News Articles for Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA

Research suggests industrial manslaughter laws make workplaces less safe by creating unrealistic accountability expectations, Shane Herbst discusses.

Western Australia's parliament has cleared the way for industrial manslaughter laws which will enforce a maximum penalty of 20 years' imprisonment for workplace deaths.

The state government is introducing new laws to extend its payroll tax support for Western Australian businesses.

Percent for Art schemes have led to growth in the amount of public art in WA, and the boom is just beginning.

Both Ben Wyatt and Josh Frydenberg have avoided big reforms to boost productivity this week, with CCI today arguing the state government missed an opportunity.

Federal net debt is set to peak near $1 trillion, with $416 billion of cash deficits projected as the government locks in higher spending.

The state government has today announced millions of dollars in support for local tourism operators as critics have continued calls for WA to reopen its domestic border.

Premier Mark McGowan has been accused of "protectionism" after he claimed reopening the borders to South Australia and the Northern Territory would provide no economic benefit.

After falling to record lows in the June quarter, Western Australian consumer confidence has returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to the September edition of CCIWA's consumer confidence survey.

The state's peak business group has strongly criticised elements of the state government's workplace safety bill but notably has supported plans for 20-year jail terms in extreme cases.

In the first of a series on the Perth CBD, Business News investigates how working from home could have a lasting effect on the city's retail market.

WA's hard borders will continue as other states look to ease restrictions by Christmas, with Mark McGowan warning a Brazilian-style resources industry outbreak would be catastrophic.

The state government has accepted the Westport Taskforce's final recommendations and will proceed with building a new, land-backed port in Kwinana by 2032.

Unemployment will reach 11 per cent in WA this financial year, according to CCIWA, with business investment set to fall.

The state government is spending $167.4 million in upgrades to TAFE colleges around Western Australia, while also announcing reforms to skills, training and workforce development.

The state government has foreshadowed more big spending initiatives to boost the economy but been criticised for the lack of detail and not including tax reform.

Regional businesses in Western Australia will be eligible for up to $50,000 in grants from Horizon Power, as part of a new community partnership program.

A $2 billion push to train school leavers and job seekers during the coronavirus pandemic will put the onus on businesses to hire staff.

Western Australia's planned new laws to accelerate major project approvals would be a good model for other states and should be passed through state parliament quickly, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said today.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said lifting coronavirus restrictions will be fast-tracked to allow more people into stadiums, pubs, restaurants, weddings and funerals, while acknowledging WA may keep its border shut through July.

Property developers and industry groups say the state government's move to extend the stamp duty rebate is a step in the right direction, but hope further reform will remain on the agenda.

A wave of home-building and renovation work is the goal of a $444 million stimulus package unveiled by the state government as it seeks to pull the state economy out of a coronavirus-induced downturn.

Almost all businesses will be able to reopen in Western Australia next weekend, as the state becomes the first in the country to reduce the four square metre rule, and gatherings of up to 100 people will be allowed.

OPINION: The government faces a challenge to balance public health concerns with the need to get the WA economy going again.

The number of Australians in employment have fallen by 594,300 people in April, with Western Australia recording 62,300 fewer people in full- or part-time work following coronavirus-related lockdowns.

One of Western Australia's biggest employers, Crown Resorts, has stood down 95 per cent of its national workforce due to coronavirus restrictions affecting its casinos and hospitality venues in Perth and Melbourne.

About 100,000 Western Australians will lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA, although it is unclear how much the federal government's new JobKeeper payment will reduce the damage.

Australian small businesses will receive $3.9 billion of tax incentives and $6.7 billion of cash payments as part of a federal government stimulus announced today, while a major investor service has reiterated a small, but positive, growth forecast for the country.

The national economy put in a better than expected performance during the back end of 2019 with GDP growing 0.5 per cent in the December quarter, but the news for Western Australia was not so good, with state final demand falling.

The state government's most accomplished minister is planning to retire at next year's state election, dealing a blow to premier Mark McGowan, with a handful of current ministers seen as potential successors should Labor be re-elected.

As recently as a fortnight ago, industry leaders and government officials were urging caution as the novel coronavirus swept through China, with representatives from Western Australia's tourism and education sectors confident the state was prepared to manage any possible fallout.

UPDATED: The state government has said it will adopt most of the recommendations arising from a parliamentary inquiry into short-term accommodation, with Tourism Council WA and the Australian Hotels Association WA welcoming the pledge to apply more stringent regulation to the sector.

Treasurer Ben Wyatt says the latest data from Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA showed positive signs for the Western Australian economy, despite CCIWA arguing for reforms to boost business and housing investment.

Minderoo Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA and Fenix Resources made senior appointments over the holiday break.

Our weekly appointment wrap includes Jeff Howard, Warwick Lynch, Aaron Morey, Stuart Gale, Lee-Anne de Bruin, David Hochwald-Jones, David Simpson, Sarah O'Shea, Simon Leunig, David Lock, Stuart Gula, Mark O'Brien, Michelle Shafizadeh, Sharryn Jackson, Greg Joyce, Llewellyn Jones, Steven Burns, Sasha Sari, Cal Doran and Amy Lee.

WA consumers are entering 2020 with subdued confidence, according to research from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA, with four out of five consumers surveyed expecting the economy to worsen or stay the same.

The state government has used today's mid-year review to tout falling debt levels and a higher surplus, disguising what are otherwise middling projections for GSP and wage growth.

Australia's GDP showed only a slight expansion in the last three months, while WA's state final demand fell by 0.2 per cent for the quarter - the second weakest performing state.

One day after the federal government's so-called union-busting laws failed to pass the Senate, the CFMEU has sought to turn the focus on construction boss Gerry Hanssen whose company was fined in the Federal Court today.

The state government has today introduced harsher industrial manslaughter penalties, in an effort to bring WA's WHS laws in line with that of other states.