Western Australia is the only Australian state expecting an increase in power prices during the next three years, according to new modelling out today, which could put pressure on the state government to introduce further competition to the electricity sector.
Gold Road Resources and Gold Fields' $621 million Gruyere mine officially opened today, with Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston saying the project would create around 250 jobs over the next 12 years.
The state government has today introduced harsher industrial manslaughter penalties, in an effort to bring WA's WHS laws in line with that of other states.
Mining company Gold Fields and energy producer EDL have completed the first stage of a renewable energy project that will eventually see wind and solar deliver half the power needs of the Agnew gold mine.
There's no bad news in Western Australia's battery industry, Energy Minister Bill Johnston says, shrugging off the deferral of major projects in recent months.
A new land and house development is set to revitalise the former Kinlock Primary School site in Ferndale, with Yolk Property Group and Ventura Home Group appointed as project managers.
Australian Vanadium has signed an option to build a vanadium processing plant at a site east of Geraldton, as it continues to work on a potential mining project.
ANALYSIS: Plans for oil exploration in the Canning Basin announced over the weekend may deliver good news for Western Australia, but some of the claims surrounding the latest drilling program are extravagant to say the least.
The state government has factored in lithium hydroxide and carbonate into its royalty arrangement for lithium producers, which it claims will encourage downstream processing and manufacturing.
A new report from advisory firm BDO has predicted diesel machinery will be banned in all new Australian underground mines by 2023, which could pave the way for a rapid uptake of electric battery-based machinery in the industry.
A resurgent iron ore price and a record $A gold price underpinned a $30 billion increase in Western Australia's mineral and petroleum sales for the 2019 fiscal year, according to the state government.
The state government has lifted a ban on fracking on existing petroleum titles, in a move planned since last year that protects all but 2 per cent of Western Australia from the contentious practice.
Western Australia will be carbon neutral by 2050 under an aspirational policy announced by the state government today, although it is not yet clear what mechanism will be used to achieve the goal.
Business people could face up to 20 years in prison and their company fined up to $10 million under industrial manslaughter laws to be introduced by the state government.
Woodside Petroleum, Save the Children Foundation and Sandfire Resources were among those recognised for their renewable projects and community partnerships at last night's resources sector awards for excellence.
A new wages deal for public sector workers that offers an extra holiday and superannuation payments during unpaid leave had been approved by workers, two months after Business News revealed the public sector union had claimed the deal broke the state government's pay policy.
The official opening of BHP's upgraded Mulla Mulla village in the Pilbara today adds a key component to the company's strategy for attracting workers to its iron ore projects.
The state government will shut two more generating units at the Muja coal power station, in October 2022 and October 2024, much earlier than scheduled.
Lynas Corporation chief executive Amanda Lacaze says the company is around two months away from deciding on a Western Australian site to expand its processing operations.
Horizon Power chair Stephen Edwell has been picked to lead the state government's Energy Transformation Taskforce, two months after a review into energy policy was first announced.
The state government announced it would spend $11.6 million on the installation of solar farms and energy storage in remote Aboriginal communities as part of this years' State Budget.
WA's business lobby has blasted state government plans to shake up the industrial relations system, and called for residual workplace powers to instead be handed to the Commonwealth.
The federal government has allocated $25 million towards a battery industry research initiative to be headquartered at Curtin University, while the Bentley-based university today announced it had awarded the main construction contract for a $110 million development.
Western Australia's resources industry experienced record sales in 2018, up 16 per cent from the year prior, thanks largely to a rise in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.
Woodside Petroleum has warned it would need to ramp down production at the Burrup Hub in the mid 2020s if the state government does not land on an emissions policy that would support the company's $46 billion of backfill projects.
The state government has continued its rollout of off-grid renewable systems, with Perth-based CPS National set to install micro power systems in the Esperance region.
The federal government should offer Western Australia funding for power storage projects in proportion to its spending in the east, Energy Minister Bill Johnston says, while moves to introduce reserve capacity auctions and retail contestability locally are off his agenda.
The state government has today announced the rollout of $8.8 million of stand-alone power systems, with Perth-based companies Hybrid Systems and BayWA r.e Solar Systems to lead the first stage of deployment.
About 5,000 exploration, tenure and mining approvals were sitting in the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation And Safety's pipeline at the end of the September quarter last year, according to the department's latest approvals performance data.
Builders could soon face tougher penalties for not paying subcontractors on time, but the Master Builders Association has warned several reforms proposed to solve recurring payment issues could increase construction costs and result in more company collapses.
Subcontractors WA chair Louise Stewart has welcomed the state government's decision to expand the use of project bank accounts (PBAs) to protect subcontractors, but is pushing for the introduction of legally binding statutory trusts.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA has lashed the state government's decision today to reduce extended Christmas trading hours as applied last year.
Shares in lithium hopeful Kidman Resources dropped 15 per cent to be $1.08 each after the company acknowledged a Warden's Court ruling last week which recommended Kidman not be exempt from past minimum expenditure obligations on tenements at its Mt Holland project.
With higher fines, longer prison sentences and possibly industrial manslaughter laws coming to WA, Business News has analysed trends in workplace fatalities.
POZ Minerals, which operates the Blina diamond project in the Kimberley, has announced it will bid in the state government's tender to reopen the neighbouring Ellendale mine.
