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THE Brisbane Hotel won the Hotel of the Year award at the Australian Bar Awards competition held last week.

Two brothers this year celebrate five decades in business. Barry and Terry Crommelin tell their stories to Adam Orlando. WHEN you can persuade Colin Barnett to attend your business anniversary celebration during what has been a hectic time in politics,

IT'S difficult when assessing elections not to immediately reach for statistics - size of swings, percentage of preferences gained by parties, levels of various majorities, and other such measures that help assess how well or how badly parties and candida

NEW Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore is under no illusions about where his focus will have to be as he returns to the position he held in the previous Liberal government - the approvals process for mining and exploration.

A MANDATORY renewable energy target of 20 per cent would add up to $300 million a year to the cost of producing aluminium in Australia, according the country's leading producer.

THREE Perth entrepreneurs have established a $40 million venture capital fund to invest in new technologies.

IT took less than 18 months for the state government's shared equity scheme - a lifeline for the first homebuyer market - to exhaust its three-year, $300 million budget.

WESTERN Australia's long-term outlook remains bright, despite the upheaval on global financial markets, with labour shortages continuing to be one of the biggest challenges.

URBAN infill was a key policy of the Carpenter government, outlined in the 'Network City' plan for a series of transit-oriented, high-density developments in Perth.

A streamlined and efficient public service is what new treasurer Troy Buswell wants to see.

THE downturn in Western Australia's housing market has had a huge impact on the state's real estate industry, with businesses consolidating their operations and a number of sales consultants leaving the sector.

PERTH is clearly an uneasy home for entrepreneur Tony Sage. Though he's spent the bulk of his adult life here or working elsewhere for Perth-based companies, it appears Mr Sage has not always been accepted in the Western Australian capital.

A WAR for talent is being waged on a global scale. Businesses are battling to capture the minds and hearts of talented individuals, not just for the jobs of today, but also for the jobs of the future.

THE CBD will face a power shortfall in 2010 unless Western Power installs $100 million worth of new electrical infrastructure to cater for the increased demand on the grid from new office and apartment buildings.

SUSTAINABILITY and affordability are beginning to drive innovation in the use of building materials in Western Australia's housing industry, with more developers using imported and lightweight products.

Calling the bottom of the market is fraught with danger for real estate agents and developers, but many in the industry are hopeful that the tide is beginning to turn.

PERTH'S insolvency world is undergoing a restructuring of its own ahead of an expected rush of new business in the wake of the credit crunch and global banking crisis.

DESPITE tightening global credit markets, property analysts remain optimistic that the residential sector in Western Australia is headed for a growth phase in the near future.

LITIGATION funder IMF Australia believes the worst of the sub-prime crisis impact in Western Australia is yet to come, with "a simmering pile" of non sub-prime collateralised debt obligations potentially adding to investors' woes.

A PERTH engineering company that has created a niche for itself in the lucrative mining vehicles market is hoping to do the same in the US.

CHIDLOW-BASED property developer Greenedge Projects Pty Ltd is seeking to raise $12 million through an ASX-listing for its sustainable development vehicle, Greenedge Ethical Investments Ltd.

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.

Perth-based agricultural investment manager Great Southern Ltd may go back to the drawing board on its $438 million restructuring plans after the market meltdown slashed its share price.

Perth company Complete Site Services, a subsidiary of the Complete Group, has been awarded a $65 million contract to supply and install a 801-man camp for Fortescue Metal Group's Christmas Creek project, about 100km north of Newman.

Australia is experiencing the biggest migration boom in its history, contributing to the fastest rate of population growth the country has experienced in almost 19 years, expanding by 1.61 per cent.

A new bill setting out a framework to better protect temporary overseas workers in Australia will be introduced into the Senate today.

Dioro Explroation NL has cut its three-monthly gold production target by 6000 ounces after a pit wall failure at its South Kalgoorlie operations.

US oil company Chevron has selected three preferred sites in Western Australia for its planned Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project, with a decision expected mid next year.

Cape Lambert Iron Ore Ltd will find out before the end of the week whether an injunction preventing it from acquiring a stake in an African project will be extended.

World leaders have called for urgent steps to tackle the global financial crisis saying the time had come for sweeping reforms of multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council.

Burke emerges as problem for new state government; Barnett: never on a Sunday; Premier backs Woodside on marketing, tax fight; Rudd acts to ease doubts on short-selling confusion; WA's $300m lobster industry facing disaster

Incremental Petroleum Ltd has taken Cooper Energy Ltd's takeover bid to the Takeovers Panel, saying there are certain deficiencies in the offer.