Mark Beyer

The Kerry Stokes-backed BCI Minerals has agreed to co-fund further development of the Iron Valley mine in the Pilbara, as part of a package of deals that will see Mineral Resources buy its Buckland

UPDATED: Woodside Petroleum has dropped plans for a 14-week fly-in, fly-out roster after presenting the option to its staff, opting instead for a less radical change as the oil and gas giant, along with mining companies, seeks to reduce the amount of travel to its remote sites.

An 11th hour agreement has resulted in 29 passengers from the Artania cruise ship who have tested positive for COVID-19 being transferred to Joondalup Health Campus, after earlier proposals to shift them to Hollywood Private Hospital, the Mount Hospital and Bethesda Health Care were criticised.

PODCAST: Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss the market update, Nev Power, Premier's inner circle, leisure sector, retail, mining challenges, Woodside, and our special report on the pandemic impact on WA.

Blue-chip miner Northern Star Resources has predicted the rest of the industry will be forced to follow its lead in making radical and costly changes to their operations to deal with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Woodside Petroleum has cut the number of people working at its Karratha gas plant, with the decision flowing through to hundreds of contractors at companies such as Monadelphous and UGL.

Curtin University has awarded a fire services maintenance contract to ARA Indigenous Services, a business established by former AFL player Michael O’Loughlin.

Fortescue Metals Group said today it expected to meet its annual shipments guidance, as the mining sector started adapting to travel restrictions that will crimp fly-in, fly-out operations.

Department of the Premier and Cabinet director general, Darren Foster, is stepping down immediately, with senior bureaucrats Rebecca Brown and Sharyn O’Neill stepping into the breach.

PODCAST: Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss the market overview in these dramatic times, government and industry policy responses, travel challenges, earning guidances, businesses taking on staff, Acciona and CPB Contractors going head to head, Cottesloe aged care and apartment project, and our special report on the ICT sector.

BHP will start paying invoices from small business suppliers after just seven days and has created a $6 million fund to support labour hire companies affected by COVID-19.

Robotic bricklaying company FBR has slashed its workforce, saving $10 million per year, and postponed the construction of its first display home, which was due to commence in a matter of days.

Engineering and construction contractor Monadelphous no longer expects its revenue to grow by 10 per cent this financial year, saying the economic slowdown and uncertain outlook meant it was unable

National construction company Built has won its second major project in Western Australia this month, after entering an early works agreement with aged care operator Curtin Heritage Living.

Spanish engineering giant ACCIONA is continuing to challenge CPB Contractors’ dominance of the Western Australian infrastructure market, with the two groups heading competing consortia for the Bunbury Outer Ring Road.

PODCAST: Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss market volatility and the coronavirus, stimulus package, Liza Harvey, private equity deals, our special report on Land Developers and Great for the State looks at how we can help those who are missing out on WA's good fortune.

Rio Tinto has been ordered to pay long-deferred incentives worth nearly $7 million to its former chief executive Sam Walsh following a formal dispute resolution process.

Marketing and communications firm WPP AUNZ has promoted Steve Harris to a regional leadership role as the group starts to implement a strategy that includes bringing together its multiple brands into a single location.

Perth-based human services firm APM Group has attracted a new majority shareholder after three years of strong growth that has seen it nearly triple staff numbers to 6,500 across 10 countries.

Mineral sands miner Tronox has decided to proceed with a new mine in NSW, leaving its two prospective West Australian mines near Dongara and Cervantes in the development queue.

The state government plans to halt three major contracts at Fiona Stanley Hospital held by Serco Australia, resulting in 650 jobs moving back to the public sector at a cost of $93 million over 10 years.This adds to similar moves in the water and corrections portfolios.

After going into liquidation in February, Kosmic Sound has been saved by South Australian business Dale Cleves Music Group, shortly after another iconic WA brand Jeanswest was also rescued.

The benchmark iron ore price has jumped to more than $US89 per tonne, continuing its month-long recovery, with the resources sector confirming that shipments to China are continuing as usual.

National superannuation giant First State Super and smaller Perth-based fund WA Super have signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate the benefits of a merger.

The national economy put in a better than expected performance during the back end of 2019 with GDP growing 0.5 per cent in the December quarter, but the news for Western Australia was not so good, with state final demand falling.

The Australian subsidiary of Spanish engineering contractor Duro Felguera has been placed into voluntary administration after becoming mired in multiple legal disputes related to construction of the Roy Hill iron ore project.

PODCAST: Mark Beyer and Dan Wilkie discuss the stockmarket rout, Ben Wyatt, housing construction recovery, Paul Blackburne, infrastructure priorities, the Biome project, and our special report on Oil and Gas Projects.

Western Australia's largest timber plantation owner, investment group New Forests, has expanded its holdings by purchasing 12,000 hectares of bluegums from Bunbury Fibre Plantations, a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsui & Co.

HBF is utilising the popularity of quokkas as a symbol of Western Australia and its status as a not-for-profit business as it takes on the big health funds on the east coast.

The Supreme Court has disclosed that company director Russell Moran could have settled his dispute with broking firm Argonaut by paying $2 million; instead he went to trial and has now been ordered to pay in excess of $37 million.

National advisory body Infrastructure Australia has added regional roads upgrades in WA and Perth’s water security to its listing of high priority initiatives that need more attention, and notably has kept the proposed Morley Ellenbrook rail link near the bottom of its priority list.

Perth-based contractor Decmil has disclosed that its $185 million contract with New Zealand’s prisons department has ended early, with the client halting payments and seeking to apply liquidated damages.