OUTthere Rex May 2014

Issue 119 • May 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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Tassie treats Inside Savour Tasmania’s delectable offerings

Our finest drops Touring South

Australia with a glass in hand

Eskimo Joe rocks Oz

www.onegirl.org.au

Changing the world one girl at a time.

EUDCTAION CAHNGES

EEVRYTIHNG

BECAUSE AN EDUCATED GIRl CAN CHANGE HER wORlD.

If you’re not educated reading a simple sentence is almost impossible! Imagine trying to get a job, keep yourself healthy or support your family if you never got

to finish school? That’s the story for more than 60 million girls around the world. But it doesn’t have to be... We believe that every girl on the planet has the right

to an education. And we’re doing something about it.

We work with girls in Sierra Leone, West Africa – one of the worst places on earth to be born a girl. We provide scholarships, build new classrooms, offer

business training and remove the barriers to them completing their education.

And we want you to join us.

Destination of the month: Elliston Bay, Eyre Peninsula. Nearest Rex port: Port Lincoln.

WELCOME to the May issue of OUTthere.As you may be aware, Rex’s latest services

began in late March. Rex now operates 36 weekly return services between Armidale and Sydney, with three daily return services – convenient for business or leisure travel. We hope to welcome you onboard one of these new services soon. An official launch event was held at Armidale airport on our inaugural flight on March 28, and you can read more about this significant day in this issue.

Also in this edition we congratulate Rex subsidiary, the Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA), on its recent approval from the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) General Civil Aviation Authority to conduct Integrated Airline Transport Pilot Licence training for UAE carriers. The accreditation makes AAPA the only non-UAE based flight training organisation to be approved to do so. This is a great achievement for the company, adding significantly to the standing of the Wagga Wagga-based facility.

However, we also take some time in this issue to explain the company’s current financial position, with the release of our financial results for the first half of the 2013/2014 financial year. Rex has called on the Federal Government to fulfil its election promises as set out in the Coalition’s Policy for Aviation so we can maintain sustainable and essential regional air services.

So until next month, from all 1000 of us at Rex, Air Link, Pel-Air and AAPA, we invite you to sit back, relax and let us do the flying.

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food&wine:Savouring Tasmania

VIII rexnewsRex urges Tony Abbott to fulfil his promises to the aviation industry; Armidale celebrates new Rex flights connecting the town to Sydney; AAPA approved to train United Arab Emirates pilots.

XIII rexcommunityParkes celebrates Elvis’ birthday at its annual Elvis Festival.

XV don’tmiss & bushteleThe latest upcoming events and news from around the country.

XVI artspaceBelinda Marshall creates a perfect world of peace and harmony in her bright, playful artworks.

XVIII regionalstopoverAnthony Bianco discovers the wild side of Dubbo.

01 checkinBeing in a wheelchair hasn’t stopped Aaron ‘Wheelz’ Fotheringham from becoming one of the Nitro Circus crew, who are bringing their crazy stunts to Australia in May.

03 entertainmentA selection of the latest compelling books, great music, DVDs and apps.

04 citybitesExciting hotspots in our major cities; eat, stay and play in the big smoke.

06 closeupBen Smithurst has a not-so-serious chat with the boys from Western Australian band Eskimo Joe about sharks, Taragos and rock’n’roll.

10 outtahereEach year sunworshippers flock to Queensland to beat the winter blues. Here’s our top five hotspots for 2014.

17 food&wineWinsor Dobbin takes us on a culinary trip around the Apple Isle without even leaving Hobart, and discovers there’s much to savour about Tasmania.

24 getawaySimone Henderson-Smart grabs her tasting glass and checks out South Australia’s bountiful wine regions.

30 smallbusinessDanielle Chenery discovers the story of Epoch, a furniture store with a difference.

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

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Issue 119 • May

contents

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The Rex Story - The First 10 years.(Soft Cover) $40

Rex LCD Clock with Message BoardBlue or Green - $20









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 [email protected] EDITOR Danielle CheneryASSISTANT EDITOR Simone Henderson-SmartINTERNS Dana Groop, Kyle Soyer SUB-EDITORS Kris Madden, Liani Solari, Tatyana Leonov PRODUCTION MANAGER Brian VentourSENIOR DESIGNER Guy PendleburyPRINTER SOS Print & Media

CONTRIBUTORS Anthony Bianco, Ben Smithurst, Winsor Dobbin, Oryana Angel, Mitch Brook, Christine Retschlag, Kevin Lee, Lesley Parker, Jonathan Law

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER, Rex and OUTtherePeter [email protected] NATIONAL SALES MANAGERS, Inside Mining Chris [email protected] [email protected] ACCOUNT MANAGER, National Property Guide, Directory and SkytransRobert [email protected], SA and NT SALES AGENTHelen Glasson, Hogan MediaPhone: 08 9381 [email protected]

PUBLISHER Geoff CampbellCHAIRMAN Chris Innis CEO Eddie Thomas

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

I’ve travelled in America a lot over the past 20 years and visited many of the different states, finding every one of them so different from the next. But it’s the people in America who really make travelling there interesting – characters louder and larger than life, and people who are so intent on making sure that your experience in their country is a great and memorable one.

The thing I’ve been thinking about since recently returning from the States, though, is the mental support and enthusiasm that Americans generally show for their friends and family and regularly extend to strangers. You ask someone which way it is to the bathroom and they’ll stop and give you directions and, with a beaming smile, say things like: “That’s my absolute pleasure.”

Move over on a train seat or a bar stool to make room for someone and the gratitude is astounding: “Oh, you’re so kind!” or “Thank you so much, that’s so great of you!” And watch out if you talk to someone for even a minute: “It’s been so awesome talking to you!”

But the best thing about most Americans is how they really love to see others succeed. Americans dream big dreams, and they just love seeing other people’s come true: “You go, girl!” or “Well, ain’t that something special?” or (a common one) “Alright! Good going there! Awesome job!”

It’d be hard to do anything well in America without at least a handful of people praising your efforts. If you listen to the conversations anywhere around you in public, you’ll hear one person or another singing the praises of the person before them or walking past them, including compliments about shoes, clothes, a hat or bag: “I love your shoes! I have to get me some!”

It got me thinking about how it’s not really an Australian thing to do. Sure, we are fierce protectors of mateship and most of us would take the shirt off our own back for a friend in need, but we’re not as verbal as Americans – we don’t go out of our way to make someone feel great about something they’ve done, and we don’t gush enthusiasm for someone’s endeavours, especially

if we’ve only just met them. Is it to do with the sheer volume of people in America? Loneliness? Pure friendliness? Or is it simply how Americans are raised – to think and dream as a community? Is it about dreaming big and propping up someone else’s dreams, or at least confidence, in the hope that the luck and love will rub off? Is it religion? I’m really not sure.

After 20 or more visits to the States, I can’t put my finger on it. But one thing’s for sure: You can’t spend a day there without your ego being pepped up in some way. And, most likely, you’ll get to the end of the day feeling quite happy with yourself because you’ve probably run into at least 10 people who’ve said something lovely about you or your life.

It’s not a bad way to live. After all, happiness is what really matters and one kind word can make another person’s day.

Enjoy your travels and drop us a line some time – we love hearing from you.

Michelle Hespe and the OUTthere team

From the editor…

Cover image of Eskim

o Joe supplied by D

aniel Craig of Matsu photography







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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.

rexsafety

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

rexFAQ

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ON FEBRUARY 26, 2014, the Rex Group announced its FY 2013/2014 half-year financial results and, in doing so, called on the Federal Government to fulfil its election promises set out in the Coalition’s Policy for Aviation.

The Company posted a profit before tax of $5 million on a turnover of $129.3 million. This is a 59.8 per cent drop compared to the same period in

the previous financial year, due to the continuing weak Australian economy.

Rex Chief Operating Officer Garry Filmer said, “The Abbott Government needs to take immediate steps to fulfil their election promises to regional aviation outlined in the Coalition’s Policy for Aviation before the irreversible collapse of regional aviation occurs.”

Half-year results

“The Abbott goverment needs to take immediate steps to fulfil their election promises.”

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*. Plus, enjoy the Rex-tra Legroom in row 1 to be one of the first to disembark on 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.

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ON FRIDAY MARCH 28, Rex officially launched its Armidale to Sydney services in a ceremony held at Armidale Airport.

On hand to witness the launch were guests and VIPs, including the Member for Northern Tablelands Mr Adam Marshall MP and Armidale Dumaresq Councillor Andrew Murat, as well as representatives from the University of New England and senior staff from local business, educational and community organisations.

Commenting on the new service, Rex Deputy Chairman The Hon John Sharp said, “As Australia’s most on-time regional airline* we are delighted to be bringing to Armidale a reliable and competitive air service that the entire New England region can count on.

“Rex looks forward to building

a strong partnership with the Armidale community to ensure that we can continue to provide a sustainable air service for the long-term benefit of the Armidale region.”

Rex’s commencement of services between Armidale and Sydney has been well received by the local State and Federal Governments and local business community.

On behalf of Armidale Dumaresq Council, Councillor Andrew Murat welcomed the new service.

“We welcome Rex to Armidale and look forward to working together to deliver passenger growth and make the airport more sustainable.”

Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall said the arrival of Rex will ensure more flights, greater choice and vigorous competition, which will

be welcome news for all passengers.“The competition Rex brings to the

route (36 weekly flights and 60,000 new seats per annum) will be hugely beneficial for everyone throughout the Northern Tablelands,” Mr Marshall said.

“Rex’s re-entrance to the region is made in a climate where regional air services are under immense pressure – the recent collapse of Brindabella Airlines is evidence of this. We must remember that larger regional centres such as Tamworth, still have just the one airline, so it’s important that we don’t take this situation (two airlines) for granted.”

“I urge people across the Northern Tablelands to support both carriers to ensure this region can sustain competition on this route in the long term,” he said.

Rex launches Armidale service

Above: (L-R): Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall MP, Rex Deputy Chairman The Hon John Sharp, University of New England Vice Chancellor Professor Annabelle Duncan, Armidale Dumaresq Council Councillor Andrew Murat.

*According to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) Airline On-Time Departure statistics for calendar year 2013.

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THE AUSTRALIAN Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA) has recently received approval from the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) as an approved Flight Training Organisation to conduct Integrated Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) training for UAE carriers.

“This approval is further affirmation of AAPA’s reputation as one of the finest flight training establishments in the world for professional airline pilots,” said AAPA Chairman, Dale Hall. “AAPA now becomes one of only three non-UAE-based flight training organisations worldwide approved by the GCAA, and the first approved to conduct ATPL training.

“AAPA had also been selected by Jeppesen (part of Boeing Training and Flight Services) to be one of its global partners in aviation flight training. AAPA currently conducts cadet pilot training programs for its parent company Rex, and recently conducted Multi Crew Pilot Licence core flying training for cadets of Air Arabia.”

In Australia, AAPA is already a registered training organisation, and is accredited to deliver the Diploma of Aviation (Instrument Flight Operations). It is also on the Commonwealth Register for Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.

Above: Inside the hangar at the Australian Airline Pilot Academy. Below: Pilots are trained with flight simulators before they leave the ground.

UAE approval for flight training

“This approval is further affirmation of AAPA’s reputation as one of the finest flight training establishments in the world.”

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EXCEED YOUR LIMITS!Ribose is a powerful source of instant energy which multiplies the ability of your muscles to work harder and longer.

JUMPSTART is an energy cream that contains Ribose supplemented with Creatine, Carnitine and Caffeine. Using Transdermal Technology, the active ingredients penetrate directly to the targeted muscles, giving a sustained boost to your speed, strength and endurance during intense physical activities. It also helps in muscle recovery after the activity.

Exceed your personal best timings for marathons and competitions with JUMPSTART!*

For more information and trial results, visit www.lynkbiotech.com/webshop.

*Individual results may vary.

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ELVIS PRESLEY’S 1964 film Kissin’ Cousins was the theme for the 2014 Parkes Elvis Festival, held from January 7–11.

The festival was first held in 1993, to boost visitors to Parkes in the hot month of January, and has now grown to a five-day event, coinciding with Elvis’ birthday on January 8.

Elvis fans come from around Australia and overseas to experience and take part in the festival. The program is jam-packed with activities and performances – from Sunday’s Elvis Gospel Church Service

to the crowning of Miss Priscilla. The undisputed highlight of the festival is the Elvis Street Parade. During the festival the town comes alive with Elvis impersonators and tribute artists on every street corner and stage in Parkes. The feature artist this year was Mark Andrew, one of Australia’s leading Elvis tribute performers; along with special guest Cynthia Pepper, who appeared alongside Elvis in the original Kissin’ Cousins.

Rex has been a major sponsor of the event since 2008, supplying

complimentary tickets as well as offering a promotional airfare for those attending the event.

The organisers are already making plans for next year’s festival, which would have been Elvis’ 80th birthday.

Parkes Elvis Festival

Top right: The street parade is the highlight of the festival. Above: This year’s feature artist, Mark Andrew, was one of many impersonators and tribute artists entertaining the crowds.

EXCEED YOUR LIMITS!Ribose is a powerful source of instant energy which multiplies the ability of your muscles to work harder and longer.

JUMPSTART is an energy cream that contains Ribose supplemented with Creatine, Carnitine and Caffeine. Using Transdermal Technology, the active ingredients penetrate directly to the targeted muscles, giving a sustained boost to your speed, strength and endurance during intense physical activities. It also helps in muscle recovery after the activity.

Exceed your personal best timings for marathons and competitions with JUMPSTART!*

For more information and trial results, visit www.lynkbiotech.com/webshop.

*Individual results may vary.

P R I V A T E I S L A N D

Ratua is a private islandright in the well-preserved Vanuatu archipelago. This 146-acre jewel of unexplored nature is coveredwith lush tropical vegetation,and bordered by sandy beaches,turquoise water andamazing marine life. This eco-luxury hideaway wasdeveloped with a strong ambition to preserve an untouched sanctuary while establishingsome modern comforts.

information +678 300 20reservations +678 75 111 [email protected]

ratua island 183-124 demi-page_presse 26/02/2014 22:33 Page1

THE JOURNEY TO BRAVE HEARTS AND

BOLD MINDS

www.tsc.nsw.edu.au

For more than a century, boys have been boarding at The Scots College in Sydney’s Bellevue Hill. Boarding is available from Years 5 to 12 and boys become part of a boarding house ‘family’ where excellent pastoral care, individual attention and resident housemasters provide high-quality education and care in a safe and nurturing environment.

Jesse Staples, a Year 10 boarder in Royle House started at Scots this year. “Boarding at The Scots College has been a huge change in my life, moving away from my small coastal home up in the Northern Territory,” he said. Initially, Jesse thought he would feel homesick and second guess his decision, “but this was not the case for me … boarding at Scots has been one of my best decisions yet. I’ve found many new opportunities that I would have never been offered if I had stayed in the Northern Territory.”

The College’s Brave Hearts Bold Minds education philosophy seeks to make every day in a Scots boy’s life part of an exciting adventure. State-of-the-art facilities and development-stage-relevant models of learning combine to create an atmosphere of excellence where boys are supported to reach their full potential. “Scots has improved my learning capabilities and knowledge,” Jesse said.

“By providing experiences of excellence, team spirit and adventure, the boys are challenged to fully realise their inner strengths and individual resources, providing a platform for them to flourish in life,” said Dr Ian PM Lambert, The Scots College Principal.

To find out how your boy can become part of the Brave Hearts and Bold Minds journey, visit www.tsc.nsw.edu.au.

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bushtelegraph

MAY 2–5Richmond Outback Fossil FestivalLearn to locate, identify and extract fossils while enjoying a rodeo and bush festival. Test your moon rock-throwing arm, take part in the Caterpillar loader pull or just groove to the live music and enjoy the fireworks. fossilfestival.com.au

MAY 9–11Generations in Jazz, Mount GambierJazz, jazz and more jazz. Student musicians come to learn and compete for scholarships, while well-known acts such as Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band and trumpeter James Morrison come to teach and perform. Sure to be a swingin’ good time.generationsinjazz.com.au

MAY 24–25Historic Winton, BenallaVintage roadsters tear it up all weekend long. Admire 400-plus racing cars and motorbikes from the 1920s to the 1980s, on display and on the track. Have an antique sports car yourself? Bring it along and let its engine rev.historicwinton.org

MAY 19–25Sydney Writers’ FestivalSome of the best authors of our times gather in Sydney for Australia’s largest annual celebration of diverse literary works and ideas. Come prepared for a week of talks, panels, performances and presentations of new works from the very best creatives. Sure to inspire any bibliophile, the complete program will be released in April.swf.org.au

MAY 30–JUNE 1Adelaide Antique FairThirty-four antique dealers. Jewellery. Fine china. Furniture. Vintage items to please both the amateur and serious collector. Browse around or let the experts examine that old family heirloom. Now in its ninth year, the Adelaide Antique Fair is sure to have some surprises in store. A percentage of the profits goes to the Fred Hollows Foundation.adelaideantiquefair.com

don’tmiss

Aiming to end homelessness in Melbourne, HomeGround Services, a large support agency for the homeless, has opened Australia’s first non-profit real estate agency in Collingwood. Landlords may choose to receive market rent, with the commission going directly to support the agency’s Affordable Housing Initiative. Or they may charge reduced rent to low-income tenants, or provide the home to HomeGround free of charge to house someone who is homeless.

Training newsYou can now get your specialist earthworks operator training, assessment and skills accreditation through TAFE Western, thanks to an alliance between JCB Construction Equipment Australia (JCB CEA) and TAFE Western. The program ensures participants get the best out of their equipment and become accredited operators through competency-based training and assessment or tailored assessment-only pathways. Brad Polak, TAFE Western’s director of business capability says the partnership will provide options for “flexible and customised on and offsite training and assessment”. He adds: “To provide our students with the opportunity to learn in a hands-on environment ... we have also recently purchased several JCB machines including a skid steer loader, loader backhoe and an excavator.”

Not-for-profit real estate

New stud bodyStud breeders wanting to export beef and dairy genetics are keen to establish a national body to develop and promote the trade. Currently, Australia exports $1.5 million worth of bovine semen a year, compared with American trade, which is worth $140 million a year. In February, members of the beef and dairy genetics supply chain met to establish a plan of action for the future. Representing the organising committee, stud cattle breeder Prue Bondfield says the meeting supported the concept of a national representative body that will have one united voice when speaking to government, which should help everyone involved. Bondfield points out that while bovine genetics receives government handouts in Canada and the United States, she thinks “it is going to be a voluntary, user-pays type of set-up” in Australia. A committee has been formed to draw up a constitution for the new body.

Age of the homelessSource: homelessnessaustralia.org.au

0–12 12–18

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rtist/surface designer Belinda Marshall creates the sort of abstract art you just want to get lost in. The apparent

simplicity of her work is what makes it so pleasing to the eye, and it’s her use of whimsical colour that really draws you in.

Browsing her work, it’s likely that you might end up imagining your home, mentally scattering her creations around the place, so that you can borrow from the peacefulness they incite.

It’s not surprising to feel this way. In her artist statement on the Big Cartel online shop, she says: “My works depict my vision of a perfect world – a calm, meditative space – communicated through layers of colour blocks and sections of representative imagery and repeat patterns. I focus only on what resonates and draws me in.”

Marshall also sells linen cushions with feather inserts, decorated with her dreamy,

fluid artworks. They’re limited edition – only 50 of each design. They are made to order, and printed and sewn by Frankie and Swiss in Melbourne.

“Doing things locally [as well as] environmentally consciously is important to me,” she says. “It’s so important to do things in a sustainable way. It’s great to support local businesses too. I think the more we support one another, the more sustainable local production can be. Production is expensive in Australia, but I guess the more we do things here the more chance there is of things balancing out.”

As for her commitment to everyday environmental principles, Marshall uses vegetable-based inks instead of petroleum-based colours for her cards. “They’re made from veggies, which we hopefully won’t run out of! They can be cleaned up without the use of solvents and they are cleaner for the air too, as they don’t emit fumes when they’re drying,” she says.

Marshall’s first career was journalism, but after completing a writing and editing course she found that she “didn’t make the best copy editor”. Next was graphic design, which she quickly tired of. “It wasn’t creative in the long run, it just became repetitive,” she says.

