Archived News for Industry Professionals

Dwelling approvals have taken a drop in the first three moenths of 2013, reversing a strong period of growth throughout 2012, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Building Approvals report.

Housing prices drop after March rally

Housing prices have recorded a 0.5 per cent drop in April following a solid 2.8 per cent gain over the first three months of 2013.

Queensland promises funding for Gladstone partnership

The Queensland Government has announced it will shell out $4 million over the next two years towards the Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership, provided industry matches the contribution.

New research collaboration to deliver air and water assessment

A new research collaboration between the University of Queensland and three leading research institutes in Brazil will seek to deliver groundbreaking new guidelines to assess air and water quality in mining regions.

Queensland to establish statutory rail authority

Queensland will have a new statutory rail authority after the State Government successfully passed legislation creating the Queensland Rail Transit Authority earlier this week.

WA public given access to environmental nitty gritty

The Western Australian public will now have access to mining companies’ dirty environmental linen after the State Government passed legislation that allows the general public access to detailed environmental plans.

Work set to begin on Darwin expansion

Darwin International Airport (DIA) has confirmed that work will begin on the $60 million expansion of the facility by the end of May this year.

ACCC calls for airport rethink

The nation’s airports will need a drastic increase in infrastructure investment in order to cater for the projected booms in passenger number, a new report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has found.

BHP Billiton offloads Pinto Valley

Mining giant BHP Billiton has announced it has signed a final agreement for the sale of its Pinto Valley copper mining operations in Arizona to Vancouver based Capstone Mining Corp for US$650 million.

Boomtime over finds report

The 12-year boom in engineering works stretching back to 2001 has come to an abrupt halt, according to business research specialist BIS Shrapnel.

Chevron strikes more gas

Energy giant Chevron has announced it has enjoyed further drilling success in the Exmouth Plateau area, near the Carnarvon Basin in Western Australia.

Pimlico to Teven upgrade open for tender

The Federal Government has announced the tender to deliver the Pimlico to Teven Pacific Highway upgrade is now open, with interested companies now having until 29 May to submit their bids.

Santos commits to NT exploration

Energy giant Santos has announced it has committed to a $100 million drilling and appraisal program over the coming 12 months in the onshore Mereenie field in the Northern Territory.

UQ to examine FIFO impacts

The social impacts of the emergent phenomenon of fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) work is set to be put under the research microscope after the University of Queensland announced a research initiative into the practice.

Apartment demand to stabilise finds report

The growing demand for apartment dwellings in Australia is set to stabilise, with demand for housing expected to grow as the 20-34 year old cohort enters the next stage of their domestic life, according to a new report from business research specialist BIS Shrapnel.

MBA blasts anti-457 campaign

Master Builders Australia has come out swinging at the Federal Government’s renewed campaign against apparent abuses of 457 working visas.

Skill training under threat says MBA

Master Builders Australia (MBA) has expressed grave misgivings over the proposed changes to compliance testing by the National Skills Standards Council (NSSC).

Victoria to up first home owners grant

The Victorian Government has announced it will be upping the state’s first home owner’s grant from $7,000 to $10,000 from the beginning of July.

Swinburne opens new training centre

Local school leavers will soon be benefiting from a range of new services provided in the Knox Innovation, Opportunity and Sustainability Centre (KIOSC) after it’s official opening in Melbourne earlier this week.

Tourism in boomtime finds ABS

Tourism grew faster than the total of the economy last financial year, contributing over $112 million dollars a day to the Australian economy, outpacing industries such as agriculture, forestry and fishing, construction, and transport, postal and warehousing according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Aussies travel around the world 5.8 million times in 2012

Vehicles in Australia travelled 232.4 billion kilometres in 2012, enough to travel the circumference of the earth about 5.8 million times, according to figures from the ABS Survey of Motor Vehicle Use released today.