‘The world moves on': Swans push case for dramatic SCG revamp, expansion
'I'm a real estate person. You can't have real estate that is as valuable as the SCG and that whole precinct, and have it underutilised. It's just crazy.'
Venues NSW is reviewing the condition of the three stands, pulling together previous master plans for the stadium and adapting them to account for changes to the Moore Park precinct following the rebuilding of Allianz Stadium, to create a vision for the new SCG. However, no funding commitments have been made by the NSW government. 'Venues NSW will be undertaking a condition assessment of the O'Reilly, Brewongle and Churchill stands. The focus of this assessment will be to ensure the facilities meet the modern needs of fans,' said a spokesperson for Venues NSW.
If the O'Reilly, Brewongle and Churchill stands are demolished, it is presumed there will finally be room to be able to facilitate a drop-in wicket at the SCG – a contentious change the Swans have long pushed for, but now has tentative support from Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg.
Pridham, however, does not buy the argument that it is not possible to do now due to logistical issues.
'I wasn't born yesterday,' he said. 'I don't accept the argument. In fact, I know it's not correct that you couldn't do a drop in wicket. There is sufficient technology today. I mean, we landed on the moon in 1969, so they can put a drop in wicket in the SCG tomorrow.
'That's a bit of a furphy that argument. The other argument is that they need somewhere to grow the grass ... there's plenty of grass around the SCG, and it's really a matter of will from the government to make it happen. I don't think it should be dependent on redevelopment of the grandstands, albeit I think they're both important.'
Another issue Pridham is firm on is the prospect of sharing the SCG with the Giants, who have previously flagged interest in playing a home game there during the period in which Engie Stadium is unavailable due to the Easter Show.
'It's not happening, so it's not worth discussing,' he said.
The Giants are now reportedly exploring the possibility of selling a home game to a Melbourne-based club and hosting them at the MCG.
As for matters on the field, Pridham has been disappointed by the Swans' 2-5 start to the season, their first under Dean Cox, but provided unequivocal support for the new head coach, who is grappling with a difficult injury crisis, which means they will field another vastly under-strength team on Sunday.
'It's not the start we wanted nor expected – but it's not unprecedented,' he said.
'I still remain optimistic. Clearly we've got to improve, but I think we've got a lot of improvement in us. There's no excuses in footy. You either win or lose. But look, [Cox is] doing a fantastic job. Everyone's really, really happy with what he's doing. Circumstances haven't been great for him in terms of the injuries. The fixture's obviously also been tough. There are circumstances, but we never like to make excuses. He would never make excuses either. We've just got to get better.'
Beneath the AFL, however, Pridham expressed 'real concern' about the state of the code in Sydney at grassroots level, particularly when it comes to participation rates for boys and men, although the boom in numbers for girls and women was a bright spot.
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'In terms of male participation, in metro Sydney, including the western suburbs, I think it's going backwards, and it's very, very disappointing,' he said.
'It's actually a significant concern. A lot of clubs are having to merge due to lack of players, due to lack of facilities. It's a real problem, and we're very focused on what the AFL and the Swans and the Giants can do together to try and stem the flow. If you look at the growth of the game in Queensland, for example, it really is chalk and cheese.
'There's a lot of work to be done, and it's a vast, vast geographical area, so it's challenging. There's definitely no quick fixes. It's just time, it's shoe leather, it's inspiration, investment – it's a slow burn. It's not glamorous, but you've just got to keep at it.'
