Special Reports

The Health Reform Committee report of March 2004 recommended a fundamental reconfiguration of the state's health system during the next 15 years. The Government’s recent allocation of $3.6 billion with the release of the 'WA Health Clinical Services Frame

For all the lifestyle it has to offer Perth is often attacked as lacking the vibrancy and cultural diversity available in cities such as Sydney and Melbourne.

The $173.5 million acquisition of a 50 per cent stake in Hoyts Cinemas, a step outside West Australian News-papers’ traditional comfort zone and the development of its online services, is costing the company.

While television is still the first medium of choice for major advertisers, Perth agencies and their clients are looking at new alternatives to break through the growing advertising clutter and reach an increasingly fragmented audience.

The resources sector has emerged as one of the most accepting of online publications and information services

West Australian Newspapers is embarking on a $189 million, two-year expansion plan that includes a $31 million redundancy provision to cover 220 full-time production staff at the company’s Herdsman headquarters.

The battle for territory in Perth’s independent newspaper market is getting fiercer as new players look to secure a slice of the action, as Mark Mentiplay reports.

Policy, regulation and unclear or contradictory legislation are major impediments for the development industry, according to attendees at WA Business News’ development forum.

Developers may have an increasing focus on community, sustainability and affordability, but ultimately their focus remains bottom-line profits.

Issues over infrastructure, particularly the provision and accessibility of water, were among the most significant challenges of the next two decades, according to participants at the WA Business News boardroom forum.

The state Government proposal to establish a ‘super planning agency’ is seen by many as the result of its frustration with the decision-making processes of local governments in relation to planning issues.

Infrastructure costs are a significant contributor to the expense of creating developments on the urban fringe.

With the number of people living in Western Australia expected to double within three decades, dealing with the pressures of a growing population is a challenge for legislators and developers, as Marsha Jacobs reports.

Community consultation has become something of a catch 22 for developers.

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.

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.

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.

Intierra's regular quarterly survey of junior exploration companies (non-producers) has confirmed another strong quarter.

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.

Rising costs somewhat dampen the enthusiasm that surrounds a significant increase in exploration expenditure by listed juniors in the June 2005 quarter.

Research by WA Business News has identified the biggest employers in Western Australia and found the growth of those at the top continues unabated.

The departments of education and training and health are by far the biggest employers in Western Australia, outstripping all private sector employers.

The world’s two biggest mining companies – BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto – feature prominently in the survey of Western Australia’s biggest employers.

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.

The City of Albany has embarked on the initial phase of a market research campaign focused on developing a tourism brand for Albany.

The leaders of strongly growing Western Australian companies believe a focus on delivering value to shareholders is the key to their success.

A quirk of old shire boundaries has led to division in Albany over retail trading.

Western Australia’s most successful company, Wesfarmers, has an outstanding track record of delivering impressive returns to shareholders

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.