Hazelwood closure could force power prices up

Warnings that the French owner of Australia's dirtiest power station – Hazelwood in Victoria's Latrobe Valley – wants to exit coal-fired power generation has triggered concerns it could increase electricity bills by 9% a year and predictions it would fatten the bottom line of rivals, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

While no timeframe has been nominated, there is a widespread expectation that Hazelwood will close as the world moves away from coal and Australia continues to generate more electricity than it needs.

Alumina and Alcoa brawl on demerger

Miner Alumina has been hit with a lawsuit from joint venture partner, Alcoa, who has accused the Melbourne-based company of menacing to block the US aluminium giant's planned business split, according to the Australian Financial Review.

In a surprise move, Alcoa alleged Alumina threatened to “interfere” and “create a cloud” over the demerger, according to a legal complaint filed in a Delaware state court in the US on Friday.

High gold price prompts miners' switch to lower grades

With the price of gold continuing to hold at near record levels, Australia's gold miners have switched to mining lower grades while also hedging their exposure to ensure ongoing access to the high price, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

The latest quarterly survey by Surbiton Associates found a 2% decline in March quarter gold production to 71 tonnes when compared with the previous quarter.