State plays hardball on Browse
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has warned Woodside Petroleum it may be unable to sell billions of dollars’ worth of gas from its planned Browse project because he will refuse to allow his state’s share of the huge gas resource to be developed using floating LNG technology. The Aus
Telstra open to NBN deal
New communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has begun high stakes discussions with Telstra to renegotiate the $11.2 billion deal that underpins construction of the national broadband network. The Fin
Len joins Gina in the Pilbara
BGC Contracting is recruiting hundreds of people for work on Gina Rinehart’s Roy Hill iron ore project after winning a $420 million contract due to start next month. The West
Fortescue calls shots
Mineral Resources chairman Peter Wade believes the mining services company’s reputation has not been damaged despite Fortescue Metals taking over the management of ore processing at its Christmas Creek mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region for safety reasons. The Fin
Labor rivals get down to basics
Prospective Labor leader Bill Shorten has declared the Labor Party should be unashamedly ‘‘pro refugee’’ and there is nothing wrong with wanting to come to Australia. The Aus
Rental vacancies soar in Perth
Perth’s rental vacancies rose 1.6 per cent in the past year as fewer mining workers sought accommodation in line with an easing of the commodities boom. The Fin
Kids’ school absence during strike ‘invalid’
The teachers’ union and WA’s main parents’ group have accused the Education Department of unfairly tarnishing children’s attendance records by requiring schools to record them as being absent without a valid reason if they were away during last week’s strike. The West
People should worry: CSG chiefs
Australians remain deeply concerned about mining for coalseam gas, and key executives in the sector believe those worries are warranted and that the industry has done a poor job educating the public about the issue. The Aus
Rampaging wild dogs in bounty trial crosshairs
Agriculture Minister Ken Baston has defended a controversial move to introduce a wild dog bounty trial, saying it was justified on economic, animal welfare and public safety grounds. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: New Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has begun high stakes discussions with Telstra to renegotiate the $11.2 billion deal that underpins construction of the national broadband network.
In their first debate against each other, Anthony Albanese and Bill Shorten made Labor history: they fought in the open as friendly rivals rather than in the back rooms as bitter enemies.
Page 3: The discovery of alleged irregularities in the employment contracts of senior executives at Macquarie Generation could deter potential bidders from participating in the sale process for the $2 billion NSW power producer.
Page 5: Government-mandated energy efficiency programs that have forced power companies to help customers cut electricity consumption are under concerted attack from the industry, which claims the schemes are inefficient and unnecessary.
Page 6: The Coalition’s plans for a Commission of Audit into the nation’s finances will take a back seat to the national broadband network at the first full meeting of cabinet scheduled for next week.
Page 11: Former Labor trade minister Craig Emerson has questioned whether regional countries can strike a new trade deal among themselves within the tight one-year schedule proposed by the United States because negotiations had so far not budged much from existing positions.
One of Australia’s leading business groups faces a leadership-overhaul following Peter Anderson’s decision to step down in January as chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Page 13: A stronger Australian dollar and market volatility could hit company earnings and dampen one of the best years for share market floats in a decade.
Banks are increasing the number of loans available to home buyers with a small deposit, sparking concerns that borrowers will be left with mortgages they cannot afford when Australia’s record-low interest rates start to rise.
Page 16: Mineral Resources chairman Peter Wade believes the mining services company’s reputation has not been damaged despite Fortescue Metals taking over the management of ore processing at its Christmas Creek mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region for safety reasons.
Pressure is mounting on Ten Network Holdings as chief executive Hamish McLennan prepares to deliver the company’s annual results in less than a month.
Page 35: Perth’s rental vacancies rose 1.6 per cent in the past year as fewer mining workers sought accommodation in line with an easing of the commodities boom.
The Australian
Page 1: A confidential report has identified 68 critical problems on the navy’s Collins-class submarines that it warns pose a high to extreme risk of forcing their retirement before new submarines can be built.
Federal cabinet is to sign off on a strategic review of the National Broadband Network as soon as next week after the release of a confidential report showing another hit to the project’s costs.