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
How Neale Daniher's blue beanie blockbuster is inspiring change, fuelling hope
Motor neurone disease warrior Neale Daniher has a simple but powerful message for young people in 2025: learn how to be resilient. "It's not a matter of if life gets tough, it's when and how often," the 2025 Australian of the Year said. "Character isn't just built in the good times - it's built even more in the tough times. Like a nation, like a football club, like a family, strength is forged through struggle." This long weekend the 64-year-old former Melbourne coach and Essendon player will rally the nation once again around FightMND, the charity he co-founded and which has raised $115 million for research to find a cure for the disease he has battled since 2013. FightMND's 11th annual "Big Freeze at the 'G" fundraiser takes place before the June 9 King's Birthday AFL clash between Collingwood and Melbourne. Big Freeze 11 blue beanies have been on sale at Coles and Bunnings stores in recent weeks and the MCG is expected to be a sea of blue on Monday. Inspired by the words of the philosopher Kierkegaard - "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards" - Daniher said: "This year we're daring everyone to live it forward. To live in the moment. To take bold steps toward a brighter future for those living with MND and in memory of those we've lost." The theme for this year's sliders is "iconic Australians" - a nod to Daniher's Australian of the Year honour. The 10 celebrities taking the toboggan plunge into a pool of ice costumed as Aussie stage, screen and sporting legends include Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus, actor Matt Nable (who lost his brother to MND), former Australian cricket captain and 1999 Australian of the Year Mark Taylor, Olympian and Sunrise co-host Matt Shirvington, AFL legends Peter Daicos and Aaron Davey, netballer Liz Watson and Aussie cricket captain Alyssa Healy. "Since the first Big Freeze in 2015, this movement has grown into a force of nature, fuelled by the generosity of Australians across the country," Daniher says. "The generosity and unwavering spirit of the community has inspired change and fuelled hope." A year after his diagnosis, Daniher co-founded FightMND with Dr Ian Davis and Pat Cunningham. Sadly, MND has since claimed the lives of Dr Davis and Mr Cunningham's wife Angie, but the legacy they created with Daniher lives on. "Neale is an inspiration to many millions of Australians," AFL CEO Andrew Dillon, a FightMND board member, said. "His achievements on the footy field were remarkable, while his legacy off the field in helping raise awareness and find a cure for MND is legendary. There is no bigger champion than Neale, as he continues to amaze us with his resilience, passion and drive, all while keeping his cheeky Daniher wit." While MND has robbed the West Wyalong-born, Riverina-raised Daniher of the ability to speak, he uses eye-gaze technology to communicate. When he accepted his Australian of the Year Award in Canberra in January, his speech was read by a robotic voice. But the voice now sounds like the real Neale thanks to AI and recordings of his media conferences from his coaching days. "It's much better than the robot voice I had, but I don't sit around listening to myself all day," Daniher told 7News. He recently took his message in person to school students in Perth - his first official interstate trip as Australian of the Year. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE OUR NEXT AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR With his young, WA-based grandson Cooper watching on, he urged the 200 students to face life's challenges with strength and positivity. "What do you wish for someone you love?" he asked. "Most people would say 'I want them to be happy' or healthy or to find something they're passionate about, or maybe to find love; and all of that is important. "But today, I want to give you an alternative. The one thing I really wish for Cooper - and for you - is to learn how to be resilient. "Resilience is simply the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change and keep going when things get tough. It doesn't mean you don't feel pain, disappointment or frustration. It means you don't let those feelings define you or stop you from moving forward. "You have to find the courage to take responsibility, not to pass the buck, not to procrastinate, not to make excuses. You have to summon something from within you, from the better side of your character, and let it help you rise up." Who inspires you? Who do you think should be our next Australian of the Year? If you see them or hear about them, nominate them before July 31 for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards at Motor neurone disease warrior Neale Daniher has a simple but powerful message for young people in 2025: learn how to be resilient. "It's not a matter of if life gets tough, it's when and how often," the 2025 Australian of the Year said. "Character isn't just built in the good times - it's built even more in the tough times. Like a nation, like a football club, like a family, strength is forged through struggle." This long weekend the 64-year-old former Melbourne coach and Essendon player will rally the nation once again around FightMND, the charity he co-founded and which has raised $115 million for research to find a cure for the disease he has battled since 2013. FightMND's 11th annual "Big Freeze at the 'G" fundraiser takes place before the June 9 King's Birthday AFL clash between Collingwood and Melbourne. Big