FRASER COAST CENTRAL

Colton Coal Mining Job applications being accepted for the Fraser Coast says the local Fraser Coast Chronicle Newspaper.Great news for the local economy.

THE financial buy-in earlier this year by mining giant New Hope has set Maryborough’s Colton Coal Mine project on track for a start as early as next year.

Job applications are now being processed to help fill the 100 positions the mine will create and current mine workers already living on the Fraser Coast are at the head of the queue.

The long-awaited project has taken off since Ipswich-based coal company New Hope bought 59% of shares from Northern Energy Corporation (NEC) with a $238 million cash bid in February this year.

Acting chief executive officer of NEC, Shane Stephan, said the buy-in had provided the extra capital needed to get the project off the ground.

“The major change has been that the project has been reinvigorated now that New Hope has taken over,” Mr Stephan said.

“New Hope is very large and has the resources needed to get it going.”

Once it was up and running, the mine was set to inject about $20 million a year into the Maryborough economy in wages and local services.

“The key message is we are collecting resumes and the preference is for applications from appropriately qualified local people,” Mr Stephan said.

The site at Colton, north of Maryborough, covers just more than 1000 hectares and the company expected to mine about five million tonnes of coking coal in eight to 10 years.

“We are currently undertaking exploration drilling, and a follow-up environmental management plan is being lodged with the Department of Environment and Resource Management,” Mr Stephan said.

Following the plan’s approval, a public notification process would take place and the final paperwork would be completed to grant the mining lease.

“Once the lease is granted, which could be in the last quarter of 2012, we should be looking at starting work,” Mr Stephan said.

The coal would be sent by rail to Gladstone for export, initially through Barney Point and later through the Wiggins Island terminal.

 

COLTON MINE FAST FACTS

• The project will boost the Maryborough economy by about $20 million a year.
• About 100 jobs will be created for local plant operators, truck driver, electricians, surveyors and more.
• The mine at Colton will be built near the site of a historic mine that operated from the late 1800s to the 1990s.
• About half-a-million tonnes of coking coal will be extracted every year, for an estimated 10 years.
• The mine is expected to open late next year.

To register interest in a job at the mine, visit www.northernenergy.com.au/work_with_us

Sourced from the local Fraser Coast Chronicle newspaper

MORE QUESTIONS ARE NEEDED TO BE ASKED WITH DIRECT ANSWERS

20 April 2010
Companies Annuncement Office
Australian Securities Exchange Limited
MEDIA RELEASE
TIARO COAL TO COMMENCE BULK MINERALS EXPORT OPERATIONS –
SIGNS AGREEMENTS WITH CHINA QINFA GROUP AND BUYING AGENT

The relationship between China Qinfa Group and Tiaro Coal continues to strengthen with the incorporation of a joint venture trading company and execution of a co-operation agreement focussed on developing substantial volumes of export trade in bulk commodities. The initial business focus is on coal.
China Qinfa Group (through its wholly owned subsidiary Bright Rock Holdings Pty Limited) currently holds 13.6 million shares in Tiaro Coal and is now a significant shareholder of Tiaro Coal with a holding of 21%. Shareholder approval was granted at a general meeting of shareholders on 25 March 2010 to increase this interest to 30%.
A joint venture company Australian Minerals Trading Pty Limited (AMT) has been formed to facilitate trade supply negotiations and agreements with suppliers in predominantly the Australian and New Zealand markets. AMT shareholdes are Yuen Hoi Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of China Qinfa Group and Tiaro Coal.
Following completion of the co-operation agreement AMT entered into a service agreement with Australian Commodities Trader Exchange Pty Limited (ACTE) to act as its Buying Agent. ACTE is a specialist procurement organisation.

The service agreement provides for ACTE to:
(a) Source coal supplies in Australia, New Zealand, Russia and other countries as
maybe agreed;
(b) Source iron ore supplies in Australia;
(c) Provide operational & administrative activities associated with coal suppliers and
trade finance providers required to finalise purchase contracts with overseas
buyers including China Qinfa Group; and
(d) Provide miscellaneous services, including identifying opportunities whereby
reputable coalmines require development capital with the ultimate intention to
provide AMT with coal off take capacity for its strategic international shareholder.
The business objective of AMT is to establish a substantial trading house supporting the commodity requirements of its key shareholder China Qinfa Group.

