Hi there Ray,
Nope, sorry not related!!
Moranbah is 2 1/4 hours drive to Mackay. Here's a bit of info about the town;
Has a population of 8000 permanent residents (more if you count people who work at Moranbah and reside elsewhere on their roster off)
It has coles, KFC, Red Rooster, a small hospital, heaps of sporting facilities, 2 x pubs, several restaraunts, > 4 banking facilities, 2 state schools, 1 primary school, even a small cinema. (Macdonalds is apparently on the cards and so too is Woolies).
The town supports several mines around the area both underground and open pits. Also has a CH4 gas plant.
It's hard to buy a house here because there is a severe housing shortage. I just saw a bloke the other week getting out of his trailer in the morning at the minesite to get to work!!!
The yields are good because of this. ($500/week is considered the norm for a 300k house)
Due to a booming coal market a lot of money goes through Mackay as mines support services begin to base themselves there (DBT, Joy Mining etc...). Add the high incomes that are associated with mining positions and the amount of people required to operate mining companies, you have plenty of people who can afford houses. I think this has definatley helped the rise in housing prices.
If you are looking for good returns Moranbah or Emerald is worth a look. Just bear in mind that the town is reliant on the Coal industry. Emerald however has both the coal and agricultural industry (not long ago having had the most millionaires per capita).
Hope this helps you!
