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Australians are one step closer to a total card surcharge ban after the Albanese government backed the Reserve Bank’s proposal to dump $1.2bn of credit and debit payment surcharges incurred annually.

Offshore wind developer BlueFloat Energy has abandoned plans for one of Victoria’s most advanced offshore wind projects after failing to secure a buyer, dealing a fresh blow to the state’s ambitious clean-energy transition.

If the Reserve Bank doesn’t cut interest rates in August, the issue of board transparency and its anonymity appear set to grow in prominence. The board is mostly faceless, with the majority never called to explain their decisions.