Mark Beyer

Perth-based financial advisory group Western Pacific Financial Group has merged with listed Sydney company Snowball Group in a $50 million deal.

Investors in listed Western Australian companies are usually focused on the potential for capital gains, but in a minority of cases there is potential to earn a tidy income from dividends.

The Jidi Jidi Aboriginal Corporation, which represents the first traditional owners in Western Australia to have native title recognised by the Federal Court, has become mired in a dispute with the state government and explorers over the terms of its agre

It took five years and several million dollars, but Mindarie Regional Council has broken new ground in Western Australia by being the first local authority to negotiate a fully-fledged public private partnership contract.

The revolving door outside the boardroom of budding aquaculture producer Marine Produce Australia, which has been spinning fast for the past year, hit top speed this month.

Futuris subsidiary Integrated Tree Cropping has outlined plans to regain market share in the managed investments sector after a poor sales performance last financial year.

Home Building Society has flagged the possibility of legal action against merger target Police & Nurses Credit Society over changes to the latter’s constitution.

Early last year BGC boss Len Buckeridge reportedly said, in a moment of frustration, that he would sell up and move overseas because of frustration over environmental and planning hurdles standing in the way of three major projects.

Perth was the first stopping point in Australia when the director of IBM’s newly established Australian development laboratory toured his operations.

Sydney investment fund Hawkesbridge Private Equity has gained control of loss-making pharmaceutical wholesaler Advance Healthcare Group in extraordinary circumstances.

Recently appointed chief executive of GRD, Cliff Lawrenson, has flagged some major moves ahead for the engineering and development group, including new acquisitions and a possible float of its Global Renewables business on London’s AIM market.

Western Australia’s prominence in mining and energy research was boosted last week with the opening of BHP Billiton’s global technology centre in Bentley.

CEO Don Voelte has made big changes to the executive team structure at WA's biggest company, increasing the number of direct reports after some operational setbacks.

A group of young executives with a background in engineering and finance has teamed up to buy businesses in Western Australia, starting with established Wangara firm, Electro Acoustic Co.

Law firms Minter Ellison and Clayton Utz are experiencing big changes at the partner level, with planning experts Neil Douglas and Andrew Roberts leaving Minter and corporate lawyer Will Moncrieff leaving Clayton Utz.

In February this year, the Department of Industry and Resources released a discussion paper that canvassed options for reserving some of Western Australia’s gas reserves for the state’s domestic market.

A mini boom in New Zealand’s small oil and gas industry has been remarkably fruitful for engineering and construction companies in Western Australia, with Clough being the third local company to sign a major contract across the Tasman.

BankWest parent HBOS Australia has announced a solid increase in pre-tax profit to $316 million for the half-year to June 2006.

Western Australia's major energy suppliers including Alinta and Synergy have effectively come out in support of the state goverment proposal to reserve a portion of the State's gas reserves for domestic use.

The Court and Gallop governments offered nearly $10 million in financial assistance to four call centre operators in Western Australia with a success rate of just 50 per cent.

Australia’s largest towel manufacturer, Canning Vale Weaving Mills, plans to close its manufacturing operations in Perth and lay-off 140 staff, despite having received $20 million in state and federal government assistance over the past eight years.

A widening split between industry and environmental and community groups has dashed state government hopes of a consensus position on the treatment of hazardous and industrial waste.

Fremantle Ports and private company James Point Pty Ltd are likely to proceed with competing port projects at Kwinana after the state government revealed its preferred option for the outer harbour.

When communications company Motorola selected Perth as the site for a major software engineering centre, it was hailed as a breakthrough that would support the development of new industry in Western Australia.

A small number of big companies, including Motorola, Westpac and defence contractor Raytheon, have received multi-million dollar incentives from the state government to establish or expand their Western Australian operations.

The state government has combined the launch of its state migration centre, which brings all related services under one roof, with a warning about abuses of temporary migration visas.

Deputy premier Eric Ripper is planning to lead an international infrastructure mission to Europe to try and attract international construction firms to Western Australia.

Mid-tier accounting firm PKF has snared its second prominent recruit this year with the appointment of Russell Maynard as indirect tax executive.

National defence contractor ASC Pty Ltd has confirmed that it will proceed with a $23 million maintenance facility at the Australian Marine Complex at Henderson to support its work on the Navy’s Collins Class submarines.

The long-running battle to develop a new port at Kwinana has taken a new twist, with private developer James Point Pty Ltd rejecting a compromise proposal put forward by the state government and calling on the Fremantle Port Authority to rethink its plans

Printing franchise Worldwide Online Printing is aiming to double the size of the business over the next five years after a period of consolidation and a change of ownership.

Global mining giant Newmont Mining Corporation is planning to shift its Australian headquarters to Western Australia, adding to Perth’s prominence as a regional resources sector hub.