Beyond the financial and safety risks of not checking for underground utilities before work begins, there is also the risk of causing major damage to the underground infrastructure. This can cause further accidents down the line which you may become liable for. Rather than putting yourself at risk, contact the underground locating experts to give yourself the peace of mind that your work is approved to proceed safely.

If you’re in need of utility locating services for an upcoming project, make an enquiry through our online contact form, by calling us on 1300 562 283, or send an email to estimating@1300locate.com.au for a project estimation.

What Are the Costs of Ignoring Underground Utilities?

Financial

It goes without saying that any damage caused to utilities while digging underground is likely to have financial consequences for you. Hitting an underground utility due to failing to conduct the proper checks may violate your insurance policies, resulting in increased insurance premiums, denied claims or closure of a site. This can become a major financial burden for you, as you may also be liable to pay for the replacement or repairs of the damaged utilities.

Legal

When you fail to conduct your due diligence and cause damage to underground utilities, there’s a high chance you may also face legal consequences. Whether it is a homeowner who loses access to necessary utilities, or a business that suffers due to the loss of power or water, a lawsuit may come your way. The threat of a lawsuit not only hampers your finances drastically, but it can also severely impact your reputation and potentially cause you to lose new or repeat clients.

Operational

Failing to check for hidden utilities before digging not only causes financial and legal risks but can also greatly hinder your operations. Whether it is damaging your equipment or disrupting the property, your project risks falling far behind schedule or even being abandoned as a result. This not only impacts your current project and the client responsible, but can impact future work due the wait times on repairs and replacements for construction equipment.

Environmental

Whenever you are working underground, it is important that you take the necessary steps to ensure your work causes little to no harm to the environment as possible. Ground engaging without conducting a proper assessment can cause major damage to the soil or contaminate nearby water supplies. This not only impacts the local area but may also cause serious problems for the community and warrant severe costs for you and your business.

Need Help with Locating Underground Utilities?

Don’t go it alone. At 1300Locate, we are the underground service locators Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast businesses and residents trusts to help them locate utilities; ensuring work proceeds safely and free from risk. Don’t attempt to locate these hidden utilities yourself as you can accidentally overlook important details.

Instead, call the professionals on 1300 562 283, reach out through our online contact form, or email estimating@1300locate.com.au for a project estimate.

The post The Cost of Ignoring Underground Utilities appeared first on 1300Locate.

To work with underground service locators Brisbane and Sunshine Coast wide, get in touch with the team at 1300Locate. For general enquiries, reach out through our online contact form, call on 1300 562 283, or email at admin@1300locate.com.au. For project estimation, send us an email on estimating@1300locate.com.au.

The Importance of Underground Utility Detection

Safety

If underground utility detection isn’t done before breaking ground on site it can create an unsafe working environment. Striking a gas line or electrical cable can cause serious injuries, or even fatalities. Pressurised water lines are just as dangerous, and if struck can still cause major bodily injury, major delays and possible damages to equipment. These incidents can be prevented with a proper survey conducted by underground service locators.

Legal Compliance

There are laws and regulations in place to ensure underground utilities are located before beginning construction work. Failing to conduct an underground survey can result in serious legal consequences, including fines and possible lawsuits. If an underground utility is damaged, and you haven’t done your due diligence, you can be held liable for any damages that occur.

Save Money

If you don’t properly assess underground utilities, either from not conducting an inspection or doing so poorly, unexpected issues may arise. This can cause delays in work or result in the site being shut down, losing you time and money. Investing in a professional service locating assessment upfront can save you serious time and money throughout the design and construction process. Having a trusted partner, like 1300Locate, will help you remain compliant.

Methods Of Underground Utility Detection

Radio Detection

Underground cable location uses highly sensitive equipment to scan for pipes that are metallic or have metal cores. Using this you can identify electrical and communication cables, water, and other utilities. With RFID-capable equipment, you can also locate RFID marked utilities. By identifying the location of these utilities, you can avoid any damage to property and potential risks to safety.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

GPR is a common tool used for locating underground utilities that aren’t metallic or aren’t equipped with RFID. The radar (Underground Imaging) can detect utilities that would be otherwise undetectable without digging. Being able to locate shallow and deep targets, this tool is essential in tandem with the pipe locator to complete a thorough survey of the site.

Underground Leak Detection

A hidden leak in an underground utility is potentially one of the most destructive and expensive issues your site could face. Using acoustic leak detection equipment, you can identify any underground leaks in water or gas pipes that may have or have the potential to cause damage. Digging where there is a leak can cause instability in the land, potential damage to equipment, and even explosions.

NDD Excavation

If you have conducted a survey of the underground utilities, it may be determined that you need non-destructive digging services. This method of excavation is perfect for safe, damage free digging around fragile utilities. This will enhance the safety on site by ensuring no damage is done to the utilities, saving you from potential hazards, possible lawsuits, and a large repair bill.

Trust The Professionals at 1300Locate

Never dig without consulting the professionals. If there is the slightest chance that an underground utility could be damaged, or cause harm, you need to contact us at 1300Locate. Our team provides comprehensive utility locating services to ensure a safe working environment.

 For general enquiries you can fill out our online contact form, call on 1300 562 283, or email at admin@1300locate.com.au. For project estimation, send us an email on estimating@1300locate.com.au.

The post The Importance of Underground Service Locators – How to Prevent Catastrophe appeared first on 1300Locate.

1968 – Picture: North Pine Historical Society.

The Paper Mill of Petrie officially opened on December 6th of 1957 by Prime Minister Robert Menzies, which brought a great deal of business and population to the quiet town. Almost 10 years prior, in 1946, Australian Paper Manufacturers Ltd’s managing director, Sir Herbert Gepp, had arranged for Gus Gehrmann to buy a piece of land for a new paper mill under the external appearance, ‘Operation Moo Cow’.

During that time, two potential sites were identified for the construction of the mill – Eagle Farm and Petrie. Before Petrie was declared the home for the Australia Paper Mill, the site was occupied by two dairy farms.

“… My family owned the land that the A.P.M. is now situation on. Wyllie Park and Wyllie Street in Petrie are named after my family, who were one of the first to settle there.” – Norman Wyllie, 1987

Construction began on the 250ha site in 1951 but was brought to a grinding halt a year later due to the recession that was suffocating the country. In 1955, the erection of the mill recommence along with the construction of multiple other buildings at the site and within the township of Petrie including more than 60 houses, an RSL hall and a hostel for single men.

“Let us conquer a new world next year. Let us step forward next month. Let us do something which yesterday was thought to be impossible”. Prime Minister Robert Menzies declared on the official opening day of the Paper Mill. He was accompanied by his wife, Dame Pattie Menzies, along with other guests such as Premier Frank Nicklin and the Australia Paper Mill Chairman of Directors, E. Telford Simpson.

Prime Minister Robert Menzies and wife, Dame Pattie Menzies, were welcomed to the opening ceremony by APM Chairman of Directors, E. Telford Simpson. Picture: Moreton Bay Regional Council.

The paper mill is said to have staffed more than 500 people at its ‘peak’ in the early 1960s, and merely 222 in its final year of operation. Not only did it staff more than many people over the years, but it brought about an influx of families for the town itself, along with new students for the tiny North Pine State School.

It is believed that North Pine State School fell into a struggle with the number of student enrollments that came with the new families – a majority who began work at the paper mill. Shortly thereafter, the ‘mill people’ formed a committee due to rising concerns of the educational activities that were taking place within the school.

For more than 50 years, the Petrie Paper Mill was widely known within the Moreton Bay region for its pure ‘Petrie spirit’ and it’s sense of community as it brought many people together from all around. From the very first day of construction, to the last day of operation, the Petrie Paper Mill employed about 5000 people.

The mill operated day in and day out, with up to three eight-hour shifts that never ceased. To gain employment via the mill, though, it is said that you were needed to be related to an employee, as positions were snapped up rather quickly by family members or friends.

In 1986, APM was renamed Amcor and celebrated 30 years of operation a year later. After 56 years of continuous, around the clock production, the mill was closed.

University of the Sunshine Coast Moreton Bay Campus. Picture: University of the Sunshine Coast

The site is now home to the new University of the Sunshine Coast Moreton Bay campus, with students commencing studies already in February 2020. The campus is set to continue its development over the coming years, growing the world class study precinct to its fullest potential.

“The campus will be the anchor of The Mill at Moreton Bay, a vibrant civic, cultural and business precinct planned by Moreton Bay Regional Council.” – USC.com

Moretonbay.qld.gov.au. (n.d.). The Mill at Moreton Bay. [online] Available at: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Services/Projects/The-Mill [Accessed 24 Feb. 2020].

Knight, K. (2020). How the paper mill helped shape Petrie. [online] Couriermail.com.au. Available at: https://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/moretonlife/how-the-paper-mill-helped-shape-petrie/news-story/68dd03a29c153f714ac341a6e2e7e938 [Accessed 24 Feb. 2020].

Usc.edu.au. (n.d.). USC Moreton Bay. [online] Available at: https://www.usc.edu.au/learn/why-choose-usc/study-locations/usc-moreton-bay [Accessed 24 Feb. 2020].

The post The Petrie Paper Mill appeared first on 1300Locate.

Credit: Wikipedia – Australia (Continent)

First Sign of Habitation in Australia.

The journey of the first humans to Australia is one of the most important events in history as it is the first time that any human had managed to leave their Afro-Asian ecological system, as argued by Yuval Noah Harari.

According to an article written by Chris Clarkson titled ‘Human Occupation of Northern Australia by 65,000 Years Ago‘, the earliest evidence of humans in Australia dates back to 65,000 years, though the discussion on the route that the humans took to arrive here is still a mystery and can only be theorised by archaeologists. A prominent site in the debate of the first initial human colonisation is Madjedbebe, which is a rock shelter based in northern Australia which was excavated in 1973 and 1989.

The earliest artifact that is said to have been recovered from the excavations of this site included stone tools and ground ochre pieces (ochre: earthy pigment containing ferric oxide, generally with clay varying from light yellow, brown or red) from between 60,000 years and 50,000 years.

There is ongoing discussions among archaeologists regarding how the first migrants actually came to arrive on the land of Australia. Migration is said to have taken place during the last stages of the Pleistocene (also know as the Ice Age), when the levels of the sea were considerably lower than they are today, making it prominent that migrants landed via sea when New Guinea and Tasmania were joined to Australia. It is also noted that migrants got to Australia by island hopping, as water remained a prominent obstacle in getting onto the continent.

Although it is written that the first sign of humans on the land of Australia reaches back 65,000 years ago, but a widely accepted time-frame is said to be 40,000 years ago as many sites dating back to this time period have been excavated to show minimal evidence.

Radiocarbon Dating.

Radiocarbon dating, which was developed in the late 1940s, is a technique that is used amongst scientists to assist in finding the ages of biological specimens such as ancient human remains (bone) and wooden archaeological artifacts.

How does radiocarbon find itself within living specimens? Radiocarbon is constantly being created within our atmosphere due to the interaction between cosmic rays with atmospheric nitrogen. The remaining radiocarbon then combines itself with the atmospheric oxygen which in turn forms radioactive carbon dioxide.

But how does this show relevance to human remains or wooden archaeological artifacts? When radiocarbon dioxide is incorporated into plants by photosynthesis, animals acquire the radiocarbon by eating the plants. Then, when the animal or plant dies, the carbon stops exchanging with its environment it begins the radioactive decay phase.

Using a fragment of the specimen or a fragment of wood can actually help scientists figure out when the organism died, thus, giving scientists an approximate time frame of when the organism was living on Earth.

This technique has been able to provide information regarding when and where the ‘first’ humans lived when they arrived in Australia. Radiocarbon dating suggests they lived around Sydney for at least 30,000 years. Charcoal, stone tools, and what seemed to be ancient campfires used by Aboriginal nations were found in the Parramatta, Western Sydney area after an archaeological dig was undertaken, with other stone tools being found in the far western suburb of Penrith. These tools are said to date back to 45,000-50,000 years, proving human settlement in Sydney suburbs earlier than scientists had originally thought.

Early Indigenous Pre-History.

