Qantas offers fast compo as sackings ruled illegal
Qantas says it will move swiftly to compensate nearly 1700 workers who the High Court found were sacked illegally during the pandemic in a saga that could cost the airline up to $200 million, but would still leave it with savings from the decision to outsource ground staff. The Fin
Bosses back Gurner in face of backlash
Mining and manufacturing bosses have backed property developer Tim Gurner’s claim workers have taken their foot off the gas pedal since the pandemic – comments that went viral and sparked a fiery response from Canberra to Washington. The Fin
Origin suitor must pay $10 a share: Macquarie
The bid price for Origin Energy from its North American suitors needs to be boosted towards $10 a share or higher to reflect the big lift in the takeover target’s business since it was agreed, Macquarie has told clients. The Fin
Billionaire-backed Startmate delivers
Australia’s largest start-up accelerator, Startmate, has given its earliest backers almost three times their money as technology investors focus on cash returns during the ongoing downturn. The Fin
Hiring takes a hit from IR changes
Big business has criticised the Albanese government for proposing retrospective anti-avoidance measures apply to Labor’s contentious labour hire changes, claiming the decision was already impacting hiring decisions by employers. The Aus
Super on leave needed to close gender gap
The Women’s Economic Equality Taskforce has handed its final report to government, with its chairwoman, Sam Mostyn, urging systemic changes to close the gender pay gap including adding superannuation to paid parental leave and providing affordable, universal childcare. The Aus
What’s one more year?
West Coast will enter 2024 having made no major top-level changes despite two shocking seasons. During a bizarre press conference on Wednesday, the Eagles merely confirmed what we all already knew — CEO Trevor Nisbett will stay at the helm until his contract expires next year. The West
Tributes flow for businessman killed in motorbike accident
The devastated family of a prominent Perth businessman, Auto Masters Australia managing director Nigel Warr, who died in a tragic off-road motorbike accident has remembered him as an “inspiration and a leader” who will be missed “each and every day”. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Pension fund HESTA will today announce it is pouring more than $100 million into a new building with affordable, social, specialist disability and market-rate rental apartments.
Page 3: Edith Cowan University has moved to terminate a contract with PwC to manage its $853 million campus project in Perth amid concerns the work was scheduled to be moved to the big four firm’s public sector consulting spin-off, Scyne.
Page 3: The new iPhone 15 family of phones, launched overnight on Wednesday together with new Apple Watch models at the company’s headquarters in California, has abandoned the unique power and data cable that has set the iPhone apart from every other phone since 2007, and will use the same USBC cable that every other major phone maker in the world uses.
Page 3: Spending on petrol jumped by 9.5 per cent last month as households grapple with a surge in fuel prices that is adding to Australia’s inflation problem.
Page 3: Commonwealth Bank could face up to $12.8 million in fines for ‘‘knowingly’’ short-changing thousands of workers over a decade from 2010 to 2021, but that would still be less than the total underpayment amount.
Page 9: Google has exploited its dominance of the internet search market to lock out competitors and smother innovation, the Department of Justice said yesterday at the opening of the biggest US anti-trust trial in a quarter of a century.
Page 12: China’s biggest state-owned steelmaker Baowu has taken a big step towards exiting the Queensland coking coal sector, shelling out close to $300 million to settle a disastrous deal that forced it to pay for port and rail capacity it has never used.
Page 13: Shares in ASX-listed Viva Energy have collapsed nearly 10 per cent this week, after Dutch oil trading giant Vitol confirmed that it had sold a 16 per cent stake in the company which supplies a quarter of the nation’s fuel.
Page 15: BP has called on Western Australia to scrap its controversial export ban for onshore gas projects and issued a strong warning that further government intervention will undermine energy security and stifle investment.
Page 15: Shell’s Queensland gas boss Kim Code has been unable to rule out a future hit to LNG exports, as the federal government’s gas market intervention makes waves through the sector.
Page 16: Liontown Resources boss Tony Ottaviano says the company is about nine months away from having its flagship lithium mine built and in production despite Gina Rinehart fuelling concerns about the project.
Page 16: Japan’s Inpex has taken another public swipe at the Albanese government’s gas strategy, telling a conference in Darwin the country is a ‘‘global outlier’’ on energy policy and accusing Canberra of ‘‘moving the goal posts’’ on multibillion-dollar gas investments.
Page 16: In a milestone for the electronic conveyancing market, the first property transactions using both competing electronic lodgment network operators, Property Exchange Australia (PEXA) and Sympli, have been settled.
Page 21: Near record-high milk prices in Australia are hitting dairy exporters as Asian food companies ditch Australian products for cheaper supply from New Zealand and further abroad.
The Australian
Page 6: Western Australia’s environmental watchdog will require companies proposing large-scale solar farms to demonstrate how they will dispose of their panels, in a move that will add complexity to plans for major renewables projects.
Page 7: The board of Western Australia’s famed cricket ground has signed off on a $163m redevelopment plan that will see the builder de- liver a largely empty shell and al- most no permanent seating on the northern side of the ground.
Page 7: Farmers who look after the soil, plants and wildlife on their farms are up to 20 per cent more profitable, according to new research that aims to transform the way food producers and the public look at agriculture.
Page 15: Australians are pulling back spending everywhere they can, from eating out and clothing to plastic surgery and household goods, but they still want to have fun and went on a spending spree to enjoy the Matildas’ run at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Page 15: Adobe has made its long-awaited move into generative AI, allowing creative agencies, graphic designers and others to finally start producing images using artificial intelligence.
Page 16: Chevron and unions have held another round of mediation talks as authorities desperately seek to resolve industrial action ahead of strikes escalating to rolling 24- hour periods that threaten about 7 per cent of global gas supplies.
Page 16: Papua New Guinea’s government wants greater investment in newer and greener energy alternatives, including from Australia, to allow the country to reach its full potential and to compete on a global stage.
The West Australian
Page 5: A man in his 30s has died in a tragic workplace accident at a Jandakot engineering business, that is understood to specialise in mining and resource engineering.
Page 17: Treasurer Jim Chalmers expects Australia will ride out a period of economic uncertainty despite an anticipated rise in unemployment and global instability led by China.
Page 17: Iron ore fell for the first time this week as a lull in China’s property sector persists, with fresh data showing a recent spurt in home sales in its capital losing momentum.
Page 18: WA’s signature domestic reservation policy is not being properly enforced but compelling offshore LNG producers to regularly disclose exactly how much gas they have available for local consumption would help drive down surging prices.
Page 18: Woodside Energy’s bid to install one million solar panels in the Pilbara has passed a key regulatory hurdle, but the Environmental Protection Authority’s decision may impact broader State Government plans to shift development from the Burrup Peninsula to a new location.
Page 37: De Grey Mining has secured a mining lease for its Hemi gold deposit in the Pilbara from the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
