Catie Low

THE on-again-off-again merger between Marketforce and The Shorter Group has finally been confirmed by both parties following months of vehement denials.

THE Department of Defence is examining a number of exciting property development options for its extensive land portfolio, scattered throughout some of the oldest and wealthiest suburbs in metropolitan Perth.

CONSTRUCTION of a $4 million development on Oxford Street in Leederville is expected to start next month.

HIDDEN away on a quiet property in South Canning Vale, the seed of a bold vision for science and technology in WA is taking root.

PERTH’S newest commercial radio station will be put up for auction on February 14.The Valentine’s Day auction is expected to result in a fierce battle, with bids thought to exceed the $1 million reserve price.

GARRY Garside, the founder of local corporate health operator Endeavour Health, has quit the troubled company, leaving chief financial officer Ian Callahan at the helm.

LOCAL pharmaceutical company Chemeq has unveiled plans for a $25 million manufacturing facility.

NUMBER 188 Adelaide Terrace will soon be facing the wrecker’s ball following council approval for a $15 million residential development.

PUTTING the focus back on the environment is the thrust of the WA Tourism Commission’s latest advertising campaigns.

CONSUMERS are picking up the bill for credit card fraud while retailers turn a blind eye to a costly problem.

FOR many novice property investors a bad experience often means a significant cash burn. Local businessman Rohan Taylor, however, has turned his negative experience into a business venture.

FRUSTRATION at the media’s treatment of what it considered important information has forced an embattled Alcoa to look to advertising to get its message across.

PERTH Weekly devotees will be relieved to read that Community News Group is launching a new publication

HIGH above the street, beyond the dusty streets and the flashy awnings, there’s a grand old city.Ornate plaster facades and elegant sash windows caked with dirt sit still and silent above the chatter of the mall.

IMG Golf course Services, the driving force behind the Johnny Walker Classic, has been appointed to manage The Golf Club Kennedy Bay at Port Kennedy, south of Perth.

OUT in the suburbs, marooned in acres of parking, sit the suburban shopping centres.With multi-million dollar marketing budgets and the convenience of free parking and one-stop shopping, these retail temples present a real threat to city retailers.

AFTER years of neglect, the big city malls are finally getting a major facelift as the City of Perth addresses the fierce competition of the major regional shopping Centre.

THE arrival of Scout Creative, bolted onto local public relations outfit Atticus Communications, will introduce a new player into the fight for marketing clients.

THE Augusta Margaret River Shire is facing a compensation claim totalling $5.7 million in relation to the controversial development at Gnarabup Beach near Margaret River.

IN the competitive and over-serviced human resources industry, the boutique operators constantly strive to differentiate themselves.

THE large retail space adjacent to the Ace Cinema in Subiaco has finally found a tenant with a bit of domestic magic – a Kitchen Witch.

FOLLOWING is a list of comings and goings at WA’s listed companies, provided by the WA office of the Australian Stock Exchange.Andrew White has resigned as alternate director for Garry Connell of Amalg Resources NL.

HEALTH insurer HBF has followed the lead of local fast food retailer Chicken Treat in taking steps to dodge the hefty media commissions for its advertising work.

THE State Government delivered the biggest blow in what has been an anxious year for the local advertising industry.The Government’s decision to cut its advertising budget by 30 per cent came on top of reviews by a number of blue chip clients.

IF the thought of Christmas makes you feel a bit weak at the knees, spare a thought for those poor souls slaving away behind the scenes in the events management industry.

ADVENTURE World has announced the second stage in its five-year expansion plan with The Rampage, a new $1.8 million ride.

A WAGES blitz on restaurants and cafes has authorities claiming an unexpectedly high level of delin-quency in the hospitality industry.

MANY consider advertising and the truth to be rather uncomfortable bedfellows, but a push by the Australian Consumer Competition Commission might just force the issue.

THE radio ratings year has come to an end and, after the bloody battles over breakfast earlier in the year, the All New 92.9 has emerged as one of the shining successes of the year.

THE stage is set for Perth to host the first round of the Formula Nippon championship in 2003.

A FEW months ago in an unassuming office block in a commercial city precinct, Business News watched a man unpack a work by Picasso. On the wall above, figures in some Toulouse Lautrec posters could have been watching him work.

A West Perth business has taken a positive approach to its work environment, and results so far are promising.p Catie Low