Sharon Olalia

Building permit activity in Victoria improved to $2.3 billion in August 2011, a jump of 21.8 percent on the same month last year.

Australia’s solar industry welcomed the passing of the Clean Energy Future package by the Australian House of Representatives. Parliament has passed the controversial bill by 74 votes to 72 on Wednesday.

Australia is now poised to finally implement a carbon pricing regime, as parliament has passed the controversial bill after more than a decade of debate over the contentious issue.

Master Builders Australia, the peak body for the building and construction sector, has expressed opposition to the government’s plan to abolish the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC).

Australia’s non-alcoholic beverages industry has vehemently rejected concerns over juice safety, following a story that recently aired on Channel Seven’s Today Tonight program.

Teachers Credit Union, one of Australia’s largest and most successful mutual banking groups, plans to rebrand as “Teachers Mutual Bank”, subject to member approval. The credit union will put its proposals to its members at its AGM on 26 November. APRA approval would also be required.

In a bid to abolish the Australian Building Construction Commission (ABCC), the federal government has announced it will introduce the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Amendment (Transition to Fair Work) Bill 2011 into Parliament.

John Lloyd, the Director of the Institute of Public Affairs Work Reform and Productivity Unit, today called on the Opposition and non-government members of the Parliament to oppose a bill to abolish the office of Australian Building and Construction Commissioner.

About 60 Marriage Equality representatives from around Australia will travel to Canberra on Wednesday to meet with more than 40 MPs to discuss with Parliamentarians on both sides of the house how marriage equality affects their lives, and the lives of their family and friends.

The way in which adult apprentice wages are supposed to be calculated remains unclear, creating a potential liability for builders, Australian builders say.

McCain Foods would not be increasing its offer to production and maintenance workers from 11.2 percent over three years, the company reiterated on Tuesday.

Nine out of ten Australian households own a device for playing games, and nearly one in five gamers play social network games, new research into how Australians are playing video games has revealed.

MetaQuotes Software Corp. today launched its new mobile trading platform MetaTrader 5 Android, which allows users to trade on financial markets even when away from their desktop computers.

Industry activity and profits are expected to fall, which may result in job losses, according to Master Builders Australia’s September quarter 2011 national survey.

Australian small businesses are slow to follow consumers online and are potentially missing out on a raft of opportunities, according to the annual Sensis e-Business Report released today.

New revelations published about the astronomical salaries paid to Qantas executives, including CEO Alan Joyce, have fueled further anger among Qantas pilots.

Australia’s suburbs are happy places to live, with 70 per cent of new homeowners saying they have a good or great relationship with their neighbour, a new survey has revealed.

Customers who look beyond the interest rate horizon when choosing a home loan often stand to benefit in the long run, according to Australia's largest independently-owned mortgage broker, Mortgage Choice.

Woolworths-owned BIG W discount department stores are recalling the Abode multi-functional blender purchased at stores nationwide due to a potential safety hazard.

Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) Australia has invested $35 million in a new bottle production facility in Adelaide on Monday.

Employees at Toyota Australia’s Altona plant have rejected a new workplace agreement from the car manufacturer in a secret ballot.

The ruling by Fair Work Australia that action by Food workers of AMWU was unlawful, confirmed the McCain Foods’ view that the strike was not protected industrial action.

Demand for cut-rate variable and fixed term loans continues to grow as the appetite for previously popular basic variable and standard variable home loans weakens further, new Mortgage Choice data has revealed.

Xstrata Mount Isa Mines has selected the Diamantina Power Station consortium, following a two year, competitive process to assess alternatives for long-term supply of electricity and gas.

Housing affordability emerged as one of the key issues facing Australian cities in today’s meeting of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors.

Virgin Australia announced today it has won part of Rio Tinto’s global contract for air travel services.

More than 100 prospective Aussie brokers and franchisees are expected to attend a career information evening at Burswood Convention Centre on October 10 as Australia’s mortgage broker, Aussie Home Loans aims to find brokers and franchisees to service the Perth metropolitan area and regional areas, particularly the north coast.

Furniture retailer IKEA is asking customers who have a BUSA children’s folding tent to immediately take away the tent from children and bring it back to any IKEA store where they will receive a full refund.

Friday’s strikes by unions representing licensed aircraft maintenance engineers, baggage handlers and other transport employees will affect over 5,700 Qantas passengers bringing the number of passengers affected by the industrial action to over 35,000.