Government

The Reserve Bank is likely to hold the cash rate this month, but the soaring Australian dollar is becoming a concern.

Wesfarmers chief executive Richard Goyder has thrown his support behind the state government’s plan to lease Fremantle Ports, saying the state needs a world-class operator to ensure exports are competitive internationally.

The prime minister's proposal to allow states to raise income tax has more chance of succeeding than previous tax reforms, Colin Barnett says.

Big repair bill tipped as Gorgon hits trouble

The Australian dollar has soared to new heights as the greenback loses ground for a third straight day.

Gold has edged up as the US dollar and stock markets retreated, locking in the metal's biggest quarterly gain in nearly 30 years amid reduced expectations for US interest rate rises.

Wall Street has ended the first quarter with a whimper after a seven-week rally that rescued the S&P 500 from its worst start to a year since 2009.

Competition in Perth’s on-demand transport sector is growing, with a new local player, Shofer, entering the market today to battle disruptive giant Uber and the existing taxi industry.

US stocks have ploughed further into positive territory for 2016, helped for a second session by comments from Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen that eased anxiety about potential interest rate hikes.

WTC plans Perth twin towers

Gold has fallen more than one per cent as a rally in higher-risk assets such as equities prompts investors to cash in gains sparked by the Federal Reserve chair's cautious tone on rate rises.

The Australian dollar has popped above 77 US cents as a dovish posture from the US central bank continues to rattle the greenback.

PENALTY rates are a common frustration for many retail and hospitality businesses, but it’s surprising to find they adversely affect even that most transient of enterprises – the food van.

The hotel industry expects up to a quarter of Perth’s hotel rooms to be filled by delegates attending next month’s LNG18 conference, though the number of people attending and the flow-on economic benefits to the state remain unclear.

The state government is facing a fresh legal challenge to its contentious Roe Highway stage 8 extension, this time over Aboriginal heritage approval.

Threats of the first double dissolution election in almost 30 years are rattling consumers, a report has found.

Cautious remarks from the US Federal Reserve have helped the Australian dollar break above US76 cents.

Qube benefits from Brockman’s maverick move on Pilbara

Gold has jumped nearly 2 per cent after comments from US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen indicated the central bank's cautiousness in raising interest rates.

The S&P 500 has closed at its highest in 2016 after Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen called for caution on raising interest rates - music to Wall Street's ears.

Reduced industry assistance, an efficiency dividend from higher education, and a big reduction in the public sector headcount are among the recommendations in a report by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia released today.

SPECIAL REPORT: In order to fully understand where political power lies in Western Australia, it’s necessary to recognise the role of low-profile powerbrokers such as Carolyn Smith and Nick Goiran.

SPECIAL REPORT: The number of women serving on company boards is slowly one the rise, but it’s still rare to see a female take the chair, judging by Business News’s analysis of Western Australian company directors.

SPECIAL REPORT: There has been a major shift in business influence in WA amid waning international investment and, with two elections on the way, there is a prospect of even bigger changes in political influence. Click through to see our listing of WA's most infliential leaders in politics and business.

Managing the state’s economic transition was the main focus of today’s cabinet reshuffle, Premier Colin Barnett said, with tourism and agriculture in his sights as key growth industries.

Barnett takes Tourism in shuffle

The Australian dollar has been boosted by greenback weakness following a mixed batch of US data.

Gold has edged up, as the US dollar retreated after weaker-than-expected US data, but has stayed close to a one-month low with investors focused on speeches by Federal Reserve officials that could give more clues on potential interest rate increases.

Wall Street was mixed as weaker-than-expected US economic data reduced concerns about potential interest rate hikes and a dip in oil prices pushed down energy shares.

The state government’s privatisation program hit more trouble today, with a mining lobby group that represents the users of the Utah Point wharf condemning a lack of consultation on the proposed sale. It follows a move by the National Party on Tuesday to refer the sale legislation to a parliamentary committee.

Population growth rates have fallen in Western Australia and across the country as a whole, with WA experiencing a sharp drop in overseas migration and a net loss of people through interstate migration.

Joondalup Mayor Troy Pickard is pushing for international trade opportunities with China to put Joondalup on the map as a city that can hold its own on the global stage.