Soon enough, her true calling beckoned. “When I had kids, nine years ago, I had a bit of time off before my first son was born. I started painting and I haven’t stopped. I hadn’t painted since high school – I was just too busy doing other stuff. I liked painting but I just never got around to it,” she recalls.

Marshall also creates postcards, prints of various sizes, acrylic paintings on wood and even calendars, which she sells online. Although she is doing well selling her work in stores in Victoria, Perth and online, she can’t yet live off it. “It’s not an income yet, due to lack of time, but it does pretty well,” she says. “I’ve done markets and I’m

PAINTING Belinda Marshall is a Melbourne-based artist/surface designer. She talks to Danielle Chenery about creativity, crowdfunding and finding inspiration every day.

Artworks from far left: ‘Balance’; ‘Hopeful’; ‘With Distance’. Above: The artist in her studio.

Image: M

artina Gemm

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thinking of doing them again, but it’s a fair bit of prep and you can never really tell what will happen.”

For her latest venture – a set of greeting cards she wants to print in eight different designs – Marshall is gathering her financials through crowdfunding site Pozible. “Crowdfunding is a great way for small businesses to pre-sell work – in this case, cards featuring eight of my paintings – to cover production costs,” she explains.

“I found out about the Australian platform for crowdfunding [Pozible] through blog reading – a couple of people who I follow had run successful projects,” she says. “I did one last year to go to Sweden for Camilla Engman’s art workshop and then to Berlin for inspiration gathering and meeting up with other artists and blog friends.”

Marshall plans to gather the funds to print 500 each of her eight favourite designs. Crowdfunding is not just about

gathering the cash (although that helps), it also acts as something of a market tester. “Putting the idea out to my online community in the form of a project like this is a great way to get feedback on my [art] and a pretty accurate idea of what can work,” she says.

Marshall’s Facebook site, which has shopping functionality, is another great way that she communicates with her fans – she uploads a picture each day.

“There were a couple of months where I didn’t get to paint and I felt too detached from what I was trying to achieve. I’d ordered a diary and when it arrived it was much too small, so I decided to use it to do a painting a day. I realised I could achieve

that, and it’s a good way to keep in touch every day.”

It also makes for an attractive news feed for her followers. As Marshall says in her artist statement: “By expressing observations of beautiful objects and moments in my work, I aim to create a space for the viewer to form a deeper connection to his or her surroundings and to access the contentment that can be experienced from this process.”

Go to Marshall’s Facebook page, facebook.com/belindamarshallstudio, for a piece of this daily inspiration.

Visit belindamarshall.com and belindamarshall.bigcartel.com for more information.

“Doing things locally and environmentally consciously is important to me. It’s so important to do things in a sustainable way.”

AFTER RACKING up a few hundred kilometres and reaching the mid-point of my road trip along the Newell Highway, the Macquarie River welcomes me to a large country town that is an eclectic mix of a little bit city and a little bit country – with a dollop of Africa thrown in for good measure. Welcome to Dubbo, one of regional New South Wales’ largest centres – a popular stopover for many car-weary travellers on their way to somewhere between Queensland and Victoria.

Zoo without fencesThe main visitor drawcard in the area is undoubtedly the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, a 300-hectare animal wonderland located five minutes’ drive from the Dubbo

central business district. This enormous zoo has six kilometres of one way sealed road, and another 15 kilometres of walking trails among the animal exhibits. Most tickets are valid for two consecutive days and you’ll need this time to explore all of the animal displays and demonstrations properly – which includes feeding some of them (giraffes love carrots!). You can explore the zoo at your own pace by foot, car, bike or even golf cart.

This open-range zoo is home more than 1000 animals and is an important link in the preservation of many creatures from around the world. A number of endangered species breeding programs take place here, which effectively work as an ‘insurance policy’ against the potential extinction of some of the planet’s most

OUT OF AFRICA

IN DUBBOAnthony Bianco heads to Dubbo

for a dose of large animals and other unique experiences.

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threatened animals. One stark example of how important these breeding programs are is the Eastern (or Highlands) Bongo. Eastern Bongos are critically endangered, with less than 100 remaining in the wild. Other important breeding programs at the Western Plains Zoo include the black rhino, Sumatran tiger, and Przewalski’s horse (or takhi), where horses that have been born and bred at the zoo, are reintroduced into their native Mongolia.

As part of their fundraising efforts to keep these breeding programs going, the Western Plains Zoo runs a Zoofari Lodge Experience, where guests can stay in a permanent tent with all of the modern conveniences, including a couple of hearty meals as part of a one-night package. The lodge is located a few steps away from the African Savannah exhibit

where giraffes, zebras, and eland wander around, grazing and munching

the dry grass. Zoofari Lodge guests also experience behind-the-scenes outings

where staff demonstrate the complex logistical side of animal feeding and zoo maintenance. The

lodge is suitable for both couples and families, and is like a form of ‘glamping’ (glamour camping).

If you are around the zoo at the designated times, it’s worth checking out the feeding rituals of the animals, especially when a pack of African wild dogs demolishes a carcass in less than 10 minutes.

Old school prisonBack in town, the Old Dubbo Gaol is an interesting look into the incarceration practices of yesteryear and the characters associated with colonial Australia, which included everything from petty thieves to murderers – both male and female. The gaol provides insight into the crimes that were common around the 19th century, such as sheep stealing and neglecting to provide food for your offspring.

One quite sobering display is the gallows – where prisoners were hung for the most serious crimes. The Old Dubbo Gaol gallows contain some original parts, with a large chunk of this wooden structure being restored to show what the final walk was like for some prisoners. Night tours of the gaol are also conducted if you like your prison tours spookier.

FAST FACTThe traditional owners

of the Dubbo region are the Tubbagah People of the Wiradjuri Nation. The word

‘Dubbo’ comes from the local Aboriginal word meaning ‘red earth’, referring to the

red ochre used as body paint.

The Old Dubbo Gaol gives an interesting insight into crime and punishment in the early 19th century, and can be toured at night for extra atmosphere.

Dining at Zoofari Lodge.

A ring-tailed lemur at the zoo.

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Swanning around the Macquarie RiverThere are many other activities to experience in the Dubbo area, with the Macquarie River needing to be crossed a few times to enjoy them all. There is a heritage walk to trudge around the town itself to admire Dubbo’s historic buildings, and the Western Plains Cultural Centre is an impressive collection of history that one would expect from a big city. As a bonus, admission is free to most of the exhibits (wpccdubbo.org.au).

Dundullimal Homestead is located near the Western Plains Zoo and is Australia’s oldest timber and slab homestead and Dubbo’s oldest building open to the public. The dwelling was built in the early 1840s and provides an insight into early colonial rural life.

If you’re looking for some tranquillity, enjoy your lunch in the Japanese Gardens at the Shoyoen Sister City Garden; or go for a relaxing riding lesson at the Western Plains Riding Centre. If you want to add wine, the Lazy River Estate is located on the banks of the Macquarie River, less than five minutes from the heart of Dubbo. For something a bit more quirky, visit the Aladdin’s Cave Bottle House – a yurt style building constructed from 3000 bottles and cement.

Sport and other outdoor activities are a large part of community life in Dubbo – the birthplace of Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath. The town is home to multiple sports clubs and sporting fields, swimming pools and an extensive cycleway network.

So if you want your country town lifestyle with all the big city conveniences, Dubbo is well worth a stay.

GET THERERex Airlines13 17 13; rex.com.au

STAYZoofari Lodge and Billabong CampTaronga Western Plains Zootaronga.org.au

EAT & DRINKLazy River Estatelazyriverestate.com.au

EXPLOREDubbo Farmers’ Markets are held on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month.dubbofarmersmarket.org.auDundullimal Homesteadnationaltrust.org.au/nsw/dundullimal-homesteadOld Dubbo Gaololddubbogaol.com.au

MORE INFOdubbotourism.com.au

Round-upBelow: Dubbo is full of historic buildings such as the Court House, which can be seen on a heritage walk through the town.

Image: M

ichael Gardner

Go to the Avis counter on arrival.

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*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. SAVI8047

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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.

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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.

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• Contemporary interiors• Friendly share-house environment• Flexible approach to living routines• Independent study facilities• Wireless internet access to room• Extended hours Learning Resources

Centre and campus café• Individual bathroom facilities • Social activities

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Year 10 or Year 11 in 2016.

All applicants must sit the ACER test.

Registrations online from October 2014 at www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au

The Ravenswood Residential College provides you with the environment to support the successful completion of your secondary education.

We recognise the individual preferences of senior students and offer you the choice of either the Higher School Certif icate or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma to complete your schooling.

Ravenswood students consistently attain outstanding academic results, with 54% of the Class of 2013 gaining an ATAR/UAC rank of 90 or above.

To find out more about Senior Boarding at Ravenswood contact our enrolments team at [email protected]

(wheelchair motocross) and was inspired by the BMX movement. It’s pretty cool to see how fast the sport is growing! What advice would you give to aspiring wheelchair athletes?WEAR A HELMET. And when you crash, don’t give up. Learn from it and keep chasing your dream.

You guys at Nitro Circus are premiering a brand-new set in Australia. Does that mean you’ll be performing some new tricks? That’s classified information, amigo!

Nitro Circus is touring nationally in May. For tickets and info: nitrocircuslive.com

Your brother encouraged you to try your first drop-in at a skate park when you were only eight. Had you ever heard of anyone attempting it before you did, and how nervous were you?I’d never heard of anyone dropping in at a skatepark in a wheelchair before my brother got me into it. Just like trying anything new, it sure does gets your heart beating! You were at a camp when you landed your first double backflip. How exciting was that? Camp Woodward is an extreme athlete’s dream world – foam pits, epic skate parks. If there was anywhere on earth to land a double backflip in a wheelchair, that was the place it had to happen. The support that the staff showed towards my goal was amazing and I’ll forever be grateful to them.

How old were you when you began practising and touring with Nitro Circus? What was your first show like?I was 18 when I joined Nitro Circus and the first show was such a great experience – so much adrenaline followed by so much pain! But a few shows later, I landed it and had such a great time.

You’ve said that after you posted the video of your first backflip on the internet, life changed for you. How so?Ever since my backflip video went online it has been intense. I’ve been blessed to travel the world and I’ve accomplished more than I ever thought was possible. I’m stoked!

Is there a show or a specific trick you’ve performed with Nitro Circus that stands out? Landing my first frontflip in New Zealand. My mum was there and it was just a magic moment for me and my career. You’ve worked as a coach and mentor at summer camps for the disabled. How do kids respond when you tell them about your revolutionary way of viewing your wheelchair as a toy? Do they ever get scared?I try not to push kids into trying a backflip right away (laughs) but lots of young kids who ride chairs are really getting into the sport, which is called WCMX

“I’d never heard of anyone

dropping in at a skate park

in a wheelchair before my brother got

me into it.”

On the eve of his Australian tour with stunt maniacs Nitro Circus, Aaron ‘Wheelz’ Fotheringham talks to Dana Groop about his ability to combine a wheelchair with motorcross.

minutes with …

Five

Wheelz

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checkin

BGC Contracting. Leaders in Mining and Civil Contracting. Tel (08) 9260 2300 WWW.BGC.CC

The big difference between extraordinary and ordinary is that little bit extra. This means going further, trying harder and thinking smarter. Our ultimate goal is to bring that extra level of commitment to every project we undertake. At BGC Contracting, we call this ‘110%’. It’s a mantra instilled in every one of our team members and

it’s what drives every aspect of our business from the boardroom to the coalface. Every day we put in the hard yards and extra miles to deliver for our clients. It’s the reason why Australia’s leading resources companies are continuing to choose us as their trusted partners. When your next project is ready to go, we’re ready to give it 110%.

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SHORT TERM 12Madman, RRP $29.95Short Term 12 tells the story

of Grace, a 20-something

supervisor at a foster care

facility for at-risk teenagers.

Life’s challenging but pretty

sweet until Jayden, a gifted

but troubled teenager with

whom Grace has a charged

connection, arrives. Jayden

forces Grace to battle with

her own demons but she

comes out better for it in the end. Brie Larson (the

teenage daughter in United States of Tara) does a

stand-out job of playing Grace.

MUSCLE SHOALSMadman, RRP $29.95Empire Magazine called it

“a stomping good doc.”

Q Magazine said it’s “a

glorious, uplifting and

affecting tribute to a

legendary studio and the

man who built it.” This doco

about the town of Muscle

Shoals, Alabama, looks at the

origins of some of the most

important songs and artists

of all time. It includes interviews with Bono,

Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards,

Alicia Keys and others.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: MEGAFOODMadman, RRP $29.95Ever complained about

cooking for the family at

Christmas? Times this effort

by thousands and you’ll have

an insight into the kitchens

shown in Megafood. With a

whole episode dedicated to

‘Aussie super pub’ Eatons Hill

Hotel (in Queensland) this

series brings you food on a massive scale. It’s extreme

sport for cooking show fans, with storylines covering

aircraft serving more than 50,000 meals per day and

kitchens with a cast of thousands.

BLACK KEYS TURN BLUETurn Blue is the much anticipated follow-up to The Black Keys’ massive

hit album, El Camino. Achieving double-platinum sales in Australia and

earning them three Grammy Awards, El Camino was always going to

be hard to top. Keys drummer Patrick Carney, who also co-produced

the album, is confident, saying, “We are always trying to push

ourselves when we make a record – not repeat our previous work but

not abandon it either. On this record we let the songs breathe and

explored moods, textures and sounds. We’re excited for the world to

hear Turn Blue.” The album is out on May 9 on Nonesuch Records.

Read watch

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through the app’s interactive and

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staffpick

ICEFALL Guy Hallowes

Sydney-based author Guy Hallowes has tackled

fiction with a social conscience in his first fiction

novel, Icefall. It’s a thriller delving into a family’s

response to discovering the Ross Ice Shelf in the

Antarctic, which is forecast to collapse into the sea

and create a 15-metre tsunami.

The ice shelf, which is the size of France, is real.

The author was inspired to write the book after his

own family had a chat about its potential collapse.

Hallowes believes it’s important to create socially

responsible fiction. “Many of the great authors wrote

about social issues – for example, Dickens in Oliver Twist. Not that I could compare myself in any way to

such a great author, but I’ll continue to write with

a social conscience,” he says.

Icefall isn’t a treatise on climate change, he adds.

“The main character in the novel is a beautiful,

strong, ruthless woman who is determined to create

a settlement where the family and a few hundred

others can survive the impending catastrophe.

“So the book deals with the attitude and position

of women in our society. It also explores our society’s

relationship with Aboriginal people, who materially

help the settlement community to survive the

catastrophe. Inevitably, in the course of the narrative,

the novel also explores themes of self-sufficiency

and conflict.”

Icefall, RRP $29.99, is published by Short Stop Press.

BGC Contracting. Leaders in Mining and Civil Contracting. Tel (08) 9260 2300 WWW.BGC.CC

The big difference between extraordinary and ordinary is that little bit extra. This means going further, trying harder and thinking smarter. Our ultimate goal is to bring that extra level of commitment to every project we undertake. At BGC Contracting, we call this ‘110%’. It’s a mantra instilled in every one of our team members and

it’s what drives every aspect of our business from the boardroom to the coalface. Every day we put in the hard yards and extra miles to deliver for our clients. It’s the reason why Australia’s leading resources companies are continuing to choose us as their trusted partners. When your next project is ready to go, we’re ready to give it 110%.

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PARADISE BEACHSYDNEY

Even the toughest business trip has a silver lining of pleasure if you’re bunking down in the light-filled, super stylish apartments at Bondi38. And if you’re just taking a break from it all and holidaying on Bondi Beach, then you’re in the right place to take full advantage of Bondi’s busy nightlife and laidback beach and hipster vibe. Smack-bang on the rightfully iconic Bondi Beach, metres from the sand and right among the shops and hub of funky cafés, bars and restaurants, the one and two modern bedroom apartments are beautifully decorated to make the most of the stunning views. They feature modern appliances in the kitchens and laundries and are equipped with Foxtel, wi-fi, keyless entry and state-of-the-art fixtures. A stay at Bondi38 becomes an effortless adventure in one of the most spectacular beachside suburbs imaginable. You won’t want to go home. bondi38.com.au

nightout

SHACKED UPSYDNEY

Sydney’s Oxford Street has always been home to some quirky gems on the food and beverage circuit, and Hello Sailor is one of the latest hangouts to open its doors and welcome guests after great food, awesome tunes and a fun vibe. Upstairs, the seafood-themed restaurant and bar has a distinct ‘60s American diner feel. Downstairs, the intimate lighting, chunky wooden benches, stools (and a boat you can lounge in) with overhanging lanterns give it a seaside shack feel, with a dose of deep south saloon thrown in for good measure. New award-winning head chef, Nick de Gersigny, brings with him a load of experience, having had stints at crowd-drawing Hinky Dinks and The Roosevelt. Foodwise, Hello Sailor is famous for its mouthwateringly good lobster burger and Soft Shell Crab Cajun ‘submarine’ sandwich with jalapeno mayonnaise. Or dig into the $1 Pacific Oyster dished up between 5pm and 7pm daily with Happy Hour drinks, and then share some delicious tapas plates such as kingfish ceviche with tostadas, or barramundi tacos with coleslaw and a cheek-warming salsa. There’s also the good ol’ American diner faves – chargrilled pork ribs, and chicken wings with a ranch sauce, of course. Don’t leave without downing some of the joint’s famed frickles. Yep, you guessed it – that’s deep fried pickles to you. hellosailor.com.au

spicytastes

A stay at Bondi38 becomes an effortless adventure in one of the most spectacular beachside suburbs.

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A stay at Bondi38 becomes an effortless adventure in one of the most spectacular beachside suburbs.

BYRON BLISSBYRON BAY

Situated on the eastern side of Byron Bay, Victoria’s at Wategos is a stunning Tuscan-style guesthouse, nestled in the exclusive oceanfront valley of Wategos Beach, just under the famous Cape Byron lighthouse. It has beautifully furnished rooms with spacious marble and stone spa bathrooms, all decorated in style with unique bespoke pieces and luxurious bed linen tailor-made for each room.

Victoria’s at Wategos is the perfect beachside escape surrounded by lush tropical landscaped gardens. The property has several indoor lounge areas, with floor to ceiling glass and timber bi-fold doors. The western side of the property features a 16 x three-metre lap pool with waterfall. A second 12-metre solar heated lap pool is located on the eastern side of the property featuring a cabana and sun lounge area. The indoor lounge areas are a great place to put your feet up and relax while absorbing the sea breeze and, in the cooler months, two of the three lounge rooms boast roaring open log fireplaces.

Beach chairs, umbrellas, surfboards, surf skis, and binoculars for whale watching are all supplied, and as Victoria’s is only 100 metres from one of the most beautiful and exclusive beaches in Australia, surfing, fishing and sun bathing are virtually on the doorstep.

Victoria’s At Wategos is a stylish and relaxing retreat, and makes a spectacular base for exploring the local Byron Bay area and beyond. Victoria’s At Wategos offers the same sumptuous dining options, services and facilities, as its sister property, Victoria’s At Ewingsdale, which is a stately manor situated on four acres, six kilometres west of Byron Bay. Both properties can be booked and explored at victorias.net.au, 02 6684 7047.

beachhaven

Victoria’s at Wategos is the perfect beachside escape surrounded by lush tropical landscaped gardens.

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Eskimo Joe are (left to right) Joel Quartermain, Kavyen Temperley

and Stuart MacLeod.

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t’s a ridiculous band name. The sort of rubbish moniker you usually only find out about in slightly embarrassing retrospect,

like the garage band buried on a middling soap star’s Wikipedia page, which he tried to get off the ground before playing Gazza the ambo in Neighbours. But after 16 years and six albums, Eskimo Joe – aka singer/bassist Kavyen Temperley, guitarist Stuart MacLeod and drummer/guitarist Joel Quartermain – can see the funny side.

“I remember sitting down one time with Dean from Magic Dirt and talking about band names and I was like, ‘I wish we had a name like Magic Dirt – that’s a cool name that kind of spans the ages,’” says Stu, on the line from Perth. “You know what’s a silly name? Eskimo Joe. Then again, The Beatles was a slightly silly name.”

