Mark Beyer

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.

The cost of employing critical tradespeople and professionals in the mining sector could jump by as much as 12 per cent over the next two years.

The government of East Timor has struck a deal to buy a 30 per cent stake in the Woodside Petroleum-operated Sunrise gas project, as it continues pressing for development of an LNG plant on its own territory.

Perth company Stealth Global Holdings will start trading on the ASX tomorrow after completing a $12.5 million IPO and paying $9 million for local firm Heatleys Safety and Industrial.

Carnegie Clean Energy's long-serving managing director Michael Ottaviano has resigned, with the company also announcing major updates on three projects and plans to renegotiate its asset sale deal with Tag Pacific.

PODCAST: Mark Beyer and Matt Mckenzie discuss the possible revival of the Oakajee port project, WA's strong jobs market, four vanadium projects, gold miner Eastern Goldfields saved from the brink, University rankings, the outlook for residential housing, and how apartment builders are outperforming house builders.

HBF has flagged the possible sale and lease-back of its head office building in central Perth after reporting a lift in its financial performance and a major shift in its east coast growth strategy.

Job vacancies in Western Australia have reached their highest level in more than five years, while the state's mining industry has hit a record level of employment.

The WA market is continuing to attract new providers of alternative legal services.

Singaporean group Chip Eng Seng Corporation has struck a deal to sell the White Sands Tavern development site near Scarborough beach for $24.5 million.

Contractors Macmahon Holdings and AK Evans Earthmoving have found different ways to bolster mental health programs.

Private investment group Sirona Capital has been split in two, with founding director Kelvin Flynn establishing a new business named Harvis with a focus on real estate, agriculture and infrastructure financing.

Two recent initiatives have created new funding options for startups and proprietary companies in WA.

Perth tech company iCetana, which has raised $11 million over the past 18 months to support its global expansion, has terminated the employment of its chief executive after identifying an alleged fraud.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss government contractor failures, house prices, population growth, LNG revival, Austal, performance share winners, and our special report on tourism.

Global investment bank UBS is rebuilding its Perth office after a short hiatus, luring Tim Andrew from his Cottesloe boutique practice.

The Property Council of Australia has welcomed proposed laws governing apartment projects in entertainment precincts, but has expressed caution about where the policy applies and its impact on planning approvals.

Western Australia's population increased by just 0.8 per cent in the year to March, continuing its recent trend of soft growth, while nationally population growth slumped to a two-year low, new data out today shows.

The Takeovers Panel has made a finding of unacceptable circumstances against ASX-listed Tribune Resources, which is led by managing director Anthony Billis.

Maddington-based civil contractor All Earth Group, which held contracts on two state government projects, has gone into voluntary administration.

Aspiring miner Poseidon Nickel has completed a $69 million entitlement offer without having to call on support from its sub-underwriter, Andrew Forrest's Squadron Resources.

Singapore company Sincap Group has announced a settlement of its long-running commercial dispute with three directors of Perth property developer Devwest Group.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss Startups, Metronet, Perth Airport, Volt Power, Kreepy Krauly, and BN's special report on gold miners