Prices in Australia too dear for Asia – The Aus; US price slide hits LNG projects – The Aus; Production drop could force WA to import milk – The West; Group faces takeover after credit card audit – The West; Call for more Asian investment – The Fin
Prices in Australia too dear for Asia
China, India and other key Asian economies are shunning Australian businesses in favour of suppliers from other nations as soaring labour costs and poor productivity erode industry competitiveness. The Aus
US price slide hits LNG projects
Australia's liquefied natural gas export growth is being threatened by a continued slide in US natural gas prices that is making North American LNG projects more appealing and is weighing on global gas export pricing. The Aus
Production drop could force WA to import milk
WA looks set to become increasingly reliant on milk from the eastern states as dairy farmers blame years of poor prices and tough conditions for a significant drop in the state's milk production. The West
Group faces takeover after credit card audit
The federal government has threatened to take over one of WA's biggest Aboriginal corporations after a report uncovered almost $100,000 of “unrecorded” credit card spending in just three months and a string of other financial and administrative irregularities. The West
Call for more Asian investment
The Business Council of Australia has confronted emerging opposition to foreign investment by declaring that Australia can learn from Asian companies and should be a long-term partner for the mat a time of growing competition for regional business opportunities. The Fin
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN:
Page 1: The federal government has threatened to take over one of WA's biggest Aboriginal corporations after a report uncovered almost $100,000 of “unrecorded” credit card spending in just three months and a string of other financial and administrative irregularities.
Page 3: The soaring cost of power, water and gas in WA has led to the value of hardship grant applications more than doubling in a year to top $6 million.
Page 5: WA looks set to become increasingly reliant on milk from the eastern states as dairy farmers blame years of poor prices and tough conditions for a significant drop in the state's milk production.
Page 7: Costly and inconvenient diversions from Perth Airport, such as those caused by yesterday's fog, could be almost eliminated in airport upgrades are given the green light.
Page 13: Perth cyclists want more legal protection on the roads, with a survey showing overwhelming support for safe-passing laws to keep motorists at least a metre away.
Page 14: The first live export cattle shipment of the season left Broome at the weekend, bound for Indonesia with 1100 cattle from Christmas Creek Station.
Business: Bannerman Resources, the forgotten part of Hanlong Mining's WA $1.8 billion resources grab, hopes to breathe life into its stuttering existence by declaring today that the Etango uranium project in Namibia is worth developing.
Disappointing US job figures and lingering concern about the health of key eurozone economies are expected to weigh on investor sentiment when trading re-opens after the four-day Easter break.
Bankwest has been accused of unscrupulous practices ahead of a Senate inquiry into bank lending during the global financial crisis.
The big miners may ban all but the safest vehicles from WA sites in move that will leave manufacturers scrambling to lift standards.
Senior Westpac recruit Brian Hartzer has told the bank's senior executives he expects to start his new role from the middle of June, with the aim of giving the lending heavyweight renewed momentum across its retail business.
THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW:
Page 1: The Business Council of Australia has confronted emerging opposition to foreign investment by declaring that Australia can learn from Asian companies and should be a long-term partner for the mat a time of growing competition for regional business opportunities.
Most Australians agree the mining boom has been good for the country, while maintaining they have received little or no benefit, according to a Nielsen poll for The Australian Financial Review.
Page 3: State premiers will make a last-ditch plea to Prime Minister Julia Gillard this week not to cut $1.5 billion of federal funding.
Page 4: Patrick stevedoring is preparing to defend its safety practices in court, at the same time as it seeks a resolution to a 19-month stand-off with unions over an enterprise bargaining agreement.
The West Australian government has set up a special team to reduce a large backlog of mining tenement applications that has been taken advantage of by some big resource companies.
Page 7: Billions of dollars generated by the carbon tax for the development of ground-breaking renewable energy projects are likely to go to private investment firms.
Page 9: Overseas engineering firms are winning lucrative work on major energy and resources projects at the expense of Australian practitioners, local content advocates have warned.
Page 15: Miners are poised to post weaker coking coal and iron ore sales figures in the March quarter on the back of December numbers as industrial action threatens further disruptions.
Australian engineering consultancy Sinclair Knight Merz is in the early stages of talks that could lead to a merger with four of the world's largest engineering companies, including WorleyParsons, to boost the unlisted group's growth ambitions.
Page 19: Qantas is on the cusp of signing more charter flying contracts with major mining houses to add to its recent win of the Fortescue Metals Group fly in, fly out account, prompting the airline to consider growth plans beyond 12 aircraft.
Page 23: All eyes will be on the release of key economic data this week after the Reserve Bank of Australia indicated it may cut rates in May due to lower than expected growth.
Page 47: BWP Trust has $100 million to $150 million to spend on acquisitions after striking a series of property deals, analysts at Commonwealth Bank of Australia said.
