Mark Beyer

The founding shareholders of Eneabba Gas Ltd have taken the extraordinary step of canceling 35 million shares and 26.25 million options collectively worth $12.5 million.

The state budget is projecting continued rapid growth in mining royalties and property revenue in 2006-07.

Former Wesfarmers executive Bob Denby and Empired co-founder Justin Miller have teamed up to commercialise a Western Australian invention that tackles the world’s most common occupational illness – hearing loss.

Japan would remain Australia’s major trading partner for another decade despite the rapid growth achieved by China, Australia’s ambassador to Japan has predicted.

The high and open-ended cost of legal services is a perennial issue for companies and individuals alike.

Newly-formed technology company Sensear Pty Ltd is the fourth spin-out to emerge from the Western Australian Telecommunications Research Institute, based in Nedlands.

The Commissioner of State Revenue has suffered two defeats in the State Administrative Tribunal this year, with taxpayers successfully challenging payroll tax and stamp duty assessments.

Australia’s longest civil trial is scheduled to sit for a further four months after reaching an unprecedented 400 sitting days in early May.

The effectiveness of the State Administrative Tribunal as a cost-effective judicial forum could be eroded if government agencies appealed all adverse decisions to the Supreme Court, lawyers have told WA Business News.

Engineering company Tenix Group is standing by its belief that a canal from the Kimberley is a viable water supply option for Perth, despite an independent review panel finding this was an expensive and risky concept.

The rapid expansion of Western Australia’s iron ore industry and the emergence of several aspiring producers have prompted the negotiation of an increasing number of joint venture agreements.

When Western Power formally split into four separate businesses on April 1, it marked the end of a long-established reform plan by the state government.

Big corporate collapses such as Sons of Gwalia, EG Green Group, Henry Walker Eltin and most recently Westpoint Corporation have provided plenty of work for insolvency lawyers, but a much smaller deal has been hailed as the best restructuring of 2005.

The establishment of new firms, some prominent partner moves and a plentiful flow of new work have characterised the past year in Perth's legal fraternity.

A booming economy, militant construction unions and the biggest regulatory change in a century have combined to make workplace relations one of the busiest practice areas for Perth’s law firms.

Law firms Clayton Utz and Blakiston & Crabb have been at the forefront of one of the major trends in the mining industry in the past two years: the move to Canada by miners looking to raise large amounts of money.

Most people know of Pacman as an early computer game, but for takeover lawyers the term has been applied to the unusual circumstances surrounding the battle between Alinta and The Australian Gas Light Company.

The state government has endorsed the findings of an independent review panel which found that transporting water from the Kimberley to Perth would be too costly and fraught with technical and environmental problems.

Last week marked the end of an era in Western Australian education when Curtin University of Technology vice-chancellor Lance Twomey retired after nine years in the position and 37 years at the university.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan has defended management of the New MetroRail project despite announcing another cost increase and delays in completion.

Investors looking for Fleetwood Corporation to make a quick return to its halcyon days as a booming stock should not hold their breath, though people looking for dividend income and a solid growth outlook should be happier.

A new producer in Western Australia’s caravan industry, Henderson-based Trailcraft, is making rapid inroads into the sector, which has traditionally been dominated by Fleetwood subsidiary, Coromal Caravans.

Production of caravans, camper trailers and transportable homes has grown rapidly over the past decade, creating plenty of opportunities for industry players such as Fleetwood but also posing some big challenges.

The success of Perth company National Lifestyle Villages has played a notable part in the growth of Fleetwood Corporation’s manufactured accommodation business.

With Western Australia’s resources boom exceeding all expectations, the three big manufacturers of portable accommodation are enjoying unprecedented demand.

Curtin University’s council has given final approval for the development of a Resources and Chemistry Research and Education Precinct, which is expected to attract $200 million of capital spending over the next five years.

Pharmaceutical company Advance Healthcare Group is hoping a $10 million funding deal with Sydney firm Hawkesbridge Private Equity marks the start of its revival after a difficult three years.

Optus parent company Singapore Telecom (SingTel) is one of two private sector groups currently developing plans for a $140 million sub-sea communications cable linking Perth with Asia.

The state tax review is considering two radical reform proposals that would dramatically widen the state government’s tax base but would allow it to substantially cut tax rates.

After nearly 18 months of formative work, a group of local business people has launched a committee that is designed to foster the cultural, creative and economic development of Perth.

An economic review commissioned by the state government has endorsed planned liquor licensing reforms and made a scathing assessment of an earlier critique by the Australian Hotels Association.

Wesfarmers is boosting its executive team in readiness for an expansion of its energy business, including a possible move into electricity retailing and generation.