. We recommended to obtain independent advice from your own Tax, Financial or Accounting Professionals as individual tax or financial positions may vary.

Contact us to receive further information at

www.ownyourownatm.com.au

BUSINESS HOURS ATMs TRANSACTION FORMULA

2,002

1,282

705

471

472

556

813

1,123

490

842

$600.60

$384.00

$235.00

$235.00

$235.00

$235.00

$243.90

$336.90

$235.00

$252.60

Luna Park KIC090600143

Sea Lake Foodworks KIC090600146

Caloundra Caltex KIC090600147

Hazelbrook Bowling KIC090200014

Tumbarumba Bowling Club KIC090200004

Wardell Liquor KIC091200001

Northhampton Supermarket KIC090300074

BP Childers KIC091200002

Grand Old Crow Hotel KIC090200028

Sportsmens Hotel KIC090300065

Total Amount Due $2,993.00

This portfolio of 10 business hour ATMs cost $140,000 plus gst.

0 -783 transactions $235 per month784 + calculated at $0.30 per transaction

Site Name Serial Number Total Total Monthly Transactions Amount Due

* Example: a business hour machine costing $14,000 ex gst, the annual return is $2,800 or $235 per month. Returns continue for the life of the agreement.

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4 Pines Brewing CompanyDrink Responsibly

Paradise Taveuni, situated on the southern tip of Taveuni, is a secluded and remote boutique oceanfront Resort. Nestled amongst lush tropical gardens with Rainforest Mountain as a back drop the resort caters to discerning travellers looking for their own piece of paradise. Its unique deep water frontage allows Guests to dive, snorkel and swim from the lava flow edge into pristine warm tropical waters at any time. If you’re searching for true Fijian hospitality and long to experience the culture of this mystical land, spend some time in Paradise.

info@ParadiseinFiji.com | www.ParadiseinFiji.com

The Scots College aims to honour the learning and adventures of boys, providing experiences of excellence to extend boys and build their strength of character.

The Scots’ unique Brave Hearts Bold Minds education philosophy recognises the need for a special journey and adventure in the hearts and minds of young boys as they create their own paths to manhood. Located in the tranquil, leafy Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill, Scots is one of the oldest and most reputable boys’ schools in Australia.

Brave Hearts Bold Minds

Scots’ state-of-the-art facilities and innovative programs encourage boys to persevere, persist and achieve personal success. As a parent, you can rest assured that your son will be nurtured and cared for as he joins his assigned Boarding House family where he will forge lifelong friendships with other boys and develop into a fine young man.

To find out how your boy can become part of this journey visit www.tsc.nsw.edu.au

www.tsc.nsw.edu.au

Find us on facebook: www.facebook.com/TAFEWestern

TAFE WEsTErn oFFErs cusTomisEd skills TrAining For

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Find out how we can customise training to your workplace needs.

Talk to us to find out more. Call 1300 823 393 or visit

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