The latest PropTrack report, released on Monday, showed prices rose 0.1 per cent over the month and climbed 8.8 per cent across 2025.
Sydney and Melbourne ease at year end
Home prices in Sydney and Melbourne both declined by 0.3 per cent in December, marking a softer finish to the year for Australia’s two largest housing markets.
Despite the monthly falls, prices in both cities remained well above year-earlier levels. Sydney’s median home value reached $1.24 million after annual growth of 6.4 per cent, while Melbourne recorded a median of $854,000 following a 4.5 per cent rise over the year.
Strong momentum in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth
Brisbane’s housing market continued to surge, with the median home price tipping above $1 million to $1.01 million after annual growth of 14.6 per cent.
Adelaide was the strongest-performing capital city in December, recording a 0.8 per cent monthly increase to a median of $908,000. Prices in the South Australian capital rose 12.8 per cent over the year.
Perth also delivered robust gains, rising 0.5 per cent over the month to a median value of $950,000, supported by annual growth of 17.2 per cent.
Regional markets outperform over the year
Regional housing markets continued to outperform capital cities throughout 2025, recording stronger price growth both over the month and across the full year.
PropTrack found regional prices rose 0.4 per cent in December and delivered higher annual growth than capital city markets, reflecting ongoing demand pressures and tighter supply conditions.
Growth expected to slow across 2026
REA Group senior economist and report author Anne Flaherty said national home prices were likely to reach further highs in 2026, though the pace of growth was expected to moderate.
“Home prices are predicted to head to new highs in 2026, however, the pace of growth is expected to slow,” she said.
“Price growth in 2025 was supported by three rate cuts.”
With no further interest rate cuts currently anticipated this year, Ms Flaherty said there remained a risk rates could rise if domestic inflation proved persistent.
Supply shortages and policy settings remain key
Ms Flaherty said limited housing supply and sustained demand were likely to continue supporting prices, potentially offsetting the impact of any interest rate increases by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
She also pointed to the federal government’s five per cent deposit scheme as a factor likely to underpin demand, particularly at the more affordable end of the market.
“The Australian government’s five per cent deposit scheme is also likely to support price growth by driving up demand, particularly at the more affordable end of the market,” she said.
Rising construction costs and ongoing labour shortages across the building sector are also expected to keep new housing supply well below what is required, placing continued upward pressure on prices.
Other data confirms strong year for housing
Separate figures released by PropTrack rival Cotality on Friday showed Australian home values rose 8.6 per cent in 2025, adding around $71,400 to the national median dwelling value.
It marked the strongest calendar-year increase in home values since 2021, when prices surged 24.5 per cent amid emergency low interest rates and heightened demand during the pandemic.
Sydney, 5 January 2026: Sydney Metro has today announced the appointment of Lendlease, Mirvac and Coombes Property Group as development and delivery partners for the new Hunter Street metro precinct, marking another significant step forward in the delivery of Sydney Metro West.
The project will deliver a landmark metro station and two over station developments in the commercial heart of Sydney’s CBD.
Lendlease, Mirvac and Coombes Property Group bring together leading expertise in station delivery, commercial development and placemaking to deliver what will be one of Sydney’s most transformative urban projects.
Lendlease in partnership with Sydney Metro will deliver the new Hunter Street Station which will become a central nexus of the Metro West network, connecting Barangaroo, Wynyard, Hunter Street and Martin Place. Set to be one of the busiest stations on the Metro West line, Hunter Street Station is expected to see more than 15,000 people move through the station every hour in the morning peak, with that number to increase to more than 30,000 by 2061.
The precinct will also feature two commercial towers above the station entrances – one to the west on the corner of George and Hunter Streets delivered by Lendlease and the second to the east on O’Connell and Hunter Streets delivered jointly by Mirvac and Coombes Property Group. Each tower will be activated by retail and hospitality offerings, alongside high-quality public spaces and laneways that create a destination for work, culture and connection.
Lendlease is expected to commence construction of the station’s main works in late 2026, with the station scheduled to open in 2032 in line with the opening of Metro West services. The over station developments are targeted to complete following the station opening.
