Mark Beyer

Christian Porter, Matthias Cormann and Michaelia Cash were among the winners from a reshuffle of the federal government ministry announced today by prime minister Malcom Turnbull.

Catholic Education Western Australia has modified its delivery strategy for the ambitious ICT project it has created in collaboration with Microsoft, with local firm Empired wining work under a new fixed-price contracting model.

SPECIAL REPORT: Chris Ellison's astute commercial achievements placed him at the top of our short list of nine people contending to be person of the year.

The number of workers on big projects in Western Australia is likely to stabilise at just one quarter of the peak level recorded during the mining construction boom, and that's only if planned projects get approved, a new study has found.

One-time WA iron ore miner Moly Mines, which was delisted from the ASX early this year with nearly 4,000 shareholders and $63 million in the bank, has struck a deal to buy copper stock Queensland Mining Corporation.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss Scarborough high rise, Colin Barnett, construction jobs, Tox Free, AWE takeover and our person of the year.

Mineral Resources has disclosed that its planned lithium processing projects in the Pilbara will cost in excess of $600 million to build, with managing director Chris Ellison also revealing ambitions for more downstream processing projects.

Property developer Nicheliving Holdings has substantially revised its plans for a stock market float after striking a deal to give 20 per cent of the company to a Singaporean investor who recently launched a $21.4 million legal claim.

SPECIAL REPORT: The new boss at the state's biggest private sector employer wants to get more women into senior management.

PODCAST: Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss WA's economic growth, land development softens, Scarborough development knocked back, architecture firm collapse, Mark Povey fined, EPA approves Southbank, gas project bid, company directors cash in and WA's biggest employers

The joint owners of the Tropicana gold mine have approved spending of $48 million to underpin a new mining strategy that will see waste material from new pits tipped back into the original open pit mine, delivering increased production and a longer mine life.

Dutch company KOTUG and local subcontractor Westug have been selected to provide towage services for Fortescue Metals Group at Port Hedland, 18 months after the iron ore miner won a tender that broke BHP Billiton's monopoly at the port.

Major Perth architecture practice JCY has been placed into liquidation after being hit by the slowdown in work volumes, pricing pressures and losses on the Perth Children's Hospital.

Elizabeth Gaines' selection last week as the incoming chief executive of Fortescue Metals Group has shot her to the top of a very short list of genuinely powerful women in business in Western Australia. Click through to read more and see our listing of 12 leading WA women in business.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss FMG's new leadership, the iron ore market, Craig Mostyn's acquisition, WA's boom/bust economy, Fiona Wood, Rod Jones and the state's wealth creators.

The fate of once-thriving Perth business Habitat 1 provides salutary lessons for investors and company directors, especially those who have signed non-compete agreements.

Two years into his job as Sadleirs Logistics chief executive, Ian Kent is preparing the family owned business for increased national growth after overseeing major changes to its local operations.

Perth watch brand Haigh & Hastings has been revived nearly a year after the business was placed in administration, with founder Matt Sears gaining backing from two investors who share his passion.

A new report has challenged the accepted wisdom that Western Australia has a boom-bust economy that rises and falls on the back of the resources sector.

Edith Cowan University is the first beneficiary of the state government's much-touted innovation strategy, with $800,000 earmarked for a cyber security hub at Joondalup.

Brisbane-based Firstmac Holdings said today it would not extend its cash takeover offer for Goldfields Money, which has recommended shareholders support an alternative scrip-based merger with mortgage aggregator Finsure.

Chinese group CITIC is evaluating its options after the Supreme Court ruled on Friday that it owed Clive Palmer nearly $US150 million in royalties on its Sino Iron project in the Pilbara.

In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer and Mark Pownall discuss shipbuilding, Landcorp/MRA merger, Margaret River Gourmet Escape, AHG, Sirona Capital and WA dynasties.

Westpac Bank has absorbed the Western Australian business banking operations of its wholly-owned subsidiary St George Bank, adding to a string of changes in the sector.

Perth companies Austal and Civmec are looking forward to working on the construction of 10 navy vessels at Henderson but the amount and type of work they will undertake is unclear after the federal government selected Germany's Luerssen as its preferred designer and builder.

Engineering and construction contractor Monadelphous Group has painted a positive outlook after tough trading conditions in recent years, with the company tipping strong revenue growth in the current financial year.

Treasurer Ben Wyatt has announced details of a new gold royalty increase that is budgeted to raise $332 million over four years while seeking to address the industry concerns that killed off his previous proposal, but the new plan has failed to win support.

ATM operator Stargroup has been placed in the hands of insolvency firm KordaMentha after the loss-making company was unable to complete a restructure of its $9.1 million debt.

SPECIAL REPORT FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: The annual Business News remuneration survey has data and in-depth analysis on hundreds of WA company directors and executives. We identify the top earners, including the people who qualified for large bonuses and equity incentives, in some cases year after year. The survey also reveals a big jump in the number of WA people who earned incomes of $1 million or more last financial year.

Sodexo's acquisition of Morris Corporation has pushed it up the ranking of big facilities management companies in Western Australia at a time when its competitors have been battling with the slowdown in large projects in the Pilbara.

A new capital markets platform that has backers from accounting firm BDO, law firm Steinepreis Paganin, and property group CrowdfundUP plans to target both traditional capital raising deals and the new field of equity crowdfunding.

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