Morning Headlines

2 million sweat on freedom call

Hope is growing Perth’s northern suburbs cluster has been contained and the lockdown of two million residents will end at midnight this evening — preventing the estimated loss of $300 million in school-holiday spending for regional tourism and hospitality businesses. The West

PM may bow to states on overseas arrivals

The Morrison government is considering calls from Labor states to cut the international arrivals cap by as much as 80 per cent until quarantine standards and vaccination rates improve. The Fin

Billionaires win extension on $1 property development deal

A closely scrutinised agreement that could allow Perth billionaires Kerry Stokes and Andrew Forrest to pick up a prime Perth riverfront site valued by the state at just $1 has been quietly extended. The Aus

Xi: Bullies will be bloodied

President Xi Jinping has warned China will take ‘‘resolute action’’ to defeat any push for Taiwan’s independence, and warned that foreign countries seeking to bully Beijing will face ‘‘bloodshed’’ against an iron Great Wall of 1.4 billion people. The Fin

Seven Group hits 29.5pc trigger to raise bid for Boral

The Seven Group has edged a step closer to securing control of Boral’s board after securing 29.5 per cent of the building materials group and making its $8.8 billion cash takeover offer unconditional at $7.30 per share. The Fin

Food retailers poised to invest $10b

Capital intensity is rising in the $115 billion food and grocery sector as Coles, Woolworths and Metcash prepare to spend as much as $10 billion over the next three years to stay ahead of changing shopping patterns and reduce distribution costs. The Fin

Industry leader in staff jab data push

Employers would be able to collect data to track whether staff have been vaccinated under proposed changes to national privacy laws being pushed by one of the nation’s major industry bodies. The Aus

Seven West puts Southern Cross in buyout sights

The Kerry and Ryan Stokes-controlled Seven West Media is believed to be turning its attention once again to acquisitions, with Southern Cross Media understood to be within its sights. The Aus

NDIS a ‘drag on hospitals’

Hundreds of hospital beds are being clogged on average for seven months by patients awaiting NDIS accommodation — including public housing. The West

Another WA story of richer for pourer

Capricorn Metals has become Australia’s newest gold producer with a pour at its $175 million Karlawinda project 70km south-east of Newman. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: President Xi Jinping has warned China will take ‘‘resolute action’’ to defeat any push for Taiwan’s independence, and warned that foreign countries seeking to bully Beijing will face ‘‘bloodshed’’ against an iron Great Wall of 1.4 billion people.

The Morrison government is considering calls from Labor states to cut the international arrivals cap by as much as 80 per cent until quarantine standards and vaccination rates improve.

Page 4: Queensland and Western Australia have relied more than the other states on employing foreign doctors on temporary visas during the pandemic, official figures reveal, as the Labor-led states demand cuts to the international arrivals cap.

Page 8: Superannuation funds catering to Commonwealth Bank employees and public servants are among the nation’s most expensive providers, according to the government’s new YourSuper comparison tool, which is expected to heap pressure on funds that deliver poor member outcomes.

Page 9: Job vacancies jumped to a record high in May to be up 57 per cent on pre-pandemic levels, suggesting the rapid fall in unemployment could continue to outpace official forecasts and put upward pressure on wages.

Page 13: Thailand is pushing ahead with plans to jump-start its crucial tourism industry by reopening the popular resort island of Phuket to vaccinated travellers, even as the more virulent delta variant of the coronavirus sweeps through the region.

Page 14: The two arms of AGL Energy to emerge from its break-up will lack the financial capacity to fund growth, analysts say, as the company’s shares continued their retreat in the face of the challenges to the radical restructuring.

The Seven Group has edged a step closer to securing control of Boral’s board after securing 29.5 per cent of the building materials group and making its $8.8 billion cash takeover offer unconditional at $7.30 per share.

Page 16: Capital intensity is rising in the $115 billion food and grocery sector as Coles, Woolworths and Metcash prepare to spend as much as $10 billion over the next three years to stay ahead of changing shopping patterns and reduce distribution costs.

The Australian

Page 1: Scott Morrison will seek a new deal for Australians in a critical meeting of national cabinet on Friday that would secure agreement from premiers and chief ministers on vaccination thresholds to eliminate lockdowns and give domestic and international travel exemptions for vaccinated Australians.

Page 3: A closely scrutinised agreement that could allow Perth billionaires Kerry Stokes and Andrew Forrest to pick up a prime Perth riverfront site valued by the state at just $1 has been quietly extended.

Page 4: Employers would be able to collect data to track whether staff have been vaccinated under proposed changes to national privacy laws being pushed by one of the nation’s major industry bodies.

Page 13: The federal government is laying the groundwork for a review of mortgage broker commissions in the second half of next year, as it also persists in coming months with a drive to unwind responsible-lending rules.

When NexGen Energy shares begin trading on the Australian bourse on Friday, it will mark the biggest resources entry on the Australian exchange since fellow Canadian miner Kirkland Lake Gold hit the local bourse in 2017.

Page 14: The Kerry and Ryan Stokes-controlled Seven West Media is believed to be turning its attention once again to acquisitions, with Southern Cross Media understood to be within its sights.

The West Australian

Page 5: Mining giant BHP has launched a sexual assault support hotline for its workers in the wake of two separate allegations of rape by WA employees.

Page 6: Hope is growing Perth’s northern suburbs cluster has been contained and the lockdown of two million residents will end at midnight this evening — preventing the estimated loss of $300 million in school-holiday spending for regional tourism and hospitality businesses.

Page 7: More than 60 per cent of voters in three marginal WA seats believe the pace of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout is too slow, new polling shows ahead of today’s crunch National Cabinet meeting.

Page 12: A daycare centre in Secret Harbour has been dubbed the best in Perth by a new childcare finder app which evaluates centres based on cost, national quality standards, parent feedback and services.

Page 26: Hundreds of hospital beds are being clogged on average for seven months by patients awaiting NDIS accommodation — including public housing.

Business: Alphabet’s Google will begin letting people easily store their vaccine records on Android devices, adding to a push from some companies and countries to digitise evidence of the shot.

WA businesses and the State’s economy is expected to lose more than $170 million with the four-day snap lockdown tipped to cause more financial damage than the last.

Acure Asset Management has sold its Bunnings property south of Perth to Charter Hall for $49 million.

WA’s manufacturing sector is growing rapidly as companies return production onshore amid global supply chain disruptions but the local industry is concerned the surge isn’t sustainable.

Capricorn Metals has become Australia’s newest gold producer with a pour at its $175 million Karlawinda project 70km south-east of Newman.

Local business owners were mostly prepared for higher superannuation payments but say the timing is unfortunate in the midst of lockdowns and heightened COVID-19 uncertainty.