[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":141},["ShallowReactive",2],{"active-categories":3,"blowouts":28,"category-cost-of-living-1":83},[4,6,8,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27],{"category":5},"follow-the-money",{"category":7},"cost-of-living",{"category":9},"government-waste",{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":5},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":9},{"category":7},{"category":5},{"category":7},{"category":9},{"category":9},[29,39,49,58,66,75],{"path":30,"title":31,"category":9,"date":32,"blowout":33},"\u002Fstories\u002Fbom-website-96-million-one-year-on","One year on: the BOM website that cost $96.5 million, not $4 million","2026-10-24",{"project":34,"originalCost":35,"currentCost":36,"announced":37,"note":38},"BOM website",4100000,96500000,"2025","$4.1m was the figure first given to the public.",{"path":40,"title":41,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":43},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcross-river-rail-cost-blowout-19-billion","Cross River Rail was sold as a $5.4 billion project. The government now says it costs $19 billion","2026-10-25",{"project":44,"originalCost":45,"currentCost":46,"announced":47,"note":48},"Cross River Rail",5400000000,19041000000,"2017","Queensland Government figure (Oct 2025). It includes 25 years of tunnel maintenance and network works; Labor disputes counting them.",{"path":50,"title":51,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":52},"\u002Fstories\u002Fhunter-class-frigates-27-billion-three-ships","Hunter-class frigates: sold as nine warships for $35 billion. We're now paying $27 billion for three",{"project":53,"originalCost":54,"currentCost":55,"announced":56,"note":57},"Hunter-class frigates",35000000000,45600000000,"2018","2020 Force Structure Plan estimate for nine ships. The program is now six ships; close to $27bn is allocated for the first three, including the Osborne shipyard.",{"path":59,"title":60,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":61},"\u002Fstories\u002Finland-rail-cost-blowout-45-billion-parkes","Inland Rail was sold as a $10.7 billion project. It now costs $45.6 billion, and stops at Parkes",{"project":62,"originalCost":63,"currentCost":55,"announced":64,"note":65},"Inland Rail",10660000000,"2015","Both P90 estimates for the full Melbourne to Brisbane line. Only Beveridge to Parkes is now being built.",{"path":67,"title":68,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":69},"\u002Fstories\u002Fnorth-east-link-cost-blowout-26-billion","North East Link was sold as a $10 billion road. It now costs $26 billion",{"project":70,"originalCost":71,"currentCost":72,"announced":73,"note":74},"North East Link",10000000000,26100000000,"2016","Victoria's December 2023 estimate. Includes the Eastern Freeway and M80 upgrades added since.",{"path":76,"title":77,"category":9,"date":42,"blowout":78},"\u002Fstories\u002Fsnowy-2-0-cost-blowout-25-billion","Snowy 2.0 was sold as a $2 billion project. It could now cost $25 billion",{"project":79,"originalCost":80,"currentCost":81,"announced":47,"note":82},"Snowy 2.0",2000000000,22200000000,"Target cost. Up to $25bn with contingency; transmission not included.",{"stories":84,"total":114},[85,97,106,115,125,133],{"path":86,"title":87,"description":88,"date":89,"category":7,"author":90,"image":91,"imageAlt":92,"bigNumber":93,"bigNumberLabel":94,"readingTime":95,"featured":96},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcar-insurance-premiums-up-42-percent","Car insurance premiums: up 42%, and insurers don't say why","Car insurance premiums in Australia rose 42% in five years and another 8% last year. ASIC found no insurer explained why. What's driving it and how to pay less.","2026-10-28","Aussie Outrage","\u002Fimages\u002Fcar-insurance-eastern-freeway-traffic.jpg","Morning peak-hour traffic banked up on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway","42%","Rise in the average comprehensive car insurance premium from 2019 to 2024, before another 8% in 2024-25",8,false,{"path":98,"title":99,"description":100,"date":89,"category":7,"author":90,"image":101,"imageAlt":102,"bigNumber":103,"bigNumberLabel":104,"readingTime":105,"featured":96},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcoles-down-down-court-case-discounts-not-genuine","Coles Down Down court case: 13 of 14 discounts not genuine","The Coles Down Down court case: a judge found 13 of 14 discounts weren't genuine. No penalty until 2027, Woolworths awaits judgment, and profits are up.","\u002Fimages\u002Fcoles-aisle-trolley.jpg","A shopping trolley in a Coles supermarket aisle lined with stocked shelves and yellow price tickets","13 of 14","Coles 'Down Down' tickets the Federal Court found misleading, because the discount wasn't genuine",7,{"path":107,"title":108,"description":109,"date":89,"category":7,"author":90,"image":110,"imageAlt":111,"bigNumber":112,"bigNumberLabel":113,"readingTime":114,"featured":96},"\u002Fstories\u002Frent-prices-australia","Rent prices in Australia now take a record 34% of income","Rent prices in Australia: the median is $713 a week, renters pay a record 34% of income, and a full-time minimum wage worker can afford 0.5% of listings.","\u002Fimages\u002Frent-paddington-terraces.jpg","A row of terrace houses on a leafy street at Fiveways, Paddington, in Sydney","34%","Share of pre-tax income the typical renting household spent on rent in June 2026, the highest on record",6,{"path":116,"title":117,"description":118,"date":119,"category":7,"author":90,"image":120,"imageAlt":121,"bigNumber":122,"bigNumberLabel":123,"readingTime":124,"featured":96},"\u002Fstories\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate","Australia's inflation rate climbs to 4.3%. Here's why","Australia's inflation rate rose to 4.3% in September 2026, up from 4.0%. Petrol, up 23.6% in a year, and power bills after the rebates ended led the rise.","2026-10-27","\u002Fimages\u002Finflation-petrol-prices-brisbane.jpg","A United service station in Brisbane with its price board showing unleaded at 241.9 cents a litre and diesel at 295.9","4.3%","Australia's inflation rate, 12 months to September 2026",13,{"path":126,"title":127,"description":128,"date":119,"category":7,"author":90,"image":129,"imageAlt":130,"bigNumber":131,"bigNumberLabel":132,"readingTime":95,"featured":96},"\u002Fstories\u002Finterest-rate-rises-australia-2026","Interest rate rises in Australia: four in 2026, and the cost","Every RBA interest rate rise in Australia in 2026, why the Reserve Bank raised rates to 4.60%, and what they add to a typical mortgage: about $470 a month.","\u002Fimages\u002Frba-building-sydney.jpg","The upper floors of the Reserve Bank of Australia's office tower in Sydney","$470","Extra a month on the average new home loan after four interest rate rises in 2026",{"path":134,"title":135,"description":136,"date":42,"category":7,"author":90,"image":137,"imageAlt":138,"bigNumber":139,"bigNumberLabel":140,"readingTime":114,"featured":96},"\u002Fstories\u002Fpower-bills-rebates-ended-prices-falling","Power prices 'fell' this year. So why is your bill bigger?","The regulator cut its benchmark price by a few per cent in July. But the government rebates have ended, and the rises of 2022 to 2024 haven't gone anywhere. Here's what's really happening to your power and heating bills.","\u002Fimages\u002Felectricity-pylons-gregadoo.jpg","Two electricity transmission pylons in a green paddock under a blue sky at Gregadoo, NSW","18-22%","How much higher the typical household power bill was in NSW, Victoria and SA, year on year, in the September 2025 quarter",1793586229977]