Mark Beyer

The production ramp-up at iron ore miner Roy Hill Holdings has helped the company lift annual profit by 69 per cent, in turn boosting the annual earnings of its major shareholder, Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting.

Construction and engineering contractor Georgiou Group has lifted its annual profit and turnover and tipped a positive outlook, helped by recent contract wins at Perth Airport, in the Pilbara and on the east coast.

The money-making power of Gina Rinehart’s mining business has been abundantly demonstrated in the group’s latest financial results, with her private company Hancock Prospecting lifting annual net profit 28 per cent to $1.37 billion.

Perth land developers LWP Property Group and PRM Property Group have announced a merger, with the combined group to have four equal shareholders.

A Supreme Court ruling has shed light on the multi-million dollar legal bills incurred by Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting and Wright Prospecting in their long-running battle over ownership of the Rhodes Ridge iron ore deposit in the Pilbara.

Navitas founder Rod Jones and his fellow board members have failed to reach agreement on insider protocols designed to manage conflicts of interest affecting the takeover target.

PODCAST: In this podcast Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss market volatility, young rich, gaming fortunes, property taxes, fraud cases, Cisco and our special report on commercial property.

Perth-based online gaming company VGW Holdings, founded by ‘young rich lister’ Laurence Escalante, has achieved spectacular revenue growth over the past year and reported its maiden net profit.

Premier Mark McGowan and StudyPerth chair Rod Jones this morning launched a new strategy to attract international students to Western Australia, with Mr Jones throwing out a challenge to the sector to turn the strategy into action.

Advertising agency Marketforce has recruited Jon Amery and Dixie Marshall and partnered with Debra Neve to support the launch of new services.

The environmental watchdog has recommended approval of a second waste-to-energy plant in southern Perth, just days after a Macquarie Capital consortium announced it would start construction this month on a similar facility.

Former Marketforce executives John Driscoll and Angela Nutton have jointly established a new media buying and consulting group, adding to changes in Perth’s advertising market.

PODCAST: In this podcast Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss waste-to-energy development, Port Hedland property, Airbnb regulations, unemployment, tech listings, and our special report on WA's biggest exporters.

Cheryl Edwardes and Rick Crabb know better than most what it takes to steer a troubled business through a ‘near-death’ experience.

Just hours after the developers of a $670 million waste-to-energy project announced they planned to start construction after obtaining all necessary approvals, the state government disclosed it has asked the Environmental Protection Authority to conduct further investigations.

Construction of Australia’s first large-scale waste-to-energy facility will start this month in Kwinana after investment groups Macquarie Capital and DIF bought the Phoenix Energy project. Once completed at a cost of $668 million, the Kwinana facility will transform waste treatment in Perth.

The state government has backed an inquiry into short-stay accommodation providers, just days after the Australian Hotels Association called for a tightening of regulation of the sector.

SPECIAL REPORT: Four state government contracts have delivered extra work for six information and communications technology contractors in Perth.

BGC Contracting and Laing O’Rourke have terminated their contract with Omega Construction on the Northlink road project after the sub-contractor disclosed it had major financial problems.

PODCAST: In this podcast Mark Pownall and Mark Beyer discuss investment market volatility, property prices, BGC, Navitas heads three major deals in the offing, restaurant awards, Beaumonde Catering, Julie Bishop, and our special report on ICT infrastructure

Bunbury-based CipherTel has won the latest round of state government grants to deliver high-speed broadband to areas not adequately covered by the National Broadband Network.

Specialist civil engineering company Bocol Constructions has been awarded a state government contract to build two 100-metre-high skywalks in Kalbarri national park.

Shares in Perth-based education services provider Navitas closed 21.8 per cent higher today after the company received an indicative takeover proposal from consortium that includes founder and director Rod Jones.

Navitas co-founder and former managing director Rod Jones has backed an indicative takeover bid for the education services company led by Australian private equity giant BGH Capital.

Woodside Petroleum has picked Texas-based Bechtel as the most likely contractor to build a new LNG train at its Pluto facility near Karratha, but has hit a hurdle in approvals for an associated fly-in fly-out camp.

The McGowan government will introduce its levy on foreign buyers of residential property after the WA Greens and One Nation parties supported the plan.

BCI Minerals has confirmed it is in discussions with multiple parties over the sale of its Pilbara iron ore assets, including three current producers and one aspiring port developer.

Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting plans to focus on how to integrate Atlas Iron’s operations into its existing business after acquiring more than a 90 per cent shareholding in the struggling iron ore miner.

Plans announced last month by a private Chinese group to revive the multi-billion dollar Oakajee port project add a new twist to a 45-year saga.

SPECIAL REPORT: WA companies participated in 175 corporate finance transactions worth $7.6 billion in the September quarter, with one of the most complex and innovative being the recapitalisation of Eastern Goldfields.

Lawyer Michael Hollingdale’s career has taken a new turn after being asked to help wealthy families with their estate planning.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss ScoMo’s visit, Rio Tinto invests, mining contractor wins, BN30’s all time high, Scarce Skills and labour costs, shopping centre acquisitions, Chevron HQ, building approvals and our special this week on corporate finance deals.