Quotes attributable to Tom Mackellar, CEO Development, Lendlease
“Lendlease brings extensive experience in delivering city shaping, integrated station developments, including Metro Martin Place and Victoria Cross, and will apply that expertise to set new benchmarks for transport-led precincts with the delivery of the Hunter Street project.
“We’re looking forward to working with Sydney Metro to deliver a seamlessly connected destination that integrates workplaces, retail and public spaces, creating long-term economic and social value for Sydney.”
Quotes attributable to Stuart Penklis, CEO Development, Residential & Commercial Mixed Use, Mirvac
“We are thrilled to partner with Coombes Property Group to deliver one of the two landmark office towers, which will redefine the Sydney CBD office market and set a new standard for premium workplaces.
“Directly connected to the new Hunter Street Metro Station, the building offers unrivalled accessibility and is designed to achieve the highest sustainability ratings, including Platinum WELL. Leveraging our ability to deliver premium office developments, this will be a future focused workplace that brings together cutting edge design, technology and environmental performance in the heart of the CBD.”
Quotes attributable to Michael Coombes, CEO, Coombes Property Group
“Coombes Property Group is proud to be co-owner and co-developer of the East Over Station Development at Hunter Street alongside Mirvac, to deliver one of the most significant city-shaping projects in Sydney’s CBD.
“The precinct will contribute meaningfully to the city – creating enduring commercial space, high-quality public amenity and a connected destination that serves the workforce and wider community. Working alongside Grimshaw Architects, we are delivering a premium, sustainable workplace directly connected to the new Metro at the heart of Sydney’s commercial core.”
Joint media release: Powering the renewable energy transition: a year in review DCCEEW
Australia set to miss green energy goal by up to a decade The Australian
Writer and broadcaster Kel Richards analyses the Liberal Party abandoning net zero as power prices are up 40 per cent since Labor implemented the renewables agenda. facebook.com
Belatedly noting ‘Topical Report #2 Australia’s Progress to Net Zero by 2050’ WattClarity
Mixed report card for green energy push The Australian
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has been ranked the number one manager for both bonds and syndicated loans in Bloomberg’s 2025 Australia League Tables, underscoring its leadership in a year when Australia’s bond market came close to setting a new issuance record.
Throughout 2025, CBA supported clients to raise over A$120bn across 139 bond issuances and in excess of A$62 billion from a broad range of syndicated loan activity. This contributed to a near-record year for Australia’s bond market, with total issuance (at A$320.07 billion) approaching the all-time high of A$324.66 billion set in 2024.
In a sign of the market’s growing depth and maturity, Australia’s bond market drew increased interest from both off-shore investors and issuers, with Kangaroo bonds – debt denominated in Australian dollars but issued by foreign entities – contributing A$66.71 billion, or 21% of this year’s new issuance.
“We’ve been trusted to assist more issuers and investors in accessing Australia’s debt capital markets in 2025 than ever before. The momentum we’ve seen in 2025 – with many clients identifying Australia as a preferred market for frequent issuance alongside the US and Europe, and the continued growth in foreign participation – signals a new level of maturity in Australia’s capital markets,” said Chris McLachlan, Executive General Manager Global Markets at Commonwealth Bank. “As we look ahead to 2026, we expect to see further product development and innovation, enabling our financial system to support even greater demand and opportunity for our clients.”
“Every dollar of capital we help bring into Australia’s markets is an investment in the country’s future, funding new infrastructure, supporting businesses, and strengthening the foundations of our financial system. Strong and sustained capital inflows are essential for a dynamic and competitive economy. By deepening Australia’s capital markets and broadening the investor base, we’re enabling more efficient funding for innovation, job creation, and long-term investment—benefiting not just our clients, but the economy as a whole,” McLachlan said.
CBA’s leadership in the league tables reflects the bank’s ability to deliver for clients across the full spectrum of debt products including residential mortgage-backed securities, government, semi-government, corporate, securitisation, and private placements.
“Our franchise strength is underpinned by the breadth of our product suite and our consistent presence in every segment of the market, with our team’s capability to facilitate the flow of global capital into Australia,” McLachlan added. “Our focus remains on delivering insights, liquidity and execution excellence for our clients, no matter how the market landscape shifts in the year ahead.”
