Special Reports

An upsurge in strike activity and the prospect of major Federal Government reforms has placed industrial relations front and centre as a business issue in Western Australia.

If winning the big jobs is a measure of success, then Freehills gets top billing in the insolvency market this year after being appointed as legal adviser to the administrators of failed mining company Sons of Gwalia.

Unlike most of the categories in this year’s Legal Elite, which primarily focus on the major industry players, the planning and environment section features practitioners from both large and small firms.

WA Business News’ third annual Legal Elite feature comes at a time of solid growth by most of Western Australia’s commercial and corporate law firms.

In the practice area of banking and finance, five Western Australian lawyers were singled out as leading their field.

Economic Regulation Authority chairman Lyndon Rowe famously told an Australian Institute of Energy lunch last year that one of his key performance measures should be to reduce the amount of time spent with lawyers.

Aquila Resources LimitedProject: Hamersley Region Iron Ore Prospect

Rio Tinto Limited Operation: Marandoo Iron Ore MineLocation: 75km SW Wittenoom

The head of the WA Department of Industry and Resources, Jim Limerick, declared last week that the local nickel industry had become the state’s second most valuable mineral sector after iron ore.

Premier Geoff Gallop named the ‘Broome pearl’ as a Western Australian icon last June and, as he lauded the contribution of the industry, said it generated $200 million in annual exports.

The Australian pearl industry has responded to the weakness in the global market over the past five to six years by lifting its focus on marketing and branding.

The State Government’s capital works program in the current financial year has risen to a record $3.9 billion, with social infrastructure accounting for most of the spending.

The triangle bounded by Kwinana, Fremantle and Kewdale is home to the bulk of manufacturing and heavy industry in Western Australia, so it is not surprising that’s where some of the State Government’s most difficult infrastructure issues are located.

Industrial infrastructure is normally an arcane subject that only technocrats worry about, yet this year it has become one of the nation’s hottest political topics.

The Generation Xers who participated in the roundtable discussion presented very strong, often polarised views about their city and the benefits, or otherwise, of calling Perth home.

Freedom was undoubtedly an essential part of what those at the WA Business News forum considered important in their lives, but a professional career means freedom is tempered with a certain amount of responsibility.

One of the first, and most obvious, choices to make when choosing an employer is whether to work for a large or small organisation. Both have advantages and disadvantages, and provide a different range of experiences.

Differences between generations in attitudes, priorities and experience can lead to divergent opinions on many occasions, however the same divergence of opinions can also be found within a single generation.

Douglas Coupland’s seminal book Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, which coined the term ‘Generation X,’ also used several other expressions, most of which have not yet entered mainstream language, but nonetheless provide an entertaining insi

The debate over how Perth is viewed by those outside the state rages as heatedly now as it ever has.

In the increasingly competitive market for good employees, Generation Xers have the pick of places to work, not just within Perth, but also the national and international markets.

The inherent danger associated with applying a label to something as diverse as a generation is that such classifications can ultimately disappoint, failing to live up, or down, to expectations.

For an expert perspective on what makes a city such as Perth an attractive one to young workers, Mark Pownall spoke to US regional development guru Professor Richard Florida during his recent visit to WA.

Among the companies of which Peter Mansell is a board member only Ferngrove Vineyards Estate is not listed on the stockmarket, yet it is one of his busiest positions.

If ever proof was needed that life as a professional director is no longer a leisurely, part-time sinecure, Peter Mansell provides it.

Peter Mansell believes the corporate governance reforms introduced by the Federal Government and the Australian Stock Exchange have “on balance” been good but have gone too far.

For nearly 15 years the Building and Construction Industry Training Fund has collected levies from all construction projects in Western Australia and invested the money into the training of skilled labour.

Born and raised in Kellerberrin Dale Alcock has become somewhat of a poster boy for the building industry, working his way up from apprentice bricklayer to 50 per cent owner in the nation’s second largest residential building company.

This year’s 40under40 First Amongst Equals winner, Lyle Palmer, has dedicated his exceptional career to the study of genetics to improve human health.

The 40under40 Awards are rapidly becoming the premier event in Perth for the city’s business community. And if the 2005 guest list is any indication, a ticket to the awards is the hottest item in town come February.

When Nathan Buzza was named the 40under40 First Amongst Equals in 2003 his business, Commtech Wireless, had 30 staff and a turnover of $5 million.

The Federal Government’s plan to establish a unitary industrial relations system has been condemned by the union movement and Labor state governments but, more surprisingly, has gained a mixed response from business groups.