Mark Beyer

THE state government is evaluating a range of alternative contracting and procurement models in the health and corrective services fields, potentially offering new opportunities to building construction companies.

The outlook for non-residential building construction in WA is weak but the impact on each business will depend on where they sit in the construction cycle.

Recent controversy over a successful technology company highlights the need for a coherent industry policy in WA.

GOLD explorer Doray Minerals had no trouble getting investor support for its recent share purchase plan, with its directors joining other shareholders in backing the capital raising.

GRAIN handler and marketer CBH Group says access to competitive capital will not be a constraint on its growth after deciding to retain its existing cooperative structure.

The federal government’s planned flood levy has attracted vigorous debate, but a larger issue is the setting of spending and infrastructure priorities.

Top corporate lawyer Leigh Warnick will be packing his bags at Blake Dawson this week, followed by an extended break before resuming his practice at Lavan Legal in May.

Canberra’s response to the Queensland flood crisis is a huge political test, and will have a major influence on the national economy.

Good and bad leadership has been displayed on both sides of the country this month.

Every era has buildings that come to define the period.

GOLD explorer Doray Minerals heads a list of 10 Western Australian companies that delivered outstanding returns to investors who backed their capital raisings during the past year.

Patersons Securities has retained top spot in WA Business News’ annual survey of capital raisings, followed by Hartleys, Euroz Securities and Macquarie Capital Advisers.

THE number of new stock market floats in Western Australia rose sharply last year but the growth was impressive only in comparison with the levels that prevailed in 2008 and 2009.

STOCKBROKING is widely perceived to be a lucrative trade, and that is certainly true for the smarter operators, but what is even more interesting is the highly varied performance of major broking firms in Perth.

International engineering firms Granherne and DORIS Engineering have been appointed to manage the pre-FEED (front-end engineering and design) work on the Bonaparte LNG project in the Timor Sea.

WA Business News will be closing today, Thursday 23th December 2010, and will open again on Tuesday 4th January 2011.

Engine technology developer Orbital Corporation will book a $4.3 million profit on the sale of its Balcatta property to a syndicate of investors.

The state government has suspended lead exports through Geraldton Port as a precautionary measure after monitoring showed one incident of lead levels in excess of the port's environmental licence limit.

The state government plans to introduce retrospective legislation to reverse the effect of a High Court ruling that could have saved taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in stamp duty.

Rialto Energy has announced plans to increase its interest in an oil & gas prospect off the coast of west Africa, following completion of a $55 million capital raising.

Struggling engineering group Neptune Marine Services has announced a deeply-discounted $80.6 million capital raising to reduce its debts, after its major bank agreed to a major restructuring of its loan facilities.

There have been dramatic changes to the board of scaffolding and formwork company IFS Construction Services, which has appointed three new directors associated with Singaporean shareholder Millenium Scaffolding Systems.

The problems besetting Burrup Holdings may add to the chances of Wesfarmers CSBP and Incitec Pivot pursuing circa-$500 million ammonium nitrate projects in Western Australia.

ANZ Banking Group placed Burrup Fertilisers into receivership late Friday after it was unable to broker a settlement between the group's estranged shareholders, Pankaj Oswal and Norwegian group Yara International.

WESTERN Australia’s Labor opposition and unionists at the LHMU may not like it, but the trend towards private sector involvement in hospitals is gathering pace around the country, led, ironically, by Labor governments in other states.

After two years in power and a major ministerial reshuffle, it’s time for Colin Barnett’s government to deliver.

Iron ore miner Murchison Metals and explorer Chameleon Mining have once again both claimed a win in their long-running legal dispute.

The state government is putting ideology ahead of practicality in its industrial relations policies.

Global asset manager Brookfield is giving the Multiplex brand a new lease of life, three years after completing its acquisition of the company.

The state government has revived its Technology and Industry Advisory Council with several high profile appointments to provide advice on science and technology policy and funding.

The state government has reaffirmed its commitment to retaining a separate WA industrial relations system after releasing the long-awaited Amendola review.

Competition in the housing loans market is being bolstered by a revival of wholesale funding, with Australian Finance Group re-launching its securitisation business and Police & Nurses Credit Society launching its first-ever issue of mortgage-backed secur