To support the growth of businesses in this area, the Toowoomba Regional Enterprise and Surat Basin Corporation have obtained Queensland Government funding to conduct one day marketing strategy workshops and follow-up one-on-one sessions in Toowoomba, Chinchilla, Dalby and Roma. The planning committee is pleased to announce that the successful tenderer to deliver this program is a locally based company, Better Business Outcomes, headed by Managing Director Mark Jocumsen. Better Business Outcomes specialises in assisting small business owners to improve the performance of their business and achieve the personal outcomes they are seeking.

‘Our team are delighted that the planning committee appreciated our strong capabilities built up over the past 5 years and have shown faith in partnering with a local regional provider.’ Mark said yesterday. ‘Most marketing workshops focus simply on promotional tactics.  In contrast, these workshops will help owners develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that incorporates price, promotion, product, place and people. Participants will be required to work hard during the day to develop their marketing strategy and implementation action plan’. ‘To ensure participants become confident in their strategy & plans, each eligible business will receive two (2) one-on-one follow-up sessions after their workshop.’

Enrolment in these marketing strategy workshops and one-on-one sessions is free of charge. ‘This is a particularly wonderful opportunity for small business owners to get high value marketing assistance which would normally be only affordable for larger organisations’ Mark added. Workshop numbers are limited. Interested business owners can register on-line at www.bbocoaching.com.au/tsbeworkshops  or phoning Toowoomba Regional Enterprise on 07 4632 7776.

ENDS

For more information contact Stacey Kent 0488 770 408 or via email marketing@suratbasincorporation.com.au.

QGC Pty Limited has awarded a A$15.5 million contract to Queensland company J Hutchinson Pty Limited, trading as Hutchinson Builders, for a two-storey operations and production support centre in Chinchilla.
The new building will be on the corner of the Warrego Highway and Carmichael Street, near QGC’s temporary offices in Taylor Street.
It will accommodate up to 128 people in 2800 square metres of floor space. Construction is scheduled to be completed by early 2013. The project will employ up to 70 people, creating up to 50 new jobs across a range of trades, administration and health and safety.
QGC Managing Director Derek Fisher said QGC’s investment in the new building demonstrated the company’s long-term commitment to the area.
“Our operations will last decades and Chinchilla will be an important hub for our gas field operations,” Mr Fisher said.

Hutchinson Builders recently completed a A$7 million supply warehouse for QGC near Miles and in 2011 the company won a A$57 million contract through WorleyParsons to supply modular accommodation and facilities for QGC gas field developments.

Comments made by the company’s Gladstone LNG president Mark Macfarlane come as Santos applies for government approval to drill a further 4100 onshore coal seam gas wells in Queensland to supply its $16 billion Gladstone LNG project.

Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/santos-slams-csg-red-tape-wants-4100-new-wells/story-e6frg9df-1226333789814

Coal seam gas drilling on Tayglen Station. (Kim Honan)

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2012/s3487872.htm?site=westqld

The bulk water retailer has released an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project that has been on the drawing board for 80 years.

SunWater wants to build a $1.4 billion dam on the Dawson River, north of Wandoan, north-west of Toowoomba.

The Nathan Dam project has been proposed for decades but in 2006 the then-Beattie Labor government committed $120 million to fast-tracking the design and preliminary work.

SunWater wants to build an 888 gigalitre storage about 35 kilometres north-east of Taroom, and a pipeline to Dalby to supply mining operations in the Surat Basin.

However in its EIS, SunWater says it has found more than 30,000 critically endangered Boggamoss snails in the project area.

SunWater says the water storage area will affect a colony of about 350 snails but they will be moved to a new location.

It also plans to build a turtleway into the dam wall to help the white-throated snapping turtle flourish.

Sunwater says if the project is approved, construction would start next year and the dam would be commissioned in 2016.

Submissions on the EIS close in June.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-24/authority-outlines-endangered-snail-plan-for-14b-dam/3968622?section=qld

Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) has conducted a small survey of small businesses areas in Gladstone, Toowoomba and the Surat Basin.

Their survey finds small businesses in those areas are more optimistic about the future than previously.

APPEA chief operating officer Eastern Region, Rick Wilkinson said: “At a time of economic uncertainty it’s pleasing to see that small businesses in and around Queensland’s gas fields remain optimistic about their local economy and presence of the gas industry.”

“Figures released by APPEA last month show the industry now employs more than 12,000 people and is committing capital investment at a rate of more than $30,000 a minute,” Mr Wilkinson said.

Source: http://m.gladstoneobserver.com.au/story/2012/04/24/small-business-upbeat-for-csg-survey-claims/

Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Jeff Seeney

Draft terms of reference released for central Queensland coal projects

Central Queenslanders are invited to have their say on the draft terms of reference for two proposed thermal coal mines in Banana Shire and Western Downs.