Freeze 11 blue beanies have been on sale at Coles and Bunnings stores in recent weeks and the MCG is expected to be a sea of blue on Monday. Inspired by the words of the philosopher Kierkegaard - "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards" - Daniher said: "This year we're daring everyone to live it forward. To live in the moment. To take bold steps toward a brighter future for those living with MND and in memory of those we've lost." The theme for this year's sliders is "iconic Australians" - a nod to Daniher's Australian of the Year honour. The 10 celebrities taking the toboggan plunge into a pool of ice costumed as Aussie stage, screen and sporting legends include Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus, actor Matt Nable (who lost his brother to MND), former Australian cricket captain and 1999 Australian of the Year Mark Taylor, Olympian and Sunrise co-host Matt Shirvington, AFL legends Peter Daicos and Aaron Davey, netballer Liz Watson and Aussie cricket captain Alyssa Healy. "Since the first Big Freeze in 2015, this movement has grown into a force of nature, fuelled by the generosity of Australians across the country," Daniher says. "The generosity and unwavering spirit of the community has inspired change and fuelled hope." A year after his diagnosis, Daniher co-founded FightMND with Dr Ian Davis and Pat Cunningham. Sadly, MND has since claimed the lives of Dr Davis and Mr Cunningham's wife Angie, but the legacy they created with Daniher lives on. "Neale is an inspiration to many millions of Australians," AFL CEO Andrew Dillon, a FightMND board member, said. "His achievements on the footy field were remarkable, while his legacy off the field in helping raise awareness and find a cure for MND is legendary. There is no bigger champion than Neale, as he continues to amaze us with his resilience, passion and drive, all while keeping his cheeky Daniher wit." While MND has robbed the West Wyalong-born, Riverina-raised Daniher of the ability to speak, he uses eye-gaze technology to communicate. When he accepted his Australian of the Year Award in Canberra in January, his speech was read by a robotic voice. But the voice now sounds like the real Neale thanks to AI and recordings of his media conferences from his coaching days. "It's much better than the robot voice I had, but I don't sit around listening to myself all day," Daniher told 7News. He recently took his message in person to school students in Perth - his first official interstate trip as Australian of the Year. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE OUR NEXT AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR With his young, WA-based grandson Cooper watching on, he urged the 200 students to face life's challenges with strength and positivity. "What do you wish for someone you love?" he asked. "Most people would say 'I want them to be happy' or healthy or to find something they're passionate about, or maybe to find love; and all of that is important. "But today, I want to give you an alternative. The one thing I really wish for Cooper - and for you - is to learn how to be resilient. "Resilience is simply the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change and keep going when things get tough. It doesn't mean you don't feel pain, disappointment or frustration. It means you don't let those feelings define you or stop you from moving forward. "You have to find the courage to take responsibility, not to pass the buck, not to procrastinate, not to make excuses. You have to summon something from within you, from the better side of your character, and let it help you rise up." Who inspires you? Who do you think should be our next Australian of the Year? If you see them or hear about them, nominate them before July 31 for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards at Motor neurone disease warrior Neale Daniher has a simple but powerful message for young people in 2025: learn how to be resilient. "It's not a matter of if life gets tough, it's when and how often," the 2025 Australian of the Year said. "Character isn't just built in the good times - it's built even more in the tough times. Like a nation, like a football club, like a family, strength is forged through struggle." This long weekend the 64-year-old former Melbourne coach and Essendon player will rally the nation once again around FightMND, the charity he co-founded and which has raised $115 million for research to find a cure for the disease he has battled since 2013. FightMND's 11th annual "Big Freeze at the 'G" fundraiser takes place before the June 9 King's Birthday AFL clash between Collingwood and Melbourne. Big Freeze 11 blue beanies have been on sale at Coles and Bunnings stores in recent weeks and the MCG is expected to be a sea of blue on Monday. Inspired by the words of the philosopher Kierkegaard - "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards" - Daniher said: "This year we're daring everyone to live it forward. To live in the moment. To take bold steps toward a brighter future for those living with MND and in memory of those we've lost." The theme for this year's sliders is "iconic Australians" - a nod to Daniher's Australian of the Year honour. The 10 celebrities taking the toboggan plunge into a pool of ice costumed as Aussie stage, screen and sporting legends include Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus, actor Matt Nable (who lost his brother to MND), former Australian cricket captain and 1999 Australian of the Year Mark Taylor, Olympian and Sunrise co-host Matt Shirvington, AFL legends Peter Daicos and Aaron