Forrest turns up heat on JBS over Huon deal
Billionaire Andrew Forrest has intensified his campaign against the takeover of salmon farmer Huon Aquaculture by Brazilian agribusiness giant JBS, demanding JBS commit to higher animal welfare standards and questioning its history of bribery and corruption. The Fin
BHP axes 48 FIFO workers over sex shame
Mining giant BHP has told a parliamentary committee investigating FIFO sexual harrassment it has sacked 48 workers in the past two years for their behaviour. The West
Jab rush to prick bubble of lockdown
More than half the adult population has at least one vaccination and a record 300,000-plus doses are being administered daily, but Scott Morrison says states with outbreaks must also keep pursuing suppression because low case numbers will be critical when it comes time to open up. The Fin
Perth’s $20 million pitch for AFL showpiece
Playing both preliminary finals and the grand final at Optus Stadium will deliver the AFL at least $20 million in ticket sales and showcase WA to the rest of the nation over two spectacular weeks, under plans put to league bosses. The West
F1 ace joins Afterpay despite Rebel ad controversy
Perth’s Formula One sensation Daniel Ricciardo is the latest high-profile celebrity to put his name to booming payments platform Afterpay. The West
Law, consultancy work candidates must vaccinate
While not yet mandating staff vaccinations, some law firms and professional services firms have started quietly requiring that job candidates be fully vaccinated, according to parts of the recruitment industry. The Fin
Coal ‘subsidy’ risks green energy strike
A new payment incentive to keep coal in Australia’s electricity system has sparked a furious reaction from big renewable energy investors, who have written to energy ministers demanding they reject the plan amid fears green investment will be crushed if it proceeds. The Aus
Footwear group forced to discount
Accent Group expects sales to rebound when lockdowns end but Australia’s largest footwear retailer has been forced to discount heavily in recent weeks to keep inventories in check and entice customers to shop online. The Fin
‘At-risk groups need own targets’
National cabinet should set specific Covid-19 vaccination targets for Australia’s most highrisk groups instead of relying on the 70 or 80 per cent target to open up the country, the nation’s peak welfare group says. The Aus
Illawarra coal burns a hole in South32’s bottom line
A year of record alumina and manganese production for South32 has been blighted by a huge charge against its Illawarra metallurgical coal business, which has dragged the diversified miner to a full-year loss of $US195 million ($269m). The West
The Australian Financial Review
Page 1: More than half the adult population has at least one vaccination and a record 300,000-plus doses are being administered daily, but Scott Morrison says states with outbreaks must also keep pursuing suppression because low case numbers will be critical when it comes time to open up.
Page 3: As hundreds of thousands of people are left without jobs or hours in Sydney and Melbourne due to lockdowns, regional Australia is crying out for workers to get it through the next harvest season.
Page 4: Health experts warn that the country may have to come to terms with living with the virus earlier than expected, as the mental health and economic costs of long lockdowns bite.
Page 5: While not yet mandating staff vaccinations, some law firms and professional services firms have started quietly requiring that job candidates be fully vaccinated, according to parts of the recruitment industry.
Page 6: As news that 60 per cent of the Australian population is now in lockdown makes headlines worldwide, pressure continues to build on the federal government to create a vaccine passport for use at home and abroad.
Page 10: The Morrison government has hit back at the Biden administration’s criticism of Australian climate change ambition, saying it is cutting emissions faster than most of the developed world, including the US, which is exporting gas at record levels.
Page 12: Former Crown CEO and chairman John Alexander has rejected assertions by the casino giant’s current chairman Helen Coonan that an ‘‘Old Crown’’ culture was to blame for extensive misconduct uncovered at the company, or that such a culture was active during his tenure in the top job.
Page 16: American rapper Snoop Dogg is proving to be a hugely positive force for Treasury Wine Estates shareholders lamenting a $77 million profit hole left by the punishing tariffs imposed by the Chinese government.
BHP is expected to keep a close eye on consolidation in the nickel sector sparked by what is emerging as a $1 billion-plus IGO Limited takeover tilt for fellow nickel miner Western Areas.