The ancestors of the Indigenous Australians are believed to have arrived around 40,000 to 50,000 years ago, which is roughly around 15,000 years after it is believed that the Asian Australians found their way to Australian grounds.

The geographical distribution of the oldest recorded maternal ancestors for the hair sample donors – P.9.

In 2017, a genetic study (of mitogenomes) that involved hair samples from 111 historical Aboriginal Australians was undertaken, taken from three different anthropological expeditions. This study found that the Aboriginal Australians residing in the country today are all related to a common ancestor who was a member of a distinct population that emerged on the mainland around 50,000 years ago.

Across the studied groups of Aboriginal Australians, the science implies that the settlement within Australia comprised a single, rapid migration right along the east and west coasts, reaching, what we know to be, South Australia by 49,000-45,000 thousand years ago. After the colonisation that spread across the continent, secure regional patterns had developed and have since survived despite significant changes in climate and culture (this was during the late Pleistocene and Holocene epochs).

It is theorised that these early migrants came out of Africa about 70,000 years ago, which, according to science and an article posted via National Geographic, would make Aboriginal Australians the oldest population of humans living outside of Africa.

According to an article posted on Wikipedia about Australia’s pre-history, a small number of copper coins were found in 1944 with Arabic inscriptions engraved on them. These coins were discovered on a beach in Jensen Bay, on Marchinbar Island which is part of the Wessel Islands of the Northern Territory. It is said that the coins were later identified as the Kilwa Sultanate of East Africa.

No other coins had ever been found outside of Africa besides one previously unearthed in Oman, which is an Arab country residing on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia.

The inscriptions engraved on the coins found on Jensen Bay identify a ruling Sultan of Kilwa, but it has not been confirmed as to if the ruler was from the 10th century or the 14th century.

Pre-History Artifacts.

Since 1973, digs and excavations at a rock shelter in Australia’s Northern Territory, known as Madjedbebe, have unearthed over 10,000 hunting and gathering tools such as stone tools, ochres, plant remains and even bones. As stated previously, these artifacts were able to be dated thanks to radiocarbon dating and another technique of dating called Optical Stimulated Luminescence (used to date the last time quartz sediment was exposed to light. As sediment is transported by wind, water, or ice, it is exposed to sunlight and zeroed of any previous luminescence signal. usu.edu n.d.).

Ancient tools for hunting and gathering purposes evolved within Australia thousands of years before they ever appeared within Europe. The practices in which the Aboriginal inhabitants displayed within Australia did not disrupt nature in any case, but kept everything nature wise in harmony – much different to the practices displayed in the modern world which has a detrimental effect on not only nature, but the climate.

• Excavation undertaken by the University of Queensland at the lowest levels of Madjedbebe exposed many pieces of artifacts that were used for seed grinding, ochre “crayons” were also discovered which were used to make pigments.
• The largest excavation area allowed UQ explorers to pick up very rare items, such as the world’s oldest known edge-ground hatchets and the world’s oldest known use of reflective pigment (which included mica).
• Experiments were undertaken to better understand how the pressure of humans walking across the ground could potentially shift the artifacts, and how much it would actually move them, which could potential make it difficult to date the items.
• UQ studied thousands of grains of sand individually, having another lab test grains as well to make sure their results were reliable – collectively, the results convince explorers that Madjedbebe, and Australia were settled 65,000 years ago.
• The oldest known rock art in the world is dated to 40,000 years ago in Sulawesi (a possible stepping stone to Australia).
• Grinding tools that were discovered from the Madjedbebe site indicate that a range of fruits, seeds, animals, and other plants were ground up for consumption.
• Ancient fireplaces were also found, along with burnt pandanus nuts, fruit seeds and yams, which point to clues of the earliest plant based food consumed in or around the excavation site.

Some of the artifacts discovered may be the earliest known examples of hunting and gathering in Australia, if not the world, proving that Australia was settled far before modern humans entered Europe.

References:

En.wikipedia.org. (n.d.). Prehistory of Australia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistory_of_Australia [Accessed 20 Jan. 2019].

En.wikipedia.org. (n.d.). Pleistocene. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleistocene [Accessed 20 Dec. 2019].

En.wikipedia.org. (2020). Asian Australians. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Australians [Accessed 13 Jan. 2020].

Clarkson, C. and Arnold, L. (2017). Human occupation of northern Australia by 65,000 years ago. [online] Digital.library.adelaide.edu.au. Available at: https://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/107043/2/hdl_107043.pdf [Accessed 15 Jan. 2020].

En.wikipedia.org. (n.d.). History of Australia. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Australia [Accessed 15 Jan. 2020].

Tobler, R., Rohrlack, A., Soubrier, J., Bover, P., Llamas, B., Tuke, J., Bean, N., Abdullah-Highfold, A., Aguis, S., O’Donoghue, A., O’Laughlin, I., Sutton, P., Zilio, F., Walshe, K., Williams, A., Turney, C., Williams, M., Richards, S., Mitchell, R., Kowal, E., Stephen, J., Williams, L., Haak, W. and Cooper, A. (n.d.). Aboriginal mitogenomes reveal 50,000 years of regionalism in Australia. [online] Nature.com. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature21416.epdf?referrer_access_token=eY7MAkrfTQer7ZbMy31OwtRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0MVh1n37UJYq40PVxzOAJD1iZLiBJ7SbxBMRpLMTIVJnvvrPVa9DRZpR4VtAKVTi32PxWV3uTmFlWOtkeme8uHs9W5pZE2UzMgc-E4ZdUPw_Zc4PBhuzf990cpIkKgQaykHX7ikRN7HaeoU6ebvQo8wH2aNAs-AdXv43IJ7kOSrWg%3D%3D&tracking_referrer=www.nationalgeographic.com [Accessed 17 Jan. 2020].

BLAKEMORE, E. (2019). Aboriginal Australians. [online] Nationalgeographic.com. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/people/reference/aboriginal-australians/ [Accessed 3 Feb. 2020].

H. Monroe, M. (2011). Macassan Traders. [online] Austhrutime.com. Available at: https://austhrutime.com/macassan_traders.htm [Accessed 5 Feb. 2020].

Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Madjedbebe | Description, Artifacts, & Significance. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/place/Madjedbebe [Accessed 5 Feb. 2020].

Usu.edu. (n.d.). USU OSL Laboratory – What is OSL?. [online] Available at: https://www.usu.edu/geo/luminlab/whatis.html [Accessed 5 Feb. 2020].

What is radiocarbon dating?

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A good night’s rest starts with a good evening routine, so here are my tried and tested tips for preparing your mind and body for a peaceful slumber.

Plan Your Dinner.
The connection between food, energy and sleep has been well documented and when it comes to getting some solid shut-eye, it’s important to eat foods that are going to support this.

Prepare a dinner that includes a portion of protein to stabilise your blood sugar levels, a portion of good fat to balance out your hormones and support your liver health and a range of brassica vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli and kale. A great dinner option is salmon because it’s rich in vitamin B6 and protein.

Switch Off.
It’s important to switch off your phone, laptop and TV a few hours before you plan to jump into bed. As a guide, I aim to shut these devices down by 8pm. The blue light that’s emitted from these screens has been proven to slow your production of melatonin, the hormone that tells your body it’s time to sleep.

Take Five.
As your bedtime approaches, take a few minutes to focus on your breathing and take the yoga pose, viparati karani. This pose helps to calm your nervous system, is suitable for all fitness levels and can be done in your bedroom. Simply lie on the floor and put your legs up against the wall, making an ‘L’ shape with your body.

Sleepy Supplements.
Taking 30mg of zinc before bed can help send you into a deeper, more restful sleep. If you’re still struggling to sleep, speak to your health practitioner about a melatonin supplement.

Once you have your evening routine down-pat, it could be time to look at how to improve your energy throughout the day.

Sepel is passionate about taking a balanced approach when it comes to food. Jess believes we need to give up ‘diets’ to overhaul our relationship with food and advocates for moderation, mindfulness at meals and healthy body image.

Reference.

Jessica Sepel, Founder of JSHealth, author of two best-selling books and accredited nutritionist – article 30.06.19, nib.com.au

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Monte Cristo Homestead, Junee

The Monte Cristo Homestead was built in 1884 by local pioneer, Christopher William Crawley, who opened the hotel for the influx of tourists that crowded the town when the first Junee railway station was opened. Mr. & Mrs. Crawley both died in the Junee home, and the theories that lingered with their lives on earth, spoken of by the people of Junee, soon became historic stories.

Photo Credit: Wikimedia

Numerous vicious events that allegedly took place within the walls of the Monte Cristo lead to the deaths of some of the homesteads employees. Sightings of a woman in a period gown have been spoken of numerous times, expected to be a maid that threw herself off the top balcony of the hotel, plunging to her death. It is said that the maid was pregnant to Mr. Crawley, and that his wife pushed her from the top balcony. On the staircase below remains a bleach stain, the only remnants left that tell the story of the maids tragic ending.

Another story states that a caretaker was shot to her death in the hotel by a boy who was inspired by the movie Psycho. It is believed that this very woman chained a mentally disabled man to a wall for 40 years and to this day visitors can even see the worn out chains in the manor.

The most supernaturally active part of this homestead, however, is said to be the stables out the back of the property, where a boy burned to death after his mattress was lit on fire when he called in sick from work (apparently).

Z Ward of Glenside Hospital 

Construction of the Z Ward section of Glenside Hospital in Adelaide began in 1885, opening its doors not long after in 1887 to home its first patients. The facility was specifically built to hold South Australia’s most criminally insane, those who were too violent or mental for the typical prison life. It was run like a maximum-security prison, with the construction of the building focusing more so on preventing escapes. This section of Glenside Hospital was originally known as L Ward, but authorities were quick to change the name once it became known as ‘Hell Ward’.

Photo Credit: Science Reporter Clare Peddie, The Advertiser

Z Ward at Glenside Hospital is now opened for tours and ghost hunts, and being one of the most chilling locations in Australia, the energy and entities that stay residing in the facility are sure to give visitors a show.

According to an online blog written by ‘Amys Crypt’, who spent the night in Z Ward, a former resident of the facility was found dead in cell 14, which has always remained a mystery. The cause of death was a stab wound to the chest inflicted from a needle but authorities could never figure out whether it was a deliberate crime or if the patient took it upon himself. It is said that the patient shared the cell with six other men.

Within Z Ward, there is a specific room known as the ‘Mirror Room’, where apparitions are said to be seen standing behind visitors when they look into the mirrors. Reports state that people can feel breath blowing onto their faces when they are in the room, with others experiencing the sensation of something brushing against the back of their neck and through their hair.

Visitors are given the opportunity to be shut inside of a cell, on their own, in the dark for five minutes straight. People have been known to feel nauseous, dizzy, faint, and as if someone was sharing the cell with them during the five minutes. Dark apparitions are known to lurk within the abandoned cells, those of who may be the former criminal patients kept inside.

Upon exploring the building, muffled voices and laughter can be heard in various rooms throughout the facility, with footsteps coming from above, and the sound of people running loudly across the floor boards. There is also reported to be a female who is always eager to communicate with the living, believed to hate men due to poor mistreatment during her time at the facility. When ‘Amys Crypt’ and the other members of the ghost hunting group (only one male included) spent time trying to communicate with the woman the EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) captured the voice of the woman saying “Get up”. When asked if she was talking to the male, she responded with “Leave”.

Aradale Mental Hospital

Aradale Asylum (also knows as the Ararat Lunatic Asylum) was an Australian psychiatric hospital based in Victoria which was commissioned to accommodate the states criminally and mentally insane for over 126 years, with a reported 13,000 deaths during its time of service. Construction of the building is said to have began in 1860 and was opened for patients in 1865, holding up to 900 patients a year at one point. This is the most haunted location in all of Australia.

Photo Credit: The Courier Mail & Luke Horton – Aradale Asylum

In the J-Ward sector of this hospital George Fiddimont, known to be the last governor, was taking a group of people around the building (which was originally a gaol) on a guided tour when he suffered a terrible heart attack and died at the foot of the stairs. It is said that George Fiddimont’s distinct hobnailed boots can be heard walking up and down the stairs where he passed.

