Pilbara median price more than halves
Property prices in the Pilbara town of Karratha have halved to their lowest level in 11 years as the mining town suffers a double blow from falling iron ore and oil prices. The Fin
WA play to set new benchmarks
A private Chinese group is closing in on the purchase of the remaining office assets in the Insurance Commission of Western Australia portfolio, which are worth up to $500 million. The Aus
‘Squeeze’ begins for Aurizon, Asciano
Coal and iron ore miners could slash costs by more than $5 per tonne if they renegotiate transportation contracts with rail haulage groups like Asciano and Aurizon, new research from Macquarie has forecast. The Fin
Another hotel and apartment project for quay
Perth property developer Adrian Fini has been tapped to help build another hotel and apartment development at Elizabeth Quay. The West
ANZ downgrades Asia
ANZ Banking Group’s new chief executive, Shayne Elliott, will retreat from the expansion through Asia pursued by predecessor Mike Smith and play catch-up by using technology to try to increase his retail bank’s performance in Australia and New Zealand. The Fin
Canberra on ice as Grylls stays put in Pilbara seat
WA Nationals elder statesman Brendon Grylls will recontest his State seat of Pilbara in March next year, shelving the prospect of a switch to Federal politics — for now. The West
Future Fund buying WA debt
The State Government’s Future Fund has emerged as a major buyer of WA’s own debt, soaking up more than $203 million worth of WA Treasury Corporation bonds last year. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: ANZ Banking Group’s new chief executive, Shayne Elliott, will retreat from the expansion through Asia pursued by predecessor Mike Smith and play catch-up by using technology to try to increase his retail bank’s performance in Australia and New Zealand.
Page 3: The federal government is shying away from extending the goods and services tax to fresh food, a move that would avoid a confrontation with the Nationals and lessen the cost of compensation and the impact on inflation.
Page 6: Australia’s embattled coal exporters are in deep trouble because of their reliance on foreign markets, political activism and environmental regulation, a study funded by the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund shows.
Page 7: The Maritime Union of Australia has expressed concern that a Fair Work Commission ruling suspending strikes at stevedore company Patrick could make it harder for unions to take legal industrial action to pressure employers.
Outspoken entrepreneur and aviator Dick Smith has called the pending sale of Australia’s largest landholder, S. Kidman & Co to a Chinese company an act of madness and says that with the value of agricultural land rising, Australian super funds should be competing to buy the cattle stations.
Page 8: Australia’s entrepreneurial culture is among the most highly regarded in the world, but it remains one of the hardest places to fire staff, the founder of one the largest global recruitment firms says.
Page 9: Property prices in the Pilbara town of Karratha have halved to their lowest level in 11 years as the mining town suffers a double blow from falling iron ore and oil prices.
Page 15: National Australia Bank chairman Ken Henry has warned big investors not to expect a bargain when it floats its poorly performing Clydesdale Bank in the UK, saying the bank could still defer part of the float if it can’t get a high enough price for its shareholders.
Page 17: Some of Australia’s largest utility and energy companies will face investor pressure to restructure their businesses in 2016 as falling commodity prices and technological disruption pile pressure on balance sheets, according to PwC.
Page 25: Coal and iron ore miners could slash costs by more than $5 per tonne if they renegotiate transportation contracts with rail haulage groups like Asciano and Aurizon, new research from Macquarie has forecast.
The Australian
Page 1: Scott Morrison is under pressure to find savings of at least $5 billion a year in this year’s budget to pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, as a fund set up by the former Labor government to finance the scheme will start running down from next year and be depleted by 2019-20.
Page 6: Plans to carve out nearly three quarters of retail superannuation funds from a government mandated tool that allows investors to compare returns and fees look set to torpedo any chance of consensus on the Coalition’s super reforms.
Page 17: Rod Sims, the chairman of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, has defended the role of the competition watchdog, calling for local courts to impose tougher penalties and claiming the competition body will pursue at least three cases of cartel conduct this year.
Page 23: A private Chinese group is closing in on the purchase of the remaining office assets in the Insurance Commission of Western Australia portfolio, which are worth up to $500 million.
The world’s biggest real estate investor, Blackstone, does not see the Australian commercial property market as overheated and expects increasing global volatility to create new investment opportunities, according to Ken Caplan, its New York-based global chief investment officer for real estate.
The West Australian
Page 3: Urgent measures including a fast-tracked expansion of a sewage recycling plant and an extended winter sprinkler ban are being considered to help stave off a looming shortage of drinking water.
Page 11: Almost 90 children removed from their parents for their own safety were abused or neglected in State care in WA last year.
Page 14: Perth’s northern suburbs are the city’s unemployment ground zero as locals struggle to find work or hold on to their jobs.
Page 16: WA Nationals elder statesman Brendon Grylls will recontest his State seat of Pilbara in March next year, shelving the prospect of a switch to Federal politics — for now.
WA Treasury has admitted fresh concerns about the State Government’s revenue, saying it is no longer confident in its payroll tax forecasting methods.
Page 17: Contamination fears have sparked a mass recall of milk products produced at Lion Dairy’s Perth factory.
Page 19: Perth property developer Adrian Fini has been tapped to help build another hotel and apartment development at Elizabeth Quay.
An annual report card into public hospital performance shows no improvement in WA, according to the State’s peak medical group.
Page 20: Thousands of apartments are being built alongside Perth shopping centres in a push to convince people to embrace “retail living”.
Business: The State Government’s Future Fund has emerged as a major buyer of WA’s own debt, soaking up more than $203 million worth of WA Treasury Corporation bonds last year.
Shares in biotech Holista Colltech received a much-needed kick yesterday after the company updated the market on its “global scientific breakthrough” in the GI levels of white bread.
Newly minted gold miner Kidman Resources will pay $1.5 million to acquire the remaining 20 per cent interest in the Burbanks and Gunga West mines near Coolgardie.