Special Reports

Audi hopes to become the centre of attention for prestige cars.

INCREASED use of public private partnerships has become a defining feature of the state government’s infrastructure program, but behind that label sits a wide range of procurement models.

Caravan holidays are making a comeback. Russell Quinn reports.

WA is on the cusp of another boom, making investment in infrastructure vital if the state is to take full advantage. But with the state’s finances increasingly tight, federal-state cooperation has never been more important.

SPENDING on public venues has been a major issue for the state government in recent months, with cost blowouts and construction delays taking the shine off the new venues being built.

FRESH from the completion of the state’s largest road project last September, the $705 million Perth-Bunbury Highway, the state government is in the early stages of planning another major road project with a similar cost.

THE 2010 vintage is well and truly under way and it looks like we’re in for another stellar year, meaning this will be the fourth successive year the South West has produced a stunning crop of exciting wines.

Big private businesses have generally withstood the shock of the GFC.

THE destruction of wealth wrought by the global financial crisis has focused many private business people back to their core operation, and given them cause to think about strategies for preserving what they have in case of another big bust.

Perron Group chairman Stan Perron is a survivor, having ridden out the tough times and prospered in the good over several decades. Examining his business philosophy reveals the art of wealth preservation ... starting with an early shift into property.

Political reality has put an end to a brief period of cooperation between Colin Barnett and Kevin Rudd.

ASKING guests to enter a black-tie dinner function through the loading dock was a sure sign the 2010 WA Business News 40under40 awards would continue a tradition of innovation.

A flurry of high level moves in the Perth legal market leaves the profession asking what the future holds.

THE hive of recent activity in the Western Australian legal market has been added to by the arrival of Norton Rose and Allen & Overy.

Increased corporate confidence has brought a resurgence in business travel.

APPROVALS for property developments remain a major issue to the sector, which believes the delays caused by bureaucracy and regulatory hurdles are a huge financial burden.

THE devil is in the detail of Kerry Stokes’ shock plan to turn a conventional media business into a diversified media and mining services group.

LAST month, my column focused on some of the old-world grape varieties starting to gain favour with Australian winemakers and consumers.

AN influx of new feature film and television productions in Western Australia has prompted one local producer to claim that Perth could become the next Hollywood.

WHEN the global financial crisis hit less than a year after listed property developer Peet had paid $300 million for a 243-hectare land parcel at the northern fringe of Perth, many questioned the wisdom of that purchase.

Property developers are doing it tough as banks keep the sector on their watch lists.

WITH talk of a national economic recovery thanks largely to Western Australia's resources industry, it is perhaps to be expected that those in the state's fashion business are seeing the benefits on their own spreadsheets.

Kerry Stokes’ planned merger of the Seven Network with his giant WesTrac mining services arm is designed to make it the first choice of investors wanting low-risk direct exposure to the China story.

India holds a special attraction for Reg Howard-Smith.

IN 2005, recognising a gap in the worldwide market for safety gloves, 1st Amongst Equals finalist Damione Wright established Ironclad gloves through his Carlisle-based business, Wrights HardWear.

A TWENTY year old with no formal qualifications and only a handful of low-level administrative-type roles might not sound like a pedigree for business success, but for Rory Vassallo, short-listed for the 1st Amongst Equals award, it was more than enough t

The 2010 1st Amongst Equals winner has built a successful brand by taking a different approach than her competitors.

40 Under 40 winners

ANYONE who has started a business knows how tough it can be, even when the product sells itself and people are queuing around the block to become clients.

WHEN I first chaired the judging for the WA Business News 40under40 Awards in its inaugural year, 2002, the prevailing view was that we would struggle to find a constant supply of talent to match the nominees and winners of that first year.

THE global financial crisis was a tough time for most businesses, none more so than sporting clubs that discovered the risks of choosing the wrong sponsor.

“THE dream begins in Perth” is the in-house motto for organisers of the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, with 1,500 competitors expected for the Olympic qualifying event.