[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":169},["ShallowReactive",2],{"active-categories":3,"blowouts":28,"tag-cost-of-living":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.",[84,100,115,128,143,155],{"path":85,"title":86,"description":87,"date":88,"category":7,"author":89,"image":90,"imageAlt":91,"bigNumber":92,"bigNumberLabel":93,"readingTime":94,"featured":95,"tags":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,[97,98,99,7],"car-insurance","insurance","asic",{"path":101,"title":102,"description":103,"date":88,"category":7,"author":89,"image":104,"imageAlt":105,"bigNumber":106,"bigNumberLabel":107,"readingTime":108,"featured":95,"tags":109},"\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,[110,111,112,113,114,7],"supermarkets","coles","woolworths","accc","groceries",{"path":116,"title":117,"description":118,"date":88,"category":7,"author":89,"image":119,"imageAlt":120,"bigNumber":121,"bigNumberLabel":122,"readingTime":123,"featured":95,"tags":124},"\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,[125,126,127,7],"rent","housing","renters",{"path":129,"title":130,"description":131,"date":132,"category":7,"author":89,"image":133,"imageAlt":134,"bigNumber":135,"bigNumberLabel":136,"readingTime":137,"featured":95,"tags":138},"\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,[139,7,140,141,142],"inflation","electricity","rebates","interest-rates",{"path":144,"title":145,"description":146,"date":132,"category":7,"author":89,"image":147,"imageAlt":148,"bigNumber":149,"bigNumberLabel":150,"readingTime":151,"featured":95,"tags":152},"\u002Fstories\u002Finterest-rate-rises-australia-2026","Interest rate rises in Australia: five in 2026, and the cost","Every RBA interest rate rise in Australia in 2026, why the Reserve Bank raised rates to 4.85%, and what they add to a typical mortgage: about $590 a month.","\u002Fimages\u002Frba-building-sydney.jpg","The upper floors of the Reserve Bank of Australia's office tower in Sydney","$590","Extra a month on the average new home loan after five interest rate rises in 2026",9,[142,153,154,139,7],"mortgages","rba",{"path":156,"title":157,"description":158,"date":42,"category":5,"author":89,"image":159,"imageAlt":160,"bigNumber":161,"bigNumberLabel":162,"readingTime":123,"featured":95,"tags":163},"\u002Fstories\u002Feast-coast-gas-exported-australians-pay-more","Three-quarters of east coast gas is shipped overseas. Australians pay export prices for the rest","Before the Gladstone LNG plants opened, east coast gas cost about $4 a gigajoule. Now it's around $14, and the regulator is warning of shortfalls. Follow the gas, and the money.","\u002Fimages\u002Fgas-curtis-island-lng.jpg","An aerial view of LNG plants being built on Curtis Island, with storage tanks on the shoreline near Gladstone","75%","Share of east coast gas production that is exported as LNG",[164,165,166,167,168,7],"gas","lng","energy","exports","prrt",1793703844587]