Special Reports

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.

Mark Barnaba was a joint First Amongst Equals winner in 2002, and since then he has gone on to reach further successes.

Past 40under40 winners from every year since the inaugural celebration in 2002 were in attendance at the 2005 Awards gala, which not only celebrated the achievements of 40 new and outstanding young entrepreneurs, but also the ongoing successes of all 40un

The 700 people who attended this year’s WA Business News 40under40 Awards made history when they walked down the red carpet as the first guests at a private function held at Parliament House in the building’s history.

There is a simple and fairly reliable formula for finding industrial disputes in Western Australia.

Business people wanting to have their say in the upcoming City of Perth elections have less than three weeks to enrol, with registrations closing on Friday March 18.

Kalgoorlie MP Matt Birney, who is expected to succeed Colin Barnett as state leader of the Liberal Party, has racked up many firsts in his 35 years.

The City of Perth’s engagement with the business community is not just about registering voters, it also involves getting quality business candidates onto council.

The City of Perth is targeting businesses in the lead-up to May’s council elections as voter apathy again threatens to deny business an effective role in the city’s affairs.

Calls for a capital city charter to give special status to the City of Perth as a valuable asset to Western Australia, and also as containing a unique constituency, have been made for some time.

While the business sector’s apparent lack of involvement in the affairs of the City of Perth council is considered a sign of apathy or a lack of interest, an argument could be mounted that a hands-off approach is a sign that all’s well.

Before the recent election WA Business News asked the Government a number of questions. Here is a summary.

As the representative organisation for the property sector and owners of CBD property, the Property Council is highly critical of the City of Perth’s voting system for business.

Both major political parties may now resolutely embrace presidential-style campaigning by thrusting their leaders at voters but, at rock bottom, contemporary election campaigns are encounters between party-hired advertising agencies.

In terms of revenue, at $84 million, the City of Perth is ranked only behind the City of Stirling and the City of Wannreoo.

Business groups want skills training, industrial relations reform and budget policy at the top of the Gallop Government’s second-term policy agenda. Mark Beyer reports.

The balance of power between state and local government often results in a relationship that’s almost parental in its functioning, complete with the tension that type of relationship often invokes.

A turf war has broken out in recent weeks as Perth’s new Super 14 team looks to negotiate the use of a home ground to play its first season next year and, ultimately after that, a long-term home ground.

While it may not be the huge sporting juggernaut that it was in the early 1990s, the Perth Wildcats has reaped a strong return from the 2004-05 season.

2005 Events

Australian sport is littered with expansionary clubs and sports ventures that failed to capture the public imagination, let alone that of potential corporate sponsors.

Perth Glory Football Club hosted a razzamatazz launch early this month to tell its fans and everyone else that the club is back, and better than ever, as a participant in the Hyundai A-League, the new eight-team national competition that will kick off in

With competition for the sponshorship dollar getting tougher, major sporting codes are bracing for the arrival of rugby union's Super 14 competition in 2006.

It’s no great stretch to suggest that the competition between states to secure major events can often be as intense as the on-field battles.

Nickel prices have soared over the past three years from levels a decade ago that made the most optimistic nickel miner question their chosen field.

Sean Gavin has transformed the direction of his family business, Gavin Construction, in his 10 years as managing director.

Linda Mauger’s success in developing the Australian Wildlife Conservancy can be ascribed to her intense passion for sustainable environmental preservation.

Harry Kleyn – WA Business News publisher

ANTHONY HASLUCK  Clarity Communciations  managing director

With 17 years in the industry and five and a half years as chief executive officer of Capital Partners Financial Consulting, David Andrew has confirmed his proficiency as a financ