Australian energy firm Santos along with its joint-venture partners have committed to investing $16 billion into the Queensland economy in the coming five years through the Gladstone gas project.
Australian banks are offering emergency relief packages to customers impacted by the floods in NSW and Queensland and other areas.
Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has declared force majeure on supplies of aluminium from its Boyne smelting division in Australia's Queensland state due to severe flooding.
Westpac Banking Corp. (ASX: WBC) has set up a mobile banking centre at Brisbane's primary flood evacuation precinct to allow displaced victims of the devastating Queensland floods to perform basic banking transactions and cash emergency relief cheques.
Mining and construction contractor Macmahon Holdings Ltd (ASX: MAH) says a number of its mining and construction projects in Queensland have been impacted by the ongoing severe weather conditions.
Conquest Mining (ASX:CQT) says its operations remain unaffected by the floods in southern Queensland with mining and processing continuing as normal.
Anglo-Australian fund house Henderson Group plc (ASX:HGG) has announced the acquisition of a rival fund manager, Gartmore Group, for around $530 million.
Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX:IAG) has been sunken with claims arising from the devastating Queensland floods, but says it is too early to estimate the likely claim costs.
Microsoft Australia has appointed Michael Gration as director of public sector group in Australia. Gration takes responsibility for sales and marketing of all levels of government accounts which includes defence, education and health.
An estimated 2,400 claims have been submitted to the Insurance Australia Group with more expected to be filed as rains continue to pour.
U.S.-based, CoreLogic, has announced that it would buy Australian real estate information company, RP Data for $191 million or about AU$1.65 per share in addition to a 5 cents per share dividend.
National Australia Bank (ASX: NAB) says it would increase its donation to the Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal to $350,000 and will now provide $650,000 to affected local communities.
Leighton Holdings Ltd (ASX: LEI) says that a number of the group's Queensland construction and contract mining operations may be affected due to extreme weather events.
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX:WES) says it has secured an increase to its metallurgical coal prices for the first three months to 31 March 2011.
Rising waters in Queensland's capital city, Brisbane, have caused Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers (ASX: WES) to close some of its Coles supermarkets.
The Queensland floods, which on January 5 caused a steam outage at the Lytton Refinery, prompting an unscheduled shutdown, is expected to cost Caltex Australia (ASX: CTX) $5 - $10 million (after tax) in 2011. The company is continuing to assess the impacts of the severe weather conditions.
Australia's major airlines are set to experience a significant slump in passenger numbers because of the Queensland floods, The Australian Financial Review says.
Westpac has dismissed a report that it is looking to replace chief executive Gail Kelly.
National carrier Qantas (ASX: QAN) today announced it would resume A380 services between Australia and Los Angeles, commencing with QF93 from Melbourne to Los Angeles on 16 January.
Optus, Australia's second-largest telecommunications carrier, says the there has been limited impact to the Optus mobile network in the flood affected areas of Queensland as of 4pm today.
General Motors Co.'s Opel unit says it plans to start exporting cars to Australia in 2012.
Qantas (ASX: QAN) unit Jetstar has been named the first ever official airline partner of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and its tournaments across the Asia Pacific region until 2013.
Retailers will be pleased to see an increase in retail figures in November, but this will not be enough to save the year, according to the Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA).
Transfield Services (ASX: TSE), an Australian provider of operations, maintenance, asset management and project management services, says its earnings have not been materially impacted by the Queensland floods.
Customers of Wesfarmer’s (ASX: WES) Coles supermarkets have donated over $1 million to help the victims of the Queensland flood disaster.
Arc Exploration (ASX: ARX) had recommenced on its highly prospective West Papua project held under a strategic alliance with global mining player Anglo American.
Australians' demand for fixed rate home loans has not been this high since May 2008, according to loan approval figures from the country's largest independently-owned mortgage broker.
Activity in Australia's construction industry remained relatively subdued in December last year, according to the the latest Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Construction Index (PCI).
Virgin Blue Group (ASX: VBA) and Skywest airlines have inked a 10 year strategic alliance to service regional Australia with Skywest operating up to 18 new Virgin Blue branded turbo prop aircraft to a number of existing and new destinations around Australia.
The company announced it will return $800 million via a fully franked special dividend of just under $140 million, nd a proposed capital return of $661 million, subject to shareholder approval.
