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THE controversy over the Varanus Island gas explosion has eased somewhat since gas production resumed in August, yet some major gas users have still not been getting any gas.

A MALAGA-BASED power tool and equipment manufacturer has been named WA Inventor of the Year.

LABOUR market pressures remain high in the Western Australian economy, with the skills shortage continuing to hit hard and the wage price index running ahead of the rest of the country.

ACCOUNTING firm PPB's convoluted history in Perth took another turn last week when advisory practitioner Jeff Herbert rejoined the company as a partner after operating his own consultancy for two year

THE West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) has won three national awards, two with its business partner, Ernst & Young, at a ceremony showcasing the nation's best business and arts partnerships.

INTERNATIONAL visitor numbers to Western Australia reached record highs in 2007-08, while domestic tourism continued to struggle.

THE state's economy could yet feel the impact of the global financial crisis, which has already lifted the cost of borrowing and could make it increasingly difficult to access finance.

WHEN John Pica bought in to the Garden City franchise of global hair reduction specialists, Hairfee, in September 2007, he was sure he had chosen a winning business.

WESTERN Australia's population is growing at the fastest rate since 1989, thanks largely to more than 32,000 migrants settling in the state in 2007-08.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Retail Traders Association of WA present: Business Warfare for small and medium business. Business, like warfare, is dynamic and challenging.

Director of Lloyd Events (3 years) WABN: Describe - in one sentence - a day at work.

AUSTRADE and Telstra Business have teamed up to help Australian businesses develop their export potential and step up to the world stage.

OUTDATED regulatory and pricing arrangements in Western Australia's aged care industry is threatening the vulnerable sector, with industry groups warning that an ageing population will exacerbate the state's already strained health resources.

The Western Australian Trade Enquiry Service is operated by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCI) with the support of the WA Government's Department of Industry and Resources.

THE odds are very much against the survival of the BankWest brand now that the bank has been bought by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

RISING office rents in the Perth CBD are prompting a change in the city's tenant profile, with a number of companies relocating after rent reviews, and others pushed out of the city into fringe suburbs.

WA Business News' fourth annual State Economic Review comes at a time when the world economic system is facing its greatest challenge for decades.

THE corner of Bulwer and Lake streets in North Perth is becoming a Mecca of upmarket Asian food, with venues such as Nahm Thai and Nine Fine Food taking the offering to a new level.

DESPITE the global credit crunch, which has wiped trillions of dollars off international share markets and made it more difficult for business to borrow money, Western Australia has again recorded another stellar year of growth, and the outlook remains st

HAS the growing metrosexual culture changed the way we make beers? Low carbohydrate beers haven't exactly taken Australia's beer market by storm; in fact it's hard to think of a low-carb brew that's made much of a mark in the past couple of years beyond F

Opposition leader Eric Ripper has demanded that Premier Colin Barnett end the uncertainty over the royalties for regions deal that underpins the Liberal-National government.

Fremantle-based agribusiness company Craig Mostyn Group has bought the fresh pork business of George Weston Foods/Watsons Foods.

Engineering company Clough Ltd could take a $23 million hit after its Indonesian subsidiary disclosed that it had been forced to suspend work on a coal mine project, which is currently seeking to raise additional capital needed for completion.

Perth-based United Minerals Corporation NL will move to the next study stage after an initial assessment of its Pilbara iron ore project estimated a net operating profit after tax of up to $595 million a year.

A key market analyst says a realistic outlook for nickel prices over the next few years is around $US17,000 per tonne and producers should take heart from an expected doubling in demand over current levels by 2030.

The state government has formed a new committee to oversee redevelopment plans for Royal Perth Hospital, with Dr Peter Montgomery chairing the group.

The state Liberal Party has received eight nominations for the senate seat made vacant from the retirement of Chris Ellison last month.

Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore says the strength of the state's iron ore industry masked the warning signs from the nickel sector where the outlook is "not promising".

Perth-based energy group Aviva Corp Ltd has agreed to a $22 million merger with Canadian coal producer NEMI Northern Energy and Mining Inc.

An arbitrator has been called in to settle a dispute between Alinta and its gas supplier, the Woodside-operated North West Shelf venture, that could involve third parties by way of subpoenas.

Perth has recorded the smallest increase in the rate of inflation over the September quarter, while the nation's headline inflation consumer price index rose at its fastest pace in almost 13 years.

Global disaster averted: Reserve; Swan puts price on deposit guarantee; Market split as short ban lengthened; Lender homes in on Wizard; NAB warns of more pain before gain