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Holiday homes turned long-term rentals add to surge in listings

The major online platforms say rental listings are up 8-10 per cent compared to last year, as thousands of Airbnbs and other short-term rentals are expected to move to the long-term market as coronavirus halts travel.




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Businessman's dairy proposal puts pressure on Government to help struggling farmers

A Victorian businessman has given the Federal Government a detailed plan to help the struggling dairy industry get back on track — and give more money to farmers.





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Restaurants and cafes recognise benefits of single-use plastics amid pandemic

A ban on single-use plastics including cutlery and straws will be pushed back in SA to allow restaurants and cafes to reopen "sooner rather than later" amid the coronavirus pandemic.




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'Unacceptable' gas fracking in Channel Country should stop, leaked department report told Queensland Government

A leaked expert report shows the Queensland Government was advised to stop further gas fracking in the state's sensitive Channel Country, but a separate department already extended gas exploration until 2030.





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This university student pulls in nearly double his usual earnings thanks to JobKeeper

Thanks to a loophole in the Federal Government's JobKeeper legislation, Lewis Mullins has been earning far more than he did before the coronavirus pandemic. But the same can no longer be said for his younger colleagues.




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Truck driver involved in Grampians crash that killed one cleared of wrongdoing

After clearing one truck driver, police are still to interview another, following a fatal collision on Wednesday involving a man who died when his ute collided with a truck a carrying multiple vehicles.





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House prices edge higher as both buyers and sellers leave the market during COVID-19 crisis

Despite coronavirus restrictions sending auctions online and seeing many home sales abandoned, CoreLogic figures for April show prices continued to rise for the few properties that did sell.




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'No going back to everything the way it was': ANZ boss warns of 'slow grind' recovery

ANZ's chief executive warns the Australian and New Zealand economies will be reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and take years to recover from the economic fallout.




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Coronavirus update: New York City nursing home reports 98 deaths as FDA approves experimental drug

US President Donald Trump seemingly increases his estimate of possible deaths from coronavirus to 100,000, up from 70,000 earlier in the week, as South Africa, Spain and some American states loosen their restrictions. These are the key coronavirus developments from today.




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These waters off South Africa have gone quiet, and 'huge alarm bells' are ringing

Care about sustainable seafood? The waters off South Africa's iconic False Bay have "gone quiet", and experts believe it could be linked to your weekend fish and chips.




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From hobby cook to burger king with little savings or experience – and dad as the delivery guy

At 14 years of age Zaynn Bird was a sub-par McDonald's employee. At 23 he owns one of his state's most impressive burger joints.




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Flight Centre stops charging cancellation fees for trips affected by coronavirus

The travel agent chain backs down from charging hundreds of dollars in cancellation fees for trips cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, following pressure from customers and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.




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Indonesian zoos facing financial strain could 'feed herbivores to the carnivores' amid pandemic

Some 70,000 animals across Indonesia, including members of critically endangered species, are at risk of starvation as zoos struggle financially due to social distancing restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.




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Why this former US Congress hopeful is betting on a small country newspaper

Michael Waite ran for office in Washington and worked for Bill Gates' private investment company, but helping establish a community newspaper could be his toughest challenge yet.




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How an elderly island enclave warded off COVID-19 ... without blowing up the bridge

The community of mainly over-60s on St Huberts Island in NSW manages to stare down the threat of COVID-19 with music, exercise and good wine — and a fresh catch of fish delivered by doting grandsons.




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In the middle of an economic crisis, one sector is experiencing a surprise 'COVID surge' in jobs

While the economic tsunami of coronavirus shutdowns hammers most sectors, WA's resources industry has jobs created on mine sites where providers of support services like catering, cleaning and maintenance are in high demand to keep mine sites safe.




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Fine-dining restaurants turn to takeaway to keep staff employed during virus lockdown

With dine-in service off the table many restaurants struggle to retain staff who are ineligible for JobKeeper payments.




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COVID-19 losses just the start of Westpac's woes amid escalating money laundering, tax problems

Westpac joins ANZ in deferring its interim dividend as it braces for the financial impact of COVID-19, but mounting issues around money laundering and tax reporting may cost it almost as much.




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Canberra petrol stations to face 'weekly fuel price challenges' as cost drops to $1 per litre

Canberra petrol retailers will need to meet weekly fuel price targets to avoid the ACT Government regulating the market, despite prices dropping to about $1 per litre after the Chief Minister threatened to cap margins.




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Transurban pushes West Gate Tunnel deadline out a year, citing contaminated soil dispute

Transurban reports to shareholders that construction on the West Gate Tunnel has been set back, with the project now expected to be completed by in 2023.




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ASX rises as Afterpay surges on Chinese investment, job ads plunge

The Australian share market closes higher, shaking off initial falls, while Afterpay shares surge after revealing investment by Chinese firm Tencent. Job ads fell by 50 per cent in April as coronavirus hit businesses.




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Trump takes swipe at China, bickers with journalists during virtual town hall meeting

The US President said China tried to cover up the coronavirus outbreak before trying to blame other countries for the ensuing health pandemic.