The drive for 40 per cent of 25 to 34-year-olds to have a university degree is at risk of being abandoned, with new Education Minister Christopher Pyne declaring he is ‘‘obsessed’’ with quality rather than targets.
Protest groups that stymie major infrastructure projects will be targeted as the Coalition seeks to speed up an $11.5 billion roads program and fight off fears of an economic slowdown.
Page 2: Australians remain deeply concerned about mining for coalseam gas, and key executives in the sector believe those worries are warranted and that the industry has done a poor job educating the public about the issue.
Page 3: Former treasurer Wayne Swan has intervened in the foreign investment debate, warning Joe Hockey against taking the advice of Nationals colleagues on large takeovers, including the proposed $3.4 billion purchase of GrainCorp.
Page 4: The Coalition must abandon its aversion to public debt and give a body such as Infrastructure Australia more independence if Tony Abbott is to realise his ambition to be an ‘‘infrastructure prime minister’’.
Page 5: Prospective Labor leader Bill Shorten has declared the Labor Party should be unashamedly ‘‘pro refugee’’ and there is nothing wrong with wanting to come to Australia.
Page 19: West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has warned Woodside Petroleum it may be unable to sell billions of dollars’ worth of gas from its planned Browse project because he will refuse to allow his state’s share of the huge gas resource to be developed using floating LNG technology.
Nine Entertainment will launch a $3 billion IPO in early December, heralding the biggest float of a company in the local market since 2010.
Page 20: Junior resources companies MetroCoal and Cape Alumina are expected to announce a deal today after both companies halted trading in their shares ahead of finalising a corporate merger. Cape Alumina has a market capitalisation of $13 million and Metrocoal is valued at $8m.
Page 21: A consultancy founded by former chief risk experts of two major banks has warned macro prudential rules to cool house prices may restrict small businesses’ already strained access to credit.
Page 22: Oil and gas investment, particularly in liquefied natural gas, is set to play a major part in Australia’s prosperity, LNG revenue expected to grow from $12 billion to $61bn during the next five years.
Page 23: Government regulations in the form of red tape remain the biggest threat to the nation’s oil and gas sector, but key executives believe the election of the Coalition will have a positive impact on the industry as companies roll out billions in investments over the coming years.
Page 29: The Gillard government’s funding cuts are to blame for the failure of university staff to secure higher pay rises, according to those familiar with the current round of bargaining.
The West Australian
Page 3: West Australians are enjoying the lowest power bills in the country but paying the most to drive.
Page 11: The teachers’ union and WA’s main parents’ group have accused the Education Department of unfairly tarnishing children’s attendance records by requiring schools to record them as being absent without a valid reason if they were away during last week’s strike.
Rookie Labor MLC Stephen Dawson has joined Mark McGowan’s frontbench team, picking up Sally Talbot’s disability services, mental health and child protection portfolios.
Page 14: The Government has appointed its facilities management agency VenuesWest to oversee the governance of the new Perth Stadium at Burswood.
Page 16: Former Health director-general Kim Snowball was formally told in mid-December that Fiona Stanley Hospital would be delayed, three months before the government went to the election touting the project as “on time and on budget”.
Page 17: Four years after Labor announced it would roll out the National Broadband Network, only 120 established homes in WA have been connected to the fibre optic service.
Business: Unions have renewed their criticism of safety standards at Fortescue Metals Group mines, saying the company’s decision to take control of an ore processing facility that was the scene of WA’s first mine site death in two years vindicated their concerns.
A dispute between the owners of award-winning craft beer producer Feral Brewing is set to be played out in court.
Agriculture Minister Ken Baston has defended a controversial move to introduce a wild dog bounty trial, saying it was justified on economic, animal welfare and public safety grounds.
BGC Contracting is recruiting hundreds of people for work on Gina Rinehart’s Roy Hill iron ore project after winning a $420 million contract due to start next month.
Sirius Resources managing director Mark Bennett has seen his pay cheque almost double to $719,000 following the company’s rise on the back of the breakthrough Nova discovery.