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The Australian Industry Group/Housing Industry Association Australian Performance of Construction Index (Australian PCI®) fell by 0.8 points to 58.3 in...

There are fears the boom fuelled by HomeBuilder and low rates is setting up Australian construction – a notoriously cyclical industry – for another bust.

High cost for stairs I read with concern in Hibiscus Matters, March 15 edition, that Auckland Council is to spend $490,000 repairing the stairs leading to the beach below Pacific Parade in Army Bay. It’s a pity that the Council didn’t get onto this earlier. Initially, it was a minor rockfall that came down on top of the stairs, breaking part of them. This could have been fixed without much fuss or expense, and the rest of the structure could have been saved. It has now deteriorated to a point that it’s a major problem to remedy. However, I accept that the stairs need to be reinstated,...

In the little more than a week since the subsidy ended, employers have not seen an expected rise in job applications.

At the core of the opposition to the Government’s approach is the suggestion that the draft legislation and the insertion of the word ‘financial’ into best interests effectively reverses legal burden of proof for superannuation fund trustees. Law Council of Australia representative, Natalie Cambrell said the LCA actually rejected the view that the best interests duty was in need of clearer articulation, particularly by legislation. “Both the proposal to add the word ‘financial’ to the existing best interests covenant and the proposal to reverse the evidential burden of proof are n...