Australian mining jobs will likely rise as online advertisements grow
Australia witnessed a growth in its online job advertisements for February, as reported by the latest Internet Vacancy Index (IVI), released on Thursday. This marks an increase in the fifth consecutive month. The report suggests the demand for labour in some of the country’s mining regions will also enhance.
Australia, China may sign bilateral agreement on beef exports, security
As Chinese Premier Li Keqiang begins his four-day visit to Australia on Thursday, the two countries are expected to sign a bilateral agreement that will focus on beef exports, energy and security. This comes in the wake of China’s announcement that it will be putting a halt on imports from Brazil following a scandal concerning sales of meats infected with salmonella.
Push for medicinal cannabis to be placed on PBS as 'affordability remains an issue'
Medicinal cannabis should be subsidised on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), according to Queensland Health Minister Cameron Dick. The news comes on the heels of the examination of a bill that pushes for lowering the prices of drugs and making them available for patients in Queensland.
South China Sea: Australia has neutral stand in territorial dispute
Conducting joint patrols in the South China Sea became a subject of immense debate and discussion following Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s visit to Australia last month. The proposal had come last year in a meeting between Indonesian and Australian foreign and defence ministers.
Iron ore prices plunge further as steel prices slide
Iron ore futures in China declined to mark their lowest figures in more than two months on Thursday. This comes amid falling steel prices as concerns arise regarding weaker demand for the product in the country.
SA power plan has 'high likelihood' of improving state's energy security, ratings agency says
Ratings agency Moody’s has said that South Australia’s energy plan, worth $550 million, will succeed in bettering the state’s security and reliability. The agency has not changed its credit rating of the South Australian debt.
Shell's gas project in Queensland to secure 350 Australian jobs
Shell Australia has announced a new project in an effort to enhance gas supply in the east coast. As part of the project, titled “Project Ruby,” the company will be drilling 161 wells in Queensland.
Cannabis Corp to not move business overseas, industry 'could save South Australia'
Founder of the Australian Cannabis Corporation, Ben Fitzsimons, has said he will keep the business in South Australia as backer and business Shane Yeend said he may move the investment abroad. The development comes on the heels of Yeend accusing Premier Jay Weatherill of verbal assault last year.
Queensland suppliers awarded $900M of Rio Tinto's Amrun bauxite project contracts
Mining giant Rio Tinto has awarded contracts worth $1.38 billion for the development of the Amrun bauxite mine project. Of these, Queensland suppliers have received nearly two-thirds, amounting to $900 million, of the contracts. More than 500 companies have been associated with the project in the state.
Iron ore continues to fall, mirroring substantial drop in steel prices
Iron ore prices witnessed a downslide for the second consecutive day. With this, the Australian export dove to a six-week low, dropping by a substantial margin overnight in terms of percentage since December.
ANZ, Commonwealth Bank follow NAB and Westpac in hiking interest rates
Customers of Commonweath Bank of Australia (CBA) and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) could see a surge in interest rates – of more than 20 basis points for investor loans and 10 basis points for owner-occupiers. The development comes in the wake of National Australia Bank (NAB) and Westpac upping their interest rates out-of-cycle with the Reserve Bank last week.
Australia's first driverless vehicle trial sees 2,000 passengers, technology can 'deliver many benefits'
Western Australia roads will require hundreds of millions of dollars to see driverless cars running on them by 2025. The RAC has called for an investment worth $300 million in intelligent transport systems in the state.
Decriminalisation of illicit drugs, cannabis backed by Former Premier Jeff Kennett
Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has launched a report endorsing decriminalisation of illicit drugs, including cannabis. With his stance, Kennett said he has “come a long way” on drug policy.
Rooftop solar workers constitute a large part of renewable energy sector, ABS says
Rooftop solar has emerged as Australia’s topmost employer in the renewable energy industry. According to the most recent report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), as many as 5,570 full-time workers were employed in the rooftop solar sector in 2015-16.
Iron ore price declines steeply on heels of weak Chinese rebar futures
Iron ore prices sustained a considerably heavy decline on Tuesday. With this, it slipped by the largest margin of a day in recent months. According to Metal Bulletin, the spot price for benchmark 62 percent fines went down by 4.26 percent to US$87.59 (AU$114.23) a tonne.
