Morning Headlines

Miners upgrade care after Perth lockdown

Woodside foul-up ‘points to future challenge’ Woodside Petroleum is being investigated by the offshore petroleum regulator for possible legal breaches in relation to the disposal of old offshore oil equipment that has fallen into such disrepair that it is impossible for it to be safely disposed of onshore. The Fin

Woodside foul-up ‘points to future challenge’

Woodside Petroleum is being investigated by the offshore petroleum regulator for possible legal breaches in relation to the disposal of old offshore oil equipment that has fallen into such disrepair that it is impossible for it to be safely disposed of onshore. The Fin

Forrest bags Woolworths ‘grog shop’

Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has accused supermarket giant Woolworths of seeking to prey on vulnerable Indigenous people with its plans to build a ‘‘dirty big grog shop’’ near dry communities in the Northern Territory. The Fin

Canada hails our ‘perfect solution’ to digital code

Google faces mounting international pressure to deal fairly with the news media after a coalition of Canadian newspapers said the Morrison government’s proposed regulations were a ‘‘perfect solution’’. The Fin

Westpac set for a $300m bitcoin payday

The imminent listing of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase in the United States is set to trigger a $300 million windfall for Westpac’s Reinventure Group. The Fin

Farming’s free ride to net zero

Trade-exposed emissions-intensive industries, including the farming sector, are likely to be carved out of any plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050 — in line with New Zealand’s model — with Michael McCormack backing agriculture’s exclusion as a precondition of meeting any target. The Aus

State told to level playing field for city voters

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has a duty to fix an anomaly in the state’s Legislative Council voting that heavily favours country electors, former Labor leader Jim McGinty says. The Aus

$1.3bn blow for CIMIC as administrator moves on Qatar unit

Construction giant CIMIC faces a fresh business setback in the Middle East after its Qatar venture was served with hundreds of legal claims demanding unpaid debts topping $US1bn ($1.3bn), with an administrator appointed amid fears that delays in paying hundreds of workers could spark a humanitarian crisis. The Aus

Rotto row heads to island top

A former Rottnest Island cafe owner has been given the goahead to mount a new legal campaign alleging a conspiracy involving State agencies. The West

Dividends set to rise as miners lead way

Share market investors and selffunded retirees are set to enjoy extra cash this year, with dividend payouts expected to bounce back from the slim pickings of 2020. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: After ‘‘decades of dormancy’’ states must lead the charge on productivity-boosting reforms to property tax, skills, education and healthcare, instead of always expecting the federal government to do the ‘‘heavy lifting’’, says NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet.

Fibre network owner Vocus Group is believed to be in the sights of a suitor for the third time in four years.

Page 3: Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has accused supermarket giant Woolworths of seeking to prey on vulnerable Indigenous people with its plans to build a ‘‘dirty big grog shop’’ near dry communities in the Northern Territory.

Page 6: Google faces mounting international pressure to deal fairly with the news media after a coalition of Canadian newspapers said the Morrison government’s proposed regulations were a ‘‘perfect solution’’.

Page 8: More than 80 per cent of tertiary graduates feel downcast about employment prospects in their field of study, believing the job market is much worse because of COVID-19.

Page 14: The imminent listing of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase in the United States is set to trigger a $300 million windfall for Westpac’s Reinventure Group.

Page 17: Western Australia’s powerhouse mining companies have emerged unscathed from a five-day lockdown of Perth but are taking extra COVID-19 precautions following an outbreak scare involving the highly contagious UK strain of the virus.

Woodside Petroleum is being investigated by the offshore petroleum regulator for possible legal breaches in relation to the disposal of old offshore oil equipment that has fallen into such disrepair that it is impossible for it to be safely disposed of onshore.

Page 18: ANZ Banking Group is among several international banks subject to an investigation by Taiwan’s central bank into possible speculation on the country’s surging currency last year.

The Australian

Page 1: Trade-exposed emissions-intensive industries, including the farming sector, are likely to be carved out of any plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050 — in line with New Zealand’s model — with Michael McCormack backing agriculture’s exclusion as a precondition of meeting any target.

Page 5: West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has a duty to fix an anomaly in the state’s Legislative Council voting that heavily favours country electors, former Labor leader Jim McGinty says.

The hotel industry has backed calls from accounting giant PwC for a temporary fringe benefit tax exemption for hospitality, in a move they said would encourage bosses to take their workers out to lunch and help support CBD cafes and restaurants devastated by the working from home trend.

Page 13: Construction giant CIMIC faces a fresh business setback in the Middle East after its Qatar venture was served with hundreds of legal claims demanding unpaid debts topping $US1bn ($1.3bn), with an administrator appointed amid fears that delays in paying hundreds of workers could spark a humanitarian crisis.

Treasury Wine Estates is investigating a three-way split of its global operations to create a standalone US business, a premium winemaker called Treasury Premium Products and a commercial wine company, splintering more than $7bn in wine assets originally brought together under the old Foster’s Group.

Page 14: The $10bn betting giant Tabcorp is understood to have fielded three offers from buyers of its assets in the space of weeks.

Page 15: Qantas is flexing its competitive muscle with a massive airfare sale and an upgrade in on-board offerings, in an effort to stimulate travel demand and increase revenue.

Work is under way to prepare a review of the nation’s insurance sector after the Insurance Council of Australia commissioned two finance industry veterans to tackle rising premiums for consumers as well as the availability of insurance.

Page 17: Scentre Group chief executive Peter Allen has outlined a bold vision to evolve the Westfield shopping centre owner into “a house of brands” that could in the future offer education services, more co-working facilities and property development and management services for big retail investors.

Page 19: Tech superpower Google and other dominant digital utilities went on a hiring spree over the past 12 months, defying the pandemic lay-offs that saw news media outlets continuing to slash their workforces.

The West Australian

Page 3: One in every 33 children, including preschoolers, is taking antidepressant medication as concerns mount the drugs could be driving up youth suicide rates.

Page 7: Police are hunting for a “disgraceful, disgusting” arsonist responsible for lighting two fires that threatened homes in the South West.

Page 8: The string of disasters that have beset WA in the past week have done little to knock the shine off Mark McGowan’s popularity.

Opposition leader Zak Kirkup is facing an uphill battle in the upcoming State election, with poll results showing he has failed to cut through since taking on the role.

A re-elected McGowan Government would keep TAFE fees frozen throughout its second term.

Business: A former Rottnest Island cafe owner has been given the go-ahead to mount a new legal campaign alleging a conspiracy involving State agencies.

Share market investors and self-funded retirees are set to enjoy extra cash this year, with dividend payouts expected to bounce back from the slim pickings of 2020.