Australian Economy 29 March 2026 - 3 May 2026

Woodside’s $30 Billion Browse Gas Bet Hits Decision Point as Australia Eyes Bigger Tax Take

Woodside’s $30 Billion Browse Gas Bet Hits Decision Point as Australia Eyes Bigger Tax Take

Woodside Energy’s $30 billion Browse gas project could face a federal decision as early as next month, according to government documents. The company has begun pre-FEED engineering and issued invitations to tender for floating production facilities. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax will generate higher revenue than forecast, with no changes planned to existing tax rules.
May 10, 2026
Macquarie’s Mortgage Surge Before Results: Why Australia’s Big Banks Are Watching

Macquarie’s Mortgage Surge Before Results: Why Australia’s Big Banks Are Watching

Macquarie Bank added A$3.6 billion in household mortgages in March, the fastest monthly gain among Australian deposit-taking lenders, lifting its book to A$173.7 billion, according to APRA data. The increase comes days before parent Macquarie Group reports full-year results on May 8. Australia’s total mortgage market reached A$2.46 trillion in March despite higher interest rates and new lending caps.
May 3, 2026
Santos Limited Rushes Crude to Australian Refineries as Canberra Bolsters Fuel Security

Santos Limited Rushes Crude to Australian Refineries as Canberra Bolsters Fuel Security

Santos Ltd advanced crude deliveries to Viva Energy and sold a Varanus Island parcel to Ampol last week to support Australian refineries amid fuel import disruptions. Canberra announced plans to underwrite private fuel purchases as the country holds just 39 days of petrol and 30 days of diesel and jet fuel. Santos also shut Darwin LNG for equipment work, with no restart date given. Chevron and Woodside reported LNG outages after Cyclone Narelle.
March 29, 2026