O75 Public Administration

Who gives a dam? Ask towns going dry

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Original article by Ean Higgins
The Australian – Page: 1 & 4 : 18-Sep-19

Federal Water Resources Minister David Littleproud has accused the states of not building enough dams to keep up with Australia’s population growth. Federal government analysis released by Littleproud on 17 September contends that at current rates, water storage per person in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland will decline by over 30 per cent by 2030 as the population increases. The federal government has over $1 billion available to the states for new dam construction, but there seems little interest among the states to access that money.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES

Embattled NSW Premier bans cash gifts

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Original article by Aaron Patrick
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 6 : 18-Sep-19

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian will announce on 18 September that her government plans to ban cash donations of more than $100 to political parties. There are suggestions the donation ban is designed to draw attention away from the problems that Berejiklian is having with some Liberal MPs over abortion laws, as well as the decision by Sports, Multiculturalism, Seniors and Veterans Minister John Sidoti to stand down while he is being investigated by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption over property investments near new rail lines.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Iran confirms detention of three Australian citizens, accuses one of spying

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Original article by Adam Harvey
abc.net au – Page: Online : 18-Sep-19

Iran has confirmed it is holding three Australians in detention. The semi-official Fars news agency has quoted judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili as saying that one of the three is facing charges of spying for a nation other than her native country, while the other two were arrested for taking pictures in military areas. Those two are most likely travel bloggers Mark Firkin and Jolie King, while the third person is likely Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who is a lecturer in Islamic studies at Melbourne University. It is understood Moore-Gilbert was arrested while attending a course in the Iranian city of Qorn in the second half of 2018. There had been reports she had been convicted and given a 10-year jail sentence, but it is understood that Iranian courts are yet to rule on her possible guilt.

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ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence down to a two year low at 109.3

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 18-Sep-19

ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence fell 3.5% to 109.3 in the week ending 15 September, its lowest level in more than two years. The financial conditions subcomponents dropped sharply, while the economic conditions subindices were also down. The four-week moving average for inflation expectations increased by 0.1ppt to 4.1%, while the ‘Time to buy a household item’ was the only subindex in the positive, eking out a 0.2% gain.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED – ASX ANZ, ROY MORGAN LIMITED

Labor’s double-dipping motion fails

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Original article by Adam Zuchetti
mybusiness.com.au – Page: Online : 17-Sep-19

The Senate has defeated a disallowance motion moved by Labor against the Fair Work Amendment (Casual Loading Offset) Regulations 2018. The regulations were introduced by the federal government to prevent casual employees ‘double-dipping’ on annual leave and other entitlements, and were adopted in the wake of the WorkPac decision. The motion, which was put by Labor Senator Don Farrell, was defeated by 33 votes to 29 on 16 September. The motion’s defeat was welcomed by Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO James Pearson, with Pearson saying he was thankful common sense had prevailed.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, WORKPAC PTY LTD

HK pleads for patience

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Original article by Michael Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 13 : 17-Sep-19

Hong Kong businessman and politician Bernard Chan believes it can end the unrest in the former UK colony without the need for Chinese military intervention. Chan, who is on the board of Cathay Pacific and who is president of Asia Financial Holdings and Asia Insurance, says no one wants to see such intervention, including Beijing itself. Chan believes the unrest is more about the Hong Kong government’s failure to address economic and social challenges than concern about Chinese political interference, and he hopes Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s upcoming annual policy address, which she will give in October, will act as a ‘circuitbreaker’ for the unrest.

CORPORATES
CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS LIMITED, ASIA FINANCIAL HOLDINGS, ASIA INSURANCE COMPANY

Challenge to ruling on shift workers’ leave

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 5 : 17-Sep-19

The federal government and Mondelez International plan to challenge a Federal Court decision regarding shift workers’ leave entitlements in the High Court. Mondelez, with the support of the government, had sought to cut personal and carers leave entitlements for shift workers at its Cadbury factory in Tasmania, but the Federal Court rejected its bid. Employer groups state the decision would give those who work industry-specific rosters or long hours much greater leave entitlements than those who work standard 38-hour weeks. Attorney-General Christian Porter said the Federal Court’s decision would create inequality between workers, while he noted employers had estimated the decision could increase their costs by up to $2 billion a year.

CORPORATES
FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA, MONDELEZ AUSTRALIA (FOODS) LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT, CADBURY AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Rebel Liberals call spill against NSW Premier

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Original article by Andrew Clennell
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 17-Sep-19

Three Liberal MPs will launch a ’empty chair’ spill motion against New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian on 17 September over abortion legislation. The legislation has passed the NSW Lower House on a conscience vote, despite most Liberal MPs voting against it. The three MPs – Lower House member Tanya Davies and Upper House members Matthew Mason-Cox and Lou Amato – have stated they are launching their motion against Berejiklian because of the unwillingness of her and her government to agree to proposed amendments to the legislation that would be put to the Upper House.

CORPORATES
NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, LIBERAL PARTY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

‘Bittersweet’: agricultural exports reach record high amid stock sell-off

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Original article by Ean Higgins
The Australian – Page: Online : 17-Sep-19

Australian agricultural exports reached a record high of $50.7 billion in 2018-19, according to Rural Bank’s Australian Agricultural Trade report. Agricultural commodities to record growth in 2018-19 included cotton, diary, sheep and wine, while commodities that declined in value included seafood and wool. Beef recorded the biggest rise in export value growth, up $1.9 billion to $12.3 billion. However, Rural Bank described this growth as ‘bittersweet’, it being a reflection of farmers not able to feed all their stock because of drought and therefore having to sell some of them.

CORPORATES
RURAL BANK LIMITED

Consumers won’t feel the pain unless things get serious

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Original article by Adam Creighton
The Australian – Page: 6 : 17-Sep-19

The drone attacks on Saudi oilfields serve as a reminder about how reliant Australia is on oil for its transport needs, and how potentially vulnerable it is to disruptions in the Middle East. Australia’s oil refineries import over 75 per cent of their feedstock, while Australia has the lowest oil reserves (59 days) of any member of the International Energy Agency. John Mitchell from Chatham House says around 20 per cent of Australia’s oil consumption comes through the Strait of Hormuz, either directly to Australia or indirectly after being processed in Asian refineries. The Saudi attacks are unlikely to have any immediate impact on local petrol prices.

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, CHATHAM HOUSE