George Leondieu was sent to Aradale in the 1950’s due to suffering from delusion and deep seated paranoia which made him believe everyone was out to get him. Although George was known for being a very dangerous man, other patients in the ward would make sexual advances upset him even more, resulting in George actually murdering one of the men that took part in the advances. It is said that his apparition can be seen in the building, and is known to launch at visitors if provoked. It is warned to only approach the soul with caution.

A man by the name of Henry Morgan was hanged at the site of the asylum for the cut throat murder of a 10-year-old girl along with another morbid act. It is said that his remains were buried on the grounds of what now is known to visitors as J-Ward.

St John’s Orphanage

St John’s Orphanage was opened up in 1905 by ‘The Sisters of Mercy‘ and the Catholic Church, and operated for around 71 years before is closure in 1976. For the first 7 years of the facilities service it housed both boys and girls before St Josephs House of Prayer was opened and the orphanage was split. The boys remained in the St Johns Orphanage, and the girls were then housed in the St Josephs House of Prayer.

Photo Credit: abandonedaustralia.com

St John’s Orphanage is known mostly for the prominent mistreatment and enslaving of the young boys that were housed in the facility. With grim stories circulating the orphanage long after its closure.

A report posted online via a paranormal investigation team states that upon entering the chapel of the orphanage the aura of what feels like a Priest can be felt along with fluctuation in the rooms temperature. Voices could be heard, with the words ‘smith’, ‘shell’, and ‘below’ picking up on the teams monitor, along with spikes on their electronic devices used to measure energy. An independent member of the team grew aggravated with the presence of the Priest through a growing understanding of what the man subjected the orphans to. It is said that the member had to be held down due to wanting to attack the entity.

A medium named Trina visited the orphanage with paranormal investigator Nic Hume and was greeted by a young boy by the name of ‘Mikey’, who was detailed as timid at first but eventually came forward after noticing the toys that the team had provided on a table in the building. Mikey lead the investigators outside to where the hospital is located, and when the investigators looked through a window they saw a ‘shell’ which resembles one of the words picked up in the Chapel. This is supposedly where Mikey passed away.

Wolston Park Hospital

Wolston Park Hospital is known to be the largest, longest, and oldest running mental hospital in all of Australia. The facility opened in in 1865 and was named the Woogaroo Luntaic Asylum up until 1880, where it was then changed to Goodna Mental Health Hospital before taking on its last and final title of Wolston Park in 1959. In 2001, the hospital was closed and underwent redevelopment construction before re-opening under the name ‘The Park Centre for Mental Health Treatment, Research & Education.’

Wolston Park Hospital. Photo Credit: Student View – A Walk in the Park of Injustice.

It is believed that a lot of the patients who were homed at the Wolston Park Hospital did not suffer from any sort of mental issues, however still had to endure the torture that came with being trapped in the hospital. Harrowing stories still haunt the decaying building, both of the treatment of its patients and of the lingering spirits of those who didn’t survive.

Explorers who have visited the building speak of different experiences, with some reporting hearing footsteps running along the timber flooring above them … Though the floorboards do not remain. Others talk about the voices that they hear in different parts of the facility, and the sensation of being grabbed by the shoulders or by the air.

A review on the The Park Centre’s google profile mentions an eerie experience whilst visiting the abandoned site, saying that although they arrived as skeptics, they left believing that something quite evil was lurking through the walls of the building. “On separate accounts we both felt hands grab us by the shoulder,” they wrote.

“I don’t care weather you believe me or not but trust me, DO NOT GO IN THERE ALONE OR AT NIGHT!!! There is something extremely evil there [sic].”

If only walls could talk…

References:

Staveley, J. (2019). 1,200 patients buried in a mass grave: Inside Sydney’s haunted Gladesville Mental Hospital.. [online] Mamamia. Available at: https://www.mamamia.com.au/gladesville-mental-hospital/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2019].

Petrovski, N. (2017). Gladesville Mental Hospital – Where Thousands of Dead Were Thrown in Unmarked Graves – Abandoned Spaces. [online] Abandoned Spaces. Available at: https://www.abandonedspaces.com/hospital/gladesville-mental-hospital-where-thousands-of-dead-were-thrown-in-unmarked-graves.html [Accessed 3 Nov. 2019].

Sibthorpe, C. (2017). We tried… Staying a night in ‘Australia’s most haunted house,’ the Monte Cristo Homestead in Junee. [online] The Canberra Times. Available at: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6035138/we-tried-staying-a-night-in-australias-most-haunted-house-the-monte-cristo-homestead-in-junee/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2019].

Aradale.com.au. (2017). Aradale, Lunatic Asylum. [online] Available at: https://www.aradale.com.au/ [Accessed 3 Nov. 2019].

En.wikipedia.org. (n.d.). Aradale Mental Hospital. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aradale_Mental_Hospital [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019].

Hume, N. (n.d.). ST JOHNS FOUNDLING ORPHANAGE. [online] Appighosthunts.com. Available at: https://www.appighosthunts.com/uploads/7/7/4/4/7744052/st_johns_foundling_orphanage_by_nic_hume.pdf [Accessed 7 Nov. 2019].

Wang, J. (2018). 13,000 deaths in 130 years: Ararat Lunatic Asylum is the most haunted place in Australia.. [online] Mamamia. Available at: https://www.mamamia.com.au/ararat-mental-asylum-australias-haunted-building/ [Accessed 9 Nov. 2019].

Centenary Today. (n.d.). As Urban Explorers Probe Rotting Wolston Park Hospital, Victims Continue to Cry for Justice – Centenary Today. [online] Available at: https://centenarytoday.com.au/victims-cry-justice-wolston-park-hospital/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019].

En.wikipedia.org. (n.d.). The Park Centre for Mental Health. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Park_Centre_for_Mental_Health [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019].

White, N. (2017). Notorious asylum Wolston Park Hospital is now a decaying shell. [online] Mail Online. Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4166178/Wolston-Park-Hospital-decaying-shell.html [Accessed 11 Nov. 2019].

