WA loses crown as top State
CommSec’s quarterly assessment of the state of the States shows WA was replaced by NSW as the country’s strongest economy on the back of increasing population growth, business investment and unemployment. The West
Activists loophole tightened
The ability of political activists to disrupt companies will be curbed under government plans to prevent small groups from convening special company meetings. The Fin
BHP’s manned trucks outperform robotic fleet
BHP Billiton’s mining truck drivers are outpacing their robotic counterparts when it comes to efficiency and loading at Western Australian iron ore mines, indicating the miner is a long way from any decision to follow rival Rio Tinto in a large-scale driverless truck rollout. The Aus
Liberals-Nationals at flashpoint over by-election result
Relations between the conservative partners in the Barnett Government have hit a new flashpoint after the Vasse by-election, with Nationals leader Terry Redman defying calls from Premier Colin Barnett to co-operate more closely to fight the real enemy — the Labor Party.
Iron price not going anywhere, says BHP
BHP Billiton’s marketing boss Mike Henry says iron ore prices of less than $US100 are the new normal, and the mining giant has baked that forecast into its plans. The Fin
Protect significant areas: EPA
WA’s environment watchdog has opened up another front in its bid to safeguard parts of the Mid West and Goldfields from iron ore mining, warning areas of international importance are at risk of being lost forever. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: The ability of political activists to disrupt companies will be curbed under government plans to prevent small groups from convening special company meetings.
Page 3: The Australian Industry Group has called for union-linked severance and insurance funds to be overseen by the prudential regulator in a move designed to break the business model of militant construction unions.
Page 4: The London-based provider of software tools used by consultants to Australian National University to blacklist seven resources stocks says the companies’ rankings may go up or down after they provide additional information.
Page 5: Supermarkets could face court-ordered divestments of their businesses and have to negotiate prices with new farmer-owned co-operative and industry marketing boards, with a government green paper seeking to tilt the balance of market power to farmers.
Page 6: Palmer United Party senator Jacqui Lambie will insist the Abbott government shelve its university reforms until it can secure a mandate for the changes at the next election.
Page 7: Mike Baird’s NSW has overtaken Western Australia in a significant reordering of the nation’s state economies.
The rate of increase in property prices has more than halved since hitting a peak of about 4 per cent in the final quarter of last year.
Page 11: Australia’s major life insurers are in crisis talks aimed at resurrecting an industry-led effort to abolish high upfront commission payments, as the $13 billion industry comes under growing political and public pressure to clean up its practices.
BHP Billiton’s marketing boss Mike Henry says iron ore prices of less than $US100 are the new normal, and the mining giant has baked that forecast into its plans.
Page 13: Virgin Australia Holdings will consider adding aircraft types beyond the current A320s to the fleet of budget carrier Tigerair Australia as part of a potential international expansion that would help it to better compete against Jetstar, Virgin chief executive John Borghetti said.
Page 16: Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton are not being anti-competitive with their plans to rapidly increase iron ore production in a depressed market, says Rod Sims, the chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The Australian
Page 1: Plans for the biggest dam-building and irrigation program in decades will be unveiled today in a major policy blueprint for the future of the nation’s agricultural sector that identifies 27 water projects for potential commonwealth investment.
Page 2: Resource employers are pushing the Abbott government to broaden the anti-bullying regime to impose new restraints on the industrial activities of striking unionists.
Page 4: The escalating war against Islamic State and the turmoil in the Middle East could threaten the global supply of transport fuels at a time when Australia is almost wholly dependent on overseas sources.
Page 17: Coles was entitled to the profits it secured from its pool of food and grocery suppliers and acted ethically when category managers sought payments, former Coles boss Ian McLeod said in his strongest comments to date after the competition regulator last week accused the supermarket of unconscionable conduct.
One of Australia’s biggest infrastructure fund managers, IFM Investors, expects to continue buying assets this year but said it was being cautious in pursuing some assets because of the amount of money chasing such investments.
Two-thirds of the 20 “chapters” of the free-trade agreement with China are now complete, leaving Canberra hoping negotiators can conclude half a dozen major topics in time for President Xi Jinping’s participation in the G20 summit in Brisbane next month.
Page 18: BHP Billiton’s mining truck drivers are outpacing their robotic counterparts when it comes to efficiency and loading at Western Australian iron ore mines, indicating the miner is a long way from any decision to follow rival Rio Tinto in a large-scale driverless truck rollout.
Page 19: Rio Tinto has been forced into an embarrassing back down on claims it has an inventory of 45 billion tonnes of iron ore in the ground and that it has Western Australia’s leading iron ore resources and reserves.
Page 24: Fairfax Media has held high-level talks with Network Ten about a billion-dollar merger as the third-placed free-to-air broadcaster’s future comes into sharp focus.
The West Australian
Page 1: Relations between the conservative partners in the Barnett Government have hit a new flashpoint after the Vasse by-election, with Nationals leader Terry Redman defying calls from Premier Colin Barnett to co-operate more closely to fight the real enemy — the Labor Party.
Page 4: Young Western Australians will increasingly find work wooing online shoppers, caring for the aged and boosting computer systems.
Page 13: The retiring boss of Lotterywest has used her final annual report to warn sales from the State’s Lotto are not keeping pace with “unprecedented demand” for funding.
Page 14: Faced with the prospect of rising global temperatures and higher density living, Perth councils are taking steps to protect their trees.
Business: WA’s environment watchdog has opened up another front in its bid to safeguard parts of the Mid West and Goldfields from iron ore mining, warning areas of international importance are at risk of being lost forever.
Canadian suitor SEMAFO has drawn first blood in its hostile takeover bid for Orbis Gold after the target deferred a shareholder vote on plans to hand a 17 per cent stake to London investor Greenstone Resources.
Senior leaders in WA’s mining sector have picked up one in three of the latest round of Chief Executive Women scholarships.
