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A deal which will extend the operating life of NSW’s largest coal-fired power station, Eraring, is expected to be reached within days.

Meanwhile, Telstra for the first time in its existence faces the prospect of ceding some of its regional monopoly to rivals Optus and TPG which have reached a network sharing agreement - and the telco giant's shareholders responded accordingly.

And Australia is living through the greatest trading conditions in its history, comparable only to the gold rush of the 1850s, according to former federal Treasurer Peter Costello.