“You don’t really think about how silly ‘Smashing Pumpkins’ is,” says Kav.

“After years and years ‘Eskimo Joe’ has just become our name,” says Stu. “We’re okay with it.”

With eight ARIA Awards to their name and a crowdfunded model for their new album, Wastelands – which aimed for $40,000 and reached $60,000 and is produced by genre-mashing ex-Gerling Burke Reid – Australia is obviously pretty ‘okay’ with Eskimo Joe, too … even if the band is doomed to forever be lumped into the Shitty Names Club with also-rans like The Beatles and The Pumpkins.

“Hey, hey!” all three holler down the line. “We didn’t say shitty! We said silly!”

You know, the problem with a group phone call with you three is your speaking voices are almost identical.S: Ha! You should be fine. Anything technical will be Joel, anything hippie will be Kav and anything ridiculous will be me.

Isn’t the word ‘eskimo’ offensive to Inuits?K: It’s offensive to some of them, apparently. There are some who prefer to be called ‘Eskimos’ and some who prefer ‘Inuit’ and some who don’t care. I’m not an expert on Inuit relations, but that’s what I’ve read.

So you’ve never been attacked by Inuits, then?J: No. There aren’t many Inuits in Australia, to the best of my knowledge. Where is this going?

Moving on. Wastelands is remarkably electronic. Was that an awkward change?S: I wouldn’t say awkward, I‘d say fun.

J: Wastelands has been spoken of as a very electronic record, but everything is played live. We’ve got this old Roland keyboard from 1980 or something, and all the drums are ‘played in’, but it’s just got that much more of an LCD sound system, rock-band-playing-dance-music sort of vibe.

You’re three grown men from Western Australia, a state apparently besieged by sharks. Would it surprise you to turn up to rehearsal to discover that Kav, say, had been devoured by the white death?K: Definitely. I think, statistically, more people are killed by vending machines every year. That’s a legitimate fact.

But everyone in the world walks past a vending machine 20 times a day. How many people spend that much time in the water?K: I don’t know about that, there are quite a few people who hang out at the ocean in Perth – we’re a coastal town.

Are more Western Australians killed by vending machines than by sharks?K: That is something I’d have to verify, it’s true.S: I’ve heard, apparently, that vending machines are the leading cause of death in Inuits…K: All I know is it’s the sharks’ natural habitat and they’re coming closer to us, so maybe we should look at ways of repelling sharks rather than killing them, like with those electrosonic devices. And also looking at the

BACKYARD BOYSPerth’s ARIA-hoarding rock royalty Eskimo Joe speak with Ben Smithurst about silly names, redneck shark hunters, backyard gigs and Wastelands,

their crowdfunded, electronically infused new album.

“Wastelands has been spoken

of as a very electronic record, but everything is

played live.”

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reasons why they’re coming closer and trying to tackle those. S: It’s more like that episode of The Simpsons where they have Whacking Day to kill all of the snakes.J: Being overseas and seeing that guy from Western Australia shooting a shark in the head with a shotgun is just not a good look. What sort of cowboys are we? I’m glad that speech by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam went viral as well, just to counterbalance the redneck with the shotgun.

Peter Helliar, the comedian, was once beaned by a saucepan thrown from the audience. What’s been your worst gig?S: I once was at a gig and I threw a saucepan at Peter Helliar…J: We once had a taxidermy cat thrown on stage. That was in 2001.K: Generally on stage we’ve been lucky – when something goes south we’ve been able to turn it into a positive for everyone to laugh along with. The only thing I can remember that was awkward was I got invited on stage to sing ‘Great Southern Land’ and…S: By Iva Davies!K: By Iva Davies, yeah, from Icehouse, and it was in front of a mere 80,000 people. We were just meant to sing the chorus and, at the very last minute, Iva decided we would sing the verse. Katy Steele [Little Birdy] and I were meant to be singing, and Iva was kind of talking and it just got really muddled. Katy was like, ‘Is this where I’m meant to sing?’ and I was kind of dancing and looking awkward. I looked over at Nic Cester [Jet], who was playing guitar, and he had this look that said, ‘I am so glad I’m just playing guitar.’S: It’s on YouTube. Look it up.

Oh, no.J: We played a gig once where we were introduced by John Travolta and Bindi Irwin – that was pretty interesting. My in-ear radio pack to send the monitors to my ears must have been on the same frequency as Travolta’s and I heard a 10-minute conversation between Travolta and Bindi Irwin’s mum.

“It’s quite an intimate thing, going into somebody’s backyard and playing. It was like going on a first date – at the start everyone was awkward.”

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What did they talk about? J: What schools they were sending their kids to. I was looking at the other guys going, ‘Can you hear this?’ It was crazy.K: It was like having Travolta’s voice as your inner monologue.

As part of your crowdfunding model, you went out and played gigs at the homes of top fans – and cooked them barbecues. How many did you visit?K: I think we did four of them. It’s quite an intimate thing, going into somebody’s backyard and playing. It was like going on a first date – at the start everyone was awkward, but after we played everyone loosened up, and by the end everyone was having a genuinely good time and we were like, ‘Damn, is that the time?’ S: I think the line between your onstage personality and your natural persona is becoming eroded. Especially in Australia, people have always shied away from that rock star adulation that occurs overseas.

Tex Perkins once battered a bloke with one of his ARIAs. Have you done anything rock’n’roll with yours?J: But the guy was cracking on to his girlfriend, so fair enough.S: We got leather holsters made for ours and we just wear them around…J: And then we let people touch them, of course – for a price.

Has it been weird grappling with how you’re going to play these songs live?K: It was a daunting prospect, but then we got into the studio and started figuring it out. Joel transcribed a bunch of keyboard parts and I just basically played bass and then everything else we gave to our keyboard player, Tony, who has seven hands.S: We feared the worst – we thought it was going to be really hard work but…J: It was difficult to translate [the songs] into an acoustic kind of thing because it’s a keyboard-based record,

so playing them on guitar they lost their spirit a bit. But we figured it out. It’s been good. The songs held up.

How’s the touring now? Still Taragos full of Maccas wrappers, or have you graduated to private jets and an enormous entourage?K: No, it’s the same every time – you fly in, then you drive endlessly in a car.S: I guess the thing that really illustrates that point is we played Splendour in the Grass a few years ago and all the whisper backstage was ‘Oh, Kanye’s flying in on a chopper!’ and everyone is hanging out, looking at the sky, waiting for the chopper to arrive … and he rolls up in a Kia Carnival.

And how long does it take in a Tarago before you all go mad?K: About three weeks.S: Three weeks? Three days!J: I guess the old tour mania fits us like a glove now.

outtahere

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Check out our wrap-up of top places in Queensland that are hotting up as the rest of Australia cools down.

outtahere

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QUEENSLAND IS THE state that just keeps on giving. It doesn’t experience much of a winter, it’s enormous and it’s bursting at the seams with gems to discover.

Here’s a snapshot of five places in Queensland that are either up and coming or well-loved favourites getting a facelift.

Something’s brewing in BurleighThis iconic beachside city is undergoing a real makeover, thanks to the multi-million dollar injection into its infrastructure ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. By June 2014, the new light rail system will be complete, opening the city up for easy transport from Southport Parklands through to Broadbeach.

If it is something new you’re after, chalk up a visit to this lesser-known southern end of the Gold Coast and tap into some awesome restaurants and a feeling of yesteryear.

A few eateries to chose from include: Pizza with Justin Lane (justinlane.com.au); chews with blockbuster views at Oskars on Burleigh (oskars.com.au); the best seafood at The Fish House (thefishhouse.com.au); while up the road you’ll find the best Greek food outside Athens at Hellenika (hellenika.com.au).

Food aside, Burleigh also has plenty of entertainment options. Try yoga

on the beach with Essence of Living (essenceofliving.com.au); then mix it up with a visit to Burleigh Brewing Co and sample ‘My Wife’s Bitter’ (burleighbrewing.com.au).

For those on a budget, there are plenty of cheap motels, including Burleigh Beach Tourist Park (goldcoasttouristparks.com.au/park/burleigh-beach). And once a month, there’s a seriously good market worth a wander at The Village Markets (thevillagemarketsgc.com.au).

New in NoosaHastings Street, the heart and soul of Noosa, has had a mini facelift and emerged with a fresh new look thanks to new restaurants and revamped hotels. The shopping strip is also looking a lot more satisfying now that the global financial crisis is firmly in the rear-view mirror.

With absolute beachfront access to Noosa’s Main Beach and boasting a Hastings Street address, Seahaven Noosa has long been a favourite hotel hotspot.

Peter Kuruvita’s light-filled new restaurant,

Noosa Beach House.

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The resort has recently undergone a complete refurbishment, and now offers a sophisticated modern atmosphere for families, couples and business travellers working or holidaying in the region (seahavennoosa.com.au).

Sheraton Noosa Resort & Spa, Noosa’s only five-star deluxe hotel in Hastings Street, has revealed its fresh $10 million renovation. The 176 guestrooms, suites and villas have been transformed from salmon pink to contemporary ivory and grey tones. Noosa Beach House by Peter Kuruvita replaces the original Cato’s restaurant, serving up fresh seafood dishes from its spectacular beachside location (sheratonnoosaresort.com; peterkuruvita.com).

The Southern Great Barrier ReefStep back in time in the fascinating hamlets of 1770 and Agnes Water; the jumping off point to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. On a day trip to Lady Musgrave Island, you’ll find the reef relatively free of swimmers, but brimming with marine life. Adventurers can channel their inner bikie with Scooteroo Tours (scooterrootours.com); or try surfing at the Lazy Lizard Surf School (lazylizardsurfschool.com.au).

The whole family can ride the big pink amphibious craft on the ‘Larc Tour 1770’ (1770larctours.com.au); or hire an electric bike and cruise the town.

Most people rent a house for a week and self-cater, but if you want something a bit more plush, try one of the houses at the Sunrise at 1770 estate (sunriseat1770.com.au/resort). Other good options include Sandcastles at 1770 (sandcastles1770.com.au); and the amazing beachfront ‘glamping’ chalets at Agnes Water Beach Caravan Park (agneswaterbeach.com.au).

Dining is more casual around here.

The Tree Bar serves up burgers with a seriously great view (restaurant1770.com), while on Friday nights, pizza bar Kahunas (kahunas.com.au) is where it’s at.

Airlie BeachingThere’s no chill in the air here in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.

After five years languishing in the GFC and post Cyclone Yasi doldrums, last year Airlie Beach emerged reborn following a $23 million-dollar makeover that has tarted up the main street and put the sparkle back into the community.

On a day trip to Lady Musgrave Island, you’ll find the reef relatively free of swimmers but brimming with marine life.

Above: Sunset casts a beautiful glow across the waters near 1770.

Image: Tourism

Qld

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This town was built on backpackers and still appeals to the adventurer on a shoestring budget – with plenty of snorkelling, jet-skiing, skydiving and sailing, but with so many upmarket offerings springing up in the past five years, there’s now room for grown-ups too.

Rest your head on a pillow at Marina Shores (marinashores.com.au); The Summit Apartments (summitairliebeach.com.au) or Pinnacles Resort & Spa (pinnaclesresort.com) by night. By day take a seaplane over to Whitehaven Beach and Heart Reef. Meanwhile, for families, who can go past Big 4 Holiday Parks (airliebeach.qld.big4.com.au), or the

chance to charter your own yacht? When it comes to food, Airlie Beach

puts satisfaction in the tummy. Capers Restaurant (airliebeachhotel.com.au) uses the best locally sourced produce; while Fish D’vine (fishdvine.com.au) boasts the best chilli crab outside Singapore as well as the world’s best rum-based mojitos. For a lazy Sunday lunch, you can’t go past DejaVu’s (dejavurestaurant.com.au) eight-course buffet with beach views to boot.

Palm CovePalm Cove, halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas, has long been a favourite place for southerners to escape the winter (it’s 25 degrees here in July).

One of Australia’s best boutique properties, The Reef House (reefhouse.com.au) has added new Beach House Apartments with pool or ocean views for guests wanting more space and a self-contained setting. Unique to The Reef House is also a new four-bedroom apartment, complete with its own private pool, for a larger group, family, or several couples to enjoy. Alternatively, go bush for

Top left: Seared yellow fin tuna, ruby grapefruit, sweet pork, crackling by Peter Kuruvita; Above: Dining at Crystalbrook Lodge.

Palm Cove, halfway between Cairns and Port Douglas, has long been a favourite place for southerners to escape the winter.

something truly different. Crystalbrook Lodge (crystalbrookcollection.com.au) is located 180 kilometres west of Cairns and is part of the 34,398-hectare Crystalbrook Station. Catering to a maximum of just 10 guests and surrounded by a staggering range of wildlife, you can spend your days on the lake or riverside, exploring the bush wilderness or just enjoying the serenity of the Outback in the lodge’s private manicured grounds.

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5. How to integrate lessee & lessor worksFitout costs can really get out of hand. If possible, plan far enough in advance to relocate to a new building or space being refurbished ahead of completion. By integrating lessee and lessor works the cost of relocation, aside from any incentives, will be reduced by at least a third of the cost when your new layout can incorporate all the electrical, mechanical and hydraulic requirements without the waste of reworking these services in completed vacant areas.

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Iconic Business For Sale: Fishes at the Point, Straddie Rare opportunity to own one of beautiful Straddie’s most successful and much loved businesses, known to thousands of tourists and supported by travellers and locals the whole year round. An excellent opportunity for a family run business, with a number 1 lifestyle, this multi-award winning dine-in and take away restaurant awaits you and your ideas. Located opposite the spectacular North Gorge and surrounded by kilometres of pristine white sandy beaches.

$1m+ annual turnover • 9+ year lease • Prime Tourist Location • For Sale by Expression of Interest

Call Colin Battersby on 0418 225 265 or +617 3415 3949

Inspired by paradise

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food&wine

17

TASMANIAN TREATS

Savour Tasmania – a relatively new festival celebrating Tasmanian food and wine – has quickly built up a devoted following. Winsor Dobbin checks out what all the fuss is about.

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icture hundreds of people – 500, at least – wining and dining in style; feasting on dishes cooked by some of the

biggest names in the culinary world; and enjoying fine wines from the best producers in Tasmania.

Welcome to the Savour Tasmania Long Table dinner at Princes Wharf One on the historic Hobart waterfront. This is the crowning event of the annual Savour Tasmania food and wine festival, which features events in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie.

The lucky guests enjoyed dishes crafted by Michelin-starred Belgian whiz kid, Kobe Desramaults; Sydney maestro, Giovanni Pilu; Shane Delia and dessert demon, Darren Purchese. A team of chefs each prepared a course or dish for every diner, with platters to share between six people bringing an intimate feel to the festivities. A wide range of Tasmanian wines were on offer, along with canapés, fresh-baked local breads, chocolate treats and roving desserts created by some of Tasmania’s most promising culinary apprentices.

climate wines, Savour has attracted leading chefs from around the world, who work with local artisans and farmers to create a program of fascinating and thought-provoking dinners, tastings and classes.

World-class chefs including bad boy, Alvin Leung from Hong Kong, who hosted a memorable dinner at Hobart eatery Me Wah; world-renowned Sydney legend Tetsuya Wakuda; Martin Bosley from New Zealand and Spanish maestro Paco Roncero, have lit up the event and wowed diners.

Previous guest chefs have included The Cook and The Chef stars Simon Bryant and Maggie Beer; South African celebrity chef, Margor Jansz; and Shane Osborn from Pied à Terre in London.

Among last year’s highlights were a gourmet PorkStars feast centred on a pig on a spit cooked by Gourmet Farmer TV star Matthew Evans and Sydney-based Irish maverick Colin Fassnidge from

The Long Table dinner is the finale to Savour Tasmania, which has taken just five years to become one of the most important events on the Australian gourmet calendar, mixing food and fun in equal measure.

Created to promote awareness of Tasmania’s clean, green produce, and cool-

This image: A team of chefs crafted exquisite

dishes for Savour Tasmania guests.

Below left: The Long Table dinner at Princes

Wharf One.

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The Four in Hand Dining Room and 4Fourteen. Their dishes were served in the courtyard of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and matched with wines and ciders from the Huon Valley.

Desramaults paired with Garagistes chef, Luke Burgess, to host two (sold out) degustation dinners, which included unusual taste sensations that featured local periwinkles and mutton-bird.

This year, Savour Tasmania runs from May 21–24 in Hobart, and promises to be equally adventurous with an Asian theme. Guest chefs will include Bali-based Will Meyrick, Dan Hong and Daniel Wilson.

Highlights include another al fresco PorkStars tasting in the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery courtyard, with guest Melbourne chefs Daniel Wilson of Huxtable, and Jesse Gerner from Bomba on May 21. A dinner at The Henry Jones Art Hotel on May 22 will feature Will Meyrick from Sarong and Mama San in Bali, and E&O in Jakarta, with Henry Jones Art Hotel executive Andre Kropp.

The Long Table dinner on May 24 will showcase innovative dishes from

Meyrick; Dan Hong from Mr Wong, Ms G’s, Papi Chulo and El Loco in Sydney; Christopher Shane and Chan Yai Ching from Nobu in Melbourne and other guest chefs.

“Asia is the strongest export market for Tasmanian produce and its hunger for Tasmanian food can be expected to increase, so this event will highlight the endless possibilities of using Tasmanian produce to create Asian-inspired food,” said Savour Tasmania event manager Alan Campbell.

And there’s more. Running concurrently with Savour Tasmania on May 24–25 is the annual Red Wine Weekend, showing off the best of Tasmania’s exceptional artisan wines.

Meyrick, this year’s star import, is actually an Australian who takes his inspiration from street food across Asia.

He’s been described as “western on the outside and Asian on the inside,” and, at 37, released his debut cookbook Sarong Inspirations.

Meyrick says you will find him at street stalls, in kitchens with local families, at local markets, getting off the beaten track to get to the heart of the dishes that move and shake him, and tracking down the original recipes handed down through families.

This image: Colour and flavour combines at Garagistes in Hobart

to make food that looks as good as it tastes. Below left: Dan Hong

from Mr Wong, Ms G’s, Papi Chulo and El Loco, Sydney.

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Hong, meanwhile, is a larger-than-life character and is executive chef at no fewer than four restaurants that are part of the fast-growing Merivale empire. He’s regarded as one of Sydney’s fastest rising culinary talents. He’s worked under celebrated stars including Tetsuya Wakuda as well as Mark Best at Marque, and had a stint working with superstar chef Wylie Dufresne in the United States. His cooking draws on Vietnamese, Cantonese and Mexican influences.

New Zealand-born Wilson has similarly diverse inspirations, having worked in the Unites States, New Zealand and Melbourne, including a stint with chef Daniel Boulud at the celebrated Daniel in New York, where he worked with luxury ingredients including truffles, porcini and foie gras.

He’s also worked for Jacques Reymond at Arintji at Federation Square and The Graham in Port Melbourne, and he’s now a partner in Huxtable, a modern eatery featuring share plates influenced by the cuisine of Europe and south-east Asia, as well as Melbourne gourmet burger bar Huxtaburger.

So many culinary influences; Tasmanians and visitors have so much to look forward to. And, judging by previous editions, there will be plenty of surprises in store.

savourtasmania.com.au

This image: Will Meyrick, this year’s star import from Asia, is actually Australian. Below: Beautifully presented dish from Garagistes in Hobart.

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THERE’S MUCH TO see in the gorgeous city of Adelaide and many incredible restaurants to discover. South Australians are rightfully proud of their produce, and menus are heaving with local delights such as Kangaroo Island marron and Barossa Berkshire pork – all perfectly matched with equally parochial wine lists. Serious wine-lovers rarely linger in the city for long, though, as Adelaide is literally surrounded by wine regions, all just a short drive away.

Adelaide HillsThe closest wine region is the Adelaide Hills – a long, winding chain of villages that makes for a lovely day of touring, tasting and nibbling. If the traffic lights are kind, you can be knocking on a cellar door in less than half an hour.

