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THE lively start to the year for Perth's property market has continued, with four substantial retail and industrial properties changing hands in the past week in deals worth an estimated $275 milli

PROPERTY player Lend Lease is aiming to submit a development application for the first stage of the $1 billion Waterbank project this year, which will transform the eastern part of the Perth CBD.

MORE than four years after the onset of the GFC, it seems property investors in Perth are still adjusting to the persistently weaker conditions in the Western Australian market.

Top-level businesswomen see male-dominated networks as a barrier.

Mining company KalNorth Gold Mines has begun production from its Lindsay's project near Kalgoorlie, forecasting the production of 40,000 ounces of gold over the next 18 months.

Labor leader Mark McGowan has backed gay marriage and euthanasia during an online question and answer session.

Perth-based miner IronClad Mining claims to have successfully trialled a system loading ore onto ships without the need for deep sea ports.

Junior miners Gold Road Resources, Rox Resources and Nkwe Platinum are raising a combined total of $14.95 million to accelerate exploration programs at their respective developments.

Mining giant Rio Tinto is expected to post a full year net profit of more than $9 billion, driven by the company's iron ore business.

The Australian dollar has fallen to a fresh three-month low on speculation North Korea had carried out a fresh nuclear test.

NRW Holdings subsidiary Action Drill & Blast has won a $140 million contract with Fortescue Metals Group at the Cloudbreak iron ore mine near Newman.

The Australian sharemarket finished flat after the All Ordinaries index pushed through the significant 5000 point barrier earlier in the day.

Engineering company Bradken has impressed the market by declaring that last year's economic downturn in resources had bottomed out while posting a solid half year profit.

Shares in Apex Minerals jumped on the ASX today after the Perth-based announced an agreement to sell its Youanmi gold mine near Sandstone in the Murchison for $15 million.

Former water-proofing company Hydrotech International has turned its attention to resources and overcome tough market conditions to raise more than $6 million to fund its first venture.

Business-focused telco Amcom Telecommunications has delivered a 20 per cent lift in first half profit and flagged a similar result for the full year.

The federal government has no plans to change the design of its mining tax, Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

Premier Colin Barnett has revived plans for a university in Midland at the historic Railway Workshops if the Liberals win the March 9 state election.

The central bank will have to cut the cash rate again at some stage given the chronic low levels of business and consumer confidence, a leading business group says.

The City of Fremantle moved a step closer to kicking off works on a $220 million revamp of King's Square, with the council approving a plan put forward by development group Sirona Capital at a spec

Business confidence in January mostly held on to its gains made in December, helped by a rally in the local sharemarket, a private survey says.

The late Robert Holmes a Court loved what he called “black letter law” - written so tightly by governments that they thought no-one could find a loophole, but which to him was merely a mental puzzle - the sort solved by BHP Billiton as it revved up a 320-tonne Komatsu ore-truck and drove it through the minerals resource rent tax.

Gains by the major banks have pushed the Australian share market toward the 5,000 point level.

Independent MP Rob Oakeshott feels the Gillard government partly duped him about the design of its mining tax.

US stocks have closed barely lower, with buyers finding little fresh inspiration after last week's five-year highs to offset a fall in energy shares.

Charter Hall Group has acquired the remaining 50 per cent stake it did not already own in grocery wholesaler Metcash's Canning Vale distribution centre for $63.5 million.

Transportable housing manufacturer Fleetwood Corporation says it expects an improved result in the second half of the financial year after confirming soft conditions in its key markets would result

Shares in Bauxite Resources jumped on the ASX today after the Perth-based miner announced the appointment of former Sundance Resources executive Peter Canterbury as chief executive.

The Australian dollar is slightly higher following a quiet day of trading, with Asian markets closed due to the Lunar New Year holidays.

Engineering and construction firm Monadelphous Group has announced a suite of new contracts with a combined value of around $140 million.

The average value of home loans in Western Australia has surpassed $330,000 for the first time, prompting industry claims that the second phase of recovery in Western Australia's property market is

The Australian share market closed lower, led down by falls in mining-related sectors.