Heritage reform ‘won’t fix 30-year injustice’
A Pilbara native title group has said Western Australia’s proposed new heritage laws may not rectify an injustice created nearly 30 years ago when Rio Tinto’s Marandoo mine was exempted by parliament from heeding heritage laws over their Pilbara mine site. The West
McGowan’s ‘stroke of a pen’ laws
The State Government drafted legislation to give it power to bypass Parliament and change laws with the stroke of a pen during the COVID-19 state of emergency. The West
Palmer threatens to sue McGowan for defamation
Clive Palmer and Mark McGowan’s war of words could be heading for a showdown in the courts, with the Queensland billionaire threatening to sue the Premier for defamation. The West
Bans ‘let down’ citizens unable to travel home
Health Minister Greg Hunt has shifted the responsibility for lifting the cap on Australians attempting to come home onto the states, amid mounting anger among those stranded overseas because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Fin
A ‘nail in the west-east pipeline coffin’ as WA bans gas sales
The West Australian government has declared a mooted $6bn transcontinental gas pipeline will not proceed after it banned local gas being sent to the nation’s east coast amid concern insufficient supplies would be available for the state’s users. The Aus
Coles takes new-look Liquorland upmarket
Coles is working to refresh its Liquorland co-located supermarket bottle shops, giving the fleet of wine, beer and spirits outlets its first rebranding in decades. The Aus
High prices to stay if NBN is to evolve: CEO
Telstra’s record low profit margins from selling broadband internet connections should be seen as proof the National Broadband Network is achieving its goal in creating competition in the internet market, NBN Co says. The Fin
Cochlear settles legal costs in patent case
Hearing implant maker Cochlear has reached a settlement with two US organisations to pay them $US75 million ($104 million) to cover their legal costs and interest over a controversial patent infringement case. The Fin
BlueScope sees green shoots past profit hit
Australia’s largest steel company, BlueScope, wants to capitalise on some renewed buoyancy in the construction market locally as more people choose to build houses in regional centres and opt to renovate detached dwellings in city suburbs ahead of a bigger shift to work from home. The Fin
Secret phone data reveals your every move
Android handsets are tracking where users are, and sending that information to Google, even if location history settings are turned off and the incognito privacy feature is turned on. The Aus
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: JB Hi-Fi boss Richard Murray is trying to get hold of more stock as the surge in demand for computers, monitors, TVs and appliances from consumers forced to spend more time at home during the coronavirus pandemic shows no sign of easing.
AMP Capital chief executive Boe Pahari has appointed himself as chairman of the company’s ‘‘Inclusion and Diversity Council’’, as the company refused to discuss whether it made ‘‘persistent and misleading’’ efforts to downplay the executive’s alleged sexual harassment of a female colleague.
Page 2: The West Australian government has locked in a date for a vital hearing in the Supreme Court of Queensland in the battle over what it says is a $30 billion damages claim from Clive Palmer that could leave the state in financial ruin.
Page 3: The Morrison government is poised to extend conditions on gas exporters that it says will help push down contract gas prices on the east coast, putting it on a collision course with the big producers who say the move is unwarranted.
Outspoken Energy Security Board chairwoman Kerry Schott has been reappointed for another 12 months to help land the redesign of the National Electricity Market.
Page 10: Health Minister Greg Hunt has shifted the responsibility for lifting the cap on Australians attempting to come home onto the states, amid mounting anger among those stranded overseas because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Page 13: Australia’s largest steel company, BlueScope, wants to capitalise on some renewed buoyancy in the construction market locally as more people choose to build houses in regional centres and opt to renovate detached dwellings in city suburbs ahead of a bigger shift to work from home.
Page 15: Hearing implant maker Cochlear has reached a settlement with two US organisations to pay them $US75 million ($104 million) to cover their legal costs and interest over a controversial patent infringement case.
Page 17: Onshore gas is set to be processed at the North West Shelf LNG plant for the first time, after venture operator Woodside Petroleum announced preliminary deals for gas from the Waitsia field owned by Mitsui and Beach Energy to be processed there.
