Dan Wilkie

Earthmoving equipment supplier Emeco Holdings will book a $7.85 million pre-tax impairment charge on its Indonesian business, lowering earnings expectations for the company's first half.

Western Areas has announced a $56.5 million increase in its interim net profit, as the Western Australia-based nickel miner ramps up exploration to pre-GFC levels.

Enerji says it has reached its most significant milestone to date, with the completion of a power purchase agreement with Horizon Power to install its technology at the Carnarvon Power Station.

Perth-based miner Perilya has given the green light for the development of the Potosi/Silver Peak zinc-lead-silver project, near Broken Hill in New South Wales.

The owner of the Toronto Stock Exchange, TMX Group, has bought a 50 per cent interest in MinesOnline, a West Australia-based company that connects buyers and sellers of mining assets and projects around the world.

Premier Colin Barnett says there are "grave risks" in pursuing new laws to ensure local firms gain work from major projects, after the steel industry and unions launched a campaign to keep resources fabrication and manufacturing jobs in Western Australia.

Residential developer Aspen Group has backed off on its claim that its board of directors were unanimous that it was not in the company's best interests for dumped co-founder Angelo Del Borello to return.

Perth-based software developer ISS Group says it will consider paying an interim dividend, after reporting a significant lift in profit in the December quarter.

Bunnings Warehouse Property Trust says it will target acquisitions for growth after it reported a $26.4 million interim profit, up 4.5 per cent on the previous corresponding period.

Shares in Perth-based mineral sands hopeful Latin Resources have jumped after it announced a major expansion of its Guadalupito iron and mineral sands project in Peru.

Focus Minerals shares have climbed after the company announced bumper drilling results at its Countess gold deposit near Coolgardie.

Shell Australia and Woodside Petroleum have bolstered their relationship, entering a deal to redevelop fuel supply facilities at Dampier's King Bay.

Chevron has announced its tenth offshore discovery in Australia over the past 18 months, with a significant Carnarvon Basin find that will feed into its $43 billion Gorgon natural gas project.

Residential rents have increased for the first time in a year, according to the latest market analysis by the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia.

COMPETITION between tenants is expected to place upwards pressure on rents, that could be the lone bright spot in a struggling residential property market, according to REIWA president Alan Bourke.

Western Australia’s housing construction market is seemingly emerging from its three-year trough, with industry figures showing new home sales increased for a third consecutive month in December.

Bankwest has recovered from last year's slump with an interim net profit of $224 million, after reducing its impaired loans expense and cutting business lending by 10 per cent.

Independence Group has launched a friendly all scrip takeover offer for base metals miner Jabiru Metals, in a deal that values the target at $532 million.

Perth is the toughest capital city to secure a hotel room in Australia, according to industry research by Deloitte.

WESTERN Australia’s residential real estate sector has been confirmed as the weakest performing in the nation, according to three separate analyses of the market.

INVESTORS will recover an additional $67.5 million from Westpoint Group after the nation’s top corporate regulator agreed to settle litigation against Westpoint’s directors and accounting firm KPMG.

THE receiver for the $500 million Raine Square office tower says its financiers were unable to accept any refinancing proposals put forward by the developer because the project was no longer profitable.

Perth-based advanced materials group Quickstep Holdings will move its manufacturing base to Sydney, after signing a 20-year, $700 million agreement to supply parts for the international F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

Western Australia's new home market is seemingly emerging from its three-year trough, with sales increasing for a third consecutive month in December, industry figures show.

Out-of-pocket investors will recover an additional $67.5 million from Westpoint Group, after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission agreed to settle litigation against Westpoint's directors and accounting firm KPMG.

Perth-based residential developer Cedar Woods has announced a profit guidance of $27 million for financial year 2011, an increase of 12.5 per cent on the previous year.

Aspen Group major shareholder Entrust Funds Management has confirmed it has requested a meeting of shareholders to discuss replacing most of the current board, including managing director Gavin Hawkins.

Jupiter Mines has raised $150 million to develop its Western Australian iron ore projects, Mt Ida and Mt Mason, and its Tshipi Borwa manganese operation in South Africa.

Embattled property tycoon Luke Saraceni has lashed out at Bankwest, saying it had a conflict of interest that "blinded rational decision making" with regards to troubled office development Raine Square.

The sale of Great Southern's timber plantations to a Canadian institutional fund manager is a step towards making the Australian timber industry internationally competitive, the firm now in charge of managing the land says.

WESTERN Australia’s initial public offerings market is continuing to show signs of strength after a hot close to 2010, with four WA-based minerals exploration companies looking to join the Australian Securities Exchange next month after lodging prospectus

Investors' appetite for gold-related plays is on the up, with Crescent Gold the latest in a string of Western Australia-based gold explorers and miners to report an overabundance of interest in its latest capital raising.