Good morning and welcome to our first markets live blog of 2026, where we’ll bring you the latest price action and news on the ASX and beyond.
Australian shares are set to edge higher at open on Monday, with energy stocks expected to be in focus after the US strike on Venezuela sparked concerns about oil supplies.
ASX futures were up 11 points or 0.1 per cent to 8,718 at 8:30am AEDT.
At the same time, the Australian dollar was down 0.2 per cent to 60.70 US cents.
Spot gold gained 0.4 per cent to $US4,329, while Brent crude oil was sitting at $US60.75 a barrel.
New laws, regs for the new year include rules on pay transparency for job postings and harsher penalties for impaired driving offences
New laws and regulations are coming to Ontario in the new year, including rules on pay transparency for job postings and harsher penalties for impaired driving offences.
Here are some of the rules and changes coming into effect as of Jan. 1:
WORKFORCE
The province is taking measures to compel employers to disclose salary information on job postings.
Some of the changes include requirements that employers with more than 25 employees note compensation ranges in publicly advertised job postings and disclose the use of artificial intelligence in screening, assessing or selecting applicants.
The new rules stipulate that the annual salary range on a posting must not exceed a gap of $50,000, unless the job pays more than $200,000, or where the top end of the range is more than $200,000.
The province says certain employers will be required to disclose in job postings whether a vacancy currently exists, and to respond to interviewees within 45 days after their interview.
Also new as of Jan. 1 are changes to Ontario’s “as of right” framework that will allow certified professionals from other Canadian jurisdictions to start working in the province within 10 business days, for up to six months while completing their full registration, once a regulator confirms their credentials and requirements. The province says these rules apply across professions regulated by more than 50 non-health regulatory authorities and 300 certifications and include engineers, architects and electricians.
HEALTH CARE
Ontario’s “as of right” rules will also expand to 16 additional out-of-province health professions, including optometrists, pharmacists, physician assistants and dentists.
The province says an amendment to its immigration act also updates the list of eligible licence classes for self-employed physicians applying to Ontario’s immigrant nominee program, as part of efforts to attract and retain foreign doctors.
The province is also expanding the scope of practice of midwives and Indigenous midwives and making changes to the provincial newborn and prenatal screening programs. The new rules add 29 tests to the list of tests midwives can order, and also adds multiple tests to the province’s prenatal screening program.
ON THE ROADS
The province says it’s cracking down on impaired driving with new measures that include a lifetime driver’s licence ban upon conviction for impaired driving causing death and mandatory remedial education for first-time alcohol or drug-related occurrences on the road.
Ontario is also introducing an escalation of licence suspensions for vehicle theft, such as a lifetime suspension for a third conviction.
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
The Ontario government will no longer consider Canadian Disability Benefit payments as income when determining eligibility for child care fee subsidies.
HOME SAFETY
Starting Jan. 1, new rules will take effect on the installation of carbon monoxide alarms in houses, apartments and condo units. A CO alarm must be installed on every storey of the home, including levels that don’t have sleeping areas. The new requirements also include installing CO alarms if the home is heated by air from a fuel-burning appliance that is not contained within the unit.
RECYCLING
Starting Jan. 1, Ontario will implement a provincewide recycling material list that it says will help eliminate confusion over what can be recycled, as control of blue box programs shifts to manufacturers and producers instead of municipalities.
The new list also expands the items that can be recycled to include hot and cold beverage cups, black plastic containers, ice cream tubs, toothpaste tubes, deodorant and more.
Ontario will also change some blue box recycling targets for businesses, including removing the requirement to collect beverage containers in commercial locations.
ALCOHOL SALES
Ontario is amending a regulation to set a minimum retail price for five-litre containers of wine sold in grocery and convenience stores. New measures will also remove restrictions on displaying energy drinks next to alcohol products, and remove requirements for grocery and convenience stores to maintain a dedicated alcohol sales section on their websites.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 31, 2025.
