Noel Dyson

A NO entry fee slogan on a master trust can be deceiving, says Financial Planning Association WA chairman David Powell.Mr Powell said master trusts, offered by nearly all major financial service providers, were about getting “beans into buckets”.

NORTHBRIDGE could become WA’s Times Square, under plans being considered by the Perth City Council.Councillors want to make the precinct brighter and are considering a sign policy for Northbridge.

DEVELOPING and using technology are the keys to business survival, says Department of Commerce & Trade CEO Richard Muirhead.

TRYING to improve the image of accountants among young people will be one of the roles of the new WA director for CPA Australia, Justin Walawski.

WA OPPOSITION Labour Relations spokesman John Kobelke has hit back at claims that his party’s industrial relations policy will open small businesses up to union intimidation.The Labor Party’s IR direction statement called for the scrapping of the Court

Dam work startsCONSTRUCTION on the $52 million Harvey Dam in the South West, expected to waterproof WA, has started. The dam, part of the $275 million Stirling-Harvey Redevelopment Scheme, will eventually supply water from Stirling Dam, east of Harvey,

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.

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

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.

“LOSING money in this business is very easy,” says Clough Limited managing director Brian Hewitt.“You have to learn from those bad experiences,” Dr Hewitt said.

TAKING on new employees is one of the biggest challenges a small business will face.Combined Small Business Associations of WA president Oliver Moon said labour costs were the most significant small business costs.

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.