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The Border Watch : October 22nd 2013
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The Border Watch, Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - 3 NEWS NEWS TIPS newsroom@tbw.com.au 3 ast Highway Patrol officers operat- testing station in Mount Gambier oon detected two drug drivers and thin 30 minutes. rticularly concerned by the pres- n two of the cars. man with a probationary licence tested positive for drug driving. Meanwhile, a 43-year-old Mount Gambier woman returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.211, more than four times the legal limit, with two children travelling in the car. She received a 12 month instant loss of licence, had her vehicle impounded and will be summonsed to appear in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court. A 24-year-old woman was reported for driving while disqualified. She had three unrestrained children in the car and also tested positive to drug driving. The incidents come after a woman was reported for drink-driving after being caught by police in Mount Gambier last Saturday. At about 7am, police stopped the 39-year-old Mount Gambier woman on the Riddoch Highway. She submitted to a breath test and returned a reading of 0.188. The woman was reported for exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol, was issued with a 12-month instant loss of licence notice and had her car impounded for 28 days. Police urged drivers to think about the conse- quences of their actions - for themselves, their passengers and other road users - and will continue to subject drivers to random driver testing at all hours of the day and night in an effort to reduce road trauma. REBORN: The sprawling timber treatment plant at Kalangadoo. The site is one of only two facilities in Australia that is licensed to use the timber treatment chemical creosote. A MOUNT Gambier-based business has purchased the idle Kalangadoo timber treat- ment plant, which is expected to further reinvigorate the regional forestry sector and boost jobs. Steeped in history and formerly used as a bustling treatment plant, the 10.15ha site has been sold for an undis- closed sum to the Badenoch family that operates a logging company. The news comes 10 months after the shock collapse of the embattled facility that left 20 workers out of a job and stunned the regional forestry industry just weeks before Christmas. But in a step forward for the industry, the new owners are expected to employ up to 12 people at the revitalised site. Some of the workers are expected to be former employ- ees of the site. Established before World War II, the plant has had a string of owners, including Softwoods, Auspine and Gunns and employed 135 people during its peak. Forestry union Green Triangle secretary Brad Coates welcomed the announcement the plant would re-open, which he said was good news particu- larly after the Safries potato chip plant closure announce- ment last week. He said the reopening of the plant was also positive news for the former employees who had not been able to secure full-time employment since its closure. "This will help to boost confidence, particularly in the small community of Kalangadoo," Mr Coates said. He said the sale was good for the forestry sector, given it was one of two licensed creosote operations in Australia. Mr Coates said he also hoped the site would continue to expand in the future given the plant s flow-on impact on the economy. "We are always hopeful of more jobs, but 12 jobs are better than no jobs," the union leader said. Mr Coates said it was also pleasing to see new life being breathed into mothballed or idle timber plants around the region. "It is sad to see former timber processing sites sit- ting idle as you drive around the region, such as at Mount Burr, Dartmoor, Lakeside and Pine Mouldings in Mount Gambier." While new owner Peter Badenoch did not want to speak to media yesterday, Mount Gambier realtor David Herbert - who handled the sale - said the operation would oper- ate under the name Plantation Treated Timber Pty Ltd. "Mr Badenoch hopes the plant will be up and run- ning shortly and when fully operational will result in the employment of 12 persons, including some of the former employees," Mr Herbert said. He said the site had a rich history and at its peak employed 135 people under Auspine management. "There is a huge potential in the vigneron, horticulture, farming and equine markets with existing customers hungry for this plant to return," Mr Herbert said. "The absence of the Kalangadoo operations in the industry had blown out lead times in product by up to seven months on some popular lines. "Being one of two creosote plants in Australia makes the site an attractive proposi- tion." He said the Kalangadoo site began operations in 1948, with the burgeoning softwood industry making a mark in the district. "The mill was originally operated by Walter Morris, who in turn sold it to Kauri Timber and was eventually incorporated into Softwood Holdings in the early 1960s." While the company expanded into drying timber in the 1980s, the plant was scaled back to treatment only with most of the plant being removed to the Tarpeena operations. Auspine then sold to Gunns, which resulted in a reduction of staff from 75 to 18 at the time of the company s collapse. Wepar Investments took over the site on October 20, 2012, but the facility was later placed into liquidation. Coa ver rno wi par ni A 30-year-old m tested positive for LIMESTONE C ing a static driv on Friday after a drink driver w Police were p ence of children A 30 year old Mill back in action MORELLO SANDRA andra@tbw.com.au M S sa South East buyer set to reopen Kalangadoo plant This will help to boost confidence, particularly in the small community of Kalangadoo CFMEU Green Triangle secretary Brad Coates Drug and drink drivers caught on city streets Mt Gambier Safety Su pplies 118 PENOLA ROAD, MT GAMBIER Phone 8724 8011 625941 EMBROIDERY Along with your business or sport logos, we can also embroider names, small pictures etc onto your gifts, towels, rugs, baby gear etc. NOT JUST A SAFETY SHOP
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