Posts by theo@aacs.org.au

WA, federal governments investigate potential for first new oil refinery in decades The Australian government is looking to build its first new oil refinery in decades. (AAP: James Ross) In short: The WA and federal governments will investigate building a new oil refinery to strengthen the country’s energy security.  Both governments have announced a $4 million pre-feasibility study for the large-scale facility, which was proposed and would be built by Perdaman.  Australia currently has two refineries, in Queensland and Victoria.  Australia could build its first new oil refinery in decades, with the federal government set to investigate constructing a large-scale facility in Western Australia as part of its energy security response. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and WA Premier Roger Cook travelled to the WA mining hub of Karratha today to announce a $4 million pre-feasibility study, which would examine potential sites for the refinery. Mr Cook said the sites being considered…

Just beyond the southern end of the Cambridge Aerodrome runway, where planes descend low over Kennedy Drive on approach to Hobart Airport, a service station has begun to behave less like a pit stop and more like a destination. Mood Food Flight Deck Cambridge opened earlier this year following a $5.5 million redevelopment that transformed what had once been a small, unmanned fuel site into one of the most distinctive convenience destinations in Tasmania. There are 90 fuel hoses beneath one of the largest service station canopies in Australia, six outdoor payment terminals and a compact retail offer built around fresh food, barista coffee and a real sense of atmosphere. But the most intriguing feature may be upstairs, explains Troy Bennett, CEO of Bennett’s Petroleum. “Visitors have been loving the chance to sit up on the flight deck, enjoying lunch or a coffee while catching a glimpse of planes passing…

Protein Shakes. Finally Done Right. New flavour alert! Salted Caramel All Natural Protein Shake by True Protein has launched! True Protein, founded on the Northern Beaches by Ben Kiereth, has always refused to compromise on quality. This commitment has earned the brand a loyal following among Australia’s elite athletes, including Genevieve Gregson OLY, Rohan Browning OLY, Jack Della Maddalena, Khan Porter to name a few. In April 2026, True Protein will launch the True All Natural Protein Shake, Australia’s cleanest RTD protein shake, a product five years in the making.  “It took us five years to develop this product,” explains Ben Kiereth, “but I am so proud of what we are putting out there. For over five years, we have been working on a ready-to-drink protein that stays true to our standards: real ingredients, ultrafiltered grass-fed dairy, zero artificial additives, nothing that doesn’t belong in your body.” The breakthrough came when ultrafiltration technology advanced, allowing True Protein to finally create the…

The Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has welcomed the Victorian Government’s Workplace Protection Order (WPO) legislation introduced into Parliament today, while warning that a commencement date of 26 July 2027 leaves frontline workers exposed for another twelve months. AACS CEO Theo Foukkare said the scheme directly targets the problem members have been raising for years — the small number of repeat offenders who drive most incidents. “Our members employ more than 20,000 frontline staff across Victoria, and the overwhelming majority of the interactions they have every day are perfectly normal,” Mr Foukkare said. “But there is a hard core of repeat offenders who walk into the same store, week after week, because they know nothing happens to them. A court order that bans them from the premises for up to 12 months, backed by two years’ imprisonment or a $50,000 fine, is exactly the kind of consequence that changes…

Seven & i Holdings Co. on Thursday announced that Mauricio Leyva is the new CEO of 7-Eleven Inc., its North American convenience-store business, effective Aug. As CEO, Leyva will lead the company’s next phase of growth, working closely with SEI’s leadership team to elevate the customer experience, strengthen the store network, advance operational excellence and innovation and drive sustainable, profitable growth, the company said. Mauricio Leyva is a seasoned executive with more than two decades of experience in the consumer products industry, the company said. From 2020 to 2024, he served as group president of Keurig Dr Pepper, where he led the company through a post-merger transformation, strengthening its operating foundation while shaping and executing a new business strategy. During Leyva’s tenure, Dr Pepper grew to become the second-largest carbonated soft drink brand in the United States. Prior to Keurig Dr Pepper, Mauricio held senior leadership roles at Lala Mexico,…