[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":436},["ShallowReactive",2],{"active-categories":3,"blowouts":28,"story-\u002Fstories\u002Fcoles-down-down-court-case-discounts-not-genuine":83,"related-\u002Fstories\u002Fcoles-down-down-court-case-discounts-not-genuine":397,"surround-\u002Fstories\u002Fcoles-down-down-court-case-discounts-not-genuine":431},[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.",{"id":84,"title":85,"author":86,"bigNumber":87,"bigNumberLabel":88,"blowout":89,"body":90,"category":7,"date":338,"description":339,"draft":340,"extension":341,"featured":340,"focusKeywords":342,"image":347,"imageAlt":348,"meta":349,"navigation":350,"path":351,"people":352,"readingTime":353,"refresh":89,"seo":354,"shareImage":89,"sources":355,"stem":389,"tags":390,"updated":89,"__hash__":396},"stories\u002Fstories\u002Fcoles-down-down-court-case-discounts-not-genuine.md","Coles Down Down court case: 13 of 14 discounts not genuine","Aussie Outrage","13 of 14","Coles 'Down Down' tickets the Federal Court found misleading, because the discount wasn't genuine",null,{"type":91,"value":92,"toc":328},"minimark",[93,102,107,112,119,122,144,147,150,157,171,175,182,185,189,195,210,213,216,220,223,233,263,270,274,281,284,288,305,314],[94,95,96,97,101],"p",{},"In the Coles Down Down court case, the Federal Court found in May that Coles misled shoppers: ",[98,99,100],"strong",{},"13 of the 14"," \"Down Down\" price tickets the court examined advertised a discount that wasn't genuine. Five months later, Coles hasn't been penalised (that hearing is set for March 2027), the judge still hasn't ruled on a similar case against Woolworths, and both supermarkets have just reported bigger profits.",[103,104],"big-stat",{"label":105,"source":106,"value":87},"Coles 'Down Down' tickets the Federal Court found misleading, because the products hadn't sold at the 'Was' price for long enough for the discount to be genuine","ACCC v Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd [2026] FCA 598, 14 May 2026",[108,109,111],"h2",{"id":110},"what-the-coles-down-down-court-case-found","What the Coles Down Down court case found",[94,113,114,115,118],{},"The ACCC sued Coles in September 2024. It alleged that between February 2022 and May 2023, Coles temporarily raised the prices of ",[98,116,117],{},"245 products",", then put them on \"Down Down\" promotions at prices that were higher than, or the same as, what they had sold for before the rise.",[94,120,121],{},"The court tested a sample of those products. On 14 May 2026, Justice Michael O'Bryan found:",[123,124,125,132,138],"ul",{},[126,127,128,131],"li",{},[98,129,130],{},"13 of the 14 tickets were misleading."," The products had been sold at the \"Was\" price for only a short period, typically four weeks and sometimes less, so \"the discount represented on the ticket was not genuine\".",[126,133,134,137],{},[98,135,136],{},"Twelve weeks is the line."," A Down Down ticket would not have been misleading if the product had sold at the \"Was\" price for at least twelve weeks beforehand.",[126,139,140,143],{},[98,141,142],{},"That was Coles' own rule."," As at January 2022, Coles' internal policy said a product couldn't go on Down Down showing a discount unless it had sold at the previous price for a minimum of twelve weeks. Coles cut that to four weeks in March 2022. The judge accepted that Coles did so \"in response to perceived competitive pressure from Woolworths\".",[94,145,146],{},"The court also found points in Coles' favour, and they matter. It found the price rises on the sample products \"all resulted from supplier cost price increases\", that Coles raised prices \"in a commercially justifiable manner\", and that it \"did not select an artificially high 'Was' price\" to inflate the discount. In other words, the prices weren't invented. The problem was calling the new price a discount after only a few weeks at the higher one.",[94,148,149],{},"Coles said it was reviewing the judgment.",[94,151,152],{},[153,154],"img",{"alt":155,"src":156},"The entrance to a Coles supermarket inside a shopping centre","\u002Fimages\u002Fcoles-store-southlands.jpg",[94,158,159],{},[160,161,162,163,170],"em",{},"A Coles supermarket in Southlands Boulevarde shopping centre, Perth. Photo: Shinjiman, public domain, via ",[164,165,169],"a",{"href":166,"rel":167},"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FFile:Southlands_Boulevarde_Coles.jpg",[168],"nofollow","Wikimedia Commons",".",[108,172,174],{"id":173},"how-much-was-coles-fined-for-down-down","How much was Coles fined for Down Down?",[94,176,177,178,181],{},"Nothing yet. The judgment decided liability for the sample products only; liability for the rest of the 245 products is still to be decided. The ACCC's case is listed for a hearing on penalties and other orders (\"relief\") on ",[98,179,180],{},"31 March 2027",". A separate class action, seeking compensation for shoppers who bought the products, is also running; its next case management hearing is on 11 December 2026.",[94,183,184],{},"The court will decide the amount. Until then, Coles has not been ordered to pay anything.",[108,186,188],{"id":187},"woolworths-the-prices-dropped-case","Woolworths: the 'Prices Dropped' case",[94,190,191],{},[153,192],{"alt":193,"src":194},"The entrance to a Woolworths supermarket inside a shopping centre, with trolleys in the foreground","\u002Fimages\u002Fwoolworths-cannington.jpg",[94,196,197],{},[160,198,199,200,205,206,170],{},"Woolworths at Cannington, Perth. Photo: Bahnfrend, ",[164,201,204],{"href":202,"rel":203},"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-sa\u002F4.0",[168],"CC BY-SA 4.0",", via ",[164,207,169],{"href":208,"rel":209},"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FFile:Woolworths_Cannington,_2026_(01).jpg",[168],[94,211,212],{},"The ACCC brought a similar case against Woolworths. It alleges that between September 2021 and May 2023, Woolworths temporarily raised the prices of 266 products before putting them on \"Prices Dropped\" promotions at prices higher than, or the same as, their usual price.",[94,214,215],{},"Woolworths denies it. It argued that the price rises were driven by suppliers and its discounts were real. In closing arguments in April, the same judge, Justice O'Bryan, pushed back on the ACCC, saying \"none of it strikes me as nefarious or inherently misleading\". He has reserved his judgment, and no date has been announced. These are allegations, and no finding has been made against Woolworths.",[108,217,219],{"id":218},"meanwhile-profits-are-up","Meanwhile, profits are up",[94,221,222],{},"Both supermarkets reported their 2025-26 results in August:",[224,225],"bar-chart",{":data":226,":decimals":227,"note":228,"source":229,"subtitle":230,"suffix":231,"title":232},"[{\"label\":\"Coles' own supermarket price inflation\",\"value\":1.5},{\"label\":\"Coles Supermarkets profit\",\"value\":12.2,\"highlight\":true}]","1","Two different measures: Coles' own measure of price inflation across its supermarkets, and EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) for its Supermarkets division.","Coles Group full year results, August 2026","Growth in 2025-26, per cent","%","Coles' profit grew much faster than its prices",[123,234,235,249],{},[126,236,237,240,241,244,245,248],{},[98,238,239],{},"Coles Supermarkets"," made ",[98,242,243],{},"$2,365 million"," in earnings before interest and tax, up ",[98,246,247],{},"12.2%",", on sales up 3.7%. Its profit margin widened from 5.3% to 5.7% of sales. Coles' own measure of price inflation across its supermarkets was 1.5%.",[126,250,251,254,255,258,259,262],{},[98,252,253],{},"Woolworths' Australian Food"," division made ",[98,256,257],{},"$2,953 million",", up ",[98,260,261],{},"8.5%",", on sales up 4.6%. Woolworths says that excluding supply chain implementation costs and the previous year's industrial action, the rise would have been 4.8%.",[94,264,265,266,269],{},"None of that is illegal. But it fits what the competition regulator found in its 2025 inquiry. The ACCC said Woolworths (38%) and Coles (29%) together hold about two-thirds of supermarket grocery sales, an oligopoly. It found the supermarkets had increased their margins while costs rose, and called Australia's one of the most profitable supermarket sectors in the world. It did ",[98,267,268],{},"not"," find price gouging. \"We didn't reach that conclusion,\" deputy chair Mick Keogh said.",[108,271,273],{"id":272},"is-supermarket-price-gouging-illegal-in-australia","Is supermarket price gouging illegal in Australia?",[94,275,276,277,280],{},"Since ",[98,278,279],{},"1 July 2026",", yes, for the biggest two. A new ban on \"excessive\" pricing, which the ACCC enforces, applies to supermarkets with annual revenue over $30 billion, which today means only Coles and Woolworths. A price breaks the law if it is significantly excessive compared with the cost of supplying the product plus a reasonable margin. The maximum penalty is the greatest of $10 million, three times the benefit gained, or 10% of annual turnover.",[94,282,283],{},"The ACCC said in June it would \"initially focus on a select group of grocery products\" and planned to publish the first of them \"in the coming months\".",[285,286],"faq",{":items":287},"[{\"q\":\"What was the Coles Down Down court case about?