A SERIES of moves by political staffers into roles linked to the resources sector reveals the growing need for corporate players to find their way around bureaucracy and political roadblocks.
Coote Industrial will be forced to pay Elph $6.5 million after the takeover bidder exercised its put option to sell its stake in Coote subsidiary, Greentrains.
Saracen Properties is expected to announce a replacement builder for the $500 million retail and office development Raine Square within the next two weeks.
Recently-listed Doray Minerals has raised $4 million that will fund further exploration at its Andy Well gold prospect in the northern Murchison region of Western Australia.
Shares in Noble Mineral Resources were higher after the South Perth-based company confirmed a $62 million capital raising to progress its gold project in Ghana.
The first flights have left Australia bound for Europe after a five-day airspace shutdown due to the risks posed by a massive ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in Iceland.
The majority of Australia's private companies are optimistic about the future and are on track to meet revenue targets this year according to one of the world's "big four" accounting firms.
The biggest earthquake to hit the Western Australian Goldfields in 50 years has closed the nation's largest mine and left several historic buildings damaged.
Bibra Lake-based Mineral Resources says it is finalising the largest build, own, operate (BOO) crushing contract ever awarded in Australia for Fortescue Metals Group's Christmas Creek iron ore project in the Pilbara.
Pilbara iron ore hopeful BC Iron has awarded Brisbane-based Watpac construction and services contracts, valued at more than $300 million, at the Nullagine joint venture.
The Rick Hart-chaired Renaissance Minerals is set to open its $6 million initial public offer this week, with plans to list on the local stock exchange at the end of the month.
OM Holdings says it will run the ruler over Consolidated Minerals' Woodie Woodie manganese mine in the Pilbara, which could unlock synergies between both companies.
Shares in West Perth-based Continental Coal were higher after it entered another offtake deal and secured $US47 million ($A51 million) for the Vlakplaats coal project in South Africa.
Western Australia's economic comeback is taking place faster than first predicted with growth expected to rise steadily over the next few years, reaching 6.25 per cent in 2012-13, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA.
Two Western Australian innovators have been awarded a combined $131,257 in the first round of federal government grants under the Commercialisation Australia scheme.
West Perth-based Liontown Resources has struck a $7 million farm-in arrangement with Ramelius Resources for its Mt Windsor gold project in north Queensland.
Australia is expected to benefit from China's continuing economic growth, which grew at its fastest rate in almost three years during the March quarter.
