'Buy local' will kill jobs: miners
Mining giants have warned that Julia Gillard’s ‘‘Buy Australian Made’’ plan will backfire by threatening jobs rather than creating them. The Aus
Gray all for Rinehart's Roy Hill
Resources Minister Gary Gray is following the strong pro-industry lead set by predecessor Martin Ferguson and says getting Gina Rinehart’s $9 billion Roy Hill project off the ground is one of his top priorities. The Fin
Re-merged Verve/Synergy to exit industry: Nahan
Energy Minister Mike Nahan has moved to calm private power generators nervous at the government's re-merger of Verve and Synergy, saying the state-owned utilities would begin getting out of the electricity business from 2020. The West
Peet's CIC move stirs sector
Australia's listed residential sector is primed for further mergers following Peet's $76 million takeover move on its smaller rival CIC as investors gain confidence the housing market has plumbed the depths of the current downturn. The Fin
Shell boss says costs a problem for WA
Shell Australia boss Ann Pickard has called for more innovation to tackle energy needs as the global population is tipped to grow by 1.5 million people – the size of Perth – every seven days for the next 40 years. The West
Top Resources Headlines
'Buy local' will kill jobs: miners
Mining giants have warned that Julia Gillard’s ‘‘Buy Australian Made’’ plan will backfire by threatening jobs rather than creating them. The Aus
Gray all for Rinehart's Roy Hill
Resources Minister Gary Gray is following the strong pro-industry lead set by predecessor Martin Ferguson and says getting Gina Rinehart’s $9 billion Roy Hill project off the ground is one of his top priorities. The Fin
BHP hits copper in untapped region
BHP Billiton is understood to have made a substantial copper discovery in the West Australian outback, in a move that could finally help open up the potential of the West Musgrave region. The Aus
$1m loan costs Apex dearly
Apex Minerals will pay a heavy price for a delay in the sale of its Yoouanmi gold project, with a last-resort lender associated with Multiplex heir Andrew Roberts extracting an effective annual interest rate of more than 50 per cent for a $1 million lifeline. The West
Shell boss says costs a problem for WA
Shell Australia boss Ann Pickard has called for more innovation to tackle energy needs as the global population is tipped to grow by 1.5 million people – the size of Perth – every seven days for the next 40 years. The West
Top Politics Headlines
Re-merged Verve/Synergy to exit industry: Nahan
Energy Minister Mike Nahan has moved to calm private power generators nervous at the government's re-merger of Verve and Synergy, saying the state-owned utilities would begin getting out of the electricity business from 2020. The West
Greens target mining tax concessions
The Australian Greens will step up pressure on the government to target business tax concessions in the budget next month with the release of independent modelling showing the mining sector will benefit by almost $14 billion over the next four years through three separate tax breaks. The Fin
Coalition puts car makers on notice
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says a Coalition government will subsidise the automotive industry beyond 2015 but makers will have to improve their export performance in return. The Fin
NBN Co chief 'wrong choice'
The Coalition has promised an extraordinary shake-up of the NBN Co’s board and management and opened the door to Chinese company Huawei being involved in its alternative national broadband network, despite the tech giant having been locked out by Labor. The Aus
No surplus likely: Swan, Hockey
Both sides of politics will abandon their commitment to deliver surpluses next year as government revenue falls short and Labor stumbles in its efforts to rein in spending. The Fin
Federal funding blow to gas plans
WA's infrastructure budget has taken another hit, with the federal opposition shooting down the idea of a $100 million-a-year fund from taxes on the Pluto and Gorgon gas projects. The West
Top Property Headlines
Peet's CIC move stirs sector
Australia's listed residential sector is primed for further mergers following Peet's $76 million takeover move on its smaller rival CIC as investors gain confidence the housing market has plumbed the depths of the current downturn. The Fin
Hochtief eases Leighton fears
The chief executive of Leighton’s Spanish-controlled parent company has broken his silence on the recent boardroom turmoil at the Australian construction giant, revealing his reasons for seeking a change in the company’s chairmanship and rejecting speculation of a future change of control or a break-up. The Aus
Bids in for Perth's $450m Raine Square complex
The race for the $450 million Raine Square complex in Perth is coming to a head, with final bids submitted by a handful of contenders on Wednesday night. The Fin
Aspen holds its breath for Woodside to renew lease
Perth-based property trust Aspen Group faces a tense wait as Woodside Petroleum weighs up whether to renew its lease at the Karratha Village complex in the Pilbara. The Fin
The West Australian
Page 1: Colin Barnett will merge electricity generator Verve with retailer Synergy to recreate a dominant government-owned power company.
