News
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has today revealed a new wave of measures put in place to help stimulate the country’s economic recovery through increased borrowing. Those measures include lowering the benchmark interest rates from 0.25 per cent to 0.10 per cent, a reduction in the interest rate on Exchange Settlement balances to zero and the […]
New research has shown the coronavirus lockdown has reignited Australia’s love for shopping locally, with 91 per cent claiming they are now spending up to $200 per week on their local high street. Takeaway shops, cafes, restaurants and bakeries are among those who have had the biggest bounce since lockdown, according to research commissioned by […]
In a digital address to the McKell Institute today, Shadow Minister for Innovation, Technology and the Future of Work Clare O’Neil warned of the “tsunami coming for workers in predominantly male industries.” In June, Ms O’Neil outlined how COVID-19 disproportionately affected women because of the havoc it wreaked on female-dominated industries such as hospitality and […]
A 1.75 per cent increase to minimum wages has come into place, as part of the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review announced in June. Usually, minimum wage increases take effect from the beginning of the financial year. However the wage increases for a number of industries have been delayed due to the effects of […]
Tax policy under a Biden presidency may facilitate more US investment into Australia than a Trump presidency, according to the United States Studies Centre. Biden has proposed raising the corporate tax rate from 21 per cent to 28 per cent, raising personal income tax for the top individual earners from 37 per cent to 39.6 […]
The Australian economy will lose more than $3 trillion over the next 50 years if climate change is not addressed, according to a new report from Deloitte Access Economics. The report titled A new choice: Australia’s climate for growth said if net-zero emissions policies are adopted by 2050 it could create 250,000 jobs and add […]
The Kwinana Refinery in Western Australia will be permanently closed and converted to an import terminal, as dwindling demand puts pressure on the fuel industry’s margins. “Regional oversupply and sustained low refining margins mean the Kwinana Refinery is no longer economically viable,” said bp Australia in a media statement on Friday. This closure follows the Federal […]
Research shows that products that use the Australian Made logo have an advantage in the international market, with 97 per cent of overseas consumers adopting a positive first impression of the logo. Ben Lazzaro, CEO of Australian Made, said that the iconic green and gold kangaroo has provided an effective way for shoppers around the […]
Australia is technically out of a recession however this does not mean Australia’s recovery will be smooth-sailing. At a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, RBA deputy governor Guy Debelle revealed that Australia’s economy grew in the September quarter. When asked about Victoria’s economy by Senator Bridget McKenzie, Dr Debelle surmised that Victoria’s economy appeared to […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen remote working transition from being a personal preference to a matter of safety. The challenge for small businesses is not only implementing technology that supports working from home (WFH) but in finding solutions that replicate office culture virtually and deliver a better user or customer experience. According to the ABS, […]
The world’s second and third largest economies, China and Japan, have both pledged to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions, heralding an economic era characterised by sustainability and renewable energy. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga committed to carbon neutrality by 2050 in his first policy address to parliament earlier this week. “We will fundamentally shift our long-standing […]
With under a week until the 2020 US Presidential elections on Tuesday, 3 November, economists and investors are looking to predict the way various outcomes could affect Australian businesses. The US economy is the world’s largest economy, and Australia has a very close economic relationship with the USA. In 2016 alone, exports to Australia generated 264,000 […]
It’s a challenge that’s been discussed in boardrooms for years: how to harness evolving technologies to transform and improve the way a business functions. Yet despite its well-documented benefits, digital transformation is still not being achieved by a significant number of organisations. According to a Forrester Report, The Sorry State of Digital Transformation in 2018, […]
Businesses must invest in their online customer service as COVID-19 has driven up consumer demand for more virtual support. A LivePerson Customer Conversation Report found that 55 per cent of Australians said that they believed the online customer service of most companies could be improved. This includes providing more information online or having shorter hold […]
Linktree, the trusted tech platform that connects audiences to a user’s entire online ecosystem, has raised US$10.7 million in Series A funding, led by Insight Partners, an investor in Shopify, and AirTree Ventures, an early investor in Canva. The funding will accelerate Linktree’s expansion in international markets, including global team growth, and the evolution of Linktree’s product […]
A new study has shown that Australians are generally unwilling to sign off on wide-spread use of Artificial intelligence (AI), with less than a quarter of those surveyed approving of the growing technology. The study, conducted by the University of Queensland in partnership with KPMG, shows while 42 per cent generally accept it only 16 […]
Earlier this week, ASIC Commissioner Sean Hughes outlined ASIC’s expectation that issuers and distributors of financial products adopt a “consumer-centric” approach when designing and distributing their products. In an address to the 30th Annual Credit Law Conference, Mr Hughes provided an update on reforms since the 2019 Royal Commission, ASIC’s strategic priorities, and future credit […]
The NSW Government is joining forces with Innovation District Partners, including the Australian Catholic University (ACU), to identify innovative businesses for grants under the Boosting Business Innovation Program. This year’s Boosting Business Innovation Program supports businesses which are accelerating the commercialisation of research products to address the many disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Innovation […]
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced all retail and hospitality businesses in Melbourne can reopen within days, after the state recorded no new coronavirus cases and deaths for the first time in more than four months. When restrictions lift at 11.59pm on Tuesday, Melbourne restaurants, hotels, cafes and bars will be able to host up to […]
Open Banking is here. It’s not scary, and it could save you money. I asked my 72-year-old Dad what he thought Open Banking was. With a daughter deep in the fintech industry, you would hope he’d know a thing or two about dollars and cents. Despite his enthusiasm for the topic, he thought Open Banking […]