Crypt, A. (2018). Z WARD, GLENSIDE – VISITING ADELAIDE’S HAUNTED INSANE ASYLUM. [online] Amyscrypt.com. Available at: https://amyscrypt.com/adelaide-z-ward/ [Accessed 25 Nov. 2019].

Crypt, A. (n.d.). Z Ward. [online] Atlas Obscura. Available at: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/z-ward [Accessed 25 Nov. 2019].

The post Article: Some of Australia’s Most Chilling Locations. appeared first on 1300Locate.

Are You/Your Family Prepared?

Practicing your escape plan will help you to remember what steps you need to take if you do need to evacuate your home. The speed of fire and the toxicity of smoke interrupts your ability to think quickly.

Consider leaving your keys in a place where your family will remember to retrieve them if you need to leave. Limiting the number of keys needed to unlock/lock your doors, and having locks keyed alike will make the process easier for yourself and your family.

Make sure you sit down with your family, or yourself, and plan out your escape. This is going to make it a lot easier if the time comes where you need to leave, and will save you time. You will know where to go, what to take, and how to remain as safe as possible during the process.

Always listen to Emergency Services advice!!

Keep Yourself/Your Family Safe.

Prepare a list of the things you will take with you during an evacuation and put it somewhere you will always see it (on a fridge, for example). Make sure you don’t take a bulk amount of items as this could alter the process your escape. Taking sentimental items, and important necessities is recommended.

Medication and your medical papers, your pets documentation, legal documentation, insurance documentation, passport etc. All of these documents should be stored in an ‘easy-to-grab’ form, whether it be clear sleeve folders, or a box, they are one of the most important things you should take (if possible to) when you leave. If a fire is close to your home, and the level is at ADVICE, you should have these things already packed and at the door.

Listen to Emergency Instructions.

When emergency crew approach your home and advise yourself and your family to leave, it is important that you listen and take immediate action. Having some items already packed into your vehicle is going to make the evacuation process easier for your family when it comes to leaving your home.

Staying home after being advised to leave immediately, and not listening to the instructions given to you by emergency crew could lead to dangerous causes, or even fatality, for yourself and your family.

Contacting Family. 

If you evacuate your home and have no means of contact to let immediate family know you are safe, don’t worry. Evacuation centres are here to help victims and evacuees, as well as emergency crew, and police. Do not be afraid to approach someone if you need to get into contact with family.

How Can I Help Victims and Firefighters?

If you would like to donate to support our firefighters, victims, and/or wildlife, follow any of the links listed below.

You can make a bank deposit to the NSW RFS directly:

Account Name: NSW Rural Fire Service
Bank: Westpac BSB: 032-001 Account No: 171051

or follow this link https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/support-your-local-brigade

Redcross Disaster Relief & Recovery

https://www.redcross.org.au/campaigns/disaster-relief-and-recovery-bushfires?gclid=Cj0KCQiAiNnuBRD3ARIsAM8KmlulEK0vnirnc35cPboRPWbN9SXFXpwLGQkRUczra3BCjWnO55aZuFAaArdxEALw_wcB

Vinnies NSW Bushire Appeal. 

https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/vinnies-nsw-bushfire-appeal-nsw?gclid=Cj0KCQiAiNnuBRD3ARIsAM8Kmlt8uFFp_2z2YHc7WpR1zRmaTlMHjEMbjTEIJVACar6XGrHl65w75QQaAit5EALw_wcB

RSPCA Bushfire Appeal.

Bushfire Appeal

Aussie Wildlife Bushfire Appeal.

AUSSIE WILDLIFE BUSHFIRE APPEAL

Port Macquarie Koala Hospital.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-thirsty-koalas-devastated-by-recent-fires

The post Article: Are You In The Fire Zones? appeared first on 1300Locate.

A groundworks contractor, G&R Groundworks (South East) Ltd, has been fined after an operative struck an underground electricity cable resulting in multiple serious burn injuries.

Folkestone Magistrates’ Court heard that, on 15^th October 2018, G&R Groundworks (South East) Ltd operatives were using an electric ground breaker to dig fence post holes for a car park perimeter fence at a Cummins Power Generation site in Ramsgate, Kent.

While operating the electric breaker, one of the operatives struck an 11kv electricity cable causing a large flash and engulfing him in flames. The operative sustained serious burns to his face, chest, abdomen, groin, both arms and both legs, amounting to approximately 50% total body surface area burns.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that G&R Groundworks (South East) Ltd failed to source and refer to the underground services plans prior to breaking the ground to determine the location of any cables within the planned working area. They also failed to provide their operatives with cable identification equipment to further locate any cables within that area.

G&R Groundworks (South East) Ltd of St Lawrence Avenue, Ramsgate, Kent, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 25 (4) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and was fined £32,400 and ordered to pay costs of £2,657.18.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Ross Carter said “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.

“If a suitable safe system of work was followed prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the operative would have been prevented.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

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Super cover.

Most super funds offer life insurance for their members. If you’re reviewing your life insurance, check what cover you have through your super fund so you can compare it with other options.

Here we explain what types of life insurance you can get through your super and the pros and cons of this type of insurance.

What types of life insurance are offered by super funds?

Super funds typically have three types of insurance for members:

• Death cover (also known as life insurance) – is part of the benefit your beneficiaries receive when you die, either as a lump sum or as an income stream.
• Total and permanent disability (TPD) cover – pays you a benefit if you become seriously disabled and are unlikely to ever work again.
• Income protection (IP) cover – pays you an income stream for a specified period if you can’t work due to temporary disability or illness.

Your employer’s default super fund will generally provide you with death and TPD cover. This basic cover may be available without health checks. You can usually increase, decrease, or cancel your default insurance cover.

Your super fund’s website will have a product disclosure statement (PDS) which explains the insurer they use and details of the cover available.

Like other insurance policies, you will pay insurance premiums. If your insurance is through your super fund, the premiums are deducted from your super account balance.

Cancellation of insurance on inactive accounts

From 1 July 2019, super funds will cancel insurance on accounts that haven’t received contributions for at least 16 months. Your fund will contact you if your insurance is about to end.

If you want to keep the insurance, you must tell your super fund or make a contribution to that account. You may want to keep your insurance if you don’t have any through another fund or insurer and you have a particular need for it (e.g. you have children or other dependants or work in a high-risk job).