Davey, netballer Liz Watson and Aussie cricket captain Alyssa Healy. "Since the first Big Freeze in 2015, this movement has grown into a force of nature, fuelled by the generosity of Australians across the country," Daniher says. "The generosity and unwavering spirit of the community has inspired change and fuelled hope." A year after his diagnosis, Daniher co-founded FightMND with Dr Ian Davis and Pat Cunningham. Sadly, MND has since claimed the lives of Dr Davis and Mr Cunningham's wife Angie, but the legacy they created with Daniher lives on. "Neale is an inspiration to many millions of Australians," AFL CEO Andrew Dillon, a FightMND board member, said. "His achievements on the footy field were remarkable, while his legacy off the field in helping raise awareness and find a cure for MND is legendary. There is no bigger champion than Neale, as he continues to amaze us with his resilience, passion and drive, all while keeping his cheeky Daniher wit." While MND has robbed the West Wyalong-born, Riverina-raised Daniher of the ability to speak, he uses eye-gaze technology to communicate. When he accepted his Australian of the Year Award in Canberra in January, his speech was read by a robotic voice. But the voice now sounds like the real Neale thanks to AI and recordings of his media conferences from his coaching days. "It's much better than the robot voice I had, but I don't sit around listening to myself all day," Daniher told 7News. He recently took his message in person to school students in Perth - his first official interstate trip as Australian of the Year. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE OUR NEXT AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR With his young, WA-based grandson Cooper watching on, he urged the 200 students to face life's challenges with strength and positivity. "What do you wish for someone you love?" he asked. "Most people would say 'I want them to be happy' or healthy or to find something they're passionate about, or maybe to find love; and all of that is important. "But today, I want to give you an alternative. The one thing I really wish for Cooper - and for you - is to learn how to be resilient. "Resilience is simply the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change and keep going when things get tough. It doesn't mean you don't feel pain, disappointment or frustration. It means you don't let those feelings define you or stop you from moving forward. "You have to find the courage to take responsibility, not to pass the buck, not to procrastinate, not to make excuses. You have to summon something from within you, from the better side of your character, and let it help you rise up." Who inspires you? Who do you think should be our next Australian of the Year? If you see them or hear about them, nominate them before July 31 for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards at
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Simmo & Horse analyse Dogs' midfield
AFL: Simmo and Horse join AFL 360 for their weekly coaches segment, this time diving into what makes the Bulldogs' midfield tick.
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Economy stalls as private sector fails to pick up slack
Temporary factors might have dragged down Australia's economy but there are warning signs the challenges it faces are more entrenched. Economic growth figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, paint a gloomy picture. Gross domestic product slowed to 0.2 per cent in the first three months of 2025, down from a 0.6 per cent rise in the December quarter and weaker than economists had been expecting. "There was nothing to be happy about in the national accounts numbers today," mused EY's chief economist Cherelle Murphy. While Treasurer Jim Chalmers said any growth was a decent outcome, given global uncertainty, a return to falling GDP per capita - a common measure of living standards - is worrying news. There was a fair bit of bad luck in the numbers. Disruptions from Cyclone Alfred and flooding in Queensland and Northern NSW cut $2.2 billion from the national economy, Treasury estimates. Mining, tourism and shipping were particularly impacted, but underlying growth remains soft, particularly household consumption. The economy had been boosted in recent years by stronger public spending, but as state government infrastructure projects come off and energy rebates unwind, Dr Chalmers promised momentum would shift to the private sector. Westpac senior economist Pat Bustamante has been warning about the potential for a "shaky handover". "In line with our updated expectations, public demand fell and the private sector struggled to pick up the slack," he said. Public spending recorded the largest slowdown since the September quarter 2017, partly down to the government's efforts to curtail spending on the NDIS. But household consumption growth was softer than the previous quarter at 0.4 per cent. Even that was driven by a strong bounce in spending on electricity bills, as state government rebates lifted off. Dr Chalmers saw a silver lining in the figures. "There wasn't a lot of growth in March, but what growth there was was private-sector led, and that's an encouraging sign," he told reporters. The treasurer said Australia was still better placed than peer economies. "When you look at these numbers today, no major advanced economy has our combination of unemployment in the low fours, inflation below 2.5 per cent, and three years of continuous growth," he said. Declining interest rates and rising disposable income from real wages growth should boost household spending. But economic uncertainty from Donald Trump's tariffs remains a headwind. Trade barriers will continue to weigh on economic growth, with the worst effects of global uncertainty not expected to show up in the data until the June quarter. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development downgraded its forecast for Australia's GDP growth from 1.9 per cent to 1.8 per cent in 2025. But the outlook is rosier in 2026, with economic growth expected to accelerate to 2.2 per cent as interest rates continue to fall and disposable incomes recover. Rates markets implied about an 80 per cent chance for the RBA to cut interest rates by 25 basis points at its next meeting in July, with two more cuts expected by Christmas. Annual economic growth held steady at 1.3 per cent, meaning the economy would need to rise by 0.7 per cent in the June quarter to meet the Reserve Bank's forecast of 1.8 per cent growth year-on-year. An outcome below that would heighten the chance of further interest rate cuts. Temporary factors might have dragged down Australia's economy but there are warning signs the challenges it faces are more entrenched. Economic growth figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, paint a gloomy picture. Gross domestic product slowed to 0.2 per cent in the first three months of 2025, down from a 0.6 per cent rise in the December quarter and weaker than economists had been expecting. "There was nothing to be happy about in the national accounts numbers today," mused EY's chief economist Cherelle Murphy. While Treasurer Jim Chalmers said any growth was a decent outcome, given global uncertainty, a return to falling GDP per capita - a common measure of living standards - is worrying news. There was a fair bit of bad luck in the numbers. Disruptions from Cyclone Alfred and flooding in Queensland and Northern NSW cut $2.2 billion from the national economy, Treasury estimates. Mining, tourism and shipping were particularly impacted, but underlying growth remains soft, particularly household consumption. The economy had been boosted in recent years by stronger public spending, but as state government infrastructure projects come off and energy rebates unwind, Dr Chalmers promised momentum would shift to the private sector. Westpac senior economist Pat Bustamante has been warning about the potential for a "shaky handover". "In line with our updated expectations, public demand fell and the private sector struggled to pick up the slack," he said. Public spending recorded the largest slowdown since the September quarter 2017, partly down to the government's efforts to curtail spending on the NDIS. But household consumption growth was softer than the previous quarter at 0.4 per cent. Even that was driven by a strong bounce in spending on electricity bills, as state government rebates lifted off. Dr Chalmers saw a silver lining in the figures. "There wasn't a lot of growth in March, but what growth there was was private-sector led, and that's an encouraging sign," he told reporters. The treasurer said Australia was still better placed than peer economies. "When you look at these numbers today, no major advanced economy has our combination of unemployment in the low fours, inflation below 2.5 per cent, and three years of continuous growth," he said. Declining interest rates and rising disposable income from real wages growth should boost household spending. But economic uncertainty from Donald Trump's tariffs remains a headwind. Trade barriers will continue to weigh on economic growth, with the worst effects of global uncertainty not expected to show up in the data until the June quarter. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development downgraded its forecast for Australia's GDP growth from 1.9 per cent to 1.8 per cent in 2025. But the outlook is rosier in 2026, with economic growth expected to accelerate to 2.2 per cent as interest rates continue to fall and disposable incomes recover. Rates markets implied about an 80 per cent chance for the RBA to cut interest rates by 25 basis points at its next meeting in July, with two more cuts expected by Christmas. Annual economic growth held steady at 1.3 per cent, meaning the economy would need to rise by 0.7 per cent in the June quarter to meet the Reserve Bank's forecast of 1.8 per cent growth year-on-year. An outcome below that would heighten the chance of further interest rate cuts. Temporary factors might have dragged down Australia's economy but there are warning signs the challenges it faces are more entrenched. Economic growth figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, paint a gloomy picture. Gross domestic product slowed to 0.2 per cent in the first three months of 2025, down from a 0.6 per cent rise in the December quarter and weaker than economists had been expecting. "There was nothing to be happy about in the national accounts numbers today," mused EY's chief economist Cherelle Murphy. While Treasurer Jim Chalmers said any growth was a decent outcome, given global uncertainty, a return to falling GDP per capita - a common measure of living standards - is worrying news. There was a fair bit of bad luck in the numbers. Disruptions from Cyclone Alfred and flooding in Queensland and Northern NSW cut $2.2 billion from the national economy, Treasury estimates. Mining, tourism and shipping were particularly impacted, but underlying growth remains soft, particularly household consumption. The economy had been boosted in recent years by stronger public spending, but as state government infrastructure projects come off and energy rebates unwind, Dr Chalmers