Mark Beyer

Federal Opposition leader Mark Latham, visiting Perth next week, could be Prime Minister before the end of the year.

A FEW big players have dominated the agribusiness investment market in Australia but Rewards Group has defied the odds to carve a successful niche.

THE Rising Stars survey is a platform to showcase private enterprises and unlisted public companies in Western Australia that have sustained high rates of growth over the past two financial years ending June 30 2003.

TWO thirds of Western Australian businesses believe government red tape is adversely influencing their business.

The entry of Melbourne accounting firm Pitcher Partners into the local market will be followed by more big changes among second tier accounting firms.

THE Woodside Building and the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre are two of the biggest recent commercial construction projects in Perth – and Blackadder Group supplied scaffo

THE rapid growth in housing lending has been great news for Australian Finance Group, which has a hand in nearly 10 per cent of all new housing loans across the country.

A NEW policy gap between the Federal Government and the Labor Party has opened over last month's Australian Industrial Relations Commission ruling on redundancy payments by small bu

BOTH Western Australia's wine and tourism industries are emerging as big winners from the Australia US Free Trade Agreement negotiations.

DESPITE the benefits of the recent free trade agreement with the US Curtin University professor Peter Kenyon said Australia was helping stifle multilateral trade negotiations.

THE Australian Securities and Investments Commission has credited its insolvent trading program with seven Western Australian companies, including Feature Tours, going into voluntary administration.

WA Business News recently held a forum on the effects of the US Free Trade Agreement. Mark Beyer and Jim Hawtin report.

A REVIEW of the Australian Stock Exchange's corporate governance guidelines has recommended changes to assist smaller listed companies.

ALTHOUGH some fairly significant hurdles remain, the Free Trade Agreement with the US is anticipated to come into force by the beginning of 2005.

News on the failure of Consolidated Constructions just gets worse for creditors, while tabling of the Construction Contracts Bill could lead to a better deal for builders and subcontractors.

GREAT Southern Plantations and Integrated Tree Cropping are seeking to raise more than $100 million to complete two major deals that position the companies for future growth.

CREDITORS of Consolidated Constructions are expected to grill administrator Gary Anderson over the company's final actions when he fronts a creditors committee meeting today (March 18).

The recent collapse of Consolidated Constructions has its share of corporate mystery and intrigue, as Mark Beyer reports.

NEW Western Australian stamp duty rules designed to make life easier for motor vehicle dealers have been criticised by self-styled tax watchdog Taxpayers Australia.

In the back blocks of Canning Vale, where Perth's urban sprawl gives way to small farm lots, a group of scientists is creating a unique research and development centre.

ACCOUNTING firm Norgard Clohessy is aiming to expand into a larger, full-service practice after rebranding as Pitcher Partners.

FURNITURE manufacturers and the Western Australian Government have outlined radically different visions for the future of the timber industry, as haggling over Sotico's native timber assets continues.

RENEWABLE energy producers have put the onus on the State Government and Western Power to establish market rules that allow increased use of green energy.

Strong growth in resource and infrastructure investment has helped some of WA's mid-cap industrial stocks rise above the pack.

THE Lions Eye Institute has sold the rights to one of its leading technologies to a US multinational, in a deal that highlights the tough choices facing local entrepreneurs trying to turn research success into commercial success.

THIS week's shelving of legislation to break up Western Power has left the business community divided over the future direction of energy reform.

In its heyday Futuris was seen as a possible rival to Wesfarmers, but in recent years it has disappointed investors. Mark Beyer spoke to chief executive Les Wozniczka.

PARTICIPANTS in the State Government's oil and gas job summit last week emerged from the meeting with a remarkable degree of goodwill and unanimity.

OFFICE supplies company National 1 has delivered more bad news to shareholders, reporting a $13.2 million loss for the six months to December 2003.

An informal WA Business News survey has found widespread concern about the aggressive tactics of the Office of State Revenue. Mark Beyer reports.

AFTER nearly 25 years with Macquarie Bank, including six as chairman of its Western Australian operations, Ed Tait has retired to pursue private business interests.

THE lack of broadband Internet services in parts of Perth has become a barrier for businesses seeking work on big resource projects.