Mark Beyer

THE five-year battle by WA Plantation Resources to build a $10 million woodchip mill in the South West comes to a head this week, with Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan personally hearing submissions from the company and the City of

Canadian company Custom House Global Foreign Exchange has expanded its Perth operations with a view to joining Travelex as an alternative to the banks in the commercial forex market.

Planning by Len Buckeridge's BGC for a new cargo port at Cockburn Sound and a major brickworks at Perth Airport has moved forward on two fronts this month

Research by WA Business News has identified the biggest employers in Western Australia and found the growth of those at the top continues unabated.

Tension between Canberra and the states has long been a feature of Australia's federation but the issue has descended to a level that is causing serious concern.

The world's two biggest mining companies – BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto – feature prominently in the survey of Western Australia's biggest employers.

The strength of the Australian stock market and the buoyant returns enjoyed by investors have been highlighted in WA Business News' annual shareholder return feature.

Futuris subsidiary Elders is believed to be closing in on EG Green & Sons, negotiating a deal to purchase National Australia Bank's $20 million in loans to the embattled beef producer.

The leaders of strongly growing Western Australian companies believe a focus on delivering value to shareholders is the key to their success.

Western Australia's most successful company, Wesfarmers, has an outstanding track record of delivering impressive returns to shareholders

The private sector is eyeing Western Australia's new hospitals as prime candidates for public private partnerships (PPP), which involve the private sector funding, building and running what has traditionally been government infrastructure.

Only 11 of Western Australia's mid to large-cap companies suffered a fall in their market capitalisation over the past three years, according to a recent review.

The companies that have achieved the strongest growth in market value over the past five years illustrate the breadth and depth of the resources boom currently being enjoyed in Western Australia.

Western Power's decision to award its long-term coal supply contract to Wesfarmers' Premier Coal has sparked speculation about the future of The Griffin Group's coal mining business.

Western Australia's social entrepreneur of the year believes she can help tackle one of the state's main business issues – the skills crisis. Mark Beyer talks to Susan Robertson about disabled workers.

Western Australia's top politician and its most respected business leader have locked horns over economic and industrial relations reform. Mark Beyer reports.

The economic boom we are currently enjoying in Western Australia has wise old heads reflecting on the 1960s.

Financially stricken beef processor EG Green & Sons incurred multi-million dollar losses before a liquidity crisis forced it to cease operations last Friday.

DEVELOPMENT of a $200 million engineered lumber plant at Albany has moved a step closer after project company, Lignor Limited, completed a $5 million capital raising this week.

Listed company JDV is about to join the long list of Perth businesses acquired by bigger interstate competitors, but based on past experience in the financial services sector, all is not lost for Perth.

Eight Western Australian companies will disappear from the Australian Stock Exchange this year if all of the current takeover offers succeed, though unexpected developments in some offers could produce a different result.

Agribusiness investment company Australian Growth crashed and burned in June 2003, going into administration less than 12 months after listing on the stock market.

No substance has sparked as much emotional hype and frenzy as uranium.

Investors have been pouring money into uranium companies despite continued political opposition to mining in WA, price uncertainty, and exploration risk. Mark Beyer and Joe Poprzeczny take a closer look at a controversial business.

The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union is pushing for wage increases totalling 12.5 per cent over the next three years, slightly ahead of the wages growth forecast by state Treasury for the same period.

Multiplex has negotiated a new enterprise bargaining agreement with the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, and union boss Joe McDonald has claimed it is close to reaching agreement with several other employers.

Two years ago the price of uranium was languishing at around $US10 a pound. Since then the price has shot to almost $US30, spawning a revival in the metal's prospects.

The sharp spike in the price of uranium this year has led to an equally sharp spike in the number of listed companies professing to be uranium explorers or looking to spin-off their uranium assets through new floats

The shortage of skilled labour in Western Australia has worsened significantly over the past three years to record levels, in sharp contrast to the rest of the country where the problem has passed its peak.

The Motor Trade Association is planning to ask the State Government to implement a $5 annual levy on motor vehicle registrations to fund an industry training scheme.

The Federal Government should open Australia to more skilled migrants and do more to help industry utilise existing options for bringing in skilled workers, industry representatives told the WA Business News skills shortage forum.

A WA Business News boardroom forum on Western Australia's skills shortage has found the problem remains acute and more needs to be done by government and industry. Mark Beyer reports.