The Adelaide Hills is a cool-climate wine region where the whites really shine. Lovers of Riesling should head to Petaluma’s pretty home in the old Bridgewater Mill, although, to be honest, the Riesling grapes come from Clare Valley plantings (more on that later). To taste the local currency, the Chardonnay is from the Piccadilly Valley and is also used in Croser sparkling, which can be popped and sampled at the cellar door too.

Foodies will enjoy a trip to the Bird in Hand cellar door in Woodside, where the art- and light-filled dining space is a great place to settle in for the afternoon and experience the ‘food flight’; a progression of six seasonal dishes, each matched with a different wine.

Woodside is also home to the Woodside Cheese Wrights’ cellar door, where award-

For the perfect wine-lover’s adventure, head straight to South Australia, whose capital Adelaide is surrounded by rolling hills, fertile valleys and 387 cellar doors, writes Simone Henderson-Smart.

ADELAIDE: CELLARS ON THE DOORSTEP

The Adelaide Hills is a cool-climate wine region where the whites really shine.

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winning handmade artisan cheeses can be sampled, along with other local produce. It makes for a nice stop between sips.

Stirling is another great spot, with lots of little art and design stores to wander through. And, of course, there’s Hahndorf, a pretty slice of Germany and home to Beerenberg Farm, where you can pick strawberries and sample the full range of jams, jellies, chutneys and relishes.

McLaren ValeLess than an hour’s drive south of Adelaide is the coastal wine region of McLaren Vale. The climate here is warmer than the Adelaide Hills, so it’s the reds’ turn to show off. Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon are the heroes, as well as relative newcomers Tempranillo and Sangiovese. The region’s cellar doors do the fork-and-cork thing really well, with many offering much more than just a wine-tasting experience.

At the top end of town is d’Arenberg and its restaurant, d’Arry’s Verandah, which offers an inspired menu that changes with the seasons to showcase local produce at its peak. The wines are constant award

winners, and although fourth-generation winemaker Chester Osborn is known for experimenting with unusual varietals, it’s his love of old bush vine Grenache that has led to the discovery and resurrection of many derelict vineyards in the region, which are now producing low yields of luscious fruit.

At the more laid-back end of the spectrum is Coterie at the Woodstock cellar door, where large windows in the rammed earth walls enable views of the massive trees around which the cellar door was built. Graze on a regional platter or sample the local chargrilled Fleurieu spring lamb loin topped with fried chive spaetzle and salsa verde-infused lamb jus. Yes, in McLaren Vale laid-back is still top notch.

Folks who like to nibble and sip should take advantage of the wonderful cheese and wine trails through McLaren Vale. Head straight to Blessed Cheese on the main road and pick up your esky of specially selected cheeses, crackers, dried fruit and olives, along with a map that tells you which wineries to visit and what to nibble while you sip.

Previous page: Woodstock Coterie in McLaren Vale. This image: d’Arry’s Verandah’s menu changes with the seasons to make the most of local produce. Right: d’Arenberg wines are constant award winners.

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CoonawarraFurther south, on the Limestone Coast, is Coonawarra, where the terra rossa – rich, red soil – makes it Australia’s true red (wine) centre. It’s wall-to-wall Cabernet down here and all the big names in the business have plantings, such as Yalumba, Orlando and Wynns. It’s a small region – barely 20 kilometres from top to tail – and the cellar doors are neatly lined up along the Riddoch Highway for easy hopping.

The highway was named after the founder of Coonawarra, John Riddoch, and you can visit his great-great-grandson, John Rymill, at the architecturally breathtaking Rymill Coonawarra cellar door.

Further down the highway at the Penola end of town, Hollick is home to the

first winery restaurant in the region and is dishing up Angus eye fillet with potato boulangère, honey and poppy seed roasted carrots, salsa verde and Cabernet jus (naturally) to satisfied diners.

For a far more down-to-earth, country-style, smiley, family vibe, head next door to The Blok Estate. The Trotter family has owned and run the winery since 2005 and serves lovely homemade hot soups, scones with Cabernet jam (naturally) and cheese platters with a touch of friendly banter on the side. Don’t leave without trying the 2009 Riesling, which was crowned the best in Australia at the 2012 Winewise Championship.

Penola itself is a pretty little country town peppered with galleries, design stores and a few really good restaurants. If that’s not enough to tempt you, the region’s events calendar certainly will – there’s always something going on.

Penola is a pretty little country town peppered with galleries, design stores and restaurants.

FAST FACTThe top five most

expensive Australian wines on wine-searcher.com are all South

Australian reds: Chris Ringland Shiraz; Penfolds Grange Bin 95; Henschke

Hill of Grace; Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Shiraz and Greenock

Creek Roennfeldt Cabernet Sauvignon.

This image: Rymill Coonawarra’s cellar door is located in the heart of Coonawarra.

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The Barossa ValleyPerhaps South Australia’s best-known wine region, the Barossa Valley is home to 755 grape growers and some of the oldest vines in the world. Shiraz is the main varietal here and the quality is truly world class. Think Penfolds’ Grange and Henschke’s Hill of Grace (from nearby Eden Valley), which both regularly command upwards of $600 a bottle.

Wine-lovers with less coin can still sample some extraordinary wines in the region and meet winemakers who strictly adhere to traditional methods, as well as those who employ the latest technology.

Among the most respected boutique wineries in Australia, Rockford is all about tradition. When other wineries in the region were updating their equipment back in the 1970s, Robert O’Callaghan went in the opposite direction, buying and restoring old stone buildings from the 1850s, as well as old winemaking machinery and equipment. The result is an incredibly pretty cellar door where you can sample his amazing handmade, basket-pressed wines.

At the opposite end of the scale is Ben Glaetzer, whose modern, high-tech, scientific approach produces some truly outstanding reds, like his acclaimed Amon-Ra Shiraz.

There are many iconic names in the Barossa Valley – big guns like Penfolds,

Yalumba, Wolf Blass and Peter Lehmann – and it’s well worth visiting their cellar doors to sample their rare and premium offerings, which you won’t find at your local mainstream bottle shop.

Another big name in the Barossa Valley is Maggie Beer, and a visit to her Farm Shop in Nurioopta is deservedly on the bucket list of most Australian foodies.

Clare ValleyThe Clare Valley is home to the Riesling Trail – 35 vine-draped kilometres past cellar doors. It’s so flat that you can easily negotiate the trail on a bicycle. There are plenty of bike hire places here, so there’s no need to BYO. The Clare Valley is, of course, all about Riesling and, along with nearby Eden Valley, produces Australia’s best.

The only remaining Jesuit-owned winery in Australia, Sevenhill was established in 1851. Visitors to the valley who like to mix shrines and underground crypts with their wine-tasting shouldn’t miss this old place.

Other great wineries along the trail are Grosset, O’Leary Walker, Knappstein and Skillogalee – whose self-contained stone cottages are as pretty as their name, and are th e perfect place to rest your weary legs at the end of a long day of sipping and cycling.

For more information and cellar door maps, visit southaustralia.com

Artist note: Woodstock pic credit photographer Randy Larcombe

Above from top: Visit Maggie Beer’s farm shop in Nurioopta; the self-contained stone cottages of Skillogalee. Below: Rockford is beautiful in autumn.

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HOUSED WITHIN the sandstone walls of Manly’s oldest residence, gift and homewares store Epoch is brimming with timeless pieces from across the globe that have been given a new lease of life. It’s a furniture and giftware shop, yes. You’ll see tables and chairs, bookshelves, bedroom furniture, lamps, candles and bowls spread out across its 1000 square metres of floor space, but it’s no cookie cutter store.

You see, every item in the shop has been made out of materials sourced from South-East Asia: high-quality timbers derived from remnants of old buildings, bridges, houses, fishing boats and railways. As owner David Edwards says, “It’s about redoing old things. Ninety-five per cent of our stock has a story. There is history in the timbers; they are hundreds of years old and originally cut for a different purpose.”

There is something special about furniture made from materials that have had a previous life. It’s a backlash against the culture of fast fashions and cheap materials sourced from unsustainable forests. It’s the beauty of knowing your purchase has done no harm to the planet and its people, and that it already has a story to tell.

“The energy of the product comes down

to the old timber; it absorbs experiences,” explains David. “We can see it with some items on the floor, when every person who walks past has to touch it. It just happens with certain pieces,” he says.

This is especially true of furniture made from old building materials. “People in Indonesia pull down a home every three generations and rebuild,” he says.

These days, David has contacts in Indonesia and works with a handful of factories across South-East Asia who can gather these timbers and give them new life. They are self-managing and they collect the timbers themselves.

“One of the factory owners in Indonesia is keen to achieve a zero footprint. They actually collect the timbers on foot,” David says. “We are working with people who are trying to put back into communities.”

But it won’t last forever: “Once [Indonesians] start using steel frames in their home construction, our industry will have to change again,” he says.

The giftware component of the shop keeps things moving as well. “All the giftware we bring in is from colleagues exporting in the same areas,” he says.

“Everything has been designed under high scrutiny.

“We want to maintain the integrity of

the business; that’s the trick, that’s how we’re different.”

The beauty of Epoch’s stock lies in its uniqueness – the pieces on sale are one of a kind. “It’s a cash-and-carry situation,” David says. “What we have in this week may not be in next time, and every item is unique.”

Before Epoch, David worked for his father, who was a commodity trader. “I worked in his business, mainly with plantation products, when I was 20 years old. But it was all too stuffy for me. I had a creative and design background, and I got together with a mate in the Philippines and we put a container together to send to Australia and decided to see what happens.”

That was 30 years ago, at the beginning of the business. Over the years, David has travelled across South-East Asia and beyond, sourcing products from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Tibet, India and Sri Lanka. “Back then it wasn’t much of an industry. We’d go into the country looking for original pieces and find people to clean them up,” he explains. “It was a cottage industry.”

At that stage, David was selling pieces he’d found to stores in Australia, but he soon realised he would need to set up his own retail shop, which he proceeded to do 23 years ago. “Shop owners just

FURNITURE WITH A STORYCalling Epoch a furniture shop seems inadequate – it’s so much more. A museum of arts, crafts and upcycling at its best, Epoch will change the way you view furniture forever. Danielle Chenery explores.

“The energy of the product comes down to the old timber; it absorbs experiences. We see it with some items on the floor, when every person who walks past has to touch it.”

smallbusiness

This image: Epoch sells furniture with a story and sustainably grown timbers

– the ABC furniture is made out of Mango Wood from a plantation in India.

Opposite: David and Jackie pictured inside the Manly showroom.

smallbusiness

didn’t understand. They’d say the items were ‘too rustic’ or ‘not finished,’” he laughs.

“We needed to be able to display the items together for it all to work. When we were wholesalers, shop owners would come and choose some items and try to sell them that way, in pieces, but it doesn’t work – you need to see how everything looks together to create the right mood.”

Thus, Epoch the shop was born in the seaside suburb of Manly, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

“We started with just one shop and expanded into the two neighbouring shops, but we outgrew our previous space 15 years ago. We could have just moved out of Manly and taken up space in [neighbouring suburbs] Brookvale or Manly Vale, but we wanted something for Manly locals. We wanted to stay loyal to the area,” David says.

His partner, Jackie Wisbey, a commercial photographer, has been working in the shop for the past 10 years or so.

“It’s a huge commitment. It’s not a lifestyle business like people think, apart from the fact you’re working for yourself and you get to travel. But it is hard work – you may be travelling to beautiful places, but you’re not lying on the beach, you’re hard at work,” says David.

And the couple’s perfect scenario of living and working in Manly is facing yet another hurdle: “We only have two and a half years left here [in the new Pittwater Road location] so we’re going to make the most of it.

“It’s the largest retail space in Manly, but the building’s owners have approval to knock it down so apartments, car parking and shops can be built.”

David says two members of Manly Council’s heritage committee recently noticed the building’s interior sandstone walls and ornate ceiling. This alerted them to the possibility the building may be the oldest standing in Manly and the previous residence of former mayor of Sydney, George Smith, which could be the building’s saving grace.

As a Manly resident for the past 25 years, David is reluctant to see the end of low-lying development and locally owned shops in the area.

“It’s really important to support local

business, otherwise the only choice will be major commercial stores. There’ll be no little guy with a unique business or product,” he says.

“The internet helps and hinders – the rag trade is closing down and the younger generation is online. But if you want to touch, feel and see before you buy, you’ve got to go to local businesses. And the service is the difference,” he says.

Despite his stance, David is in the process of relaunching Epoch’s website and getting onto Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. “The idea is for people to fall in love [with the items] and then come in to see it for himself,” he says.

After all, a visit to the shop is a journey worth making – it’s an experience in itself.

epochdesign.com.au

Right and below: Epoch’s furniture is made from reconstructed or sustainably grown timbers.

Issue 11 – May 2014

The state of the heavy equipment industry, and its impact on mining in the future.

15

There can be only one true forerunner. In underground mining automation, it is undoubtedly Sandvik AutoMine™. The Sandvik AutoMine™ product family covers fleet automation, single loader automation, block cave draw control and process control systems. Benefits include increased fleet utilisation, improved working conditions and safety, increased production as well as reduced maintenance costs. Sandvik AutoMine™ provides industry-leading safety, productivity and peace of mind for your operations.

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COAL IS NOT THE GOALQueensland Premier Campbell Newman was famously quoted as saying, “We are in the coal business. If you want decent hospitals, schools and police on the beat, we all need to understand that.” He was responding to the United Nations’ report on threats from port expansion to the health of the Great Barrier Reef and its status as a World Heritage site.

It was certainly true at the time – coal, Australia’s second-biggest export earner, brought in $41 billion in 2012 – but it seems Queenslanders have a different vision for the future of their state.

The Queensland Government has been collecting information from the state’s population as part of The Queensland Plan: a 30-year vision for Queensland. Almost 80,000 residents have already had their say about

their vision for Queensland, and coal doesn’t get a mention. Instead, the top priorities and goals of the respondents include protecting the environment and investing in and adopting sustainable and renewable energy solutions.

THE FUTURE OF LNGAt the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) conference in Perth last month, chairman Rob Cole was very positive about the growth of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry in Australia, saying: “Our industry is increasingly being acknowledged as one of the Australian economy’s shining lights.

“Deloitte Access Economics recently identified the gas industry as one of Australia’s top five growth sectors. According to Deloitte, the oil and gas industry will soon make up more than three per cent of Australia’s economy.”

In 2011–12, the LNG industry generated $12 billion in export revenue and contributed $29.4 billion to the Australian economy. Given there is $200 billion worth of new projects currently under construction, the future of LNG is looking very bright, with Deloitte modelling showing that, by 2025, building and operating these projects will have added more than $260 billion to Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“But we all know that if this is to occur, Australia must first improve its productivity and competitiveness,” Cole said. “There are many LNG projects on the world’s drawing boards. Indeed, the number planned is more than twice what is needed to meet the next decade’s forecast demand growth.”

Cole hopes the government will come to the table and do its bit to ensure LNG’s future in Australia, saying: “Our international competitiveness is under the microscope. And high labour costs and low productivity are an unsustainable mix.”

The other hope is that government will

Yara Pilbara has announced a new recruitment drive aimed at attracting workers and their families to WA’s north-west with sweeteners that include free housing, international training and a family-friendly roster.

In direct contrast to the fly-in fly-out phenomena, Yara Pilbara is constructing 60 homes in Karratha for new employees and their families.

Chief Executive of Yara Pilbara, Mark Loquan says the practice of “living local” is better for workers as well as the company.

“We believe having our people here in Karratha, in close proximity to our plants, makes sense for us. It promotes continuity in our operations, and for those of our team members with families it means they can be together and share in being part of a larger community,” Mr Loquan said.

Yara Pilbara is the operator of one of the world’s largest ammonia production facilities. The company is also currently building an $800 million technical ammonium nitrate (TAN) plant on the neighbouring site south of Karratha.

In addition to providing housing, the Norwegian-owned company will be offering overseas training opportunities to some of the new hires in countries including Spain, Chile and Sweden.

Twenty-nine year old father of three, Jonathan Luck moved his family to Karratha from Western Sydney to work on Yara Pilbara’s ammonia plant about 12 months ago.

“I couldn’t do fly-in fly-out. Working for Yara, I’m 15 minutes from home. I’m home every night and home on the weekends. You just can’t beat the lifestyle”, said Mr Luck.

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not been announced, but initial numbers showed a strong swing towards The Greens and Clive Palmer’s Palmer United Party.

On April 7, political correspondent Sabra Lane said on ABC’s 7.30: “For the ALP and its relatively new leader, Bill Shorten, the result’s a shocker. Mr Shorten urged voters to send the government a message about planned cuts to health and education. Instead, voters have sent him and the ALP a strong and unmissable missive: They don’t like what they see and hear.

“The Palmer United Party attracted nearly 12.5 per cent of the vote, with a big swing towards the party of nearly 7.5 per cent.

While prices of thermal as well as metallurgical coal are weak, BHP plans to remain competitive by pushing for higher productivity and deeper cost cuts, rather than reduce production.

Next, BHP Billiton needs to issue an environmental impact statement, however the Department of Planning says the project is in the very early stages of its environmental assessment process.

PALMER’S PARTY GAINS IN WA ELECTIONAt the time of going to press, the winner of the Western Australian Senate’s sixth seat had

address issues around the effective science-based regulation of the sector, as well as workplace relations issues.

THE DRONES ARE COMINGAustralian mining is embracing new drone and robotic technology in the hope of increasing productivity and global competitiveness.

“Drones will be able to shorten supply chains and will change your ability to monitor, track and manage the key aspects of your mining business that are time-critical in remote places,” says Nigel Court, Perth-based natural resources industry leader for the Asia-Pacific at Accenture, which provides mining consulting services. “One of the great things we’ll see with drones is immediate spare parts delivery, literally within hours, where now it can take days.”

The annual spend in Australia on research and development for the mining industry is about $4 billion. Mining giant Rio Tinto leads the way, spending $370 million on its technology and innovation unit last year, which employs 730 people. In fact, Rio Tinto funds one of the largest non-military robotics programs in the world and will soon add drones to its armoury of unmanned trucks and trains.

“Come and see me in about October,” says John McGagh, head of innovation at Rio Tinto in Australia. “You’ll see drones flying around. That’s not so long off.”

BHP SEEKS APPROVAL FOR NEW COALMINEBHP Billiton has sought approval to build a 30-year underground coalmine in northern New South Wales. The mining company lodged its application with the state government’s Mining and Petroleum Gateway Panel in early April.

The Caroona mine, which would be located about 40 kilometres south-east of Gunnedah in the Liverpool Plains, is expected to produce as much as 10 million tonnes of saleable thermal coal per year. BHP says it would employ up to 400 staff at the time of peak production and 600 during peak construction. It would be an underground mine, rather than open-cut, with the company claiming underground mining is better for the environment than open-cut mining.

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5

The Greens, too, recorded more than 15 per cent, and not far ahead of them, Labor on 21 per cent of the first preference vote. It will probably win just one seat,” she said.

ABC election analyst Antony Green agreed the result was terrible news for Labor. “The main story out of the Western Australian Senate election is the disastrous result for Labor. It’s the lowest Labor vote in an election – a Senate election since 1903. Their vote went substantially down. The loss of vote for the Liberal Party’s what you’d expect at a by-election,” he said on ABC’s 7.30.

SURAT EXPO CONNECTS INDUSTRY IN A BOOMING REGIONSouth West Queensland is leading the way in Australia with enormous growth and diversity across a range of industries. With major infrastructure projects already under way and a raft of others about to start the whole region is in ‘fast forward’.

The annual Surat Basin Energy and Mining Expo is one of the best industry events in Australia with hundreds of companies already booked in for the June Mega-Show. Organiser, Bob Carroll from Australian Events, said the event is easily accessible from Brisbane and is held in Toowoomba which is the gateway to the Surat Basin.

“The fly-by-nighters and the half-baked businesses have fallen away. The businesses and sponsors who are locked in for this year are the companies who have done their homework, have sourced the world’s best products and have stepped up every area of their business to ensure that they can supply and sustain a high level of service. This will be a top shelf event and one that business and industry should not miss.”

