News Australia

  Australia’s housing sector has called on the reserve bank to deliver a 50 basis point interest rate cut after a survey showed new home sales have fallen to their lowest level in more than a decade. The Housing Industry Association (HIA), which represents the residential building industry, says new home sales dropped 9.4 per [...]

This week, thousands of cities across the globe will dim their lights at 8.30pm for an hour, joining in the world’s largest voluntary environmental action: Earth Hour. Scheduled for the last Saturday of every March – closely coinciding with the equinox to ensure that most cities are in darkness as it rolls out around the [...]

Next time you’re cooking up a storm in your kitchen spare a thought for the passengers on board an A330 Qantas flight from Sydney to Adelaide on Friday, 13 April. This auspicious flight will be powered by recycled cooking oil from commercial kitchens that is mixed with jet fuel that emits 60% less carbon dioxide. [...]

With the first quarter of 2012 almost over, Melbourne’s property market is showing some encouraging signs. REIV Chief Executive, Enzo Raimondo, pointed out an emerging market trend in his latest real estate newspaper column. He highlighted the positive improvement in the clearance rate when compared with the end of last year. Mr Raimondo noted that [...]

While swimming is a great form of exercise, the downside is that pools require vast amounts of water. Just to fill the average backyard pool takes 50,000 litres – and that’s roughly one third of the water used by an average person in a year. Even more water is needed for regular top-ups. All up, [...]

Home loans by value fell in October and remained flat over the year, suggesting the housing sector remains stagnant. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said on Monday that total housing finance by value fell 2.5 per cent in October, seasonally adjusted, to $20.458 billion. The ABS data also showed that the value of home [...]

The Reserve Bank of Australia board has cut the official interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.25 per cent, giving mortgage holders and borrowers a pre-Christmas reprieve. The RBA announced the rate cut at 2.30pm AEDT today following the board’s final meeting for the year. It’s the second interest rate cut in as many [...]

Economists are divided on whether borrowers will get a second interest rate cut in as many months on Tuesday. Seven of the 14 economists surveyed by AAP say the RBA will cut the cash rate to 4.25 per cent from 4.5 per cent on December 6. On Melbourne Cup day, the Reserve Bank of Australia [...]

Australian stocks have opened more than one per cent lower as skittish local investors took their cues from a horrid night on offshore markets. At 1027 AEDT, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 58 points, or 1.39 per cent, at 4,105 points, while the broader All Ordinaries index had fallen 57.2 points, or 1.35 per [...]

Last week we talked about being green on the cheap, and this week we thought we would focus on the work place.  Here are 5 ways to give your office a green tinge – and some might even save the boss some money.  Here goes: 1. Bring your lunch Pack your lunch in reusable containers. [...]