Mark Mentiplay

Perth satellite communications specialist Fastwave Communications has developed a revolutionary global solution for the near real-time control, monitoring and tracking of remote fixed or mobile assets on land or under the sea, anywhere on the planet.

At a time when successful companies are moving to lock in their successful key personnel, there is a building chorus of dissatisfaction being directed squarely at Australia's institutional investors over their increasing interference in management process

With zinc prices at record highs and expected to remain so as unfulfilled demand increases, Jabiru Metals' Jaguar base metals project in Western Australia appears set for a bright future.

If a financial journalist needed some inside advice on the longevity of the rampaging Chinese economy, who better to ask than one of the world's top ballet dancers and best selling author.

The Securities Institute of Australia and the Australasian Institute of Banking and Finance have merged to create one of the biggest financial services organisations in Australasia.

With international demand for iron ore increasing and prices predicted to rise substantially again next year, Western Australia's slew of new and emerging producers has been further buoyed by the recent multi billion dollar expansion in the Pilbara.

Western Australia's biggest flag and banner manufacturer, Pennant House has bought a near $250,000 full-colour, direct-to-textile digital printer, the first of its kind in Australia.

With the hands-on financial and technical backing of the second largest nickel producer in the world, Heron Resources could have its world-class $1.4 billion Kalgoorlie nickel project in production in 2013.

This year is shaping up as another bumper period of record earnings, profits and dividends for the big international mining companies.

High oil prices around current levels are with us for at least the next two to three years.

The copper price has more than doubled in two years and is showing no signs of weakening.

Relatively few Western Australian copper producers are positioned to cash in on a rampant copper price, which continues to head north into unchartered territory above $US4,000 a tonne ($A5,470t).

After falling victim to the doomsayers, having its share price halved and slipping off the radar for a few months, Andrew Forrest's Fortescue Metals Group and its ambitious $2.3 billion Pilbara iron ore project appear to be back on track.

Grange Resources' search for an equity partner in the development of its billion dollar-plus Southdown magnetite and iron pellet project has received a boost with a resource increase to more than 400 million tonnes.

International oil and gas engineering/construction heavyweights Technip and Subsea 7 have formed a Perth-based joint venture to battle for lucrative subsea contracts in the Asia Pacific region.

Perth-based Cool Energy is considering a public capital raising if upcoming field tests on its new technology to extract prohibitive greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from gas streams are successful.

Gold ore from external and internal sources is expected to bring prospector Mark Creasy's Bronzewing discovery back in production in the first half of next year.

Recently listed oil and condensate producer Aurora Oil & Gas is buying into one of the biggest undrilled onshore gas structures in the US.

The resources sector has emerged as one of the most accepting of online publications and information services

West Australian Newspapers is embarking on a $189 million, two-year expansion plan that includes a $31 million redundancy provision to cover 220 full-time production staff at the company's Herdsman headquarters.

The battle for territory in Perth's independent newspaper market is getting fiercer as new players look to secure a slice of the action, as Mark Mentiplay reports.

The clamour for the scrapping of Australia's three uranium mines policy introduced by federal Labor in 1984 is growing louder, and it's coming from within federal and state Labor ranks.

The $173.5 million acquisition of a 50 per cent stake in Hoyts Cinemas, a step outside West Australian News-papers' traditional comfort zone and the development of its online services, is costing the company.

While television is still the first medium of choice for major advertisers, Perth agencies and their clients are looking at new alternatives to break through the growing advertising clutter and reach an increasingly fragmented audience.

A Distinguished economist has painted a rosy picture of economic growth opportunities for Western Australia, but warns that capitalising on the predicted boom in the Indian economy will be entirely different from the Chinese experience.

Another potentially major iron ore player has joined Western Australia's burgeoning Mid-West resources sector.

MT Gibson Iron has big expectations for its future as it looks to grow from a small Mid West region iron ore producer to one with annual sales worth more than $1 billion.

The State Government has given the clearest indication yet that it will back the construction of a new deepwater port at Oakajee, 22 kilometres north of Geraldton.

The $17 million Abrolhos Islands eco resort has confirmed Geraldton-based Humfrey Land Developments' status as the biggest developer north of Perth.

AN increase in iron ore prices of 71.5 per cent this year has added a massive incentive to second-tier iron ore producers/explorers in Western Australia, particularly those in the Mid-West.

Western Australia is losing its share of global investment in mineral exploration, according to Association of Mining & Exploration Companies CEO Justin Walawski.

New Perth company Digital Mapping Australia Pty Ltd, the first Australian company to offer full digital aerial mapping, has established its head office in East Perth and signed up its first project, all in the same week.