Nedlands-based wood pellet manufacturer Plantation Energy has deferred its initial public offering ahead of construction of its Albany wood pellet facility, opting instead to raise up to $24 million through private equity.
While exploration expenditure in Western Australia reaches new highs, exploration spending from WA junior to mid-cap explorers remains mixed between domestic, interstate and overseas projects.
Mining companies are urging the state government not to squander the current resources boom, as mineral exploration expenditure in WA hits a 20-year high.
While the gold sector in Western Australia has long led the way in exploration spending, iron ore exploration expenditure has jumped significantly in recent years to be to almost level pegging.
Guilford-based Swick Mining Services Ltd has announced a share placement to raise $28 million to expand its underground diamond drilling division, in conjunction with a partial sell-down by the Swick family of $40 million worth of shares.
Western Australia’s nickel exporters, led by BHP Billiton and Minara Resources, had a bumper year in 2006-07 despite lower production, with record nickel prices achieved.
Belmont-based mineral sampling equipment manufacturer, Essa Australia Ltd, has announced a $7 million deal for the sale of its new laboratory automation system to global company, SGS Group.
After more than 25 years in the industry, Chris Anderson, founder and director of Osborne Park-based business Well Connected, is one of a small number of business owners operating in a niche of the office equipment market.
Western Australian agribusiness exporters experienced mixed fortunes this season, with drought conditions putting pressure on the grains sector, while other sectors, such as meat, livestock and forestry experience a growth in revenues.
Vital upgrades to Western Australia’s grain rail freight network face further delays after the federal government rejected a state request for help in funding the $400 million required to keep parts of the network functioning.
The state government has posted another record surplus, eclipsing its previous record figure by almost 2 per cent to reach $2.3 billion for the 2006-07 financial year.
The state government has posted a record $2.3 billion net operating surplus for the 2006-07 financial year, up almost two per cent on the previous year's record, and announced a new housing affordability package for low income earners.
The growing number of Western Australian small to medium enterprises (SMEs) accessing cash to fund growth has led to the state recording the fastest growth in debtor financing in the country, according to the latest quarterly Debtor Finance Index.
Nickel producers are maintaining their bullish outlook on prices, pointing to Chinese demand for stainless steel and a global shortage of nickel production as drivers of continuing robust prices.
Drawing inspiration from successful Western Australian companies such as BGC, Classic Contractors managing director Mark Stewart has worked to adopt a similar corporate model to grow his business into an integrated building, painting and maintenance compa
The regional tourism industry is likely to be the next big winner from the state’s resources-driven economic growth, with the increase in mining-related air travel resulting in over $35m worth of developments at regional airports.
Regular tourist flights between Perth and Busselton could become a reality in as little as 12 months, with two airlines expressing interest in providing the service following the commencement of regular fly-in fly-out services from Busselton airport.
With regional airports feeling the flow-on effects of the state’s growing resources sector, regional airlines are reaping the benefits of a buoyant air travel market, ramping up their services and growing their fleets to cope with the increase in demand.
A recent Federal Court decision in favour of a managed investment scheme investor could lend further support to the agricultural MIS industry as it fights Australian Tax Office attempts to remove up-front tax deductions for investors.
What started out as a shared passion for Lorna Barnett and Cathy Cocks, owners of garden design business Haughty Culture, ended up as a thriving business for the two former banking sector professionals.
Grain handler and marketer CBH Group has signed a ten-year agreement with ethanol producer Primary Energy to supply grain to its $180 million Kwinana biofuel facility.
More than 850 megawatts of additional generation capacity for the South West Interconnected System is expected to come online by October 2008, with 3 major private energy projects currently under construction scheduled for completion within the next year.
Formerly the domain of online journal writers, blogs are increasingly making their way into mainstream business, either as marketing tools to complement traditional business models, or as stand-alone businesses.
The state’s two proposed biofuels projects, both slated for the Kwinana-Rockingham industrial area, are well into their advanced stages, with one due to commence construction later this year.
Proponents of the Bridgetown biomass plant have identified an alternative site for the project after the local community expressed concerns the original location was too close to the town.
While Western Australia is witnessing a boom in mining and resources projects, several major non-mining projects, with a combined value of almost $2 billion, are also in the pipeline.
The equivalent of 10 football fields each day are authorized to be cleared of native vegetation in Western Australia, with clearing for the mining and petroleum industries making up the bulk of approvals.
When Ann Poublon decided to change from being an independent bookseller to a national chain bookstore owner in the early 1990s, she had no idea how great a role she would play in building that franchise brand in Western Australia.
Increased feedstock prices and government policy decisions continue to hamper the emerging biofuels industry in 2007, with all listed Western Australian biofuel companies recording losses last financial year.
