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Workers are due their superannuation today but many employers are struggling to pay

Today is the deadline for employers to pay superannuation they owe workers for the first quarter, but many may struggle to do so amid the COVID-19 economic shutdown.




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'Couldn't have come at a worse time': Collapsed builder leaves 241 creditors with nothing

Banyan Constructions collapsed earlier this year, and a report from liquidators has now revealed that the $22 million owed to creditors — mostly small, local businesses — will not be paid back.




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Adelaide buildings turn blue for senior police officer killed in car crash

Adelaide landmarks were illuminated with blue light overnight amid more tributes for SA Police Chief Superintendent Joanne Shanahan and Tania McNeill, who were killed in a three-car crash on Saturday.




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Apartment tenants in line for rent discounts as short-stay market dries up

Real estate agents are resorting to discounting to try to secure tenants as COVID–19 hits the apartment rental market.



  • COVID-19
  • Diseases and Disorders
  • Building and Construction
  • Industry
  • Business
  • Economics and Finance
  • Urban Development and Planning
  • Community and Society

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'Look at it fly!': Pentagon releases footage of 'unidentified aerial phenomena'

Videos of unidentified flying objects have been officially released by the Department of Defense after unauthorised distribution in 2007 and 2017.




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Why are some of the world's largest planes being parked in Alice Springs?

The small town in the middle of Australia is hosting a collection of very expensive aircraft, including double-decker Airbus A380s. Why are they being stored here?




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Superannuation early withdrawal risks collapsing retirement system

Super funds and prominent professional investors warn that the mass withdrawal of funds from superannuation during the COVID-19 crisis risks undermining the whole retirement income system.




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Union takes Qantas to Federal Court over 'heartless' denial of sick leave to stood-down workers

The Transport Workers' Union urges the Federal Court of Australia to find that Qantas is still responsible for paying sick leave to 25,000 workers who have been stood down during the global coronavirus pandemic.




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Coles, Woolworths ease coronavirus restrictions on toilet paper

Customers will be able to buy multiple packets of toilet paper at the supermarket giants, although a number of other items remain restricted.




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Can't get a refund on your cancelled trip? Here's what to do

More than 6,000 people have complained to the ACCC about their travel company's handling of refunds. We've looked into what your options are for getting your money back.




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Almost half the businesses interested in JobKeeper have not signed up. Here's why

Hundreds of thousands of employers who registered interest in JobKeeper have not signed up for the payment, citing ineligible workers, confusing rules and cashflow problems.




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'Relax the rhetoric': Businesses open, but coronavirus crackdown has customers 'nervous'

Small businesses in Tasmania struggling to survive amid the coronavirus crisis call for clearer messaging from authorities, saying there is no point trading if customers are too nervous to leave home.




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Stimulus payments leave households better off so far, but analysts warn of looming $60b hit

The Federal Government's stimulus package is supporting Australian households during the coronavirus pandemic, with a surge in unemployment payments more than offsetting the fall in income from job losses, according to the Commonwealth Bank.




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Jay wasn't after handouts, but her pantry was empty

For many people like Jay, the COVID-19 pandemic means that for the first time, they're truly struggling to get food on the table.




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Coronavirus shutdowns leave expats unable to sell their homes in time to avoid hefty tax bills

Thousands of Australian expats fear they could be hit with large capital gains tax bills because they've been unable to return home due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, before a June 30 deadline that would have allowed them to sell their property to avoid liabilities.




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Military leaders warn we must prepare for a crisis worse than COVID-19

A confidential report commissioned by the Department of Defence predicted medical shortages, panic-buying and mass job losses a year before the COVID-19 outbreak.



  • Disaster Prevention
  • COVID-19
  • Diseases and Disorders
  • Health
  • Disasters and Accidents
  • Pollution
  • Disasters and Safety
  • Climate Change - Disasters
  • Government and Politics
  • International Aid and Trade
  • Epidemics and Pandemics

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'Coffee, then NAFI': Future of 'crucial' fire-tracking website in doubt

It is one of the most popular and important websites for cattle producers, rangers and carbon farmers in northern Australia, but its funding is about to run out.




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Coles gets coronavirus boost, Melco abandons Crown, ASX jumps

Panic buying, unsurprisingly, has led to a surge in Coles' sales, while the Crown Casino has picked up some new owners and Australian shares are having another volatile day.




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'A form of self-medication': The limitless power of music during times of crisis

From balconies to lounge rooms, songs of joy and sadness are helping us cope and keeping us connected. And if we look to the past, we'll find that our tendency to turn to music during times of crisis is nothing new.




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Victoria criticises 'completely inappropriate' independent schools funding offer from Federal Government

Victorian Education Minister James Merlino accuses the Federal Government of using funding to "force" independent schools to undermine the state's strategy on face-to-face learning during the coronavirus pandemic.




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Rex to double regional flights after second cash boost in a week

Fresh support from the Federal Government and several states means the key carrier will be able to increase services across its network.




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'Market failure': ACT Government threatens to cap petrol profits if prices don't drop

Fuel prices have plummeted across Australia during the coronavirus pandemic, but the ACT Government says they are not falling quickly enough in Canberra — and they are going to do something about it if prices do not fall to below $1 per litre this weekend.




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Key points from the PM's press conference

Where coronavirus came from, Australia's relationship with China, and the possibility of being able to jump on a plane to New Zealand were all canvassed by the PM in his latest press conference.