For 2010/2011 financial years a business growth target in excess of a million tonnes of exported commodity is planned and.………..More ASX AMT Tiaro Qinfa Coal Trading

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

What a great initiative to move these huts into one location

Added benefits & expansion to the existing Burrum District museum

Common sense prevailed with the moving of the mining huts at Torbanlea to the Burrum District Museum at Howard. Not good to see some of the old turn of the century buildings demolished, but we cannot have everything I suppose.

Can’t wait to see the restored huts in Howard when completed.

Was keeping my eyes on a red passion flower vine growing on one of the buildings over a few months as the seeds are hard to come by, but by the time I was aware that the buildings were being demolished when driving by it was a bit late to rescue the rare seeds from the vine as the building was half demolished.

It would have been great if some thought was given to not only the buildings etc but also some of the plants that were at the complex that deserve saving.

To the credit of the demo boys they gave me some leeway to look for some seeds after the demolition but it was a bit late to rescue any.

Early days of demolition @ Torbanlea and removal for re-instatement

@ the Howard Museum presinct.

Pics & story by Henry Sapiecha

Mr Henry Sapiecha

Dear Henry,

I am writing to inform you that Northern Energy Corporation Limited (NEC) has lodged the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for its proposed Colton mine project with the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) for their review.

We at NEC have made every effort to ensure that we keep all interested community members informed about the proposed Colton mine project. You are receiving this email because you have indicated to us that you would like to be kept up to date about our progress, and you provided us with your email address. We have written you a letter as well, and this should arrive in the coming days.

Activities we have undertaken to inform people about our project include holding community information sessions in Maryborough, Howard and Aldershot, introduction of various feedback mechanisms including the 1800 information line, updated project information on the company website and efforts to promote awareness of the EMP process and the Plan itself to enable community members and other interested parties to comment and provide feedback on the plan.

The EMP for Colton mine project includes reports with baseline studies on all project related issues and highlights measures proposed by NEC to ensure that the project’s environmental impacts are managed appropriately.

DERM will undertake an initial review of the EMP and will advise statutory requirements for further advertising and public comment in due course.

In the meantime, if you are interested in getting a copy of the EMP for your own review you can visit the project website and download a copy for yourself. You will see that there are quite a few files, and some of them are quite large. We have done our best to break them down into small reports and have provided enough detail in the title block to allow you to make a decision about which parts of the report you wish to download.

The address to access the full EMP, including all of the appendices and supporting reports, is:

http://www.northernenergy.com.au/projects/maryborough/environment-manage.html

Queries or comments may be directed to the project

toll free number on 1800 266 296

or email at coltonmineinfo@northernenergy.com.au.

Yours sincerely

Mark Turner

Chief Operating Officer

Northern Energy Corporation

Received & published by Henry Sapiecha

NORTHERN ENERGY PROPOSE NEW OPEN CUT COAL MINING IN THE FRASER COAST

MAP OF OPERATION LOCATION FOR PROPOSED COAL MINING PROJECT

Mr Keith Barker Managing Director of Northern Energy and his team held a public gathering this morning at Howard Community Centre to seek the support of the community for their proposed mining operations in the area.

Mr Keith Barker of NE and Mr Bill Gosewich President of the B urrum Chamber 0f Commerce are pictured here with a common vote of support for the proposals by NE

They are well on the way to obtaining the various elements to enable the project to go ahead and want members of the community to let our councillors and beaurecrats know that we want the the Colston mining operation here.

Director of Wide Bay District Developments Pty Ltd, Henry Sapiecha [yours truly] had discussed the opportunity with Keith Barker of Northern Mining of establishing a service centre for their mining operations here at Howard at the

FRASER COAST TRADES & SERVICES CENTRE  >>> www.fctsc.com.au

So go and lobby all those you know to help make it happen

There was overwhelming community support for what it is that NE proposes.

There are many positive aspects to their proposals including a major injection of jobs and money into the community.

More info can be obtained by contacting them at 1800266295

coltonmineinfo@northernenergy.com.au

www.northernenergy.com.au/projects/maryborough/

Published Pics and story by Henry Sapiecha 10th April 2010