Erik Pineda

Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett said on Wednesday that it is time for all parties concerned on the state’s timber industry to finalise their discussions so the sector can move on and secure its financial security.

Giant telecommunication firm Telstra Corporation (ASX: TLS) is upbeat that the $11 billion non-binding agreement it struck earlier this year with the federal government on the implementation of the national broadband network (NBN) would soon roll over into a formal deal beneficial to both parties.

Drug manufacturer Sigma Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX: SIP) said on Wednesday that it has absorbed a $220 million non-cash impairment that led to a whopping half year net decline of 780 percent to $218.527 million as compared to the $32.217 million of profit that the company achieved in the previous half year.

The Minerals Council of Australia is taking the cudgels for Cameco Corporation as it declared on Wednesday that the disapprovals voiced out by both the Northern Territory government and the opposition on the planned uranium mine site at the Angela Pamela deposits near Alice Springs were wholly premature.

The Western Australian government confirmed on Wednesday that it has initiated communications with Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan to clear out circulating stories that the Japanese firm is abandoning its role on the Oakajee Port and Rail project.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Queensland (CCIQ) said on Tuesday that the government failed on its effort to check the state’s deteriorating red tape incidence as it cited that bureaucratic burden further ballooned with the introduction of more legislations in the past financial year.

A Tasmanian opposition leader said on Tuesday that amidst it difficult financial condition last year, Aurora Energy still managed to give out hampers of up to $120,000 to its staff as Christmas gifts.

Independent finance forecaster Access Economics said on Tuesday that Australia would likely return to a budget surplus in 2012/13 but that would be easily eaten up by the following year due to weaker commodity prices.

The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) admitted on Tuesday that it was entertaining the possibility of merger with smaller exchange groups and talks were indeed being conducted leading to that eventuality.

The Northern Territory government said on Tuesday that it would block any plans of establishing a uranium mine site in the area following revelations that Cameco Corporation is mulling an exploration project on the Angela Pamela deposit near Alice Springs.

WorkSafe Victoria said on Tuesday that it has issued directives for Esso Australia to check on the alleged corrosion problems at its Longford oil and gas facilities following the occurrence of the series of oil and gas leaks in August this year and November last year.

High-end retailer David Jones Ltd (ASX: DJS) said on Tuesday that it is right on track to achieve its 2010/11 profit guidance though it admitted that in order to reach the higher range of its earnings forecast, the company must experience a full swing recovery for the whole of the fiscal year.

Up to 400 hundred top level business executives from around the world are set to plane in to Sydney on Tuesday as the city hosts for the second time the annual Forbes Global CEO Conference.

The Australian Greens party voiced out its concerns on Monday that the South Australian government may be rushing too much on the proposed rare earths processing plant in Whyalla following the state’s move of giving major project status to the planned $1 billion rare earths facility by Arafura Resources Ltd (ASX: ARU).

Junior mining firm Murchison Metals Ltd (ASX: MMX) downplayed on Monday circulating speculations that its iron ore joint venture partner Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan is dropping out from its earlier deal with the company to develop the Oakajee Port and Rail project in midwest Western Australia.

Major changes will soon be felt in the credit card payment system of the National Australia Bank Ltd (ASX: NAB) as the giant bank announced on Monday that a new scheme is set to take effect that seeks for the settlement of high interests first prior to payment of lower interest items.

Lawyers handling the $37 million sexual harassment case against luxury retailer David Jones Ltd and its former chief executive Mark McInnes requested the Federal Court on Monday that the names of a number of witnesses for the case remain protected by confidentiality.

Virgin Blue said on Monday that it has restored its check-in system that crashed yesterday as the airline continues to grapple in restoring normalcy on its service flights across Australia and catch up on the backlogs left by the apparent computer glitch.

Eighteen more Bunnings stores are set to be established in all of New South Wales over the next three years as the Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) hardware subsidiary announced on Monday that up to $600 million would be earmarked for its planned expansion in the state.

Joint venture partners Hydro Tasmania and Roaring 40s said on Monday that the suggestion made by a Tasmanian senator on the nearing restart of their $450 million wind farm project in the north-eastern part of Tasmania may be a little inaccurate.

Gas producers Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (ASX: LNG) and Metgasco Ltd (ASX: MEL) said on Monday that they have struck a deal to collaborate on the possibility of producing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from regular gas LNG’s Gladstone project in Queensland.

Air New Zealand informed its shareholders on the company’s annual meeting on Friday that it had a tough year for fiscal 2010 but the airline’s chairman expressed optimism that good days are ahead and recovery would accelerate come next year.

Natural gas producer Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (ASX: LNG) is unfazed by the delays that plague its Fisherman’s Landing project at Gladstone, saying that the company enjoys the same amount of confidence it felt during the initial stage of the Queensland gas exploration.

Africa-focused gold miner Gryphon Minerals Ltd (ASX: GRY) said on Friday that it raised capital of up to $45.2 million through share placement, adding that an additional $3 million would be raised via share purchase plan for total fund of $48.2 million to be utilised for fast-tracking its gold projects in West Africa.

Viterra Inc of Canada said on Friday that it would sustain the completion of the planned $110 million Minto malthouse in southwest Sydney, which was initiated by ABB Grain Ltd prior to its acquisition by the Canadian firm for $1.6 billion in September 2009.

International mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) said on Friday that it is set to spend an estimated $242 million to add up in the initial $96 million allocated earlier this year to expand the iron ore operational capacity of the company’s Dampier Port in the Pilbara region on Western Australia.

Real estate investment firm CFS Retail Property Trust (ASX: CFX) said on Friday that it has sealed a deal with Austexx Proprietary Ltd to purchase its four direct factory outlet (DFO) centres for $498 million.

Giant resource company BHP Billiton Ltd announced on Friday that it would commence its $US1.5 billion ($A1.57 billion) joint development of the Macedon gas field off the coast of Exmouth in Western Australia with Apache Northwest.

Minerals explorer Murchison Metals Ltd (ASX: MMX) said on Thursday that it is upgrading the mineral resource estimate on its Jack Hills magnetite and hematite iron ore project in Western Australia.