Hire and Rental News - February 2016

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6 HIRE AND RENTAL NEWS • FEBRUARY 2016
INDUSTRY NEWS
These invasive pests, which were first
discovered in South East Queensland in
2001, live in turf, soil and mulch and can
spread across regions through movement
of these high risk items.
“Fire ants have the ability to burrow
through the roots of plants and eat or
damage seeds and attack insects and
animals that pollinate native plants. It
is critical fire ants are quickly identified
and reported so they can be safely
eradicated," Sarah said.
“A restricted area and movement controls
are in place to restrict the spread of fire
ants in areas of South East Queensland
by controlling the movement of high risk
material such as soil, turf, mulch etc.
“If you’re in a restricted area, you
must ensure you hold the appropriate
approvals prior to moving high risk
materials. You can also protect your
Movement of dirt and earthmoving equipment a risk for fire ants
If your business is involved in the movement and transport of earthmoving and
landscaping materials, you need to be aware of fire ants, National Red Imported Fire
Ant Eradication Program Director Sarah Corcoran said.
business by applying approved
chemical treatments, conducting regular
inspections and reporting suspect ants."
Sarah said fire ant nests are easy to miss
because they often just look like mounds
of soft dirt.
“If you think you’ve spotted fire ants or
their nest, poke at the nest using a long
rod or stick, not with your bare hands,”
Sarah said. “When you poke at them, the
ants will run out and swarm and sting
given the chance, so stand well back!
“It is important people don’t attempt to
destroy the ant nests themselves because
if it’s not done correctly the worker ants
will simply move the queen ant to a new
location and they’ll start a new nest.
“Contact Biosecurity Queensland on
13 25 23 so our technicians can come out
and properly treat the nest.
“We don’t want the problem escalating in
Australia the way it has in the US, where
they spend up to $US7 billion annually
on damage repair, medical costs and
control,” she said.
Fire ants vary in size between 2 to 6mm
and are coppery-brown in colour with a
darker abdomen. They are aggressive and
can inflict a painful sting. Call 13 25 23 or
visit
JCB Construction Equipment
Australia (CEA) has launched its
new website, with a focus on mobile
optimisation to make it easier to
request new machinery quotes,
compare machines and search for
parts information from their phones.
JCB CEA Brand Manager Julie-Ann
Reid said this function is among
many other new website features.
“The website was built for use with
mobile devices as the first port of call,”
she said. “We’ve noticed machinery users
are becoming more likely to be using
mobiles and technology on-site, so we’ve
responded with this mobile-first design.
“Our waste and recycling page, for
example, allows users to see our full
Wastemaster range and compare whether
a backhoe or a telehandler would be best
for their specific applications and also see
if there are any gaps in their machinery
fleet,” Julie-Ann said.
“The website was built to take the
customer on an engaging journey
through our product line, we have up to
date images and specs, as well as video
content so our customers are really able
to see how the machines work with
Making life easier for tech savvy customers
different applications and what is best for
their business.
“It is optimised for use on your mobile,
tablet or desktop, so you can easily
access the website anywhere, anytime.
Users can request a quote and brochure
for all JCB machinery featured on the site.
And you can also request a call back from
a local dealer.”
The site is also the first to be launched
globally following the new format across
the JCB group. Other features on the
new website include up to date news
from JCB CEA, service information for
customers and the latest JCB parts
information, ranging from engines and
filters to wear parts and tyres.
Visit:
The all new JCB CEA website is optimised for use across
mobiles, tablets and desktops.
Kennards Hire Concrete Care, East
Tamaki has a new branch manager:
Mark Carson who has more than 20
years of expertise across the timber,
shipping, logistics and most recently
container hire and sales industries.
“I believe a key aspect in continuing the
growth of Kennards Concrete Care will
be to leverage off the strong culture that
has been the cornerstone of Kennards
Hire success to date,” Mark said.
“Kennards Hire is one of the few
organisations I have come across who
walk the talk and really go that extra
mile with both staff and customers – you
can‘t place a monetary value on that sort
of commitment.
“Kennards Hire Concrete Care offers the
best in concrete maintenance solutions
on all scales to the entire industry. The
East Tamaki team cater to all surface
preparation jobs, while also providing
equipment and services for concrete
cutting, sawing, drilling, surface cleaning,
grout pumping, demolition and diamond
products.”
Visit
Kennards NZ new
branch manager