According to The Australian Financial Review, a top Japanese business leader and former head of Nippon Steel says Australian coal and gas will remain vital for Japan’s energy needs for decades, but fears the lack of new investment in fossil fuels threatens the country’s energy security.
Akio Mimura, the chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce of Industry who has overseen major investments in Australia, said it was vital that Japan maintained secure supplies of energy sources with Australia at a time when his country’s power needs looked increasingly fragile.

https://www.afr.com/world/asia/japan-s-industry-urges-secure-supplies-of-australian-energy-20221012-p5bpd0

 

According to The Australian Financial Review, a pharmaceutical solution is on the horizon for Australian farmers under pressure to reduce methane emissions from cattle and other livestock.
The pharmaceutical breakthrough comes amid growing pains with the CSIRO-developed seaweed solution backed by Andrew Forrest, Woolworths and GrainCorp.
Farmers are desperate for a cheap, reliable and practical methane-busting feed additive, with Australia set to sign up to US president Joe Biden’s pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.

https://www.afr.com/companies/agriculture/methane-busting-pharma-solution-for-cattle-industry-20221013-p5bph0

Australia hopes to revive the country’s post-pandemic tourism industry with a fresh marketing campaign to draw travellers from Japan and other parts of the world, making up for some of the lost revenue from big-spending Chinese visitors.
Trade Minister Don Farrell said he expected pent-up demand from foreign tourists to visit would kick in once ticket prices fell and airlines put on more flights.
The new campaign was revealed on a giant billboard in Tokyo’s popular Shinjuku district of bars and restaurants recently. Featuring an animated kangaroo named Ruby, the slogan is “Come and say G’day”.

https://www.afr.com/world/asia/australia-looks-to-reboot-international-tourism-with-new-campaign-20221011-p5bova

According to The Australian Financial Review, trade Minister Don Farrell has reassured Japan that Australia is a committed energy trading partner after Tokyo raised concerns that a global commodity shortage could lead to vital gas supplies being diverted for domestic use.
In a speech to an Australia-Japan business forum in Tokyo recently, Mr Farrell also pitched Australia as a world leader for supplying hydrogen and an alternative source to China of critical minerals.
“We take our role as a key energy trade partner for Japan seriously, and are committed to maintaining this partnership,” Mr Farrell said on his first official visit to Japan.

https://www.afr.com/world/asia/australia-assures-japan-it-can-count-on-energy-supply-20221009-p5bodd
 

According to The Australian Financial Review, hotel management company Staywell Hospitality will bring one of Japan’s most luxurious accommodation brands, Prince Akatoki, to Sydney and Melbourne, as part of plans to ramp up its business in Australia.
Staywell, which was bought by Prince Hotels, a subsidiary of Tokyo-listed conglomerate Seibu Holdings in 2017, operates 10 hotels and 553 rooms in Australia under its locally developed Park Regis and Leisure Inn brands. Its largest hotel is the 122-room Park Regis City Centre in Sydney.
As Seibu Holdings looks to grow its global hotel portfolio from 84 locations to 250 over the next decade, Staywell president Simon Wan said it planned to open its first Prince Akatoki in Sydney by 2025 and a second in Melbourne by 2026.

https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/luxury-japanese-hotel-prince-akatoki-coming-to-sydney-and-melbourne-20221003-p5bmqm

 

According to The Australian Financial Review, Japanese lenders Mizuho and SMBC have joined Carsales.com’s now 10-strong bank syndicate, and helped fuel its newly acquired trucks and recreational vehicle platforms owner Trader Interactive.
Following months of talks with existing and new banks, Carsales has ruled off a record $1.6 billion debt package, split into 18-month, three- and five-year credit facilities.
It is understood Mizuho, SMBC and French bank BNP Paribas were the three new faces in the syndicate, while each of Carsales’ existing banks opted to go again.
The seven existing banks included Australia’s big four, MUFG, HSBC and Bank of China.

https://www.afr.com/street-talk/japanese-banks-take-carsales-debt-for-a-spin-20221003-p5bmo5

According to The Australian Financial Review, taxpayers will help fund Fortescue Metals’ first major Australian hydrogen project after the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) confirmed it would support the conversion of a fertiliser plant near Brisbane.
ARENA committed $13.7 million to the final stage of study into a possible revival of Incitec Pivot’s Gibson Island plant, which is bound for closure under its existing business model of converting methane gas into ammonia.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/taxpayers-back-fortescue-and-incitec-s-hydrogen-conversion-20221007-p5bnx1

According to The Australian Financial Review, the Rio Tinto executive charged with developing its lithium assets says critical minerals are becoming diamond-like in terms of the focus on provenance.
Rio Tinto minerals chief executive Sinead Kaufman said “One part of the portfolio for me in Rio Tinto is diamonds, and so we have done a lot of work over the years on the provenance and sustainability of diamonds and where they have come from.
Rio would move downstream in lithium because it was unrealistic to simply mine and sell the key battery ingredient as a bulk commodity.
“I feel like you have to go downstream to be able to understand fully the value of the product and also understand the needs of your customer. How far downstream will depend greatly on different jurisdictions and different countries,” she said.

https://www.afr.com/companies/mining/rio-minerals-boss-compares-lithium-to-diamonds-20220928-p5blng
 

According to The Australian Financial Review, Queensland will end its reliance on coal-fired power generation by 2035 – up to a decade earlier than planned – as part of its new energy plan to have 80 per cent renewable energy by 2035.
But the resources sector has warned the Palaszczuk government to manage the transition carefully to avoid the blackouts that have plagued European countries who moved away from fossil fuels too quickly.
Pumped hydro and the creation of “super grids” to connect 22 gigawatts of new renewable projects form part of the $62 billion plan launched by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Brisbane recently.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/qld-to-cut-off-coal-power-by-2035-20220928-p5bljs
 

According to The Australian Financial Review, almost 2.2 million Australians are millionaires after soaring asset prices pushed another 390,000 adults onto the top rungs of the global wealth ladder, according to a report by Credit Suisse that says Australians are the richest people in the world.
Australia was the fourth-richest country in 2021 behind Switzerland, the US and Hong Kong. The average Australian adult was worth $US550,110 at the end of last year, after enjoying a $US66,350 annual increase in wealth.

https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/australians-are-the-world-s-richest-people-20220920-p5bjg4