Region

Protesters challenging Melbourne CBD's ‘designated area’ status claim enhanced Victoria Police search powers were a "significant" breach of their rights, a court heard on the first day of trial Thursday.

The applicants in a case against Buildstruct over alleged defects at an 11-block apartment complex in Melbourne can update their suit to include new allegations against the builder, its director Mark Cavey and the surveyors.

The federal environment minister has rejected an emergency application to declare Victoria Park, the planned site for the Brisbane Olympics stadium, a significant Aboriginal heritage area.

Insurer Liberty is not on the hook for costs incurred by Seymour Whyte Construction for dealing with asbestos-contaminated soil, but is liable to cover legal fees for advice sought by the company.

A constitutional challenge to the declaration of the Melbourne CBD as a ‘designated area’ has been attacked by the state government as “hypothetical”, but the case is set to move ahead despite an early end to the designation.

Thiess has extended its operating contract for the Hunter Valley’s Mount Pleasant coal mine despite a looming High Court challenge over the mine's expansion. 

Queensland may remove a ban on property developers making political donations in state elections, with the corruption watchdog warning it could increase risks of corruption in the lead-up to the Brisbane Olympic Games. 

Engineering company Monadelphous has been awarded a long-term maintenance services contract with Rio Tinto valued at $300 million over five years. 

Liquidators of a collapsed developer have filed a High Court challenge after losing a bid to revive a lawsuit against a financier over the Pentridge Village development in Melbourne. 

A sublessee of an eight acre agricultural property in Austral has failed in his bid for nearly $500,000 in compensation after his crop was destroyed when he refused to vacate.