Why get life insurance through your super?

There are benefits in getting your life insurance through super:

• It’s often cheaper because super funds purchase insurance policies in bulk
• You can get the cover you need for you and your family, even if money is tight
• It’s easy to manage because premiums are automatically deducted
• Some funds automatically accept you for cover without requiring a health check
• You can usually choose the amount you want to be covered for

However, you also need to be aware that:

• Limited cover – The types of insurance, and level of cover, may be limited. Cover is not tailored to your circumstances and exclusions may apply. If you want more insurance, you can apply to increase your cover and a medical may be required. If you want a different type of cover, you may need to get this outside super. Check the PDS carefully.
• Not portable – If you change super funds; have an extended absence from your employer; your employer’s super contributions stop or your account balance drops below a certain amount, your cover may cease and you could end up with no insurance. Always read the information sent to you by your super fund as they may be alerting you to changes to your cover.
• Slower to pay – There can be delays in receiving benefits as the insurer pays the benefit to the fund first, who then distributes it to you or your beneficiaries.
• Who gets paid – If you do not make a binding beneficiary nomination, or your fund does not offer binding nominations, the super trustee will decide who gets your benefits when you die, although your nomination will be taken into consideration.
• Ends at around age 65 – Life insurance coverage through super ends when you reach a certain age (usually 65 or 70). Policies outside of super may cover you for longer.
• Reduces super balance – The cost of insurance premiums are deducted from your super balance, reducing the money available for your retirement.
• Multiple super accounts – If you have more than one super account, you may be paying premiums on multiple insurance policies. This could reduce your retirement money, especially where you can only claim on one policy. Find out if you are able to claim on more than one policy, and consider which policy you might cancel. Even if you can claim on more than one policy, consider whether you need more than one policy or whether you can get enought insurance through one fund.
• Premiums may increase when you change jobs – Even if you stay with the same super fund when you leave your employer, you may be moved to the personal division of that fund which could increase your premiums for the same cover. Some funds default members as smokers or blue-collar workers when they move between divisions of funds, which could significantly increase premiums, and further reduce your retirement money. Check your annual statement to see how you have been classified, and contact your fund if you think the incorrect classification has been given to you.

You may opt for some cover through your super fund, and some cover directly from a life insurer, depending on the cost and the type of cover you need.

Check your life insurance cover before changing super funds

Before switching or consolidating super funds, make sure you can get the death, TPD or income protection cover you want, in your chosen fund. Be particularly careful if you have a pre-existing medical condition or are aged 60 or over, as you may not be able to get insurance again without health checks. Seek financial advice if you are unsure.

How to check the insurance you have through super

To find out what life insurance you have with your super, either call your super fund, check your annual super statement or access your super account online to check:

• what type of insurance cover you have
• how much cover you have, and
• how much you are paying for the cover.

You should also find out how your super fund is calculating your insurance premiums. For example, if your super fund has classified you as a smoker or blue collar worker, and these risk characteristics aren’t relevant to you, you could be paying more for your insurance than you need to.

You may need to call your super fund to check how you’ve been classified as your annual statement may not provide this detail.

What if you have no insurance through super?

If you discover that you have no insurance through your super fund, and you think you should have cover, call your super fund to find out why and discuss your options.

Claiming on insurance through super

There are some important things you need to know if you’re making an insurance claim through super.

Making a claim

To make a claim for insurance through your super fund you will typically need to submit a claim form. If you die, your estate or dependants should contact the super fund to find out how to claim death benefits.

Most super funds provide claim forms on their websites or you can call them and ask them to send you one.

When you make your claim, you may be asked to provide documentation that proves your condition, including medical reports. There may be waiting periods in some cases.

Some funds will allocate you a claims officer to be your point of contact if you have any questions during the claims process.

Unhappy with your super fund’s claims process?

If you’re unhappy with the claims process or unhappy because your claim is not accepted, complain to the super fund using its formal complaints process. Your super fund’s website should have details about how to complain. If not call and ask about the process, or look in the product disclosure statement.

If you’re not satisfied with the outcome, take your complaint to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA). AFCA will generally not consider the matter unless you have used the superannuation fund’s internal complaint process first.

AFCA replaced the Superannuation Complaints Tribunal (SCT) on 1 November 2018. Complaints lodged with the SCT before this date will still be dealt with by the SCT.

You do not need a lawyer to complain to your fund or to AFCA. Of course, you may find it helpful to use a lawyer or other professional adviser if you think the benefits outweigh the fees.

Industry Code of Practice

An Insurance in Superannuation Voluntary Code of Practice started on 1 July 2018 to improve the consumer experience of insurance in superannuation. If your fund’s trustee agrees to comply with the Code, you should get better disclosure and claim and complaints handling. Your fund trustee should notify you if it is complying with the Code. You can check this on your fund’s website.

To decide if insurance through super is right for you, work out how much cover you need, whether your super fund will offer you this cover, and compare the costs and conditions with other insurance providers.

References: 

Moneysmart.gov.au. (n.d.). Insurance through super | ASIC’s MoneySmart. [online] Available at: https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/superannuation-and-retirement/how-super-works/insurance-through-super [Accessed 12 Aug. 2019].

The post Article: Insurance Through Super! appeared first on 1300Locate.

Geelong Cable Locations Director Ben Minutoli has been protecting underground assets for 18 years, and is on the National Utility Locating Contractors Association committee.

Minutoli says damage to underground assets is still far too common. With excavators financially liable for damage, mistakes can have a costly, and sometimes dangerous, outcome – just ask the EnergyAustralia contractor who caused extensive damage to Telstra assets in the middle of Sydney in 2009. Thousands of homes and businesses in the CBD were without telephones and internet for at least one day.

Telstra made a video detailing the damage, which involved a trench digger hitting eight fibre optic cables, plus three major copper cables totalling 10,000 pairs of wire.

“Even though there’s a heap of locators out there, even though Dial Before You Dig (DBYD) is free, even though there’s a lot of education, there’s still far too much damage occurring,” Minutoli says.

