ALP may wipe $1b welfare debt
The Albanese government is considering forgiving up to $1 billion of welfare debts instead of allowing the Department of Social Services to pursue the overpayments, despite a court ruling that the debts could be recalculated and recouped. The Fin
NAB directors meet to discuss Irvine matter
National Australia Bank directors met informally this week to discuss chief executive Andrew Irvine, backing him to continue in the role but urging him to improve his presentation, amid disquiet style and drinking at events. The Fin
Legal Super tops returns among growth options
Niche superannuation fund Legal Super delivered the best returns of any super growth option in the past financial year, reporting a return of 12.9 per cent. The Fin
Jobless rate rises to 4.3pc, cementing RBA cut
The unemployment rate has jumped to a three and a half year high of 4.3 per cent, confirming the jobs market is cooling for the Reserve Bank of Australia to cut interest rates next month. The Fin
Compo claims for victims of Qantas hack
Law firm Maurice Blackburn is seeking compensation from Qantas on behalf of the millions of customers whose data was stolen in a recent cyber attack. The Aus
ALP rejects tech titans’ dictation
The Albanese government says it won’t be dictated to by multinational tech companies after Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta warned against overly broad privacy laws so that it could use personal data to train its artificial intelligence models. The Aus
Investment plunges despite thaw
Australia’s direct investment in China has more than halved since Anthony Albanese was first elected in 2022, as companies remain concerned about heightened business risks and the Chinese economic growth rate has slowed. The Aus
Gun law shot down over data breach
The $35 million firearms portal launched to enforce WA’s tough new gun laws has been paused after a security breach. The West
Clive Palmer’s two political parties hit with cyberattack
Clive Palmer’s Trumpets of Patriots and United Australia Party have been hacked, potentially compromising the personal data of supporters including banking records and employment history. The West
History has a price
An important part of WA history has hit the market with the listing of one of the State’s oldest grand residences — Faversham House in York. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 9: Lawyers involved in a class action investigation into failed alcohol delivery company Jimmy Brings say at least 150 van drivers have come forward to complain about underpayments during a six-year period.
Page 15: Record gold prices have tempted some Australian miners to boost production, bucking the industry’s long-term trend to cut output during boom times to preserve their dwindling resources.
Page 16: International education was worth $51 billion to the Australian economy in 2024, the country’s fourth-largest goods and services export.
Page 17: The chief executive of Car Group, the country’s biggest automotive classifieds business, is stepping down after nine years and more than 200 per cent growth in the valuation of the company that owns carsales.com.au
Page 17: PwC Australia has sold its 84-person restructuring team to consulting firm Teneo in a deal worth millions of dollars, as the firm slims its advisory arm to focus on areas of client demand such as artificial intelligence and business model transformation.
Page 24: The Australian market reset its record high for the second time this week after an unexpected tick up in the unemployment rate to 4.3 per cent bolstered bets for an interest rate cut from the Reserve Bank of Australia next month.
Page 25: CSL, Wesfarmers and JB Hi-Fi are expected to join a record wave of Australia’s largest companies that are opting to buy back shares on the ASX, as boards become much more risk-averse under a Trump presidency.
The Australian
Page 7: Pregnant women could pay as little as $500 to give birth in a private hospital under the care of a midwife under a proposal drawn up by health funds that is being pitched as the solution to the nation’s escalating maternity system crisis.
Page 13: Resources companies will push for a profitability-based beauty pageant as a means to resolve land-use conflicts with developers of renewables projects, as part of measures aimed at boosting the nation’s productivity.
Page 15: Hot on the heels of the South African owner of Country Road Group warning of recessionary conditions in the Australian fashion retail sector, fellow South African retailer and owner of youth apparel chains Tarocash and Connor has made a similarly dire diagnosis of the economy.
Page 15: Swedish furniture giant Ikea has derided Australia’s patchwork of state-based laws governing the use of plastic bags and waste as an example of the red tape strangling productivity growth in the economy.
The West Australian
Page 43: A Hopetoun family has acquired The Oaks one of WA’s most lucrative farms for a whopping total of more than $50 million — one of WA’s largest farm sales this year.
Page 45: A respected Indigenous elder and prospectors in the Goldfields are vexed by an Aboriginal corporation’s “completely unreasonable” negotiation costs, including $70,000 to start talks over the heritage approvals needed to develop a mine.
Page 45: WA apple growers plan to start sending their unique Bravo apples to China next year after finalising a milestone trade market access deal.
Page 45: Acciona’s bid to buy the East Rockingham waste-to-energy plant out of administration has worried the competition watchdog.
Page 46: BAE Systems will shed more than 150 roles by November in a move that will largely impact its specialised trades workforce in Henderson as work on the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac class frigates dries out.
Page 47: Jetstar has recruited more than 60 captains and flight crew, who are now stationed in Perth as part of a growing pilot base servicing popular destinations in Asia through the national carrier’s budget airline.
Page 47: WA’s Office of the Appeals Convenor, which assesses environmental approval appeals, has rejected a bid to stop Rio from turning waste at its mothballed Mt Cattlin lithium mine near Ravensthorpe into road-building materials.
Page 47: Mining giant Alcoa is banking on a long delay before contentious plans to expand bauxite mining operations in WA’s South West jarrah forests get the final nod.
Page 45: Qantas has filed court action in a bid to stop the compromised data of 5.7 million customers being accessed or released after a cyberattack.
Page 45: 29Metals produced 5600 tonnes of copper from its Golden Grove mine during the June quarter, up from 4100t at the Mid West operation during the three months prior.
