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Port Bouvard has refinanced its existing bank facilities with St George Bank to the tune of $167.6 million, renewed until the end of 2011, allowing the property developer to focus on progressing the development of its flagship assets in Western Australia.

The state government has welcomed the Supreme Court ruling's overturning legal action by Apache Northwest to block the release of a restricted report into the Varanus gas pipeline explosion more than 18 months ago.

Iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group has nearly resolved the year-long dispute with its shipping charter contractors afte agreeing to pay more than $US20 million to one of the counterparties involved.

Balcatta-based mineral testing company Ammtec has suffered a slide in share value today after announcing a first half profit warning due to tough working conditions for its engineering subsidiary Marc Technologies.

Resources veteran Miles Kennedy has tendered his resignation as non-executive chairman at Sandfire Resources which the company said is part of a planned restructure of its Board.

Gold explorer Laguna Resources' share value remains unchanged after announcing it had acquired the Cachitos Gold Project in northern Chile.

Shares in engineering outfit VDM moved up slightly after announcing it had won a $79 million contract with a Rio Tinto subsidiary to refurbish the Pannawonica township in the Pilbara.

The stock price of Murchison Metals climbed this morning after announcing an upgrade for its 50 per cent-owned Jack Hills project to three billion tonnes with work underway exploring further potential at the site.

Mine sites ceased production and ports closed as heavy rains and strong winds battered the iron ore-rich Pilbara region overnight while other operations were left unscathed by Tropical Cyclone Laurence despite causing widespread damage as it moved inland.

Shares in iron ore explorer Aurox Resources closed slightly higher today after the company announced a 15 per cent upgrade at its Balla Balla project in the Pilbara to 238 million tonnes.

West Perth-based resources development outfit Atlantic Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a state-owned corporation to develop a new bauxite project in Vietnam.

Western Australia has joined the rest of the nation, excluding Tasmania, in posting a significant jump in new motor vehicle sales in November compared to the previous month, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data has showed.

Shares in Perth-based gold explorer Adamus Resources dropped today after announcing it had secured a credit facility for the development of its Southern Ashanti Gold Project in Ghana, enabling it to become a mid-tier gold producer by early 2011.

Shares in mining contractor NRW Holdings were up slightly following the announcement of a $200 million contract for the design, development and operation of an iron ore mine at Rio Tinto's Western Turner Syncline Section 10 deposit in the Pilbara.

Perth-based construction and engineering outfit Doric has secured a $3 million contract with the Water Corporation to increase pump performance at the Tamworth Hill Pump Station in Baldivis.

Developing and commercialising innovative technologies of 35 start-ups across the nation is the aim of the federal government's $64 million in funding, to be distributed by 11 fund managers.

A survey commissioned by the Australian Medical Association has found that doctors and nurses are rated as the country's most trusted professions respectively, with Western Australians also having a soft spot for teachers, engineers, accountants and trade

Great Southern receiver McGrathNicol has opted to wind up the olive schemes operated by the fallen agribusiness company after failing to overcome a stalemate with two of the biggest names in Western Australian horticulture.

Perth-based uranium explorer Energia Minerals is poised to list on the Australian Securities Exchange later this month after an initial public offer raised $7.5 million.

There is good news ahead with 2010 shaping to be a much better year for Western Australian businesses, with a majority of employers expecting the local economy to pick up pace in the next 12 months, according WA's peak industry body.

WA employers want more input into federal policy in order to stop a repeat of the ‘Karratha problem’.

The Labour Party has shifted a long way from its traditional base

Despite widespread predictions of doom and gloom in 2009 due to the global financial crisis, there were more ups than downs in a year in which WA led the rest of the country.

IF there is one phrase to sum up 2009, it is liquefied natural gas, for it was undoubtedly the year that LNG became the main game in town and the virtual saviour of business confidence and Treasury projections.

COMETH the hour, cometh the man, as the saying goes.And for Western Australia’s key export industry, the hour certainly came early in 2009, and with it a handful of key executives took the opportunity to make their mark.

AFTER the uncertainty of 2008, investing in infrastructure to boost confidence in the economy was a primary objective of both state and federal governments during 2009.

WESTERN Australia may have proved its resilience in 2009 by bouncing back from the financial crisis to lead Australia’s economic recovery, but it still endured its fair share of disasters during the year.

EMPLOYMENT agencies have welcomed new federal government rules that remove a cap on the number of disabled people they can support in the workforce.

As 2009 comes to a close, major construction companies are exploring new opportunities in the public sector to offset the expected downturn in commercial building.

COMING off the boom levels of residential construction experienced from 2006 until 2008, the past 12 months has been a slow period for the building sector, according to industry analysis.

SOUTH West Printing and Publishing has joined a growing number of businesses to have found that employing disabled workers can bring substantial rewards.

Diverse offerings and a user-friendly atmosphere are paramount for Chris Taylor. Russell Quinn reports.