Cattle out, renewables in, Forrest set for win
The West Australian government is set to push through changes to land tenure laws so Andrew Forrest and others can turn hundreds of thousands of hectares covered by cattle stations into mega solar and wind farms to support green hydrogen production. The Fin
South32 boss rejects green steel claims
South32 boss Graham Kerr has rejected suggestions from Andrew Forrest that the world can make a rapid transition to green steel making and predicted manufacturers like BlueScope will need his coal from mines in the Illawarra for decades to come. The Fin
Shell open to Browse despite refocus
Energy giant Shell has kept the door ajar to investing in the long-delayed $US20bn Browse gas project in Western Australia and remains committed to the ageing North West Shelf LNG plant as it moves to an infrastructure-style tolling model. The Aus
Airtasker shares fuelled by social media hype
The Australian Securities Exchange quietly placed a two-minute trading halt on Airtasker shares as the gig economy marketplace soared 170 per cent in its first days of trading, buoyed by Millennial day traders and their social media influencers. The Fin
Tradie shortage may cool boom
A shortage of bricklayers on the west coast and roof tilers in the eastern states is threatening to take the heat out of a booming residential construction market, as builders with full order books struggle to find tradies to do the work. The Aus
Exodus by foreign airlines a risk for tourism recovery
The nation could emerge from the COVID crisis with only a handful of foreign carriers operating in Australia, making it difficult to restart international tourism. The Aus
Recovery bonus boost to budget
The rapid jobs recovery and record iron ore exports have delivered a $23 billion boost to the budget in three months, cushioning the Morrison government from any further fallout from the end of financial supports such as JobKeeper. The Fin
NBN Co blows budget by $1.3b on extra fibre
Higher than projected spending last financial year meant NBN Co overshot its yearly target budget before a government backflip elevated the cost of the national infrastructure project. The Fin
Push for gender quotas extends to staffers
Environment Minister Sussan Ley has backed gender quotas for political staffers as one pathway to boost gender representation in the Liberal Party as Scott Morrison declared he wants a woman to replace him in his seat of Cook when he leaves politics. The Aus
Atlas boss cautious on India market
Atlas Iron boss Sanjiv Manchanda has tempered hopes that India could become a significant alternative market to China for Australian iron ore. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: The rapid jobs recovery and record iron ore exports have delivered a $23 billion boost to the budget in three months, cushioning the Morrison government from any further fallout from the end of financial supports such as JobKeeper.
Page 2: Pushing banks to identify businesses and sectors vulnerable to the financial impacts of climate change will help end the use of unhelpful labels such as ‘‘bad’’ or ‘‘evil’’, but is not a ploy to strip funding from some customers or industries, according to the prudential regulator.
Page 3: Federal Labor is fighting internal spot fires on foreign affairs and trade ahead of next week’s triennial ALP national conference with the factions divided over how hard to press human rights in China.
Page 6: Higher than projected spending last financial year meant NBN Co overshot its yearly target budget before a government backflip elevated the cost of the national infrastructure project.
Page 7: AstraZeneca has published up-to-date results from its definitive US vaccine trial showing the effectiveness of its jab is slightly lower overall but higher in people aged 65 and above.
Page 10: The union for pub and hotel workers has ruled out an agreement on all-in rates for the hospitality sector following ‘‘significant concerns’’ from members, casting doubt on the Morrison government’s push to introduce flexibility into awards.
Page 14: A cross-Tasman spat between New Zealand public officials and Westpac Banking Corp escalated yesterday, after New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister said he would look at moving more of the government’s banking away from Westpac after it said it was considering an exit from the country.
The Australian Securities Exchange quietly placed a two-minute trading halt on Airtasker shares as the gig economy marketplace soared 170 per cent in its first days of trading, buoyed by Millennial day traders and their social media influencers.
Page 18: A proposal to allow distributors to charge solar households to export power to the grid has been blasted by solar advocates but deemed necessary by network owners to prevent blackouts and bottlenecks in the power system.
An English court has handed BHP a final and emphatic victory in its defence against a £5 billion ($9 billion) class action by 200,000 Brazilians seeking compensation for the 2015 Samarco dam disaster.
Page 19: The West Australian government is set to push through changes to land tenure laws so Andrew Forrest and others can turn hundreds of thousands of hectares covered by cattle stations into mega solar and wind farms to support green hydrogen production.
South32 boss Graham Kerr has rejected suggestions from Andrew Forrest that the world can make a rapid transition to green steel making and predicted manufacturers like BlueScope will need his coal from mines in the Illawarra for decades to come.
The Australian
Page 1: Australia’s ambassador to Beijing says China is a “vindictive’’ and “unreliable’’ trading partner and Foreign Minister Marise Payne has described human rights violations in Xinjiang as “amongst the world’s most egregious’’, as the diplomatic rift between the countries deepened.
Page 4: Paterson MP Meryl Swanson has urged Labor MPs, union leaders and the party’s environmental activists not to “scare the shit” out of coal industry workers by preaching to them about the need to transition out of their mining jobs.
Page 5: Environment Minister Sussan Ley has backed gender quotas for political staffers as one pathway to boost gender representation in the Liberal Party as Scott Morrison declared he wants a woman to replace him in his seat of Cook when he leaves politics.
Page 6: The nation could emerge from the COVID crisis with only a handful of foreign carriers operating in Australia, making it difficult to restart international tourism.
Page 17: A shortage of bricklayers on the west coast and roof tilers in the eastern states is threatening to take the heat out of a booming residential construction market, as builders with full order books struggle to find tradies to do the work.
Page 18: Energy giant Shell has kept the door ajar to investing in the long-delayed $US20bn Browse gas project in Western Australia and remains committed to the ageing North West Shelf LNG plant as it moves to an infrastructure-style tolling model.
The West Australian
Page 2: Popular computer game Among Us has been identified as a major concern for WA parents, who are seeking advice over their child’s online presence via a new cyber safety app.
Page 3: Students at the State’s top university are being offered a six-week amnesty to remove their work from “cheat” sites.
Page 4: Japan’s new ambassador to Australia, Yamagami Shingo, says Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will visit Australia towards the end of the year — and Perth is likely to be on his itinerary.
Trade Minister Dan Tehan says he wants to see “another golden age of trade diplomacy”, declaring Australia will use every avenue available to restart ministerial dialogue with China as soon as possible.
Page 7: Sixty per cent of WA’s 1500 hotel quarantine workers have not had their first coronavirus jab a month into the State’s vaccination program — and just one in five is fully immunised.
Page 11: Transport Minister Rita Saffioti says helping fund a new pool at the WACA Ground should be a “no-brainer” for the City of Perth.
Page 17: WA’s booming iron ore industry has helped to prop up the national finances, with the latest data showing a $23.1 billion improvement in the Federal coffers.
Business: It will take more than a quarter of a century until the gender pay gap is likely to close, despite progress in recent years, according to research released today.
Atlas Iron boss Sanjiv Manchanda has tempered hopes that India could become a significant alternative market to China for Australian iron ore.
Police expect to make more arrests in relation to WA’s biggest livestock rustling bust after the identities of two more people linked to the alleged theft were revealed.
Kalgoorlie-based mining services outfit MLG has launched a $68.65 million initial public offering ahead of an anticipated ASX listing in early May.
