Government

The latest inflation figures won't eliminate the chance of another interest rate cut, but they do offer hope that the Reserve Bank won't feel compelled to go down that risky path.

Mike Nahan says recycling of capital invested in Western Power will be key to job creation and economic growth in Western Australia’s transitioning economy. 

Western Australia’s peak business group is facing competition for members after the Australian Industry Group established a Perth office, shortly after ending a commercial alliance with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA.

An upcoming Indonesian-Australian business summit in Perth will put a focus on the bilateral relationship of the two countries while negotiations on a new free trade deal continue.

A Business News survey of industry confidence shows an economy increasingly balanced between those experiencing growth and, at the other end of the scale, those dealing with decline.

Western Australia has fallen to the bottom of the pile in CommSec's latest ‘State of the States’ report, following the end of the mining construction boom.

September's national unemployment rate of 5.6 per cent was as low as it's been since February 2013, but that's about where the good news from the Australian Bureau of Statistics today ends.

The state government has failed to hit any of the targets in its own waste management strategy, and part of the reason is a lack of coordination among its two key agencies, a review by the auditor general has found.

Premier Colin Barnett has confirmed plans for an initial public offering of Western Power are on the table, while the opposition has blamed the privatisation plans for the alleged cancellation of a contract with a major supplier.

Rio Tinto has hit back at accusations by Nationals WA leader Brendon Grylls that large miners had failed to live up to their contractual obligations in state agreements with the government, after he stepped up his campaign to increase taxes on iron ore production today.

A key supporter of the federal government in the Senate, Family First's Bob Day, is quitting parliament because of financial problems with the housing group he founded, which trades as Collier Homes in Western Australia.

The state’s resources industry has applauded Federal Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce’s public opposition to the WA Nationals’ planned mining tax changes, which drew return fire from Brendon Grylls.

The state owned Gold Corporation, which trades as The Perth Mint, has doubled pre-tax profit to $41 million, with a big increase in sales of minted coins among the factors assisting the result.

A $400 million lithium hydroxide plant to supply the battery industry will bring highly skilled technical and scientific jobs with it, Premier Colin Barnett said at the facility’s groundbreaking ceremony today in Kwinana.

Work will start on the controversial $540 million Roe 8 highway extension project before the next state election, with a consortium led by CIMIC Group to be awarded a contract for the project in the coming days.

Almost half of Liberal voters in Treasurer Mike Nahan's safe seat of Riverton are opposed to the proposed privatisation of utility Western Power, according to ReachTel data.

The economic downturn has hit the state hard but WA’s fundamentals are still strong.

Two different proposals from the Western Australian government to change the way Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton pay an iron ore charge is already damaging the state's reputation as an investment destination, a business lobby group says.

WA Labor leader Mark McGowan has ruled out extending a ban on fracking beyond three regions if he wins the March state election.

The state’s five port authorities posted substantially lower net incomes in the 2016 financial year but were still in the black by $223 million, according to annual reports tabled in parliament in recent weeks.

The Business News index of 30 Western Australian companies outperformed the ASX200 in the September quarter on the back of stronger showings from a handful of miners and contractors.

Engineering construction helped overall building activity return to expansion in September.

The Australian share market has edged slightly lower in early trade, despite a nearly flat session on Wall Street and continued strength in oil prices.

One Nation Senator Rod Culleton has attacked the judiciary in a press release after his latest court loss, demanding the civil matter be heard by a jury.

India’s economic potential offers opportunity for WA businesses, but questions remain as to whether the expectations of both sides can be met.

WA Labor plans to ban fracking in the South West, but will not ban the drilling technique in other areas such as the Kimberley and the Mid West where it has been undertaken.

Continuing investment in major resources projects nearing completion contributed $35 billion to the Western Australian economy in 2015-16, around two thirds of Australia’s resources investment spend in the year, according to the Department of Mines and Petroleum.

Western Australia’s car retail industry has once again been taken to the panel beaters after new figures showed another slump in new vehicle sales.

Mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton say they have no intention of taking up the state government's offer to change how they pay the controversial iron ore lease rental that Nationals WA leader Brendon Grylls wants to hike.

State and federal governments are using transparency and consumer choice as a weapon to cut costs in healthcare.

More than half of the electricity used in the Pilbara town of Onslow will be sourced from renewable sources by 2020, with the state government today announcing it will be home to Australia’s largest distributed generation microgrid.

Falling private sector investment in heavy industry and electricity generation were major contributors to a big drop-off in total construction and engineering work in Western Australia in June, down 21.7 per cent quarter on quarter to $6.75 billion.