February
EV bus builder GoZero clinches $400m valuation; kicks off IPO campaign
Morgans and MA Moelis Australia have been appointed joint lead managers on the IPO and will be in the fast lane for a mid-2025 listing date.
January
Greens promise $95b in new spending in one month
The minor party’s latest pitch is for Canberra to spend $8 billion over four years to underwrite 50¢ public transport fares, saving commuters about $2000 a year.
Changing gears: Kinetic’s sell-side revs up bidders with new pitch
Sell-side adviser Macquarie Capital has done some soul-searching over the Christmas break, fronting up to interested parties with a new pitch.
December 2024
John Holland overhauls executive team as projects struggle
John Holland is searching for a new CEO and its major projects boss will leave in January.
November 2024
Major train network to grind to a halt in pay stand-off
A train network used daily by more than one million people in Sydney could be out of action for days because of industrial action, throwing the transport system into chaos.
October 2024
Ride-sharing robopods are the future of cities
Self-driving, on-demand cars could change the way we move around cities and dramatically increase throughput of congested streets.
Tasmania ferry failures ‘farcical and embarrassing’
Tourists planning to pop their caravans on a big new ship to Tasmania and holiday around the Apple Isle could be stuck on the mainland after state’s “diabolical failure” to build a berth to handle new vessels.
Why Elon Musk’s robotaxis will have to share the road – or disappear
The day after Tesla revealed its driverless Cybercab, the company’s stock dropped 9 per cent. Seismic shifts in transportation happen slowly.
Bids delayed for Kinetic’s $4b auction; buy-side work in short supply
Street Talk’s tally on Sunday revealed no suitor has signed a buy-side mandate yet – an unusual if not unheard of move – ahead of non-binding indicative bids.
September 2024
OPTrust’s bus operator Kinetic juices up forecasts for $4b-plus sale
The business’ geographical expanse – it owns Melbourne’s SkyBus as well as London’s red double-deckers – has befuddled investors and sparked expectations of a breakup.
Australia’s grand new transport hubs lure top restaurants and bars
Sophisticated drinking and dining is now just a ferry or a train-ride away as an explosion of new openings mark the completion of major infrastructure projects.
August 2024
Uber scraps $105m Aussie car-sharing division
Uber will shut down its Carshare business, bringing the end to an Australian experiment it began in 2022 with the $105 million acquisition of Car Next Door.
July 2024
One-bed unit, no car park – the price? Almost $1m
There were not many takers for this nice, but expensive, property. But one buyer valued it differently – and was prepared to pay for that.
June 2024
From 40 red buses in Melbourne to $400m a year and a $4b payday
Bus company Kinetic is one of Australia’s unheralded success stories. In an industry full of family operators, no one has cracked it like Kinetic’s crew.
May 2024
Fifty cents for Qld trains, buses – but they’re still ‘old and slow’
The Queensland Labor government’s slashing of public transport costs has been welcomed, but an advocacy warned of major network issues failing passengers.
Miles’ 50¢ fares unlikely to save Queensland Labor
Queensland Labor’s $150 million pre-election cash splash follows a $1000 power bill rebate, but experts say most voters have already made up their minds.
Macquarie readies sale of $450m-a-year Kinetic; seeks 10x multiple
Kinetic recently ruled off a $1.6 billion refinancing which Macquarie reckons puts it in a position to accelerate the decarbonisation of its fleet.
April 2024
More Queensland construction workers to get at least $200k a year
Civil contractors say the Queensland Labor government has “created a monster” with its civil project conditions that are lifting costs for everyone.
OPTrust’s Kinetic secures $1.6b refinancing; 21 lenders tip in
Of note, Kinetic will bid farewell to more expensive, LBO-style debt in lieu of an infrastructure-style deal that would lower the group’s financing costs.
March 2024
Defining legacy: Brisbane’s messy path to the Olympics
It will be a long haul to transform the QEII stadium to Olympic standard. That’s just one of the hurdles for Queensland.