Uncertainty surrounding iron ore prices persists
Uncertainty surrounding iron ore prices lies within the Chinese borders, Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sébastien Jacques said. The prices for iron ore will rely largely on the Chinese output.
Perth business faces backlash over 'discrimination' against Australian workers
A Perth business received backlash after it posted a job advertisement seeking only 457 visa-holders. The advertisement, seeking a full-time electrician, was posted on Gumtree Australia on March 8.
Pilgangoora lithium project to create 250 Australian jobs in Pilbara mine
The Pilgangoora lithium project in Pilbara will see recruitment of local workers working in the Pilbara mine. The mine, located more than 120 kilometres south of Port Hedland, is part of Altura Mining’s wholly owned project in the area.
Australian beef producers, facing stiff competition, could benefit from Chinese premier's visit
Red meat exporters are hoping that Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Australia this week will lead to improvements in trade access for Australian beef and sheep meat. Li will be arriving on Wednesday.
Reliance on renewable energy not responsible for SA blackouts, Jay Witherill says
Premier Jay Weatherill has backed South Australia’s adoption of renewable energy. His comments came as claims made years ago emerged concerning potential instability of the power grid.
Etsy to test rearranging order display products to give sellers 'more sales'
Online marketplace Etsy has announced it will be testing rearranging the display order of items in its seller’s Etsy shops, making it similar to eBay’s Best Match. As part of the move, the test will order items based on the information of the seller’s products.
Coal mining project to fuel power generation can create 10,000 Australian jobs
Coal extraction from the $16.5 billion Carmichael project in Australia is expected to begin in 2020. Chairman of India’s Adani Group, Gautam Adani, said the company will begin work three months after it secures an approval from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s government.
MGC Pharma raises $10M to accelerate medicinal cannabis development
MGC Pharmaceuticals has raised $10 million in its endeavour to seek acquisitions and increase the development of medicinal cannabis and related products. The share placement, which came at $0.065 a share, was oversubscribed by investors from Asia, Australia and North America.
Renewable energy will not substitute coal, Government to spend $2B in Snowy Hydro
Following the Federal Government’s announcement that it will spend up to $2 billion in Snowy Hydro in order to enhance the electricity output by 50 percent, federal resources minister Matthew Canavan said coal will not be substituted by renewable energy. He added the government will not stall its investment in clean coal technologies.
Iron ore pushes back after strong gains, commodity futures reverse
After iron ore spot markets witnessed a significant increase for two days, they gave a relaxed performance on Friday. As noted by Metal Bulletin, the spot price for benchmark 62 percent fines declined by 0.29 percent to settle at US$92.34 (AU$119.70) a tonne.
Vernal equinox 2017 to occur this month, will mark the start of spring for northern hemisphere
The vernal equinox 2017, or spring equinox 2017, is popularly believed to be the start of spring for countries in the northern hemisphere. This year, the phenomenon is expected to occur on March 20.
Facebook Messenger tricks: Send Snapchat-styled photos, transfer money, uncover secret inbox and more
There is little doubt that Facebook has grown into the most popular and used social media platform on the Internet. The company’s messaging service, Messenger, is a great tool to help communicate with friends and family.
Medicinal cannabis legalisation sees more companies stepping up
Legalisation of medicinal cannabis, also called the "pot stock" boom, has seen several companies cash in on the opportunity. The most recent example in this regard is The Hydroponics Company (THC), which will reportedly begin trading on the ASX in April this year.
Great Barrier Reef bleaching can be stopped only by reducing global warming
Massive coral bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef cannot be stopped altogether by cutting down pollution or controlling overfishing, according to a new study. The severe heat-induced bleaching of the world’s largest living thing can be tackled by reducing global warming, researchers say.
Iron ore rallies further amid increase in Chinese output
Iron ore prices continued to increase higher on Thursday. As noted by the Metal Bulletin, the spot price for benchmark 62 percent fines climbed 1.85 percent to settle at US$92.61(AU$120.68) a tonne. With this, the overall increase over the last two sessions has been extended to 5.1 percent.
