A real gem

NATIONAL: A reported upswing in "two price advertising" has forced the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to launch a new guideline to the industry's rights and responsibilities under the Trade Practices Act. Launched at the Jewellery Industry Trade Fair in Sydney recently, the guide also includes a disclosure checklist, comparative price advertising and the use of valuations in the sale process. For more: accc.gov.au

:Bay gets bigger
GEELONG: Westfield has sought planning approval for a $150 million redevelopment of the Bay City Shopping Centre in Geelong. The redevelopment will increase the floorspace of the centre (from 35,000 sqm to 50,000 sqm) allowing room for another 60 specialty shops, a mini department store and a Big W discount store. The centre currently houses Myer, Target and Coles, together with another 74 specialty retailers.

:Ripe MELBOURNE: Victorian business Ripe Maternity Wear has
:Likin' Lola
SYDNEY: Famed interior designer Lola Phillips has sought to extend her creative abilities by launching a new signature fashion label. Dubbed Lingina - Sydney, the label is based in a Surry Hills graphic and textile design studio and uses a unique digital printing process on to silks, cottons, wools and other natural fibres. The original collection includes women's dresses, camisoles and skirts as well as a line of accessories.

:Cotton crop
NATIONAL: Australia's cotton growers have managed to turn their back on three drought-affected seasons to produce a yield more than double that of last year. Preliminary estimates from the Australian Cotton Industry Council (ACIC) show farmers produced a 2.9 million bale crop this year, compared to just 1.4 million bale crop last year. ACIC confirmed around 80 per cent of this year's crop was produced from genetically modified plants.