Page 4: Indonesian investors have paid more than $700,000 for cattle that did not exist in an alleged elaborate WA scam.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has denied the coalition's NBN plan will lead to slower internet speeds than under Labor's plan.
Page 6: The Gillard government could be forced into a radical overhaul of its WA coastline surveillance after Tuesday's embarrassing arrival of asylum-seekers in Geraldton.
Page 15: Farmers have appealed to Colin Barnett to match his rhetoric on the crisis in the Wheatbelt with money by backing a low-interest loan scheme to help finance this year's crop.
Page 18: WA's peak boating group hit out yesterday at Colin Barnett's suggestion that boaties could miss out on access to Elizabeth Quay.
Page 19: WA's infrastructure budget has taken another hit, with the federal opposition shooting down the idea of a $100 million-a-year fund from taxes on the Pluto and Gorgon gas projects.
Business: Apex Minerals will pay a heavy price for a delay in the sale of its Yoouanmi gold project, with a last-resort lender associated with Multiplex heir Andrew Roberts extracting an effective annual interest rate of more than 50 per cent for a $1 million lifeline.
Shell Australia boss Ann Pickard has called for more innovation to tackle energy needs as the global population is tipped to grow by 1.5 million people – the size of Perth – every seven days for the next 40 years.
Energy Minister Mike Nahan has moved to calm private power generators nervous at the government's re-merger of Verve and Synergy, saying the state-owned utilities would begin getting out of the electricity business from 2020.
BHP Billiton expects annual economic growth in China to moderate towards 6 per cent, saying prospects for its biggest customer remain its main business risk.
More than a century after it landed in Perth, residential developer Peet is finally going national with a $76 million agreed bid for an east coast peer, CIC Australia.
The Rottnest Island Bakery is set to change hands for the first time in 23 years after a buyer was chosen to make a formal offer for the business.
China's Hanlong Mining has succeeded in its attempt to force three independent directors from the board of Moly Mining, with the company announcing yesterday it would begin a search for replacements.
CBH is ready for competition from big new players in WA's grain handling industry but wants the battle fought on a level playing field.
Grain trader Emerald has left hundreds of Wheatbelt farmers high and dry after recording a disastrous result on its 2011-12 pool.
Energy company Santos believes it will win community support for coal seam gas in NSW with a plan to supply a quarter of the state's gas needs from new wells in the remote Pilliga State Forest.
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Business leaders fear the dollar, which hit a 28-year high on a trade-weighted basis, will remain close to or above parity with the US dollar for most of the decade.
Supermarket chain Coles has squeezed out foreign-owned middlemen processors to strike a $2 billion-plus deal with co-ops covering 2,500 dairy farmers that will allow it to keep selling milk at $1 a litre.
Page 4: The opposition has conceded that some country customers may pay more for broadband than city customers under its broadband policy, as it set about defending the plan from government and industry criticism.
Page 5: The arrival of 66 Sri Lankan asylum seekers in the West Australian port of Geraldton has put the spotlight on a delay in passing a bill that would allow those arriving by boat on the mainland to be processed offshore.
Page 7: Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says a Coalition government will subsidise the automotive industry beyond 2015 but makers will have to improve their export performance in return.
Page 10: The Australian Greens will step up pressure on the government to target business tax concessions in the budget next month with the release of independent modelling showing the mining sector will benefit by almost $14 billion over the next four years through three separate tax breaks.
Both sides of politics will abandon their commitment to deliver surpluses next year as government revenue falls short and Labor stumbles in its efforts to rein in spending.
Page 13: The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will spend up to $10 million campaigning for Australia's 2 million small businesses in the lead-up to the September federal election.
Page 14: Business groups have attacked West Australian Premier Colin Barnett's decision to roll back energy market deregulation by re-merging state power utilities Verve and Synergy.
Resources Minister Gary Gray is following the strong pro-industry lead set by predecessor Martin Ferguson and says getting Gina Rinehart’s $9 billion Roy Hill project off the ground is one of his top priorities.
