Roy Morgan Newspaper Print Readership and Cross-Platform Audiences for June 2016

Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 5-Aug-16

Roy Morgan Research has released its Print Readership and seven-day Cross-Platform Audience results for Australian newspapers for the year to June 2016. The "Herald Sun" remains the most-read weekday newspaper in print (down 2.1 per cent to 852,000), while "The Daily Telegraph" scored the biggest gain in print readers, up 25,000 (4.0 per cent) to 650,000 readers per average Monday to Friday issue. "The Saturday Paper" is living up to its name, with the title’s first year-on-year figures now showing growth of 13.5 per cent to 118,000 readers per average issue, while Sunday print readership dipped below 4.5 million Australians nationally (down 6.8 per cent). "The Sydney Morning Herald" remains Australia’s most-read masthead across all platforms, reaching a combined audience of 4,081,000 in an average week, including a net 1,196,000 print readers and 3,462,000 digital readers.

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ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED

Red tape ‘pushing investors elsewhere’

Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 6 : 4-Aug-16

A report produced by the Institute of Public Affairs estimates that excessive regulation costs the Australian economy about $A176bn each year. The report, by senior fellow Mikayla Novak, also raises doubts about the effectiveness of the Federal Government’s push to reduce the compliance burden since it took office in 2013. Novak argues that the overall reduction in "red tape" has been offset by the introduction of new regulations and legislation. The report also warns that over-regulation is deterring foreign investment in Australia/

CORPORATES
INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS LIMITED, FRASER INSTITUTE, HERITAGE FOUNDATION, WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, WORLD BANK

Millions can cash out leave

Original article by Nick Toscano
The Age – Page: 23 : 4-Aug-16

Almost two million Australian employees who are covered by the modern industrial awards system will now have the option of cashing out part of their annual leave entitlement. The Fair Work Commission’s decision to allow cashing out has the support of the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, although ACTU secretary Dave Oliver has expressed concern about the potential ramifications of the decision. The FWC is expected to issue a ruling on weekend penalty rates in September 2016.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, ACTU

Tax reform taskforce to shut down

Original article by Joanna Mather
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 8 : 4-Aug-16

The Federal Government is believed to have decided to wind up the Tax White Paper Unit, which has operated within the Treasury since March 2015. The taskforce is likely to cease to operate within weeks. The Government seems to be unwilling to consider tax reforms other than changes to superannuation and the company tax rate.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS AUSTRALIA (INTERNATIONAL) PTY LTD

Sydney tightest, Perth weakest in office leasing

Original article by Robert Harley
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 31 : 4-Aug-16

The vacancy rate in Sydney’s CBD office market declined to 5.6 per cent in the first half of 2016. Figures from the Property Council’s half yearly "Office Market Report", to be released on 4 August, also show that Perth is experiencing a very different trend, with the office vacancy rate rising to 21.8 per cent. Nationwide, the CBD vacancy rate rose marginally to 11 per cent.

CORPORATES
PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, JONES LANG LASALLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, CBRE PTY LTD

Desert prawn blocks uranium mine

Original article by Andrew Burrell, Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 3 : 4-Aug-16

Canada-based Cameco will not be able to proceed with the Yeelirrie uran­ium mine in Western Australia due to concerns about its impact on the habitat of stygofauna. The state’s Environmental Protection Authority ruled that the proposed mine would put at risk the future of 11 species of the prawn-like crustacean, although Cameco is optimistic that the project can still gain environmental approval. However, it concedes that the project would not be economically viable given the current price of uranium.

CORPORATES
CAMECO CORPORATION, CAMECO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUTHORITY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, VIMY RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX VMY

Banks reject Turnbull demand

Original article by Phillip Coorey, Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 4-Aug-16

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has criticised the major banks for failing to reduce their interest rates by the full 25 basis point reduction in the cash rate on 2 August 2016. Turnbull says the banks have a "social licence" and their CEOs should explain why the rate cut was not passed on to their customers in full. ANZ Bank CEO Shayne Elliott has conceded that banks should do more to explain their decisions on interest rates, but notes that wholesale funding costs are rising and the banks will be subject to new capital requirements.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED – ASX NAB, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION

Senate count favours ABCC bill

Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 6 : 4-Aug-16

The Federal Government’s chances of getting its Australian Building & Construction Commission legislation passed by a joint sitting of Parliament have been bolstered after the Liberal Party’s Jane Hume won the final Senate seat in Victoria. The Government needs 114 votes in a joint sitting, and it will commence negotiations with crossbenchers to support the bill. The final two Senate seats are expected to be decided shortly.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION COMMISSION, NICK XENOPHON TEAM, ONE NATION PARTY, FAMILY FIRST PARTY AUSTRALIA LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, LIBERAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AUSTRALIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Rio tamps down iron rally hope

Original article by Matt Chambers
The Australian – Page: 19 : 4-Aug-16

Rio Tinto has posted a 2016 interim underlying profit of $US1.56bn, which is 47 per cent lower than previously. Weaker commodities prices reduced the underlying profit by $US1.9bn, while the net profit from its iron ore operations in Western Australia fell by 17 per cent to $US1.74bn. Meanwhile, CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques has warned that the recent upturn in the iron ore price may not be sustained, noting that the availability of credit was a major driver of increased demand for steel in China during the June quarter.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, ARNHEM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED, TURQUOISE HILL RESOURCES LIMITED

Lower rates help stocks but won’t spur growth

Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 31 : 4-Aug-16

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gained 6.3 per cent in July 2016, but it has shed 2.2 per cent since the Reserve Bank reduced the cash rate to a record low on 2 August. However, equities are likely to benefit from a likely trend for self-managed superannuation funds to reduce their exposure to cash as returns from such investments fall. The outlook for interest rates in Australia and abroad is also likely to ensure that price-earnings ratios remain elevated for some time.

CORPORATES
STANDARD AND POOR’S ASX 200 INDEX, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, CREDIT SUISSE (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED