Latest Headlines

 Prime Minister Julia Gillard will invite business leaders to the first meeting of a new advisory forum set up to find ways to cut red tape, as Treasurer Wayne Swan's criticism of three mining

Western Australia’s property development, retail and residential building sectors are set for an increase in corporate insolvencies over 2012, despite a falling trend in the total number of company

Far from leaving us with a hangover, the recent Chinese New Year party has given Australia a huge tourism boost.

Newcrest Mining is to become a joint venture partner with Frontier Resources in its Mt Andewa project in Papua New Guinea after taking a small stake in the junior gold and copper explorer .

The state government will focus on improving waste recovery rates from the construction, demolition and industrial sectors to achieve "ambitious" targets in its new waste strategy, but has no plans

The Reserve Bank of Australia has kept the cash rate at 4.25 per cent after its March board meeting, citing improved economic conditions.

Middle Island Resources has announced a $10 million share placement to accelerate exploration at its gold projects in Liberia and Burkina Faso.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan's attack on billionaire mining magnates for wielding undue influence is unacceptable and unfounded, Premier Colin Barnett says.

The Australian Greens have slammed the federal government's early axing of the solar hot water rebate scheme, saying sun power is the nation's future.

Westpac Banking Corporation has confirmed plans to send 119 technology jobs overseas to cut costs.

The Australian economy has been crawling along below trend pace for a number of years, a leading economist says.

Iron ore and vanadium miner Atlantic has lined up a $41.7 million funding package to cover a cash shortfall caused by delays in production of ferrovanadium and iron ore exports from its Windimurra

It’s not easy to get inside the mind of a High Court judge, but when Justice Gummow used the word “Orwellian” last week in the latest instalment of ASIC v Andrew Forrest a bell tinkled in my mind.

A judge has thrown out Gina Rinehart's latest bid to keep secret her family court battle, rejecting claims the publicity would increase kidnapping or extortion risks.

 The first half of 2012 could be the best period in years for Australian agriculture, underpinned by a sizeable increase in Western Australian average farm cash.

Unions will launch a test case to lift apprentice wages to at least the minimum wages in their industry.

The Australian share market has opened more than half a per cent lower.

The Australian dollar has fallen almost half of a US cent as global markets reacted to China's reduced growth target.

Confidence among small and medium businesses took a backward step in the March quarter, a quarterly survey by information management firm Sensis found.

US stocks have fallen on worries about the slowing global economy after China lowered its growth estimate eclipsed positive numbers on the US services sector.

Fortescue Metals Group has hit back at Treasurer Wayne Swan, calling his attack on company founder Andrew Forrest “extreme”, “irrational” and “very disappointing”.

The Australian dollar rose 0.3 of a US cent in the absence of any major market-moving data, by contrast to what has otherwise been a volatile week.

Cape Lambert Resources will become the major shareholder in Chameleon Mining after announcing an agreement to take its stake to 14.94 per cent.

The mining boom has helped cities in Western Australia and Queensland top a list of property hotspots to look out for this year.

The Australian stock market closed higher after a positive lead from Wall Street, shrugging off higher unemployment levels in Europe.

Sundance Resources shares were heavily traded on the ASX after the iron ore explorer entered an agreement with a private West African company about sharing infrastructure planned for the Perth-base

Water Minister Bill Marmion admits a 13.5 per cent interest rate being charged on unpaid water bills is high and says he will ask the Water Corporation to justify it.

Consumer goods retailer Harvey Norman is drastically scaling back plans to conduct five per cent of its trade online, only months after launching a brand new website.

Leighton Contractors is the latest firm to sign a framework agreement with Rio Tinto, as the mining giant pushes towards its target of exporting 353 million tonnes of iron ore per year by 2015.

Major shareholders in UCL Resources will not accept a hostile takeover offer from Minemakers, casting a cloud over the likelihood of the proposal succeeding.

Entrust Private Wealth Management has announced a merger with Finovia, a Melbourne-based funds manager backed by the private investment arm of the Wyllie family.

A Western Australian parliamentary committee will investigate whether organisers of the Kimberley Ultramarathon, in which two women were badly burned in a bushfire, took reasonable steps to ensure