Mark Beyer

Australia's anti-money laundering agency has launched a formal investigation into Crown Resorts, which also revealed top executive Barry Felstead has been made redundant.

Andrew and Nicola Forrest have added to their sprawling private business empire by purchasing boot manufacturer and retailer R.M. Williams for a reported $190 million.

In their weekly podcast Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss: WA borders, unemployment statistics, housing sales, VGW, Woodside jobs, Curtin building collapse, charity boon, governance issues, and our special feature on WA's biggest exporters.

Perth-based contractors Georgiou Group and Ertech Holdings have reported strong growth in annual profits, helped by their national expansion strategies.

Rockingham-based WA Kaolin has kicked off a capital raising to fund the scale-up of its WA operations; it joins several companies planning to mine the specialist industrial mineral.

Listed company First Graphene is working with a diverse array of manufacturers to commercialise its innovative technology.

Wangara-based contractor Duratec has launched Western Australia’s largest initial public offering this year, adding to a flurry of WA companies aiming to list on the ASX.

The state’s peak business group has strongly criticised elements of the state government’s workplace safety bill but notably has supported plans for 20-year jail terms in extreme cases.

BHP has substantially expanded its Western Australian workforce to 14,118 people, making it the State’s second largest private sector employer, according to Business News Data & Insights.