Adam Orlando

THE aged care industry has warned that Western Australia is heading into dangerous territory, with only a quarter of the 1,300 bed licences recently made available by the federal government expected to be taken up.

What makes you tick? I have to say that one of the most important things is my family.

WHEN Byron Smith, his father John and brother Rowan took over the Perth-headquartered MYO - Make Your Own lunch bar/cafe franchise in June 2007, it had been operating for 14 years and had a footprint around Australia and abroad.

An electric car that costs just $1.40 every 100 kilometres will be launched at the University of Western Australia in Perth today.

SEVENTEEN years as an 'emerging' franchise has paid dividends for Chooks Fresh & Tasty founder Steve Hansen, with his business named the 2008 WA Emerging Franchise System of the Year by the Franchise Council of Australia.

INADEQUATE scoping is being blamed for escalating cost blowouts and delays on some of the country's infrastructure projects, according to new research.

THE growing number of mass participation events in Perth has provided fertile ground for benevolent institutions looking for more creative means to raise funds and deliver their message of goodwill.

KEVIN Reynolds' 34-year reign as Western Australian representative to the federally registered Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union could end this week when the results of the union's election are released.

PERTH businesswoman Janet Holmes a Court is set to retire as chairman from cattle and wine company Heytesbury, effectively handing entire control of the East Perth-based family business to son, Paul.

A top Brazilian official estimates $US400 billion ($608.27 billion) will be needed in the next decade to develop massive offshore oil finds.

WHILE the top end of town chases the advertising dollar in securing chart-topping commercial acts to tour Western Australia, a niche market for musical entertainment has emerged with a different focus.

LOW-COST carrier Virgin Blue this week said it would reduce fuel surcharges by 20 per cent on its domestic flights and Pacific Blue trans-Tasman and Pacific Island flights, just days after Skywest Airlines announced its airfares would rise by 4 per cent.

FOR almost 25 years, Leeuwin Estate has staged a series of alfresco concerts in its picturesque grounds as part of the winery's ongoing association and sponsorship of the arts.

THE Perth music landscape has been irreversibly transformed over the past decade with events organisers for outdoor concerts and festivals poised to stage one of the busiest summers in Perth's entertainment history.

ENTREPRENEUR Brad Matheson founded online community and dating service Lunch Works in 2004 after discovering a unique position within a congested market in Perth.

MUSIC festival organisers in Perth are taking a 'green' approach to the events they stage, creating carbon-neutral concerts and implementing elaborate environmentally friendly programs.

Property prices in most capital cities including Perth have plummeted in the September quarter, with house and unit prices flattened or posting negative rates of return in the past 12 months.

The federal Workplace Ombudsman has put 200 of Western Australia's premier wineries and vineyard contractors on notice that they will be subject to a series of random audits.

ASX-listed Po Valley Energy Limited has been granted six-year gas exploration licences for its La Prospera and Terra del Sole prospects near Bologna in northern Italy.

PERTH is attracting more large-scale commercial bulky goods complexes, despite the sector experiencing a lull on the back of the credit crisis and global economic downturn, according to real estate agents.

THE adage 'keep it simple stupid', or KISS as it's often referred to, has plenty of merit within the realm of operating a small business.

SMALL business owners in Perth are seeking to remain positive, despite the uncertainty lingering in the global financial markets and access to finance, according to business advisers.

AUCTIONING homes is emerging as a popular vehicle for cash-strapped not-for-profit organisations to raise much needed funds.

Australian executives are expecting further economic turbulence in the New Year as credit market conditions, a volatile Australian dollar and inflationary pressures impact profit and investment prospects for 2009.

Molybdenum miner Moly Mines today announced the Spinifex Ridge Molybdenum Project was poised for immediate implementation, despite the economic slowdown.

THREE generations of the Bedbrook family have been involved with the Paraplegic Benefit Fund since patriarch Sir George Bedbrook founded the not-for-profit organisation in 1984.

PERTH forensic accountants have warned of an increase in cases of corporate fraud as the expected aftermath of the global financial meltdown begins to affect Western Australia.

RAPID Crushing & Screening Contractors' response to an emergency call earlier this year provided founder Neil Irvine with a good indication of just how far his company had come during the past 30 years.

THE completion of the 2,800-tonne multi-million dollar Blacktip wellhead platform has marked another milestone at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson, which is expected to experience continued strong demand for its facilities.

Perth-based emerging gold producer Catalpa Resources today reported a 16 per cent increase in its gold Reserves from 544,000 ounces to 629,000 ounces at its wholly-owned Edna May Gold Project in Western Australia.

BHP Billiton Plc, the world's biggest miner, is poised to snap up smaller players struggling amid the gloom affecting the global economy.

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.