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WA shut itself off from the country and the world to prevent coronavirus. The impact is hitting home

The fallout from harsh border closures means many WA tourism businesses will struggle to stay afloat for longer than six months given a huge drop in revenue.




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Orange juice the same as diet cola under proposed health star rating

Citrus growers say under a proposed change, the health star rating for 100 per cent orange juice could drop from the current five stars to as low as 2.5 stars.




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Shutdown costing economy $4 billion a week as Cabinet prepares to assess restrictions

Josh Frydenberg will tell the National Press Club he is happy a discussion about lifting coronavirus restrictions is taking place earlier than first planned as new analysis says the Australian economy is losing $4 billion a week.




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Take a seat: This tiny Australian territory is allowing diners back in cafes and restaurants

Norfolk Island is the only place in Australia you can dine in a cafe and gather outdoors with 50 people.




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Hotel industry body calling for pubs to reopen later this month under loosened restrictions

A peak industry body says South Australia's 12-day stretch without any new coronavirus cases has created a "high level of expectation" that pubs will reopen.




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Security worker jailed for stealing $340,000 from Catholic Church to fund 'indulgent' lifestyle

An Adelaide mother is jailed for stealing from the Catholic Church to pay for expensive overseas holidays and indulgent consumer goods, while a former accountant is also sentenced for stealing from his clients.




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'They got us a beauty': Farmers speak up about falling victim to tractor ad scam

One WA couple who fell victim to a tractor ad scam wants others to know about the dangers, as NT Consumer Affairs uncovers more than 20 similar sites.




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COVID-19 checklist released: Here's what NT businesses must do before reopening ahead of May 15

Are you a business that wants to reopen on May 15? The Government has released the COVID-19 Safety Plan checklist you must complete before doing so.




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With the curve flattened, the PM is focused on getting a million people back to work

While tough coronavirus restrictions have saved thousands of lives, Scott Morrison says the country is now in a position to start clawing back some of the $4 billion lost every week that restrictions continue. Here are the key takeaways from his press conference.




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Women bearing brunt of COVID-19 job losses 'suddenly' stripped of financial independence

New data shows how hard the impact of the coronavirus has been on women's jobs as a leading economist worries about the long-term impact for women in the workforce.




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Foxtel 'threatened with extinction' within a few years as streaming services cannibalise revenue

Under siege from much cheaper rivals and with lenders unwilling to support it, pay TV operator Foxtel is increasingly looking like a threatened species.




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A day of fasting, the evening meal, then the entire building went up like a bonfire

Huge flames are filmed shooting up the side of a Middle Eastern residential tower shortly after residents finish their nightly Ramadan meal.




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Is anyone buying 'fake meat' during a global pandemic?

It was the first alternative-meat company to debut on the American stock exchange. But how is Beyond Meat coping 12 months on during a global pandemic?




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Historic burnt-out cottage and house overlooking gorge attract $3.2 million price tag

The two cottages are up for sale in a historic part of Launceston but one of the buildings will likely cost hundreds of thousands to repair.




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Chinese state-owned company buys up water in the Murray-Darling

Companies owned by the Chinese Government have been buying Australian water assets, with concerns raised about the level of scrutiny foreign investment of water is receiving.




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'You want $750 a week for doing nothing?': A boss argued his employees should work more hours for JobKeeper

Whether or not employers can demand eligible JobKeeper workers do extra shifts to meet the $1,500-a-fortnight payment is causing confusion and chaos in the hospitality industry.




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Hemp smoothies, muesli among creative uses of first edible organic crop

Australia's largest organic edible hemp crop is being harvested in Victoria's north west with agronomists talking up its food and fibre potential.




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Mother's Day visits off the table as Victorian Premier defends coronavirus contact tracing efforts

Premier Daniel Andrews defends the work of contact tracers as 13 more coronavirus cases are linked to a cluster at Cedar Meats in Melbourne's west.




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ICAC investigating alleged 'improper conduct' by university vice-chancellor

South Australia's Independent Commissioner Against Corruption confirms he is investigating allegations of improper conduct by the vice-chancellor of the University of Adelaide.




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'There's going to be enormous poverty': Research points to big surge in renting

Logic suggests a coronavirus slump may provide a window of opportunity for first homebuyers to enter the market. But a new report suggests the opposite may be true.




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TPG-Vodaphone $15b merger in shareholders' hands after clearing hurdle

Vodaphone Hutchison Australia's boss says the deal is now a step closer to reality and plans are in place to bring the two companies together mid-year.





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'Nothing changes today': Victorians must wait until Monday to learn when shutdown measures will ease

Premier Daniel Andrews says his Government will explain changes to the state's coronavirus restrictions on Monday, after the National Cabinet agrees to a three-step process of lifting restrictions to create a "COVID-safe economy".




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Is your steak safe to eat? Abattoir coronavirus outbreak leaves consumers wondering

A coronavirus outbreak at a Melbourne abattoir has left consumers wondering about food safety — but experts say meat is still very safe to eat, and any risk is "ridiculously small".