Ongoing Disclosure Notice
Disclosure of Directors and Senior Managers Relevant Interests
Sections 297(2) and 298(2), Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013
To NZX Limited; and
Name of listed issuer:
NZME Limited (NZX: NZM)
Date this disclosure made:
5-Jan-26
Date of last disclosure:
30-May-25
Director or senior manager giving disclosure
Full name(s):
David Wylie Mackrell
Name of listed issuer:
NZME Limited
Name of related body corporate (if applicable):
Not applicable
Position held in listed issuer:
Former Chief Financial Officer
Summary of acquisition or disposal of relevant interest (excluding specified derivatives)
Class of affected quoted financial products:
Ordinary shares in NZME Limited (NZX: NZM)
Nature of the affected relevant interest(s):
1. Registered holder and beneficial owner.
2. Cancellation of performance share rights to receive ordinary shares in NZME Limited subject to a performance period in accordance with the terms of the NZME 2024 Total Incentive Plan – LTI.
3. Cancellation of performance share rights to receive ordinary shares in NZME Limited subject to a performance period in accordance with the terms of the NZME 2025 Total Incentive Plan – LTI.
For that relevant interest-
Number held in class before acquisition or disposal:
1. 653,904.
2. Not applicable as the performance share rights do not constitute a class of financial products.
3. Not applicable as the performance share rights do not constitute a class of financial products.
Number held in class after acquisition or disposal:
1. 713,285.
2. Not applicable as the performance share rights do not constitute a class of financial products.
3. Not applicable as the performance share rights do not constitute a class of financial products.
Current registered holder(s):
1. David Wylie Mackrell.
2. Not applicable.
3. Not applicable.
Registered holder(s) once transfers are registered:
1. Not applicable.
2. Not applicable as a cancellation.
3. Not applicable as a cancellation.
Summary of acquisition or disposal of specified derivatives relevant interest (if applicable)
Type of affected derivative:
Not applicable
Class of underlying financial products:
Not applicable
Details of affected derivative-
The notional value of the derivative (if any) or the notional amount of underlying financial products (if any):
Not applicable
A statement as to whether the derivative is cash settled or physically settled:
Not applicable
Maturity date of the derivative (if any):
Not applicable
Expiry date of the derivative(if any):
Not applicable
The price specified in the terms of the derivative (if any):
Not applicable
Any other details needed to understand how the amount of the consideration payable under the derivative or the value of the derivative is affected by the value of the underlying financial products:
Not applicable
For that derivative,-
Parties to the derivative:
Not applicable
If the director or senior manager is not a party to the derivative, the nature of the relevant interest in the derivative:
Not applicable
Details of transactions giving rise to acquisition or disposal
Total number of transactions to which notice relates:
Three
Details of transactions requiring disclosure:
Date of transaction:
5-Jan-26
Nature of transaction:
1. Issue of shares as a result of automatic exercise of share rights issued under the 2024 Total Incentive Plan – STI for no cash consideration. Further details of that tranche are included in NZME’s Annual Report.
2. Cancellation of 182,985 performance share rights to receive ordinary shares in NZME Limited under the NZME 2024 Total Incentive Plan – LTI.
3. Cancellation of 154,066 performance share rights to receive ordinary shares in NZME Limited under the NZME 2025 Total Incentive Plan – LTI.
Name of any other party or parties to the transaction (if known):
NZME Limited
The consideration, expressed in New Zealand dollars, paid or received for the acquisition or disposal. If the consideration was not in cash and cannot be readily by converted into a cash value, describe the consideration:
Nil
Number of financial products to which the transaction related:
1. 59,381 ordinary shares.
2. 182,985 performance share rights, which would have converted on a one-for one basis to ordinary shares in NZME Limited if they had vested at the expiry of the performance period.
3. 154,066 performance share rights, which would have converted on a one-for one basis to ordinary shares in NZME Limited if they had vested at the expiry of the performance period.
