Government

The Chamber of Minerals and Energy has backed Premier Colin Barnett's suggestion of relaxing foreign worker restrictions with the state potentially requiring an additional 26,000 employees by 2013.

Western Australian business are getting quicker at paying bills with the average time reduced by 2.7 days, the latest Dun & Bradstreet quarterly trade payment analysis shows.

The federal government has announced a $19.1 million funding boost towards a participation framework that will help Australian businesses get a fairer go at winning government and private sector contracts.

A federal government review of the former Labor Party's Grain Infrastructure Group report has found the information did not provide a reliable base to make major investment decisions on the state's grain rail network, Transport Minister Simon O'Brien says

Premier Colin Barnett has warned that restrictions on foreign guest workers will have to be eased if Western Australia is to avoid another major skills shortage within two years.

Gindalbie Metals says its 50 per cent owned pellet plant in China will not be made redundant if its project partner, AnSteel, goes ahead with plans to build the state's first steel mill in Oakajee.

Golden West Resources plans to spin out its non-iron ore assets into a new company that will be listed on the local stock exchange as it requests its executive chairman, Con Markopoulos, to step down.

Premier Colin Barnett's mission to include China in the development of the Oakajee port and rail project has prompted an outcry from the local steel industry, which has appealed to the opposition for help.

The environment minister has given the green light to Gindalbie Metals to mine a key iron ore deposit as part of its $1.8 billion Karara joint venture, in return for the relinquishment of certain tenements.

The state government will halve the royalty rate for tight gas operations in a bid to substantially boost Western Australia's gas supply.

We need Chinese money – Barnett; Premier signals tough deal; We must vote for ETS – Abbott; Chevron on track to oust Woodside on assets table; Aust Post in bid to raise stamp price

The federal and Western Australian governments have today announced a $135 million, four-year plan to help combat and prevent homelessness in the state.

Child Protection Minister Robyn McSweeney has defended the sale of surplus state-owned properties, saying it is part of a strategic decision to fund the expansion of residential care services and not an attempt to meet budget cuts.

Treasurer Troy Buswell has confirmed the appointment of an independent adviser to review the mutualisation of GESB, the public sector superannuation fund.

Perth-based Amcom Telecommunications has upgraded its earnings forecast for the 2009 financial year following an increase in demand for its services in the second half.

Cashed-up NAB to cast its net; Poor safety record hits BHP output; Federal support on WA uranium; Union wants 20% pay rise for school workers; Expert to review GESB plan

Better usage of our water resources could help spark the development of new industries.

A LONG-RUNNING pilot pay dispute at Perth-based Skywest Airlines threatens to escalate into industrial action, as strained negotiations continue this week.

Investors are returning to the market as the first homebuyer boost nears its end.

SEVERAL weeks after leaving paint suppliers out-of-pocket at the completion of a Housing NSW project, Riley Shelley has re-emerged under new ownership to win $1.3 million worth of public school contracts in Western Australia.

THE Urban Development Institute of Australia hopes the state government's funding of a study of Carnaby's black cockatoos is the first step towards a more streamlined planning and approvals process.

REAFFIRMING the importance of Western Australia's trade relationship with China is sure to be a high priority for Premier Colin Barnett on his relationship-building visit this week.

Opportunities abound in the Kimberley, if the right decisions are taken.

THE state's iconic rock lobster industry faces a structural overhaul as the state government seeks to sustain future catches in the troubled sector, historically worth $300 million a year.

Twenty-somethings with a pretty face have nothing on the baby boomers, says real estate and recruitment entrepreneur, Kathy Dunlop.

THE Fair Work Ombudsman has warned employers in Western Australia to be diligent in distributing workers' redundancy entitlements after investigations revealed many workers who have recently been laid-off were inadvertently short-changed.

PART of the third stage of the contentious Pretty Pool development at Port Hedland has been stalled by the environmental watchdog, which ruled it threatened a nesting site for flatback turtles.

The Western Australian Trade Opportunities Service is operated by the International Trade Centre of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia.

A PERSONAL brand may not be something many of us spend too much time consciously cultivating, but the concept is certainly driving growth in the self-help/management sector of the publishing industry.

Distressed asset sales could become the saviour of many Australian businesses and possibly free up some much needed capital tied up in non-performing bank loans, a financial expert says.

Tourism Western Australia have selected Sydney-based creative agency Host to take control of its advertising account, beating out the only local agency that remained on the short list, 303.

The federal government has quashed Rio Tinto's push for the government to consider nuclear power as a way to meet climate change targets.