Critical Minerals: QIC’s Queensland Critical Minerals Fund will put $20m into Aeon Metals’ Walford Creek copper-zinc-lead-silver and high-grade cobalt project in north-west Queensland, backing drilling, environmental work and approvals to push toward a definitive feasibility study. Data Centres: NSW has launched a “nation-leading” data centre policy framework, fast-tracking compliant projects for assessment within 75 days while requiring developers to fund extra energy and water infrastructure and meet environmental safeguards. Housing & Cost of Living: New ABS-style lending data shows investors pulling back hard, with new investor loan values down $4.2b (10%) quarter-on-quarter, as higher rates and property tax changes cool the market. Retail Shock: JB Hi-Fi shares plunged after a trading update showed weaker same-store sales, dragging the broader consumer discretionary sector. Emissions Pressure: Investor groups are urging tougher rules under Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism, warning many big polluters are cutting far too little. Justice & Prisons (NT): The NT’s plan for a 1,200-bed private men’s remand centre faces backlash amid rising incarceration rates. FOI Reform: A review finds many federal bodies are missing FOI disclosure-log deadlines, renewing calls for stronger transparency rules. Gun Buyback Debate (NSW): NSW opposition leaders slam the scheme as a costly political fix that won’t stop the next Bondi-style attack. Health: Research flags 1.7m Australians may be vulnerable to measles as immunity gaps widen for travellers.