Tom Zaunmayr

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Tom Zaunmayr joined Business News in 2023 as a senior journalist, covering state politics, resources (iron ore), Aboriginal affairs, regional development and agriculture.

He spent the past decade covering news in regional WA where he developed a passion for local and state politics, regional development, small business, Aboriginal affairs, human interest and anything Pilbara related.

Mr Zaunmayr spent five years in Karratha during one of the biggest periods of transition for the Pilbara town before moving to Kalgoorlie during COVID to take on a role as deputy editor of WA's only daily regional newspaper.

From there, he moved back above the 26th parallel as Seven West Media's Northern Papers editor based in Broome, and did a stint as editor of the National Indigenous Times.

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tom.zaunmayr@businessnews.com.au

Esperance is home to three influential farm-based charities. Photos: Tom Zaunmayr, Esperance Ag Fund

Agribusiness 11 hours ago

Ag charities deliver for Esperance

Three influential charities are giving back in spades to local communities and beyond.

Shire of Esperance president Ron Chambers. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Government 1 day ago

Jobseeker limbo amid Esperance housing crunch

Businesses in Esperance are losing new hires due to an inability to find housing in the south coast town.

The state government is investing more than $500m in water infrastructure. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Mining 2 days ago

The projects driving Goldfields growth

The resources sector is responsible for the bulk of major investment in the Goldfields-Esperance region

Yara Pilbara's Laurent Trost says renewables alone wont decarbonise existing industry. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Manufacturing 26 Jun 2026

Trost urges federal CCS investment

Australia risks losing more sovereign manufacturing capacity due to federal carbon capture and taxation policies, the boss of WA's largest chemicals plant says.

Port Hedland's development is being stifled by water shortages. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Infrastructure 26 Jun 2026

Vysarn to open Pilbara water order book

The Pilbara's first Indigenous-backed commercial water scheme will be opened up to interested industrial offtakers next week.

Sean-Paul Stephens, Skylah Tucker, 9, and Belinda Churnside at the general store. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Indigenous 26 Jun 2026

Growing a grocer for good

A general store owned by the traditional owners of a historic Pilbara town is proving a test case for food security

ACOB

Podcasts 25 Jun 2026

At Close of Business podcast June 25 2026

Tom Zaunmayr and Nadia Budihardjo talk about Indigenous art centres across the state.

Stage one of AREH has been revealed. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Energy 25 Jun 2026

AREH to start as 1GW hub

One of Australia's largest planned renewable energy projects will begin life as a 1-gigawatt wind and solar farm feeding power to a future Port Hedland hydrogen site.

Dino Otranto says there is plenty of prospect green energy demand in the Pilbara. Photo: Matt Jelonek

Energy 25 Jun 2026

Otranto pitches energy to Pilbara miners

Fortescue has ramped up its pitch to sign fellow miners on to its power grid as the race heats up for green energy proponents to make deals with the region's industrial giants.

Renewable energy is an emerging market for the Indigenous economy. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Indigenous 25 Jun 2026

Green energy powers economic prospects

Indigenous stakeholders are eager to get in on the ground floor of the state's renewable energy transition.

Housing in the Pilbara has been in dire shortage for years. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

North-West 24 Jun 2026

Federal housing fund derided

A federal homebuilding program has come under fire at a major Pilbara conference for failing to invest outside of Perth.

Juju was a pillar of the Ngarluma community. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

North-West 24 Jun 2026

Vale Mr Walker

One of the Pilbara's most respected Aboriginal elders has died, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of native title rights, economic progress, and cultural rediscovery.

Morrgul's Chris Brooking. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Indigenous 24 Jun 2026

Non-profit's $100m worth to Indigenous firms

Non-profit business development agency Morrgul has a wealth of data to prove its mantra that education and employment are the best ways to lift people out of poverty.

Render of Qube's vision of the Albany bulk handing facility. Image: Qube Holdings

Agribusiness 24 Jun 2026

Qube enters WA grain industry

A $13 million wharf upgrade at the Port of Albany will give Qube Holdings its first physical toehold in Western Australia's booming grain export market.