\",\"a\":\"The ACCC alleged that between February 2022 and May 2023 Coles temporarily raised the prices of 245 products, then advertised them as 'Down Down' discounts at prices higher than, or the same as, before. On 14 May 2026 the Federal Court found 13 of the 14 sample tickets it examined were misleading because the discounts weren't genuine.\"},{\"q\":\"How much was Coles fined for Down Down?\",\"a\":\"Nothing yet. The May 2026 judgment decided liability only. The ACCC's case is listed for a hearing on penalties and other orders on 31 March 2027, and the court will decide the amount.\"},{\"q\":\"Did Coles break the law with Down Down?\",\"a\":\"Yes, for the sample tickets tested. Justice O'Bryan found in ACCC v Coles [2026] FCA 598 that 13 of 14 Down Down tickets were misleading under the Australian Consumer Law. He also found the price rises came from supplier cost increases and that Coles hadn't picked artificially high 'Was' prices.\"},{\"q\":\"Is Woolworths being sued over its discounts?\",\"a\":\"Yes. The ACCC alleges Woolworths raised the prices of 266 products before 'Prices Dropped' promotions between September 2021 and May 2023. Woolworths denies the allegations and says its discounts were real. Judgment has been reserved and no finding has been made.\"},{\"q\":\"Is price gouging illegal in Australia?\",\"a\":\"For the largest supermarkets, since 1 July 2026. A ban on excessive pricing applies to supermarkets with revenue over $30 billion (Coles and Woolworths), with penalties of up to the greatest of $10 million, three times the benefit or 10% of turnover.\"},{\"q\":\"Did the ACCC find Coles and Woolworths price gouging?\",\"a\":\"No. The ACCC's 2025 supermarkets inquiry found an oligopoly and rising margins, and called Australia's supermarket sector one of the most profitable in the world, but it did not conclude there was price gouging.\"}]",[94,289,290,291,295,296,300,301,170],{},"A court has found that Coles' discounts weren't genuine, and the twelve-week line the court drew matched Coles' own earlier rule. The penalty won't be decided until 2027. Groceries are part of what's pushing up ",[164,292,294],{"href":293},"\u002Fstories\u002Faustralia-inflation-rate","Australia's inflation rate",", along with ",[164,297,299],{"href":298},"\u002Fstories\u002Frent-prices-australia","rent"," and ",[164,302,304],{"href":303},"\u002Fstories\u002Fcar-insurance-premiums-up-42-percent","car insurance",[94,306,307],{},[160,308,309,310,170],{},"Seen a supermarket \"discount\" that didn't add up? ",[164,311,313],{"href":312},"\u002Fsubmit-a-story","Send us the receipt",[94,315,316],{},[160,317,318,319,205,324,170],{},"Top photo: an aisle in a Coles supermarket (file photo, 2010). Photo: Bidgee, ",[164,320,323],{"href":321,"rel":322},"https:\u002F\u002Fcreativecommons.org\u002Flicenses\u002Fby-sa\u002F2.5\u002Fau\u002Fdeed.en",[168],"CC BY-SA 2.5 AU",[164,325,169],{"href":326,"rel":327},"https:\u002F\u002Fcommons.wikimedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FFile:Coles_South_City_aisle_1.jpg",[168],{"title":329,"searchDepth":330,"depth":331,"links":332},"",2,3,[333,334,335,336,337],{"id":110,"depth":330,"text":111},{"id":173,"depth":330,"text":174},{"id":187,"depth":330,"text":188},{"id":218,"depth":330,"text":219},{"id":272,"depth":330,"text":273},"2026-10-28","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.",false,"md",[343,344,345,346],"coles down down court case","coles down down","coles woolworths price gouging","supermarket price gouging australia","\u002Fimages\u002Fcoles-aisle-trolley.jpg","A shopping trolley in a Coles supermarket aisle lined with stocked shelves and yellow price