Noel Dyson

SMALL business owners have the ability to reduce the impact of interest rate costs on their cash flow.Interest rates have already risen five times since November and seem likely to rise at least another 0.25 per cent soon.Obviously, the best approach

A $1.5 million pulse processing plant, just opened in Fremantle, could raise the value of some of WA’s pulse exports up to 300 per cent.Pulses include field and chick peas and are becoming widely used in crop rotations because they help condition the so

THE short-term supply of gas to Japan from the North West Shelf has been jeopardised by production problems with LNG Train 1.

AN EXTENSION of the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline (DBNGP) as far east as Esperance could be a reality within three years.

AUSTAL Ships stole the show at the WA Industry and Export Awards, winning the Premier’s Award for Excellence, the Large Manufacturers Export Award and the WA Design Award.An Austal Ships spokesperson said the company won the WA Design Award for its “gr

A NEW telephone plan has been released aimed at the small business market. For $29.87 a month, customers receive:*l 19.8¢ untimed local calls and 16.5¢ neighbourhood calls;* $2.20 capped fixed to mobile calls 7pm to midnight, seven days a week;

KLEENHEAT Gas is offering a propane diesel substitute.The system reduces black smoke and total greenhouse gas emiss-ions and engine oper-ating costs and boosts efficiency.

AFTER a meteoric 10-year political career culminating with two years as WA Premier, Peter Dowding is enjoying life as a private citizen.

ELECTRICITY market deregulation is crucial to make WA’s businesses more competitive, says Chamber of Commerce and Industry industry development officer John Rampton.Mr Rampton said WA had high electricity costs compared to other states.

QANTAS Club agent Stephanie Davidson and Westrail train driver Don Josemans have tied for the Wendy Middleton Customer Service Award.

WHILE nobody is sure exactly what the privatised AlintaGas will do, cornerstone investor the Utilicorp United-United Energy consortium is sure to act quickly to grow the utility’s market.

Weekly commentaryEconomy: The only data released last week was the Retail sales figures, which rose 5.4% for 12months to August. The RBA followed the lead of the U.S Federal Reserve, & left official interest rates unchanged.

INTEREST rates may rise another 0.25 per cent before coming down.The Reserve Bank of Australia’s governors decided to keep the official interest rate at 6.25 per cent at their meeting on Tuesday.

THE Department of Minerals and Energy has appointed Simon Thompson as director of its Mining Operations Division.Mr Thompson will be responsible for administrating the Acts and Regulations for the State’s mining industry, including health, safety and en

SUBIACO City Council is working on a proposal to establish two shuttle bus services – one to the University of WA and one to West Perth.

WESTERN Power has told coal miners to reduce prices or face a heavily reduced demand for coal.The utility is WA’s biggest user of coal, burning about five million tonnes a year for power generation at Muja, Collie and Kwinana power stations.

WESTERN Power has been accused of standing in the way of electricity retailing deregulation by WA Cons-olidated Power CEO John Cochrane.

ELECTRICITY costs in WA are likely to rise due to the Federal Government’s push to make power generation “greener”.

* A TEAM of Curtin Business School students – including a brother and sister – has won the WA undergraduate division of the Andersen Consulting Intervaristy Management Competition. The students will now attend the national finals of the competition at the

Do I need to fill out both the BAS and IAS forms?No. If you are registered for the GST, you will need to complete a BAS.

PRIMARY Industry and Fisheries Minister Monty House has re-appointed two of his most senior staff.Graeme Robertson was re-appointed chief executive of Agriculture WA for a five-year term while Peter Rogers has been appointed CEO of Fisheries WA extended

THE Town of Vincent and the Water Corporation have joined forces to resolve recurring drainage problems.If successful, the Water Corporation will adopt similar partnerships with other local governments.

SINCE the 1970s – some would say the late 60s – the US dollar has risen above gold as a fiduciary standard to become the currency others are measured by.The Greenback was even recently adopted as the currency for a struggling South American nation.

UNIONS will be back directing WA’s industrial relations policy if Labor is elected.WA Labor leader Geoff Gallop said individual contracts would remain under a Labor Government but would be underpinned by Federal Awards.

Business expectations fallThe CCI/BankWest Survey of Business Expectations for the coming year in Western Australia fell by 42.7 per cent in the year to September 2000. Between June and September, the balance of sentiment decreased by 13.8 per cent.

THERE should be more to WA’s rail freight business than grain and minerals, says World Rail president Ed Burkhardt.Mr Burkhardt is advising the Black Swan Rail consortium that is one of four tenderers for Westrail’s $250 million a year freight business.

* THE Keep Australia Beautiful Council has announced the 12 Perth Action Awards winners.Amcor Paper Mill and Recycling took Perth’s Best Large Business and Industry award while Matilda Bay Brewing won Perth’s Best Small Business and Industry award.

BANKWEST has recorded a $68.8 million after tax profit for the six months to August 31.The profit was down from the $69.4 million profit for the corresponding period, but that included an abnormal of $5.4 million from the creation of PlanB.

AlintaGas closes earlyTHE AlintaGas public offer will close nine days ahead of schedule. Energy Minister Colin Barnett said the retail offer for stapled securities in the company would close at 5pm on Friday. He said there would be a final round of

BIG Belly Bus Caterers has relaunched following its purchase for an undisclosed sum in June by All Venues and Encore Hospitality managing director Nigel Claydon.

FINDINGS against a Stirling City Councillor could have wider ramifications for WA local governments such as the Perth City Council.

FIGHTING the big retailers’ market dominance will be one of the challenges facing WA small business owner Bob Stanton over the next two years.