FOR the first time in its 108 year history, Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) is welcoming a female shiploader operator to the elite crew responsible for loading and unloading the 120 million tonnes of cargo which passes through the port each year.
Kara Moore started extensive training for her new role this month after beginning her career at GPC as the very first female dozer driver in 2006.
“I grew up driving an old Massey Ferguson 65 on my family’s cattle property and have been driving tractors, trucks and dozers my whole life but never imagined myself in a shiploader cabin,” Moore said.
“The opportunity to be a shiploader operator doesn’t come along often and in some cases you’re waiting for someone to retire because it’s such a niche industry and specialised skill.”
Kara Moore enjoying the view from what will be her new office. IMAGE: GPC
Moore will celebrate her 15-year work anniversary at GPC this June and said she was ready for a new challenge after a career operating dozers and working in construction.
“There were applications for the role from very talented operators and everyone was really excited for me when I found out I was chosen and I was grateful to have a lot of support from everyone,” she said.
“It really didn’t sink in that I was going to be a shiploader operator until I started my training – you definitely have to have the stomach for working at heights but I’m really enjoying the challenge and the view.”
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The rigorous training is expected to take four to six months. Once it’s complete, Moore will join GPC’s team of 64 shiploader operators, currently an all-male crew.
Chief Executive Officer Craig Haymes said GPC was proud to see employees like Moore excelling in their profession.
“It’s really inspiring to see Kara taking on a typically male dominated role and we’re hoping it encourages more females to step into the industry and follow in her footsteps,” he said.
A FOUR-DAY police blitz in the South Burnett targeting dangerous drugs and road safety has resulted in hundreds of traffic intercepts and multiple arrests, with 62 people nabbed driving over the speed limit including one man clocked at a blistering 164km/h.
The 21-year-old Sunshine Coast driver was allegedly caught in a 100km/h zone, copping a $1200 fine and losing his license for six months.
A Lockyer Valley man was also busted doing 139km/h in a 100 zone, leaving local police fuming.
“Speed is a critical factor in road fatalities, and unfortunately 12 people have lost their lives on roads in the Darling Downs this year, which is five more than this time last year,” South Burnett Patrol Group Inspector Scott Stahlhut said.
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Operation Boa saw detectives and general duties officers from Murgon and Cherbourg, Darling Downs Tactical Crime Squad and the Road Policing Task Force unite for the regional crackdown.
Police conducted 409 roadside breath tests and 93 roadside drug tests, resulting in two positive results.
Police executed five search warrants in relation to possession and supply of dangerous drugs in Cherbourg.
Six people were charged with possession of dangerous drugs, possession of utensils and failure to dispose of syringe.
A 15-year-old Cherbourg boy was charged with robbery, stealing a vehicle, four counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, enter premises with intent, two counts of stealing, wilful damage of police property and four counts of unlicensed driving.
He was remanded in custody and is due to appear in Murgon Childrens Court at a later date.
HAVING endured six weeks of a highly contentious federal election campaign, voters in the Queensland state seat of Callide will have to return to the polling booths within weeks due to a forced by-election.
Callide, which encompasses parts of Queensland’s Wide Bay, Burnett, Capricorn and Western Downs regions, has been vacated by previous MP Colin Boyce, who looks likely to win the federal seat of Flynn for the LNP with 72 percent of the vote counted.
The Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) has now announced June 18 as polling day for Callide.
The Electoral District of Callide. IMAGE: ECQ
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The seat of Callide has just shy of 34,000 constituents and spans roughly 74,000 square kilometres between Calliope in the north and Chinchilla in the south.
Touching Queensland’s coastline south of Gladstone and stretching across the vast pastoral downs country west of Taroom, Callide is industrially and socially diverse.
It’s a firmly held LNP seat. Mr Boyce amassed a 15.3 percent margin at the 2020 Queensland Election, and before his tenure the local MP was LNP Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney.
2020 CALLIDE ELECTION RESULTS
IMAGE: ABC
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The LNP has nominated Bryson Head as the party’s candidate.