The Surat Basin Energy and Mining Expo opens on the June 18 with details for exhibitors and delegates available online at suratbasinexpo.com.au or by phoning FREE call 1800 671 588.

Property Investment Opportunity In the USA’s Largest Oil Field inNorth Dakota

Contact us at www.northdakotaoilhousing.com for further informationOr please call Corr Piccone on 0409 455 604North Dakota Oil Housing

Up To

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Blue Horizons Property is proud to announce the launch of our brand new oil worker’s accommodation investment, Great American Lodge Watford East. Located in the heart of the boom of the Bakken Formation.

We are offering great investment opportunities in worker studio accommodation. With the Watford City, Great American Lodge site completely SOLD OUT, now we have the green light to start marketing studios in the new Watford East site. These studios are extremely limited, so do not hesitate to contact us for more information and a free Investors Brochure.

Announcing the Release of Watford East in North Dakota

Property Investment Opportunity in the USA’s Largest Oil Field in

• Project rental yields of up to 37% NET per year Investment from $30,950 USD• Strong rental demand - 15,000 oil and service sector workers and rising• Rental income supported by some of the largest oil companies in the world • Fabrication of the Executive Hotel Studios is undertaken off site in order to deliver the build quickly and therefore faster returns can be achieved• Optional 5 year, 25% return, rental assurance available

North Dakota

North Dakota Oil Housing

“As oil production from the Bakken formation continues to set records in North Dakota, the sheer pace and scale of the boom is still unfolding.” Stanford University / Headwaters Economics

Up to Annual Rental Yields

Contact us at www.northdakotaoilhousing.com for further informationOr please call Corr Piccone on 0409 455 604

INVESTOR PRICE

% Annual Return OnPurchase Price

Net Annual Income

*$30,950

31%

*$9,509

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37%

*$118,357

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Property Investment Opportunity in the USA’s Largest Oil Field inNorth Dakota

29.10% 32.95%29.10%Projected NET Yield in First Year

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$5/night held back for Sinking Fund $912.50 $1,825 $10,950

Annual Total Gross Rental Income $22,831 $45,662 $273,969

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Property rental yields of up to 34% NET per year

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Executive Studio Features:

Blue Horizons Property is proud to announce the launch of our brand new oil worker’s accommodation investment, Great American Lodge Watford East. Located in the heart of the boom of the Bakken Formation.

We are offering great investment opportunities in worker studio accommodation. With the Watford City, Great American Lodge site completely SOLD OUT, now we have the green light to start marketing studios in the new Watford East site. These studios are extremely limited, so do not hesitate to contact us for more information and a free Investors Brochure.

Announcing the Release of Watford East in North Dakota

Property Investment Opportunity in the USA’s Largest Oil Field in

• Project rental yields of up to 37% NET per year Investment from $30,950 USD• Strong rental demand - 15,000 oil and service sector workers and rising• Rental income supported by some of the largest oil companies in the world • Fabrication of the Executive Hotel Studios is undertaken off site in order to deliver the build quickly and therefore faster returns can be achieved• Optional 5 year, 25% return, rental assurance available

North Dakota

North Dakota Oil Housing

“As oil production from the Bakken formation continues to set records in North Dakota, the sheer pace and scale of the boom is still unfolding.” Stanford University / Headwaters Economics

Up to Annual Rental Yields

Contact us at www.northdakotaoilhousing.com for further informationOr please call Corr Piccone on 0409 455 604

INVESTOR PRICE

% Annual Return OnPurchase Price

Net Annual Income

*$30,950

31%

*$9,509

*$54,950

35%

*$19,405

*$319,700

37%

*$118,357

50% FractionalOwnership

*All figures are US Dollars

Single ExecutiveStudio

Suite of 6 ExecutiveStudios

Property Investment Opportunity in the USA’s Largest Oil Field inNorth Dakota

29.10% 32.95%29.10%Projected NET Yield in First Year

Annual NET Profit after deductions $9,878 $19,756 $119,335

$5/night held back for Sinking Fund $912.50 $1,825 $10,950

Annual Total Gross Rental Income $22,831 $45,662 $273,969

Rental Rate per Studio per Night $139 $139 $139

Rental to Investor $11,191 $22,831 $136,985

Suite of 6 Executive Studios

Single Executive Studio

50% Fractional Studio

*All prices are in USD **Includes $10,000 discount for suite of 6 studios ***Dependant on chosen Management

Property Tax (estimated) $400 $800 $4,000

Marketing Costs $225 $450 $2,700

Income Share to Investor *** 50% 50% 50%

Days occupied per year at 90% occupancy rate 328.5 328.5 328.5

Investor Price $33,950* $59,950* $349,700*

34.12%

**

THE PAST 12 months has seen vast change in the Queensland resources sector as the new liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry comes to fruition, coal prices fall and once-controversial uranium mining is again permitted in the Sunshine State. With coal being the backbone of the Queensland mining sector, global oversupply and softening of demand for coal has taken a heavy toll on the industry.

“It’s led to inevitable cost-cutting programs, with all producers taking prudent steps to get costs under control,” says David Rynne, Queensland Resources Council’s (QRC) director of economic and infrastructure policy.

This has meant that in the past 12 to 18 months, big players such as British-based Anglo American and mining joint venture BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), have actually reduced their management and operational headcount to stay financially viable through the downturn.

While over the past two years about 8000 Queensland coal workers have lost their jobs, with

a percentage re-employed in the oil and gas industry, the timing is ironic. In December last year, the Queensland coal industry and supporting communities celebrated a coup, getting regulatory approval from Canberra after several years of battling for the expansion of the Abbot Point Coal Terminal. This will create export infrastructure to support the development of mines in the Bowen and Galilee Basins.

The regulatory approval allowing dredging paves the way for three additional terminals to be constructed. Once the T0, T1 and T3 terminals at Abbot Point are completed, it will mean the world’s largest coal port is 25 kilometres north of Bowen on the central Queensland coast.

Greenpeace and other conservationists around the country strongly oppose the project. “The expansion at Abbot Point will have a direct effect on the Great Barrier Reef through dredging. Even more serious are the effects it will have on the global climate through greenhouse emissions when all that coal is burned,” says Greenpeace

New-age QueenslandQUEENSLAND IS ENTERING A NEW ERA AS STALWART COAL MAKES ROOM FOR EMERGING RESOURCES INDUSTRIES AND GOVERNMENT PUSHES ITS AGENDA TO REMOVE REGULATION AT AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE TIME.

WORDS: ORYANA ANGEL

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Image courtesy of Bechtel

Above: Construction on Curtis Island, Queensland.

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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.

Bridgestone’s Tyre Repairers are craftsmen. Each are trained to the exacting and accredited (Australian Skills Quality Authority) Bridgestone Tyre Repair Training course. This training course provides the only comprehensive Off the Road Tyre repair accreditation in Australia.

www.bridgestone-earthmover.com.au

Even after 35 years in the tyre repair business Robbie still loves coming to work…

Bridgestone OTR Tyre Repair System

tyre-repair-ad 210x275.indd 1 4/03/13 12:58 PM

campaigner Louise Matthiesson. “Opening up the Galilee Basin’s untapped coal reserve is unleashing a new carbon bomb on the climate.”

Almost at the same time as the long-awaited tick of approval was given, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Anglo American decided to keep their options open and pull out of the tender process. However, Indian-based miners GVK Hancock and Adani are pressing ahead with plans to build terminals at the port.

With the opening up of the Galilee Basin potentially still a number of years away, the real opportunities in Queensland at the moment lie upstream in LNG, according to Rynne.

“At present the Queensland resources sector exports approximately $40 billion per year in commodities – be that coal, base and precious metals, alumina, bauxite and so on. The LNG industry, in full production a couple of years from now, is anticipated to add in excess of $10 billion per annum to the mix. That’s a very significant increase on what Queensland produces,” Rynne says.

“What’s happening in Queensland is profound. The LNG industry is currently in its infancy but each project can have a 30- to 40-year life span. Tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs have been created to feed that activity.”

Currently, there are three LNG projects under way in Queensland, which combined are worth about $70 billion. And the industry is about to come into fruition, with Queensland Curtis LNG (QCLNG) set to be the world’s first project to turn gas from coal seams into LNG. The first LNG tankers are expected to leave Queensland later this year.

There’s plenty of gas under the ground in Queensland; it’s a case of looking for that gas at a time when exploration costs are increasing. “Analysts indicate the costs of recovering coal seam gas in Queensland is somewhere near $5 a gigajoule. That’s a significant increase from only a couple of years ago,” says Rynne.

“The story is the same for all the resources that Queensland exports. It’s a case of getting costs under control and staying globally competitive. Government can play a role here in terms of taxes and royalties and streamlining red and green tape. In short, regulatory burdens significantly increase cost and create uncertainty – two things we need to address in Queensland.”

The QRC’s agenda is to look to government to keep costs under control. “We encourage policy reform,” says Rynne. “The state and federal governments can do more to create an attractive environment for companies to invest in growth

“The Queensland resources sector

exports approximately $40 billion per year

in commodities.”

Image courtesy of W

esfarmers Curragh M

ine

…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.

Bridgestone’s Tyre Repairers are craftsmen. Each are trained to the exacting and accredited (Australian Skills Quality Authority) Bridgestone Tyre Repair Training course. This training course provides the only comprehensive Off the Road Tyre repair accreditation in Australia.

www.bridgestone-earthmover.com.au

Even after 35 years in the tyre repair business Robbie still loves coming to work…

Bridgestone OTR Tyre Repair System

tyre-repair-ad 210x275.indd 1 4/03/13 12:58 PM

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Above: Conservationists say expansion of Abbot Point will have a direct impact on the Great Barrier Reef through dredging.

projects. There’s a lot [government can do], such as streamlining the approvals process, and encouraging steps have been taken to establish the so-called one-stop shop where the state and federal governments work together to streamline environmental approval processes for new resources projects.”

With the Newman government’s affirmed commitment to reducing red tape in exploration applications, it’s possible Queensland will see conflict-ridden uranium mining start as early as 2015, in light of a recovery in global uranium prices. The policy banning uranium mining was lifted in Queensland at the end of 2012, some 30 years after the state’s last mine closed.

In March this year, the Queensland Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Andrew Cripps, released two controversial discussion papers, which will ‘cut red tape’ and restrict who can object to mining applications. Currently, any group or person can object to applications, potentially sending the decision to the Land Court.

In a media statement Cripps said that the proposed reforms would result in fewer delays and

supercharge the economy.Environmental Defenders Office

(EDO) solicitor Evan Hamman says he has concerns about the impact this could have: “The biggest concern we have is the balance between rushing through decisions and engaging properly with the community about to be affected by the decision.

“We believe that balance is pushed in this discussion paper perhaps too far away from the communities, as it’s limiting the types of people who can raise issues or objections to a mine. It’s stripping back more of those opportunities and ways of helping the community to be involved in the process and, in some instances, shutting them out all together.”

Greenpeace’s Matthiesson says: “I’m sure there are some points where legislation can be improved to make it more efficient, but often that’s used as a smokescreen in weakening the laws and taking away important safeguards.

“These laws are put in place for a good reason; to protect the environment. Protecting the environment in the long run is also protecting the economy.”

“Protecting the environment in the long run is also protecting the economy.”

DID YOU KNOW?• Almost $38 billion was spent by

Queensland resources sector companies in 2012–13: $7 billion in wages to workers directly employed in Queensland and $31 billion in goods and services from Queensland-based businesses.

• Queensland Curtis LNG is among Australia’s largest capital infrastructure projects with US$20.4 billion of investment from 2010-2014.

Image courtesy of North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation

INDUSTRIAL LAND FOR SALE OR DEVELOPMENTROCKHAMPTON

For more information on this exciting opportunity:

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Gracemere Industry Park is the first of its kind for the region and is set to become Central Queensland’s pre-eminent industry park.

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INDUSTRIAL LAND FOR SALE OR DEVELOPMENTROCKHAMPTON

For more information on this exciting opportunity:

Neale Crow - Knight Frank T: 0418 886 162Matt Thiselton - Gibb Group T: 0433 197 729Glen Wintour - Gibb Group T: 0456 816 260 gracemereindustrypark.com.au

Proudly developed by

Key features:• Land available from 1,000sqm to 5ha

• Direct multi-combination vehicle Type 1 Road Train access

• Design and Construct warehousing and workshop solutions also available

• Local Government incentives

Toll NQX facility under construction

Gracemere Industry Park is the first of its kind for the region and is set to become Central Queensland’s pre-eminent industry park.

FOR THE BIG JOBS.bisleyworkwear.com.auIf you want a BIG solution for your BIG job 1300 BISLEY (247 539)

We live in a BIG country full of BIG ideas.

We build BIG things with BIG machines and BIG trucks.

So when it comes to your BIG job, you need a BIG company to handle your workwear.

THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY RELIES HEAVILY ON ITS BIG EQUIPMENT – THE CRUSHERS, TRENCHERS AND EARTHMOVERS. WE EXAMINE THE STATE OF THE HEAVY EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY

AND ITS IMPACT ON MINING INTO THE FUTURE.

WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

SHIFTING GEARS

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FOR THE BIG JOBS.bisleyworkwear.com.auIf you want a BIG solution for your BIG job 1300 BISLEY (247 539)

We live in a BIG country full of BIG ideas.

We build BIG things with BIG machines and BIG trucks.

So when it comes to your BIG job, you need a BIG company to handle your workwear.

15

industryfocus

TechCompServices are specialists in drafting for heavy industry including Refinery & Metalliferous mining.

Call now 07 4447 9000 or email: [email protected]

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• We provide electrical trade personnel to conduct field inspections to prepare “as built” redline mark-ups from installed base with or without original documentation

• Tracing services to complete mark-ups after maintenance

• Arc GIS for your site plan management

• We offer support in all drafting disciplines

• AutoCAD and Microstation Software format

• Support for managing Multiple CAD formats

• Bulk conversions of paper or PFD files

• Online file management

• Operation manual libraries

North West Q

LD Mineral Province Bow

en & Surat Basins

Australian miners are excitedly preparing for a major gear change as mining equipment expands from the more traditional to the technical. While there will always be a place for the big rigs on site, the landscape is shifting into an innovative new era that some players, such as Austmine CEO Robert Trzebski, are hailing as the ‘technology age’.

Trzebski, who represents the leading industry association for the mining supply sector, told Inside Mining that companies like Rio Tinto are paving the way in terms of technology using completely autonomous equipment run from Perth on some of their Pilbara operations.

But that’s not to suggest industry players are slamming on the brakes on the big rigs just yet. Liebherr-Australia sales and marketing general manager, Dave Pichanick, told Inside Mining that Liebherr excavators from 250 tonnes and above are strong market leaders in their class in numerous parts of the world. But in Australia, the new generation 400-tonne and 800-tonne excavators are “performing at a level never experienced”.

The German-based company – which has been operating in Australia for 20 years – has 55 per cent of the market share in its machinery classes of main mining excavators and ultra-class trucks. Liebherr manufactures the biggest ultra-class

trucks in the world at 360 tonnes.“Demand is currently at a level experienced

in the early 2000s, which is well off the boom times experienced over the past three years,” Pichanick says.

“But this is still not bad, it allows companies like ours to catch up and we are actually spending a lot on infrastructure, such as new facilities and expansion of existing facilities to ensure our valued customers are supported long term.”

Pichanick refuses to be drawn on future technology in the heavy machinery sector – saying it’s confidential.

“But going on our past experience, Liebherr is an innovative company with all our own in-house technology, so all our existing customers know when Liebherr offers new products they are very advanced and will go to work reliably and compete at all levels,” he says.

In 2008, Rio Tinto launched the Rio Tinto Mine of the Future in a bid to change the face of mining productivity and efficiency. Three key themes are:• Autonomy – to achieve massive efficiency in

surface bulk mining;• Recovery – to increase efficiency by sorting

waste before it gets to the process plants; • Tunnelling – to access deep ore bodies

even faster.

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Liebherr excavators from 250 tonnes and above are strong market leaders in their class in numerous parts of the world. But in Australia, the new generation 400-tonne and 800-tonne excavators are “performing at a level never experienced”.

industryfocus

17

Rio Tinto’s Technology and Innovation group now employs around 700 people, but competitors are unlikely to learn any key secrets soon.

“While Rio Tinto takes a partnership approach to innovation, our advances are tightly guarded,” a statement on the major miner’s website claims.

Rio Tinto head of innovation, John McGagh, said in a recent presentation, that mining has not been known as the “greatest technological” business but “that’s changed over the past six to seven years”.

“All of these things make your life better, operations better, and they make more money,” he says.

But again, this is not to say the days of the big rigs are dead. Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia general manager mining, Eric Green, told Inside Mining that since its parent company HCM was established in 1949, it has evolved into a leading global manufacturer of Hitachi mining

equipment, including both AC drive (electric drive) mining trucks and hydraulic mining excavators.

“Our EX Series mining hydraulic excavators are renowned, and we’ve built a reputation as the market leaders in the industry for these powerful, reliable and productive machines,” Green says.

“Revolutionising the global mining landscape, the Hitachi EX5600 excavator, with 34-cubic metre bucket, would be considered our most popular mining excavator. It incorporates the latest innovations and is designed for superior production capabilities.

“The EX5600 excavator is also matched to suit our EH4000 AC Drive Dump Truck in order to maximise production in mining operations.”

Green says they are looking for steady growth in the market by the end of 2014 and into 2015.

“Hitachi is very well placed for the technological age. As we are part of the Global Hitachi Group of companies, we have access to the latest technologies and innovations. We see this as an improvement to our business – access to a diverse range of Hitachi products from different industries,” he says.

“Our latest machinery incorporates cutting-edge technologies – our AC Drive mining trucks feature onboard computers and data transfer capabilities.

“There is definitely a place for big rigs, large mining excavators and dump trucks, as we are moving into an era of autonomous equipment in certain applications.”

Image by Aldous M

assie at The Illustration Room

“There is definitely a place for big rigs, large mining excavators and dump trucks, as we are moving into an era of autonomous equipment in certain applications.”

FAST FACTS• The Australian Mining and Industrial Machinery Wholesaling industry has

fetched a revenue of $27.5 billion in the five years to

2013/14. • Annual growth is forecast

at 9.3 per cent between 2009–2014 and 2.3 per

cent between 2014–2019 to $30.8 billion.

Source: Ibisworld, January 2013

industryfocus

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From the factory to the pit, Hitachi’s ultra-class hydraulic excavators and electric drive mining

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deliver unmatched performance and reliability when it comes to loading and haulage.

The most powerful and productive combination yet.

Visit actiondb.com.au or email [email protected]

WE DRILL. WE BLAST. WE DELIVER.

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.

We understand what it takes to deliver results on time and on budget,

recognising that each project or commodity has its own unique set of

challenges and deliverables.

At Action Drill & Blast, we pride ourselves on our ability to

provide drilling and blasting solutions that deliver tangible

returns for our clients.

WE DELIVER RESULTS.

EVERY TIME.

UNEARTHING NEW SOURCES OF FUNDING

WRITES: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

Mining companies are returning to more unconventional ways of seeking finance in a sector

that has seen high debt, less deals, and juniors battling for survival, according to respected industry commentators.

According to Deloitte’s Tracking the Trends 2014 report, the fourth biggest issue mining faces in 2014 is funding.

Reuben Saayman, Deloitte mining leader – East Coast, partner assurance and advisory, told Inside Mining that the sharp reduction in equity capital and bank loan markets has seen the re-emergence of unconventional funding options, like forward sales agreements, convertible and high-yield debt issues, and metal streaming/royalty deals.

“This has traditionally been the preserve of the juniors operating in emerging markets, but increasingly mid-tier miners and major producers are embracing these alternative forms of finance as they seek to refinance facilities in a much tighter credit market,” says Saayman.

“Mining companies are looking at innovative ways of funding, as traditional bank funding on the back of capital raising is drying up. These

include areas such as equipment leasing, which, due to the original equipment suppliers’ volumes being under pressure with the mining downturn, are eager to offer finance-backed deals for large equipment orders.

“We have seen an increased participation for private equity in mining projects. This is a big potential source of funding for distressed miners.