If the issuer has a financial products trading policy that prohibits directors or senior managers from trading during any period without written clearance (a closed period) include the following details—
Whether relevant interests were acquired or disposed of during a closed period:
Yes
Whether prior written clearance was provided to allow the acquisition or disposal to proceed during the closed period:
1. Not required – issue of new shares.
2. Not applicable as the cancellation of the performance share rights is not subject to closed period restrictions.
3. Not applicable as the cancellation of the performance share rights is not subject to closed period restrictions.
Date of the prior written clearance (if any):
Not applicable
Summary of other relevant interests after acquisition or disposal:
Class of quoted financial products:
Ordinary shares in NZME Limited (NZX: NZM)
Nature of relevant interest:
1. Legal and beneficial interest in ordinary shares in NZME Limited.
2. Beneficial interest in performance share rights to receive ordinary shares in NZME Limited pursuant to the NZME 2023 Total Incentive Plan – LTI.
3. Beneficial interest in performance share rights to receive ordinary shares in NZME Limited pursuant to the NZME 2024 Total Incentive Plan – LTI.
4. Beneficial interest in performance share rights to receive ordinary shares in NZME Limited pursuant to the NZME 2025 Total Incentive Plan – LTI.
For that relevant interest,-
Number held in class:
1. 713,285
2. 148,747
3. 0
4. 0
Current registered holder(s):
1. David Wylie Mackrell
2. Not applicable
3. Not applicable
4. Not applicable
For a derivative relevant interest,-
Type of derivative:
Not applicable
Details of derivative:
The notional value of the derivative (if any) or the notional amount of underlying financial products (if any):
Not applicable
A statement as to whether the derivative is cash settled or physically settled:
Not applicable
Maturity date of the derivative (if any):
Not applicable
Expiry date of the derivative (if any):
Not applicable
The price’s specified terms (if any):
Not applicable
Any other details needed to understand how the amount of the consideration payable under the derivative or the value of the derivative is affected by the value of the underlying financial products:
Not applicable
For that derivative relevant interest,-
Parties to the derivative:
Not applicable
If the director or senior manager is not a party to the derivative, the nature of the relevant interest in the derivative:
Not applicable
Certification
I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the information contained in this disclosure is correct and that I am duly authorised to make this disclosure by all persons for whom it is made.
Signature of director or officer:
Date of signature:
or
Signature of person authorised to sign on behalf of director or officer:
Date of signature:
5-Jan-26
Name and title of authorised person:
Paul Gillick, Senior Legal Counsel
‘It’s a big budgetary impact’: The Sault’s largest shopping centre — in receivership and still up for sale — will be paying a much smaller tax bill this year
The Sault’s largest shopping centre has won a lengthy behind-the-scenes battle over its property tax bill — not just for this year and beyond, but for the previous six years.
SooToday has learned that the company behind Station Mall recently reached a settlement in a property assessment appeal that dates all the way back to 2020.
The outcome cost the city more than $2-million in immediate lost revenue, as portions of previous tax payments had to be credited. Going forward, the mall’s annual tax bill will also drop by nearly $450,000 — to approximately $2.72 million from $3.17 million.
Bottom line: Station Mall’s waterfront property is now assessed at $62.7-million, more than $10-million less than the previous assessment of $73-million.
News of the property tax reduction comes as the Sault’s signature mall remains in court-ordered receivership — and still up for sale.
In fact, it was the mall’s recent financial troubles that revealed the assessment appeal, a process that typically unfolds behind closed doors unless a formal hearing is held.
As SooToday first reported, the southern Ontario company that purchased Station Mall in 2022 for $30-million later defaulted on its mortgage, triggering legal proceedings by the lender, Algoma Central Properties Inc. (Algoma Central built the mall in the early-1970s, then provided a vendor take-back mortgage of $18-million when it sold the plaza to Markham-based SM International Holdings Ltd.)
Algoma asked a judge in 2024 to place the mall under the control of a third-party receiver who could change the locks, manage the books and market it for sale. But SM International fought back, insisting it was on the brink of repaying the debt.
In one sworn affidavit, company president Yeung Mou said he’d “made arrangements to have family money” from China wired to Canada after a previous attempt at new financing fell through.
Mou’s affidavit also disclosed a “yet unresolved property tax appeal, which, if successful, would result in a material tax credit and a substantial reduction in the property taxes payable in respect of the mall.”
That family money from China never arrived, and the mall was officially placed in receivership last January. But the property assessment appeal — which actually began years earlier — continued to play out in private.
It was a drawn-out process, to say the least.
All property values in Ontario are set by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), an independent body. Cities then use those assessments to calculate individual property taxes.
A homeowner who disagrees with their assessment has the right to file a “request for reconsideration” with MPAC. But for commercial and industrial properties, the appeal process is different. Those cases are handled by a tribunal known as the Assessment Review Board (ARB), with MPAC on one side of the table and the owner on the other.
Although the city is not a party to such appeals, staff closely follow the process and provide input.
“In that case, it was more monitoring the exchange between MPAC and the mall owners,” said Tom Vair, the city’s Chief Administrative Officer. “The city has the ability to comment if they think anything was out of whack. In that case, we were supportive of the conclusions that MPAC was reaching along the way in the process.”
The city confirmed to SooToday that Algoma Central launched the appeal on March 15, 2021 (when it still owned the property) for tax years dating back to 2020. SM International took carriage of the appeal after it bought the mall in 2022, and then Algoma stepped back in after the property went into receivership.
Unlike houses, which are assessed largely on the basis of fair market value, commercial property assessments are much more complex. Beyond sale price, the calculation can include such factors as property features, rental rates and overall income-generating potential.
As for the specific arguments put forward in the Station Mall appeal, those are not public. Negotiations occurred behind closed doors, and the appeal was ultimately settled in May 2025 “without submissions being filed or a hearing proceeding,” according to an emailed statement from the ARB.
Although the details leading up to the settlement are not public, the final assessed value of all Sault properties is available online. Specific levies can then be calculated against the latest tax rates set by the city.
As mentioned, Station Mall’s annual property taxes are now nearly $450,000 lower than they were pre-settlement. But because the deal also covers the previous six years — 2020 to 2025 — the city endured an additional hit to its coffers of approximately $2.6-million (minus the education levy collected on behalf of the province).
Here’s the other twist: As SooToday previously reported, SM International had racked up millions of dollars in unpaid property taxes at the same time as it fell behind on its mortgage. That means a credit was applied to the outstanding balance instead of a refund cheque.
Either way, it all adds up to lost revenue for the city. Those unpaid taxes would have eventually been paid to the municipality whenever the mall sold.
In an interview, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said the impact of the Station Mall appeal did make it “that much tougher” during last month’s budget deliberations. Sault city council ultimately approved a 2026 budget with a levy increase of 3.87 per cent — but with a zero per cent increase to the municipal portion of the levy.
“It’s a big budgetary impact,” the mayor said, when asked about the Station Mall appeal. “I think the flip side of that coin is that it certainly makes the mall more appealing for potential buyers. We want to see the mall succeed, and so this gives it a better balance sheet. Having a healthy commercial centre is a benefit to the community. The budgetary impacts, we tackle as we face them.”
Shoemaker said the mall appeal is a prime example why the city is so determined to grow the tax base in the Sault.
“Instead of focusing on how to mitigate tax losses from appeals, we have focused on how to grow the tax assessment by incentivizing things like the new Legion building, the prospective apartments at 22 MacDonald Avenue,” he said. “All those are projects that put money into the city’s coffers, that we’ve given municipal grants to see them built. I think that’s where more of the focus is: on making sure we have new assessments to offset assessments that otherwise come off the books.”
Lawyers for Algoma Central did not reply to a request for comment from SooToday.
A line snaked around the lobby of McMenamins’ Kennedy School Hotel in Northeast Portland on Saturday. Hundreds gathered for the company’s first ever Dry January Fest, a showcase of the bubbling interest in non-alcoholic beverages.
More people have been participating in Dry January, when people swear off alcohol for the month following the excesses of the holidays.
Workers pour non-alcoholic wine at the McMenamins Dry January Fest at the Kennedy School in Portland, Ore., on Jan. 3, 2026. It was one of many types of beverages available for people.
Joni Land / OPB
Rachel Flesher, district manager of special events for McMenamins, said they have been seeing more demand from customers for tasty beverages free of booze. That, in turn, inspired an event based around Dry January.
(Editor’s note: McMenamins is a corporate sponsor of Oregon Public Broadcasting. OPB’s sponsors do not shape or influence our editorial coverage.)
“We’re always trying to think of new, fun ways to entertain our guests and the NA market just keeps growing,” Flesher said.
Within minutes of opening, the Kennedy School gym was packed with people lining up for samples of non-alcoholic beers, wines, cocktails and shrubs. The large turnout surprised some of the staff, and even those who bought tickets.
Cameron Larson of Portland sat down with a non-alcoholic Old Fashioned. Larson has participated in Dry January the past three years and said it used to be difficult to find an alcohol-free drink “that actually tasted decent.”
Now, everywhere he goes, he finds a greater variety and quality in these beverages.
“It’s not centralized to Portland or Eugene or Seattle — it’s in the biggest and smallest communities,” Larson said. “It’s pretty inspiring.”
The festival comes as enthusiasm for non-alcoholic drinks has spiked. A Gallup poll published in August 2025 found that 54% of Americans said they drink alcohol, the lowest percentage since Gallup began studying the figure 90 years ago.
Stevie Shaw of Hillsboro attended Dry January Fest and said she stopped drinking last August. The variety of non-alcoholic drinks now available has made the transition easier, even for those who only stop drinking for the month, she said.
“It’s a great reminder that it’s a good time to take a break and give more time to yourself,” Shaw said.
And more businesses in the Pacific Northwest are investing in the creation of non-alcoholic drinks and spirits, as demand for some forms of alcohol has waned. Last year saw the craft brewery industry struggle in Oregon and elsewhere. Rogue Ales and Spirits closed its brewery and restaurants in November, before filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Around 250 people attended the first McMenamins Dry January Fest at the Kennedy School in Portland, Ore., on Jan. 3, 2026. There has been an increase in demand nationwide for booze-free beverages.
Joni Land / OPB
That shift was on full display at the Dry January Fest.
McMenamins corporate chef Mary Minor ran a booth on shrubs, which are often made from alcoholic vinegars. Several years ago, McMenamins’ pubs ordered very little of her non-alcoholic shrubs. Now, they order them by the gallon.
“We are having to do a lot more research and development in that area,” Minor said.
Minor said younger people want more variety in their drinks, whether that’s no alcohol or just less than a traditional beer.
Based on the success of Dry January Fest, McMenamins might consider more events based around non-alcoholic items, Flesher said.
Katherine Dawson is searching for siblings she’s never met.
The 35-year-old is one of an estimated 60,000 Australians who are donor-conceived and whose biological fathers’ identities were kept a mystery.
“I was told you’re not allowed to know who he is, you’re not allowed to know who any of your siblings are and I was really blocked from knowing that information,” Ms Dawson said.
“You see your face in the mirror, and it doesn’t make sense — and as soon as you see this other side of your family, you can place things.“
Ms Dawson began researching the missing pieces of her genetic heritage by visiting clinics to find records and taking ancestry DNA tests.
So far, she’s confirmed she has 53 half-siblings living across South Australia, Victoria and Queensland, as well as overseas.
Katherine Dawson is searching for half-siblings to warn them of a family cancer risk. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)
But she believes she may have up to 700 siblings, including some who may not know they are donor-conceived.
She’s desperately trying to find them to pass on potentially life-saving medical advice about an elevated cancer risk that runs in the family.
“I can’t just sit back and go live my life and forget about it,” she said.
“We’re strangers but we’re siblings, and I care about them — but I’m not allowed to know them.“
State register allows ‘personal journeys’
Ms Dawson is one of 428 people on South Australia’s Donor Conception Register, which was launched in February last year.
The SA government has described it as the first publicly accessible electronic register of its kind in Australia to operate in real-time with retrospective effect.
The online register allows adults who were conceived through donated sperm, egg or embryo in SA — and the parents of a donor-conceived person — to access information about their donor and siblings, such as names, date of birth and gender.
The register is backdated to include treatments carried out in the 1970s and donations made under the condition of anonymity prior to September 2004.
As of December 2025, the register included 428 individuals — 53 donors, 115 donor-conceived, and 153 donor-recipient parents. The remaining 107 were profiles generated for minors whose personal information is protected.
Robyn Lindsay says finding historical records can be challenging. (ABC News: Ashlin Blieschke)
SA Health deputy chief executive for clinical system support and improvement, Robyn Lindsay, said the register allowed people to share personal information, such as contact details or medical history.
