Emily Piesse

THE City of Cockburn has approved the construction of what will be the tallest building in the new transit-oriented Cockburn Central development - a 17-level apartment tower with ground floor retail space.

ONCE a political white elephant, the proposed stage two expansion of the Ord River irrigation system could yet be revived, thanks to the National Party's strong showing in the recent state election.

Premier-elect Colin Barnett will no doubt make a number of key decisions during his first 100 days in office, but there's one that should be fairly high on the priority list - where his own department will be housed.

THE development approvals process in Western Australia is beset by a number of challenges, but none is likely to have a wider impact than the Carnaby's cockatoo.

A NUMBER of Western Australian businesses have received licences to recruit overseas workers almost a year after the Howard government moved to tighten the process.

First Start - the state government's shared equity scheme for first homebuyers - has been suspended indefinitely in a move that housing groups believe could threaten the already struggling sector, if the incoming Liberal government does not top up funding

South Perth-based property developer Finbar Group Ltd has signed a joint venture agreement with the subsidiary of a Singapore-based company to redevelop the former ABC studios site on Adelaide Terrace.

A SHORTAGE of qualified tradespeople is one of the downsides of Western Australia's mining boom for many small businesses, which struggle to compete with the mining sector in attracting and retaining staff.

North Fremantle's days as a light industrial hub, providing a buffer between the port city of Fremantle and the upmarket suburbs of Cottesloe and Mosman Park, are well and truly numbered, with long-term plans to build about 3,000 new apartments and a reti

WEST Perth's office building spree has secured another major tenant, with engineering company TWP Australia Pty Ltd signing on to lease the entire A-grade building being constructed at 100 Havelock Street.

Saville Australia and Babcock & Brown, the beleaguered joint venture partners behind the redevelopment of the former Emu Brewery site, may have secured a lifeline in the form of Leighton Properties.

A new plan to shift state government agencies out of the CBD into the suburban office market has attracted the interest of the Town of Vincent, which is hoping to secure a large share of any potential move.

IT'S the one issue that comes up time and again, in boardrooms and business forums across Western Australia.

Two years ago, Western Australia's property boom allowed developers to adopt a 'build it, and they will come' attitude when it came to new projects, with very little money, if any, spent on marketing.

In the mid-1980s, the director of Catholic Education in Western Australia commissioned architect Marcus Collins to design and refurbish the organisation's Leederville offices.

The latest major leasing deal for the CBD's new office towers has got over the line, with the federal government's Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations signing on as the anchor tenant for Queensland-based First State Developments' p

The federal government has introduced an incentive scheme to encourage property developers to build affordable rental accommodation.

Western Australia's labour shortage may be top of the election agenda for the state's peak business lobby group, but the recruitment of blue-collar overseas workers is set to become more difficult, according to the migration industry.

Perth's median house price fell to $443,000 during the June quarter, slightly lower than originally forecast, according to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia's official data.

Despite the downturn in the residential property sector during the past eight months, three Western Australian developers have posted increased profits for the year to June.

A group of Western Australian property developers is still waiting to receive a planning document that would allow more than 3,000 hectares of land in the Peel region to be converted to housing.

For most manufacturers, a $5 billion order book represents a pretty ambitious target - even more so when the company is a shipbuilder from the small suburb of Henderson, Western Australia.

Fremantle's Queen Victoria Street has long been home to an assortment of car dealerships and retailers, but plans to allow high-density development along the strip could lead to a redevelopment of the entire area.

Three Western Australian entrepreneurs will feature in a new documentary about Italian migrants to Australia, produced by City of Perth councillor Eleni Evangel and journalist Sarah Golden.

Mining hospitality and accommodation provider Auzcorp will develop a $45 million, 136-room hotel in Tom Price after being selected as the preferred bidder under the government's Landbank program.

Reforms to the 457 visa scheme may have helped to alleviate the backlog of applications, but workers hoping to relocate permanently are facing longer waiting periods, according to data from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

The Housing Industry Association has again revised down its outlook for WA housing starts this year, predicting a 12 per cent drop during 2008-09, according to its market outlook report released today.

Long regarded as the poor cousin of the conventional building industry, modular and transportable housing is experiencing unprecedented demand.

A $25 million refurbishment of the Perron Group-owned Mirrabooka Square Shopping Centre will be the first step towards a wider revitalisation of the area, if approved by council.

A series of market indicators for Perth's residential property sector have revealed the slowest June quarter in at least five years, but analysts are divided over whether the slowdown will continue.

Twelve months ago, architect Jean-Mic Perrine began commercial production of his modular housing system, called the 'perrinepod'.

In a sign that Perth's commercial property market may be warming up, Wesfarmers House has sold to Jandakot-based Ascot Capital Ltd for almost $85 million, although the price represents a significant discount on the property's 2007 value.