Have you recently tried to call a tradie for repairs or a renovation and had trouble finding one?

As the federal budget once again focuses on boosting housing supply, one critical issue keeps resurfacing. Australia does not have enough skilled tradespeople to fix and renovate existing homes, let alone build the new homes being promised.

This week’s budget promised some measures to address these issues, including

• A$75.1 million over four years from 2026–27 for a new trade skills assessment system

• $5.6 million over three years from 2026–27 for a new program to recognise skills of people who trained in a trade overseas but aren’t in Australia on a skilled visa (they might, for instance, be here on a different type of visa).

This will help overseas trained tradies get licensed quicker and working in Australia.

The Housing Industry Association lobby group has welcomedthis, but also flagged concerns about cuts to programs aimed at encouraging employers to hire apprentices.

And even with extra overseas-trained tradies getting licensed here, the problems are so longstanding it will take some time to make even a small dent in the shortage.

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Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and other construction trades will remain hard to find. If you’re trying to build, that often means longer waits and higher costs.

Industry groups estimate Australia will need around 116,700 additional construction workers to meet the government’s target of building 1.2 million new homes over five years.

So how did we get here and what are the factors driving the tradie shortage?

1. Young Australians are not attracted to the building trades

For too long, apprenticeships – and vocational education and training in general – have been seen as less important than school subjects that lead to university.

Teachers, careers advisers, parents and members of the media often present post-school academic pathways to university as more valuable. One reason is that many of these people have never done an apprenticeship themselves.

The jobs connected to apprenticeships are often viewed as low status, and as involving more demanding physical or manual work.

Employers have not helped this image issue by insisting on low pay for apprentices while training.

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We’ve seen efforts at short-term fixes, such as the federal government’s recent move to double incentive payments to $10,000 for eligible housing construction apprentices.

However, we still aren’t getting enough young people taking up apprenticeships. And this week’s budget featured changes to measures that aim to incentivise employers to take on apprentices. Housing Industry Australia has said it’s concerned that:

incentives are now limited to small and medium sized enterprises and Group Training Organisations. Large residential building employers will no longer be eligible for direct apprentice incentives […] reducing incentives risks discouraging apprentice uptake, particularly for employers already training at scale.

2. Too many apprentices are still dropping out

Another major ongoing problem is apprentice attrition.

Yes, recent data shows completion rates for trade apprenticeships have improved in construction. But too many apprentices still leave before qualifying. The reasons are often less about the training itself, and more about low pay, poor working conditions and negative workplace experiences.

Research suggests improving workplace conditions may be crucial to reducing attrition.

3. Overseas skills are not being recognised quickly enough

Industry and policy groups have long criticised Australia’s slow and costly processes for recognising overseas trade qualifications. Evidence suggests only a very small share of recent migrants are working in residential construction.

A key issue is that skilled trades are heavily regulated and require formal licensing, gap training and assessment against Australian standards.

Yes, this week’s budget does promise $85.2 million over four years to get migrant tradies working on job sites sooner.

But this will take some time to make a difference. And with net overseas migration expected to fall in Australia in the next few years, it’s clear this won’t be a silver bullet for the tradie shortage.

4. Skilled workers are being attracted to other industries

Another challenge is retaining tradespeople in the residential construction sector as their skills are also sought elsewhere.

During Australia’s mining construction boom, many tradespeople were lured into the mining sector. Mining isn’t what it was 15 years ago, but mining firms continue to offer high salaries and attractive conditions to people who might otherwise be tradies in housing construction.

Demand for skilled tradespeople is also high in other infrastructure projects, such as transport and communications projects. A boom in construction of data centres is also wooing many tradies away from residential building. This is especially true for electricians, air conditioning technicians and telecommunications installers.

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5. Many can’t find housing in regional and rural Australia

The shortage in tradespeople is affecting some parts of Australia more than others.

In many rural and regional communities, many tradespeople struggle to find affordable housing close to work.

This makes it harder to attract and retain workers outside major cities.

A large pipeline of renewable energy and transmission line projects in the regions is also straining local labour pools in regional areas, luring tradespeople away from residential work.

These shortages become especially clear after disasters such as floods or cyclones; repairs are often slow, in part due to difficulties in finding tradespeople.

AUTHORS:

Pi-Shen Seet, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Edith Cowan University

Janice Jones, Associate Professor, College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University

This article was first published on The Conversation

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The land is zoned. Business is willing to invest. About 25,000 homes are waiting to be built across growth corridors from Appin to Nowra. What’s missing, critics argue - and what this week’s federal budget has again failed to deliver at the scale required - is the infrastructure to get them out of the ground.

That is the central frustration behind the Illawarra’s response to Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ fifth budget, which committed $2 billion nationally to fund the roads, water, power and sewage connections needed to unlock new housing supply. The government projects the fund will support 65,000 homes across the country over the next decade. Business Illawarra estimates its region alone needs more than $1.6 billion to unlock its pipeline.

“A $2 billion national fund to support 65,000 homes does not even touch the edges of the problem,” Business Illawarra Director Coralie McCarthy said.

“Our region can deliver more than 50,000 homes on land already zoned — but falls short because enabling infrastructure is not funded. We know more than $1.6 billion is required in our region to make that happen.”

Those homes span priority growth areas including Appin, West Dapto, Shellharbour, Nowra Bomaderry, Calderwood, Kiama and Mittagong. The bottleneck is not planning, not appetite, not ambition — it is unfunded pipes and roads. “This region is not short of opportunity,” Ms McCarthy said. “It is short of coordinated, long-term investment.”

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Qualified support

Chalmers framed the budget as a reckoning with a housing market he called broken, promising to address affordability “from every responsible angle.” Alongside the infrastructure fund, the government wound back negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions for property investors — a contested move expected to help around 75,000 Australians into home ownership over a decade, and one the Treasurer defended as a necessary correction to entrenched intergenerational inequity.

The tax changes drew qualified support from Community Industry Group, which has long advocated for exactly this kind of reform. CEO Nicky Sloan welcomed the measures but argued they didn’t go far enough: “We hope they will also incentivise build-to-rent properties, but we would have liked to see these measures extended to only apply to affordable rental properties.”

Where CI Group was unambiguously positive was on the budget’s $60 million national youth housing supplement. Ms Sloan described it as fixing a structural flaw - what the sector calls the “youth housing penalty” - that has long discouraged providers from offering tenancies to young people and disadvantaged youth-focused bids in competitive funding rounds. “This will help to house 4,000 young people who may otherwise become homeless,” she said. A genuine win, even if it sits within a budget that CI Group noted contains little to directly grow social housing supply.

Scale is not addressed

Housing Trust CEO Amanda Winks made the same point in different terms. With around 4000 people on the social housing waitlist across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven - and thousands more in private rental stress - she said the scale of need demanded more than welcome gestures. Her ask was structural: a permanent Commonwealth investment model, not rolling funding rounds, treating social and affordable housing as essential infrastructure rather than a discretionary spend. And a clear condition on the tax changes: “A meaningful share of any additional housing tax revenue should be reinvested into social and affordable housing. Without reinvestment, the people who need it most risk missing out.”

The confidence backdrop makes all of this harder. Business Illawarra’s conditions survey, currently open, is tracking toward the lowest confidence readings in years, with fuel, energy and insurance costs compressing margins and a regional workforce increasingly unable to afford to live where it works. “Housing is one of our most pressing workforce issues,” Ms McCarthy said. “If people cannot live near where they work, we cannot sustain economic growth or support our communities.”

Chalmers said the government’s 1.2 million home target remained achievable “if everyone does their bit.” The Illawarra’s case is that it has done its bit: zoned the land, identified the corridors, built the business case. What it needs from Canberra is not another national fund spread thin across the country. It needs a multi-year, cross-government infrastructure commitment tied to where the homes can actually be built.

Until then, the gap between the budget’s ambition and the region’s reality will likely be measured in waiting lists, workforce shortfalls, and the slow exodus of key workers who can no longer afford to stay.

• This article draws on statements from Housing Trust, Community Industry Group, Business Illawarra, and the Treasurer’s budget speech and press conference transcripts.

ICAC reportedly investigates UOW

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption is investigating alleged governance improprieties at the University of Wollongong, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. ICAC has spent months probing claims tied to governance, consultant influence and weakened accountability structures, and recently secured a NSW Supreme Court summons for former interim vice-chancellor John Dewar to appear as a witness. The article stresses Dewar is not accused of wrongdoing.

The investigation follows a parliamentary inquiry that blasted NSW universities as “not fit for purpose”, criticising opaque commercial dealings and heavy consultant involvement. UoW was singled out over a 2025 restructure linked to heavier workloads and reduced job security. Whistleblower allegations included conflicts of interest, silencing of internal criticism and “creative accounting” used to justify cuts to jobs and courses.

When asked to comment a UOW spokesperson said: “Any enquiries about the existence or status of investigations by integrity agencies should be directed to the relevant agency.”

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Kiama council granted 12-month financial lifeline

The NSW Government has proposed a 12-month extension to Kiama Municipal Council’s Performance Improvement Order, pushing the deadline to achieve a balanced budget to the 2027–28 financial year. Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig issued the notice to give the council more time to implement staged savings and identify sustainable revenue, reducing immediate pressure for deep cuts to local services and jobs.

While the council has improved its financial management, it still faces a structural deficit and major maintenance costs at Blue Haven Terralong. Under the varied order, the council must prepare an independent business case for Blue Haven, investigate long-term management for its tourist parks, and keep domestic waste services in-house.

Serious challenges

Minister Hoenig emphasised that while progress has been made, “the job is not finished.” He noted that the extension provides a “more measured path to financial sustainability,” but warned the council “still faces serious financial sustainability challenges.” The council has 14 days to respond to the proposed variation.

Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald thanked Minister Hoenig for allowing Council extra time to balance its budget: “I’d like to acknowledge Minister Hoenig for taking time last week to meet with Jane and I directly while we were at Parliament House for the LG8 meeting [on May 7],” he said.

“It was heartening to chat first-hand and listen to his in-depth knowledge of our local government’s unique situation and considered views of our circumstances.

“Now that we have until 30 June 2028 as the deadline, it means Council will not have to make changes to our community and youth services, our libraries, Kiama Leisure Centre, the Visitor Information Centre and the Pilot’s Cottage Museum,” he said.

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Kudos to Robofit

As startup founders know: it’s hard out there. So major congrats to the Wollongong-based Robofit on its fifth anniversary.
Founders Maryanne Harris and her partner Daniel Hillyer began with one clinic in North Wollongong. Now that network includes Mascot and Parramatta in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

Robot is all about combining exercise physiology and physiotherapy with Australia's first neuro-controlled exoskeletons. It is “built on belief and is growing with purpose and celebrates every 1% win”.

Wollongong CBD is serious about growth

Planning changes now on exhibition would protect employment floorspace, slash developer contributions for commercial uses, and let major office projects defer payments until occupation — removing real barriers to investment.

The City Centre Planning Review backs Wollongong’s role as a regional capital, driving more commercial and tourism development where it matters most. Have your say here.

The big ticket

it’s been a big week for everyone at HARS, with John Travolta’s much-loved Boeing 707 finally returning to it final resting place at Albion Park.

If that wasn’t enough excitement there’s always the massive Wings Over Shellharbour 2026 this weekend. It begins with a careers expo today from 9am-2pm, before all the action from 9am-5pm on Saturday and Sunday. Learn more here

After a 35-day journey across oceans and through some of the world’s busiest shipping routes, one of the most famous aircraft ever linked to Australia has finally arrived at Port Kembla.

But while the sight of John Travolta’s former Qantas Boeing 707 rolling off a cargo ship drew crowds at Port Kembla on Wednesday, May 13, the complex logistics operation behind it has been years in the making, and it has one final challenge still ahead: getting the aircraft the last few kilometres to Albion Park.

The massive aircraft fuselage, weighing about 60 tonnes and stretching roughly 40 metres long, is now sitting just 17 kilometres away from its final destination at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) museum at Albion Park.

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For Stephen Hearty, the man coordinating the complex operation for Australian-based freight company AAW Global Logistics, the arrival at Port Kembla marks the culmination of months of planning — and $500,000 in logistics costs.

“It’s definitely been more interesting,” Mr Hearty said.

“I’m really humbled they asked me to jump in and help them out with this.”

The aircraft, a rare Boeing 707-138B built specifically for Qantas, was donated to HARS by actor and aviation enthusiast John Travolta in 2017.

Chair of the HARS Foundation is Maureen Massey explained that the original plan was to fly the aircraft from the United States to Shellharbour Airport under its own power. But after years of engineering complications, regulatory requirements, COVID delays and mounting restoration costs, HARS made the difficult decision to dismantle the aircraft and transport it to Australia by sea instead.

“It was an agonising decision. It took us about six months to decide, but we decided the safest thing was to ship it out,” she said.

That decision launched a logistical puzzle unlike almost anything regularly handled through the Illawarra.

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The fuselage alone was loaded onto an 80-foot Mafi trailer aboard the Wallenius Wilhelmsen vessel Thermopylae in Brunswick, Georgia, before beginning a voyage that travelled through the United Kingdom, Panama, New Zealand, and Brisbane, finally arriving at Port Kembla.

Alongside the fuselage came wings, landing gear, engines, flaps and thousands of individual aircraft components. Many had already arrived in Australia earlier inside 10 shipping containers.

“I’ve been trying really, really hard to plan for contingencies — and contingencies for the contingencies — to make sure if anything goes wrong, I already have a plan in my head,” Mr Hearty said.

“It’s the last mile right now … I’m happy that it made it here all in one piece.”

The operation has involved months of planning between shipping operators, transport companies, customs authorities, biosecurity teams and aviation engineers.

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According to Paul Rabbas from Qube, planning for the arrival at Port Kembla began back in January.

Crews had to calculate the aircraft’s exact weight, length, overhang clearance and ramp angles before the fuselage could even be unloaded safely from the ship.

Because the aircraft extends well beyond the length of the transport trailer beneath it, crews were forced to move it slowly

and carefully down the vessel ramp to avoid striking the overhanging tail section.

“We had to consider everything,” Mr Rabbas said.

“The height, the weight, the length, the overhang - even tidal charts.”

The final leg may prove the most delicate of all.

The fuselage is expected to leave Port Kembla under police escort in the early hours of May 20, travelling by road to the HARS Aviation Museum at Albion Park.

There, volunteers will spend months rebuilding the aircraft piece by piece.

For HARS vice-president Maureen Massey, finally seeing the aircraft arrive in Australia after nearly nine years was emotional.

“It’s been a lot of heartache, a lot of worry, a lot of tears and money,” she said.

