Asian woman looking at Supermarket empty toilet paper shelves amid COVID-19 coronavirus fears, shoppers panic buying and stockpiling toilet paper preparing for a pandemic.

‘A few extras’ is enough to empty fragile shop shelves

By Jennifer Macklin and Ananya Bhattacharya If you’ve topped up your tank at a petrol station recently, did it feel like you were “panic buying”? Or did it feel
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Portrait of cheerful female traveller by sea

Tourist spending up 15% as Japanese numbers surge

Japanese tourists are flocking to Brisbane in record numbers as spending by international visitors rose nearly 15 percent in a single year. Figures released by the
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Australia Parliament Sits

Treasurer warns inflation could reach 5% this year

By Michelle Grattan Australia’s inflation rate could peak in “the high 4s or even higher” this year, according to Treasury modelling, Treasurer Jim Chalmers
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Portrait of satisfied mature farmer standing in field preparing to cultivate the land with a tractor.

Reserve faces big issues in fight against toxic inflation

By John Hawkins The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has lifted official interest rates for the second time this year as it struggles to bring inflation under control,
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Worried family reading bad news on bills at home

Interest rates to rise despite the economic shocks

By Shane Rodgers Mortgage holders are facing more pain after the Reserve Bank decided to lift the cash rate a further 25 basis point to 4.1 percent. The Reserve Bank
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Woman inspecting equipment and workers manufacturing in textile factory

Economic growth slows across major world economies

Economic growth slowed across major economies in the final quarter of 2025, OECD data released overnight shows. The OECD figures revealed Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of
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Man shopping at a clothing store

Households winding back discretionary spending

Household spending has fallen for the first time in 17 months as cost of living pressures and rising interest rates hit hard. The CommBank Household Spending Insights
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Young sad woman leaning on shopping cart while standing among produce aisle at supermarket.

Australia’s inflation falling out of step with global trends

Australia’s stubbornly high inflation rate is starting to look out of kilter with Consumer Price Index (CPI) results across industrialised countries. Year-on-year
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consumer confidence - Newsreel

Consumer confidence hits 3-year low

Consumer confidence has hit the lowest level since 2023, while wages hold steady and the job market remains strong, according to surveys by major banks. The ANZ-Roy
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Couple having financial problems

Qld house prices jump nearly 14% in a single year

The average price of a Queensland dwelling jumped by nearly 14 percent during 2025. In the December quarter alone, the average price of a dwelling in the state rose 4.8
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