“What people then go on and do with the information is not something that SA Health is involved with — that’s part of everyone’s own personal journeys,”
she said.
Prior to 1988, doctors and clinics had no legal requirements to keep records of donor conception treatments.
Ms Lindsay said finding historical records had been challenging, given that some fertility clinics had closed and records could be damaged or missing.
“Information about the donor, and those who received treatment, were even deliberately kept quite separately,” Ms Lindsay said.
“Records deteriorate over time and doctors’ writing, even in the first instance, is often hard to read.”
She said SA Health was trying to verify records with the Births, Deaths and Marriages registry — a process that could take months to complete.
“It’s really important that this information is of high integrity, and it is verified, so that can be frustrating when people are looking for a complete set of information quickly,” Ms Lindsay said.
An urgent health warning
Ms Dawson met her biological father in 2023. She discovered that he was a prolific donor who visited multiple clinics in Victoria over at least six years during the 1980s and under different names.
Through her research, Katherine Dawson has confirmed 53 half-siblings. (ABC News: Guido Salazar)
She hopes the register will be able to link her to more siblings in SA and warn them of a family-cancer risk.
“There might be siblings I’ve got already that have developed bowel cancer, given some of them could be in their 40s now and they should be checking from their mid-20s,” she said.
Ms Dawson said she’d like to see a national register established. It would help other donor-conceived people easily access their genetic information without having to navigate legislation in different states and territories.
“We should be thought about in the long term, and prevented from the potential trauma and potential difficulties and hardships of essentially being stuffed around,” she said.
Growing calls for a national register
Bec Kilday’s search for her donor’s identity has also taken her across state borders.
The 36-year-old, who grew up in Adelaide, has been genetically linked to a Victorian donor whose sperm was sent interstate.
Bec Kilday supports the establishment of a national donor conception register. (ABC News: Michael Donnelly)
“I actually reached out to the fertility clinic that my parents used fairly early on in the journey and asked for what information they might have available … and I got no response,” Ms Kilday said.
But Ms Kilday has so far discovered 27 half-siblings and believes there are more.
She joined the register hoping to uncover more information — not only for herself, but for her donor and Victorian-based siblings, whose IVF procedures weren’t performed in SA.
“I sort of really feel that responsibility for being that link in our story and kind of helping us understand better,”
she said.
Ms Kilday said a national register would eliminate some of the difficulties she had experienced in seeking information from interstate.
“It’s not to say a national register is necessarily going to be quicker — it’s just that if they had access to all of the information it wouldn’t be double handling as much,” she said.
Peter Subramaniam says having medical history in a national donor register would be helpful. (ABC News: Ashlin Blieschke)
Australian Medical Association SA president Peter Subramaniam said the development of a national framework was a “logical next step”.
“We are one country and people in Australia move around,” Dr Subramaniam said.
“We might be born in South Australia but live our adult lives in Queensland, so, absolutely, a national framework would assist with this process.“
He said having a patient’s medical history was a huge benefit for doctors to start preventative early treatments and screenings, but added that it was essential that personal data be handled with sensitivity.
“One of the key risks for any registry such as this is to make sure we get the right information, so we need to have data integrity and data fidelity,” Dr Subramaniam said.
A federal review of the in-vitro fertilisation industry highlighted the lack of a national donor register. (Supplied: Adobe)
“We need to also ensure that the donors — especially retrospective donors before this became law — are given the right amount of support and counselling to help them identify the information they wish to share.“
In September, a federal “rapid review” of the assisted reproductive technology and IVF sector highlighted the risk of unregulated donations and the absence of a national donor register.
The report found while some jurisdictions have their own donor register, the databases are managed independently and are not linked.
“The lack of a nationally linked resource also compromises the ability of donor-conceived individuals to identify or verify donors, siblings, or medical information,” the report found.
The federal health department said ministers had agreed to make a referral to the Australian Law Reform Commission to explore options for harmonising and modernising relevant legislation nationally.
“Opportunities that seek to create more consistency in laws and regulations across jurisdictions for donations should be considered in the future to address this issue,” a spokesperson said.
