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Western Australia's best-cleaned sites were honoured in the 2005 Golden Service Awards, the building services industry's premier recognition of excellence.

The planned merger of Curtin and Murdoch universities highlights the major changes facing Western Australia's higher education sector. WA Business News convened a boardroom forum to discuss the current issues and future outlook for the state's public universities.

Curtin University's council and Murdoch University's senate have been forced to defer meetings scheduled for this week to make an official decision on their merger because of delays with a merger feasibility report.

The shortage of skilled labour has affected most industries in Western Australia, and universities are no exception.

Western Australia's universities have called on the State Government to take a more strategic role in guiding and supporting development of the sector.

Australia's universities are highly competitive, especially in their pursuit of research dollars, yet some of the best research occurs when they collaborate.

As many businesses consider new ways of supporting university training in light of Western Australia's growing skills crisis, the Fogarty Foundation is one organisation already doing something.

John Howard is one of the canniest politicians in the business and his proposed reform of industrial relations has his textbook approach written all over it.

Last week, State Scene was fortunate to sneak a look at what could become Western Australia's non-metropolitan lower house electoral boundaries at the 2009 election.

Big fish in Perth's small corporate pond pay a high price when they move to deeper waters.

Boutique developer MATCH has been given approval to transform Perth's first concrete and steel structure, designed in 1927 by Oldham, Boas & Ednie-Brown, into a heritage sensitive development consisting of 30 warehouse apartments and 39 terrace houses on

Having moved out of residential property development in favour of commercial property syndication 18 months ago, Access West is currently completing its sixth commercial syndicate.

Property investors who self-manage their properties have been warned they are at greater risk of experiencing problems with tenants and exposing themselves and their assets.

The housing and resources booms in Western Australia's so-called ‘V8 economy' have been credited with the state's above-average performance, but higher prices are creeping into the picture as the cycle is prolonged.

Perth is assured of at least one new office tower, with expressions of interest open for developers to purchase 140 William Street, but industry players have warned that more space is needed to cope with demand.

The State Government budget surplus of $1.24 billion in 2004-05 was the strongest result ever, underpinned to a large extent by higher royalties collected from the booming resources sector.

Western Australia's largest homebuilders have recorded their third year of near-record activity.

The Perth property market is arguably leading the country in both the residential and commercial sectors.

Clancy's Fish Pub in Subiaco continues to challenge the accepted boundaries of what a pub can be.

Western Australia's tourism industry celebrated a good year in 2004-05, a period during which ground was made in growing the state's share of the market.

Amid celebrations for its 20th year on the Perth hospitality scene, Julio's Restaurant in West Perth is welcoming one of its best-known names back to the kitchen.

By far the most dominant demographic influence on the Western Australian economy – and most developed economies for that matter – is that of the baby boomers.

Returns in the farm sector were mixed in 2004-05, both in volume and value terms, but good rainfall in the state's agricultural areas during the past two months will ensure a strong harvest this year across most commodities.

The state's economy is showing no signs of cooling its demand for additional emplo-yment capacity, with all signs pointing to a further tightening as the skilled labour market feels the pinch of shortages across the board.

WHILE Western Australia has traditionally been one of the less expensive Australian states in which to live, recent rises in key indicators point to a closing of the cost-of-living gap.

The Health Reform Committee report of March 2004 recommended a fundamental reconfiguration of the state's health system during the next 15 years. The Government's recent allocation of $3.6 billion with the release of the 'WA Health Clinical Services Frame

For all the lifestyle it has to offer Perth is often attacked as lacking the vibrancy and cultural diversity available in cities such as Sydney and Melbourne.

As part of the health upgrades, the State Government will invest $206 million in the redevelopment of four major country hospitals across Western Australia into regional resource centres.

Transport, population, history, education and voting trends in WA.

The in-depth economic year in review of business sectors in WA reveals some stand-out performers. Measuring the impact of these sectors and their standing in the national picture, David Gibson reports.

Perth's Technology Park got an unexpected result when it invited the commercialisation experts from Perth's four public universities to speak at its 20th anniversary conference last week.

The importance of the business investment cycle to Western Australia's economy cannot be stressed highly enough.