Special Reports

SPECIAL REPORT: Business News CEO and online entrepreneur, Charlie Gunningham, analyses the social media influence of the political and business elite.

SPECIAL REPORT: In order to fully understand where political power lies in Western Australia, it's necessary to recognise the role of low-profile powerbrokers such as Carolyn Smith and Nick Goiran.

SPECIAL REPORT: The number of women serving on company boards is slowly one the rise, but it's still rare to see a female take the chair, judging by Business News's analysis of Western Australian company directors.

SPECIAL REPORT: There has been a major shift in business influence in WA amid waning international investment and, with two elections on the way, there is a prospect of even bigger changes in political influence. Click through to see our listing of WA's most infliential leaders in politics and business.

John van Bockxmeer has been named a 40under40 finalist for his commitment to creating healthier WA communities. He has also been recognised with the Inspiring Possibilities award.

Esther Oh wants to deepen Australia's economic relationship with our nearest neighbours.

Jade Lewis's program to help female offenders gain employment, overcome stigma and resist temptation is now being expanded into a social enterprise.

Anthony Janssen has had a relatively short but eventful business career, with some stumbles on his way to building the successful Margaret River Hospitality Group.

Creating an apartments juggernaut has been all about good timing and sticking to a strategy for the head of the 2016 40under40 cohort.

SPECIAL REPORT: The ubiquitous influence of the internet in modern business has brought an uptick in investment in Perth's data storage capacity, and into new high-speed subsea cables.

SPECIAL REPORT: Garden products manufacturer Richgro has marked its centenary by completing a major capital project that adds a new dimension to the business.

SPECIAL REPORT: Having faced intense competition for much of the past decade, an innovative manufacturing plant backed by timber industry veteran Denis Cullity is starting to deliver good returns.

SPECIAL REPORT: Swimming pool manufacturer Aquatic Leisure Technologies is pursuing increased interstate and overseas sales from its new factory at Jandakot.

SPECIAL REPORT: How does a tech startup in Northbridge backed by a mining consultancy in West Perth manage to secure work on the world's largest privately funded infrastructure project, in Nicaragua? Business News profiles how CSA Global, Lycopodium, OTOC and PwC have chased diversification strategies.

Special report: A subsidiary of global banking giant Goldman Sachs is backing a local private equity player to develop a freight hub near Bullsbrook, in anticipation of increased freight movements connected with the state government's Northlink WA project.

Special Report: Falling commodity prices have led some mining contractors to circle the wagons, but others are cautiously targeting opportunities.

SPECIAL REPORT: Amid controversy surrounding Roe 8 and the privatisation of Fremantle Port, a shift to an outer harbour in Cockburn Sound is a question of when, not if, according to proponents.

SPECIAL REPORT: The planned redevelopment of the Shenton Park hospital site will add to a string of LandCorp projects boosting residential land supply in the western suburbs.

SPECIAL REPORT: Slowing population growth and a stalling economy are producing significant headwinds in the residential land sector.

A faltering economy and an increase in the number of people leaving the state compared with arrivals has failed to halt growth in enrolments at both local Catholic and other private schools, and public schools.

SPECIAL REPORT: Livestock exporter Wellard has had a rocky start to life as a listed company after completing Western Australia's second-largest capital raising of 2015, and the state's sixth-largest initial public offerings of all time. Wellard's $299 million IPO was one of the few high points of 2015, when a lack of mining deals led a sharp slide in overall capital raising activity.

SPECIAL REPORT: Funding for WA's tech sector is much healthier than a recent government-backed report concluded, research by Business News has found.

SPECIAL REPORT: Local firms Azure Capital and Hartleys punched above their weight in 2015 in what was a lucrative year for a handful of top corporate advisers in WA. Click through to see which corporate advisers, lawyers and brokers managed 470 M&A and capital raising deals.

The cities may be on the opposite sides of the globe, but it seems like Perth and Houston are a lot closer these days.

SPECIAL REPORT: Up to 5,000 delegates from more than 60 countries will descend on Perth in a few months for the 18th International Conference and Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas.

WA ministers hold growing influence in the federal government under Malcolm Turnbull.

Experienced investors such as Gavin Rezos and Tony Grist have shone brightly as the technology sector has attracted growing interest.

SPECIAL REPORT: One of the few positives in a tough year for business was the gold sector, and at the forefront was Northern Star Resources, under the leadership of Bill Beament.

Alternative construction techniques are gathering momentum in Western Australia, but not all builders are convinced that double brick's dominance is about to end.

Challenging conditions loom for homebuilders in WA, as demand for new housing slows after record-breaking peaks of activity last year.

SPECIAL REPORT: Newly appointed chief executives in Western Australia are mostly receiving lower salaries than their predecessors, but retaining plenty of upside through incentive schemes, a survey of nearly 40 new CEO pay packages has found.

SPECIAL REPORT: The 2015 CEO salary survey has some surprising names near the top of the list while some of the state's best chief executives are unexpectedly low down.