{"id":95119,"date":"2015-02-04T01:52:13","date_gmt":"2015-02-03T15:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=95119"},"modified":"2020-11-20T15:13:58","modified_gmt":"2020-11-20T05:13:58","slug":"drivers-toast-the-good-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2015\/02\/04\/drivers-toast-the-good-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Drivers Toast The Good Times"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wayne Jewell, from Yarraman, left, worked for Pozzolanic \/ Cement Australia for 24 years and 10 months … Randall Basile, right, also from Yarraman, took the first and last loads of fly ash out of Tarong for Pozzolanic; he was with the company for 29 years and eight months<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Neville Murphy, from Brisbane, drove for Pozzolanic from 1986-2008 while Jim Hunter, right, from Yarraman was “just a newby” … he lost his job on December 5 after driving for eight and a half years<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 4, 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

A very special get-together was held in Yarraman at the weekend … a send-off for truck drivers who lost their jobs in December in controversial circumstances after a change of contractors at Tarong Power Station.<\/p>\n

Some of the drivers had been hauling fly ash – a by-product from burning coal which is used in the manufacture of cement – down the Blackbutt Range to Brisbane for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n

The reunion, which also attracted current Pozzolanic \/ Cement Australia employees and retired former colleagues, was held at Yarraman Bowls Club because the majority of the ex-workers live in the town.<\/p>\n

Wayne Jewell, who drove for the company from February 1990 to late last year, said eight drivers and 12 “ash pumpers” were made redundant on December 5.<\/p>\n

All lived in Yarraman except two – one in Nanango and one in Kingaroy – so the loss of jobs has hit Yarraman hard.<\/p>\n

A collection of memorabilia, including newspaper clippings and photographs, was laid out on tables for the drivers to peruse.<\/p>\n

There was some sadness but also many laughs as the drivers swapped stories about their long association with the company.<\/p>\n

But they admit they were stunned by what happened last year.<\/p>\n

“It was a shock. I didn’t expect it until the last month or so,” Wayne said.<\/p>\n

A 10-year contract was let by Stanwell to Sydney-based company Coal Reuse midway through 2014.<\/p>\n

The ex-Cement Australia employees say the changeover has not been smooth.<\/p>\n

Many expected to be rehired by the new contractors, but that hasn’t happened and the Coal Reuse trucks haven’t yet hit the road.<\/p>\n

“Coal Reuse thought they were going to straight in and get to work, but it was all our (handling) equipment,” Wayne said.<\/p>\n

Some Cement Australia employees remained on site to dismantle the equipment but it still has not been completely removed.<\/p>\n

southburnett.com.au<\/strong> understands the deadline for full removal is next month.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Coal Reuse cannot install their equipment and cannot access the fly ash, which is being pumped into a mine void instead.<\/p>\n

Wayne said Pozzolanic \/ Cement Australia had taken an estimated eight million tonnes of fly ash from Tarong over the past 30 years.<\/p>\n

“Now there is nothing going out,” he said.<\/p>\n

NB. Fly ash is still being removed by truck from the Tarong North power station.<\/p>\n