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Margaret River wine pioneer Dr John Lagan has seen his Xanadu Wines collapse and its major assets sold to eastern states interests. In the process shareholders, his family included, have lost millions of dollars. Mark Mentiplay reports

As the gutted shell of Xanadu Wines, the renamed Global Wine Ventures, considers its options, the Rathbone family is moving quickly to re-establish founder Dr John Lagan’s vision of Xanadu as a premium Margaret River wine and tourism icon.

The state’s recently passed Mining Amendment Bill may aim to provide greater incentive for mineral exploration, but concerns remain that the current production boom is blinding decision makers to the decline in exploration spending.

The big spenders in the September quarter may represent a vastly different group but one commodity group that stands apart from the iron ore hunters is the diamond explorers.

Curtin University is facing big changes in 2006 after chancellor Eric Tan announced he would retire when his current term expires in March.

It might feel like a long way away but the events at Cronulla Beach in Sydney at the weekend are something we should all be wary of.

Last week’s in-camera parliamentary privileges committee hearings on Liberal leader Matt Birney’s financial interests statements raised a host of questions that will hopefully be addressed before Christmas.

‘Unintended consequences’ is one of those marvellous expressions which, when translated, simply means we have no idea what will happen after we change the rules.

There were no punches pulled by the wine industry experts who addressed last week’s WA Wine Industry Outlook Conference 2005.

Health fund HBF managing director Mike Gurry has highlighted the rising cost of medically implanted prostheses, which amounted to $52 million last year, as well as operations and doctors' fees in his annual report to members.

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Rapid growth has driven Great Southern Plantations to seek a new head office for the second time in two years.

Was Peter Costello serious when he suggested reportedly he had no responsibility to investigate the background of Reserve Bank of Australia board candidate, Robert Gerard?

State Scene expects to be voting, soon after New Year, in a by-election for the seat of Yokine, currently held by one-time Labor minister Bob Kucera.

Buying local is a good thing when shopping for fruit and vegetables, but not necessarily a wise investment policy.

Clive Otto received some belated industry acknowledgment last week when one of Australia’s best-read wine magazines, Winestate, named him the Australian Winemaker of the Year 2005.

The Dullsville tag irks many people in Perth but it refuses to go away. WA Business News responded to this problem by convening a forum of liquor, hospitality and tourism industry leaders to discuss what should be done about it.

This time next year, buying liquor in Western Australia could be a whole lot easier.

The Liquor Stores Association of WA has crafted a compromise reform proposal that would allow independent stores to trade on Sundays but would maintain restrictions on chain stores owned by Coles Myer and Woolworths.

People in Perth may be surprised to learn that current laws allow cafes and restaurants to serve alcoholic drinks to customers who do not purchase a meal.

If the recently unveiled plans for the redevelopment of Perth’s foreshore sound familiar, they should.

Although the state government has voiced its support for foreshore development, the controversial issue of coastal development seems to have died down after the government introduced a height policy earlier this year.

While participants in the WA Business News forum agreed that more inner-city development was needed, the issues and consequences that arise when residential and commercial developments are combined are well known, as evidenced by the Old Swan Brewery and

Fast-growing cash flow lender Benchmark Debtor Finance has been acquired by two Sydney-based financial institutions, Allco Principal Finance and Balmain NB.

Action currently under way by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission against Westpoint Group hasn’t swayed the enthusiasm of many property companies and lenders, who see mezzanine financing as a mainstream way of financing developments.

Busselton-based Thumtronics Ltd has raised $588,000 from investors to develop a new electronic musical instrument called the 'Thummer'.

A number of other winners at the Margaret River Wine Show were announced besides Evans & Tate last night.

Business news summaries from around the nation.

In the future, probably closer to the year 2020 than today, there might be an iron ore mine on the Shovelanna tenement co-worked by a small company called Cazaly Resources.

It was out with the old and in with the new during November as Houghton Wines made two important decisions about its future.

Long-time Margaret River porducer Clairault Wines has won the tender to become the sole wine sponsor for the UWA Perth International Arts Festival 2006.

After long period of industry speculation over Westpoint Group’s operations in the risky business of apartment developments, the corporate regulator last week took action against companies within its property empire.