Category: 3. Business

The State Government is investing $6.58 million to advance technologies that help WA’s heavy industry transition to net zero emissions by 2050.

Delivered by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, the Carbon Innovation Grants Program (CIGP) supports feasibility studies, pilot projects and capital works focused on carbon abatement and sequestration.

Round 2 of the program will fund 10 projects, such as:

• A seaweed biorefinery to produce plastic alternatives.
• A project to capture CO₂ from ammonia production and create useful by-products.
• A feasibility study into hybrid electrification of quad trailers for regional transport.

The $15 million program, a 2021 election commitment, is administered through a competitive process to encourage innovative solutions for reducing industrial emissions.

These projects will help WA industries adopt low-carbon technologies, strengthen sustainability, and support the state government’s priority to decarbonise the economy.

To find out more and view the full list of recipients click here.

• Cook Government paves way for more housing
  support with the passage of the Help to Buy (Commonwealth Powers) Bill 2025
• Help to Buy will support almost 2,000 low to
  middle-income earners into home ownership each year
• Help to Buy is another joint housing initiative
  with the Albanese Government aimed at increasing affordable home ownership
• Cook Government committed to ensuring every
  Western Australian has a home

Thousands more Western
Australians will now have access to affordable home ownership with the
legislation enabling access to the Commonwealth Government’s Help to Buyschemepassing through the WA Parliament.

Help to Buy will assist
eligible low to middle-income earners to purchase a home with a contribution
from the Commonwealth Government of up to 40 per cent of the purchase price for
new homes and 30 per cent for existing homes.

The scheme will be
available to individuals earning an annual income of up to $100,000 and for
couples with a combined income of $160,000. Eligible participants will be able
to purchase property for up to $850,000 in Perth and up to $600,000 in the rest
of the State, with only a 2 per cent deposit calculated on the purchase price.

The initiative will
improve affordability by reducing both the upfront cost and ongoing mortgage
repayments.

Help to Buy will
complement existing Cook Government initiatives to improve housing
affordability, including Keystart’s new $210 million Urban Connect Shared
Equity product.

Urban Connect Shared
Equity will improve affordability and support investment in multi-residential
developments, with the State Government purchasing an equity share of up to 35
per cent of the home’s value, or a maximum of $250,000, and a deposit of just 2
per cent required.

WA will continue to work
with the Commonwealth on its housing initiatives and Help to Buy is a welcome
partnership approach with the Australian Government to transition more people
into home ownership.

For further information
on Help to Buy, please go to: https://firsthomebuyers.gov.au/australian-government-help-buy-scheme

For further information
on Keystart loan products, please go to: https://www.keystart.com.au/

Comments attributed to Treasurer Rita Saffioti:

“We’re working collaboratively with the Albanese
Labor Government to make housing more affordable for thousands of Western
Australians.

“The Help to Buy scheme will complement the raft of
initiatives our government is rolling out through Keystart including the Urban
Connect Shared Equity product, Skilled Start Home Loans for graduates and
apprentices, and low deposit loans for modular homes.

“Boosting supply is the other key way of improving
affordability and our government is the focus of our additional investment of
around $6 billion in a wide range of initiatives to put WA at the front of the
national pack when it comes to the delivery of new housing.”

Comments attributed to Housing and Works Minister John Carey:

“Our government is investing a record $5.8 billion
in housing and homelessness measures, including the expansion of Keystart to
support more Western Australians into their first home.

The passage of this Bill adds to the vast range of
ways we are working to address pressures in the rental and housing markets.

“WA is already partnering with the Federal
Government to deliver thousands of social and affordable homes, and this joint
initiative demonstrates how we’re continuing to work with the Albanese Labor
Government to increase housing affordability and choice.”

ANZ is forecasting a surge in consumer spending this festive season, with customers expected to inject $5.1 billion into the economy during the holiday shut down period (21 December 2025 to 5 January 2026) – a 4.7% increase on the same period last year.

Spending is expected to be led by categories that capture the holiday spirit, including food and beverages, travel and leisure, digital goods, and precious stones and metals – together accounting for around half of total expenditure.

ANZ General Manager, Deposits and Payments, Kate Britton said: “Customers are embracing the festive spirit and we’re seeing that reflected in their spending habits, both in the lead up to Christmas Day, and the sales that follow it. 

“From travel and leisure to digital goods and luxury items, this seasonal boost offers a significant and welcome uplift for businesses across the country, as consumers use the down time to spoil themselves and their loved ones.” 

One business seeing this trend firsthand is Michael Hill, a long-standing ANZ customer and leading jewellery retailer. CEO of Michael Hill International Limited, Jonathan Waecker, said: 

“Christmas is one of our favourite moments of the year at Michael Hill, and the joy of gifting just keeps getting bigger. This season, we are celebrating with an incredible range of fine jewellery across key price points, making it easier than ever to find something truly special for the people you love.

“Our iconic packaging is more beautiful than ever, so every gift feels magical from the moment it is unwrapped. It is a time filled with sparkle, celebration, and the delight of giving something that lasts.”

Key trends from 2024 ANZ customer data highlights shifting consumer priorities:

• Digital goods (such as digital games, platform subscriptions, digital books and apps) surged 50.9% year-on-year, while precious items rose 24%

• Holiday-driven demand spikes were evident across hotels (+31.9%), vehicle rentals (+31.5%), and wineries (+24.3%), compared to normal trading weeks*

*Normal trading weeks refer to weeks not influenced by an event or festival.

State-by-state insights from 2024:

• QLD, NT, and WA recorded the largest year-on-year increases (10%, 9%, and 8.8% respectively)

• WA had the highest spend per capita ($1,465, up 6.2%), while QLD saw the strongest per capita growth (8%)

Holiday spending patterns:

• Boxing Day rebounds strongly, driven by post-Christmas sales, with $282m spent in 2024 on 26 December alone

• Pre-Christmas spending is consistently high, with $415m spent on Christmas Eve in 2024, up from $295m in 2023

Data refers to the period of 21 December to 5 January.

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For media enquiries contact:

Alexandra La Sala
+61 499 292 554

Kate Power
+61 481 547 556

anzcomau:newsroom/mediacentre/Media-Release

Festive spending: ANZ forecasts $5.1 billion boost during holiday ‘shut down’

2025-12-17

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