Petrol and diesel supplier Ampol has sealed a $682 million property sale deal with Charter Hall and Singapore’s GIC, providing it with funds for initial use to pay down debt but leaving it with control of its sites.
Page 19: Telstra’s record low profit margins from selling broadband internet connections should be seen as proof the National Broadband Network is achieving its goal in creating competition in the internet market, NBN Co says.
A version of ‘‘buy now, pay later’’ has arrived in the software industry.
The Australian
Page 1: Android handsets are tracking where users are, and sending that information to Google, even if location history settings are turned off and the incognito privacy feature is turned on.
The consumer watchdog has dismissed as “misinformation’’ warnings from Google that proposed laws that would force it to negotiate a payment to news organisations to include their journalists’ work on its services would lead to a “dramatically worse Google Search and You-Tube’’.
The nation’s most prestigious universities have rejected the Morrison government’s higher education reforms, warning the proposals could cut their funding by stealth without delivering any of the job outcomes promised by Education Minister Dan Tehan.
Page 2: A Pilbara native title group has said Western Australia’s proposed new heritage laws may not rectify an injustice created nearly 30 years ago when Rio Tinto’s Marandoo mine was exempted by parliament from heeding heritage laws over their Pilbara mine site.
Page 3: A failure to provide scientifically backed phonics instruction when teaching young children to read has been likened to “neglect” in submissions to the disability royal commission.
Page 4: Border closures are having the biggest impact on small and medium-sized businesses returning to normal trade, as new welfare data shows the number of younger Australians moving on to the dole has doubled since March.
Page 15: Coles is working to refresh its Liquorland co-located supermarket bottle shops, giving the fleet of wine, beer and spirits outlets its first rebranding in decades.
The Australian boss of the James Packer-backed Crown Resorts has admitted he failed to properly alert the risk committee of the company’s board of directors about the dangers faced by Crown’s China-based staff, following a Chinese government crackdown in 2015 on foreign casinos marketing to its citizens.
Page 18: The West Australian government has declared a mooted $6bn transcontinental gas pipeline will not proceed after it banned local gas being sent to the nation’s east coast amid concern insufficient supplies would be available for the state’s users.
The West Australian
Page 1: The State Government drafted legislation to give it power to bypass Parliament and change laws with the stroke of a pen during the COVID-19 state of emergency.
Page 5: Google has been accused of spreading “fake news” and “misinformation” after the technology giant claimed it would have to charge Australians for its search engine as a result of new Federal Government legislation.
Page 6: Heartless scammers have ripped off a WA family to the tune of $100,000 amid warnings about two new NBN-related scams aimed at households in the State.
World-first research conducted in Perth could slash the time it takes to find a suitable organ donor to just four hours.
Page 10: Clive Palmer and Mark McGowan’s war of words could be heading for a showdown in the courts, with the Queensland billionaire threatening to sue the Premier for defamation.
Page 16: Lawyers and legal academics have called on the British Government to end extradition proceedings against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and release him from prison.
Business: The petroleum industry has slammed a decision by the State Government to ban the export of WA onshore gas to secure domestic supply.
Bain Capital’s resurrection of collapsed airline Virgin Australia faces mounting legal opposition as bondholders rally to derail the takeover and salvage some of their debt.
One in 10 small and medium-sized enterprises in Perth are worried they won’t survive the next 12 months, with many traders not out of the woods despite WA’s success in containing COVID-19.
Green energy produced steel in the Pilbara could be a reality within a decade as the State Government brings forward its hydrogen targets by 10 years and increases its investment into the sector by $22 million.
Lynas Corporation boss Amanda Lacaze says she is confident the company can meet a demanding timeline to build its new $500 million processing plant in Kalgoorlie despite a looming skills shortage in WA’s resources sector.
Shares in BMG Resources have soared after the company announced plans to reinvent itself as a gold explorer by acquiring three WA projects held by Oracle Mining.
