September
‘Everyone needs to benefit’: Baird on any carve up of cricket
Cricket Australia wants a decision with state competitions by the end of the year on whether to sell part of its BBL clubs.
August
‘Turnstiles installed’: Italy’s anger over privatised beaches erupts
Protests have been staged over the growing number of clubs, bars and restaurants that block public access to swimming spots during the peak holiday season.
July
Brookfield scoops up $132m from WA rail networks
The Canadian infrastructure group is reaping healthy dividends from its West Australian freight rail business. But the state government wants to buy it back.
November 2024
Victoria to sell loss-making Baw Baw, Lake Mountain ski resorts
The two resorts closest to Melbourne have long needed subsidies to keep operating. But selling them creates dilemmas for the state’s alpine tourism market.
Port of Newcastle’s container terminal pitch tempts foreign investors
The world’s biggest coal export hub has been approached by big investors who want to help fund an expansion that is expected to cost well above $2.5 billion.
October 2024
Victoria’s $8b black box, stamped confidential
In 2022, pandemic-indebted Victoria sold its motor registry to a consortium led by Macquarie Bank. Two years later there is not much to show for it, and the secretive registry is free from scrutiny.
April 2024
Macquarie short-listed in $772m Indian road auction
The Australian bank is competing with a Canadian pension fund for the roads held in India’s Athaang Infrastructure.
March 2024
Port of Newcastle’s container ambitions could cost NSW up to $4.3b
Documents commissioned during the facility’s privatisation, to be published today, show other port owners would be entitled to significant compensation.
Half of $195b toll hit on Sydney drivers will come from WestConnex
Excerpts of a review into NSW toll roads shows drivers will be slugged $195 billion by 2060, but major roads remain clogged at peak hour.
August 2023
I wouldn’t have sold CBA, Albanese says
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a former Commonwealth Bank employee, says keeping the bank in public hands could have been better for customers.
July 2023
Thames Water back from the brink after investors pump in $1.45b
The £750 million of equity Thames Water will receive between now and April 2025 is less than the £1 billion it had said it needed last year.
Britain’s water industry is drowning in dysfunction
This is a simple story. Companies loaded up on debt to juice returns during a period of abnormally low financing costs, then got squeezed when inflation surged.
June 2023
UK in emergency plan to nationalise water supplier
Government ministers are on standby to intervene in the debt-laden business, amid questions over the future of the privatised sector.
Thames Water is a disaster zone and a reckoning is overdue
Under Macquarie’s stewardship, the company was plied with £10.6 billion of debt, and its shareholders extracted nearly £3 billion in dividends.
Super funds ‘unquestionably open’ to taking over more companies
Fund CIOs say private assets offer diversification and performance benefits, amid predictions the ASX is on track to shrink for the first time since 2005.
May 2023
Minns pursues anti-privatisation agenda
Six weeks after Labor claimed victory in the NSW election, Premier Chris Minns is moving to keep Sydney Water and Hunter Water in public hands.
March 2023
Unions ready NSW wage push
Within hours of Labor claiming victory over the Liberals, Unions NSW called the change an opportunity “to restart how we do industrial relations” in the state.
Transition to renewables will be much harder than people think: Broad
The former boss of Snowy 2.0 describes the energy market intervention as ‘madness’ and says consumers are paying the price for past mistakes on industry structure.
Baird: Voters hate sell-offs, but they love the rewards
The former premier, who steered a NSW privatisation agenda, says political leaders should keep an open mind on asset recycling in the next term
February 2023
Cost of living dominates a fiery NSW leaders’ debate
Labor leader Chris Minns attacked the government over asset recycling, and Premier Dominic Perrottet hit out at his opposition’s economic credentials.