tickets",{},true,"\u002Fstories\u002Fcoles-down-down-court-case-discounts-not-genuine",[],7,{"title":85,"description":339},[356,359,362,365,368,371,374,377,380,383,386],{"title":357,"url":358},"Federal Court: ACCC v Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd [2026] FCA 598 (14 May 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gerardmaloufpartners.com.au\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002FACCC-v-Coles-Supermarkets-Pty-Ltd-2026-FCA-598-Final-Redacted.pdf",{"title":360,"url":361},"ACCC: Court finds that Coles misled customers over 'Down Down' claims","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.accc.gov.au\u002Fmedia-release\u002Fcourt-finds-that-coles-misled-customers-over-down-down-claims",{"title":363,"url":364},"Gerard Malouf & Partners: Coles 'Down Down' class action (hearing dates)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gerardmaloufpartners.com.au\u002Fclass-actions\u002Fcoles\u002F",{"title":366,"url":367},"Coles Group: 2026 full year results (25 Aug 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Finvestorpa.com\u002Fannouncement-pdf\u002F20260825\u002F332136.pdf",{"title":369,"url":370},"Woolworths Group: F26 full year results (26 Aug 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.woolworthsgroup.com.au\u002Fcontent\u002Fdam\u002Fwwg\u002Finvestors\u002Fasx-announcements\u002F2026\u002F3108623.pdf",{"title":372,"url":373},"ACCC: Supermarkets inquiry 2024-25, final report","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.accc.gov.au\u002Fsystem\u002Ffiles\u002Fsupermarkets-inquiry_1.pdf",{"title":375,"url":376},"Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh: Price gouging by large supermarkets illegal from 1 July 2026 (27 Jun 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fministers.treasury.gov.au\u002Fministers\u002Fandrew-leigh-2025\u002Fmedia-releases\u002Fprice-gouging-large-supermarkets-illegal-1-july-2026",{"title":378,"url":379},"ABC News: Coles found to have misled shoppers on discounted items (14 May 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2026-05-14\u002Fcoles-accc-federal-court-judgment\u002F106673800",{"title":381,"url":382},"ABC News: Tense exchanges in court as judge turns screws on ACCC's case against Woolworths (30 Apr 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2026-04-30\u002Ftense-exchanges-federal-court-case-accc-woolworths\u002F106561702",{"title":384,"url":385},"ABC News: Key takeaways from the ACCC's supermarkets report (21 Mar 2025)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.abc.net.au\u002Fnews\u002F2025-03-21\u002Faccc-supermarkets-inquiry-key-takeaways-coles-woolworths-aldi\u002F105079916",{"title":387,"url":388},"Retailbiz: ACCC to start monitoring supermarket prices under new excessive pricing law (26 Jun 2026)","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.retailbiz.com.au\u002Flatest-news\u002Faccc-to-start-monitoring-supermarket-prices-under-new-excessive-pricing-law\u002F","stories\u002Fcoles-down-down-court-case-discounts-not-genuine",[391,392,393,394,395,7],"supermarkets","coles","woolworths","accc","groceries","pEO8WQhhkcEfWvdZvZLxDoe7ECG-G0osmzn0eQiF33Y",[398,406,414,423],{"path":303,"title":399,"description":400,"date":338,"category":7,"author":86,"image":401,"imageAlt":402,"bigNumber":403,"bigNumberLabel":404,"readingTime":405,"featured":340},"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.","\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,{"path":298,"title":407,"description":408,"date":338,"category":7,"author":86,"image":409,"imageAlt":410,"bigNumber":411,"bigNumberLabel":412,"readingTime":413,"featured":340},"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":293,"title":415,"description":416,"date":417,"category":7,"author":86,"image":418,"imageAlt":419,"bigNumber":420,"bigNumberLabel":421,"readingTime":422,"featured":340},"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":424,"title":425,"description":426,"date":417,"category":7,"author":86,"image":427,"imageAlt":428,"bigNumber":429,"bigNumberLabel":430,"readingTime":405,"featured":340},"\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",[432,434],{"title":399,"path":303,"stem":433,"description":400,"children":-1},"stories\u002Fcar-insurance-premiums-up-42-percent",{"title":407,"path":298,"stem":435,"description":408,"children":-1},"stories\u002Frent-prices-australia",1793586230218]