National

New South Wales

GrainCorp upgrades profit guidance 50%

GrainCorp has upgraded its full year profit guidance by up to 50 per cent after strong demand from new bulk wheat exporters boosted grain receivals.

Newcrest eyes 40% gold production hike

Rebecca Le May Newcrest Mining Ltd is targeting a 40 per cent increase in gold production in the next five years as new projects come on stream and others are ramped up.

Ogilvy and Scott join Aussie Open field

Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott have confirmed they will join Greg Norman in the field for the Australian Open in Sydney.

Xstrata Coal staff face restructure axe

Xstrata Coal will slash about 280 jobs under restructure plans at two coal mines in New South Wales.

Coal & Allied net profit jumps 65.9%

Coal & Allied Ltd has posted a 65.9 per cent rise in first half profit after foreign exchange benefits offset lower sales volumes and boosted its revenue.

Liquidations soar during finance crisis

The number of companies forced into liquidation jumped by 20 per cent in the 12 months to May, driven by the end of mining and property booms, a report shows.

New home sales flat in June: survey

New home sales edged slightly higher in June as first home buyers stayed active in the market, a survey says.

Xstrata's H1 nickel output up 185%

Rebecca Le May Xstrata increased nickel production at its Aussie operations by 185 per cent during the first half of calendar 2009 compared to the same period a year earlier.

Countplus buys stake in accounting firm

Count Financial Ltd says it wholly owned subsidiary Countplus Pty Ltd has bought a cornerstone stake in an accounting and financial planning firm for $585,586.

Premier heeds request to re-open Dianne Brimble inquest

Premier Nathan Rees is seeking legal advice about re-opening the inquest into the 2002 cruise ship death of Dianne Brimble.

Revisit Brimble inquest findings: Bligh

Matters raised by the inquest into the death of Dianne Brimble aboard a cruise ship in September 2002 should be re-opened, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says.

QR wins Hunter Valley haulage contract

Rail operator QR (Queensland Rail) has won a contract to haul up to 12 million tonnes of coal per annum for Peabody Energy Australia in the NSW Hunter Valley.

Henry backs Scott for Maroons jersey

Ben Galvin North Queensland coach Neil Henry believes form Cowboys prop Matt Scott deserves a spot in the Queensland team for Origin III in Brisbane.

Number of new home sales decline in May

The number of new home sales declined for the first time in four months in May as fewer first home buyers entered the market, a survey says.

White whale Migaloo spotted off NSW

Migaloo, the famous white whale, has been spotted off the New South Wales mid-north coast and could soon be in Queensland waters.

Coles sells 45 stores to FoodWorks

Wesfarmers Ltd has sold about six per cent of its underperforming Coles supermarkets and a handful of liquor stores to the independent grocer FoodWorks.

Rental vacancy rates slide across NSW

Rental vacancy rates across NSW have dropped even further, with Sydney recording its lowest rate in 12 months, Real Estate Institute figures show.

Boral managing director Pearse to quit

Boral Ltd has confirmed its managing director Rod Pearse will retire after 10 years in the job at the end of 2009.

Santos buys stake in Eastern Star

Rebecca Le May Santos Ltd has taken a large stake in New South Wales-based coal seam gas (CSG) explorer Eastern Star Gas Ltd.

Pilot killed in helicopter crash

Christine Kellett A pilot has been killed in a helicopter crash on the Gold Coast.