‘Green light’ for rate hike as GDP growth surprises

3 September

Australia’s economy grew by 2.1 per cent in the last financial year, cementing the odds for another rate rise as the economy proves more resilient than the Reserve Bank expects.Gross domestic product expanded by 0.4 per cent in the June quarter,...[Read More]

Small-business owners, women worried about golden years

3 September

Almost three million Australians are expected to retire over the next decade, but not everyone is heading toward their golden years with confidence.Many are still thinking about their “number” – the preferred size of their superannuation pot...[Read More]

Blanket bans on AI could cause ‘data centre panic’

3 September

One-size-fits-all restrictions on how artificial intelligence data centres are powered could send investment in the growing technology overseas, business groups warn.In a submission to a Senate inquiry into AI data centres, the Australian Chamber of...[Read More]

Treasury tips AI as key driver of productivity growth

3 September

Artificial intelligence could be the ticket out of stunted economic growth while risking the future of increasingly high-skilled jobs, according to Treasury advice.In a brief handed to the treasurer, AI has been characterised as a tool which could...[Read More]

Kids leaning into AI as literacy levels decline

3 September

A majority of Australian youth lack confidence distinguishing news fact from fiction as they increasingly source information from artificial intelligence.The 2026 News and Young Australians Report, released on Monday, found just 47 per cent of...[Read More]

Inflated charges: push to make landlords pay gas bills

2 September

Australian renters are being slugged almost $440 million a year to stay connected to gas, analysis has shown, even though landlords control whether their properties remain on the network.Rewiring Australia released the finding on Friday and called...[Read More]

‘Hot mess’ inflation result puts rate rise on the table

27 August

More interest rate hikes are on the cards after Australia’s headline inflation rate came in higher than expected, despite falling to its lowest level in eight months.The consumer price index rose one per cent in July, resulting in the annual rate...[Read More]

Fast-evolving online scams fleece millions from Aussies

27 August

Aussies have lost hundreds of millions of dollars to scammers in 2026, with swindle tactics becoming trickier despite a drop in reported activity.Cybercriminals have cheated Australians out of $186.9 million so far in 2026, down from almost $210...[Read More]

Foreign property purchases fall as home buyer ban bites

26 August

Purchases of Australian property by overseas investors have plunged after the government announced a ban on foreigners buying Australian homes.The number of investment approvals fell by more than 22 per cent to 5284 in 2024/25, the Productivity...[Read More]

Environment rules promise protection but raise concerns

26 August

Australia’s first environmental standards, designed to toughen protections and tighten offset rules, have drawn a mixed reaction from development and green groups.The four standards, announced by Environment Minister Murray Watt and published on...[Read More]

Jobs data and a fireside chat: the economic week ahead

20 August

As the US dragged itself out of the Great Depression, newly-elected president Franklin D Roosevelt pioneered an informal style of radio address to nurture rapport with a bruised American public.It’s unclear whether the LED lighting at...[Read More]

Retirement savings to be ‘decimated’ under early access

20 August

Workers being able to access their superannuation early would destroy their retirement earnings, the treasurer has warned, following calls by Pauline Hanson.The One Nation leader has called for a relaxation of rules that would allow people to...[Read More]

Early days but a door is opening for first home buyers

20 August

A dive in new home loans to property investors is an “encouraging sign” Labor’s changes to negative gearing and the capital gains discount are working as intended, Treasurer Jim Chalmers says.The number of investor loans fell 8.6 per cent in...[Read More]

Tech giants unaware how many children on social media

20 August

Social media companies do not know how many Australian teenagers remain on their platforms months after the introduction of laws banning those under 16.Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and Google on Friday appeared before a Senate inquiry considering...[Read More]

AI boom, productivity malaise making RBA’s job harder

20 August

The surge in artificial intelligence investment and Australia’s sluggish productivity growth rate are forcing the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates higher, a top central bank official says.Speaking two days after the RBA kept the cash rate...[Read More]