Mark Beyer

SPECIAL REPORT: Activ Foundation and the Royal Flying Doctor Service are Western Australia’s two largest not-for-profit charities, yet they have very different approaches to philanthropy and fundraising.

Social Ventures Australia has secured backing from three philanthropic foundations established by prominent businesspeople in Perth for the first venture in a new innovative local fund.

Loss-making engineering services company Ausgroup has breached a key financial covenant after its total equity fell below $160 million.

Eleven Western Australian arts groups have secured four-year funding deals under a long-awaited announcement from the Australia Council for the Arts, leaving four WA arts groups that have been getting government funding with an uncertain future.

The Barnett government expects to deliver Western Australia’s largest budget deficit of $3.9 billion next financial year as it continues to grapple with shrinking revenue and higher spending.

The cost of hiring tradies in Western Australia has fallen over the past year but continues to be substantially more expensive than other states, an industry survey has found.

WA business leaders have bemoaned the state government’s failure to plan for life beyond the mining construction boom, but still see opportunities in other sectors.

Small companies hoping to list on the stock market are facing tougher conditions, with more than a dozen announced deals in Western Australia hitting problems this year and the ASX foreshadowing tighter regulation of new deals.

SPECIAL REPORT: The people who lead Western Australia’s universities agree the sector faces enormous change, with emerging technology and potential new entrants among the biggest challenges.