Author: roymorgansocial

St Barbara in the PNG tent as $206m Simberi decision looms

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 11-Jan-21

The mine life of St Barbara’s Simberi gold project in Papua New Guinea would be extended by about 11 years if a proposed $206m expansion proceeds. The gold miner’s board is slated to make a decision on the expansion in March, and CEO Craig Jetson is optimistic that the PNG government will approve the expansion. It would require changes to the mining permit for the Simberi project, at a time when the PNG government has been increasingly hostile toward foreign mining companies.

CORPORATES
ST BARBARA LIMITED – ASX SBM

States push for masks on local flights

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman, Hannah Wootton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 8-Jan-21

A proposal to make mask wearing mandatory on domestic flights and in airports will be discussed at an emergency national cabinet meeting on 8 January. The proposal is one of a number of measures aimed at preventing a mutant strain of the coronavirus that has originated from the UK from spreading throughout Australia. Other measures to be discussed include daily testing of hotel quarantine staff and compulsory pre-flight screening of passengers. A survey conducted by the Australian Airports Association in December found that around 88 per cent of people supported mandatory masks in international terminals, while 82 per cent supported pre-flight screening.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN AIRPORTS ASSOCIATION LIMITED

Crop losses from labour shortages hit $39m

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: Online : 8-Jan-21

The updated National Crop Loss Register has revealed that farmers have lost at least $39 million in crops as a result of labour shortages due to the pandemic and closed international and domestic borders. Berries accounted for 55 per cent of losses, while Queensland recorded the worst losses among the states. Richard Shannon from Growcom, which runs the Register for the National Farmers Federation, says urgent action is needed to expand capacity to safely bring in Pacific Islanders and East Timorese into Australia to take up job offers. Shannon also says the agricultural sector needs to reduce its reliance on backpackers.

CORPORATES
GROWCOM, NATIONAL FARMERS’ FEDERATION LIMITED

China trade rises to $208bn despite feud

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Original article by Patrick Commins
The Australian – Page: 6 : 8-Jan-21

Two-way goods trade between Australia and China hit $208.8 billion over the 11 months to November, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on 7 January. The figure is higher than the comparable period in 2019, despite the increasingly strained relationship between the two countries. Imports from China over the subject period increased by five per cent to $76.3 billion, while Australian exports to China rose to $132.5 billion. The value of iron ore shipments fell by two per cent in November, while LNG sales were up eight per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS

Congress defies mob

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Original article by Cameron Stewart
The Australian – Page: 1 & 7 : 8-Jan-21

A state of emergency remains in place in Washington until Joe Biden’s inauguration on 20 January after a day of violence that saw supporters of Donald Trump storm the US Capitol, with the attack having been incited by Trump. One protestor was shot inside the Capitol and later died, while three other protestors died as a result of medical emergencies. Once the Capitol was cleared, Congress continued its counting of Electoral College votes, formally certifing Biden as US president in an early morning sitting. Biden said the attack bordered on sedition, while former Republican president George W. Bush condemned the protestors and the politicians who "inflamed them".

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PM fast-tracks vaccine rollout for frontline workers

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Original article by Ronald Mizen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 8-Jan-21

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on 7 January that Australians will start getting the COVID-19 vaccine from mid- to late February. Quarantine, border and frontline healthcare workers will be the first to get the vaccine, with Morrison saying around 80,000 people a week will initially receive it. The government has set a target of having four million people receive the vaccine by the end of March, with that figure to include around 500,000 aged and disability care residents and staff.

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Diesel storage contracts up for grabs in fuel-security move

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 : 8-Jan-21

Oil refiners and fuel storage providers will be able to apply for grants of up to $33 million to build diesel storage facilities as part of the federal government’s fuel security package. Applications for the grants will open on 11 January and will close on 22 February, with companies that are likely to be interested in applying including Viva Energy, Ampol and ExxonMobil. The grants aim to support the construction of an additional 780 million litres of diesel storage.

CORPORATES
VIVA ENERGY GROUP LIMITED – ASX VEA, AMPOL LIMITED – ALD, EXXONMOBIL AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Facebook, Twittter, YouTube block US President Donald Trump amid Washington violence

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Original article by David Swan
The Australian – Page: Online : 8-Jan-21

Social media companies Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have all taken action against President Donald Trump in the wake of the violence that hit Washington on 7 January. Twitter removed three of Trump’s tweets and suspended his account for 12 hours, saying it will remain locked until he removes them. Facebook blocked Trump from posting for 24 hours, and also blocked him from posting to Instagram. Both YouTube and Facebook sought to block the dissemination of a pre-recorded video from Trump, with the video receiving over 179,000 ‘likes’ on Trump’s Facebook page before it was removed.

CORPORATES
FACEBOOK INCORPORATED, TWITTER INCORPORATED, YOUTUBE INCORPORATED

Energy regulator probe a challenge for Victorian electricity grid expansion

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Original article by Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: Online : 8-Jan-21

The Moorabool Central Highlands Power Alliance has alleged that the Australian Energy Market Operator breached three national electricity rules. The Alliance claims the breaches took place during AEMO’s regulatory test for the $370 million Western Victorian Transmission Network Project, which is aimed at easing renewable energy bottlenecks and includes a new terminal station north of Ballarat. The Alliance represents 110 community groups whose members reside near the proposed powerline expansion, and it has raised its concerns with the Australian Energy Regulator.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY REGULATOR

Surging house approvals make for strong year of home-building

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Original article by Michael Bleby
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 8-Jan-21

Approvals for detached homes rose 5.9 per cent to 11,712 in November, making it the highest figure since December 1999. This is according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on 7 January, which also reported that approvals for apartments and other attached dwellings declined by 3.9 per cent, with total approvals being up 2.6 per cent. Detached home approvals in Queensland were up almost 17 per cent, while approvals in Western Australia were up seven per cent.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS