“They’ll be working with somebody soon to do the design,” she said. “It’s a long-term project to get this built – years down the track.”
The sale shows that the reported slowdown across the rest of the Melbourne market is not affecting the top end, where another premium site at 17 St Georges Road is on the market with a $65-$70 million asking price.
The 10-bedroom house on 7800 square meters is currently listed as under offer, and sources who declined to be identified said a price above the guide range had been agreed.
Marshall White’s Marcus Chiminello, who is marketing both properties, confirmed the sale of 29-31 St Georges Road but would not comment about progress on 17 St Georges Road.
Mr Craven currently lives in the two-level Orrong Road property that he purchased from the Deague Group chief executive William Deague and his wife Nat.
Ms Easterbrook declined to say if he would sell that once the new home at 29-31 St Georges Road was complete.
The vendor of the property was property developer Ausvest Holdings director David Yu – the father of restaurateur Davis Yu – who reportedly put the property, with an unfinished mansion he had started building, on the market in February 2020 with an $80 million asking price. Mr Yu paid $5 million for the site in October 1991, records show.
An investigation by The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald Last year revealed that Easygo is the company behind Stake.com, the shirt sponsor of English Premier League team Watford.
While interest rates are putting a dampener on the mortgage-belt housing market, those at the top suffer no such constraints.
Atlassian co-chief executive Scott Farquhar and wife, investment banker Kim Jackson, have paid $10.85 million for a five-bedroom beach house at Avoca Beach on the NSW central coast – at a considerable discount to the $13 million guide price it had in February.
Meanwhile, Robin Khuda, the founder of data center operator Air Trunk, paid over $10 million last month to acquire the property adjoining his $20 million Balmoral Avenue home in Sydney’s Mosman.
An Australian class action law firm is taking on a subsidiary of Toyota over concerns that the carmaker faked data so that it could receive tax breaks from the government.
Bannister Law announced on Monday that it is investigating Hino Motor Sales Australia, which manufactures trucks and buses sold around the globe and is an affiliate of Toyota.
Hino has sold an estimated 860,000 vehicles with the promise of having low exhaust emissions and good fuel economy when the data had actually been faked.
Bannister Law said it was trying to see if Hino had breached the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 and the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 and is considering launching a class action.
It comes just a few days after revelations from earlier this month that Hino Motors had falsified emissions data on some engines going back almost 20 years.
The truck-maker said an engine data falsification scandal had started as far back as 2004 and not in 2016 as previously admitted.
Globally, it’s understood there are 26 different engine types impacted by the tampered data, and 860,000 vehicles have been caught up in the scandal altogether. At least 39,000 Hino vehicles have been sold in Australia from 2012 to 2021, but it is unclear if all or just some of them were falsely represented to customers.
Hino had to recall 47,000 vehicles made between April 2017 and March this year over the data scandal. An additional 20,900 will be recalled in the near future.
Bannister Law is calling for all Australians who owned or leased a Hino vehicle at any point between 2004 and 2021 to register in an online form.
It is so far unclear which truck models were impacted by the scandal.
Just three days ago, to US law firm, Lieff Cabraser, started a class action against Hino over the same concerns.
“Lieff Cabraser is investigating reports that Hino Motors and majority Hino owner Toyota Motor Corporation (the Japanese parent of Toyota North America) have publicly admitted to intentionally cheating on their bus and truck vehicles’ emissions,” the legal company stated.
The case has been brought to the Southern District of Florida and the firm confirmed it was seeking more than $5 million in damages.
In March this year, Hino announced it had discovered widespread tampering evidence dating back to September 2016 and engaged an independent committee to investigate.
But in early August, that committee came back with a damning report that found the malpractice stretched back as far as 2004.
Investigators stated in their findings: “Hino cannot escape the determination that it made a false report.”
It was also discovered that a tax reprieve was a key motivator behind the malpractice.
Hino “aimed to achieve the fuel consumption standards in order to be eligible for tax preferential treatment but failed to achieve its goal, and thus, it engaged in misconduct by intentionally adjusting the calibration values of the fuel flowmeter in order to meet the specification values required. for application,” the report also stated.
Data was also falsified by measuring “the idling fuel flow quantity before the fuel flow quantity was stabilized and engaged in misconduct by intentionally selecting advantageous fuel consumption data”.
The findings, led by committee chairman Kazuo Sakakibara, claimed employees were not offered “psychological safety” and were “unable to change” due to the company’s past successes.
Representatives at Hino said the scandal was brought on by an “environment where engineers did not feel able to challenge superiors”.
Hino’s president Satoshi Ogiso apologized to reporters after the report’s bombshell findings, claiming the company’s management took its responsibilities and public image seriously.
Mr Ogiso said he received a message from Toyota president Akio Toyoda, who reeled at the scandal, accusing Hino of betraying the trust of company stakeholders.
In a statement, Hino said it “deeply apologizes for any inconvenience caused to its customers, shareholders, investors and other stakeholders”.
“Hino is currently investigating the impact of these matters on its earnings and will disclose any updates as appropriate in a timely manner,” it added.
News.com.au has contacted Hino for comment.
Bannister Law won the recent class action against Toyota for DPF issues and also won cases against Volkswagen and Audi. It is currently conducting a class action against Mitsubishi.
Everyone loves a money-saving hack, and even more so if it involves popular McDonald’s fast-food joint.
One Macca’s fan in the US has shared a trick he uses to save a few dollars when ordering a Big Mac – and it’s one you could even replicate in Australia.
“What McDonald’s workers don’t want you to know,” Tiktoker Mark, who shares money saving tips on his account @financeunfoldedwrote in the clip, which you can watch above.
READ MORE: ‘It’s time to stop whingeing about restaurant cancellation fees’
A McDonalds fan has shared his hack to get ‘Big Macs for half price’ online. (Tik Tok)
READMORE:‘Significant change’ for Kate and William after move
He went on to share his hack for “always getting Big Macs for half off”, revealing he instead orders a McDouble – it costs about $US2.79.
When you order, Mark said to remove the ketchup and mustard, and add lettuce for $0.30. He then orders a serving of Big Mac sauce on the side, but he said to ask for this after you’ve ordered in the hopes they do n’t charge you for the extra sauce.
Though even if they do, his final burger cost just $US3.09 (or US$3.59 with extra sauce), which is cheaper than the usual $US5.93 on average for a Big Mac in the US.
“This is almost half the price of a normal Big Mac and you get literally the same ingredients,” Mark added.
In Australia, a Big Mac currently costs around $7.10, according to the MyMacca’s app, though prices can vary.
You might also be thinking, ‘but we don’t have McDoubles in Australia’. But you can try the same method using a double cheeseburger instead. The only difference is an extra slice of cheese. You should still save around $0.60.
READMORE:TV host faces backlash after being pushed away by male co-host twice
In Australia, a Big Mac currently costs around $7.10. (Supplied)
The video has received over 7,000 likes with plenty of people loving the burger trick.
One person even added an extra tip, commenting: “If you use the word ‘substitute’ you don’t have to pay for the [extra] willow.”
Though others weren’t convinced saying the substitute was still missing some key Big Mac elements.
“You’re also missing the middle bun and the sesame seeds,” one person pointed out.
“Except the type of burger they use is different,” another said.
For a daily dose of 9Honey,subscribe to our newsletter here.
‘Never seen one’: Macca’s customer raves about drink discovery
An infamous restaurant notorious for ripping off and intimidating its customers on a popular tourist island in Greece has been found tens of thousands of dollars.
DK Oyster bar in Mykonos has been forced to cough up $44,740 after being found to be in violation of several codes.
The country’s Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias instructed the Cyclades Regional Tourism Agency to conduct a thorough investigation of the restaurant after an incident involving American tourists who were charged a staggering $866 for two drinks and a portion of crab legs.
During the probe, the agency found the eatery had breached several codes, for which it was slapped with the fine.
It came after Brenda Moulton and her daughter Kaylea hit DK Oyster with a lawsuit after being strong-armed into paying the astronomical tab.
Brenda Moulton and her daughter Kaylea. Credit: Youtube
The pair were on holiday and enjoying the idyllic Platys Gialos beach when they were given the scare of their lives.
On refusing to pay the bill, they were surrounded by three waiters and the manager and told they would not be allowed to return to the US.
“I told them that two mojitos and two crab legs cannot make 600 euros. I will not pay you,” Brenda said.
The manager then allegedly threatened them: ”I will call the police. They will keep you here and you will not return to your homeland. We can easily find where you live.”
Feeling intimidated, Brenda quickly paid up — but it was not over yet.
On leaving the restaurant, Brenda started warning people about the bar and its outrageous prices — prompting staff to again confront her.
“The boss of the store came out furious and approached us in a threatening mood,” she said.
“I immediately raised my voice. I shouted at him.”
The owner of DY Oyster denies the complaints but the restaurant has a reputation for eyewatering bills and disgraceful behaviour.
Newlyweds Lindsay and Alex Breen with their expensive drinks and oysters. Credit: The West Australian
Newlyweds Alex and Lindsay Breen were hit with a staggering $850 bill by the restaurant after dropping in for a “quick snack”.
The Canadian couple ordered just one beer, one cocktail and a dozen oysters, with Alex being taken to a back room to pay after questioning the huge bill.
“It was pretty crazy,” Lindsay said. “I’m glad in hindsight that we didn’t cause an argument or refuse to pay because it could have ended up worse for us.
“They know when you’re tourists and they take advantage.”
Theodora McCormick and her husband. Insert: The beers and oysters they ordered. Credit: The West Australian
Holidaymakers Theodora McCormick and her husband were horrified when they were slapped with a $730 tab for two beers, two cocktails and a dozen oysters.
When they complained, “hulking” male waiters intimidated them into paying.
The owner of the DK Oyster, Dimitrios Kalamaras, has since branded the Breens “liars” — and labeled other customers complaining as influencers looking for a free meal.
“Unfortunately, all of us who work in the hospitality sector have been approached by notorious influencers who, instead of making their living by advertising products and services to their audience, they put pressure on certain businesses for exorbitant fees and free meals,” he said .
DK Oyster’s rates poorly on TripAdvisor, getting just 2.5 out of five stars.
Many reviewers give it a measly one star, labeling it “terrible”, a “rip off” and “a complete con”.
Even the Greek media have taken to calling the restaurant “notorious” and “infamous”, reporting on accusations of bullying tactics, a lack of menus and inflated bills.
Millennials struggling to build their wealth have flipped the idea of having a cashless society on their head by reviving a saving technique that originated well before their grandparents’ era.
“Cash stuffing” is the latest money-saving trend growing in popularity in Australia, after it educated hundreds of young people in the UK and US on how to successfully budget.
Also known as the envelope method, cash stuffing involves withdrawing money – typically your monthly earnings – from your bank account and allocating it to a folder which represents a specific spending category.
Folders may represent weekly shopping budgets, holiday savings, fuel costs, mortgage repayments or bills.
The “cash stuffing” hashtag has accrued over 532 million views on TikTok, while sites like Amazon and Etsy have too jumped on board, selling folders, stickers and stationery specifically made for the trend to help kickstart the saving journey.
Daniel Jovevski, CEO and founder of budgeting and debt management app WeMoney, says the saving technique has re-emerged as Australians learn to cope with the rising cost of living.
“Cash stuffing or what budgeters call the ‘Envelope Method’ is back in vogue. This is largely driven out of the requirement to budget now more than ever with envelopes or pencil cases being the primary tool for people to squirrel money away,” Mr Jovevski told news.com.au.
“Tougher times with inflation and cost of living pressures have brought back this old but effective method as consumers combat increasing petrol and food prices.”
Caroline from CAROCASH, commenced her cash stuffing journey last year after learning about personal finance expert Dave Ramsey’s envelope system, which closely mirrors cash stuffing.
The small business owner told news.com.au that she has since saved almost $30,000 using the system.
“I saw how by dividing up your income into separate envelopes, you can save up and prepare for annual bills, holidays, medical and of course for savings,” Caroline said.
While Caroline insists that she is not a financial adviser, she has shared with others how simple the technique can be by documenting her journey on her YouTube channel.
How does cash stuffing differ from internet banking?
Simply put, cash stuffing is a physical method of internet banking.
Rather than splitting your weekly earnings into separate online banking accounts as some budgeters do, those using the cash stuffing method split their income into physical folders.
However Mr Jovevski said there is a psychological aspect to cash stuffing that most don’t experience through online banking or paying for transactions using their credit or debit card.
“This trend has deep behavioral benefits with prominent behavioral scientists identifying the method as helping people increase their “pain of paying”, meaning when we pay with cash we feel a little pain when we see the amount of money leave our wallets or envelopes,” he said.
“Contrasting this against tap-and-pay, where you don’t really see the physical movement of cash, it makes it easier to spend as all the friction has been removed.”
Caroline admitted that this was her situation prior to jumping on the cash stuffing bandwagon. Her de ella old spending habits de ella meant she would unknowingly use all her income de ella on other purchases prior to paying her bills.
“By doing the Cash Envelope System, you budget out your pay and then physically see the money grow or see where your money goes,” she said.
The benefits of cash stuffing
As the cost of living continues on an upward trend, Australians are becoming more conscious of their spending limits and habits.
The search phrase “what is budgeting” has jumped in interest by more than 65 per cent in the last year on Google Search whereas “budgeting apps” has been the most searched query in relation to the word “budget”.
And with budgeting the entire purpose behind cash stuffing, Caroline said there’s no other reason as to why someone who is struggling to manage their savings shouldn’t give the technique a go.
“Benefits include changing spending habits and your mindset on spontaneous spending, living within your means and being prepared for bills,” she said.
Other benefits Caroline mentioned include not feeling the need to get a credit card or use Afterpay and having less financial stress once you’ve mastered your budget.
“The more friction we have in paying, the less we spend and the easier it is to stay on track with our budgets,” Mr Jovevski added.
Being aware of the risks
While it’s great to have cash in hand, it doesn’t come without a heightened risk of losing your money. This may be through theft, fire, or simply misplacing it.
One way Caroline has overcome the threat of mishandling her hard-earned cash is by saving up to a certain amount before banking it, and then using “prop” or “fake money” to represent the savings in her account.
“As a graphic designer myself, I was able to create some fake play money for larger denominations – starting from $250 all the way to $10,000 – that we do not officially have here in Australia,” she said.
“Once I reach $1000 in cash, I swap that with a prop note and get the $1000 back to the bank.”
Another disadvantage associated with cash stuffing is its inability to earn interest as well as the time it takes to separate your money into folders and record the value in a spreadsheet or notebook.
“While there are plenty of upside benefits, the trade-off is additional work,” Mr Jovevski said.
“You have to consider if the cash-stuffing method aligns with the outcomes you want to achieve with your budget.”
end tips
One question that a lot of people ask Caroline is “how do you work out how much to budget for?”.
The savvy saver said she works out how much her bills will cost her on a monthly or yearly basis and then divides that amount by the number of weeks she has until it needs to be paid.
“Say you get paid weekly and you have an annual bill that is $700. You divide 700 by 52 which equals $13.50. That is what you would put aside each pay to have that bill “fully funded” in a year when it is due,” she said.
With a little bit of extra time and preparation, Caroline said anyone can give the saving technique a try.
“Honestly, just give it a go. There’s no schemes or tricks. All that is required is a little more than your time; time to go to the bank or ATM for the cash withdrawal, and time to sit down, make a budget and divide your cash into envelopes.”
Anti-siphoning laws do not apply to Stan or Paramount. Foxtel claims this allows free-to-air television owners to get ahead of the Murdoch controlled pay TV company and acquire all the rights to a sport. This gives them exclusivity – which is valuable to advertisers and subscribers – and allows them to choose which way to split the rights across their platforms.
“What the regime protects is not true anymore,” he said. “Free companies are winning rights of free sports events, but they’re pushing consumers to their paid outlets.”
loading
Delany’s comments come as Foxtel fights Nine, Seven and Paramount to keep the broadcast rights to the AFL. Foxtel is a long-standing partner of the AFL and wants more exclusivity on key matches, a point of major tension with the AFL’s incumbent free-to-air network partner, Seven West Media.
But it is also facing competition from Paramount and Nine, both of which have made offers to acquire the free-to-air and streaming rights to AFL games.
“At the moment – under the law – it would be very easy for a foreign owned free-to-air that has a streamer to buy any sport, and then do whatever they want with it,” he said.
“We’re the only pay TV company in the world at 20 per cent penetration. That’s partly our own fault – paying too much for sport and so you have to have a very high retail price. But if the laws about being able to get it for free, then why should it be limited to a free-to-air license? Why can’t it just be that you’re willing to offer it for free? The internet actually reaches more homes than terrestrial does.”
loading
Free TV Australia, the lobby group for commercial broadcasters Seven West Media, Network Ten and Nine has long advocated for the laws to include global services to allow the public free access to major events.
Seven and Nine have publicly urged the Albanese government to review the laws to avoid the public paying for their favorite sports. The government has made a review of the scheme a priority.
Delany shares the concerns about global services, but has not publicly advocated for increased regulation.
“Australians have really reinvented the way in which they watch TV and the anti-siphoning regime is stuck in a time warp of that 1993-94 period,” he said.
“Why shouldn’t a company like ours have the right to bid for sports in an open process against those other companies who are paid TV companies, and we would commit to make those events that are truly iconic and available for free.”
Kayo Sports already offers an ad-supported product called Kayo Freebies, but there are no rules on how long Foxtel is required to keep something available for free on the service.
“It’s a fact that [the TV networks] don’t acquire free rights alone, they acquire free and paid rights, and they exploit them, and they push customers over to the paid side.”
Delany’s comments were made following the release of Foxtel’s annual results, which showed a 2 per cent fall in subscription video revenue due to a $US61 ($AU85.7) million impact from foreign currency fluctuations.
He said the company was on track to generate $3 billion in revenue by 2025, and to get to five million customers. But Foxtel still has billions of dollars in debt, which is owed to shareholders News Corp and Telstra. “We’re producing lots of cash, which the shareholders can use to invest or pay down debt. How the shareholders choose to spend the cash is obviously up to a decision for them,” he said.
The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion.Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
There is a glimmer of hope for Australians fearing more interest rate pain, with a leading economist predicting the massive hikes could soon start to ease.
On August 2, the Reserve Bank of Australia raised interest rates for a fourth consecutive month, bringing them to a six-year high of 1.85 per cent.
It was also the third month in a row the cash rate rose by 0.5 per cent, the fastest interest rate growth Australia has experienced in almost 30 years.
The RBA has made it clear interest rates will continue to go up as it attempts to bring soaring inflation levels down.
But independent economist Saul Eslake, former Bank of America Merrill Lynch chief economist (Australia and New Zealand), believes interest rates will not rise as high as some are predicting.
“I think the Reserve Bank is of a mind to get it (interest rates) up to about 2.5 per cent by the end of the year. That could be either 2.35 per cent or 2.6 per cent,” he told NCA NewsWire.
“Then they will be able to pause to assess the impact of what they by then will have done.
“In my view, that may well be enough to slow the economy sufficiently.”
Mr Eslake said raising the cash rate to 2.35 or 2.6 per cent should be enough to achieve the RBA’s goal of slowing down the growth of domestic spending to counter inflation.
“As customers do have to start paying for the rate increases that have been announced, you should see spending slow quite a bit,” he said.
“The other part of the answer is that there is now starting to be some evidence to suggest that the global sources of inflationary pressure have peaked.”
Mr Eslake’s projection goes against what the country’s big four banks have previously predicted after they all unanimously forecast more pain for Australians.
NAB expected the cash rate to sit at 2.85 per cent by November, while Westpac forecasted it would rise to 3.35 per cent by February next year.
But Westpac’s forecast was not as dire as ANZ’s, who expected the cash rate to rise above three per cent before the Christmas holidays.
“Our expectation is that the RBA will deliver this via four more successive 50 basis point rate hikes in August, September, October and November,” ANZ’s head of Australian economics, David Plank, wrote in July.
“This 200 basis points of additional tightening sees the cash rate target at 3.35 per cent by November.”
The CBA forecasted the cash rate will sit at 2.60 percentage points by November.
Mr Eslake acknowledged and did not dismiss these projections, but expressed concern over what it could mean for the Australian economy.
“My view would be that if the Reserve Bank does end up going straight to 3 per cent or 3.5 per cent… there will be a much greater risk of a sharper slowdown in the Australian economy,” he said.
RBA Governor Philip Lowe has previously said he expects they will take further action on interest rates, but indicated those changes are not “pre-set” and subject to incoming data at the time.
“The Board expects to take further steps in the process of normalizing monetary conditions over the months ahead, but it is not on a pre-set path,” he said in a statement following the August hike.
“The size and timing of future interest rate increases will be guided by the incoming data and the Board’s assessment of the outlook for inflation and the labor market.”
ASX reporting season will heat up this week as several big-names S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) shares hand in their full-year FY22 results.
Tomorrow, embattled funds management company Magellan Financial Group Ltd. (ASX: MFG) and annuities provider Challenger Ltd (ASX: CGF) will release their respective FY22 reports.
Meanwhile, Wednesday and Thursday promise to be busy with expected results from the likes of Origin Energy Ltd (ASX:ORG), Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) and Tabcorp Holdings Limited (ASX:TAH).
Despite the size and stature of the companies mentioned above, stealing the spotlight this week will be the following trio of ASX blue-chip shares.
The ASX’s largest company is set to reveal its FY22 results tomorrow morning.
BHP made headlines last week after announcing a non-binding indicative proposal to acquire copper miner OZ Minerals Limited (ASX: OZL). OZ Minerals quickly knocked back the $8.4 billion bid, with the board stating it “significantly undervalued” the business.
BHP offered $25 cash per share, representing a 32% premium to OZ Minerals’ last closing price at the time. This story will likely continue to play out over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, investors will be watching the extent of the Big Australian’s revenue and earnings growth in FY22. Free cash flow will also be in focus as this guides BHP’s all-important dividend. In February, the ASX miner declared a record interim dividend of US$1.50 per share.
The ASX’s healthcare market darling will lift the lid on its FY22 results on Wednesday.
Last week, CSL finalized its $16 billion acquisition of Vifor Pharma. But since the deal was completed after the end of the financial year, this won’t impact CSL’s FY22 results.
Instead, investors will be keeping a close eye on how CSL’s plasma collections are faring in a post-COVID world. After the pandemic put a clamp on plasma donations, industry data is showing that trading conditions for the plasma market are much improved.
CSL delivered 4% revenue growth in the first half of FY22 as the company’s plasma-derived products stalled. This was propelled up by CSL’s influenza vaccine business, which posted sales growth of 18%.
