Idemitsu may join Tinkler in Whitehaven bid

Folding Idemitsu’s Australian assets – including the Boggabri mine in New South Wales and the Ensham mine in Queensland – into a privatised Whitehaven could solve the short-term cash-flow squeeze for Nathan Tinkler, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Idemitsu’s local accounts show it made $182 million of EBITDA in 2011 and had no net debt.

The Boggabri complex is located in the Gunnedah Basin, which could assist with early production from Whitehaven’s nearby Maules Creek mine.

Coal's future burns bright amid delay in gas shift

A switch from coal-fired electricity generation to gas will take longer than the federal government expects, delivering a blow to one of the key assumptions behind the carbon pricing package, The Australian reports.

Energy Minister Martin Ferguson has warned lower demand for electricity will "lock in" high-emissions, coal-fired power generation for longer and that the outlook for coal-fired power stations "looks a lot brighter" than five years ago.

ALP eyes clamp on right to strike

Labor has left open the prospect of further changes to the Fair Work Act, telling employers it will examine proposed amendments designed to reduce the capacity of workers to take strike action where employers refuse to negotiate, according to The Australian.

A day after revealing the government was considering changes to the workplace rules for new projects, The Australian has obtained correspondence from Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten in which he said he would give "careful consideration" to an employer push to change the laws governing industrial action.

SA Premier insists state is in mining boom

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has claimed the state is in a mining boom and rejected a warning by the Centre for Economic Studies that politicians are exaggerating the sector's activity, The Australian reports.

The centre's Economic Briefing Report, prepared by economists from Flinders and Adelaide universities and released yesterday, forecast a weak outlook for South Australia.