Page 21: A $1 billion-plus NSW gas project may be abandoned by AGL Energy because of political hostility to coal-seam gas, forcing the company to buy more gas from suppliers, including BHP Billiton, when prices are rising.
BHP Billiton has dumped Leighton Holdings from its Queensland coal mine Peak Downs two years ahead of schedule, replacing it with a cheaper operator, as falling coal prices and the strong dollar intensify the need for cost cutting.
Page 23: BHP Billiton chief financial officer Graham Kerr expects the miner will be able to reveal additional cost savings when it releases its annual results in August, building upon the $US1.9 billion of annualised savings made in the first half.
Page 24: Billabong International chief executive Launa Inman is resolute that her turnaround strategy is right for the troubled surfwear retailer, but has declined to confirm guidance or earnings targets.
Page 37: The race for the $550 million Raine Square complex in Perth is coming to a head, with final bids submitted by a handful of contenders on Wednesday night.
Page 38: Australia's listed residential sector is primed for further mergers following Peet's $76 million takeover move on its smaller rival CIC as investors gain confidence the housing market has plumbed the depths of the current downturn.
Page 41: Perth-based property trust Aspen Group faces a tense wait as Woodside Petroleum weighs up whether to renew its lease at the Karratha Village complex in the Pilbara.
The Australian
Page 1: The Sri Lankan navy is warning that the undetected voyage of an asylum-seeker boat that reached the mainland will encourage more people to set off on dangerous journeys because they will realise Australia’s maritime security has failed.
The Coalition has promised an extraordinary shake-up of the NBN Co’s board and management and opened the door to Chinese company Huawei being involved in its alternative national broadband network, despite the tech giant having been locked out by Labor.
Page 2: A new analysis of the payment reductions to single parents reveals that many will need to increase their hours of work if they want to save their families from sliding deeper into poverty.
Page 3: The Gillard government is pressing ahead with plans for a high-speed rail network linking Melbourne and Brisbane, despite an admission that the $114 billion project would be a ‘‘monumental endeavour’’.
Page 4: Mining giants have warned that Julia Gillard’s ‘‘Buy Australian Made’’ plan will backfire by threatening jobs rather than creating them.
Wayne Swan is preparing public opinion for a budget showing continuing deficits as consumers lose faith in the economic outlook.
Farmers say deals announced between Coles and two large Australian-owned dairy cooperatives will give them the long-term security they need, as well as lifting farm gate prices and providing scope for growth.
Dividends have begun to flow from Australia’s deal for closer ties with China, with the meat industry winning an agreement that will boost exports.
The Coalition has rejected claims that a promised Productivity Commission review of the automotive sector means plans are in motion to cut $2 billion in industry support, as Labor accused it of fuelling industry uncertainty.
The union representing GM Holden workers expects thousands of employees will not receive bonus pay rises potentially available over the next two years following the company’s announcement of 500 redundancies from its Adelaide and Melbourne plants.
Page 6: A regional fight is looming over the Coalition’s broadband policy as National MPs warn against creating ‘‘two classes of people’’ on a network that charges country customers more than their city counterparts.
A Coalition government could be forced to pay an extra $1 billion to build its national broadband network as Telstra extracts a higher fee to ensure its cooperation, according to expert analysis that questions some of the opposition’s cost estimates.
The Liberal Party was preparing to attack retiring Nationals MP Tony Crook over his cordial working relationship with Labor in a blistering election campaign centred on photographs of him with Julia Gillard in his West Australian electorate.
Business: The chief executive of Leighton’s Spanish-controlled parent company has broken his silence on the recent boardroom turmoil at the Australian construction giant, revealing his reasons for seeking a change in the company’s chairmanship and rejecting speculation of a future change of control or a break-up.
BHP Billiton is understood to have made a substantial copper discovery in the West Australian outback, in a move that could finally help open up the potential of the West Musgrave region.
Coles will directly source $2.6 billion of milk over 10 years from two dairy farmer co-operatives, as the giant retailer moves to contain the fallout from its controversial $1-a-litre discounting strategy introduced in 2011.
Beach Energy will sell up to $1.5 billion of central Australian natural gas from the Cooper Basin to Origin Energy in the biggest east coast domestic gas deal.
The Leighton group yesterday felt the impact of moves by miners to slash cost bases amid falling commodity prices when BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) prematurely terminated a contract worth up to $260 million for a cheaper alternative.
