Staff Reporters

DURING September and October the Property Council of Australia surveyed its membership in relation to the preparedness of business for GST.

PERTH-based junior gold producer Alkane Exploration NL plans to become a significant player in the zirconia industry.

THE Federal Government has announced plans to develop a digital signature process to facilitate its dealings with Australian businesses.

North West Shelf Gas Pty Ltd has concluded a $200 million contract with AlintaGas for the ten year supply of product from 2002.

The Federal Government has branded criticisms of its new Internet content legislation, that came into effect on 1 January, as unfounded.

WA'S gas industry is expecting a very busy year.Australian Gas Association industry development manager David Parker said the industry had a number of key activities either underway or scheduled for 2000...

Before the modern day ubiquity of the dial-a-pizza phenomenon, young men seeking saturated fats sought out Mexican restaurants. There was no cheaper or finer way to ingest the two teenage male food groups – fat and fattier.

ROBE River Associates, part of the North Limited group, is targeting an increased share of the market in China.

For those with a long-standing interest in the online economy, this last week produced a fairly significant event.

LAST year was a big year for the Property Council of Australia's lobbying efforts on tax reform, a battle it fought on three fronts – the Ralph report, GST and stamp duty.

Environmental performance in the WA offshore petroleum exploration and production industry will be enhanced by new regulations.

Commercial development being planned and executed by large diversified company BBC Hardware Limited will exceed forecasts this year.

According to Australian Internet research group www.consult, approximately 600,000 Australians spent $150 million online over Christmas.

PERTH-based junior Lynas Gold NL has received a research and development grant of $1.1 million from the Federal Government's Industry Research and Development Board, through AusIndustry.

Nearly 23 per cent of all Australian households had home Internet access in August 1999 compared with 18 per cent in August 1998, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

PLEXUS International has announced an alliance agreement with StateWest Credit Society.

THE decision by Melbourne-based Plenty River Corporation to select the Burrup Peninsula as the preferred site for its proposed $800 million ammonia and urea plant will be a fillip for Western Australian business.

GRANT Chettleburg didn't know what sort of job he wanted after leaving school but soon made a name for himself in the horticulture industry.

CABLE & Wireless Optus and Telstra have been recently chosen by the WA Government to supply data communications services to government agencies in remote areas of the State.

ERIC Streitberg is relentlessly pursuing his pipedream of expanding considerably oil and gas output in the Dongara production licence area near the coastal town of Dongara.

PROPERTY Council of Australia past President Gerald Major has been appointed by the Minister for Planning Graham Kierath to the important position of industry representative on the Central Perth Planning Committee.

WA company HotelNet has launched the first installation of its interactive Internet and entertainment system for hotels.

PERTH-based Talon Resources NL has been transformed from explorer to an industrial minerals producer withconsiderable growth prospects.

THERE is more to big and tall sizes than just increasing thenumbers of X's on a shirt or centimetres on the waist, says Kingsize Menswear director Cameron Blair.

BARNES and Noble are planning on upstaging Amazon.com by offering print-on-demand books.

EMPLOYING more young people is a way businesses can boost their chances of winning State Government contracts.

Earlier this week I delivered a keynote address to a Queensland conference which focused on online communities.

LOCAL swimwear designer Annette Stivaletta is receiving international interest for her collection Stivaletta_all wet.

THE Australian Securities and Investments Commission hasreleased an issues paper seeking comments on multi-media prospectuses and other offer documents.

WA engineering company RCR Tomlinson has acquired a 60 per cent share in a new company, Premium Workforce, to supplyshutdown maintenance and labour hire services throughout the state.

PERTH-based e-tailing company Avanta.com.au has secured a deal in the US that will provide the it withprominent market exposure.

APPLECROSS-based software designer Metech has cracked the corporate business sector in Africa for the first time.