Extra support for virus-hit Tas businesses
HOBART, AAP – Tasmanian businesses feeling the pinch from ongoing border closures will have access to an extra $50 million in state and federal government support. The jointly funded grants package has been upped from $20 million to $50 million, it was announced on Tuesday. The Tasmanian government is also providing about $20 million in…
Petrol prices strike 20-month high
CANBERRA, AAP – Petrol prices have struck their highest level in 20 months, despite cars being used less because of coronavirus lockdowns. New figures from the Australian Institute of Petroleum showed the national pump price averaged 154.2 cents per litre in the past week, up 3.6 cents from the previous week. Global oil prices rose…
Jobs plunge in Western Sydney. Small business jobs fall most
Jobs plunge in Western Sydney; Small business jobs fall most Weekly payroll jobs and wages; Used vehicle prices What happened? The Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported that national payroll jobs fell by 0.7 per cent over the fortnight to August 14, 2021 with total wages down 1.0 per cent. Payroll jobs declined in Greater Sydney…
Consumer inflation expectations hit 33-month high.
Consumer inflation expectations hit 33-month high Record-breaking canola crop; Services jobs expand Consumer confidence; RBA card lending; Services sector activity; ABARES report • What happened? The weekly ANZ-Roy Morgan consumer confidence rating fell by 1.8 per cent to the neutral 100 level (long-run average 112.5 since 1990). Sentiment dropped 5.3 per cent in Sydney and…
Vehicle sales climb further in August
SYDNEY, AAP – Australia’s vehicle sales continued to climb in August as ongoing supply issues and the impact of lockdowns in NSW and Victoria were offset by booming demand elsewhere. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries said vehicle sales surged 33.1 per cent in August from a year ago, with 81,199 new cars and trucks…
Review calls for payment system changes
CANBERRA, AAP – The way Australians pay for their goods at stores has seen a technological revolution in recent years with the introduction of payment methods such as digital wallets. But while this is providing increased convenience and opportunities, it is also giving rise to greater complexity and new risks. The federal government has released…
Foreign minister defends climate ambition
CANBERRA, AAP – Australia believes in achieving net zero carbon emissions, preferably by 2050, not just talking about it, the foreign minister has told parliament. Many close allies, including the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany, are urging more ambition on climate action to be pledged at the Glasgow talks in November The final…
Afterpay FY earnings down despite takeup
SYDNEY, AAP – Afterpay has posted lower full-year earnings after a Rebel Wilson-led advertising campaign proved costly. The pay-by-instalments provider on Wednesday revealed earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation were down 13 per cent to $38.7 million. The decline was due to increased spending on staff and promotional efforts to gain more customers. These…
Banks on side with small firms loan scheme
CANBERRA, AAP – Australia’s big banks have been quick to jump on board an expanded federal loan scheme that will offer loans of up to $5 million for businesses with a turnover of less than $250 million. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg announced small and medium sized firms would no longer be required to have received JobKeeper…
ASX sorry for November outage after review
CANBERRA, AAP – The head of the Australian Securities Exchange has apologised for an outage in November that caused a day’s trading to be lost after a review found a new system was not ready to go live. The review overseen by the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission said…
