Singapore Airlines has increased its direct services to Adelaide to 12 flights a week, adding 1,328 seats. The expanded schedule began on 25 October, making the airline the international carrier with the most weekly year-round flights to Adelaide, according to the South Australian Government. The extra flights will also expand air freight capacity for exporters shipping seafood, meat and other premium produce. Minister for Tourism Chris Picton said the service would give visitors more seats and local businesses greater freight capacity. The actual benefits will depend on demand and how the added capacity is used.
NSW primary industries have recorded a second consecutive financial record, with production valued at $26 billion for 2025–26, according to figures from the state's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. The total rose four per cent, adding $1 billion to the state economy despite variable seasons and higher input costs. Livestock grew 25 per cent to $11.9 billion, driven by record beef exports of $3.7 billion. Barley reached a record $1.1 billion, while horticulture totalled $3.7 billion. Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty announced the results in NSW Parliament.
Australian biofuel producers say millions of litres of domestic biofuel were shipped overseas during the first half of the year, while the country was short of fuel. The Biofuel Producers Alliance wants the federal government to require fuel importers and refiners to buy Australian biofuels. Its chief executive, Matt Hobbs, said the industry could add about three days of supply and ease petrol prices during shocks. The federal government is consulting on a mandate that would begin in 2029. Fuel company groups say the current supply chains have kept fuel flowing despite the Middle East crisis.
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China's economy grew 4.5 per cent in the July-September quarter compared with a year earlier, official data released on Monday showed. The result beat expectations and was up from 4.3 per cent in the April-June period. Exports rose 21.3 per cent over the first nine months, but domestic consumer spending and investment remain weak. The property downturn and falling land sales revenue for local governments are also weighing on recovery.
Australian chickpeas are in strong demand, with delivered prices surging this month towards $1,000 per tonne in some regions. Prices were closer to $600 per tonne earlier in the year. Grains Australia Pulse Council chair Peter Wilson says the price is a great result for growers. He points to global supply chain volatility, lower monsoon rainfall in parts of India, and buyers in several nations seeking supply before Ramadan. Prices are expected to ease as harvest supply increases.
Sandalwood producers in Western Australia say the government has not clearly explained what will replace the current harvesting order, which expires at the end of this year. The order allows 2,500 tonnes of wild sandalwood to be harvested each year. A proposed shift of oversight from the Forest Products Commission to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions has left harvesters and exporters uncertain about future investment. Premier Roger Cook says the government is consulting widely. Some producers, including oil maker Dutjahn, say the transition has been expected and that the industry has had time to prepare.
The Federal Government has introduced legislation to create the National Gas Reservation Scheme, which it describes as a landmark moment and Australia's first national gas reservation scheme. Resources Minister Madeleine King says the aim is to secure gas for domestic and business use at fair prices. The bills include a reservation figure equal to 20 per cent of export volumes, changes made after consultation, and the removal of the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism.
Resources minister Madeleine King says Australian industry will rely on gas for the foreseeable future. Speaking to the National Press Club, she said the national gas reservation scheme should push down power prices. The scheme will require gas companies to set aside 20 per cent of exports for domestic use and is expected to start in January 2028. King did not say when households and businesses would see financial relief. She said there is currently no replacement for gas in some industries.
Researchers at the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility argue Western Australia does not face a gas shortage. They say producers could sell more gas domestically from existing projects. Woodside and the state government maintain the Browse gas fields are needed to avoid a supply crunch from 2030. Gas industry figure Steve Lewis says large projects only proceed with export sales, and that the domestic market is too small. The researchers also say Browse would be expensive and carbon-intensive.
Labor has scaled back its domestic gas reservation scheme before it begins, limiting ministerial discretion over how much gas exporters must reserve. Resources Minister Madeleine King introduced the amended legislation to parliament on Wednesday. The original plan of 20 per cent has become an obligation of up to 20 per cent, and existing contracts are exempt. Critics, including unions, conservationists and business groups, say the draft still leaves exporters loopholes to sell to overseas buyers. A report also argues Western Australia's domestic gas shortfall stems from exporters choosing higher-priced markets rather than a lack of supply.
Labor has scaled back its domestic gas reservation scheme before it begins, limiting ministerial discretion over how much gas exporters must reserve. Resources Minister Madeleine King introduced the amended legislation to parliament on Wednesday. The original plan of 20 per cent has become an obligation of up to 20 per cent, and existing contracts are exempt. Critics, including unions, conservationists and business groups, say the draft still leaves exporters loopholes to sell to overseas buyers. A report also argues Western Australia's domestic gas shortfall stems from exporters choosing higher-priced markets rather than a lack of supply.
Commentators warn Brazil, the world's leading beef exporter, could take share from Australia in key export markets. Brazil sends beef to 130 countries, while Australia shipped 1.5 million tonnes to 83 countries in 2025, worth $19.6 billion. China's new 55 per cent tariff on Brazilian beef from 1 October has pushed surplus volumes into other markets. Rabobank analysts say Japan and South Korea could open to Brazilian beef later this year, a development Australian producers are watching closely.