THE AUSTRALIAN:
Page 1: China, India and other key Asian economies are shunning Australian businesses in favour of suppliers from other nations as soaring labour costs and poor productivity erode industry competitiveness.
Labor's electoral standing has sunk well below its 2010 election result, with its support in every voting group and every state lagging behind the election-day vote that saw it stripped of its parliamentary majority and forced into minority rule.
Labor will use next month’s federal budget to overhaul the financing of aged care and is considering calls for the family home to be included when assessing the ability to pay.
Page 2: Industry groups have warned against ‘‘overwhelming’’ employers with too much choice over their payroll decisions as a policy battle rages over who gets to manage billions of dollars in superannuation.
Page 4: The bold experiment to move the unemployed interstate to find work, with a take-up rate of little better than 10 per cent, should be dumped in this year’s budget, says the peak body representing the nation’s job agencies.
Wayne Swan is facing a new outcry over his tax reform agenda as a peak expert group warns against a rush to impose new rules in next month’s budget to pay for benefits that he is promising small business.
Australian companies will be better placed to seek trade deals with emerging Asian nations if states and territories eliminate inconsistency in business regulations, according to Trade Minister Craig Emerson.
Page 5: The future of funding to boost literacy and numeracy in struggling students remains unclear, despite Julia Gillard lauding the success of the program under her watch.
A mining company accused of desecrating a sacred site in the Northern Territory has fiercely rejected suggestions it deliberately ignored signs the rocky formation surrounding the site was in danger of collapse.
Business: Australia's liquefied natural gas export growth is being threatened by a continued slide in US natural gas prices that is making North American LNG projects more appealing and is weighing on global gas export pricing.
A cap on government debt could be broken within four months as the federal government borrows about $700 million a week, reviving a political brawl over laws that set the nation’s debt ceiling.
Wesfarmers-owned supermarket chain Coles is streaking ahead of arch rival Woolworths in the push to expand its portfolio of house-branded groceries.
Pacific Equity Partners will test the patience of the Spotless board for another few weeks, as it wraps up due diligence of the facility services operation.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD:
Page 1: Infrastructure spending in NSW has more than doubled in the past five years, defying the conventional wisdom that underfunding is responsible for gridlocked roads and overcrowded trains.
Page 2: Attempts to slow down climate change by large-scale geo-engineering present "serious risks" and are unlikely to replace the need to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Australia's chief scientist has warned.
Page 3: Sydney's peak business lobby group has called for the hourly cap on aircraft movements at Sydney Airport to be abolished as a priority over any decision about whether to build a second airport.
World: Clashes erupted between Syrian forces and rebels last night as a ceasefire plan brokered by the United Nations and Arab League special envoy, Kofi Annan, looked on the brink of unravelling before it had even begun
Business: The NRL has sent a message about shoulder charges - miss the mark and you'll be off the park.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH:
Page 1: A corpse "dumping ground" used by Sydney's criminal underworld may have been unearthed in Kurnell.
Page 2: Matthew Newton, who was thrown into a Miami jail after an alleged altercation with police, was in the US taking acting classes.
Page 3: Stay-at-home dads are becoming more common.
World: North Korean space officials have moved all three stages of a long-range rocket into position for a controversial launch.
Business: ASIC has pledged a zero tolerance blitz on companies and financial advisers to protect household investors.
Sport: Todd Carney is set for a second comeback.
THE AGE:
Page 1: Employers want cuts in weekend pay for casuals and evening penalty rates abolished in submission to FWA.
Page 2: Call for government to inject $1 billion over 10 years to boost number of Asian visitors to Australia. Three states agree to plan to save the endangered eastern regent parrot.
Page 3: Older women getting back into, or staying in, the workforce because they can't afford to retire. New train maintenance depot to allow more trains on the network.
World: UN peace plan unravelling as Syria disputes proposed troop withdrawals.
Business: Australia's multibillion-dollar investment boom may have peaked, removing a key plank of support for the high Australian dollar.
Sport: Hawks nursing bruised egos after Cats win for eighth consecutive meeting.
THE HERALD SUN:
Page 1: Geelong keeps its Hawks hoodoo alive with last quarter win.
Page 2: Molly Meldrum to be inducted into TV Week Hall of Fame. Police may be used to control myki crowds at train stations.
Page 3: Matthew Wiltshire dedicates Stawell Cup win to his grandfather. Teens check into rehab to cure computer game addictions.
World: Cruise ship carries Titanic descendants on trip to retrace doomed liner's route on maiden voyage 100 years ago.
Finance: Corporate watchdog warns of zero tolerance in protecting consumers from increasingly complex finance system.
Sport: Bandaged and bruised Geelong captain Joel Selwood leads Cats to thrilling two point victory.
