Tom Zaunmayr

Follow

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.

Connect

tom.zaunmayr@businessnews.com.au

Artists' impression of the expanded Bruce Rock manufacturing site

Manufacturing 3 hours ago

Bruce Rock Engineering to expand factory

Bruce Rock Engineering has greenlit a $10 million expansion at its Wheatbelt trailer manufacturing site which will make the company's local footprint six times larger.

Photo: Attila Csaszar

Opinion 2 days ago

Rubber meets road for bus flows

OPINION: First-person data recorded over the past year shows how inefficient Perth's inner-city public transport is.

Mineral Resources is pursuing rates refunds from local councils.

North-West 28 Aug 2026

MinRes seeks $158k rate return

A Pilbara shire will have to stump up $158,000 to repay Mineral Resources rates levied on a fly-in, fly-out camp which the state government ruled un-rateable.

Mineral resources managing director Chris Ellison

Mining 27 Aug 2026

Copper, overseas growth on MinRes radar

Mineral Resources is planning growth overseas and a foray into copper to latch onto booming demand for the red metal.

Fremantle Seaweed is developing cattle feed products. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Agribusiness 27 Aug 2026

Fremantle Seaweed inks cattle feed deal

A seaweed product developed by ocean-tech firm Fremantle Seaweed has won approval for use as a feed supplement by Australia's beef cattle industry.

Zesty could process low grade iron ore and fines. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Manufacturing 27 Aug 2026

Perdaman backs green iron project

A green iron pilot plant under development in Western Australia would use Perdaman's hydrogen technology under a preliminary deal announced on Thursday.

Mineral Resources

Mining 27 Aug 2026

Dividends back as MinRes returns to black

Mineral Resources will pay its first dividend in two years after recording its strongest ever result off the back of a resurgent lithium market and a growing iron ore operation.

Andrew Forrest and Michael Woodley.

Indigenous 26 Aug 2026

State govt appeals Yindjibarndi compo

The state government is appealing a landmark Federal Court verdict compelling Fortescue to pay the Yindjibarndi people $150 million in compensation for damaging their country without consent.

Woodside's Karratha Gas Plant on the Burrup Peninsula. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

North-West 26 Aug 2026

Emissions not harming rock art

Industrial emissions are likely not impacting rock art on the Burrup Peninsula, according to fresh data from a four-year survey.

Progress at Project Ceres in February 2026. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Manufacturing 25 Aug 2026

Perdaman progresses hydrogen plan

Planning for a $3bn hydrogen plant to turn Perdaman's future ammonia from Ceres into a green product has advanced

Regulation 24 Aug 2026

Exmouth port to face public test

A long-awaited deepwater port backed by defence and cruise ship interests earmarked for Exmouth will face another round of public scrutiny before being put to the minister for approval.

The robotic packing shed in Manjimup. Photo: The Avocado Collective

Agribusiness 24 Aug 2026

$20m robotic avocado shed opened

An automated avocado packing facility has opened in the South West which growers hope will help tackle rising costs in the industry.

MMW

Podcasts 21 Aug 2026

Mark My Words August 21 2026

Tom Zaunmayr speaks to Gary Adshead, Claire Tyrrell, Jack McGinn and Isabel Vieira about news and politics of the week.

Michael Levitt. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Government 21 Aug 2026

Levitt weighs in on Palestine event

WA's foremost Jewish faith leader has criticised parliament house for hosting a pro-Palestine event.

Brad Byrne, Rod Richardson, Lachy Spotswood and Tony Richardson. Photo: Duraquip

Exclusive 21 Aug 2026

Duraquip eyes national growth

A trailer manufacturer founded in WA's grainbelt is preparing to ramp up expansion in the eastern states, making several key appointments and showcasing its wares at major events.

Artists' impression of the pilot station redevelopment. Picture: H+H Architects

Government 21 Aug 2026

Ground breaks at pilot precinct

Redevelopment of Albany's historic pilot station precinct has begun, with the $8.3-million project to breathe new life into the 173-year-old site.