“And to see this in fruition now, it’s just amazing.”

While HARS colleague Bob De La Hunty is already focused on next steps. He took a walk around the fuselage and started measuring up just minutes after the plane was parked.

“For the next six months we’ll be putting it all back together again. It’s a huge Meccano.”

Adding that it would take time to get the plane back up and running, but once it was ready to taxi, Travolta was keen to get back behind the wheel.

“That’ll be a major, major event and occasion.”

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The back story

The Boeing 707-138B now at Port Kembla carries nearly two decades of ambition and setback for Albion Park’s Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), a respected volunteer organisation at Albion Park. Built in 1964 and delivered to Qantas as City of Launceston, it eventually found its way to Travolta, one of Hollywood’s aviation obsessives.

The connection between the Pulp Fiction star, a qualified pilot and Qantas ambassador, and HARS dates to 2009, when president Bob De La Hunty took him flying on the museum’s restored Super Constellation and quietly suggested that if he ever parted with his 707, HARS would be interested. Eight years later, Travolta made good.

Certification hurdles, restoration costs, and COVID killed plans for Travolta to fly the jet to Australia himself. Stored in Georgia since 2016 and quietly deteriorating, the 707 eventually forced a pragmatic rethink: if it couldn’t fly home, it would sail.

The final leg: the Port of Brunswick to Port Kembla

The US operation began three months ago when a three-person team from Nebraska-based Worldwide Aircraft Recovery started carefully dismantling the plane, which had been stored at Brunswick Golden Isles Airport in Georgia since 2016.

For the 16,000km sea voyage to Port Kembla via the Caribbean, Panama Canal, New Zealand and Brisbane, the aircraft’s wings, tail and engines were removed from the fuselage.

Vice-president of operations Jay Penry said the Boeing 707 presented challenges because it had to be reduced to just the right size to fit aboard the ship.

“We have successfully relocated thousands of historic aircraft, so being able to save another one is great,” he said.

The firm specialises in dismantling, transporting and reassembling aircraft for museums and aviation organisations preserving historic planes for display or training.

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Bill Simpson-Young has spent decades at the frontier of artificial intelligence, advising governments, shaping national AI policy and helping Australia navigate one of the fastest technological shifts in history.

But these days, the CEO and co-founder of Gradient Institute calls the Illawarra home.

From his base in Wombarra, Simpson-Young is helping to drive conversations around safe, ethical and responsible AI use across Australia, working closely with the Federal Government, major banks, insurers and some of the country’s largest organisations.

The former machine learning researcher, who has worked in AI since the late 1980s, moved to the Illawarra about two-and-a-half years ago after decades in Sydney.

“I just wanted to live in the bush and near the coast,” he said. “I hadn’t really discovered the Northern Illawarra before. A friend of a friend suggested it, and I ended up living surrounded by trees, but ten minutes from the water. I absolutely love it.”

That quieter coastal backdrop hasn’t slowed his work.

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Seven years ago, Simpson-Young and several colleagues founded Gradient Institute, a not-for-profit research organisation focused on ensuring AI systems are developed and deployed safely.

“We were worried about the way AI was going,” he said. “We could see that AI was often being used carelessly by people who didn’t quite understand how it worked.”

Today, Gradient Institute is one of Australia’s leading voices on AI governance. According to the organisation’s newly released 2025 Impact Report, Gradient helped shape Australia’s official AI adoption guidance for business and contributed to international AI safety research and standards development.

The organisation co-developed the Federal Government’s “Guidance for AI Adoption” with the National AI Centre, a framework designed to help businesses safely adopt AI.

“We were trying to make it really easy for Australian companies, particularly small companies, to adopt AI and govern AI well,” Simpson-Young said.

The framework outlines six essential practices for responsible AI governance, including accountability, risk management, transparency and maintaining human oversight.

The guidance also includes practical templates for AI policies, risk screening, and governance processes to help businesses get started quickly.

He warns that the technology comes with real risks, especially as AI agents become more autonomous.

“People think large language models and agents do exactly what you tell them to do. They don’t,” he said. “When you put a prompt into Chat GPT or any general-purpose AI system, it’s a suggestion of what they could do. They can do unexpected things if you don’t have the right protections in place.”

“It’s a real trap for companies,” he said.

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That unpredictability is driving much of Gradient’s current work, including research into the risks of “AI agents”, systems capable of acting autonomously and interacting with other systems.

“One of the things we’re working on now is when you’ve got agents interacting with agents between companies,” he said. “What are the different things that can go wrong?”

The organisation is also running education programs for company directors and executives to help them better understand the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

For Simpson-Young, one of the biggest challenges facing businesses right now is understanding where AI can genuinely add value and where the risks sit.

“A lot of people want to use agent technologies, and there’s such a variety of them, going from really low risk to incredibly high risk,” he said. “Sometimes people put everything in the same bucket.”

He said many organisations were also making the mistake of dismissing AI too quickly after a poor first experience.

“A lot of organisations might adopt some fairly standard AI technology and think, ‘Oh, is that all AI is?’ and they don’t find it useful,” he said. “Then they say, ‘We’ve tried AI, and it wasn’t for us.’ But AI is changing so much, and there are so many different technologies and products out there.”

At the same time, he believes businesses that carefully and strategically embrace the technology stand to gain significant productivity advantages.

“There are very affordable options that are incredibly powerful,” he said. “Companies can get massive productivity gains just by using some of these tools properly.”

Simpson-Young said the pace of change in AI over the past six months alone had been staggering.

“You got to a point in about December last year, January this year, where all of a sudden you could get production-quality software being written fully by AI,” he said.

“That simply wasn’t possible before then.”

In one example, he said a software team recently compressed what would normally have been a 12-week development roadmap into a single day using AI coding agents.

“They literally did 12 weeks of work in one day,” he said.

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He said the implications for business are enormous.

“It’s so easy to write software now,” he said.

But keeping pace with the rapid evolution of AI is a challenge even for organisations working at the cutting edge of the sector.

“We read research papers. We stay close to a lot of big companies ... we try to stay at the leading edge and always be reading the latest research.”

He said Gradient Institute’s team regularly shares internal research and analysis to monitor developments across the fast-moving AI landscape, while also using AI tools themselves to track emerging technologies and risks.

You can sign up to the Gradient Institute’s briefing here.

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As Treasurer Jim Chalmers prepares to hand down another federal budget, attention is once again turning to one of Canberra’s most tightly controlled democratic traditions: the budget lock-up.

For decades, journalists from legacy media organisations have gathered in a secure room, phones confiscated, to scrutinise the government’s fiscal blueprint before its public release.

Last year, this norm was disrupted. The 2025 budget lock-up was unprecedented because the Albanese government invited digital creators (so-called “influencers”) into the room alongside legacy media mastheads.

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Some saw inviting digital creators into the budget lock-up as a political strategy in the lead-up to the 2025 federal election. For others, it was an acknowledgement that communicating fiscal policy to young Australians requires a shift towards the platforms, formats and voices they already trust.

The shift was not without controversy. Some outlets falsely suggested creators were paid or sponsored, portraying them as “self-obsessed and self-promoting Gen Z and Millennial influencers” who had merely “scored an invite”, diminishing their journalistic rigour and independence.

Despite attempts by creators such as Milly Rose Bannister to push back on these criticisms with wit and substance, the episode points to a deeper tension between legacy media and raises a key question: who deserves a seat in the room where it happens?

Institutional gatekeeping and the budget lock-up

In this year’s budget, content creators can again attend the lock-up. However, while last year featured 13 creators, the number attending this week remains unclear. This time, though, there are stricter access requirements, highlighting persistent gatekeeping and unequal treatment compared with traditional outlets.

This year’s expression-of-interest process for creator lock-up access signals that new media is here to stay. What remains unresolved is how to balance inclusivity with accountability – particularly as social-first news brings genuine risks around misinformation circulating without appropriate safeguards.

Our research examines the inclusion of social media content creators who attended the federal budget lock-up last year. Our interviews with these creators reveal a more complex picture than headlines suggest.

In defence of ‘influencers’ in a room with no wi-fi

Many of the creators attending the budget lock-up are trained journalists or have academic backgrounds in law, media and communications. Outlets such as The Daily Aus and Missing Perspectives exemplify this hybrid newsroom model, combining traditional reporting practices and ethics with digital-first storytelling.

Importantly, these creators operate with editorial independence. Their inclusion is not about promotional access but about expanding the diversity of voices interpreting the budget.

As highlighted in the 2025 Digital News Report, these new media content creators wield significant influence, particularly among younger people who are increasingly disengaged from traditional media.

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Australians are increasingly turning to social media as their primary source of news. One in four say social media is their main source of news, with Instagram (40%) and TikTok (36%) the top two platforms for news among 18–24-year-olds.

The rise of digital creators must also be understood in the context of changing media consumption habits. Younger audience habits mean platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and podcasts are not optional extras – they are essential channels for democratic engagement.

Creators bring three key strengths to budget coverage: trust, transparency and relevance. Their established relationships with audiences enable them to communicate complex information in a way that feels accessible and credible.

For many Australians, the federal budget process has long been seen as complex, opaque and difficult to digest. In our interview with Bannister, she explained:

the economy feels like this abstract thing and it’s difficult for young people to see how the economy is working for them, they are more sceptical of the political framing. It needs to be broken down in a way that is closer to their lived reality.

Rather than lengthy analysis, creators produce concise, platform-specific content. The Daily Aus, for example, breaks the budget into digestible segments such as tax cuts, HECS, housing and rent, highlighting real-world impacts.

As cofounder Sam Koslowski explains:

We’re doing more “how the sausage is made” content to demystify journalism. By explaining what to expect from the budget beforehand, audiences better understand our reporting when it lands – and that builds trust.

Their newsletter pulled back the curtain on the budget, explaining what it is, why young people should care about economic policy that can often seem distant from their lives, and how it reflects government priorities and election promises.

Digital creators also play a key role in highlighting issues often underrepresented in mainstream coverage. Platforms such as @womensagenda, @cheekmedia.co and @missingperspectivesuse their access to foreground topics affecting marginalised communities, from First Nations issues to climate, mental health and the cost-of-living crisis.

As the 2026–27 budget is unveiled, the lock-up is no longer just a closed-off room limited to elites. It is being unlocked across digital platforms where young Australians engage with policy in everyday terms.

AUTHORS:

Claire Fitzpatrick, Lecturer, Edith Cowan University

Emily Foley, Postdoctoral research fellow, Flinders University; University of Canberra

• This article was first published on The Conversation

The long-forgotten Cliffhanger Café was once the backdrop for proposals, weddings and special celebrations, its sweeping ocean views making it one of the Illawarra’s most memorable venues. Now, there’s a glimmer of a plan to resurrect the iconic site.

After sitting empty for years, the clifftop venue, at Bulli Tops, is back on council’s radar, with new planning changes and a renewed focus on tourism creating fresh momentum for its revival.

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Wollongong City Council Lord Mayor, Tania Brown, said the site is now entering the early stages of a formal planning process, beginning with the development of a plan of management to guide its future.

“The site’s vacant at the moment and needs a plan of management,” Cr Brown said.
“Once we’ve got that in place, we’ll be able to review the best use of the site into the future and make sure it meets the community’s needs and expectations.”

The process will include community consultation, followed by an expressions of interest phase to gauge whether private operators are willing to invest in the site.

The move comes as part of a broader push by the council to address a shortage of tourist accommodation across the region and encourage more diverse, environmentally sensitive offerings.

Recent changes to Wollongong City Council’s planning framework are helping pave the way for sites like Cliffhanger to be reconsidered.

A new tourism accommodation planning proposal aims to encourage a broader range of visitor offerings across the region, including eco-tourism and low-scale accommodation in escarpment areas.

If approved by the NSW Department of Planning, the changes to the zoning that applies to the Bulli Tops site could make it easier for future operators to explore redevelopment opportunities while still maintaining strict environmental and height controls.

“We’re not just looking at your standard high-rise hotel,” Cr Brown said. “We’re wanting a diverse offering that complements the escarpment, whether that’s eco-tourism or bunkhouse-style accommodation.”

She added that the Grand Pacific Walk and Kembla Mountain Bike Trails are putting the Illawarra on the map for adventure tourism, with the planning proposals a step towards serving that economy.

“We’re looking at mountain biking around Mount Keira, and all of that complements the kind of adventure tourism people want to experience here,” Cr Brown said.

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Historically, the Cliffhanger site has been used for hospitality, but its remote location and limited infrastructure, including challenges with utilities such as water and sewerage, have made it difficult to sustain long-term tenants.

Council documents show the previous lease was terminated in 2017 after the operator fell behind on rent, and attempts to attract new tenants at the time failed to generate interest.

More recent planning proposals aim to change that, with updated zoning and policy settings making tourism-related uses more clearly permissible across escarpment sites.

The bones of the Cliffhanger Café remain on the site, and it still holds a fond place in the hearts of many in the community.

“I worked up there in the 90’s. It was a great place for visitors to experience our beautiful coastal views,” wrote Ruth Day on the Lost Wollongong Facebook page.

Others recall it as a vibrant venue for milestones and celebrations.

“It was a restaurant, The Cliff Hanger Café and Function Centre. My parents ran it. Happy memories for many people, especially those who celebrated their marriage, birthdays, etc.,” said Jodie Tory.

Former staff member Mick Barr remembered its signature dishes. “The Bulli ‘Sizzler’ — steak and chips with bacon and mushroom sauce on a white hot griddle plate — always turned heads when brought out from the kitchen,” he wrote.

Cr Brown said she hoped Cliffhanger could reopen alongside other escarpment sites like Sublime Point and Mount Keira lookout, which she described as “assets the community would much rather see being utilised than sitting empty.”

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In Tuesday’s federal budget, the government is widely expectedto bring in changes to how investment properties are taxed, including negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount.

Ever since the Albanese government’s re-election, there have been growing calls to tax landlords more.

In March, a Senate committee report on the capital gains tax discount concluded:

there is evidence that the concessions provided by the capital gains tax discount, in combination with negative gearing, have skewed the ownership of housing away from owner-occupiers and towards investors.

That suggests rented housing is under-taxed, compared to owner-occupied housing. But is that actually true?

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What landlords pay that homeowners don’t

Some federal and state taxes apply only to rented housing, and not to owner-occupied housing.

At a federal level, this includes personal income tax on net rental income and personal tax on capital gains from housing. At a state level, there are land taxes on investment properties. Owner-occupied homes are exempt.

I’ve gone back through a decade of data from the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to estimate how much revenue these extra taxes on rented housing raised.

In 2022–23 (the most recent year we have complete tax statistics), I calculated landlords paid around A$500 million in personal income tax on their net rent income. However, their interest deductions were unusually low in 2022–23, because interest rates were unusually low.

To get a clearer idea of what happens under more typical circumstances, with higher interest rates, I calculated annual averages of tax payments, using tax data from 2013–14 through to 2022–23.

Over that decade, interest deductions were higher than in 2022–23, leading to net rent income being negative. As a result, instead of paying some tax on their net rent income as happened in 2022–23, landlords typically saved $400 million a year in tax from their net income.

This reflects the negative gearing issue that the Senate reportraised concerns about.

However, landlords also paid other taxes over the decade – and that’s where the biggest difference with owner-occupiers emerged.

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An extra $69 billion over a decade

From 2013–13 to 2022–23, I found landlords paid an average of $3.7 billion a year in capital gains tax, even after the 50% discount allowed for capital gains.

They also paid around $3.6 billion in state government land tax, which I was able to estimate by obtaining unpublished Australian Bureau of Statistics land tax data.

Allowing for all three taxes, landlords paid a total of $6.9 billion in a typical year from 2013–14 to 2022–23, as shown in the table above.

While owner-occupiers do pay some other taxes, such as the goods and services tax on new housing and local government rates, landlords pay those other taxes as well.

So the bottom line is that landlords have paid an extra $69 billion in taxes over the past decade, which owner-occupiers didn’t have to pay.

Renters end up paying higher rents

Do landlords pass that extra tax burden through to renters? The authoritative 2010 Henry Tax Review concluded it was likely they do:

Since owner-occupied housing is exempt, land tax on residential investment properties is probably passed through to renters as higher rents.

While the Henry Review was specifically referring to land tax, the same economic logic applies to the other extra taxes on rented housing.

We can see how significant this extra tax burden is by comparing the annual amount of extra tax – around $6.9 billion a year – to the 10-year average for the value of actual rents, $47.9 billion.

If those costs were being passed on in full, that would mean around 14% of housing rents in the past decade would have been due to taxes that apply to rented housing, but not to owner-occupied housing.

Tackling housing affordability in the right order

Extra taxes being passed onto renters are regressive, because renters have lower average incomes than owner occupiers.

The most recent Bureau of Statistics data we have, from 2019–20, showed average gross weekly income for all households was $2,329. But for renter households, it was only $1,908.

To help both renters and would-be owner-occupiers with housing affordability, far greater national reform is needed beyond how we tax property owners.

As former prime minister John Howard has observed since retiring, the planning policies of both local and state governments

avoid policy decisions that might reduce the value of the existing housing stock in an area […] The interests of current home owners are always preferred to those of new entrants.

While politically difficult, it’s in the national interest for those planning policies to change to increase the space available for housing. That would increase national income and reduce inequality.

In the meantime, the first priority for housing tax reform should be to better share the existing tax burden between renters and owner-occupiers.

More than a decade ago, the Henry Tax Review recommended broadening the base for land tax to include owner-occupiers, similar to local government rates which are a more efficient tax. That could fund a substantial reduction in tax rates for land tax.

It would also finally mean land tax was no longer an extra cost on renters compared to owner-occupiers.

So first we should reduce rents by reforming land tax. Under lower rents, it would become reasonable to tighten up negative gearing in future federal budgets.

AUTHOR:

Chris Murphy Visiting Fellow, Economics (modelling), Australian National University

• Chris Murphy is not a landlord or a renter.

• This article was first published on The Conversation

Tim Jones closes deals for a living. He has never once closed a dance floor - but next month he’ll be centre stage on one for two-and-a-half minutes.

He freely admits the very thought of it overwhelms him: “Terrifies me, literally terrifies me.” Jones, MMJ’s managing director, will take the stage at Wollongong Entertainment Centre on June 19.

Jones is one of 15 participants in this year’s Stars of Wollongong, the Cancer Council NSW’s annual dance fundraiser now in its 11th year with more than $1.4 million for cancer research and support services, almost $180,000 from MMJ alone.

It’s no accident he is the last of the company’s board members to participate. Only last year did Jones’ business partner Martin Lo Surdo set a new MMJ benchmark, winning the whole shebang.

“We’ve won highest fundraiser, I think, a couple of times, and best costume … but Martin was the first of us to win the event - and he had to do it the year before I dance, which has made it very awkward for me,” Jones laughed.

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Regardless, the years of deflection finally gave way to a mix of gentle pressure, a well-timed dare from a mate, and a cause that hits close to home.

Jones speaks candidly about losing a much-loved colleague, Debby Cramp, to cancer and the reality that, in a workplace of nearly 70 people, someone is always affected in some way.

“We have got people in here at the moment that are either directly or indirectly affected - in the past, are right now. So there’s always a reason. Debby’s one of the biggest and, yeah, probably the primary one. But there’s other people right now, within these walls, who have their reasons and have their own journeys going on, and it’s as much for them as it is for anyone else,” Jones said.

He’s been training twice weekly for six weeks with instructor Ebony Austin, who has, he said, given her time free of charge many Stars of Wollongong events. His primary goals for the night are, in order: not embarrass Ebony; not embarrass the MMJ directors who preceded him; and make some people proud.

One more big fundraiser

It’s not the first time Jones has operated outside his lane: he trained in journalism, once caddied at the Australian Open, and can touch his nose with his tongue. But none of that, he concedes, has done much for his footwork.

Either way, the fundraising push that’s already nearing $50,000, with a new target of $60,000 firmly in sight. He’s confident his Punt Party x Ladies Day at the Illawarra Hotel will push his fundraising further north: “Everyone’s upping their games as the big date comes closer. This event’s going to be epic. May 23 - can’t wait,” he said.

And that confidence surfaced again when he issued one final challenge to fellow contestants: “Come and get me on the leaderboard.”

Check out more about 2026’s Stars of Wollongong, right here.

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Fowlers Road selected for critical M1 expansion

Transport for NSW will hold a number of info sessions at Dapto to explain its plans for the M1 ramps.

Fowlers Road has been confirmed as the site for new south-facing entry and exit ramps on the M1 Princes Motorway. This decision marks a pivotal infrastructure upgrade for the Dapto region, supported by a $30 million joint commitment from the NSW and Australian governments.

The preferred design includes a northbound exit and a southbound entry ramp via signalized intersections, alongside upgrades to the Princes Highway junction.

According to executive director Brendon James, Fowlers Road outperformed other sites, including Kanahooka Road, by offering superior traffic outcomes while avoiding sensitive Coastal Wetlands.

While this planning milestone provides clarity for local logistics and property interests, the project remains in the design phase. Construction remains contingent on future funding rounds. Detailed assessment reports are now available for public review as the state finalizes environmental impact studies.

At the info sessions, you’ll be able to speak with members of the project team and learn more about the project and what’s next.

To book a ticket for any of the sessions below, hit this link:

• Tuesday, May 12, 2pm-4pm

• Wednesday, May 13, 4:30pm-6:30pm

• Thursday, May 21, 3:30pm-5:30pm

• Friday, May 22, 11:30am-1:30pm

• Saturday, May 23, 10am-12pm

BlueScope stand-off deepens

There had been a lull in the $14.2 billion takeover battle for BlueScope Steel but SGH Limited CEO Ryan Stokes ended all that earlier this week.
He called on the BlueScope board to provide “clarity” regarding the valuation required to secure an endorsement. This follows the board’s rejection of an improved joint bid from SGH and Steel Dynamics, which increased from an initial $13.2 billion in February.

According to reporting by the Australian Financial Review, Stokes argues that shareholders deserve to know the board’s target price. He further criticised the board’s suggestion to revise the “best and final” offer, labeling it a potential violation of “truth in takeovers” regulations. Under the proposed deal, Steel Dynamics would acquire North American operations while SGH would take over the Australian division.

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Stokes highlighted that returns on capital for the Australian business are currently “sub-par” and unsustainable. Meanwhile, some investors are urging the board to act decisively, citing a “once-in-a-lifetime” window to maximize value for the high-performing US assets.

Stokes clarified that if either SGH or Steel Dynamics withdrew from the joint offer, there was a period of 12 months when neither party could act separately on a tilt for BlueScope or its respective divisions.

Guilt, workload stops 2 in 3 from taking sick leave

As the flu season approaches, eyebrow-raising survey results have Australians attitudes to work and health in the spotlight again

Recruitment and HR specialists people2people surveyed 1150 Aussies and reported the following stats:

• 65% said the biggest reason they work while sick is because they feel too busy (30%) or guilty (35%)

• 20% said fear of judgment was the main reason they worked while sick

• 81% said flu shots should be offered free at work

• 37% had received a flu vaccine in the past 12 months, while 63% had not

• 24% said they had used 10 days or more of their sick leave allowance in the past year

• Among those with no sick leave left, 61% said they still went to work while unwell multiple times

• 37% of respondents said they were either uncomfortable telling their manager they were too sick to work or avoided saying it altogether.

“When employees say they feel too busy, too guilty, or worried about being judged for taking sick leave, it shows that presenteeism is still being driven by workplace pressure and culture,” Suhini Wijayasinghe, Head of HR Solutions at people2people recruitment, said.

Mmm, lots there for management to ponder.

Between your ears

For me Straight Talk with Mark Bouris is a bit hit and miss. The last few have been terrific - from Australia’s first astronaut to AFR columnist Chris Joye explaining the nation’s economics reality and, the latest, with political strategist Kos Samaras. You’ll find it everywhere: website, Apple, Spotify, YouTube

Big ticket

The region’s live music central for the moment - from Guy Sebastian last night to Mondo Rock front man Ross Wilson at Anita’s on Saturday night (tix available). And that’s even before you consider Playlunch at OUW’s Unibar on Sunday (but sorry, no tix left for the bogan-funk favourites though).

For the energetic, get into Sunday’s annual Mother’s Day Classic at Wollongong’s Stuart Park. Registration for the 2k and 5k walk and run events will be open from 7am-8.40am.

The Pulse Illawarra delivers for Illawarra professionals, the business community and entrepreneurs. Read about the people, projects and policies shaping the region.

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We’ve pulled together some of the most interesting (and senior) jobs up for grabs in the Illawarra right now.

Dust off your resume, clean up your LinkedIn and apply for one of these gems.

Destination Wollongong

Destination Wollongong is recruiting for a Head of Marketing position focused on driving visitation and economic impact across the region.

It’s a mix of strategy and delivery, working across tourism, events and local business - with a strong stakeholder element spanning council and industry.

Applications close on May 18. Contact mmayfield-price@visitwollongong.com.au for more information or check the job advert out here.

St George Illawarra Dragons

As St George Illawarra Dragons settle into their new high-performance centre, they are looking for a Chief Commercial Officer to lead revenue and growth.

The role oversees sponsorships, partnerships, memberships and fan engagement at a time when performance on the pitch is under pressure.

The job advert says the organisation is looking for a visionary and strategic thinker with strong and proven execution capability.

You can apply for the role here.

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NSW SES

For those with a background in large-scale operations, the NSW SES is hiring an Assistant Commissioner, Director Capability and Strategic Operations, based at its Wollongong headquarters.

It’s a newly created senior leadership role overseeing strategy and emergency-response capabilities. The role leads the research, development and planning for the integration of new capabilities.

If that wasn’t a big enough portfolio, the position will also serve as State Duty Commander during emergencies.

Applications close on May 7. Find out more here.

University of Wollongong

The University of Wollongong is also recruiting for a new leadership role - an Associate Director, P&C Shared Services.

The position is responsible for the end-to-end delivery of core people and culture services, including payroll, talent acquisition and operations. Experience in unionised environments is listed as desirable.

Wollongong Art Gallery

Wollongong Art Gallery is seeking a Business Development Officer to help expand partnerships and revenue.

The part-time role will focus on building momentum toward the gallery’s 50th anniversary in 2028, while developing strategies to enhance visitor experience and strengthen financial sustainability.

Applications close on May 7. You can find out more here.

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Out of area roles

Museums of History NSW

Museums of History NSW is looking for a Head of Marketing to lead how it connects with audiences across its network of museums, heritage sites and collections.

The senior role will drive integrated campaigns to build awareness, grow visitation and strengthen the organisation’s brand, while overseeing digital, content and multi-channel activity.

It will also play a key role in shaping audience engagement using data and insights, within a high-profile cultural institution.

Applications and more information are available here.

INIT

Global transport technology provider INIT is looking for a Managing Director to lead its Australian business, following its recent win delivering the Opal Next Generation ticketing system for Transport NSW.
The role carries full P&L responsibility and national oversight, driving growth, operational performance, and market expansion while leading a local team of around 40 staff members.
Working across government, infrastructure and technology, the position will also play a key role in delivering a major 13-year program and strengthening long-term partnerships.
Find out more here.

The Grounds Group

The Grounds Group is recruiting a Sales and Events General Manager to lead the commercial and operational performance of its events business across multiple venues.
With the group recently taking over the lease of The Lagoon in Wollongong, the role comes at a key growth moment as it expands its footprint into the Illawarra market.

The position owns the full events P&L, driving revenue across weddings, corporate functions and private events, while leading a team of coordinators and sales professionals.

It combines strategy with hands-on delivery, from building client relationships and sales pipelines through to overseeing large-scale events and maintaining the group’s premium guest experience.
Applicants should email careers@thegrounds.com.au for more information.

Refer a friend

If you refer your friends to The Pulse Illawarra, and they subscribe, you will receive complimentary access to our content. Find out how it works here.

Check out our curated guide of the top business networking events in the Illawarra for May and June 2026.

These are the dates you don’t want to miss. But if we have overlooked your special event, put us right - get in touch. Please email gayle@pulseillawarra.com.au or janine@pulseillawarra.com.au

June’s a bit light on, but keep coming back, we’ll update it.

And don’t stop at the diary either, keep scrolling for all the details of the key networking groups in the Illawarra.

May

• Wednesday, May 6: UOW has organised What’s Brewing? Career Conversations at Five Barrel Brewing, 318 Keira Street, Wollongong, 6pm-8pm. Tickets are $5 and include a drink on arrival, food, and the opportunity to chat with industry leaders about everything from work/life balance, interview tips and the impacts of AI. More details: alumni@uow.edu.au. Registration by Tuesday, May 5, essential. Do it here

• Wednesday, May 6: Invite-only to Business Illawarra’s CEO Connect Dinner at the Harbourfront Restaurant.

