Tom Zaunmayr joined Business News in 2023 as a senior journalist, covering state politics, resources (iron ore), Aboriginal affairs, regional development and agriculture.
He spent the past decade covering news in regional WA where he developed a passion for local and state politics, regional development, small business, Aboriginal affairs, human interest and anything Pilbara related.
Mr Zaunmayr spent five years in Karratha during one of the biggest periods of transition for the Pilbara town before moving to Kalgoorlie during COVID to take on a role as deputy editor of WA's only daily regional newspaper.
From there, he moved back above the 26th parallel as Seven West Media's Northern Papers editor based in Broome, and did a stint as editor of the National Indigenous Times.
The federal government has funded a feasibility study into a common use critical minerals processing plant which the state government already budgeted $200 million build.
A north-west university hub will set up shop in Kununurra by mid-2025 under a federal government program to improve access to tertiary education in regional Australia.
Low-impact miners and explorers will be eligible for fast-tracked approvals under reforms hailed by the resources industry as “paper killing legislation”.
Mineral Resources remains upbeat about its financial position as market forces and the fallout from founder Chris Ellison’s tax affairs weigh on the business.
Fortescue's ability to work around Port Hedland's congested export space and negate headwinds in the iron ore price were attractive to Red Hawk Mining's board.
A plan to pipe desalinated seawater from Esperance to Kalgoorlie would be revived by the Nationals WA to ease the outback city’s water woes, if elected in March.
Fortescue has lobbed a $254 million offer to snap up ASX-listed junior Red Hawk Mining, owner of a greenfields iron ore project neighbouring the Andrew Forrest-led miner's Solomon operations.
OPINION: It was a better week for the Liberal and National parties in WA, but Labor still looked much more polished as its charges rolled out a heap of fresh election commitments.
OPINION: On the campaign this week, Roger Cook became psychic-in-chief, Libby Mettam had a shocker, and Shane Love stood in a field. The policy debate focused on regional affairs.
WA’s grain king John Nicoletti is believed to have emerged with a large portion of his former Merredin Farms portfolio, which has been broken up among six buyers.
Business News understands Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company and PenAgri have offloaded the 80,000-hectare Merredin Farms to a host of Wheatbelt farmers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s response to the latest abattoir closure in WA has gone down like a lead balloon with the sheep industry, according to Nationals senate hopeful Paul Brown.
WA Premier Roger Cook has promised to address the government’s exacerbation of regional rental market woes with a $104 million fund to build more government staff housing.
A US-backed Pilbara manganese company is on the cusp of tripling the capacity of its mine to process minerals destined for America’s largest vehicle maker.
The WA Nationals would move the state’s agriculture agency to Northam under a $320 million commitment should the country party win the March state election.
OPINION: Minerva Foods' handling of the closure of both of its WA abattoirs has left communities in the dark, shareholders none-the-wiser, and an industry with major headaches.