Fortescue exported more than 200Mt of iron ore last financial year. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Mining 20 Aug 2026

Exports up, profit down at Fortescue

Record iron ore shipments, an impairment-led profit hit, and a green grid getting to work have underpinned a “solid” financial year for Fortescue.

WA is Australia's largest grower of canola. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Agribusiness 19 Aug 2026

West is best for canola crush

Western Australia would be the best place in the nation to build Australian canola processing capacity, according to fresh research from Rabobank.

Hot metal produced at Christmas Creek. Photo: Fortescue

Manufacturing 19 Aug 2026

Fortescue makes first metal

Hot metal has been produced for the first time in two decades in the Pilbara at Fortescue's Christmas Creek site.

A 10 year plan for the live export industry has been unveiled. Photo: Michael O'Brien

Agribusiness 18 Aug 2026

Cattle exporters seek longevity

Australia's live cattle industry is seeking certainty from the federal government that it won't become a victim of politics again via the launch of a new blueprint.

Copper is now the biggest earner at BHP. Photo: Michael O'Brien

Mining 18 Aug 2026

Copper stokes booming BHP

Booming copper prices and record iron ore volumes drove BHP to a $13.7 billion profit, with the miner to pay out its biggest dividend since 2022.

Construction at The Pier, Carnarvon site in August.

North-West 17 Aug 2026

Govt defends builder grant

The state government has awarded nearly $600,000 to a family getting back into major developments after the high-profile collapse of their last building company.

Rita Saffioti scolds the Productivity Commission as Roger Cook watches on. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Government 14 Aug 2026

War of words for WA’s GST begins

The vociferous response from WA political and business leaders to the Productivity Commission's interim GST report was as swift as it was predictable come Friday afternoon.

At Close of Business

Podcasts 14 Aug 2026

At Close of Business Podcast August 14 2026

Tom Zaunmayr speaks with Nadia Budihardjo about a company looking to branch out into building nuclear-capable professional emergency response teams.

Defence Economy 14 Aug 2026

Training for a nuclear workforce

Parabellum International has expanded into defence industries with an eye to building nuclear-capable professional emergency response teams.

Canola crops around Chapman Valley in July 2026. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Agribusiness 14 Aug 2026

Weather dents crop’s potential

Optimism for another bumper crop is fading as dry weather and frost impacts parts of Western Australia's grain belt.

CBH chairman Simon Stead, Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti, and CBH CEO Ben Macnamara. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Agribusiness 14 Aug 2026

CBH welcomes new grain trains

New locomotives ready to take to WA's freight rail network are equipped with “world-leading” lighting and will play a key role in delivering the state's bumper crops to market.

South32's Perth CBD office. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Mining 12 Aug 2026

South32 in union firing line

Sparkies at South32's Worsley alumina refinery are threatening to strike unless the company brings wages in line with those paid by their future employer, Alcoa.

Foreign workers packing bananas in Carnarvon. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Opinion 12 Aug 2026

Regional WA needs migrants to survive

OPINION: Those arguing for reduced migration ignore the critical role migrants play in enabling the Australian way of life.

Protestors from Lancelin drove to Perth in July. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Government 12 Aug 2026

Lancelin to get rock wall

A 4.5-metre-high rock wall will be built along the Lancelin foreshore to delay the swallowing of the town by the Indian Ocean.

Tammy O'Connor spoke at the Connect 2026 forum. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Indigenous 11 Aug 2026

KingKira founder ‘thinks big’ on wealth

The founder of a WA mining contractor says seeing smiles on employees' faces is the best aspect of her job as she sets her sights on becoming the nation's first indigenous billionaire.

Lachlan Hunter. Photo: Tom Zaunmayr

Mining 11 Aug 2026

Hunter gains mining portfolio

Central Wheatbelt MP Lachlan Hunter will be responsible for probing the state government on almost all primary industry matters after gaining the mining, petroleum and exploration shadow portfolios.

X