Sydney desk

Filed from the Sydney desk — including multi-city pieces that also ran elsewhere.

Business · 29 September 2026

Brick‑by‑Brick: Western Australia’s Taxpayer‑Funded Factory Still Won’t Solve Housing Shortage

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

The state’s latest attempt to tackle a chronic shortage of building bricks involves a taxpayer‑backed plant at Austral. Yet even with the new facility up and running, the industry’s market participants remain skept…

Finance · 29 September 2026

AI, the New Wall Street Thermostat: From Panic to Payouts and Back Again

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

Over the past fortnight, algorithmic traders have swung between fearing a robotic apocalypse and fantasising about a world where every unwanted subscription is auto‑cancelling, leaving market participants to wonder whe…

Business · 29 September 2026

Critica’s Tasmanian Tin‑Tungsten Jackpot: $1.4 B NPV Turns Stock Into Subsoil Gold

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

Critica Ltd’s scoping study of a Tasmanian tin‑tungsten project reveals a pre‑tax NPV of $1.42B, a 65% IRR and a 1.9‑year payback, sending the company’s shares higher as market participants scramble to see if t…

Sports · 29 September 2026

Knights Legends Deploy Heavy Artillery to Drag Silverchair Out of Retirement Before Grand Final Whistle

Frank Bollard, Melbourne desk

The Johns brothers are attempting to reunite Silverchair for the NRL Grand Final, treating it with the urgency of a last-minute line break.

Business · 29 September 2026

Rio2’s Fenix Mine Fires Back from Winter’s Cold Snap

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

Rio2 Ltd’s Fenix Gold mine in Chile has pushed past a winter storm that stalled its ramp‑up, keeping the fourth‑quarter commercial production target intact, while market participants watch the frosty setback turn i…

Politics · 29 September 2026

Rate Hikes Hit Albanese’s Budget Like a Rugby Scrum—No Refunds, No Reset

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

When the Reserve Bank’s latest rate hike rolls in, the Albanese government finds its already‑squeezed budget scrambling to keep up, and every market participant is left wondering whether a fiscal playbook can still w…

Finance · 29 September 2026

RBA’s Rate Rise: 4.6% and the Mortgage Crowd’s Collective Sneeze

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

The Reserve Bank of Australia has lifted the cash rate to 4.6%, the highest in fifteen years, sending market participants scrambling to re‑price their mortgages and investors recalculating risk premiums.

Technology · 29 September 2026

Lane Cove Locals Outsmart $1.2 Billion Data Hub With One Street Party

Ash Park, Sydney desk

Lane Cove residents turned a planned data centre into a festive battleground, using a street party to outmaneuver a $1.2 billion tech behemoth, proving that community spirit can outshine silicon smog.

Finance · 29 September 2026

RBA Raises Rates to 4.60%, Homeowners Face Higher Bills as Market Participants Shuffle

Vera Chen, Sydney desk

The Reserve Bank of Australia has lifted its benchmark to 4.60%, sending mortgage borrowers into a new era of higher repayments. Market participants scramble to recalibrate budgets, while calculators become the new oracl…