Tim Treadgold

At first glance there does not seem to be much connecting Gina Rinehart with Clive Palmer, but a closer look reveals a common thread … made of steel.

It is one of the most overused quotes of all time, but if you look at the old and the new of Western Australia’s mining industry it is impossible to avoid thinking about the first words in Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”.

If news from the science and banking communities proves to be as promising as it sounds, a new business opportunity is brewing that promises to be as disruptive and profitable as the early years of mobile phones – while also derailing a century-old government service.

’Tis the season to be gloomy, that much we know from following financial markets; but an early nominee for the Dr Gloomy prize of the season goes to former ANZ Bank chief economist, Saul Eslake, who said earlier this week that the China-driven mining boom was “the last in human history”.

It’s not often that a breath of fresh air wafts out of Europe, but last night was a time for a few revolutionary comments about business, specifically that ride-sharing service Uber is ‘not a problem, just a new business model’.

As much as Australia might benefit from a cut in official interest rates, it would definitely benefit from encouraging a new industry, such as the nuclear-fuel processing facility being championed by the South Australian government, and supported by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

A dispute over the future of the failed Ellendale mine might not be the worst event in the downturn hurting the state’s once-brilliant diamond industry, because the much bigger Argyle mine is also facing a fresh threat to its future.

Gas, tuna, and crayfish might not seem to have a clear connection, but there is a link – and it’s one Jeff Kennett thinks might become a worry for local supermarkets and promoters of Australian food exports to Asia.

Tipping the top or bottom of a market is never smart, especially at a time of volatile trading; but a series of recent events point to confidence growing in the start of a recovery in the Western Australian economy.