Source: brisbanetimes.com.au   The next stage of a major gas project in Queensland's Surat Basin has been hailed as a win-win for gas supply and jobs in the region. The Ruby Project, a joint venture between QGC and Shell, is set to drill 161 new gas wells in the region, starting later this year. Queensland Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham said the project would have major benefits. "This is wonderful news, especially because it's 350 new jobs in ...

Source: Amy Remeikis, Sean Nicholls, brisbanetimes.com.au   Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has started dismantling Australia's sweeping ban on coal seam gas drilling, arguing a new scheme to divert a share of government royalties to farmers will overcome furious opposition in the bush. Mr Joyce on Friday embraced a South Australian government plan to pay farmers 10 per cent of royalties in exchange for allowing gas wells on their land, saying the scheme should be ...

Source: Ross Gittins, brisbanerimes.com.au If you learn nothing else about the economy, remember that it moves not in straight lines but in cycles of good times followed by bad times, and bad times followed by good. Nowhere is that truer than with our famed "two-speed economy". For most of the decade to 2012, the resources boom meant that the two main mining states Queensland and, especially, Western Australia were growing much faster than the rest of the economy, whi...

Source:  CoreLogic As commodity prices and mining investment has sunk, demand for housing in mining areas has also slowed. This week we take a look at the performance of some of the major mining towns. Mining towns and regions across the country have been hard hit as investment and commodity prices have slumped.  This week we're looking at how the housing market has performed in terms of the volume and median price of sales across these regions.  The results indicate t...

After many months of lobbying for the Queensland Government to withdraw their newly introduced transfer duty surcharge on foreign investment, the property industry has lost their battle. "As announced in the State Budget 2016-17, additional duty of 3% will apply to acquisitions of residential land by foreign persons (including companies and trusts) from 1 October 2016." - Queensland Government

What does this mean for foreign investors?
For an investment property wi...