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I WAS pleasantly surprised to see a job vacancy advertised in the window of a restaurant last week.

AT first it seemed Western Australia, riding the mining boom, was digging a hole all the way to China.

THIS is State Scene's eighth year-in-review column and, like the first, it features a change of government.

WHEN Alcoa of Australia announced that it was embarking on a joint venture to develop the $100 million Warro gas project north of Perth, it underscored the biggest business issue of 2008 - energy security.

THE global credit crunch effectively put the brakes on the Western Australian property market during the latter part of 2008, limiting sales volumes and hampering the development of new projects.

AN already strained rock lobster industry took another hit late this year as new Fisheries Minister Norman Moore introduced strict limitations to an already tightly controlled field.

RIO Tinto will cut 14,000 jobs, slash its 2009 capital spending from $9 billion to $4 billion and increase asset sales in order to reduce its $38.9 billion debt by a further $10 billion by the end of

The Western Australian Trade Enquiry Service is operated by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA with the support of the WA Government's Department of Industry and Resources.

SWEEPING changes have occurred at WA Newspapers Holdings this month, with a number of arrivals at the state’s biggest media outlet and publisher of The West Australian.

THE million dollar renovations to The Western Australian Club's St Georges Terrace home have been unveiled, with the fresh look hoping to breathe new life into the 115-year-old private facility.

UWA Professor Peter Quinn has been appointed the director of a new $20 million radio astronomy research centre, headquartered at UWA.

A SPATE of mergers in the property valuations sector could be a sign of things to come, as the downturn in the property market forces greater consolidation within the sector.

Mount Magnet South non-executive director Fred McMurray has been issued with 4 million convertible notes at a total cost of $200,000, with each note holding a conversion price of five cents each.

LAST year, in a deal which was value destroying for the shareholders of base metal miner Oxiana Limited, that company merged with Zinifex Ltd to become Oz Minerals.

Port Hedland consortium named THE state government has selected a consortium comprising Satterley Property, Leighton Contractors and Ngarda Civil and Mining as the preferred proponent to investigate t

THE buying and selling of securities by directors appears to have softened as the year draws to an end, but not without some last-minute grabs.

THE number of housing finance commitments in Western Australia rose 5 per cent for the month of October, seasonally adjusted, compared to the previous month, but remains almost 20 per cent down on the

WESTERN Australia is one of the worst-performing states in the take-up of renewable energy, with just more than 8,000 customers signed up to an accredited GreenPower product in 2007.

AUDITOR General Colin Murphy has called on the WA Department of Health to improve the way it buys services from non-government and not-for-profit organisations, following an audit of the department's purchasing practices.

REGIONAL energy supplier Horizon Power has teamed up with Darwin-based PowerCorp and Perth-based SunPower Australia to build two hybrid solar-diesel power stations in the Pilbara, at a cost of $25 mil

A PERTH jazz pianist, inspired by the young artists he teaches daily, has overcome challenges from two local councils and the liquor licensing authority to successfully pursue his dream of opening a jazz club.

DARKENED windows, limited space, musty odours, a long, crowded bar, and thick shag carpet infused with cigarette ash and stale beer from decades worth of gigs - all treasured memories of one of Perth's favourite live music venues.

Alliance Resources Ltd Patrick Mutz has been appointed managing director. The group’s current CEO Steve Johnston will remain as general manager.

THE state government is looking to add a new layer of planning expertise to sit above local government as part of its bid to streamline approvals in the land development sector.

THE Vintage Concert, as part of the 2009 Margaret River Wine Region Festival, will be headlined by two of Australia's biggest musical artists at the Leeuwin Estate Amphitheatre on Sunday April 19 2009.

FAMILY owned small business Casa Dairy Products has won the best retail product category at the inaugural Westpac Food and Beverage Industry Awards, organised by the Food Industry Association of WA.

A WESTERN Australian technology company that specialises in down-hole survey tools is making headway in Australia and on the international market, despite the global economic turmoil forcing resources projects to shutdown.

What does a typical day at work involve? I check e-mails and answer those that need immediate action, then check appropriate articles in scientific journals.

CHANGE is not in the air, it has hit the ground running, or should I say running rampant. If it hasn’t affected you or your business in some way, you are in the minority. Change is here.

WITH mining activity in the Pilbara forecast to double over the next ten years, demand for water in West Pilbara could outstrip long-term supply within the next two to six years.

WE'VE gone beyond the old boom-bust cycle." How many times did we hear that comment over the past year or two? "We're in a new paradigm."

Finsia Residential Property Outlook The strength of Australia’s economy has been highlighted in recent years by its ability to withstand a number of internal and external events, including a major dro