In February the Caller profiled Mr Head, a Chinchilla-based geologist and farming industry advocate who listed rural hospital resourcing, infrastructure and crime rates among his priorities for Callide if elected.
Independent candidate Adam Burling has also nominated.
QUEENSLAND’S peak farming body has listed water security, energy and workforce shortages among the priorities it wants to see the incoming Albanese Labor government and new agriculture minister address.
Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) CEO Jo Sheppard said QFF would be seeking early engagement with the yet-to-be-appointed agriculture minister, to highlight the importance of agriculture to the success of rural and regional Queensland.
“Top of the list is future security, reliability and affordability of water and energy,” Ms Sheppard said.
“We hope there’ll be a renewed focus on working with industry to address workforce pressures, including the housing shortages.
“The results of the election sends a strong message that, more broadly, the Australian community is seeking change.”
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Tasmanian Labor MP Julie Collins had served as shadow agriculture minister and while she was reelected at the weekend’s federal election, there’s no guarantee she will continue in the role.
Former opposition leader Bill Shorten is reportedly in the mix for the position. The minister is expected to be appointed following Mr Albanese’s visit to Tokyo for the Quad Summit.
Australia’s peak farming body, the National Farmers Federation, told the Caller it would have more to say on the issue once the new cabinet was finalised.
Farmers for Climate Action CEO Fiona Davis. IMAGE: Supplied
Farmers for Climate Action CEO Fiona Davis said the country, suburbs and city united to vote for stronger climate policy and that she hoped all politicians would listen.
“Australian voters have backed deeper emission reductions this decade, which we need to protect the farmers who grow our food,” Ms Davis said.
“Strong climate policy can reduce the cost of living in the country and the city by cutting electricity bills and transport costs.
“We need deep emissions reductions this decade to protect Australian farmers from extreme weather events caused by climate change, and ensure we are able to continue to produce food for Australia and the world.
“Australian farmers have shown that agriculture is ready and able to lead.
“With the right policy support, Australian agriculture can be carbon neutral well before 2050, but emissions reductions are needed across all sectors of the economy. Other sectors need to play their part and rapidly reduce emissions.
“If we act quickly, there are huge economic opportunities for farmers and regional Australians. Let’s not miss the opportunity to create secure, resilient jobs and livelihoods for farmers and regional Australians.”
GPA chair and WA grain producer Barry Large during a recent visit to Canberra. IMAGE: GPA
Grain Producers Australia (GPA) said the change of government presented an opportunity to engage constructively in renewed discussions on key policy priorities for the Australian grains industry
“When last in government, Labor delivered some important policy reforms for the grains sector and we now anticipate the opportunity, as indicated during the campaign, to discuss how we can collaborate and help solve today’s issues,” GPA chair Barry Large said.
“GPA also acknowledges the significant influence of independents and minor parties at this election. We also look forward to engaging with them more and discussing our issues, as part of our ongoing work advocating for growers and our communities,” Mr Large said.
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Agforce Grains president Brendan Taylor also said he was waiting to see who the new agriculture minister will be, but that Agforce was ready to work with the government of the day and continue advocating for farming communities.
“There are some policies which come with a green agenda which might not be as favourable for us – but that’s our job to bat hard to make sure the voices of the regions are heard loud and clear,” Mr Taylor said.
He said addressing labour shortages still crippling the agricultural sector should be a key priority for whoever takes over the portfolio.
“Probably the story of the election really is that both major parties have lost primary votes – so the people have sent a message they weren’t happy with what was going on.
“There’s a lot of talk about politicians getting back to their grassroots, of the constituents they represent, maybe there’s a message in that for everyone.”
QUEENSLAND cowboys have proven once again they are a supreme bull riding powerhouse, taking home the 2022 PBR Origin Championship crown with a 424.5 point lead over New South Wales at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
The Maroons have dominated the dirt since the series’ inception in 2019, having now won three from three PBR Origin championships.
Captain Aaron Kleier said his team “had one goal” heading into Saturday night’s final round – to defend their title for another year.
“It always feels good to get my bulls ridden, that’s what I aim to do every time and keep my consistency high,” said Kleier, who secured an 87.5 ride atop St Bucking Bulls’ The Pet in Brisbane.
