THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed the decision by Brisbane-based Senex to start construction at the company’s Roma North natural gas development.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the job creating project 30km north of Roma would provide a much needed boost to the local economy.

“By awarding the construction contract to Wasco, which has a place of business in Roma, there will be local employment opportunities in the 50 jobs to be created directly, and more roles indirectly,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Roma North is part of Senex’s Western Surat Gas Project and is a flagship example of industry and government working together to produce more natural gas, with benefits for Queensland.

“Queensland’s resources industry has a proven track record of attracting new investment and creating new jobs because of the clear and stable regulatory environment in which it operates. It is essential that we have stable and reliable regulation for our resources sector to continue to attract the investment that builds our State and delivers for every Queenslander.”

According to the QRC, the Queensland resources sector now provides one in every six dollars in the Queensland economy, sustains one in eight Queensland jobs, and supports more than 16,400 businesses across the State all from 0.1 percent of Queensland’s land mass.

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and Roy Morgan’s annual pre-Christmas predictions indicate Australian shoppers will spend over $51 billion across retail stores in Australia during the Christmas trading period from November 9 to December 24, 2018.

Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the ARA, said while the Australian retail industry has seen some patchy results in recent times, the ARA and Roy Morgan are forecasting Australian consumers to spend 2.9 percent more this Christmas compared with 2017.

“With consumer spending on the rise as noted in September’s retail trade figures, the ARA and Roy Morgan are confident that this year’s Christmas sales will remain strong during the festive season, with a 3.67 percent total year-on-year growth across the retail sector,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“An estimated $21 billion is expected to be spent on Food this Christmas, which is a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year and coincides with the consistent figures recorded from this category throughout 2018.”

Apparel and Household Goods will also record a significant increase in trade, with the ARA and Roy Morgan predicting $4 billion to be spent on clothing, footwear and personal accessories, a 3.1 percent increase from the previous year, while over $9 billion is expected to be spent on Household Goods, a 2.0 percent increase from 2017.

With Aussies looking to spend quality time with friends and family during the Christmas season, restaurant and café retailers will see strong growth in sales this year, with the Hospitality category expected to increase by a substantial 3.2 percent.

Across the States and Territories, pre-Christmas sales predictions point to bumper growth for Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia during Christmas trade this year, with these regions showing the strongest predicted growth.

“Christmas is a joyous and celebrated event, admired by Australians who embrace the season of giving. With the retail landscape continuing to adapt to changes in the industry, we can rely on this season to bring stability to retailers,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“As the online retail market continues to expand, the ARA are also predicting online gift purchases to increase by 2.7 percent with Australian shoppers expected to purchase many of their gifts online this year.”

“Each year, the ARA and Roy Morgan work together to produce the only professionally researched industry Christmas predictions in Australia, and we believe the figures released today represent a comprehensive preview of retail figures leading into Christmas.”

ARA Roy Morgan Pre-Christmas Sales Predictions 2018
November 9 – December 24, 2018

2018 Pre-Christmas Sales Growth by Category 

[ARA / ROY MORGAN]

2018 Pre-Christmas Sales Growth by State

[ARA / ROY MORGAN]

www.retail.org.au/christmas-predictions/

About the Australian Retailers Association

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is Australia’s largest retail association, representing the country’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. As Australia’s leading retail peak industry body, the ARA is a strong pro-active advocate for Australian retail and works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 7,500 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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ENERGY Networks Australia has welcomed the NSW Transmission Infrastructure Strategy released today by the NSW Government.  

The strategy sets out to boost NSW's interconnection with Victoria, South Australia and Queensland, increase energy capacity and streamline regulation for a modernised grid.

Energy Networks Australia CEO Andrew Dillon said the NSW plan was a vital step towards a more integrated energy system that would deliver greater benefit to customers through a more resilient grid and more competitive wholesale markets. 

“Around the world, modern energy systems are responding to more variable renewable generation by ensuring greater connection between generation sources and customers,” Mr Dillon said. 

“NSW sits at the centre of the National Electricity Market (NEM) and is critical to the development of a more connected energy future.

“Fast-tracking the four key projects outlined in the strategy will bolster the grid's capacity and put downwards pressure on prices – a priority for network businesses across Australia.”

Mr Dillon said the sequential nature of current regulatory arrangements was slow and unsuited to the transformation underway in electricity generation. 

“By providing a funding guarantee for preliminary planning work, the NSW Government can fast-track priority projects while ensuring projects will only proceed where the benefits for consumers clearly outweigh the costs,” he said.

“Networks want to keep costs as low as possible while ensuring new renewable generation can be reliably integrated into our grid. The NSW plan will help achieve this.”  

About Energy Networks Australia

Energy Networks Australia represents Australia’s electricity transmission and distribution networks and gas distribution networks. Members provide energy to virtually every household and business in Australia.

www.energynetworks.com.au

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THE Walkley Foundation today announced the shortlist for the Walkley Book Award, part of Australia’s most prestigious journalism accolades, the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

The Walkley Book Award celebrates Australian writers who take enduring subjects from news, eyewitness accounts, investigations and history. Their books bring readers immersive detail, clear analysis and new revelations.

A total of 65 books were entered this year. Their subject matter ranged from true crime, politics and war to memoir, biography and investigative journalism.

The 2018 Walkley Book Award shortlisted finalists announced today in Sydney are (in alphabetical order):

• Peter Greste, The First Casualty, Penguin Random House
• Chris Masters, No Front Line: Australia’s Special Forces At War in Afghanistan, Allen & Unwin
• Helen Pitt, The House, Allen & Unwin
   

The judging panel chairs, who selected the shortlist for the 2018 book award, are:

• Colleen Ryan, journalist and author
• Paul Bailey, editor, The Australian Financial Review
• Pamela Williams, investigative journalist

The winner of the 2018 Walkley Book Award will be announced at the 63rd Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism on Thursday November 22, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, thanks to the support of Tourism and Events Queensland.

The awards will be broadcast live on Sky News Extra Foxtel channel 604 and streamed live on the Walkley website (walkleys.com) from 8:30pm AEDT.

A full list of Walkley Awards finalists is available at walkleys.com.

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