Cockatoo Coal Ltd is seeking approval to establish the Taroom coal project three kilometres south-east of the town of Taroom, and the Collingwood coal project 12 kilometres north-east of Wandoan.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney said the Coordinator-General would accept public submissions on each draft terms of reference for an EIS until Monday 28 May 2012.

“These projects have the potential to operate for up to 20 years and could export 13 million tonnes of thermal coal a year,” Mr Seeney said.

“If approved, they would be important coal exporters through the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal in the Port of Gladstone.

“Taken together, these projects are expected to attract capital investment of approximately $1.8 billion, generate up to 1000 construction jobs and employ 950 operational workers, with further regional jobs from flow-on economic development.”

Mr Seeney said that, if given approval, Cockatoo proposed to jointly progress construction, workforce and ongoing management of social and other programs for the Taroom and Collingwood mines.

The Taroom coal project covers 6500 hectares and in addition to mining infrastructure, Cockatoo Coal is seeking evaluation of a creek diversion, a rail line to the proposed Surat Basin Railway, diversion of 9 kilometres of the Leichardt Highway and a 52-kilometre electricity transmission line.

The Collingwood coal project covers over 6000 hectares near the proposed Surat Basin Railway. It includes plans for a seven-kilometre railway line to the proposed Surat Basin Railway and a 16-kilometre electricity transmission line.

Coordinator-General Barry Broe said the draft terms of reference would provide the framework for each project’s EIS.

“This means that community feedback on the draft documents is very important and I would encourage all interested parties to have their say,” Mr Broe said.

The draft terms of reference for each project are available from 28 April 2012 from www.deedi.qld.gov.au/cg/coordinator-general-projects.html

Source: http://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=79017

The head of Queensland’s new coal seam gas (CSG) industry watchdog says he won’t be a puppet of the “pro-mining” Liberal National Party (LNP) government.

John Cotter, the former boss of agricultural lobby group AgForce, says he will be “fearless and free from influence” in the role overseeing the government’s Gasfields Land and Water Commission.

Mr Cotter says the Toowoomba-based body will balance the interests of landholders, environmentalists and industry.

It will be independent and have its own powers to ensure a level playing field, he says.

“I’ll have a voice as I’ve had all my life in this game, fearless and free from influence, and the deputy premier (Jeff Seeney) expects me to be in that position,” Mr Cotter told AAP.

“He knows that I won’t be sidelined or not be open or transparent.”

After Mr Cotter’s appointment on Thursday, anti-CSG group Lock the Gate Alliance president Drew Hutton told AAP the commission would be a “toothless tiger” under Mr Cotter after he’d failed to stand up to the government while at AgForce.

The anti-CSG protester reinforced his comments on Friday, saying Mr Seeney had appointed Mr Cotter to ensure the commission toed the government line.

“How much is this commission going to be politicised by a pro-mining government?” he said.

“This appointment is a signal to the coal seam gas industry that this government has no intention of keeping them under strict control.”

But Mr Cotter accused environmentalists like Mr Hutton of driving farmers out of business by pushing for strict regulations on them.

“I’ve spent … three-quarters of my life dealing with issues that have been driven by the Drew Huttons of the world, trying to put farmers out of business,” he said.

“The audacity of him to stand up there and say he’s now a friend of the farmers.

“He would put farmers out of business tomorrow if it suited him, and I don’t cop that at all.”

Mr Cotter said the commission’s powers and responsibilities had not yet been established but would be determined with the help of public feedback over the next month.

He said main areas of concern so far were fracking – the controversial process used to extract gas from coal seams – and the large amount of regulation imposed on the CSG industry.

The commission would review whether the regulations were necessary but would not hesitate to refer any company that broke the rules to be prosecuted, he said.

Applications are being sought for six other commissioners to help run the new body.

SOURCE: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/smartphone/article.aspx?id=8454515

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On 12 April 2012, the Surat Basin Corporation held an Extraordinary General Meeting in Dalby.

The sole purpose of the meeting was to consider a resolution which will see the Surat Basin Corporation and Toowoomba Regional Enterprise become one entity, the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TASBE).
As per the constitution the vote was first put to a show of hands. The decision was unanimous and the following special resolution was carried.
“To ratify the recent Memorandum of Understanding to wind up the Surat Basin Regional Development Corporation Pty Ltd and pay surplus proceeds to Toowoomba Regional Enterprise Pty Ltd which is then to become the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise Pty Ltd.”
The special resolution was proposed as a result of significant forethought by both entities. Surat Basin Corporation CEO Shane Charles said, “This joinder allows a win-win scenario to result for both entities and will see the combined organisation reach greater heights, delivering an increased return on investment to members”.
Surat Basin Corporation President Graham Secombe, in referencing the issues and opportunities impacting the region, said “… the power of one united voice that collectively represents industry cannot be over emphasised”.
The new entity Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TASBE) will be a not-for-profit partnership of government, business and community organisations for the purpose of promoting sustainable development in the Toowoomba and Surat Basin region and ensuring local businesses flourish.
ENDS
For more information contact Stacey Kent on 0488 770 408