Australian shares fell 0.6 percent on Tuesday, shrugging off a positive lead from overseas markets, as investors remained cautious as they awaited details of a eurozone debt crisis plan. Global miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto were the best performers, bucking the trend to end in positive territory. Rio Tinto closed up 1.5 percent, while BHP rose 0.9 percent.
The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index slipped 0.6 percent or 27.1 points to 4,227.9, according to latest available data. New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index gained 15.2 points, or 0.5 percent, to close at 3,296.4.