“Every time we put the Queensland jersey on the boys get in and have a dig, and we’ve got a real good team.
“The boys did a really good job in Brisbane and throughout the overall three events.”
Despite Team New South Wales successfully securing their first ever Origin event win in Tamworth last month, their 165.5 points at the end of last night’s round were no match against Queensland, who finished the round with an impressive 590 points.
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New South Wales captain Cody Heffernan said he was proud of his team’s performance and was looking forward to coming back stronger next year.
“They really put in the effort tonight and we had a lot of 7-second-bull rides,” Heffernan said.
“Creating that team bond was important this year and we’ll give the title a good crack again next year.”
WATCH: Qynn Anderson rides Comeback Kid for 86 points
With crucial national points also on the line, Queensland young gun Qynn Andersen finished atop the podium, collecting 416.50 points and pocketing a bonus $20,000.
As a result of the strong individual finish, the 18-year-old surged to number two in the race for the 2022 PBR Monster Energy Tour Australian Championship title.
“It feels great to get all them bulls rode, and I just love riding bulls,” Andersen said.
“It feels different when you’ve got the whole team behind you; everyone rides a bit better and there’s more energy.
“Putting that jersey on, there is no better feeling. It’s hard to describe because it just feels amazing.”
New South Wales veteran Lachlan Richardson placed second in the Origin decider, collecting 339 points, while Dittmann Bucking Bulls’ Cattle King Boogers Beach took home the YETI Bull of the Event after securing 44.5 points.
WATCH: Lachlan Richardson rides Gin n Juice for 84.5 points
PBR Australia general manager Glen Young said the race to this year’s Australian Championship title is now closer than ever, with all top four riders within a mere 36.5 points of one another.
“Qynn Andersen had an impressive performance in Brisbane and is now trailing current No.1 Cody Heffernan by only 6.5 points in the Australian national standings,” Young said.
“Lachlan Richardson has now jumped to No.3 in the national standings courtesy of his performance in Brisbane, with four-time PBR Australia Champion, Aaron Kleier, close behind him in the No.4 spot.
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“It is certainly going to be a nail-biting race to the PBR Monster Energy Tour Grand Finals, which will take place in Townsville in November and is the richest bull riding event in the entire southern hemisphere.
“There is a bonus $7,500 up for grabs for the best rider of the series, alongside a $50,000 year-end bonus for this year’s Australian Champion.
“As the anticipation builds for who will be crowned the 2022 PBR Monster Energy Tour Australian Champion, we’re eager to see how the national standings shape up in the months ahead.”
Qynn Anderson marks 87pts on board ‘Big Buck Hunter’ to make it three from three at Origin III. IMAGE: PBR
COUNTRY CALLER FOOTBALL COVERAGE SPONSORED BY INTURA
By HARRY CLARKE
CHINCHILLA playmaker Ramon Mutch may have summed up the Bulldogs’ clash with Roma Cities best when, coming off the field after the final siren, he simply said “that was a f***ing slog fest”.
Such were the conditions at Bulldog Park on Sunday (wet, muddy and drizzly) that games in all grades were played mostly in the middle, by forward packs trying to keep hold of the slippery football and hoping to eventually find cracks in the opposition defence.
Hosting top of the table Cities, Chinchilla A-graders needed a big improvement on last week when they copped a hiding from the Magpies in Mitchell.
Early tries to Roma second rower Jackson Shelswell and halfback Cameron Bartley had Cities on the front foot, but a dazzling intercept and runaway try by Bulldogs centre Declan Bell in the 20th minute put the host back in the game.
WATCH: Bulldogs center Declan Bell’s intercept try. FOOTAGE: Maveric TV
From there it was a closely contested, highly entertaining game of football.
The crowd of close to two hundred sought cover as the rain came down throughout the second half, but the grinding, end-to-end rugby league happening on the field kept the shivering spectators interested until the end.
Chinchilla stayed in the battle, but when Roma’s Tom Baron pounced on a loose ball at the try line Cities began to slowly edge ahead to a final score of 24-12.
Tom Barron scores for Roma Cities
“It was a tough game, typical wet weather footy – complete your sets and kick early – and both sides did that well,” Roma captain Tom Packer said.
“It probably came down to our defence in the end.
“The oval held up well considering the conditions. Last week a lot of teams didn’t get to play because of the rain so we’re pretty lucky to still get some footy today.
“I thought our forwards really put their hands up today. Big Jordan Collinson off the bench really had an impact and Chris Gelhaar – some of the shots he was putting on at the end, I wouldn’t want to be running it at him.
“But on a day like today it was a real team effort, our handling was good in the rain and it was just a good defensive effort.”
Jackson Shelswell with a kick return at Bulldog Park
COUNTRY CALLER FOOTBALL COVERAGE SPONSORED BY INTURA
The Bulldogs were positive in defeat. Captain Matt Eising praised the effort of the forwards, both from the run-on side and and the reserves bench, and the team’s discipline with the ball amid the slippery conditions.
Eising was reluctant to single out individual efforts but when pushed, named prop Josh Schwerin, hooker Hayden Bender, centre Declan Bell and winger/centre Matt Hart among his standout players.
“For a wet weather footy game you probably couldn’t have asked for much more from our boys,” Eising said.
“The effort and the enthusiasm was there but we just weren’t quite good enough to get the win.
“During the week at training we worked on completion. We knew that was going to be the key if we were a chance of sticking in this game and I’m really proud of the boys in conditions like this.
Young pups from the Chinchilla Bulldogs watch on at the seniors host Roma Cities
“It’s really hard to even catch a ball in these conditions – it’s like being in a shower out there – so I’m proud of their effort.
“Cities were really good in the middle. They get you on the back foot, work really hard and they can suck the energy out of you, but we kept coming for the full 80 minutes.
“As we came off the field we said we can hold our heads high with the effort. I’m excited for our next clash, which is in about two months.
“We can really build a lot as a football side in that time.”
Cities have a bye next week before taking on Miles, while the Chinchilla Bulldogs host Wallumbilla-Surat next week ahead of another home game against Miles for the revived Dagma Gleeson Cup on June 18.
Roma’s Riley Shelswell, wrapped up by Layton Hohn in Reserve-grade
THE teal tidal wave of female independents which is on track to wipe out six sitting Liberal MPs in inner-city seats caused ripples west of the Great Dividing Range, with Groom’s two independents picking up almost 17 percent of the local primary vote, just 2000 votes behind Labor.
While Groom MP Garth Hamilton comfortably retained what was the second safest Liberal seat in Australia heading into Saturday’s federal election, the Liberals’ primary vote was hammered with a 12 percent swing away from the incumbent, with 68 percent of the vote counted.
Voices of Groom independent candidate Suzie Holt has secured 9 percent of first preferences counted so far, with fellow independent Kirstie Smolenski picking up 7.6 percent.
“This is a huge win for Groom and I think that moving forward, we’ve now opened up that space for those big issues to be heard,” Suzie Holt said.
“Even if you were to look at the two independents and put them together, it shows that certainly the community is looking for a positive voice to Canberra.”
Kirstie Smolenski was also celebrating the “massive swing” and said on social media that her team was incredibly pleased with the result.
“Whether this results in increased funding and recognition to the region will be something to monitor carefully,” Smolenski said.
Groom independent candidate Kirstie Smolenski celebrates on election night
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Suzie Holt pointed to independent candidate Dr Monique Ryan’s campaign in Melbourne’s Kooyong, on track to topple former treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
“In Kooyong, they started the process and look what’s happened the second time around. So I think that what we’ve done is show there’s momentum for change,” Holt said.
In a statement on social media Garth Hamilton said although there might not be much for the LNP to celebrate, he “reflects with some pride on how wonderful Australia is”.
“I am humbled to again be granted the opportunity to represent the great seat of Groom in our federal parliament,” Hamilton said.
“It is important now that my party acknowledge the result and set about restoring our credibility as the home of sensible, centre-right policy. We’ve much work to do.”
Suzie Holt agreed.
“I think for the LNP in Queensland, they do have to do some soul searching and moving forward, they do need to move themselves back to the centre of politics to represent the majority of people,” Holt said.
Groom MP Garth Hamilton (centre) with volunteers on polling day
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Maranoa MP David Littleproud voting in Warwick
Maranoa MP David Littleproud defied national voting trends to strengthen his hold on the country Queensland seat, with a small swing to the LNP after preferences.
He shared a brief statement on social media, thanking the electorate and promising to keep fighting for their fair share.
Labor will form government with 72 seats confirmed so far and another 14 still in doubt nationwide.
Leader Anthony Albanese will be sworn in as Australia’s 31st Prime Minister later today.
COUNTRY CALLER FOOTBALL COVERAGE SPONSORED BY INTURA
By HARRY CLARKE
MANY among the small but spirited crowd who braved drizzly conditions at the Fish Tank yesterday had to do a ‘double take’ as the Condamine Cods A-graders ran onto the field to take on the top tier Toowoomba Rangers.
Instead of the club’s renowned green jumper, players came out wearing a foreign-looking royal blue strip to highlight the Cods’ annual sponsors day.
Each guernsey was emblazoned with the branding of RACQ LifeFlight and club sponsors, and were used to raise a remarkable $10,500 for LifeFlight when they were auctioned off after the game.
“LifeFlight are setting up a depot at their new helicopter pad at Roma and we would that was a great cause to get behind,” Cods president Sonny Power said.
“We decided to do up LifeFlight jerseys and have 15 jerseys with a different sponsor’s logo on it. The jerseys were donated by Gilbert and then we auctioned them off after A-grade.
“The top price jersey went for about 13 hundred. The support from bidders was really good.”
The Cods were pleased with the auction result and also the result on the rugby field, despite going down to the Toowoomba Rangers, 24-8.
The club is yet to record a victory in 2022 but Power said yesterday was a strong performance by the Cods, who also put up a gallant effort in their 32-7 loss in B-grade.
“That’s probably our best performance of the year, to get that score against the Rangers who are a top four team,” he said.
“It was a pretty slow start to the season for us, being a bit low on numbers and having a few quality players retire or move on this year.
“But we’ve got a few guys from the Marcus Oldham agriculture college down in Geelong who are living around Condamine there, doing their one-year assignment on farm.
“We’ve got four or five backpackers in the club too, which is good.”
COUNTRY CALLER FOOTBALL COVERAGE SPONSORED BY INTURA
Victory came over the Rangers for the Chinchilla River Rats in C-grade, which featured a father-son combination in Chris Hart and son Matt.
The older Hart showed grey hairs hadn’t slowed him down while Matt’s kicking game from fly-half, comprising two penalty goals and a successful drop punt conversion from the sideline, was a huge help in Chinchilla’s 18-12 win.
Centre Dustin Tennyson’s kicks in general play ensured the Rats dominated field position, while huge defensive efforts up front from captain Dan Seator and number 8 Josh Church gave Chinchilla momentum at the breakdown.
In the absence of a sponsors day home game this year, the Chinchilla River Rats would like to thank its 2022 supporters CNH, Chinchilla Club Hotel, Wood Ag, RDO Equipment, Qube, Purple Cow Butchery, CWS, McDonald’s and Malison farming.
AN eleventh hour pitch from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to recruit polling workers has resulted in more than 7000 people putting their hands up in the last 72 hours, to ensure bush booths can open tomorrow.
Voters in sixteen areas across four Queensland electorates were being told they may not be able to cast their vote locally for Saturday’s federal election, unless they signed up to work at the polling booth as well.
The AEC put the call out on Wednesday for anyone willing and able to work at the regional and rural booths, to register their interest.
“Our efforts to engage army reservists, public servants, local councils, police services, job seekers, education departments and others will mean that many regional voting centres with no confirmed staff two days ago will now be able to open,” Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said.
The AEC had identified the Queensland electorates of Capricornia, Flynn, Kennedy and Leichhardt as cause for concern, with sixteen polling booths in those seats at risk of being unavailable for voters, with applications for postal votes already closed.
