STAFFING and skills shortages are again high on the agenda for Western Australian businesses, and the hotel market is among those industries feeling the pinch.
OUTSIDE those who work in the highly technical 3D gaming industry, there are not too many people who spend their working hours navigating a three dimensional computerised world.
BHP Billiton is budgeting to spend at least $US80 billion to expand its business over the next five years, after its booming WA iron ore business fuelled the biggest interim net profit ever delivered in Australia.
Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman says Western Meat Packers' new $7 million headquarters, officially opened in Osborne Park today, signal confidence in the state's beef industry.
Aspen Group has finalised a deal to acquire a $183 million office development in Adelaide from one of its part-owned funds, which had previously been unable to secure a pre-sale of the building.
Tanami Gold says a 40 per cent increase in the mineral resources at its Central Tanami project has paved the way for a resumption of mining operations.
Reed Resources and joint venture partner Mineral Resources have agreed to amend the ownership structure of the Mt Marion lithium project to achieve a greater alignment of interests for the downstream processing of the minerals for use in batteries.
Perth-based advanced materials group Alexium has announced a six-month extension to its US Air Force research and development agreement, and says it is working on a new multi-year contract to expand applications for its surface treatment technology.
Nickel miner Mincor Resources has posted it's second ever period in the red, with a $2.1 million first half net loss on the back of unexpected operational issues at its Kambalda mines.
Complaining about the $35.9 billion National Broadband Network has become a pointless exercise. The real question, now that it is being built, is how will we pay for it, and the nasty answer is a compulsory levy.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is refusing to make any changes to Labor's planned mining tax, despite Treasury figures showing the modified version will collect $60 billion less in revenue.
Westfield Group has reported a $1.1 billion profit for the year to December 2010, compared with a loss of $457.8 million in the prior corresponding period, the Sydney-based group said in a statement on Wednesday.
BHP Billiton has reported net profit of $US10.524 billion ($A10.51 billion) in the first half of financial year 2011, and says it is confident of the outlook for commodities as emerging markets continue to drive growth.
The federal government has dismissed suggestions wireless technology is a threat to the national broadband network as Telstra plans to boost mobile internet speeds.
West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says an agreement over a $30 billion gas hub north of Broome is in reach after a Federal Court ruling removed a "spoiler element" from negotiations.
BC Iron says a media report claiming its second largest shareholder, Regent Pacific, had sealed a takeover deal with the iron ore miner before it was announced to the market is "highly misleading".
Steel fabrication and engineering group G&G Mining has been fined $60,000 over an incident in which a worker from a labour hire firm was crushed and left a paraplegic.
Poseiden Nickel says it will restart its Mt Windarra nickel mine after it entered an $8 million agreement with GSM Mining to complete the refurbishment of the underground project.
Shares in Glory Resources rose after the junior minerals explorer acquired some landholdings from Rio Tinto in Canada that are prospective for platinum group metals, copper and nickel.
The state government has released detailed design plans for the Perth waterfront redevelopment, and has set aside $270 million in the 2011-12 state budget to kick off construction early next year.
Westpac Banking Corporation chief executive Gail Kelly says business credit demand is likely to pick up in the second half of fiscal 2011, and could rebound quite quickly.
Medical devices and technologies group bioMD has announced a friendly takeover bid for Allied Medical, an unlisted public company backed by Andrew Forrest and led by Ian Frazer.
Australand Property Group has forecast earnings to grow by at least five per cent in 2011 after returning to profitability in 2010 and says the outlook for residential, industrial and office sectors remains positive.
Embattled property developer Luke Saraceni has filed a writ in the Supreme Court to have KordaMentha removed as receivers for troubled $500 million office development Raine Square.
Atlas Iron has declared its off-market takeover offer for Giralia Resources unconditional and says it will accelerate payments to shareholders who accept the offer.
