Mark Beyer

SPECIAL REPORT: There has been a flurry of high-profile moves by senior lawyers in Perth as the sector readies for a pick-up from several quiet years.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss market volatility, Cooper & Oxley, Bunnings, infrastructure WA, Ron Sayers, Kelvin Ryan, and musical chairs in Perth's law firms.

Cooper & Oxley Builders has today gone into voluntary administration, but only after taking legal action to try and retrieve a $5 million investment in the Kings Square project in Fremantle.

Singapore-based developer Dradgin Pte disclosed today it had offered financial assistance to Cooper & Oxley Builders, which has suspended work on all its construction sites this week.

Cooper & Oxley Builders, which is one of the 10 largest construction companies in Perth, has suspended work on its projects while it reviews its financial viability.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss house prices – up or down? CBD office vacancies, residential building volatility, AWE bidding war, Quintis update, mining robots, Adventure World and ports and transport.

The state government has selected investment bank Investec as its commercial adviser on land registry agency Landgate, adding to speculation it is a likely privatisation target.

Three building companies with strong indigenous links have been appointed to a panel that will handle at least $25 million of state government housing work in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions.

Robotic technology and the internet of things will dramatically change employment patterns, accident rates and digging costs in the mining industry over the next three years, business advisory firm BDO has boldly predicted.

Western Australian builder Choiceliving (WA), which trades as Choice Living Homes, has been placed into administration less than one week after its building contractor registration was suspended.

A critical ruling by the corporate regulator has forced Quintis investors to adjourn a meeting that was called to appoint a new responsible entity for their 2002 sandalwood project.

Quintis investors hoping to appoint a new ‘responsible entity' to have oversight of their sandalwood project will need to change plans after the corporate regulator said their two preferred entities were not eligible to take the role.

Shares in AWE jumped 16.5 per cent today after Japanese group Mitsui & Co became the third bidder for the oil and gas producer, which is the operator and half owner of the Waitsia gas field north of Perth.

Japanese group Mitsui & Co. has announced a surprise $600 million takeover bid for AWE, trumping two existing bids for the oil and gas producer, with the main attraction being AWE's Waitsia gas project north of Perth.

The Quintis insolvency could play out very differently from other failed agribusiness investment schemes.

One year into his new job, Cash Converters chief executive Mark Reid is on a culture change journey.

Three partners of McGrathNicol have formally taken control of sandalwood producer Quintis and its Australian subsidiaries after being appointed as receivers and managers today.

Fremantle-based Primary Securities and Sydney-based Huntley Group are positioning themselves to take over as the responsible entity for Quintis forestry schemes, as investors continue to question the motives of the company's board and its major noteholder.

The directors of Quintis have shed light on two restructuring proposals they had been trying to finalise, after announcing on Sunday they had placed the sandalwood producer in administration because of its inability to make a $37 million payment due in two weeks.

Quintis faces more financial pressure after an investor exercised a put option to sell $37 million of plantations to the troubled sandalwood producer.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss the Australian dollar and commodities, blockchain technology, contract wins and deals, Imdex's expansion, and franchising.

Mining equipment supplier Imdex expects it will be able to deliver substantial productivity benefits to its clients after striking an option agreement over New Zealand company Flexidrill.

Blackham Resources has signed up Hartleys as lead manager for a $36 million capital raising that will be priced at just 4 cents per share, while mining contractor MACA has agreed to lend $14 millio

SPECIAL REPORT: There have been some big moves among corporate finance dealmakers in Perth, who worked on more than 850 transactions worth nearly $25 billion in 2017.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss the funeral business, St John of God Healthcare, cultural developments, big moves in corporate finance sector and Business News celebrates 25 years.

BDO has backed its confidence in WA's commercial outlook by purchasing boutique mergers and acquisitions firm Tomkins Turner Corporate Advisory

St John of God Health Care's long-serving chief executive Michael Stanford has resigned to pursue a non-executive career, starting with the board of ASX-listed competitor Healthscope.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss MRA and LandCorp merger, a local bitcoin venture, WA property values, cannabis, plus food trucks, fresh food boxes and fine dining.

Mining veteran Milan Jerkovic is taking the reins at embattled gold producer Blackham Resources, which has negotiated a standstill agreement on a $14 million debt repayment due this week and plans to ask shareholders to contribute $36 million of new capital.

Phoenix Energy has announced major changes to its planned waste to energy project at Kwinana, with Macquarie Capital becoming lead sponsor and two European groups negotiating to take on construction and operations.

The state government has revised its budget deficit for the current financial year to a record $2.6 billion but insists the budget outlook has improved while also confirming it has added Landgate to its list of potential asset sales.

Indonesian businessman Eddy Sariaatmadja has donated specialist medical equipment that is expected to form the cornerstone of an emerging clinical innovation, skills and training hub being planned by Perth business executive Michael Henderson.