AN increase in iron ore prices of 71.5 per cent this year has added a massive incentive to second-tier iron ore producers/explorers in Western Australia, particularly those in the Mid-West.
Alumina and petrochemicals are set to join the iron ore and oil and gas industries as major drivers of the state’s extraordinary investment boom, WA Business News’annual major projects review has found.
With a review of Western Australia’s public infrastructure concluding it is generally superior to other states, the Gallop Government is spending $4.7 billion this year to try and keep it that way.
The petrochemical industry, which has long been targeted as a growth sector for Western Australia, seems likely to start realising some of its potential during the next year.
Rising costs somewhat dampen the enthusiasm that surrounds a significant increase in exploration expenditure by listed juniors in the June 2005 quarter.
A shortage of suitable exploration land and expertise have meant mineral explorers and producers alike have had to find ways around obstacles to project development.
Western Australia is losing its share of global investment in mineral exploration, according to Association of Mining & Exploration Companies CEO Justin Walawski.
With so much interest in the booming resources sector it is easy to understand the raft of junior explorers keen to etch their name on the Australian Stock Exchange board.
Changing employee demands and a tight labour market are putting strains on human resource departments at many of Western Australia’s large companies and government departments.
Albany's plantation timber industry has sparked a surge of investment and opportunity. A balance of traditional and emerging industries is creating a strong foundation for growth in the Great Southern centre.
Western Australia’s top dividend payers are the producers, providing goods and services, as opposed to those paying shareholders off on soaring share prices fuelled by rising commodity prices.
Nickel developer Western Areas is scheduling production by the middle of next year after already rewarding shareholders who have been in the stock for as little as two months.
Companies in the resources industry have provided the best shareholder returns in Western Australia during the past three years, with only two of the top 10 performers outside the sector.
The strength of the Australian stock market and the buoyant returns enjoyed by investors have been highlighted in WA Business News’ annual shareholder return feature.
Only 11 of Western Australia’s mid to large-cap companies suffered a fall in their market capitalisation over the past three years, according to a recent review.
While the plantation timber industry is still in its early stages in Albany, existing infrastructure is already under pressure to deal with the volume of timber making its way to the port.
The companies that have achieved the strongest growth in market value over the past five years illustrate the breadth and depth of the resources boom currently being enjoyed in Western Australia.
If it was promoted on a Broadway billboard, Diggers and Diggers 2005 would have starred the vaudevillian duo Andrew Forrest and Michael ‘Lucky Legs’ Kiernan, a Mongolian trapeze a
Western Australia’s top politician and its most respected business leader have locked horns over economic and industrial relations reform. Mark Beyer reports.
After years of delay, the sale of Newcrest Mining’s 22.22 per cent holding in the $1 billion-plus Boddington gold prospect could dictate whether the long-delayed project is finally able to proceed.
It seems common for deals to be struck between mining junior and major, or banker and miner, in Kalgoorlie pubs during Diggers and Dealers, and for gossip, share tips and takeover
“I am not surprised that several of WA’s most recognised brands are clients of ours,” The Brand Agency’s chairman and chief executive, Ken James, said.
