VENTURE CAPITAL POST

The Carmichael coal mine run by the Indian company Adani, has been granted three licenses to mine in the heart of Queensland. Due to the devastation that it could bring to the Great Barrier Reef, many environmentalists criticized the government's approval to the coal mine project.

When Probo Junio got a visa to work in Australia, he thought he had won a ticket to the good life. In 2013, the 45-year-old boilermaker left his hometown of Cebu in the Philippines, where he was getting paid about $10 a day, to work in Karratha in Western Australia for $30 an hour. Enough to support his relatives and build a new life Down Under.

Perth, Australia-based publicly listed firm Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Ltd secured $49.5 million in a placement of 90 million shares to its Australian and new US investors at $0.55 apiece for development of its Magnolia LNG facility.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based conglomerate Sime Darby Bhd, through its subsidiary Haynes Mechanical, picked up a 70% stake in Singleton, Australia-based mining machinery provider TFP Engineering for A$3.2 million (MYR9.5 million).

Queensland, Australia-based mining and exploration firm Axiom Mining acquired the gold-silver and copper-gold mineralization West Guadalcanal Project located in the Solomon Islands for an undisclosed amount.

Japan-based trading house Marubeni Corp sold its 30% interest in Australia-based Milmerran Power Station to a buyer in South Korea for under A$200 million ($179 million), according to a source familiar with the deal.

The State Grid Corp of China officially completed the $7.5-billion purchase of interests in Australian power firms SP AusNet and Jemena from utilities group Singapore Power.

Australia's Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has granted approval of the Chinese company Yanzhou Coal's takeover of Australian mining firm Yancoal Australia, just two weeks after he rejected a foreign buyout bid for GrainCorp.

Fairfax Media Ltd, the leading diversified media firm in Australia, has purchased property data and mapping company Property Data Solutions Pty Ltd for approximately USD30 million.

The government of Queensland has exited its 74.3 million shares worth USD350 million in the formerly state-owned coal and bulk freight rail company Aurizon, reducing its stake in the firm to under 5%.

Canadian Vendetta Mining Ltd. announced that it has signed a deal with Pegmont Mines Limited to buy an undivided 100% stake in the Pegmont Lead-Zinc-Silver Property.

Australian diversified company Abacus Property Group raised USD75 million in a share sale, the proceeds of which would be used to more properties in New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria.

The state government of Queensland announced that they are currently evaluating the proposal of billionaire Tony Fung for a AUD4.2 billion hotel and casino project.