Mine cleared, but mind the bats
Gina Rinehart’s Atlas Iron has secured a tick of approval for new mining operations in Western Australia, subject to strict conditions around protecting ancient caves where ghost bats roost by day. The Fin
Rio’s heritage row can’t stop big pay days
Rio Tinto’s Australian director Michael L’Estrange received a 46 per cent rise in director fees for conducting the controversial internal review of the Juukan Gorge scandal that was deemed by shareholders to be too soft on former chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques and other top executives. The Fin
Expert says WA needs 1000 more educators or kids will miss out
The WA childcare industry is at crisis point with warnings children could miss out on daycare places due to a dire shortage of educators. The West
Billson to replace Carnell as small business ombudsman
Former Liberal minister Bruce Billson will replace Kate Carnell as the federal government’s Small Business Ombudsman, despite receiving a bipartisan censure by Parliament in 2018. The Fin
‘Balanced’ rate means JobSeeker will never return to $40 a day
The JobSeeker unemployment benefit will never return to the pre-pandemic level of $40 a day after the federal cabinet was on track to approve a new, increased flat rate last night. The Fin
Automation to eliminate 1.5m jobs in 10 years
Australia’s job market will shrink 11 per cent by 2030 due to the rise of increasingly smart automation technology, knocking 1.5 million people out of work and leaving a million stranded in a digital divide, a new study by global research firm Forrester has warned. The Fin
Canva adds AI to its visual design palette
Graphic design software platform Canva has made its first foray into the artificial intelligence space with the acquisition of two new companies to help grow its suite of visual design tools. The West
‘Lift the lid on pay rorts for pickers’
National union leaders are directly lobbying federal MPs to support a royal commission into the horticulture industry, claiming wage theft and exploitation of workers are entrenched in the fruit and vegetable sector. The Aus
Nation bares arms as jab rollout gets under way
WA’s long-awaited coronavirus vaccination program got off to a muted start yesterday with the first jabs delivered behind closed doors — in stark contrast to the rest of the country —and revelations just one-third of frontline workers invited to be immunised had taken up the offer. The West
Westgold promises expansion rewards
Westgold has assured shareholders they are near to reaping the rewards of the company’s expansion in the Central Murchison after opting against returning some of its growing cash flows in the December half-year. The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: Embattled casino giant Crown Resorts is facing full-scale inquiries in two states after Victoria said it would launch a royal commission into the James Packer-backed gambling company.
Page 2: Former Liberal minister Bruce Billson will replace Kate Carnell as the federal government’s Small Business Ombudsman, despite receiving a bipartisan censure by Parliament in 2018.
Page 3: The labour movement has become emboldened by a landmark British court ruling that found Uber drivers are workers entitled to minimum pay, with a union already using the decision to bolster its case that Deliveroo riders are employees.
Page 4: The JobSeeker unemployment benefit will never return to the pre-pandemic level of $40 a day after the federal cabinet was on track to approve a new, increased flat rate last night.
Page 9: Fitch Ratings has affirmed Australia’s AAA credit rating but maintained its negative outlook because of the risks related to record debt levels, further lockdowns to contain virus outbreaks, and the trade tensions with China.
Page 13: Bank of Queensland is poised to step up its pursuit of higher-risk customers such as self-employed borrowers and first-home buyers following its $1.3 billion purchase of Members Equity Bank as demand for credit rebounds.
Australia’s largest steelmaker is assessing options to upgrade its Port Kembla steelworks, with the most likely being an $800 million reline of a blast furnace, because it says ‘‘green steel’’ technologies are not yet fully commercially viable and may not be until the 2040s.
Page 15: Australia’s third-biggest electricity and gas supplier is forecasting ‘‘challenging’’ market conditions this year after escaping a decline in full-year profit only thanks to gains in the value of hedging contracts.
Qantas has accused Regional Express of throwing a temper tantrum by deciding to slash flights between major rural hubs and state capitals by the end of March amid heightened competitive pressure from the national carrier.
Page 16: Rio Tinto’s Australian director Michael L’Estrange received a 46 per cent rise in director fees for conducting the controversial internal review of the Juukan Gorge scandal that was deemed by shareholders to be too soft on former chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques and other top executives.