promised momentum would shift to the private sector. Westpac senior economist Pat Bustamante has been warning about the potential for a "shaky handover". "In line with our updated expectations, public demand fell and the private sector struggled to pick up the slack," he said. Public spending recorded the largest slowdown since the September quarter 2017, partly down to the government's efforts to curtail spending on the NDIS. But household consumption growth was softer than the previous quarter at 0.4 per cent. Even that was driven by a strong bounce in spending on electricity bills, as state government rebates lifted off. Dr Chalmers saw a silver lining in the figures. "There wasn't a lot of growth in March, but what growth there was was private-sector led, and that's an encouraging sign," he told reporters. The treasurer said Australia was still better placed than peer economies. "When you look at these numbers today, no major advanced economy has our combination of unemployment in the low fours, inflation below 2.5 per cent, and three years of continuous growth," he said. Declining interest rates and rising disposable income from real wages growth should boost household spending. But economic uncertainty from Donald Trump's tariffs remains a headwind. Trade barriers will continue to weigh on economic growth, with the worst effects of global uncertainty not expected to show up in the data until the June quarter. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development downgraded its forecast for Australia's GDP growth from 1.9 per cent to 1.8 per cent in 2025. But the outlook is rosier in 2026, with economic growth expected to accelerate to 2.2 per cent as interest rates continue to fall and disposable incomes recover. Rates markets implied about an 80 per cent chance for the RBA to cut interest rates by 25 basis points at its next meeting in July, with two more cuts expected by Christmas. Annual economic growth held steady at 1.3 per cent, meaning the economy would need to rise by 0.7 per cent in the June quarter to meet the Reserve Bank's forecast of 1.8 per cent growth year-on-year. An outcome below that would heighten the chance of further interest rate cuts. Temporary factors might have dragged down Australia's economy but there are warning signs the challenges it faces are more entrenched. Economic growth figures, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, paint a gloomy picture. Gross domestic product slowed to 0.2 per cent in the first three months of 2025, down from a 0.6 per cent rise in the December quarter and weaker than economists had been expecting. "There was nothing to be happy about in the national accounts numbers today," mused EY's chief economist Cherelle Murphy. While Treasurer Jim Chalmers said any growth was a decent outcome, given global uncertainty, a return to falling GDP per capita - a common measure of living standards - is worrying news. There was a fair bit of bad luck in the numbers. Disruptions from Cyclone Alfred and flooding in Queensland and Northern NSW cut $2.2 billion from the national economy, Treasury estimates. Mining, tourism and shipping were particularly impacted, but underlying growth remains soft, particularly household consumption. The economy had been boosted in recent years by stronger public spending, but as state government infrastructure projects come off and energy rebates unwind, Dr Chalmers promised momentum would shift to the private sector. Westpac senior economist Pat Bustamante has been warning about the potential for a "shaky handover". "In line with our updated expectations, public demand fell and the private sector struggled to pick up the slack," he said. Public spending recorded the largest slowdown since the September quarter 2017, partly down to the government's efforts to curtail spending on the NDIS. But household consumption growth was softer than the previous quarter at 0.4 per cent. Even that was driven by a strong bounce in spending on electricity bills, as state government rebates lifted off. Dr Chalmers saw a silver lining in the figures. "There wasn't a lot of growth in March, but what growth there was was private-sector led, and that's an encouraging sign," he told reporters. The treasurer said Australia was still better placed than peer economies. "When you look at these numbers today, no major advanced economy has our combination of unemployment in the low fours, inflation below 2.5 per cent, and three years of continuous growth," he said. Declining interest rates and rising disposable income from real wages growth should boost household spending. But economic uncertainty from Donald Trump's tariffs remains a headwind. Trade barriers will continue to weigh on economic growth, with the worst effects of global uncertainty not expected to show up in the data until the June quarter. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development downgraded its forecast for Australia's GDP growth from 1.9 per cent to 1.8 per cent in 2025. But the outlook is rosier in 2026, with economic growth expected to accelerate to 2.2 per cent as interest rates continue to fall and disposable incomes recover. Rates markets implied about an 80 per cent chance for the RBA to cut interest rates by 25 basis points at its next meeting in July, with two more cuts expected by Christmas. Annual economic growth held steady at 1.3 per cent, meaning the economy would need to rise by 0.7 per cent in the June quarter to meet the Reserve Bank's forecast of 1.8 per cent growth year-on-year. An outcome below that would heighten the chance of further interest rate cuts.
