Fintech CEO unveils Lake Como-inspired home in Bellevue Hill
Fintech operative Brett Isenberg has received the green light to replace his 1990s-era Bellevue Hill pad with a European-inspired mansion, becoming the latest deep-pocketed landholder to enter the fray of luxury rebuilds in Australia's most expensive suburb.
Isenberg, who is the co-chief executive of Octet, a non-bank lender, paid $15.85 million in May last year for the 950 square metre cul-de-sac site on the aptly named Mansion Road.
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Sky News AU
18 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Australia optimistic of free trade deal with the European Union
Australia's trade minister is optimistic a free trade agreement with the European Union will be inked. Trade Minister Don Farrell met his European counterparts in Paris last week. Mr Farrell told Sky News those meetings were positive. In a light jab at the US, Mr Farrell said there was a mood around the world to push the case for less protectionism and freer, fairer trade.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Sky News AU
Trade Minister Don Farrell confident in negotiations to finalise European Union free trade deal
Trade Minister Don Farrell has confirmed momentum is building for a free trade agreement with the European Union, more than 18 months after negotiations collapsed, with sticking points like beef exports and luxury car taxes still on the table. The Albanese government has expressed confidence it will strike a long-awaited free trade agreement with the European Union. Trade Minister Don Farrell told Sky News Sunday Agenda there was 'a lot of goodwill in the air' following revived negotiations with the EU. Mr Farrell met with European counterparts on Wednesday, the first face-to-face talks since free trade negotiations collapsed in October 2023. He acknowledged several sticking points remain unresolved, including Australia's luxury car tax and EU demands for exclusive naming rights for prosciutto and parmesan 'We haven't yet got an agreement, but there was a lot of goodwill in the air in Paris last week,' Mr Farrell said. 'I'm confident that if that goodwill continues, that we can secure a new free trade agreement with the European Union.' The comments follow Mr Farrell's meeting with European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic on the sidelines of an OECD summit in Paris. A visit by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Australia is also expected in July or August. Mr Farrell said both sides now recognise the urgency of finalising an agreement in a 'rapidly changing global environment', amid US President Donald Trump's tariffs. 'Those countries that believe in free and fair trade have to work together,' Mr Farrell said. 'I'm very confident that with a little bit of time, a little bit of hard work on our part… we can get there and we can strike an agreement.' — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) May 18, 2025 Australian officials have said that agriculture remains the biggest sticking point, which was a major cause of the failed negotiations in 2023. The government has signalled a willingness to consider abolishing the luxury car tax—an irritant to EU exporters—in exchange for greater access to lamb and beef markets. The issue of geographical indications—terms like feta, prosecco, parmesan, and prosciutto—also continues to be a flashpoint. Some European nations want to reserve these product names for EU-based producers only, a move resisted by Australian farmers and manufacturers. The EU is Australia's third-largest trading partner, representing a market of 450 million people and a GDP of about AUD$20 trillion. Mr Farrell said a trade agreement would unlock benefits across investment, education, supply chains and export growth. 'We've got lots of things that we can sell to the Europeans. I believe now that there's an appetite to reach an agreement on both sides,' he said. The renewed push comes amid heightened global uncertainty, with US President Donald Trump announcing plans to double steel tariffs to 50 per cent. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Trump will likely meet for the first time in Kananaskis, Canada, between June 15 and 17.
West Australian
3 days ago
- West Australian
Kia won't extend warranty to best Hyundai
Kia Australia says it's not looking to extend its factory warranty beyond seven years, regardless of the increasing number of other auto brands – including its own sister brand Hyundai – now offering aftersales coverage for the same period or longer. Speaking with CarExpert at the Australian launch of the facelifted Sportage SUV, the company's general manager for product Roland Rivero said the Korean brand's once-benchmark warranty is no longer a key reason for purchase for its customers, and therefore it's focusing on other areas. 'I think we were very fortunate when we did launch [that] very definitive seven-year warranty… with how much clear air time we had before other OEMs [automakers] introduced theirs. That did a great job for our brand. It gave people permission to look at a Kia product, and for that point in time and where the brand was at, it was required,' Mr Rivero said. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now . 'Where the brand is at now, the warranty component is not so much the driver of what makes customers walk into our showroom. We're quite happy with where it is at the moment – the same as what we launched back in October 2014 – and there are no plans that I'm aware of to change or go any higher. 'I think that component of reason for purchase, which was once probably number one, isn't quite number one anymore. It's slipped further down, and more of a closing component, as opposed to the main reason to attract customers into the Kia brand,' Mr Rivero added. Kia Australia was the first brand in Australia to offer a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre new-vehicle warranty, which commenced on October 1, 2014. Unlike many brands at the time that stipulated conditions around roadside assistance, capped-price servicing or mileage, Kia's comprehensive cover also included roadside assistance and capped price servicing for the same period. Before that, Hyundai Australia pioneered the five-year warranty back in 2007. Kia followed suit in 2008, at a time when the warranties of most brands didn't extend past three years or 150,000km, at best. On July 1, 2025, Korean compatriot Hyundai Australia will move to a similar seven-year/unlimited-km warranty, which will be backdated to all new vehicles registered from January 1, 2025. The introduction of a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty brings Hyundai in line with sister brand Kia, as well as Chery and Skoda, which is the only European brand backing its vehicles with seven years of coverage. Nissan Australia moved to a conditional 10-year/300,000km warranty earlier this year – contingent on vehicles behind serviced within the brand's dealer network over that time – matching Alliance partner Mitsubishi's similar program (albeit limited to 200,000km). MG Motor Australia covers all of its vehicles with a 10-year/250,000km warranty with no servicing requirement to extend the coverage to a decade – though it's only for private buyers who don't use their vehicles for commercial purposes. Business customers receive a seven-year/160,000km warranty. MORE: Hyundai Australia launching seven-year warranty to match Kia, Chery