IMAGE: AEC
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Locations desperately seeking staff included Proston in the South Burnett, Capella, Rolleston, Nebo and Glenden in Central Queensland, Hamilton Island and Kowanyama on the Cape.
“Recruitment difficulty is exactly what we advised could occur, both earlier in the pandemic and in the early stages of the election period, and why we’ve been urging people to assess all voting options,” Mr Rogers said.
“This is an unalloyed good news story of community members stepping up for democracy in a pandemic but its not at all a clear runway – that’s not how running an election in a pandemic works,” Mr Rogers said.
Now the only booths in Queensland still needing workers are Kowanyama and Kurumba.
The Electoral Commission has been recruiting for more than a year in an effort to secure the 105,000 polling staff needed nationwide.
GAS coupled with renewable power is a “natural partnership” on the pathway to net zero and the pairing is already reducing emissions in other countries, Australia’s oil and gas industry conference has heard.
More than 2,000 delegates have gathered in Brisbane for the APPEA 2022 Conference & Exhibition, the largest oil and gas conference in the southern hemisphere, this year themed “Positive Energy For A Changing World”.
Global energy advisory firm Resource Investment Strategy Consultants (RISC) told delegates that major jurisdictions, including the US and UK, had seen significant emissions reductions from power generation through the phasing out of coal in favour of gas and renewables.
“We now have evidence that many jurisdictions have followed this path, with lower emissions correlating not only with an increase in renewables, but also increases in gas use,” RISC managing director Martin Wilkes said.
APPEA chairman Ian Davies, CEO of Senex Energy, opening in the 2022 APPEA Conference and Exhibition
He said with batteries lacking the scale required, hydrogen at scale at least 15-20 years away, hydroelectricity limited by terrain and climate, and nuclear not an option in Australia, natural gas remained the only source available to provide the back up to renewable energy.
“If we are to navigate the next steps down the path to net zero, coupling natural gas power generation with renewable power generation is the only real current option available to most of Australia,” Mr Wilkes said.
“On its own it won’t, and can’t get to net zero, but it can go a long way towards getting us there, and can also provide support to the development and integration of other technologies that can get us there.
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“Gas remains the natural partner to renewables and provides the security of supply needed when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine.”
More than 120 exhibits including models of carbon capture and storage technology, a robotic dog and drones used for monitoring and surveying and a huge excavator that can be operated autonomously, have been on show at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.
With principal partners Woodside Energy and ExxonMobil, the conference speaking list has featured the leaders of some of Australia’s biggest companies including Santos chief executive Kevin Gallagher, Woodside chief executive Meg O’Neill and Shell Australia country chair Tony Nunan.
More than 2,000 delegates attended the APPEA 2022 Conference and Exhibition
Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) acting chief executive Damian Dwyer said natural gas was the key to so much change and uncertainty in the world, including challenges posed by climate change, the war in Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This exciting event showcases the best technology and brains of our industry, helping solve the global challenges of our time – decarbonisation and energy security,” Mr Dwyer said.
“The conference will show how central gas is to our lives – making everyday products, powering homes and business and contributing to our economy, including the billions we pay to governments annually that help pay for public services and roads, schools and hospitals.
“But the agenda also highlights the importance of decarbonisation, using lower emissions technology, replacing coal, partnering with renewables, supporting manufacturing and producing hydrogen.”
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APPEA Queensland Director Matthew Paull said the host state, Queensland, had long been central to Australia’s energy needs.
Mr Paull said the state had also showed its smarts to constantly evolve with the development of new opportunities.
“Queensland continues to be a key player in Australia’s oil and gas story – the second biggest petroleum workforce in the country, with about 31,000 Queenslanders directly employed by almost 9,000 businesses,” Mr Paull said.
“This is due to the heavy lifting done by the Queensland Government over the years that has fostered new areas of growth in CSG in the Surat Basin and the LNG industry in Gladstone.
“The conference is a chance to continue to move further towards a cleaner energy future for the state, with decarbonisation central to the agenda and the opportunity to take our competitive advantage in Queensland and set the industry and state up for decades to come.”
