ASX flat ahead of inflation data, Fed hike
The local bourse has finished flat ahead of Australian inflation data and a pending hike in interest rates by the US Federal Reserve.
Economy, Business and Finance
Australia facing an ‘avo-lanche’
A bumper avocado crop has meant an oversupply of avocados and record low prices, while production will soar for the next five years according to a new report.
New measures to stop foot and mouth spread
Biosecurity officers could be given extra powers to screen air passengers, with the federal government working to keep foot and mouth disease out of Australia.
Govt foot and mouth response ‘flat-footed’
The federal opposition has again criticised the government's response to the threat of foot and mouth disease entering Australia after an outbreak in Indonesia.
House prices slump to be offset by rates
As house prices across Australia drop, first home buyers are being urged to act fast before interest rate hikes make borrowing more expensive.
Japan bullet train a ‘dream’: NSW Premier
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet boarded the bullet train from Tokyo to Hiroshima during his Asia trade mission, as travel troubles continue to bubble at home.
NSW premier wants Warragamba Dam raised
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has praised a world-leading flood mitigation system just outside of Tokyo, but says it wouldn't work in Sydney.
Labor demolishing building watchdog powers
Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke will decrease the powers of the building industry watchdog before the federal government moves to scrap it completely.
Victoria is best-performing state: CommSec
Victoria has earned top spot on CommSec's quarterly State of the States report for the first time since its COVID lockdowns but Queensland is coming on strong.
Vic demands urgent plan amid gas shortage
Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio has called on AEMO to ensure minimal storage levels are maintained at national gas facilities amid a looming crisis.
ASX rallies 1.7pct on strong US earnings
The local share market has gained 1.65 per cent to close at a three-week high, as several US companies beating earnings expectations lifted global sentiment.
Energy regulator triggers supply guarantee
Australia's energy regulator has triggered a gas supply guarantee as Victoria faces a gas shortage.
Chalmers announces review of Reserve Bank
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has flagged changes to the RBA's board with a new review to look at the expertise of its nine members, as one had his term extended.
Chalmers takes aim at petrol price gouging
The Australian Energy Market Operator has triggered the gas supply guarantee diverting gas from Queensland to NSW after shortages in Victoria.
Pfizer’s $125m offer for ResApp nears vote
Shareholders in a tiny ASX-listed Brisbane medical technology company will vote next month on a $125 million takeover offer from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
ANZ stitches deal for Suncorp banking arm
The big-four lender has agreed to pay $4.9 billion for the banking operation as it seeks to shore up its Queensland business.
Aust economy to slow: Deloitte
The country's economy will chart a "middle ground" between recovering from the pandemic and continued uncertainty and rising interest rates and inflation.
Permit system to curb bee mite’s impact
Victoria's almond pollination season will go ahead as permits open to South Australian and Queensland beekeepers.
ASX moves higher on mining, energy
Australian shares have risen 0.4 per cent, with gains by iron ore miners, and coalminers outweighing losses for the big banks and property trusts.
Unemployment rate hit 48-year low in June
The unemployment rate plummeted to 3.5 per cent in June, from 3.9 per cent in May, and was much better than economists were expecting.
Unemployment rate fell to 3.5pct in June
The national unemployment rate fell to 3.5 per cent, which is the lowest rate since August 1974.
ASX edges higher on mining, energy
Australian shares have risen 0.3 per cent, with gains by energy and mining companies and losses for property trusts.
Public hearings set for Qld casino probe
An inquiry into the Queensland operations of Star Casinos has begun in Brisbane, with public hearings set down for late August.
Rent surges amid cost of living crisis
House and unit rents have set records in the country's capitals, according to Domain, as cost of living pressures prompt calls for more affordable housing.
Record high 240k homes being built in Q1
A record 240,065 dwellings were under construction in March, although work commencements on new homes fell as the housing boom lost momentum.
Qld to install batteries at coal plants
Queensland is being ambiguous about phasing out fossil fuel energy generation, after revealing that batteries and hydrogen will be installed at coal plants.
ASX down 1.1pct ahead of busy week of data
The local bourse has dropped by 1.1 per cent, as traders take a little off the table before the release of US inflation and Chinese GDP figures.
Consumer confidence falls as rates rise
Consumer confidence has dropped 19.7 per cent since December, a plunge comparable to what happened at the start of the pandemic and the global financial crisis.
More Australian workers looking west
Western Australia's tough border policies throughout much of the COVID-19 pandemic have not deterred workers from heading west in record numbers.
Monthly family petrol bill soars to $300
Petrol prices are closing in on highs seen earlier this year as new figures show a tightening in the jobs market ahead of official jobless data.
Ex-Queensland journo jailed ahead of death crash sentence
A former Channel 7 journalist who admitted killing his friend in a crash after a daytime drinking session, has been taken into custody to await his sentence.