DBYD is a national referral service designed to prevent damage and disruption to Australia’s vast pipe and cable networks. It passes requests for plans on to the affected asset owners, which then provide plans directly to the excavator.

Minutoli says, besides excavators being either too complacent or impatient, using insufficiently trained staff to read DBYD plans was a common recipe for disaster.

“It is a very common one among councils, road crews and other construction companies – the guys in the office sometimes don’t understand what it’s like out in the field,” he says.

“There are a lot of people who don’t understand the plans. It’s just down to experience and training. I could probably train someone how to read plans in half an hour – it’s not hard, but you do need someone to explain it.”

With locator technology now readily and cheaply available, Minutoli says many organisations are relying on inexperienced staff to locate underground assets.

“There’s a lot of council workers now who have gone through a basic locating course, and think that they can locate utilities. If a council employed a staff member to only do locating, and he went and did every locating job for them, they’ll probably be able to gain enough experience and would be fine.

“However, it’s far more common to have a different guy in every crew doing it. They buy a locator, but they don’t understand how to use it properly and they don’t understand the details of the plan.”

What to do when you dig

DBYD recommends the four Ps when excavating:

Plan: Plan your job. Use the DBYD service at least two business days before your job is due to begin to ensure you have the correct information you need to carry out a safe project.

Pothole: Potholing (hand digging) is a method to assist in establishing the exact location of all underground infrastructure.

Protect: Protecting and supporting the exposed infrastructure is the responsibility of the excavator. Always erect safety barriers in areas at risk to protect underground networks.

Proceed: Only when you have planned, potholed and put the protective measures in place.

Because not all underground asset owners are DBYD members, Minutoli says it pays to be aware of what may not be on the plans.

“In Melbourne, if you do a DBYD request, there will be stuff in the ground from Vic Roads that aren’t on the plans,” he says.

Plans to be used as a guide, not gospel

“What people don’t understand is DBYD is a relatively new thing,” Minutoli says. “A lot of these plans that have been drawn up are 40, 50 years old. The plans were drawn for the organisation. All the Telstra plans that were drawn up were drawn solely for Telstra’s internal use, as with Jemena, Melbourne Water etc. Some scale, some don’t, there’s no uniformity to the plans at all.

“And that’s the big issue with DBYD – a lot of people say to me, ‘The DBYD plans are wrong’. Some do have errors, but not often. Of all the plans I see, less than 10% have errors.

“You’ve just got to understand that they’re not to scale – they’re given as an assistance for you to locate assets. All the utilities want you to dig down by hand or use a hydro excavator to pothole and expose their assets. The plans are given as a guide.”

NBN fibre optic cables: A recipe for disaster?

The National Broadband Network (NBN) is being rolled out around Australia, with more than 1,390,000 premises ready for the service as of October 2015. Minutoli believes the plans lack sufficient detail and fears they will continue to create problems for excavators.

“The new plans coming out from NBN are absolutely disgraceful – they’re the worst I’ve ever seen,” Minutoli says. “There’s almost literally nothing on them, it’s a line on a map and that’s all. You can’t tell where you can hook on to it, you can’t tell if its laid by itself or with other cables, what size conduit it is in, there’s no details on it.”

Minutoli says he has encountered numerous issues relating to the plans, and has contacted NBN Co on a number of occasions.

“Everyone is aware of how bad they are. They are going to be a major problem,” he says.

An NBN Co spokesman says new information will be added to the plans, including detailing under-construction assets, to clearly identify all NBN owned assets.

“As NBN’s underground assets are primarily contained within Telstra ducting, our DBYD diagrams show only our own cable routes and not those owned by Telstra,” he says. “NBN recommends the usage of additional accredited locators to perform a further on-site search for any underground assets.”

“NBN is continually evaluating feedback from a wide range of industry partners to update and improve our DBYD plans and provide additional details,” he added.

Potholing

“In terms of potholing, there’s a few different methods,” Minutoli says. “The traditional one that’s been around for years is hand-digging. Shovel only, no crowbars, and dig down until you see the utility.”

Minutoli recommends digging parallel to the utility, to minimise the risk of damage. “If the cable’s running north-south, you’re standing on the east or west side digging down, so that when you get to the utility, the shovel is more likely to rub around, over the top or underneath it, and the worse thing it will hopefully do is pick it up,” he adds.

“These days, non-destructive digging (NDD), or hydro-excavation or vacuum-excavation is the way we all do it. Most guys have trucks that use high-pressure water to break up the dirt, and then a high-velocity vacuum to suck up all the mud.

“Each authority will have recommendations on how close you can dig to it, what you can do, what you can’t do, and that all gets sent out to you with the DBYD plans.

“If you can’t locate anything that’s on the plan or you need more detailed help, that’s when you call a professional locater in. There’s a hundred-odd locators that can come out and offer you a professional service.”

DBYD is now offering certification for locators working with DBYD asset owners and contractors, which recognises locators with a high level of understanding and practical expertise. Minutoli says the certification will be a “game changer” for the industry, and make it easier to choose a locator with the necessary skills.

Ground penetrating radar

Minutoli recommends utilising ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology for every job.

“GPR has probably been around for about 10 years or more, but it’s only in the last five that it’s become better,” he says. “It’s also getting cheaper – the first one we bought cost $50,000, the last one cost $30,000. GPR is not big in Victoria due to the inconstant soil conditions, compared to what it’s like in say WA, where everyone uses it over there because it is a lot easier to penetrate the soil with the radar waves through the GPR.”

Image 1: Three separate power cables, exposed via hydro excavation by Geelong Cable Locations. 

Image 2: DBYD power plans for Sacramento St, Wallington 

Image 3: DBYD NBN plans for Sacramento St, Wallington 

Image 4: Geelong Cable Locations using ground penetrating radar to locate the underground services at a petrol station.

References:

Ipwea.org. (2016). How to avoid doing millions of dollars in damage to underground assets. [online] Available at: https://www.ipwea.org/blogs/intouch/2016/01/13/how-you-can-protect-underground-assets-when-excavating [Accessed 5 Aug. 2019].

The post Article: How to Avoid Millions of Dollars in Damage to Underground Assets appeared first on 1300Locate.