Gina Rinehart’s Atlas Iron has secured a tick of approval for new mining operations in Western Australia, subject to strict conditions around protecting ancient caves where ghost bats roost by day.
Page 21: Australia’s job market will shrink 11 per cent by 2030 due to the rise of increasingly smart automation technology, knocking 1.5 million people out of work and leaving a million stranded in a digital divide, a new study by global research firm Forrester has warned.
The Australian
Page 2: Australians paying thousands of dollars a year in health insurance could have their access to life-changing medical devices severely limited under proposed changes to the national Prostheses List.
Page 3: Australia’s oldest painting has been identified as a kangaroo-like image created more than 17,000 years ago on a sloping rock shelter in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Page 4: National union leaders are directly lobbying federal MPs to support a royal commission into the horticulture industry, claiming wage theft and exploitation of workers are entrenched in the fruit and vegetable sector.
Australian thermal coal exports have held up in defiance of China’s import restrictions, with surging global prices set to deliver an additional $6bn in annual export earnings and pump billions into the budget bottom line.
Page 5: Optimism is rising that COVID-19 vaccines will significantly curtail the transmission of coronavirus, with a new Israeli study indicating the Pfizer vaccine may prevent up to 90 per cent of infections.
Page 6: Advertisers have begun redirecting their spending away from Facebook amid acrimonious negotiations over a media code and a continuing ban on news publishers posting to the platform.
Page 7: Health regulators are preparing to challenge the increasing dominance of Australia’s pharmacy giants, with threats to prosecute and cancel licences if franchise agreements breach strict ownership laws.
Page 13: Grocon chief executive Daniel Grollo, along with all executives at the once iconic builder and developer, have been made redundant as the latest wave of administrations rips through the company.
Page 15: Global developer and builder Lendlease says it is on track to hit its ambitious target of doubling its development production to more than $8bn worth of projects annually despite its first-half earnings coming in under expectations.
Page 18: Booktopia chief executive Tony Nash jokes that such was the massive demand for books through the worst months of COVID-19 — which helped the retailer ship a record 4.2 million orders in the December half — that his company should consider starting a side business that sells bookshelves.
The West Australian
Page 3: Harold Mitchell resigned from the Crown Resorts board yesterday, heaping pressure on John Poynton to follow suit as the only director still resisting the NSW gambling regulator’s call to step aside.
Page 4: WA’s long-awaited coronavirus vaccination program got off to a muted start yesterday with the first jabs delivered behind closed doors — in stark contrast to the rest of the country —and revelations just one-third of frontline workers invited to be immunised had taken up the offer.
Page 5: Calls to a helpline for new parents suffering from anxiety and depression have more than doubled in the past year as West Australian families separated from support networks by the COVID pandemic struggle to cope.
Page 6: Mark McGowan is openly urging West Australians to head to prepoll booths from tomorrow as Labor launches a sophisticated digital campaign to dominate the shift to early voting this election.
Bookmakers are tipping an election-day bloodbath with the WA Liberals on course to lose seven of their 13 seats — including that of Opposition Leader Zak Kirkup.
Page 7: The WA childcare industry is at crisis point with warnings children could miss out on daycare places due to a dire shortage of educators.
Page 8: Scott Morrison has been urged to consider psychometric testing for staff employed in parliamentary offices.
Page 9: Almost half of the Australians currently on JobSeeker “have no impediment to work”, according to the Federal Government, which is urging unemployed people to “look outside their past experience” as they rejoin the economy.
Page 14: Wooroloo bushfire victims will soon get their power back after a multimillion-dollar project to return them to the grid.
Business: Graphic design software platform Canva has made its first foray into the artificial intelligence space with the acquisition of two new companies to help grow its suite of visual design tools.
Westgold has assured shareholders they are near to reaping the rewards of the company’s expansion in the Central Murchison after opting against returning some of its growing cash flows in the December half-year.
WA employers say they will strongly encourage staff to get a COVID-19 vaccine in line with the Federal Government’s approach, rather than forcing staff to get the jab.
Sheep exporter Emanuel is trying to distance itself from former managing director Graham Daws as it fights to overturn a ban imposed during the Awassi Express scandal.