Caterpillar electric haul truck in operation at Jimblebar. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Mining 23 Jun 2026

Electric haul truck put through its paces

Two battery-electric haul trucks have been polished up to showcase progress made by Australia's two largest miners to decarbonise their Pilbara operations.

Dwayne Mallard. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Indigenous 23 Jun 2026

Native title 'builds skills' for boards

Wajarri-Nanda-Yamatji man Dwayne Mallard isn't big on what's implied by the word ‘leadership'. He prefers 'stewardship'

At Close of Business

Podcasts 22 Jun 2026

At Close of Business podcast June 22 2026

Sam Jones and Tom Zaunmayr talk about the recent Indigenous Business publication.

Emma Garlett. Photo: Michael O'Brien

Indigenous 22 Jun 2026

Unique indigenous meeting 'build's trust'

Nyungar-Nyiyaparli-Yamatji woman Emma Garlett is at the start of her business ownership journey, having launched Garlett Group in 2023.

Heritage costs have been subject to a campaign from the resources industry. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Indigenous 22 Jun 2026

Industries left to lead heritage reform

Native title stakeholders must stop finger-pointing and sit down together to build a better heritage approvals process, one of the state's leading consultants says.

CMB.TECH's dual-fuelled vessel at the Port of Port Hedland. Photo: Kollektive Media

Mining 22 Jun 2026

Fortescue eyes green shipping first

Fortescue has inked a landmark deal to bring its first dual-fuelled ammonia bulk carrier to the Pilbara by the end of the year.

Broome has a higher than average portion of public housing. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

North-West 19 Jun 2026

Public housing rate exemptions bite

A Kimberley shire is warning of a $2.8 million rates hit if public housing is allowed to gain exemptions from paying local government rates.

A site outside Bunbury will house AMTECH. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Manufacturing 19 Jun 2026

Bunbury manufacturing hub build begins

Ground has broken on construction of the state government's $55 million manufacturing precinct near Bunbury.

Eastern Guruma's mine remediation work. Photo: Eastern Guruma

Indigenous 19 Jun 2026

Trial and error in remediation rollout

Indigenous businesses have found themselves at the forefront of the mine rehabilitation industry.

BHP sees Jansen as a diversification play. Photo: Michael O'Brien

Mining 18 Jun 2026

Cost blowout for BHP potash play

The cost of BHP's flagship potash project in Canada has blown out by another US$2 billion on the back of a two-year building delay.

Native title representative bodies provide services to prescribed body corporates. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Indigenous 18 Jun 2026

Funding cuts hit native title sector

Project proponents have been warned of approval delays after the federal government cut grants to native title representatives by as much as 40 per cent.

Glen Kelly at the AMEC forum. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Indigenous 18 Jun 2026

Native title a ‘property right’: Kelly

The resources industry must view native title as a property right if it wants to remove barriers impeding project approvals, the author of a landmark heritage review says.

AMEC's Warren Pearce says explorers are crucial to discovering the next wave of mines. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Mining 18 Jun 2026

Explorers left out of CGT exemption

The federal government has left resource exploration companies out of a carve-out from its controversial capital gains tax changes.

Peter Yu speaking in Broome. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Opinion 18 Jun 2026

Governing the next native title frontier

OPINION: There is a growing appetite in the Kimberley to have some functions of government ceded to native title bodies.

Tom Price is the administrative centre of the Shire of Ashburton. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

North-West 17 Jun 2026

Council plans $5m staff housing

A $5 million staff housing precinct will be built in Tom Price to help the local government bring staff to the Pilbara mining town.

Aboriginal Art Centre Hub of WA's Chad Creighton. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Cultural Industries 17 Jun 2026

Value of WA Aboriginal art revealed

As demand for Indigenous art grows, the sector is figuring out how to set itself up for long-term economic success.

At Close of Business.

Podcasts 16 Jun 2026

At Close of Business podcast June 16 2026

Sam Jones and Tom Zaunmayr discuss today's RBA rates call.

The mobile ship loader in action in Esperance. Photo: Southern Ports

Agribusiness 16 Jun 2026

Exporter tests new bulk grain pathway

A south coast exporter has loaded its first bulk shipment of grain using a mobile ship loader in a shift away from container cargoes.

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