Matt Mckenzie

A number of board members have joined the list of substantial holders at Quest Minerals as the company seeks to raise money amid ongoing court battles, while Steve Formica has been appointed to the board.

The appointment of Richard Homsany as executive chairman at West Perth-based uranium hopeful Toro Energy ties up leadership changes at the company with chairman John Cahill resigning today just a month after managing director Vanessa Guthrie.

The proposed part sale of Western Power is not the only move towards increased private investment in the utilities sector.

Shares in contractor Tempo Australia were up 24 per cent in morning trade after the company announced a $9.5 million placement to a vehicle controlled by Transfield Holdings co-managing director Guido Belgiorno-Nettis.

A period of strong cattle prices has boosted Western Australia’s largest pastoral companies, with the state’s four biggest cattle-focused plays increasing revenue about 9 per cent to $1 billion in their most recent annual reports.

A Botswana copper mine is one step closer for Mod Resources after the company completed a $5.5 million institutional raising to accelerate the possible T3 development.

A $69 million gas storage facility will be built near Onslow by Duet Group subsidiary DBP Development Group to help producers and consumers smooth production profiles and cover planned outages.

Sandfire Resources has encountered problems at its $40 million solar farm at the Degrussa copper mine, about six months after an ASX announcement suggested the power plant had been successfully commissioned.

Engineering and construction contractor Civmec said today it planned to spend up to $80 million establishing a new shipbuilding facility at Henderson, and use it as a springboard into the federal government’s $89 billion naval build in the coming decade.