Government

Embattled state opposition leader Troy Buswell used a pre-planned address to a business lunch today to outline his policy agenda, which includes proposals for state-funded paid parental leave, a state energy strategy and improved approvals for projects.

Perth based company Amcom Telecommunications Ltd has announced a forecast 30 per cent increase in net profit for the financial year, in comparison to its 2007 result.

Industry groups and the state government have welcomed the announcement of a $1 billion plan to transform Perth Airport by integrating the domestic and international terminals and building a new terminal dedicated to regional air services.

Western Australia has experienced the highest rise in building trade prices around the nation, with costs rising 15.3 per cent in the past year.

The eastern end of Perth's CBD will undergo a massive transformation, with housing for 5,846 residents and commercial space for 1,704 workers as part of a projected $880million investment by the State Government and private sector.

British in $13bn raid on Origin; The $1bn plan for new Perth airport; RBA glimpses victory on credit front; Investors dump RCR as it warns of profit slump; Ex-AWB bosses fight handover of ASIC files

Australian exploration companies are renowned for pursuing opportunities in all corners of the globe, seeking out regions that will give them a competitive edge.

Homebuilders in Western Australia are facing rising input costs, created by a shortage of skilled labour and increased regulatory compliance.

Well, it’s happened – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has begun using that ‘M’ word, proof positive he’s heading down a well-worn road.

Progressive CEOs and a more receptive workforce are helping shape a new phenomenon within Western Australian business, according to the state’s peak body for volunteering.

As new Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA chief James Pearson jetted off to Russia this week with a state trade delegation, his colleagues may hope he’s dotted the ‘i’s and crossed the ‘t’s on his paperwork.

The controversial $200 million facelift planned for Fremantle’s Victoria Quay by property developer ING Real Estate has come up against further opposition, with the City of Fremantle seeking to intervene in a review of the plan by the State Administrative

A mid-year fall in the number of new dwellings bought by first homebuyers was one of the first signs of a softening in Western Australia’s housing market in 2007.

Interest rates, labour shortages, material costs and compliance issues are affecting WA's housing industry, yet it's the issue of housing affordability that is front of mind for builders, as Emily Piesse reports.

NATIONAL Native Title Council chairman Brian Wyatt said last week’s Noongar Native Title decision demonstrated the deficiencies and unworkability of the Native Title Act.

The ructions that have stirred up international financial markets this year and cast a pall over the global economic outlook would, you might think, make investors and business operators cautious.

Petrol prices in Western Australia and around the nation hit record highs last week and further increases are widely anticipated.

A $35 million submarine support facility, which accommodates 185 employees managing a 25-year contract to maintain Australia's Collins Class submarine fleet, was officially opened today.

An independent poll commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA shows a record number of Western Australians support removing the current restrictions on shop trading hours.

IT service provider AGS Group has secured its largest Federal Government contract, worth an estimated $30m over an initial four years.

Rockingham-based company Steelpipe Australia has secured a $5.9 million contract with Fremantle Ports to reconstruct North Quay Berth 10.

The Evans & Tate name is set to be removed from the stock exchange boards following a move by a consortium to take control of the listed shell and some its lesser known wine brands.

Litigation funder IMF (Australia) Ltd has scaled up its earnings forecast for the current financial year, advising that its net profit after-tax is expected to be at least $15 million and could be as high as $19 million.

Small Business Minister Margaret Quirk today released the report of an inquiry into the operation of franchise businesses in Western Australia.

National Native Title Council Chairman, Brian Wyatt, said that last week's Noongar Native Title Decision demonstrates the deficiencies and unworkability of the Native Title Act.

More than two years after the site was bought by a private developer, debate over the future of the old Swanbourne Hospital grounds in Mt Claremont is continuing, with the City of Nedlands likely to reject the $50 million residential development proposed

Former University of Western Australia academic Dr Bruce Gray had a big win over his erstwhile employer in a landmark Federal Court ruling handed down last week but faces the prospect of further legal action from the company he founded, Sirtex Medical Ltd

Building heights, view corridors and the placement of buildings were the key issues raised by the City of Perth’s planning committee in its report to council on the foreshore development.

The biggest talking point in Australia during the past week has, not surprisingly, been Kevin Rudd’s talkfest, the Australia 2020 summit in Canberra.

TRADE OPPORTUNITIES

A clampdown in the approvals process of exploration applications is potentially causing costly delays for the state’s resource companies.

If recent trends in London and New York are any guide, more Australian lawyers could be following the likes of Tim Lester and Heath Lewis back to Perth.