Union membership in Western Australia has continued to decline, falling to a record low of 16 per cent in August last year, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last week.
International students and offshore graduates looking to work in Australia once their studies are completed will be able to apply for two new visas from September.
Face-to-face fundraising, where charity workers wield a clipboard instead of rattling a tin, seeking your credit card number instead of cash, is a rich source of funds for Western Australian not-for-profit groups.
Two former radio journalists who have established a construction business in Madagascar are looking to set up a trade centre in Perth to facilitate trade and tourism with the former French colony.
Western Australia's economic growth is set to rise by 6.5 per cent this financial year on the back of strong local conditions and export growth, according to the WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry's quarterly outlook for March.
Countries aspiring to membership of the European Union are providing new trade potential for Western Australia, according to WA’s Agent General to the EU, Noel Ashcroft, who visited Perth last week.
Industry figures have expressed concern over what they believe to be a serious shortage of solicitors in Western Australia’s community legal centres, which is curtailing their ability to deliver services.
Consumer spending in Western Australia continues to strengthen amid improved national retail figures and housing approvals after last year’s interest rate rises.
The ongoing drama surrounding high atmospheric levels of nickel and lead concentrates in Esperance could have been magnified if the company involved, Magellan Metals, had decided instead on Geraldton as its port of choice.
Substance abuse might have been the story of the week in the sporting community, but Western Australian business, especially heavy industry, has a long track record of policies to deal with this issue.
The Esperance Port Authority's decision to ban shipments of fine lead concentrate, after traces of lead and nickel were found in rainwater tanks in the region, has yet to affect other ports in the state.
The 2007 safety and health innovation awards, held by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy, have recognised diversified minerals group Consolidated Minerals Ltd and aluminium giant Alcoa for their innovative solutions to health and safety issues.
Strong attendance figures have delivered record figures for this year’s UWA Perth International Arts Festival, which is set to take more than $3.5 million at the box office when its film festival draws to a close next month.
Small businesses are not often targeted by not-for-profit organisations seeking corporate partnerships, yet the smaller end of town has much to offer, according to many in the NFP sector.
Australia’s free trade agreement with the US is vital to the national interest and must be further promoted where possible, Australian Ambassador to the US, Dennis Richardson, told a WA Business News breakfast last week.
Australia’s emerging biofuels industry could find itself under pressure throughout 2007 from a combination of easing world oil prices and greater production costs due to increasing feedstock prices.
Aged care providers in Western Australia have expressed concern that the federal government’s latest funding package, which allocates $1.5 billion towards aged care over the next five years, may leave some providers worse off due to financial restructurin
Record high commodity prices may ease over the next five years, but Australia’s economic growth will remain positive, according to the latest commodities report from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
The 457 temporary long-stay business visa may have helped to alleviate skills shortages in Australia, but extensive processing times and onerous compliance requirements on employers are limiting its effectiveness, according to some industry groups.
South Perth-based biodiesel producer Australian Renewable Fuels Ltd has undertaken a share placement and rights issue to raise $14.8 million for infrastructure development of the company’s production facilities in Adelaide and Picton.
Sailing on the Leeuwin II has provided many high school students in Western Australia with a fairly inexpensive adventure over the years, principally due to the generosity of the ship’s sponsors.
Three Perth universities are challenging Curtin University’s previously held monopoly on accredited town planning education, with new courses in the discipline being introduced at UWA, Murdoch University and ECU in 2007.
Fundraising by not-for-profit groups in Western Australia is about to be subject to greater regulation, with the drafting of a new bill to improve accountability in the sector.
Perth engineering companies GRD, Clough, and Lycopodium have reported higher profits in the past week, helped by growing international portfolios, which include projects in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The setting sun cast a warm glow over the decks of the imposing Osman Gazi, the impressive venue for the sixth annual WA Business News 40under40 awards held last month.
Simmering tensions between Canberra and the states have been further exacerbated by the announcement of grants revenue allocation for the next financial year.
In addition to the 40under40 awards, four special prizes were awarded by the program’s strategic alliance partners – the City of Perth, UWA Business School, Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University.
Another milestone in the construction of Australia’s largest pipeline, the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline, was achieved last week, with the completion of a $430 million expansion and the official launching of a new phase of development.
The growing economies of South-East Asia provide significant opportunities for Australian businesses, and bilateral trade agreements in the region are a necessary step in moving towards a global free trade environment.
Dentistry may still be largely a cottage industry, according to DB Dental owner David Bailey, but the industry is following other health professions in a trend towards corporatisation.
