Mortgage burden surges to highest in three decades

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Original article by Madeleine Bower
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 14-Oct-26

New data shows that the proportion of household income nationwide that is spent on mortgage repayments is at or close to its highest level in more than three decades. The figures show that mortgage repayments accounted for nearly 31 per cent of household income in NSW during June, and more than 28 per cent for Queensland residents and about 22 per cent for homeowners in Victoria. The data compiled by the NSW Treasury, and is based on figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Cotality and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey.

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NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, COTALITY

ALP offers 9pc pay rise for public servants

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Original article by Ewin Hannan
The Australian – Page: 4 : 14-Oct-26

The Community & Public Sector Union recently called for Australia’s federal public servants to receive a pay rise of 15 per cent over three years. However, the Australian Public Service’s chief negotiator Alison Stott has announced the federal government’s preliminary pay offer of nine per cent over three years; it comprises annual pay rises of 3.2 per cent in 2027, three per cent in 2028 and 2.8 per cent in the following year. Stott adds that about 83 per cent of eligible public servants will receive pay rises of more than nine per cent; she notes that some lower-paid employees will receive extra wage increases, while others will earn more as they progress through their salary range.

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COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC SECTOR UNION, AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence up 0.9pts to 68, small recovery after three weeks of falls

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Oct-26

ANZ-Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence rose 0.9pts to 68 in the week to 11 October, recovering slightly after falling by 6.8pts over the previous three weeks. However, Consumer Confidence is now 15pts lower than a year ago (83), and 4.1pts below the 2026 weekly average of 72.1. Analysis by State shows that Consumer Confidence has increased in New South Wales and Victoria, fallen in Queensland and Western Australia, and is virtually unchanged in South Australia. Now 15% of Australians (unchanged) say their families are ‘better off’ financially than this time last year, while 55% (down 1ppt) say their families are ‘worse off’. Looking forward, 19% (down 1ppt) of respondents expect their family to be ‘better off’ financially this time next year, while 42% (down 3ppts) expect to be ‘worse off’. Only 5% (unchanged) of respondents expect ‘good times’ for the Australian economy over the next 12 months, while 45% (down 1ppt) expect ‘bad times’. Meanwhile, just 14% (unchanged) of Australians say now is a ‘good time to buy’ major household items, while 47% (also unchanged) say now is a ‘bad time to buy’.

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

Trust issues: Chalmers faces fury over tax changes that could cost Aussies $13.3bn

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Original article by Ellen Ransley
Herald Sun – Page: Online : 14-Oct-26

The federal government’s legislation to establish a new minimum 30 per cent tax on discretionary trusts will be introduced to parliament today. The proposed reforms are aimed at encouraging trusts to restructure as companies or switch from being a discretionary trust to a fixed trust, although both options would expose them to stamp duty and significant restructuring fees. Meanwhile, analysis by Wilson Asset Management suggests that it would cost families and small businesses beween $8bn and $13.3bn in total to receive advice or restructure in response to the reforms; chairman Geoff Wilson notes that the reform are forecast to raise just $4.5bn over five years.

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WILSON ASSET MANAGEMENT

Woodside to quit strait if reservation scheme tanks gas price

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Original article by Colin Packham
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 14-Oct-26

The federal government is expected to release details of its domestic gas reservation policy within days. However, Woodside Energy’s chief operating officer Breyden Lonnie has warned that a proposed gas drilling program in Bass Strait will not proceed if the reservation scheme materially affects domestic gas prices. Shell Australia chair Cecile Wake in turn says the government must address some "fundamental flaws" in the gas reservation scheme, including the requirement for gas producers to supply 110 per cent of forecast domestic demand and the obligation to sell gas regardless of prevailing prices.

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WOODSIDE ENERGY GROUP LIMITED – ASX WDS, SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED

Australian real unemployment drops 1.1% to 10.6%, driven by an increase in employment and a decline in the workforce

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Original article by Roy Morgan
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 14-Oct-26

In September 2026, Australian ‘real unemployment’ fell 1.1% to 10.6% (down 181,000 to 1,667,000); this is the lowest since April. In addition to the unemployed, a further 1.37 million Australians (8.8% of the workforce, down 0.3%) were under-employed, down 71,000. In total, 3.04 million Australians (19.4% of the workforce, down 1.4%) were either unemployed or under-employed in September. Meanwhile, overall employment increased by 49,000 to 14,005,000 in September; the increase was driven by a rise in part-time employment (up 102,000 to 5,046,000, and equivalent to 36% of employed Australians). In contrast, full-time employment was down 53,000 to 8,959,000 (equivalent to 64% of employed Australians). Roy Morgan estimates the overall workforce size (which adds together the employed and unemployed) at 15,672,000 in September, down 132,000 on a month ago, and representing 66.6% (down 0.7%) of Australians aged 14+. The September Roy Morgan Unemployment estimates were obtained by surveying an Australia-wide cross section of people aged 14+.

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ROY MORGAN LIMITED

IMF urges Chalmers to get serious on debt and deficit

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Original article by Thomas Henry
The Australian – Page: 4 : 14-Oct-26

The International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook report has downgraded Australia’s economic growth forecast to just 1.6 per cent in 2027. The IMF now expects Australia’s unemployment rate to reach a high of 4.7 per cent in 2027, compared with its previous forecast in April that the jobless rate would peak at 4.3 per cent. However, the IMF now expects inflation to fall from a high 3.9 per cent in 2026 to 3.1 per cent next year. Meanwhile, the IMF says governments in Australia and worldwide must prioritise budget repair and reducing public debt.

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INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

Goldmine ruling risks backlash

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Original article by Lachlan Leeming
The Australian – Page: 6 : 14-Oct-26

The Federal Court will today announce its decision on the future of Regis Resources’ McPhillamys gold project in NSW. Regis is seeking to overturn a ruling by former environment minister Tanya Plibersek in 2024 which banned the construction of a tailings dam at the site on Indigenous heritage grounds; that ruling effectively prevented Regis from proceeding with the project. Shadow resources minister Susan McDonald says ­further rulings against resources projects would undermine ­Australia reputation as a safe and reliable investment destination for mining companies.

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REGIS RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX RRL, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Gold Fields has plenty of capacity to pursue Northern Star deal

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Original article by Mark Wembridge
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 13 & 16 : 14-Oct-26

Gold Fields’ CEO Mike Fraser has revealed that it had initially approached Northern Star Resources about a merger in 2025. Fraser adds that South Africa-based Gold Fields has scope to increase the cash component of its latest bid, which was valued at $38.7bn at the time it was announced in September. Morgans Financial mining analyst Annabelle Sleeman says Gold Fields will need to increase both the headline price and cash component of its takeover bid; she adds that a rival bid for Northern Star is possible. Meanwhile, Fraser has indicated that Gold Fields has discussed selling some of Northern Star’s assets if its bid succeeds.

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NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, GOLD FIELDS LIMITED

CBA staff stand-off ends with 13pc pay rise deal

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Original article by Jack Derwin
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 14-Oct-26

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia has secured an in-principle deal with the Finance Sector Union for a new enterprise agreement, following six months of negotiations. The wage deal includes pay rises over three years across the bank’s operations, with the size of the increases linked to pay bands; it includes a pay rise of 13 per cent over three years for the bank’s lowest-paid employees. The FSU says the pay deal will set a strong starting point for negotiations with the nation’s other major banks over the next year. The CBA has also agreed to establish an artificial intelligence committee.

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COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, FINANCE SECTOR UNION