“Traditionally a sector ignored by private equity, the past year has seen increasing private equity involvement in mining projects, attracted by the low valuations, cash-flow opportunities and the ability to hedge.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom as those seeking capital think smarter and harder for funding solutions.

“Those companies that embrace this ‘new normal’ of having to fight harder for funding and look at innovative ways and non-traditional and unconventional sources, while getting their costs under control, will survive this worrying trend,” Saayman says.

“We believe this is part of the new way mining should be approaching business. Those that can innovate, address these challenges and get costs under

The global mining landscape has changed dramatically. Not just on the ground, but also in the air-conditioned offices of those who finance the projects. We look at the new paradigm in the mining finance industry.

miningreview

21

Visit actiondb.com.au or email [email protected]

WE DRILL. WE BLAST. WE DELIVER.

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.

We understand what it takes to deliver results on time and on budget,

recognising that each project or commodity has its own unique set of

challenges and deliverables.

At Action Drill & Blast, we pride ourselves on our ability to

provide drilling and blasting solutions that deliver tangible

returns for our clients.

WE DELIVER RESULTS.

EVERY TIME.

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control will be able to show returns in this industry and will be able to secure future funding.”

Chris Hinde, director of reports at SNL Metals and Mining, says dealmakers are suggesting 2014 has all the ingredients to be a ‘vintage year’ with low interest rates; macroeconomic stability; high levels of cash on corporate balance sheets; and a banking sector eager to lend.

“Confidence is clearly returning to the general market. The first two weeks of January saw US$120 billion worth of deals unveiled, more than twice the value in the same period of 2013,” Hinde says.

“With excess capacity for the supply of many metals, the mining industry might not benefit to the same extent as the general economy. However, the sector’s turn will come and, in the meantime, there is significant value to

be had from the acquisition of development properties.

“Mounting optimism about the prospects for the global economy has helped push equity prices higher in the first few weeks of 2014.”

Tim Treadgold from Global Mining

Finance, a London-based publisher of specialist trade publications, told

Inside Mining that funding is “extremely tight,” debt is “virtually unattainable,” and equity is “very expensive.”

“A lot of companies are having to raise extra funds in this climate because they left it too late and they are finding it virtually impossible or very expensive,” says Treadgold.

“A lot of banks have disappeared from the equation due to the GFC, and because their head offices in Europe and the United States no longer want to be involved in the mining sector.

“We are now in the production boom. Our terms of trade are about to look the best they’ve been since the wool boom of the 1950s. We are moving into a trade surplus. There is a lot more coal going out of Queensland, iron ore out of Western Australia and we haven’t even really started on the LNG boom. That’s going to pump an enormous amount of cash into the Australian economy.”

Treadgold describes the situation as a “straw hats in winter” scenario, where there are bargains to be had, but they are difficult to find.

“If you are an investor you are doing very nicely. If you are at the bottom of the market it is still one minute to midnight,” he says.

“Mark Twain defined a mine as a hole in the ground with a liar on top. That was 100 years ago. What often happens in these funding situations is the pendulum

Fast factOther pressing issues include:

local community demand; government regulations;

crackdown on corruption; safety and a talent gap.

Source: Deloitte’s Tracking the Trends 2014 report.

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miningreview

23

WE TAKE SAFETY SERIOUSLY.Our new safety catalogue is out now.

With over 300 pages, our safety catalogue has everything you need to stay safe from head to toe. As Australia’s biggest supplier of safety gear, clothing, footwear and more, we take safety very seriously. Some might say too seriously, but then, you can never be too safe.

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swings too far, and I suspect the bottom was reached in the middle of last year.

“Companies like BHP, Rio Tinto and Anglo American are making more money – their profits are rising because they slashed their workers. Twelve thousand workers across the coal industry alone have lost their jobs.

“But dividends are increasing, so where’s the gloom?”

GE Capital Australia and New Zealand’s head of capital markets, Denis Rayel, told Inside Mining there is an “air of caution” in relation to the provision of debt facilities to mid-tier mining service providers.

“Particularly those with dry hire operations to fringe mine operators. Production volumes are being maintained, if not increasing, but at the same time large-scale producers are reducing their cost base (including service providers, CAPEX and maintenance) on their sites as they face volatile commodity markets. This is particularly the case in coal,” Rayel says.

“Mine service operators are finding, particularly in the wet hire space, that they are simultaneously bidding for contracts they’ve not had historically, while having to re-bid for historical contracts – providing either demonstrated cost-out, or reducing

their margins in the process.“From a dry hire perspective,

challenges are around utilisation. Mines are increasingly insourcing operations. The easiest cost line to hit is hire on equipment, so if they’re maintaining equipment in the mine they’re under cost pressure, and because there is now more gear available in the market, they’re under price pressure.”

Rayel says lenders such as GE Capital are increasingly attending meetings with mine operators who want to bring their operations in-house.

“The big contractors have large fleets that are under-utilised, driving downward pressure on equipment prices. Suppliers that can demonstrate value-add, and further efficiencies within the mine, will win contracts. Procurement used to be with mine managers, now it’s a commodity at company level, through a procurement team,” he says.

“Change is constant in such a cyclical industry and it depends greatly on where a company may be positioned. Companies exposed purely to speculative exploration are out of favour at this point in the cycle.

“Australia will continue to be a large miner to Asia and the rest of the world – the structure of the industry may just be different.”

Fast factThe top five

issues miners face in 2014 are: the cost

of contraction; matching supply

to demand; exploring the

innovation imperative;

finding funding; and project

pipeline stutters.

Source: Deloitte’s Tracking the Trends 2014 report.

“The big contractors have large fleets that are under-utilised, driving downward pressure on their equipment prices.”

WE TAKE SAFETY SERIOUSLY.Our new safety catalogue is out now.

With over 300 pages, our safety catalogue has everything you need to stay safe from head to toe. As Australia’s biggest supplier of safety gear, clothing, footwear and more, we take safety very seriously. Some might say too seriously, but then, you can never be too safe.

To order your copy of the catalogue call 132 832 or visit protectoralsafe.com.au

P R O 0 0 2 0 _ O T _ 2 1 0 x 2 7 5 _ . p d f P a g e 1 1 0 / 0 2 / 1 2 , 1 0 : 3 2 A M

miningreview

25

bviously chief executive officers are at the apex of the management pyramid – they’re simultaneously

the flag bearer and the navigator of a company, and they’re ultimately accountable for that company’s success or failure. Every company has a chief executive officer or similar upper level manager whose responsibilities are strategy and leadership. But what qualities make these career managers? How do they manage accountability when they can’t afford to micro-manage every aspect of a company? Three CEOs tell Inside Mining of the challenges of corporate leadership.

Tough at the top“It’s never been a more difficult time to be a CEO,” says Evan Davies, Queensland CEO of The CEO Institute, a peer-to-peer membership and networking organisation for chief executives. “Corporate leaders are probably facing the most challenging times of their careers.”

Davies believes that scrutiny from outside parties and stakeholders – from governments and regulatory bodies to activists and interest groups such as environmentalists – is a significant challenge to companies in many industries in the Australian

economy, and the resource industry.“Companies can no longer just send

a representative along to address these [stakeholder] issues; it’s expected that the CEO will front and interact with those stakeholders,” says Davies.

It’s a prevalent issue in the resources industry, itself having been affected by numerous policy changes in the past few years, and with environmental groups always making their presence felt with public comment about the mining and energy industries.

“We’ve identified the need to increase our action with those groups,” says George Bauk, CEO of Northern

Minerals, a company focused on rare earth minerals exploration in the Northern Territory. “We’ve got a very strong, deliberate strategy of engagement with governments, environmental groups and so on. It’s a bit of a two-way street.”

This allows Northern Minerals to be on the front foot when it comes to external stakeholders and interested parties, and proactively address potential issues.

“They have become more active but we’ve also tried to engage them,” he says. “You need to build respect, confidence and trust so they can see that you deliver on your promises.”

HEAD HONCHOSWhere there are companies, there are CEOs. What are the contemporary challenges for top-level management professionals in the resources sector? We meet three CEOs to find out.

WORDS: MITCH BROOK

Evan Davies, Queensland CEO of The CEO Institute.

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26

Leadership materialThere’s no denying that management professionals require some degree of charisma and self-assuredness. What other qualities make a CEO?

“The ability to macro-manage and not be too involved in everything and be bogged down is important,” says Davies. “A CEO also needs to have vision, to be able to see where the company is going and the consequences of decisions. Experience is also vital for upper management.”

Martin Nix, CEO of Position Partners, which supplies technology solutions to resource companies, says there’s a fine line between the structural management of projects, action plans, procedures and practices, along with managing what he calls the ‘emotional drivers’ of employees in a company.

“From the 1950s through the 1960s, corporate leadership tended to be more ‘command and control’, what we might today call management rather than

leadership,” he says of the changing leadership styles required by CEOs. “Today it’s more about engaging people. Employees want to know why they’re working [at a company] rather than just what to do and how to do it.”

Accountability and delegationAvoiding micro-management means delegation of responsibility, and also holding those responsible accountable for their areas. All of the professionals Inside Mining interviewed for this feature stated that accountability and delegation are vital elements of senior management roles, and that they link strongly with each other.

“You’ve got to be a participant, but if you become to much of the ‘doer’ and delegation isn’t effective, then you’re not creating the leverage to keep the pace of your strategy up,”

“From the 1950s through the 1960s, corporate leadership tended to be more ‘command and control’ ... today it’s more about engaging people.”

Martin Nix, CEO of Position Partners.

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27

says Position Partners’ Nix. “This is not just for your management team, but making sure your managers roll that down as well and delegate to their teams.”

Rather than think about it in terms of who is accountable for mistakes, Nix says he prefers to use the term ‘creating responsibility’.

“You can do that if the outcomes are agreed,” he says. “Having a good sense of purpose, a good vision, and linking everything that you talk to your employee or manager about to that, and agreeing to the outcomes – this is all helping them keep up the momentum and helping them eliminate the roadblocks.”

Bauk similarly believes the key to both of these aspects lies in all employees knowing their roles and responsibilities. “We have an authority matrix that’s approved by the board to get clear delegation,” he says. “Each of my four direct reports clearly understand their deliverables and it’s my responsibility to have a very close relationship so that we focus on variances ... and problems.”

Industry standardInteraction with like-minded management professionals in similar positions is vital to the CEO role.

“When you become a CEO of a

company, big or small, there are times when you need to interact with your peers and make sure you’re attuned to the way other people are doing things,” says Bauk. “You’re facing similar issues ... you can find out what they see as the macro issues, what they see as the opportunities, and what they see works well.”

The cross-pollination of ideas and management techniques enables CEOs to keep up-to-date and have some fellowship in a position that has no peer on the same level within that company; the board is above, and the employees are below on the chain of authority.

It’s never an easy job, and it’s hard, or impossible, to switch off. “In my opinion as a CEO you need to breathe the business every day,” says Bauk. “Some people talk about work-life balance. I don’t think that really exists ... it’s 24/7.”

On the other hand these roles can sometimes be the ultimate in corporate achievement.

“It’s an incredible challenge, but it’s also incredibly rewarding,” says Evans of The CEO Institute. “There’s this need to achieve a balance between making a mark, or leaving a legacy, on the company but also working behind the scenes to deliver results. It’s incredibly rewarding.”

FAST FACTS• Women are still under-represented in CEO positions in Australia, with the split currently around 83 per cent men to 17 per cent women.• Most CEOs are qualified to a bachelor degree level (47 per cent) followed by masters-level or higher qualifications (30 per cent) and then diploma level (17 per cent).Source: The CEO Institute’s CEO Profile Survey 2013.

“There’s this need to achieve a balance between making a mark ... but also working behind the scenes to deliver results.”

83%

George Bauk, CEO of Northern Minerals.

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Olympic Dam

LOCATED approximately 550 kilometres from Adelaide, South Australia, Olympic Dam is the home of an extremely rich iron oxide, copper and gold deposit. The site consists of Australia’s largest underground mine and an integrated metallurgical processing plant.

BHP Billiton owns the site, which produces copper, uranium, gold and silver. Indeed, it contains the largest known single deposit of uranium in the world – although uranium only makes up a small part of the mine’s total revenue. It also boasts the world’s fourth largest copper deposit.

In 2011, plans to expand the mine were met with protests from anti-uranium activists, and even though it had parliamentry approval the expansion has been postponed indefinitely, as BHP Billiton pursues a “new and cheaper design”.

In December 2013, after news General Motors Holden would no longer be producing cars in South Australia from 2017, the federal government said it would support expansion of the mine, but South Australia’s business community said it wants a more diverse economy.

It contains the largest known single deposit of uranium in the world – although uranium only makes up a small part of the mine’s total revenue.

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Image courtesy of BHP Billiton

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31

T E L E H A N D L E R S

DURING the 1980s and 1990s public sentiment in Australia was anti-nuclear. Leading the charge was Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett with his anti-uranium mining lyrics, and his first shot at politics was a run for the Senate with the Nuclear Disarmament Party. Some two decades later, then as Labor’s Minister for the Environment, the once outspoken singer gave the go-ahead for new uranium mines in Australia.

Australia has 31 per cent of the world’s uranium reserves – the largest amount of any one country – and exports uranium to China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Europe and the United States. While it seems we’re happy to sell our uranium abroad, the idea of

nuclear reactors being built here to provide energy still doesn’t sit well with many Australians.

“It’s madness [pursuing nuclear energy] compared with other sources of energy we could use,” says The Wilderness Society’s Queensland campaign manager, Tim Seelig. “The more we allow uranium mining in the country, the greater the pressure that we should have nuclear power, too – both are deeply problematic. Uranium mining and nuclear power, individually and together, raise a series of health, transport and community safety issues.”

The meltdown of the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant after an earthquake and tsunami

slammed the east coast of Japan in 2011 has greatly influenced public fear of nuclear energy.

“Japan has taught us that even with a reasonably sophisticated approach to nuclear power, stuff happens to these plants, whether foreseen or not. Risk analysis has to take that in, but when you do, there is nowhere safe to do it,” says Seelig.

Following the Fukushima disaster, Germany shut down eight nuclear reactors and said it would close the remaining nine by 2022, promising to fill the gap with renewable energy. So far, though, non-renewable coal and natural gas have won out, and CO2

emissions in Germany increased by

The Nuclear Reaction

Australia has 31 per cent of the world’s uranium reserves – the largest amount of any one country – and exports uranium to China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Europe and the US.

T E L E H A N D L E R S

In the search for alternative energy solutions, Australia is putting nuclear energy back on the table. Oryana Angel reports.

energydebate

33

more than one per cent last year while they were reduced in the United States and most of Western Europe.

Daniel Zavattiero, executive director of uranium at the Minerals Council of Australia, says cost is a major benefit of producing nuclear energy: “While the capital expenditure can be large, ongoing operating costs are low and underpin very stable energy pricing for a long time.

“Australia is very fortunate – we are a large country with lots of energy options. It’s important to develop a cost-

competitive energy supply. We have a lot of alternatives – nuclear could potentially play a role as it has done in many other countries,” he adds.

Professor Ken Baldwin, director of the Energy Change Institute at the Australian National University, says we need to look at all energy sources that are carbon free, including nuclear: “Climate change is the big challenge facing humanity. To address this challenge we need every tool at our disposal to replace fossil fuel energy generation with energy generation that doesn’t produce carbon.

“Prohibiting nuclear is like fighting the climate change challenge with one arm tied behind your back. It’s essential to advance all carbon-free forms of energy simultaneously.

“There are scenarios that have been studied, as in the 100 per cent Renewables Study by the Australian Energy Market Operator, which look at the possible generation of all electricity via renewable power and, indeed, the report shows it’s feasible. But it requires large amounts of extra capacity to allow for when the sun is not shining

“Prohibiting nuclear is like fighting the climate change challenge with one arm tied behind your back.”

FAST FACT• In France, 78 per cent

of electricity comes from nuclear and 12 per cent

from hydro. The grid average emissions level from

electricity generation is 85 grams per kilowatt hour –

one-tenth of the grid average emissions in Australia.

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energydebate

34

or there’s no wind, for example.“Having the ability to complement

this with nuclear might be attractive, and a combination of renewables and nuclear might offer a more effective and possibly lower cost solution.”

Amid widely varied public sentiment, the Abbott government has indicated interest in possibly introducing nuclear power to Australia. Currently, Australia has operating uranium mines in South Australia (Olympic Dam, an underground and predominantly copper

mine; and Beverley, an in situ recovery uranium operation) and the Northern Territory (Ranger, formerly an open-cut uranium mine). Queensland recently lifted its ban on uranium mining some 30 years after its last mine closed. Western Australia also has several uranium mines under development.

Friends of the Earth national (anti-)nuclear campaigner Jim Green says the biggest problem with uranium is slack export policies and inadequate safeguards: “For example, Australia sells

uranium to nuclear weapons states, to dictatorships, to countries with a history of covert nuclear weapons programs, to countries blocking the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and so on.”

He lists “all sorts of trouble” in our three operating mines, including inadequate management and dozens of radioactive blunders. “Management and regulation of Australia’s uranium mines is grossly inadequate,” he says.

“The Olympic Dam mine produces 10 million tonnes of radioactive

Queensland lifted its ban on uranium mining 30 years after its last mine closed. Western Australia also has uranium mines under development.

energydebate

36

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tailings waste each year. The waste is stored above ground and will pose an environmental and public health threat for thousands of years to come.

“At the Ranger uranium mine, a recent tank burst led to the spillage of more than one million litres of radioactive slurry,” he adds.

“There are problems with mining uranium – it’s akin to asbestos,” says

FAST FACTS• A small amount of uranium is used in

Australia’s research reactor at Lucas Heights, Sydney, to conduct advanced scientific

research and produce medical isotopes for cancer treatment and medical diagnosis.• Uranium energy density is so great that

nuclear fuel the size of a pencil eraser provides the same amount of energy of one

tonne of coal or 17,000 cubic feet (equivalent to 481 cubic metres) of natural gas.

Seelig. “You’re dealing with very toxic substances that provide immediate risks to the miners and the people who work with and transport them.

“Then you need to work out what to do with the substances afterwards. Spent uranium fuel has to be looked after for tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of years.”

Baldwin says the mining of uranium and the storage of nuclear power by-products must be addressed in an appropriate and risk-managed approach using the best scientific knowledge at our disposal. “This can be done at both a small economic cost and a small cost to the environment.

“The know-how and skills are well understood,” he says. Scandinavian countries Finland and Sweden, for example, are developing underground geological repositories for storing their nuclear waste.

Summing up, Zavattiero says: “Until the federal legislative ban on nuclear energy instated in the 1990s is removed, it’s hard to have a proper debate.

“It’s difficult to see anyone spending money engaging potential host communities, exploring various reactor-type options and fully evaluating the economics until that happens.”

“The waste is stored above ground and will pose a ... threat for thousands of years.”

PH: 1800 08 2244

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esidents at the Homeground Accommodation Village and the local community were abuzz when five former Rugby League

superstars came for a visit.And Mat Rogers, Michael Crocker,

Alfie Langer, Scott Prince and Kevin Walters didn’t just meet with workers and locals – they even challenged them to a game of touch footy.

The event celebrated Foxtel offering a home-away-from-home entertainment experience for the 1392 workers at the village, with the recent installation of Foxtel’s Mining & Workforce Accommodation Platinum package in every room.

As Matt Jones from Homeground Villages explains: “The concept for Homeground Gladstone was to set a new standard in workforce accommodation. To achieve this we needed to not only provide guests with exactly what they require, but also give them what they want and Foxtel was at the top of the list. Our slogan – If you can’t be at home, be at Homeground – is the cornerstone to everything we do. It was impossible to create the environment we wanted to give our guests without Foxtel.”

With more than 80 channels of quality entertainment it’s clear to see how Foxtel’s Mining & Workforce Accommodation

Platinum package aligns with Homeground’s vision. There are channels dedicated to drama, comedy, lifestyle, documentaries, history, music, news and, of course, sport.

The standard package is similarly diverse, with 30 channels for residents to enjoy.

Both packages give residents full control over their viewing, with a Foxtel iQHD or MyStar HD box in every room. This means every worker has the ability to pause, record and rewind live TV – ensuring they never miss their favourite programs.

Head of Business Sales at Foxtel, Raelene Smethurst, is passionate about upgrading residents’ entertainment. She says: “This is a welcomed luxury for workers living away from home here at Gladstone, one of Australia’s major remote working communities. The days are long and the conditions are tough, so having a comprehensive Foxtel line-up gives them

something to look forward to at the end of a hard day’s work and helps to keep them connected with the programmes they enjoy’

As Smethurst goes on to explain, when you look after your workers, you’re also looking after your bottom line: “Industry research has shown entertained workers are retained workers.* Foxtel can therefore create a strong competitive point of difference for workforce accommodation providers; enhancing workers’ experience and acting as an important retention tool for associated industries.”

To give your workers’ accommodation a competitive edge, call 03 8325 3159 to speak with a Foxtel Business Specialist.

Make every resident feel like a legend with Foxtel.Foxtel brings its Mining & Workforce Accommodation Platinum package to life at Homeground Accommodation Village in Gladstone, Queensland.

“Industry research has shown entertainedworkers are retained workers.*”

*The Impact of Isolation in Mining Report 2013. Foxtel and some services not available in all buildings/premises. Equipment will vary based on location:MyStar HD provided in Foxtel areas serviced by Austar. Foxtel marks are used under license by Foxtel Management Pty Ltd. FOX4450_IM

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41

olter miners used in underground coal mining have a tough life in the harsh conditions in which they operate. After just four to five

years of life underground, they can look almost worn out – but in the case of Sandvik’s MB series of bolter miners, these machines have the inherent durability and strength that allows them to be completely rebuilt to as-new condition.

Sandvik’s MB series of bolter miners are the leading machines in underground coal mine longwall development applications – with more than 50 of these machines operating in mines in NSW and Queensland, said Troy Robertson, Sandvik’s Project Manager Overhauls – Mechanical Cutting, Underground Coal.

“An important element of the economics of running bolter miners is their ability to be completely rebuilt from the ground up a number of times during their working lives,” he said.

“A key part of Sandivk’s service and support offerings for our MB series machines is our capability of carrying out these rebuilds to OEM (original equipment manufacturer) standards, and with full factory warranty.”

Manufactured by Sandvik in Austria, its original ABM series dates back to the early 1990s, and the range has undergone continuous upgrading and improvements since then.

“The main models we sell in Australia are our MB650 and MB670 bolter miners – and they are regarded as the preferred option for longwall mines looking for bolter miners in their operations,” said Robertson.

“It’s a market segment that’s unique to Sandvik; as a result of our ongoing engineering design, performance, safety and ergonomics, no other supplier has been able to deliver the required combination of production, safety and ease of operation.”

“The rule of thumb is that after three rebuilds – with four to six years between rebuilds – the technology in our MB series has developed to the extent that the price to upgrade to the latest specifications ceases to become economical,” he said.

“In addition, compliance requirements are ever-changing – and bolter miners have to comply with all the latest safety standards before they can go back underground.”

Today, all MB series bolter miner rebuilds in Australia take place in Sandvik’s Heatherbrae facility, north of Newcastle, NSW.

The rebuild process includes initial mechanical stripdown, engineering, electrical systems, gearboxes, components, bolting systems, and

upgrades, followed by re-assembly, function testing, commissioning, painting and detailing.

Robertson said that Sandvik offered MB series machine owners the only option to ensure fully OEM-compliant, factory-certified rebuilds, to the latest standards and safety innovations.

“In addition, the only way to access the latest technology upgrades is through our OEM upgrades, which are then backed by full six-month factory warranties,” he said.

For more information visit sandvik.com

Sandvik delivers new life for old bolter minersSandvik’s MB series is designed to be completely re-built to OEM standards.

This image: A fully-reconditioned bolter miner. Below: A before shot of the bolter miner ready to be rebuilt.

At Caltex, our Engineering Solutions Team takes pride

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At Caltex, our Engineering Solutions Team takes pride

in their approach to customer service and support. The

team of Service Engineers have extensive field experience

supporting both fuels and lubricants within a diverse range

of industries, from Mining to Gas Exploration, to Transport

and Marine. They offer expert advice and work with you to

obtain the greatest value for your business.

The Engineering Solutions Team Difference...

It is the people we employ within Caltex. Our team’s many

years of invaluable industry experience enables us to

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GLOBAL DELEGATES who gathered for Perth’s APPEA Annual Conference last month had the opportunity to see firsthand some of the latest technical innovations servicing the Oil and Gas sector.

Creating intense interest during the three-day energy conference was Murphy Pipe and Civil’s Spiderplough – an innovative ploughing machine fast-changing the landscape of Australia’s HDPE pipeline installation industry.

On show throughout the expo, the Spiderplough was able to demonstrate to the thousands of visitors the major advances that have been made in HDPE plough installation technology.

Only last year, the Spiderplough created a world first, when it successfully installed 630mm HDPE pipeline – further reinforcing the machine’s ability to provide a viable alternative to conventional trench and bury pipeline installation methods.

Murphy Pipe and Civil’s Tony O’Sullivan said, in 2010 the company first introduced Spiderplough technology to accommodate the HDPE pipeline needs of Australia’s growing coal seam gas sector.

“Our company saw the need for a superior method of installing large-diameter HDPE pipelines for the development of CSG gathering networks, so we modified our Spiderplough fleet to meet this need,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“Since then, Spiderploughs have now become a common sight across the Surat Basin CSG fields and have been readily adopted by CSG companies seeking that valuable balance between

increased efficiency, reduced costs and enhanced safety.

“Spiderploughs can efficiently install HDPE pipelines from gauges as small as 110mm right up to 630mm at an average lay rate of 10 kilometres per day, and all without the need for an open trench, which significantly reduces injury risks,” he said.

Mr O’Sullivan said while the company’s fleet of Spiderploughs are helping develop Queensland’s CSG gathering networks, he believed there

was also scope for the innovative machines to deliver similar benefits to Western Australia.

“Spiderploughs are very versatile and are robust enough to work in all manner of terrains and ground conditions and deliver a very feasible and cost effective alternative to traditional pipeline installation,” he said.

For more information about Spiderplough technology visit mpcgroup.com.au

Innovation steals the show at APPEA

“Spiderploughs can efficiently install HDPE pipelines from 110mm up to 630mm...”

Innovation in action – Murphy Pipe and Civil’s Spiderplough attracted

extensive industry interest while on show in Perth at last month’s

APPEA Annual Conference.

At the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) conference in Perth last month, Murphy Pipe and Civil’s Spiderplough turned heads.

45

advertorial

SOMETIMES it seems all we ever talk about is putting money away for retirement: super, super, and super. What about other goals that may not be so far away?

A recent survey found Gen Y’s savings goals are more immediate, with the top five being: a car, a gift for someone, a holiday, a new computer and/or a new phone. Some of those are manageable; others might involve the dreaded B-word – budget. Depending on your age and aspirations, you might want to save for a wedding, home deposit, school fees or even to set up your own business.

Let’s say you have a target of saving $36,000 over the next three years. That’s $1000 per month, or roughly $250 a week – possibly as much as you spend on groceries (apart from a mortgage, the biggest expense for most people). How can you budget for a sum like that?

Decide where you want to spend your money. You don’t have to wear a hair shirt to save but do be sure you’re spending your money on the things that matter to you. Do the housework yourself if $75 a week for a cleaner would be better in your pocket. Wrangle your bills. Irregular expenses can be to blame for

blowing the best-laid plans. A winter electricity bill of $500 could eat up months of savings. One way to avoid this is to ask service providers for ‘bill smoothing’, where you pay a regular, monthly amount.

Don’t pay high interest. Interest on a credit card with bells and whistles – such as ‘rewards’ – can top 20 per cent. At that rate an outstanding balance of $5000

would cost you $100 in interest the next month.

Earn good interest. Review your bank accounts to make sure you’re getting the best rate you can on your savings. A typical transaction account pays just 0.1 per cent, and at that rate you’d earn just $1 over a year on a balance of $5000.

A savings account at 4.5 per cent would pay $230.

Keep separate accounts. Once you’ve found a high-interest account, don’t mix all your money together. Keep your savings in a separate account so you can easily monitor your progress towards your goal.

What you don’t see you don’t miss. Set up an automatic transfer of the amount you want to save into

that high-interest account, so you save like clockwork every payday. If you don’t see it, you won’t be tempted to spend it.

Enjoy yourself. A budget is a bit like a diet or exercise regime: if it’s too strict you won’t stick to it. Set aside 10 per cent of your disposable income for ... whatever.

SAVE ME

LESLEY PARKER IS A PERSONAL FINANCE JOURNALIST AND WRITER FOR THE AGE AND THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD.

SAVING FOR SOMETHING BIG? HOLIDAYS, CARS AND HOME DEPOSITS DON’T JUST FALL OUT OF THE SKY. YOU NEED TO MAKE A PLAN.

Don’t pay high interest. Interest on a credit card with bells and whistles – such as ‘rewards’ – can top 20 per cent. At that rate an outstanding balance of $5000 would cost you $100 in interest the next month.

2.28PM DALBY, QUEENSLAND

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK...

www.mpcgroup.com.au

Around the clock, from coast to coast, Murphy Pipe & Civil is delivering innovative pipeline solutions.

FOR US, IT’S ALL IN A DAY’S WORK.

moneytalks

46

2.28PM DALBY, QUEENSLAND

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK...

www.mpcgroup.com.au

Around the clock, from coast to coast, Murphy Pipe & Civil is delivering innovative pipeline solutions.

FOR US, IT’S ALL IN A DAY’S WORK.

WHEN THE SITE is remote, the environment is harsh, and mobile phone and internet coverage is as sparse as the vegetation, a mine can potentially be in trouble.

Both on-site and long-distance communications can be choppy, which can mean delays in conveying information or instructions – possibly at the cost of safety, time and money.

So where can a miner go when successful communications seem beyond any earthly means? To the stars. Satellite communications are quickly changing the way mines operate on a global scale, greatly increasing the efficiency and productivity of remote sites.

Australian companies such as SatComms Australia, SpeedCast and NewSat are already providing satellite services for mobile and landline communications for miners and

resources development companies, both in Australia and overseas.

NewSat supports more than 4000 satellite services to provide internet, voice, data and video communications to 75 per cent of the globe. The company is currently working to launch its own fleet of satellites, all designed to keep up with the increasing worldwide demand for satellite communications.

In addition to its two teleports in Adelaide and Perth, NewSat has been a key player in several resources development sites, including the $29 billion Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project in the Pilbara.

Working with Wheatstone engineers and designers, NewSat created a meshed satellite network of VSAT (two-way) services to overcome the communications challenges presented by the varied and harsh

on-site weather conditions and the large variety of users.

SatComms owns and operates an Earth Station in Henderson, Western Australia. It has the only Australian-owned and operated Inmarsat PSA (Point of Service Activation) and is an Inmarsat ISP (Inmarsat Service Provider). The company claims its state-of-the-art infrastructure assists clients to communicate from anywhere to anywhere.

Among other international companies making leaps in satellite communications is ITC Global, the world’s largest privately owned satellite communications provider.

In November last year, the company launched the first internet satellite service for oil, gas and mining clients. It delivers high-speed internet performance of 20Mbps or greater to customers in remote,

Satellite communicationsTHEY MAY BE A FEW THOUSAND KILOMETRES AWAY, BUT THEY HAVE AN ASTRONOMICAL EFFECT ON WHAT’S HAPPENING ON EARTH AND BELOW GROUND. INSIDE MINING INVESTIGATES HOW SATELLITES ARE IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONS ON MINE SITES.

WORDS: KYLE SOYER

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techtalk

In January, Globalstar launched wi-fi’s big brother, sat-fi.

harsh locations via the new X7 remote modem from iDirec. It even works in bad weather, thanks to new adaptive time division multiple access technology.

Hot on the heels of ITC Global is Globalstar, a mobile satellite voice and data service provider.

In January, the company launched wi-fi’s big brother, sat-fi. It allows any wi-fi device to operate by satellite.

With sat-fi, all the user needs is the app and a sat-fi satellite hotspot to make and receive calls, emails and text messages outside mobile phone coverage areas.

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Just as an army marches on its stomach, so too does a mine. And the more remote the location, the more crucial the issues of accommodation, catering and hospitality become.

Christine Charlton, general manager of eastern operations at the Cater Care Group, knows this better than most. Charlton, who came to the mine catering business from a four- and five-star hotel background, now works with mines in Western Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria.

It’s “extremely important” to get the balance right between the work site and accommodation, to make life as “normal as possible”, Charlton says. “We know it makes a difference if they don’t go to work with a good breakfast and a great lunch. If you can send them to work happy they come home happy.

“I came into the industry six years ago and back then there was less diversity. It was very

much a guys’ industry. Over the past five years this has significantly changed and, with that, expectations have changed.

“People are now more focused on health/life balance. It used to be chips with every meal, but that’s certainly not the case now. We have sites where they’re offered steamed chicken, broccoli and brown rice. Five years ago those wouldn’t have got touched. Things like quinoa salad are now being put out with crib [aka lunch].”

Cater Care has also started offering greater lifestyle options for workers, recognising a leap from about 10 per cent gym-goers on-site to about 50 per cent.

However, each site differs vastly, with some requesting hot curries, for instance, while others won’t touch anything with spices. “It’s about being adaptable,” Charlton says. “I have certain sites where if you don’t put chips on the menu every day they won’t eat. It’s not one size fits all.

NOT SO LONG AGO MINES HAD AN US-AND-THEM APPROACH TO THE CATERING STAFF. TODAY, HOWEVER, THE HOSPITALITY WORKERS ON REMOTE SITES ARE FIRMLY ENTRENCHED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE MINE OPERATION.

WORDS: CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG

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“As mines move away from construction to production it’s a very different style of person and you need to adjust. Within construction they’re generally there for a fixed period of time, while production people realise this is going to be their home for the next two to three years, so they are looking for more stability and options for a healthier lifestyle.”

Charlton says there are certain challenges when working with remote sites. During the wet season, for example, they need to keep double the amount of stock and have four to six weeks of food supplies in case a truck delivery is delayed.

“It’s all about understanding your client’s requirements and then delivering and adjusting,” Charlton says. “There’s a lot of work behind the scenes.”

Action Industrial Catering’s (AIC) group executive corporate services, Kim

Fast FactIn one year a Queensland

mine site made 784,300 meals

and 74,698 beds, emptied 127,000 bins, managed 21,000 check-in

arrivals and 2000 gym inductions, maintained four

kilometres of garden hedge

and spread 400 cubic metres

of mulch.

Source: Cater Care Group

Irvine, says that in addition to the standard catering, cleaning and accommodation services, her company provides a wide range of support services. These ‘soft services’ include gardening, maintenance, aerodrome management, specialised catering, bus driving and kitchen design.

“AIC’s market is predominantly in Western Australia, however, we are actively looking at business in Brisbane, having just opened an office there, and the Northern Territory, as we have a great company philosophy and product that we want to expand,” Irvine says.

“The supply chain is crucial and plays a fundamental part in the provision of a quality service. If the products are not available, attainable and high quality, it undermines the values of our service offer.

“In our industry, you’re only as good as your last meal served, the last room you cleaned or the

“In our industry, you’re only as good as your last meal served, the last room you cleaned, or the last welcome you gave someone to the site.”

businessfocus

53

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last welcome you gave someone on arrival to site. Reputation is paramount between mine sites.”

Irvine says unusual requests include having kangaroo on the menu each week and special theme nights such as a New Zealand hangi (a Maori feast where food is cooked in an earth oven). One site even ordered mini crème eggs for every staff member so the ‘Easter Bunny’ could hide them under their pillows.

The challenge for mine sites, Irvine says, is tighter budgets since the cooling of the boom, forcing a more “conscious and conservative” approach to services. “The challenge for us is gaining new business. Previously, mining companies would change service provider if they were unhappy, however, due to the cost of changeout, many are remaining with their initial provider.

“It’s very competitive. Large companies are now tendering for very small contracts, knocking out the mid-size player. There’s also potential for the global companies to basically ‘buy the contract’, looking at the bigger picture of future business or securing [further] contracts through a loss leader.

“Speaking with all the key players in the industry, the most interesting challenge is when you have, say, an inexperienced husband-and-wife catering team who tender for projects

Fast FactA housekeeper at a Brisbane hotel earns

about $35,000; a housekeeper on-site (working two

weeks on, one week off) earns about $60,000. A cook in Brisbane

earns about $45,000; a cook on-site earns about $65,000.

Source: Cater Care Group

“It’s very competitive. Large companies are now tendering for very small contracts, knocking out the mid-size player.”

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CMD OUTthere210x275 12/10/12 10:30 AM Page 1

businessfocus

55

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and iron ore – and don’t put all your eggs in one basket, because generally as one commodity falls, another increases.

“The future is brighter than six months ago. Confidence seems to be returning to the marketplace slowly but surely, with companies refocusing on projects that were put on hold due to the volatile share market over the past year. There are many projects waiting in the wings or on hold for various reasons, and you get the feeling once the tide changes, things could start to move again.”

at a lower rate against the main, recognised companies. The main issue is they’re not experienced, so they don’t have the correct support procedures for safety, quality and environment.”

Irvine says working in catering in the mining industry is about recognising the “swings and roundabouts”, depending on which commodity it hot at the time: “There is always demand, as luckily enough, everyone has to eat. It’s just where and when. The best option is to try to mix your portfolio – such as between gold, nickel

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“The future is brighter than six months ago. Confidence seems to be returning, slowly but surely.”

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AS WE GRAPPLE with challenges relating to grade, quality, depth and safety, it is clear we have reached, or are about to reach, the limits of traditional technologies deployed in the mining industry.

Australia’s mining productivity is declining and the reasons for this are complex. However, one truth we cannot escape is that many of the next generation of deposits are lower in grade, more complex and more challenging to mine than ever before.

Fortunately, there is a new wave of technologies born out of the global digital revolution that are bringing together the real and virtual worlds in ways we haven’t seen before. These technologies will enable the mining industry to manage inputs and outputs in a more structured way as real-time information becomes available throughout the mining process via new sensing technologies, cheap and efficient computer systems and an ability to deal with interconnecting, complicated datasets.

This real-time data allows us to think about the flow of materials, from resource to product, in much the same way as manufacturers think about their process from raw material to manufactured product.

The mining industry hasn’t been able to make full use of these digital technologies because they, and the integration platforms, are only now being developed and commercialised. Those that already exist have to be adapted to be resilient enough to withstand the harsh mine environment. They also need to be better integrated, rather than be ‘point solutions’ for specific issues; this means shared data standards and control systems.

This will dramatically change the way we mine in terms of optimising the performance of individual unit operations and, more importantly, the whole system, from the ore body through to mining strategies, process control and environmental outcomes.

Miners will increasingly take a holistic view of resources and the downstream implications. This will

drive an iterative mine planning process that will assess the triple-bottom-line benefits to provide better productivity, better long-term outcomes and new opportunities to manage evolving risk profiles through the life of an operation.

Areas where these sensors will be most crucial are process productivity, rapid resource characterisation, and intelligent mining and ore management. The issue of resourcefulness focuses on each of these three areas. Of course, these are all sequential parts of the value chain, but the real opportunity is integration across all three.

Once we have this whole-of-life, real-time view of a mine, we can start questioning the fundamental technologies we currently use. This may mean moving towards new mining technologies, more sophisticated processing techniques or alternative

THE NECESSITY FOR CHANGE IS UPON USFOR AUSTRALIA TO COMBAT DECLINING MINING PRODUCTIVITY, MINERS, RESEARCHERS AND TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICE COMPANIES NEED TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNOLOGIES TOGETHER – ALLOWING FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF THE COUNTRY’S NATURAL RESOURCES.

WORDS: JONATHAN LAW

Many of the next generation of deposits are lower in grade, more complex and more challenging to mine than ever before.

59

miningtalk

sorting strategies that, in turn, allow different transport and waste strategies.

So what does this mean for Australian productivity? In the short term, a ‘forensic’ approach to system optimisation will have a positive impact on productivity. In the longer term, it could drive a whole new approach to mining that is lower in impact and more productive and, most importantly, allows us to mine resources that can’t be mined today.

Australian companies are already the largest supplier of mining-related software in the world and organisations such as Deep Exploration Technologies CRC, CRC Ore, CRC Mining and CSIRO are leading the way in developing the necessary tools, sensors, data systems and process understanding.

The momentum for change is unstoppable – all of the enabling pieces are there, but they need to be brought together and applied. To do this we need collaboration at every level. Necessity will compel the industry to work together in the development of technology, which it has traditionally done in competition. Real competitiveness lies in the use of these technologies to drive optimal outcomes rather than in a multitude of protected, poorly integrated solutions.

One thing is certain: The necessity for change is here today and Australia is well placed to lead the revolution.

JONATHAN LAW Jonathan Law currently leads CSIRO’s mineral exploration, mining, processing and sustainability research program as director of the Minerals Down Under Flagship. The flagship brings together CSIRO research with global partners in industry, goverment and academia to tackle short- and longer term challenges to the sustainability of the Australian minerals industry. csiro.au/mdu

Necessity will compel the industry to work together in the development of technology, which it has traditionally done in competition.

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Silver facts• Silver is the best conductor of

heat and electricity of any metal. Because of this it is used a lot in the electronics industry and also in the rear-window defrosters in cars.

• In Australia, silver is mainly found with galena, which is a lead mineral, but can also be found as a gold-silver alloy called electrum.

• Because silver is so reflective – in fact it is the best reflector known – it is used in mirrors.

• Australia actually has the largest share of the world’s economic silver resources.

• Silver has been used since the 4th century BC for coins, ornaments and utensils. In Australia, the 1966 fifty cent piece was the last coin in general use to contain silver and contained 80% silver and 20% copper.

• Silver is sometimes incorporated into the yarn used to make socks, as it is known to reduce fungal and bacterial growth.

Name: SilverElement category: Transition metalElectron configuration: [Kr]4d105s1

Atomic number: 47Atomic mass: 107.8682Discovered: Pre 5000 BC Name origin: From the Latin argentumMelting point: 961.78 °CBoiling point: 2162 °C

resourceinsight

62

• A single grain of silver, weighing just 0.065 grams, can be pressed into a sheet 150 times thinner than a piece of paper.

• Within three years of discovering silver in Broken Hill, BHP were producing one-third of the world’s silver.

• In the early 1900s, a silver mine in Canada contained a lump of ore 30 metres long and 20 metres deep, yielding 658,000 ounces of silver – they called it ‘the silver sidewalk’.

• The Cannington silver mine in north-west Queensland is the world’s largest silver producer, providing six per cent of the world’s total output.

resourceinsight

63

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propertyguideNational

Check out some of the latest hot properties on the market in our regional towns and cities.

BUYER’S AGENT VENDOR ADVOCACYSTRATEGISTS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

So how do you find a good location?

Looking to buy real estate in Brisbane? Don’t do it alone!

EXPERTS ARE SAYING BRISBANE IS THE NEXT

MARKET TO MOVE

Here are some tips:

1 Avoid getting caught up in the hotspot hype. Look for areas that will deliver sound and safe returns over

the long term, we recommend a ‘buy and hold’ strategy.

2 Keep your options open.At all times in the property cycle there will be areas that may

be better suited to different investors. Question your thoughts on where you’re considering buying and base your decision on factors such as cash flow needs, risk threshold, ability to add value through renovation. If you’re already a Brisbane resident, a property close to where you live might seem logical but formulating a strategy is a better first step.

3 Look for buyer demand.How long are properties on the market? What’s the capital

growth trend in the suburb? Can you see signs of owners investing in their properties? Demographics of Brisbane suburbs move in cycles. Are young families replacing mature-aged couples that no longer require a family-size home?

4 Consider factors that will attract good long-term tenants. What’s happening in the area? Buying on the Brisbane city

fringe is certainly desirable however there are many areas with business hubs that create employment opportunities. Planned infrastructure projects means area growth. People like to live within a reasonable commute to work and have good access to public transport. Close proximity to schools is another big tick.

You’re able to do some of this legwork yourself although it’s recommended to also obtain the views and advice of Brisbane-based professionals working within the industry.

The internet can provide copious amounts of research and information but is it the information you need, and is it correct, accurate and up-to-date?

It’s difficult to beat information gathered from people with their feet on the ground.

A lot of serious investors use buyers’ agents because they act solely on their behalf.

Hot Property Specialist Buyers Agency is Brisbane-based, which allows us to provide comprehensive analysis of a spread of Brisbane locations. We value being put to the test, answering questions to ensure your investment matches your buying criteria.

We can’t afford dissatisfied customers because our business relies on referrals.

If you’re in the market please call or email us, first contact is obligation-free. We can discuss what you’re looking for in a property. We may already have a location that’s right for you.

Zoran Solano Buyers’ agent, Hot Property Specialists Buyers Agency

SUITE 1/15-17 MONTAGUE ST, GREENSLOPES | P (07) 3170 3760 | E [email protected] | W hotpropertyspecialists.com.au


67

Sadly, they don’t realise that there’s a huge difference between gambling and making smart financial decisions.

However, people with financial intelligence understand the difference between ‘good debt’ and ‘bad debt’, they know what leveraging is – and they know negative gearing isn’t the best decision when it comes to investing in property.

In my Two Day Intensive Program (smartpropertyadviser.com.au), I explain how and why financial literacy was removed from the education system at around the same the industrial revolution started in earnest. The reason is clear – they needed more people to work in factories.

LISTEN UP people. We have a very big crisis in Australia, and it has nothing to do with employment or income. Our crisis is one of financial literacy.

Many of us don’t know the difference between general intelligence and financial intelligence and that’s a huge mistake – but it’s not your fault.

We’ve been raised with the belief (misconception really) that a respectable occupation, six-figure salary and a university degree implies a person has above average intelligence. None of that is true.

Here’s a simple fact: the income generated by a person with general education will never outweigh the income generated by someone with

a financial education. Financial intelligence,

financial education and financial literacy go hand in hand. These three ‘realities’ are 110 per cent about what we do with the money we make.

By design, financial education is no longer a part of the curriculum in our schools and universities – resulting in the negative decisions you make about money.

People who are financially illiterate find it hard to understand the basics of money and struggle to grow their net worth without resorting to working longer and harder.

Generally speaking, these people consider gambling as a way to multiply their money.

Founder and director of Smart Property Adviser

KEVINLEE

Financial literacy was removed from the education system around the same time the industrial revolution started in earnest – they needed more people to work in factories.

The country is facing a crisis of financial literacy, with most unaware of the difference between general and financial intelligence.

FINANCIAL LITERACY – WHAT’S YOUR FUTURE LOOKING LIKE?

BUYER’S AGENT VENDOR ADVOCACYSTRATEGISTS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

So how do you find a good location?

Looking to buy real estate in Brisbane? Don’t do it alone!

EXPERTS ARE SAYING BRISBANE IS THE NEXT

MARKET TO MOVE

Here are some tips:

1 Avoid getting caught up in the hotspot hype. Look for areas that will deliver sound and safe returns over

the long term, we recommend a ‘buy and hold’ strategy.

2 Keep your options open.At all times in the property cycle there will be areas that may

be better suited to different investors. Question your thoughts on where you’re considering buying and base your decision on factors such as cash flow needs, risk threshold, ability to add value through renovation. If you’re already a Brisbane resident, a property close to where you live might seem logical but formulating a strategy is a better first step.

3 Look for buyer demand.How long are properties on the market? What’s the capital

growth trend in the suburb? Can you see signs of owners investing in their properties? Demographics of Brisbane suburbs move in cycles. Are young families replacing mature-aged couples that no longer require a family-size home?

4 Consider factors that will attract good long-term tenants. What’s happening in the area? Buying on the Brisbane city

fringe is certainly desirable however there are many areas with business hubs that create employment opportunities. Planned infrastructure projects means area growth. People like to live within a reasonable commute to work and have good access to public transport. Close proximity to schools is another big tick.

You’re able to do some of this legwork yourself although it’s recommended to also obtain the views and advice of Brisbane-based professionals working within the industry.

The internet can provide copious amounts of research and information but is it the information you need, and is it correct, accurate and up-to-date?

It’s difficult to beat information gathered from people with their feet on the ground.

A lot of serious investors use buyers’ agents because they act solely on their behalf.

Hot Property Specialist Buyers Agency is Brisbane-based, which allows us to provide comprehensive analysis of a spread of Brisbane locations. We value being put to the test, answering questions to ensure your investment matches your buying criteria.

We can’t afford dissatisfied customers because our business relies on referrals.

If you’re in the market please call or email us, first contact is obligation-free. We can discuss what you’re looking for in a property. We may already have a location that’s right for you.

Zoran Solano Buyers’ agent, Hot Property Specialists Buyers Agency

SUITE 1/15-17 MONTAGUE ST, GREENSLOPES | P (07) 3170 3760 | E [email protected] | W hotpropertyspecialists.com.au


68

than those who don’t.However – as a nation –

Australia needs to improve the financial education across all age groups, so we’re all equipped to make intelligent decisions about our money.

Do the maths: the total wages bill is approximately $1.34 trillion dollars. Last year we raised the compulsory superannuation contribution rate to 9.25 per cent in Australia.

But what if we’d invested this extra quarter of one per cent (which works out to be a not-too-shabby $3.34 billion dollars) into cutting edge financial literacy and financial education programs for our people instead?

Even if we did that for just the most ‘at risk’ groups I believe we’d be seeing many more entrepreneurs, business owners, successful investors and financially intelligent people in the Australia ahead of us. What do you think?

I’d love to hear your views about this subject. Please email me your thoughts at: [email protected]

For information about Kevin’s FREE No Secrets Workshop, please visit smartpropertyadviser.com.au

four per cent of Australians aged 65 years and over were self-funded retirees.

What the? That means 96 per cent of people over the age of 65 were either reliant on a tax-payer funded pension, still working, or deceased.

These statistics clearly prove financial literacy plays a vital role in how we plan to fund our retirement. But the same 2008 ANZ survey also revealed that people aged between 18–24 (Gen Y) are among those with the lowest levels of financial literacy. These are today’s 24–30 years olds and it’s this age group who are preparing to buy their first home, start their own business or invest in property.

David Deegan of Smart Financial Advice (smartfinancialadvice.com.au) said in a recent interview, often people “don’t know, what they don’t know”, when it comes to the financial options they have available.

“There are so many financial strategies and products available that without the right financial education it can be difficult to successfully make smart financial decisions.”

“Unfortunately many people leave it until later in life to seek the financial education they need, and often look back and wish they had this knowledge much earlier in life. With the right education and some simple financial strategies, almost anyone in Australia can retire financially free,” says David.

Right now we’re seeing an increasing number of people who have sought out an advisor, coach or mentor and are actively investing both time and effort into improving their financial education – boosting their financial intelligence at the same time.

And this is fantastic. I know those people who take the time to invest in their financial education, will see better results

Unfortunately though, when the technological revolution began about 25 years ago, we didn’t think to improve financial literacy – we still have the same flawed education system as we had well over 100 years ago.

In 2008, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) produced a focus report based on the results of an ANZ National Survey. ASIC reported that due to the increase in financial products and services on offer to consumers, a high importance has been placed on increasing the financial literacy levels in Australia.

ASIC also identified that (understandably) the lowest financial literacy levels were among people aged 70 years or more.

But the real eye opener, and something we should all be concerned about, was that in 2013, just five years later, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) confirmed only

“Many people leave it until later in life to seek a financial education ... With the right education and some simple financial strategies, almost anyone in Australia can retire financially free.”

Corr 0409 455 604 Helene 0402 059 909 www.bluehorizonsproperty.com

Want To Know Where To Choose Your Next Property Investment? WITH BLUE HORIZONS, YOU CAN BE ASSURED TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

CONTACT US TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION AND RECEIVE A FREE COMPREHENSIVE INVESTORS REPORT

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. Today it’s locations with high employment growth that send property prices soaring. At Blue Horizons, we have identified resource towns backed with the strength of mining and gas developments that are delivering the sort of capital growth we’re aiming for.

We specialise in offering high yield, rapid capital growth property investments resulting from mining and liquid natural gas industries. We act as your property partner, taking care of business while you are at work. From choosing colours to final inspections, and everything in between, we provide a personal and complete service.

With Blue Horizons you will always have first access to new releases. We have a diverse selection of properties to offer - House and Land, Duplex and Land, Townhouses and Villas, all competitively priced and delivered turn-key with the highest level of finishes.

PACKAGE A - DUPLEXES Price from $705,000

2 x 3 b’rooms, 2 bathrooms, double car lock up unitsRental from $1,300 p/w unfurnished / $1,560 p/w

furnished. Gross Return up to 11.5%

PACKAGE B - HOUSE & LAND Price from $460,000

4 b’rooms, 2 bathrooms, double car lock up, ducted A/C with stone benchtops standard. Rental from

$650 p/w unfurnished - $800 p/w furnished Gross Return up to 9%

PACKAGE C - TOWNHOUSES Price: $439,000

3 b’rooms, 2 bathrooms, single car lock up, separate fenced yard with ducted A/C standard. Rental up to $1,100

furnished - Gross Return of 13%

Corr 0409 455 604 Helene 0402 059 909 www.bluehorizonsproperty.com

Want To Know Where To Choose Your Next Property Investment? WITH BLUE HORIZONS, YOU CAN BE ASSURED TO BE IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

CONTACT US TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION AND RECEIVE A FREE COMPREHENSIVE INVESTORS REPORT

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. Today it’s locations with high employment growth that send property prices soaring. At Blue Horizons, we have identified resource towns backed with the strength of mining and gas developments that are delivering the sort of capital growth we’re aiming for.

We specialise in offering high yield, rapid capital growth property investments resulting from mining and liquid natural gas industries. We act as your property partner, taking care of business while you are at work. From choosing colours to final inspections, and everything in between, we provide a personal and complete service.

With Blue Horizons you will always have first access to new releases. We have a diverse selection of properties to offer - House and Land, Duplex and Land, Townhouses and Villas, all competitively priced and delivered turn-key with the highest level of finishes.

PACKAGE A - DUPLEXES Price from $705,000

2 x 3 b’rooms, 2 bathrooms, double car lock up unitsRental from $1,300 p/w unfurnished / $1,560 p/w

furnished. Gross Return up to 11.5%

PACKAGE B - HOUSE & LAND Price from $460,000

4 b’rooms, 2 bathrooms, double car lock up, ducted A/C with stone benchtops standard. Rental from

$650 p/w unfurnished - $800 p/w furnished Gross Return up to 9%

PACKAGE C - TOWNHOUSES Price: $439,000

3 b’rooms, 2 bathrooms, single car lock up, separate fenced yard with ducted A/C standard. Rental up to $1,100

furnished - Gross Return of 13%

FROM $250K

4 BLOCKS4 WEEKS

2004 PRICES!

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE IN AIRLIE BEACH AT PRE BOOM PRICES

BEST VIEWSBEST LOCATION

BEST PRICE

Ceilings • Wall Paneling • Shop AwningsFeature Walls • Kitchen & Bathroom Splashbacks

22 Vale Road Bathurst

02 6332 1738www.pressedtinpanels.com

CLAREMONT COTTESLOE WESTERN SUBURBS

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FASHIONDESIGNFOOD LIFESTYLE PERTH

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LEEDERVILLE SUBIACO WEST PERTH

PERTH CITY

PERTH CITYMT LAWLEY HIGHGATE NORTHBRIDGE

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LEEDERVILLE SUBIACO WEST PERTH

FREMANTLE

FREMANTLE

PORTABLE LIVING IN UNDER 30 MINUTES

1x Standard Unit 5.8x2.4x2.4Specs Included Online

BATHROOM STUDY AREABEDROOM

AliHut™ is without doubt the most economical, the quickest and most impressive emergency response shelter on the world market today. The uses for AliHut™ are endless, mining camps, portable living, permanent living, site offices and many more applications. It only takes 30 minutes to install an AliHut™.

CONTACT US TODAYPhone: 07) 55 94 65 77or email: [email protected]

AliHut™ strives to create a user friendly living environment for everyone

Production of 10,000 per year (conditions apply)

Huge transportation savings

Huge labour savings

AliHut™ can be stacked either vertically or horizontally for transportation

Reuse time and time again with ease and no tradesman required!

Made to order, AliHut™(p) can have many assorted “special features” or simply remain as a base model for emergency deployment.

1x Standard Unit with Bathroom • Includes- Moulded Floor• Internal Plumbing to external connector• Shower Cubical• Vanity• Toilet• Internal wall with sliding door

INTRODUCING ALIHUT™

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Cyclone Rating Region C&D: C3

Positive Cash FlowFrom Day One.

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

BENEFITS OF OWNING YOUR OWN ATM

2009, ATM ownership continues to hit all the right keys.

dayyoupurchaseyourmachines.Instant income - you will be paid calculated from the very

first

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.

ay vary.

at

Disclaimer: Information provided is not intended to be Tax, Financial or Accounting advice. We recommend you obtain independent advice from your own Tax, Financial or Accounting Professionals as individual tax or financial positions m

Contact us to receive further information

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.

CASH POSITIVE INVESTMENT PROPERTYFEATURED PROPERTY MILES, SURAT BASIN

• Suitable for SMSF• 4 Bedrooms• 2 Bathrooms

• 1 Car Garage• House Area 150 m2

• Registered

FULL TURNKEY INCLUSIONSStone kitchen bench tops - Stainless Steel Appliances - Remote operated garage - Fully turfed landscaping - Reverse cycle ducted air conditioning throughout - Quality carpets, tiles and blinds

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 investorsREAL 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: [email protected] or on 0421 705 116.

In the following high-growth areas in QLD:• Brisbane • Springfield • Gold Coast • Chinchilla • Miles • Roma • Emerald • Gladstone • Mackay • Kingaroy • Coomera • Pimpama

Townhouse$435,000 – “Guaranteed 10%

Annual Rental Return for 5 Years”Cashflow Per Annum – $43,490.00

AUSTRALIA’S NEXT PROPERTY HOTSPOT there has never been a better time to invest in Miles, with an average annual growth rate of 16.1% over the past 10 years. Miles is strategically located in the heart of Australia’s leading energy precent the region is not reliant on one particular industry (unlike other areas), meaning SECURITY for investors. The major industries driving the boom are gas, coal, power, solar, coal seam gas, water, liquefied natural gas (LNG), agriculture, manufacturing and rail.

STDA

1894

rj

HELLO OR GOODBYE?Devil Facial Tumour Disease was discovered in Tasmanian devils in 1996. It’s a contagious cancer spread through biting, and it is always fatal.

The devil population has suffered immensely and, more than 80% have been lost.

The ‘Save the Tasmanian Devil Program’ supports the survival of the devil in its natural habitat, the Tasmanian wilderness.

Funding is vital, and we need your help. To make sure it’s not goodbye, the Tasmanian devils need your help!

Photo credit: Mike Calder Photography.

AN INITIATIVE OF THE SAVE THE TASMANIAN DEVIL PROGRAM COORDINATED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TASMANIA FOUNDATION

Log onto www.tassiedevil.com.au for more info and ideas.

WHAT'S SCARIER THAN AN OCEAN WITH SHARKS?

AN OCEAN WITHOUT THEM.Sharks are essential to the life of our seas, keeping marine food chains in a healthy

balance. Unfortunately, a brutal and misguided killing of sharks is currently occurring

in Western Australia. All human deaths at sea are tragic - but there is no scientific

proof that the proposed cull will make our oceans safer. This knee-jerk response will

not protect people, but will push already vulnerable species to the brink.

Let’s pile the pressure on Premier Colin Barnett to halt this senseless killing of sharks.

JUST ACT NOW: greenpeace.org.au/sos

OF COURSE OUR LAGER TASTES GREAT, WE’VE GOT NEIGHBOURS LIKE THIS BLOKE/

VA L E/ L G R

PROUDLY BREWED IN McLAREN VALE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

FACEBOOK.COM/MVBEER

MVB0062_Vale Lager_Out There_275x210.indd 1 14/10/13 4:47 PM

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OUTthere Rex May 2014