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Chinese company suggests PNG relationship will suffer amid mine lease dispute

A major Chinese mining company warns the Papua New Guinean Government it faces "significant negative impact" on bilateral relations with China if the company doesn't get a lease extension on a gold mine in the country.




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Funeral insurer who sold coverage to babies barred from taking on customers

Funeral insurer Youpla, slammed by the banking royal commission in a previous brand iteration for misleading Indigenous customers, has now been denied a licence to provide financial services and prevented from signing up new customers.




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Lebanon rocked by riots over economic hardship, as one protester dies in Tripoli

A shutdown to fight the spread of COVID-19 has made a dire situation even worse in Lebanon, with its currency plunging in value.




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Samuel felt he had no option but to withdraw money from his super

Samuel Clarke knows withdrawing his retirement savings early is not ideal, but he says the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent loss of business has left him no option.




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Surging grocery costs blamed on fires, droughts and COVID-19

Australians have seen a rare rise in inflation, as a series of crises conspired to push up the cost of essential groceries, but economists say consumers should see cheaper prices again now that panic buying has subsided.




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Holiday homes turned long-term rentals add to surge in listings

The major online platforms say rental listings are up 8-10 per cent compared to last year, as thousands of Airbnbs and other short-term rentals are expected to move to the long-term market as coronavirus halts travel.




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Renters could find themselves in paradise as a wave of Airbnb homes hit the market

The major online platforms say rental listings are up 8-10 per cent compared to last year, as thousands of Airbnbs and other short-term rentals are expected to move to the long-term market as coronavirus halts travel.




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Businessman's dairy proposal puts pressure on Government to help struggling farmers

A Victorian businessman has given the Federal Government a detailed plan to help the struggling dairy industry get back on track — and give more money to farmers.




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ANZ announces 51pc profit slump, defers dividend

ANZ announces a 51 per cent slump in profits and defers paying a dividend as it braces for at least a billion-dollar hit from the COVID-19 recession.





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About 750,000 customers could pay thousands extra after bank cuts home loan repayments

Commonwealth Bank customers could end up paying tens of thousands of dollars more on their home loans because of changes to repayment levels, a financial expert warns.




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Markets surge on Fed's promise to act 'aggressively' to save a stalled economy

The ASX joins a global rally after the Federal Reserve says it will "aggressively" use its "full range of tools" to aid the recovery, as the US economy records its worst slump since the global financial crisis.




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Outback charter companies nosedive as pandemic grounds flights

While the fate of Virgin and Qantas makes headlines, Australia's outback aviation companies say they've been forgotten by authorities.




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Authorities investigate aged care coronavirus cluster as Victoria records seven new cases

Victoria's total of COVID-19 cases rises to 1,361, as Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton reveals authorities are investigating three cases linked to a Melbourne aged care facility.




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Metro West plan revealed: Rydalmere station scrapped, 150 properties to be acquired

The NSW Government releases the blueprint for the promised Metro West, revealing it will acquire 154 properties to accommodate the multi-billion dollar project.




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Restaurants and cafes recognise benefits of single-use plastics amid pandemic

A ban on single-use plastics including cutlery and straws will be pushed back in SA to allow restaurants and cafes to reopen "sooner rather than later" amid the coronavirus pandemic.




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'Unacceptable' gas fracking in Channel Country should stop, leaked department report told Queensland Government

A leaked expert report shows the Queensland Government was advised to stop further gas fracking in the state's sensitive Channel Country, but a separate department already extended gas exploration until 2030.




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Energy operator wants to remotely switch off rooftop solar systems amid 'uncontrolled growth'

Australia's electricity grid operator wants the authority to remotely switch off new rooftop solar systems in SA in order to manage their "invisible and uncontrolled" growth.




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Coronavirus update: China's Hubei province lowers emergency response level

The initial epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak will lower its emergency response level from tomorrow. These are the key coronavirus developments from Friday.





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Company buys coal mine for $1 and receives $35 million environmental refund. Here's how

A company linked to Labor figures that bought a mine for just $1 enjoyed multi-million-dollar refunds from its environmental bond after concessions from the Palaszczuk Government, documents show.




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This university student pulls in nearly double his usual earnings thanks to JobKeeper

Thanks to a loophole in the Federal Government's JobKeeper legislation, Lewis Mullins has been earning far more than he did before the coronavirus pandemic. But the same can no longer be said for his younger colleagues.




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Truck driver involved in Grampians crash that killed one cleared of wrongdoing

After clearing one truck driver, police are still to interview another, following a fatal collision on Wednesday involving a man who died when his ute collided with a truck a carrying multiple vehicles.




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Solid demand and favourable weather buoy agribusiness confidence

Solid rainfall has boosted farmer confidence this season and, while uncertainty hangs over the global economy, many remain optimistic that agriculture will weather the storm.





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House prices edge higher as both buyers and sellers leave the market during COVID-19 crisis

Despite coronavirus restrictions sending auctions online and seeing many home sales abandoned, CoreLogic figures for April show prices continued to rise for the few properties that did sell.




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'No going back to everything the way it was': ANZ boss warns of 'slow grind' recovery

ANZ's chief executive warns the Australian and New Zealand economies will be reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and take years to recover from the economic fallout.