• Thursday, May 7: 2026 UOW STEM Careers Expo, 10am-1pm, at Wollongong Campus Unihall. This event is open to students in the Faculties of Engineering and Information Sciences and Science. Register to attend here

• Friday, May 8: Illawarra Aged Care Investment & Development Workshop at iAccelerate, Squires Way, North Wollongong, from 9am-1.30pm. RDA Illawarra Shoalhaven invites you to a practical, solutions-focused workshop designed to unlock new aged care development across the region. Free. Register here

• Tuesday, May 12: Age Care Symposium at Shellharbour Civic Centre, 10.30am-3.30pm. The Community Industry Group brings together in‑home aged care and community organisations from the Illawarra, Inner Sydney, Western Sydney, and the Central Coast. Includes a local presentation from Kathy Eagar AM. Details here.

• Friday, May 15: Business Illawarra hosts a Federal budget and Future Economy Briefing at The Grange, 10 Kembla Grange Pl, Kembla Grange, from 8am-noon. The budget and the housing lens: Implications for the Illawarra, South Coast and Southern Highlands, with keynote speaker, housing market analyst Eliza Owen. Tickets here

• Tuesday, May 19: Screen Illawarra presents its first Screen Guilds Showcase, from 6pm at Headlands Hotel, Austinmer. Free for members and non-members. RSVP essential. Do that here here. It’s a chance for guild and education representatives to connect directly with regional practitioners.

• Wednesday, May 20: Courageous Conversations with Nicki Bowman, thanks to Community Industry Group, 9.30am-12.30pm, at Wollongong Salvos, 13 Burelli St. Participants will learn to build the skills and confidence to navigate tough conversations with staff, clients, clients’ families and other stakeholders. Tickets: $50 members, $100 non-members. Book here

• Thursday, May 21: Wollongong Industry Roundtable - Transport Supply Chain Industries by Industry Skills Australia, 8am-10.30am, at Business Illawarra, 6-8 Regent St, Wollongong. These sessions will provide an opportunity to share your perspectives on workforce pressures, emerging issues, and the practical solutions that can support a stronger, more resilient transport supply chain workforce. Bookings essential

• Thursday, May 21: Kiama Business Network’s next business connect event is at The Lodge, Jamberoo, 5pm-7.30pm. Members free, guests $25. Tickets on sale soon

• Friday, May 22: Illawarra Women in Business Coffee Club at The Yallah Woolshed, 601 Princes Hwy, Yallah, 9.30am-11.30am. A relaxed and informal environment – networking over a cuppa. Members $12, non-members $20. Book here

• Monday, May 25: Career Accelerator Day, free, 10am-noon at Wollongong Salvos, 13 Burelli St, Wollongong. Connect with industry professionals, hand your resume directly to employers, ask questions, and grow your network. More details

• Wednesday, May 27: Visitor Economy Symposium 2026, organised by Destination Sydney Surrounds South, at Kiama Pavilion, 8.30am-4.30pm. Among the features of the day Rob Pennicott from Pennicott Wilderness Journeys shares how he took his business to the global stage, and the practical lessons that helped him get there. Tickets $30, available here

• Thursday,May 28: An event by iAccelerate - Fueling Growth: Opportunities for Illawarra Business & Start-Ups, noon-2pm, at iAccelerate, 239 Squires Way, Wollongong. Join Monique Donaldson from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, and Rob Little from AusIndustry for a focused 30-minute briefing on the advisory services and support pathways available to businesses looking to innovate, scale, and commercialise. More details available here. Spots are limited.

JUNE

• Tuesday, June 2: Cereal Entrepreneurs, hosted by iAccelerate at Squires Way, North Wollongong, from 7am-8.30am-ish. Grab some brekkie, meet like minded doers and lock in for an hour of power to move forward on your startup or project. Places limited, register here

• Thursday, June 4: The Property Council of NSW hosts From Fields to Precincts | Building Vibrant Sports & Entertainment Destinations at WIN Entertainment Centre, noon-2pm. Special guest speaker is St George-Illawarra CEO Tim Watsford. Tickets $140 member, $210 non-member. Details here

• Thursday, June 11: Head to iAccelerate for the June tour and information session, noon-1pm, free, at the Innovation Campus, Squires Way, North Wollongong. If you’re starting or scaling a business? Join iAccelerate to fast track your success. Register here

• Friday, June 12: Illawarra Women in Business networking lunch, at Centro CBD, 28 Stewart St, Wollongong, noon-2.15pm. Members $80, non-members $99. The panel includes Steph Pase, Orlane Mortime, and Bianca Hunt. Book here

• Thursday, June 18: Colliers Wollongong will host its 2026 Wollongong Apartment Report at a breakfast event. The presentation will predict the performance of Illawarra apartments over the next five years. Contact leanne.connor@collierswgong.com.au for details.

• Friday, June 19: The Cancer Council welcome back Stars of Wollongong in 2026 for their 11th Annual Community Gala Event, 6.30pm-10.30pm, WIN Entertainment Centre. Tickets here

• Wednesday, June 14: Business Illawarra’s Business After Hours, 5pm-7pm. More details to come

• Wednesday, June 24.: Test Your Business Idea Wollongong, by iAcclerate at Squires Way, Wollongong, 9:30am-11:30am. A workshop designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage founders evaluate and validate their business concepts. spaces are limited. Book here

• Thursday, June 26: Friends of Industry networking event, at the Illawarra Hotel, 5.30pm-9pm, free. Whether you’re a seasoned industry veteran or just starting out, this event is perfect for making new connections and fostering existing relationships.

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Looking for a network?

1. Business Illawarra

As the region’s peak business organisation, Business Illawarra supports over 27,000 businesses across the Illawarra-Shoalhaven, South Coast, and Capital regions. They offer a comprehensive events program, including networking, educational, and executive-level events, connecting members with key decision-makers and providing valuable insights. More on Business Illawarra here

2. i3net (Illawarra Innovative Industry Network)

i3net is a network of advanced manufacturers and industrial innovators in the Illawarra. They host events like the Industry Breakfast, providing opportunities for networking, knowledge sharing, and exploring real work opportunities. More on i3nethere

3. Illawarra Women in Business (IWIB)

IWIB is a vibrant network dedicated to supporting and connecting women in business. They host regular networking lunches, coffee clubs, and an annual Businesswomen’s Awards, providing a platform for collaboration and professional growth. More on IWIB here

4. The Illawarra Connection

This exclusive organisation brings together business and community leaders to foster connections, inspire collaboration, and drive innovation in the region. They also partner with RDA Illawarra and the Sydney Business School to deliver the Leadership Illawarra Program. Read more about the Illawarra Connection here.

5. Northern Illawarra Chamber of Commerce (NICC)

NICC supports local businesses in the northern Illawarra region through events like business breakfasts and networking evenings, fostering community building and collaboration among professionals. More in the NICC here

The Illawarra won’t be pitching for NSW’s $100 million second global film studio - and the reason is simple.

The region's case is compelling. The eight weeks to prove it were not.

The EOI, which opened on March 9 required a level of private sector commitment and landowner alignment that simply could not be materialised within the window which closes on Thursday, May 7.

Two key stakeholders in the Illawarra’s equation have acknowledged without the support of a major studio, the best option right now was “to pivot”.

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Screen Illawarra chair Nick Bolton said a submission of this scale needed the backing of a major studio operator and the explicit participation of the landowner - in this case, BlueScope Steel and its rezoned 200 hectares known as the Port Kembla Land Transformation Project.

Wollongong Lord Mayor, Councillor Tania Brown, took a similarly candid, practical approach.