Royal Dutch Shell’s Ann Pickard has cautioned against expecting too much too soon from the budding shale gas industry, warning that Australia does not have all the prerequisites in place to replicate the stunning growth seen in the US.
Australian Securities Exchange rival LCH Clearnet has secured its first toehold in Australia with a licence to clear products for the nascent Financial and Energy Exchange.
Shares in takeover target Billabong International have slumped to a record low, as investors took poorly to the news the once multibillion-dollar company was to be sold for as little as 60c a share.
Fortescue Metals Group’s chief financial officer Stephen Pearce has warned the perception that the mining sector is a ‘‘bottomless pit of money’’ has driven tax changes focused on wealth distribution instead of on decent policy.
Energy Resources of Australia hopes to re-establish itself as a significant uranium producer by building a new mine in the Northern Territory.
The Daily Telegraph
Page 1: Former labor minister Eddie Obeid denies money was given to former independent MP Richard Torbay by him or his family.
Page 2: Sydney's west will benefit from a deal between Coles and dairy producer Devondale, which has committed to building two $60 million processing centres in western Sydney and Melbourne.
Page 3: A feasibility study into a 305km/h train link between Melbourne and Sydney, expected to cost $114 billion, is set to be released with the government expected to give in-principle support.
World: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned the Korean peninsula may be slipping out of control as Japan and South Korea raise their alert levels.
Business: Small business have joined to launch a multi-million dollar campaign to have their voices heard over the lobby groups representing large industries like mining.
Sport: The NRL has proposed a new whistle blower protection scheme that will provide players and officials with unprecedented immunities.
The Sydney Morning Herald
Page 1: A Swiss drug manufacturer was misled by CSIRO officials about the effectiveness of a technology designed to prevent the sale of counterfeit drugs.
Page 2: A new analysis by the Australian Education Union shows twice as many public school students are from low-income families as from high-income ones.
Page 3: The state library is displaying an 18th century ditty box that belonged to Captain Cook in its new $1.4 million gallery.
World: Despite promising not to interfere in politics after retiring, former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has been touring the country and speaking against opposition contenders ahead of the country's May 5 elections.
Business: Close has signed a 10-year deal with milk producers Devondale.
Sport: Essendon AFL club coach James Hird has been accused of injecting players with a banned substance and another officials say should be blacklisted.
The Age
Page 1: Essendon coach James Hird has been accused of injecting a WADA blacklisted drug in a program where his players were given another substance anti-doping regulators now say should be banned.
Page 2: Last year, long before the Essendon scandal had surfaced, officials from a rival club met a man with the means and knowledge to organise for them to receive a range of performance-enhancing substances for their players.
Page 3: In early February, as James Hird's world began to unravel, he still didn't get it.
Page 5: Refugee advocates fear the Sri Lankan asylum seekers who survived an epic 8000-kilometre journey by sea to Geraldton will be returned without their protection claims being heard.
World: South Koreans braced for the very high chance of a North Korean missile test as a top American military commander said the totalitarian state had moved at least one projectile to its eastern coast.
Business: Coles has secured a 10-year supply contract with dairy farmers for its house-brand milk a central plank in its price war with rival Woolworths shunting milk processor Lion out of the loop in what could be a big blow to the Japanese-owned conglomerate.
Sport: Melbourne president Don McLardy has set a mid-year marker to review the club's on-field performance, describing an imminent meeting with Greater Western Sydney when pressure will mount on embattled coach Mark Neeld as just one game.
The Herald Sun
Page 1: Victoria Police has vowed an unprecedented crackdown on soccer hooligans, including possibly banning them from attending AFL matches.
Page 2: The size of Julia Gillard's taxpayer-funded wine cellar has shrunk by half as the budget-conscious Prime Minister shifts to cheaper Australian brands to enjoy with guests.
Page 3: Melburnians could travel to central Sydney in less than three hours on a proposed east coast high-speed rail link, a study has found.
World: The commander of US forces in the Pacific has reassured Congress that the military can intercept any missile North Korea might fire at the US or its allies.
Business: Australia's major banks are unlikely to cut home loan rates independently until at least next year, according to a forensic study of the mortgage market.
Sport: Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell will be sidelined by wrist surgery for up to two months.