Global Scans · Australia · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Australia will no longer be known for being as dependant on the export of natural resources over the next half century as in 2012. The need for new infrastructure to meet the strong population and economic growth of Australia will continue to be a priority for the medium term. There's no doubt the aftermath of China's credit boom poses a much bigger economic threat to Australia than Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. The Growth rate for Australia is expected to be stronger, although still below the long-term trend.

• [New] The more demand for Canadian canola oil there is from the US, the more Canadian canola seed that will be crushed in Canada, and the less Canadian canola that will compete with Australia in European and Asian export markets. Elders
• [New] The number of people living with heart valve disease will double by 2040 and triple by 2060. / Australia Mirage News
• [New] Australian and global heart health advocates now warn heart valve disease is the next cardiac epidemic, driven by an ageing population and persistently low awareness. Mirage News
• [New] Massive investments in electrolyzer gigafactories in China and green hydrogen projects in Australia will generate concentrated equipment demand. IndexBox Inc.
• [New] Aon's 2026 Global Medical Trend Rates Report highlights healthcare costs in Australia continuing to climb, with employer-sponsored medical plans forecast to increase by around 5.2% in 2026. Insurance Business
• [New] In Australia, extreme heat is the most common cause of weather-related hospitalizations, and kills more people than all other natural hazards combined. The Guardian
• [New] U.S. wheat stocks were forecast at 933 million bushels by the end of the 2026-2027 marketing year, nearly unchanged from a year earlier as lower exports following bumper crops in rival suppliers Argentina and Australia offset a drop in U.S. production. Successful Farming
• [New] Australia remains a multi-gigawatt proving ground for utility-scale energy storage systems, a characterization that Shah believes will hold true for at least the next decade. Energy-Storage.News
• [New] Japan and Australia lead adoption, and China - even with its entrenched tea culture - is showing early signs of potential. BeverageDaily.com
• [New] As Australia confronts escalating cyber threats, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and rising regulatory scrutiny, the Australian Signals Directorate's (ASD) and ACSC Essential Eight framework has shifted from recommended best practice to a baseline every organization must meet. Touchpoint Technology
• [New] Looking ahead to 2026, global lithium output is expected to increase further by 15.0% to reach 389,100 t, primarily supported by continued supply growth from Argentina, Australia, China, Mali, and Zimbabwe. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Telstra reported a $1.2 billion half-year profit, up 8.1%, as the telco giant reaps the rewards of aggressive cost-cutting that has shed more than 2300 jobs in six months, while warning consumers may face higher mobile bills because of a $7.2 billion government spectrum charge. / Australia The Sydney Morning Herald
• [New] By 2051, that corridor alone is projected to hold around 28 million people. / Australia Man of Many
• [New] Australia should seize the opportunity to capitalise on the significant skills gained delivering major projects in recent years to bring high speed rail to life. Australasian Railway Association
• [New] Australian research found non technology-based activities - such as eating, drinking, smoking and interacting with passengers - all have the potential to increase crash risk as well. The Conversation
• [New] Australia represents the most significant allied nation lithium partnership opportunity, with substantial hard-rock spodumene reserves and established mining expertise. Discovery Alert
• [New] Cyber Attacks and Data Breaches ranked as the number one business risk for Australian respondents. Insurance Business
• [New] Nuclear submarine spending increased from $475 million in the previous year to an estimated $2.8 billion in 2024-25, with projections showing further increases to $2.75 billion in 2025-26, $1.25 billion in 2026-27, and then a substantial increase to $4.97 billion by 2027-28. / Australia Defense.info
• [New] Climate change could lead to more than 500,000 additional malaria deaths in Africa by 2050, a study by researchers from the Kids Research Institute Australia and Curtin University shows. Ecofin Agency
• [New] Under the AUKUS agreement, the Australian navy will acquire eight nuclear-powered (but not nuclear armed) submarines over the next decade from the United States and Britain. 9News
• [New] Australia unveiled on Sunday AU$ 3.9 billion ($2.8 billion) in spending as a down payment on a new facility that will build nuclear submarines under the tripartite AUKUS security pact with Britain and the United States. Economic Times

Last updated: 27 February 2026