Morning Headlines

Now loans not even enough to get rental

Bond assistance loans — designed to help low-income earners into private rentals — have collapsed to less than a quarter of their pre-pandemic levels as the cost of renting soars to unattainable heights across WA. The West

Escalante banks big bucks in spite of fall

WA social gaming billionaire Laurence Escalante is set to pocket another $40 million despite his Virtual Gaming Worlds recording a rare profit fall on booming revenues. The West

Supply threat to homes pledge

Australia’s peak housing body has warned that a failure to increase supply, slash red tape and address labour shortages and supply chain pressures pose the greatest threat to cheaper rents and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pledge to build one million homes. The Aus

SVB fallout: Banks told to list risks

The nation’s prudential regulator has begun asking banks to declare their exposures – in some cases daily – to start-ups and crypto-focused ventures following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and volatility at global lenders. The Fin

ByteDance executive resigns from TikTok Australia board

A senior ByteDance executive has resigned from the Australian board of TikTok, amid the viral video platform’s efforts to distance itself from its Chinese parent company and as Canberra weighs a ban of the app on government-issued devices over security concerns. The Fin

$1000 a week rents crippling WA’s overseas uni student push

Perth’s $2 billion-plus international education market is facing one of its biggest threats, as foreign students reveal they are being forced to pay hundreds above rental listing prices to secure housing amid the rental crisis. The West

Consumers feeling the heat: Aust Post

Australia Post chief executive Paul Graham believes consumers face a significant threat from higher interest rates and the rising cost of living that will weigh on their spending habits this year, creating a challenge for retailers to entice shoppers to their physical and online stores. The Aus

Perth rides wave of new data

Perth has firmly cemented its role as a digital gateway between Australia, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region but the national boss of Equinix believes the city will continue riding the wave of new data centre expansions. The West

Galileo find sends shares off on a tear

Shares in Galileo Mining went on a tear after the Mark Creasy-backed company announced the discovery of a new sulphide zone at its Norseman project. The West

The Australian Financial Review

Page 1: The nation’s prudential regulator has begun asking banks to declare their exposures – in some cases daily – to start-ups and crypto-focused ventures following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and volatility at global lenders.

Page 2: The Reserve Bank of Australia board will consider a pause on further interest rate rises at its April 4 meeting, potentially sparing borrowers from an 11th consecutive increase as it assesses whether it has done enough to tame inflation.

A senior ByteDance executive has resigned from the Australian board of TikTok, amid the viral video platform’s efforts to distance itself from its Chinese parent company and as Canberra weighs a ban of the app on government-issued devices over security concerns.

Page 4: The Greens will condemn Australia to failure over last year’s much-vaunted post-election 43 per cent emissions reduction law if the minority party sinks Labor’s cornerstone safeguard mechanism reforms in the Senate, says Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen.

Page 9: Self-managed superannuation fund members dramatically reduced the amount of money they voluntarily contributed to their nest eggs after a limit on the tax-free pensions was introduced in 2017, new figures show.

Page 13: Major energy users and gas executives have blamed work led by former Dow Chemical chief executive Andrew Liveris for promoting the unrealistic idea among manufacturers that they should be able to buy gas for $4 a gigajoule, fanning the current east coast gas crisis.

Page 15: The Australian Securities Exchange has raised concerns with Atlantic Lithium over its dealings in Ghana, questioning the company over a transaction previously queried by activist investors.

The Australian

Page 1: Greens leader Adam Bandt is facing a 48-hour window to back Anthony Albanese’s signature climate change policy amid warnings from the government and investor, climate and conservation groups that the left-wing party will blow up Australia’s 2030 emissions- reduction target if the reforms are voted down.

Page 4: Australia’s peak housing body has warned that a failure to increase supply, slash red tape and address labour shortages and supply chain pressures pose the greatest threat to cheaper rents and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pledge to build one million homes.

Page 8: The thoughtless disposal of smart phones, laptops and other devices is opening up serious risks of major data theft by criminals and state actors such as China at a time when Australia has “a target on its back” following high-profile data breaches.

Page 15: Former treasurer Wayne Swan, who led the economy through the Global Financial Crisis, believes the federal government and regulators should reassess the nation’s $250,000 deposit guarantee in light of sweeping global ructions across the banking sector.

Page 17: Australia Post chief executive Paul Graham believes consumers face a significant threat from higher interest rates and the rising cost of living that will weigh on their spending habits this year, creating a challenge for retailers to entice shoppers to their physical and online stores.

Maurice Blackburn is investigating a class action against engineering and integrated services giant Downer EDI that will allege it “engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct and breached its continuous disclosure obligations”.

Page 25: The Productivity Commission says earning a degree has worthwhile benefits for “marginal” students who only just make it into university, a finding that backs its case for expanding the number of university places.

The West Australian

Page 3: Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says e-cigarettes are creating a new generation of nicotine addicts, vowing that “all options are on the table” in the fight against illegal vaping.

Budget airline Jetstar has revealed it will boost flights between Melbourne and Busselton to meet demand over the Easter holiday period.

Page 4: Bond assistance loans — designed to help low-income earners into private rentals — have collapsed to less than a quarter of their pre-pandemic levels as the cost of renting soars to unattainable heights across WA.

Page 5: Perth’s $2 billion-plus international education market is facing one of its biggest threats, as foreign students reveal they are being forced to pay hundreds above rental listing prices to secure housing amid the rental crisis.

Page 14: The sale of housing blocks for as little as $1 in a Mid West town has failed to produce a building boom — with not a single buyer managing to break ground on a new home two years on.

Business: WA social gaming billionaire Laurence Escalante is set to pocket another $40 million despite his Virtual Gaming Worlds recording a rare profit fall on booming revenues.

Perth has firmly cemented its role as a digital gateway between Australia, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region but the national boss of Equinix believes the city will continue riding the wave of new data centre expansions.

Shares in Galileo Mining went on a tear after the Mark Creasy-backed company announced the discovery of a new sulphide zone at its Norseman project.