Disney Studios Australia at Moore Park reportedly required around $400 million in works to reach its current standard. When placed against the NSW government’s $100 million commitment, the funding gap for a greenfield or even an adaptive-reuse project such as Port Kembla becomes apparent.

“We really need a film studio to be part of the conversation,” Cr Brown said. “Until you’ve got a significant player who says, ‘I’ll be anchor tenant, I want to lead it’ … even if it’s BlueScope as the landowner, they’re not going to build a film studio.”

BlueScope head of property development Michael Yiend was direct in a statement to ABC Illawarra: “BlueScope is a steelmaker, not a filmmaker.”

Competitive reality

The company said it had not received a proposal from a film company and would not be submitting a bid, but remained open to receiving detailed proposals for commercially viable opportunities across its land transformation precinct.

Cr Brown was equally blunt about the competitive reality. Other proponents, she said, are “terribly far advanced”, and three Western Sydney sites - in the suburbs of Bungarribee, Eastern Creek, and Prospect - have the advantage of government pre-identification.

In contrast, the Illawarra’s potential site at Port Kembla remains deeply integrated into the long-term vision of a steelmaker whose primary focus is industrial decarbonisation and logistics rather than the entertainment industry.

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“It’s a bit soon for us,” she said. “There will be other opportunities. No one is filling out an application form in eight weeks.”

All this left Screen Illawarra and the Wollongong City Council in a position of “spiritually willing” support without the financial authority to progress an expression of interest.

The strategic pivot

The focus will now shift from the “heavy lifting” of physical sound stage construction to the more agile, digital-centric sectors of pre-production - visual effects and post-production.

For Brown it’s not a consolation prize. The region already has Disney animation staff commuting from the Illawarra, and the streaming quota legislation, which requires services with more than a million Aussie subscribers to direct at least 10 per cent of total expenditure toward local content, is generating sustained demand for creative labour.

“Minister [Paul] Scully and I have long shared view, if I can quote him, that there are those pre- and post-production opportunities, and that’s what we are continuing to canvas … because I think we have a thriving creative industry,” the Lord Mayor said.

The data and business case assembled by Screen Illawarra and the council won’t be wasted. It is understood Invest Wollongong will continue developing the pitch for future rounds.

“We can see a really bright future here, and we want to make it happen,” Bolton said.

The Pulse Illawarra delivers high-yield intelligence for the Illawarra’s business and academic leaders. Read about the people, projects and policies shaping the region’s next decade.

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Australia’s inflation rate surged 1.1% in March, driven by a record jump in fuel prices, making an interest rate hike on Tuesday more likely.

The consumer price index (CPI), released last week, rose to 4.6% in the year to March, the first major economic indicator to show the impact of the war in the Middle East.

A measure of underlying inflation – the annual “trimmed mean” – came in at 3.3%. This measure is closely watched by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and is also above its 2–3% target band.

For the RBA, which meets next week to decide on interest rates, the message is clear: inflation is moving in the wrong direction again, and quickly.

This is not a normal inflation shock. It is being driven by a sharp rise in global energy prices following the war in the Middle East.

Higher interest rates will not bring down global oil prices. But they can help prevent a fuel shock from becoming a broader and more persistent inflation problem.

Fuel prices are just the beginning

The immediate driver of the March inflation surge is fuel.

Global oil prices have risen sharply, pushing up petrol and diesel prices at the pump.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics said fuel prices jumped 32.8%in March – “the largest monthly increase since the series began in 2017”.

This feeds directly into CPI, making it one of the fastest channels through which global shocks affect domestic inflation.

But fuel is only the first-round effect. The bigger concern is what comes next. Higher fuel costs raise transport costs across the economy. Businesses then face a choice: absorb the increase, or pass it on to consumers.

Some will try to absorb it at first, especially if consumers are already cutting back. But margins cannot be squeezed indefinitely. Over time, more of these costs are likely to be passed on in the form of fuel surcharges and show up in final prices.

This is how a temporary shock can turn into persistent inflation.

Higher costs for businesses

The March CPI largely captures the initial impact of the oil shock. The second-round effects – where higher costs spread more broadly – take time.

These effects are already beginning to appear. Businesses are facing higher operating costs, not just from fuel but also from supply disruptions and rising input prices. As these pressures build, price rises can spread beyond petrol and transport.

Even if oil prices stabilise, the earlier jump in fuel costs will continue to flow through the economy. Transport costs affect food, retail, construction and many services. Airlines, delivery firms, supermarkets and builders all face higher costs when fuel prices rise.

That means inflation could remain elevated for some time, even if the initial shock fades.

A broader view of inflation

While the monthly CPI attracts attention, the RBA still places weight on the quarterly CPI.
The March quarter figures give the RBA a broader read on inflation than the monthly data. Annual inflation in the March quarter was 4.1%, while annual trimmed mean inflation was 3.5%.

The quarterly figures show inflation has been building even before the February 28 start of the war in Iran. It points to broader price pressures, making the case for a rate rise stronger.

The economy also takes a hit

The fuel shock is not only an inflation problem. It is also a growth problem.

Higher petrol prices reduce household purchasing power, leaving less money for discretionary spending. That weighs on retailers, restaurants, travel businesses and other parts of the economy that depend on consumer spending.

For businesses, higher fuel and transport costs raise production costs. Some may delay hiring or investment. Others may lift prices and risk losing customers.

This is the difficult part for the RBA. A fuel shock pushes inflation up while also weighing on economic activity. This creates a risk of stagflation, when inflation stays high even as growth slows. That makes the RBA’s policy decision much harder.

But if business and consumer expectations about future inflationstart to rise, the damage could last well beyond the current shock.

If businesses expect costs to keep rising, they are more likely to raise prices. If workers expect inflation to stay high, they are more likely to seek larger wage increases. This can turn a one-off shock into a more persistent problem.

The RBA will want to avoid that. That is why the bank is likely to act at its May 4-5 meeting.

Why a rate rise now?

The case for a third rate rise (following three cuts last year) is not that the RBA can reverse the fuel shock. It cannot.

The case is that inflation was already too high before the latest shock, and the CPI figures suggest the return to its 2–3% target will take longer than expected.

Market pricing already points in the same direction. The ASX RBA Rate Tracker shows that, as of April 28, markets were pricing a 76% chance of a rate rise to 4.35% next week.

The most recent CPI figures make that pricing look more justified. A rate rise would signal that the RBA remains committed to bringing inflation back to target.

We’re at a turning point

The March CPI release marks a turning point.

It shows how quickly global shocks can feed into domestic inflation, and how difficult they are to contain once they begin to spread.

Fuel prices have lit the spark. The risk now is that the fire spreads through the broader economy. That is why the RBA is likely to raise interest rates on Tuesday.

AUTHOR:

Stella Huangfu, Associate Professor, School of Economics, University of Sydney

• This article was first published on The Conversation

It’s one of the biggest ticket items on Shellharbour C…

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Planning Minister and Wollongong MP Paul Scully has outlined New South Wales’ next major growth corridor, and it begins here in the Illawarra.

Speaking to…

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This edition of Future Proof is brought to you with the support of Colliers Wollongong.

As a local fishing boat headed out from Ulladulla harbour early on the morning of May 23, 2019, they spotted a s…

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The Illawarra's appetite for hiring is outpacing its neighbours, even as the broader pictu…

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Wollongong City Council has opened a sweeping i…

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After two decades of declining cash use, Australians are handing over more banknotes…

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The Illawarra is growing. What’s less certain is whether the inf…

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