Morning Headlines

Current profit surge now spreading to older homes in outer suburbs

Sharply rising prices in WA’s property sector are a one-in-15-year event, and outer suburbs are finally feeling the love, according to property experts. The West

Miners set for COVID next wave

An overwhelming majority of WA resources companies say they are well prepared if a second wave of COVID-19 hit the State, compared with just over half being ready for the first outbreak a year ago, a survey has found. The West

Miner ‘withholds $3.5m royalties’

Pilbara traditional owners say $1.9m in 2019 royalties withheld by Fortescue Metals Group was paid to them two days after the company breached heritage conditions on Fortescue’s Solomon mining hub and before unauthorised damage to the site was made public. The Aus

Forrest to fast-track NSW green power

Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has declared he will meet federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor’s April deadline for a commitment to build new on-demand power generation capacity in NSW, with the only outstanding conditions being state development approval and federal underwriting support. The Fin

ASX bungles float of Airtasker

Australian Securities Exchange chief executive Dominic Stevens has had to make an embarrassing apology over another failure by the market operator, which has briefly delayed Airtasker’s $255 million float. The Fin

Skills body seeks to streamline VET funding

State governments will be encouraged to simplify and streamline how they fund vocational education courses as employers and training organisations push for a more nationally consistent approach. The Fin

Aware Super to overhaul advice business

Aware Super will sack as many as 90 financial planners and overhaul its advice business as members opt out of services, putting in jeopardy the $125 billion fund’s plans to rebuild its troubled StatePlus venture. The Fin

CSL gets go-ahead to make vaccine

Australia’s medicines regulator has given the green light to local manufacturing of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine ahead of the start of the second phase of the immunisation program on Monday. The Aus

Investors flock back to lithium

Investors are betting big on a lithium comeback less than three years after prices of the metal used in rechargeable batteries collapsed from a record and sent miners reeling. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: Australian Securities Exchange chief executive Dominic Stevens has had to make an embarrassing apology over another failure by the market operator, which has briefly delayed Airtasker’s $255 million float.

Corporate leaders have ignored the Morrison government’s $4 billion JobMaker hiring scheme, forcing Treasurer Josh Frydenberg into making changes to eligibility criteria in the May budget that should give businesses multiple incentives to bring more young people into work.

Page 5: The Liberal Party must introduce quotas for female election candidates if it is serious about stamping out sexual harassment in its ranks, one of the country’s top directors says.

Page 11: The construction union has demolished builders’ attempts to establish a beachhead of non-union deals in NSW, using technical approval requirements to knock out almost of all the agreements.

Law firms looking to bounce back from the pandemic are facing issues with staff wellbeing, low productivity and declining demand from new clients, a survey of more than 80 firms reveals.

Page 15: State governments will be encouraged to simplify and streamline how they fund vocational education courses as employers and training organisations push for a more nationally consistent approach.

Page 16: Aware Super will sack as many as 90 financial planners and overhaul its advice business as members opt out of services, putting in jeopardy the $125 billion fund’s plans to rebuild its troubled StatePlus venture.

Page 19: A space race is emerging in the $1.5 billion professional tools sector as Bunnings and Metcash compete to take a larger share of the market from family-owned businesses and co-ops after buying Adelaide Tools and Total Tools respectively.

Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has declared he will meet federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor’s April deadline for a commitment to build new on-demand power generation capacity in NSW, with the only outstanding conditions being state development approval and federal underwriting support.

The Australian

Page 7: Australia’s medicines regulator has given the green light to local manufacturing of the Astra-Zeneca vaccine ahead of the start of the second phase of the immunisation program on Monday.

Page 8: Pilbara traditional owners say $1.9m in 2019 royalties withheld by Fortescue Metals Group was paid to them two days after the company breached heritage conditions on Fortescue’s Solomon mining hub and before unauthorised damage to the site was made public.

Page 15: Takeover deals involving local companies have hit their highest level since 2018 so far this year, and buoyant conditions are expected to continue given the sharp COVID-19 economic recovery and private equity firms’ need to deploy capital.

The outlook for investment in local renewable energy is bright, with capital markets making a decisive shift away from carbon-based investments as banks and institutional investors retreat from fossil fuels, according to MinterEllison.

Page 19: One of Australia’s biggest gas users has strengthened its call for a pricing mechanism to be introduced as part of a code of conduct being hammered out within the industry as it fights for affordable domestic prices.

Page 22: Former Media Watch host Monica Attard has announced her departure from a role heading Australia’s top journalism school, as two former colleagues claim she had a “poor” management style during her tenure.

The West Australian

Page 3: Returned overseas travellers may be able to isolate at home for a shorter period than the current mandatory 14 days hotel quarantine once more Australians get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Page 6: WA’s new Housing Minister John Carey is urging landlords to think of their tenants before hiking rents when the rental moratorium ends on Sunday.

Sharply rising prices in WA’s property sector are a one-in-15-year event, and outer suburbs are finally feeling the love, according to property experts.

Page 16: A new paper from Flinders University has found that giving children 10 or more exposures to a particular vegetable between the ages of six months and five years can improve the chance of them enjoying vegetables, and eating more of them.

Business: An overwhelming majority of WA resources companies say they are well prepared if a second wave of COVID-19 hit the State, compared with just over half being ready for the first outbreak a year ago, a survey has found.

Seven in 10 West Australian businesses in building and construction are reporting trade delays, according to the peak industry body, which says the HomeBuilder scheme is putting the building supply chain under increasing pressure.

Investors are betting big on a lithium comeback less than three years after prices of the metal used in rechargeable batteries collapsed from a record and sent miners reeling.