Page 18: Billionaire Andrew Forrest has intensified his campaign against the takeover of salmon farmer Huon Aquaculture by Brazilian agribusiness giant JBS, demanding JBS commit to higher animal welfare standards and questioning its history of bribery and corruption.
Page 20: Auckland Airport’s boss has forecast that the previous trans-Tasman bubble will be replaced by a ‘‘vaccinated traveller’’ system as the New Zealand gateway delivered its first full-year underlying loss and outlined new property developments to boost income.
Page 21: Accent Group expects sales to rebound when lockdowns end but Australia’s largest footwear retailer has been forced to discount heavily in recent weeks to keep inventories in check and entice customers to shop online.
Page 22: Junior producer Senex Energy has told manufacturers they can expect to pay about $8.50 a gigajoule for gas from the company’s Atlas reserves when they come online in the middle of next year, in the latest sign that contract gas prices on the east coast will stay high.
Page 23: Australia’s biggest gold miner says it has the financial firepower to acquire an operating gold mine and spend billions of dollars on existing growth projects at the same time, as shareholders were told to expect a third consecutive year of declining gold production.
Evolution Mining boss Jake Klein hit out at movement restrictions and the low vaccination rate that he says has put Australia behind the rest of the world in dealing with the pandemic.
Page 25: E-commerce player Redbubble is cashed up and ready to grow: it now has $99 million sitting in the bank after a record year of T-shirt, mug and face mask sales.
The Australian
Page 1: Bars, restaurants and gyms would reopen to the fully inoculated once vaccination coverage across NSW reaches 70 per cent, under a proposal drawn up by government ministers and awaiting sign off from Gladys Berejiklian.
Page 7: National cabinet should set specific Covid-19 vaccination targets for Australia’s most high-risk groups instead of relying on the 70 or 80 per cent target to open up the country, the nation’s peak welfare group says.
Page 15: A new payment incentive to keep coal in Australia’s electricity system has sparked a furious reaction from big renewable energy investors, who have written to energy ministers demanding they reject the plan amid fears green investment will be crushed if it proceeds.
Page 17: In an industry where safety is everything, mandatory vaccination of employees against Covid-19 is set to be adopted by many more airlines seeking to rebuild confidence in air travel.
Page 21: A2 Milk has stepped up its fight with would-be suitor Nestle over the Swiss multinational’s decision to launch its own range of infant formula containing the A2 protein.
Page 24: Iron ore miners dropped to multi-month lows and the Australian sharemarket suffered its first four-day fall in 10 months as a damaging sell-off in iron ore prices accelerated and Wall Street wobbled after the US Federal Reserve sounded hawkish while noting Covid-19 risks.
The West Australian
Page 1: Mining giant BHP has told a parliamentary committee investigating FIFO sexual harrassment it has sacked 48 workers in the past two years for their behaviour.
Page 3: Outspoken MP Andrew Hastie has been dragged into a defamation battle involving a Perth businessman — who believes the controversial parliamentarian was involved in a “conspiracy” to damage his reputation involving journalists and a potentially illegal recording.
Page 11: All compassionate travel from NSW is expected to be banned from midnight as the State transitions to the "extreme risk" category.
Playing both preliminary finals and the grand final at Optus Stadium will deliver the AFL at least $20 million in ticket sales and showcase WA to the rest of the nation over two spectacular weeks, under plans put to league bosses.
Australians aged 16 and over will be able to book in for a COVID vaccine from the end of the month.
Page 16: Neville Owen, the commissioner leading the Perth Casino Royal Commission, gave a hint of his thinking about the state of Crown yesterday — when he questioned former chair John Alexander at length about the fractures in the board supposedly running WA’s only casino.
Page 17: Perth’s Formula One sensation Daniel Ricciardo is the latest high-profile celebrity to put his name to booming payments platform Afterpay.
Business: A year of record alumina and manganese production for South32 has been blighted by a huge charge against its Illawarra metallurgical coal business, which has dragged the diversified miner to a full-year loss of $US195 million ($269m).
The West Australian workforce has surged to an all-time high, while unemployment nationally has dropped to its lowest rate in almost a decade.