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DESPITE the global credit crunch, which has wiped trillions of dollars off international share markets and made it more difficult for business to borrow money, Western Australia has again recorded another stellar year of growth, and the outlook remains st

HAS the growing metrosexual culture changed the way we make beers? Low carbohydrate beers haven't exactly taken Australia's beer market by storm; in fact it's hard to think of a low-carb brew that's made much of a mark in the past couple of years beyond F

WESTERN Australia's insulation from the global financial market turmoil is getting thinner by the day, as the risk of a significant and broadly based decline in commodity prices rises with each disturbing escalation of the credit crunch.

IT'S probably because State Scene, long ago, spent several months in the advertising industry that the ploys and proclivities of those in that sector continue to intrigue.

PERTH'S housing market has been through a difficult few years.

LAST week, global stock markets experienced possibly the worst days of trading that will be seen during the current bear phase.

A LOW-PROFILE fibre network born out of a failed state government investment has emerged as the backbone of Leighton Holdings Ltd's efforts to extend its national high-speed data network to the Perth marketplace.

WHAT a roller coaster ride it's been in the past week or so.

AS the global economy reels under the shock of the credit crisis, it's interesting to see how the blame game transpires, especially those voices quick to condemn capitalism as the root of the problem.

CENTRAL Perth's high rents are forcing long-term tenants to rethink their accommodation needs.

THE state government posted a record surplus in 2007-08 of $2.56 billion, fuelled by significant growth in mining royalties and taxation revenue.

THE long-running debate over Australia's energy future heated up again this week, and it's likely to continue running as the economy goes through its ups and downs.

TWELVE months ago, the idea of having more than a handful of job applications for a single vacancy would have been beyond contemplation for many businesses in Western Australia.

THE Western Australian economy ended the 2007-08 financial year on a positive note, with most of the growth again driven by increased business investment.

THE latest round of national research grants has highlighted the University of Western Australia's status as the state's premier research institution, though the grants also indicate that WA as a whole has not performed well.

HIGHER than expected revenue projections over the next two years have prompted the state government to cut land tax by 7 per cent, Treasurer Troy Buswell has announced.

FOUR years after it started training food industry employees, Victoria Park-based provider Australian College of Training is preparing to export its services to New Zealand and Asia.

THE value of the state's mineral and petroleum industry increased by 9 per cent on last year, with the industry generating $58.

A JOINT state and local government committee will implement recommendations of a WA Local Government Association report into councils' sustainability.

THE Western Australian government has started the formal process of selecting a new chief for the Department of Premier and Cabinet, even though the widely tipped winner - Peter Conran who was until a year ago in the inner sanctum of John Howard's prime m

WESTERN Australia had a trade surplus of $41.

CONSTABLE Care Child Safety Foundation founder, Jim King, had given almost 20 years of dedicated service to the not-for-profit organisation at the time of his death, last August.

CI Resources Ltd director Lip Sin Tee spent $650,000 boosting his stake in the company to more than 16 per cent. He now holds about 13 million shares at a value of $15.2 million.

SETTLING in to one of the toughest portfolios in government, Christian Porter knows that the role of the attorney-general is as much about law as it is spinning the political wheel.

WESTERN Australia's property market was a vastly changed landscape in the latter half of financial year 2008, as the boom came to an end and the global financial crisis began to unfold.

THE controversy over the Varanus Island gas explosion has eased somewhat since gas production resumed in August, yet some major gas users have still not been getting any gas.

Opposition leader Eric Ripper has demanded that Premier Colin Barnett end the uncertainty over the royalties for regions deal that underpins the Liberal-National government.

Fremantle-based agribusiness company Craig Mostyn Group has bought the fresh pork business of George Weston Foods/Watsons Foods.

Engineering company Clough Ltd could take a $23 million hit after its Indonesian subsidiary disclosed that it had been forced to suspend work on a coal mine project, which is currently seeking to raise additional capital needed for completion.

Perth-based United Minerals Corporation NL will move to the next study stage after an initial assessment of its Pilbara iron ore project estimated a net operating profit after tax of up to $595 million a year.

A key market analyst says a realistic outlook for nickel prices over the next few years is around $US17,000 per tonne and producers should take heart from an expected doubling in demand over current levels by 2030.

The state government has formed a new committee to oversee redevelopment plans for Royal Perth Hospital, with Dr Peter Montgomery chairing the group.