According to our Foolish reporting season calendar, toll road operator Transurban is expected to report its full-year results on Thursday.
Transurban last delivered an update when it released an investor day presentation in May. Large vehicle traffic continued to show resilience, supported by major construction projects and increased e-commerce activity.
Meanwhile, traffic volumes across airport-related corridors are seeing signs of recovery.
Investors will no doubt pay close attention to the latest traffic volumes and insights when Transurban reports on Thursday. Any commentary around the impact of fuel prices and inflation also won’t go unnoticed.
Unlike BHP and CSL, Transurban’s dividends won’t be in focus on Thursday. This is because the toll road operator already declared a final FY22 distribution of 26 cents per stapled security back in June.
This took Transurban’s total FY22 distribution to 41 cents per stapled security, up 12% compared to the distributions paid in FY21.
This could be the best electric car option for Australian families.
Based on the Mercedes-Benz GLB, the new Mercedes EQB crossover combines green credentials with seven-seat versatility.
It’s the only seven seat electric car on sale, as Tesla is not currently accepting orders for its Model X, and Korea’s Hyundai Ioniq 7 and Kia EV9 duo are not available yet.
Which means the electric Mercedes-Benz EQB is the only option for electric car customers who need more than five seats.
Priced from $87,800 plus on-road costs as a five-seater, the new Mercedes EQB 250 is available with an extra for of seats for a further $2900.
The EQB 250 drives the front wheels with a 140kW/385Nm electric motor linked to a 66.5kWh battery delivering 371 kilometers of range.
That’s the same hardware found in the slightly smaller EQA, which costs $11,000 less. The electric EQB costs $27,900 more than a petrol-powered two-wheel-drive GLB 200, or $13,900 more than all-wheel-drive GLB 250.
Customers who want more power can pick the all-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz EQB that uses two motors to deliver a combined 215kW and 520Nm, which delivers a 6.2-second dash to 100km/h at the cost of a slightly reduced 360 kilometers of range.
The all-wheel-drive model costs $106,700 plus on-roads and is not available with seven seats.
Both variants have twin 10.25-inch displays, artificial leather, multi-colour ambient lighting and dual-zone climate control.
A comprehensive array of driver aids includes active cruise control, auto emergency braking, lane keeping assistance and a 360-degree camera.
The EQB accepts charge at a maximum rate of 100kW, which is a little slower than rival machines sold by Tesla, Kia and Hyundai.
There is finally some good news for your grocery bill, with the price of many vegetables expected to drop back to regular prices.
The change comes as growers begin to report that they are back on track with their crops after flooding earlier in the year devastated crops in NSW and Queensland, leaving empty shelves in supermarkets as well as fast food stores such as KFC having to substitute lettuce for cabbage in their burgers.
speaking to the ABCMulgowie Yowie Salads director Shannon Moss said the price of vegetables – such as iceberg lettuce which peaked at around $12 a head at the height of the crisis – have remained high for so long because farmers essentially had to start from scratch.
“You have to remember a seedling in a nursery takes about four to six weeks to grow, then it’s another eight weeks in the ground to grow lettuce,” he said.
“So you’re looking at three to four months to grow any kind of lettuce.”
And while the industry still faces challenges caused by labor shortages, high fuel costs and fertilizer costs, the better weather has at least helped even out supply issues.
Mr Moss says he’s now back in the swing of things, producing about 30,000 cos lettuces a week which get sent out to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
“We’ve had nice weather where a lot of growers have got stock coming on,” Mr Moss said.
But while price drops are coming, Toowoomba-based greengrocer Bevan Betros warned people not to expect them to come down immediately.
“I don’t think they’ll get much cheaper just for the next week or two,” he told ABC. “They’ll get back down as the warm weather comes on, as we get into spring.
“We should be getting down under $2 again, hopefully in September.”
