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THE Brisbane Hotel won the Hotel of the Year award at the Australian Bar Awards competition held last week.

Two brothers this year celebrate five decades in business. Barry and Terry Crommelin tell their stories to Adam Orlando. WHEN you can persuade Colin Barnett to attend your business anniversary celebration during what has been a hectic time in politics,

IT'S difficult when assessing elections not to immediately reach for statistics - size of swings, percentage of preferences gained by parties, levels of various majorities, and other such measures that help assess how well or how badly parties and candida

NEW Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore is under no illusions about where his focus will have to be as he returns to the position he held in the previous Liberal government - the approvals process for mining and exploration.

A MANDATORY renewable energy target of 20 per cent would add up to $300 million a year to the cost of producing aluminium in Australia, according the country's leading producer.

THREE Perth entrepreneurs have established a $40 million venture capital fund to invest in new technologies.

Perth-based agricultural investment manager Great Southern Ltd may go back to the drawing board on its $438 million restructuring plans after the market meltdown slashed its share price.

Perth company Complete Site Services, a subsidiary of the Complete Group, has been awarded a $65 million contract to supply and install a 801-man camp for Fortescue Metal Group's Christmas Creek project, about 100km north of Newman.

Australia is experiencing the biggest migration boom in its history, contributing to the fastest rate of population growth the country has experienced in almost 19 years, expanding by 1.61 per cent.

A new bill setting out a framework to better protect temporary overseas workers in Australia will be introduced into the Senate today.

Dioro Explroation NL has cut its three-monthly gold production target by 6000 ounces after a pit wall failure at its South Kalgoorlie operations.

US oil company Chevron has selected three preferred sites in Western Australia for its planned Wheatstone liquefied natural gas project, with a decision expected mid next year.

Cape Lambert Iron Ore Ltd will find out before the end of the week whether an injunction preventing it from acquiring a stake in an African project will be extended.

World leaders have called for urgent steps to tackle the global financial crisis saying the time had come for sweeping reforms of multilateral institutions, including the UN Security Council.

Burke emerges as problem for new state government; Barnett: never on a Sunday; Premier backs Woodside on marketing, tax fight; Rudd acts to ease doubts on short-selling confusion; WA's $300m lobster industry facing disaster

Incremental Petroleum Ltd has taken Cooper Energy Ltd's takeover bid to the Takeovers Panel, saying there are certain deficiencies in the offer.

Despite the volatility in the wider market, the Deloitte index of Western Australian stocks rose by nearly six per cent over the past 12 months, compared to the All Ordinaries index which declined by over 16 per cent.

Shares in embattled Structural Monitoring Systems plc have slumped 60 per cent as the company seeks a shareholder vote to reduce the nominal value of its stock for a planned $4 million raising.

Perth-based energy developer Aviva Corporation Ltd said the purchase of an additional mining lease could boost coal reserves at its Coolimba power station by up to 10 per cent.

Rio Tinto and its partners will invest up to $300 million upgrading the town Pannawonica as it develops its $1 billion Mesa A/Warramboo iron ore project.

BankWest has formed a referral relationship with Allianz Finance, under which the latter will provide debtor finance products to the bank's customers.

Nedlands-based Quickstep Holdings has appointed a new chief executive following the resignation of Nick Noble who has been with the company for eight years.

Woolworths Ltd chief executive Michael Luscombe has joined his Coles rival in calling for the state government to deregulate trading hours in WA at a Perth function today.

Adelaide-based Toro Energy Ltd will move ahead to the next stage of its uranium project in Western Australia, following a study that pegged capital costs at up to $247 million.

A trial date for proceedings between Murchison Metals Ltd and Chameleon Mining NL will be made in early November after a hearing last week ordered Chameleon to front up with the second tranche of security for costs.

Relief as rally cheers investors; Seven tips profit to be cut in half; US bailout fuels relief rally; Rio aims for more ore spot-price deals; WA Libs rewarded in Turnbull shake-up

Western Energy Pty Ltd has been given the green light by the Economic Regulation Authority to operate a 120 megawatt power station at Kwinana which will supply electricity to the South West Interconnected System.

West Perth-based Centaurus Resources Ltd has decided to sell its interest in the Liberdade iron ore project in Brazil in favour of concentrating on its other major assets.

Midwest Corporation Ltd is the latest mining firm to be targeted by the Conservation Council of WA following the release of an environmental review for the Koolanooka/Blue Hills iron ore project.

Rio Tinto has continued its share raid on South Perth-based uranium explorer Extract Resources Ltd which is planning a merger with Kalahari Minerals Ltd.

Cape Lambert Iron Ore Ltd has today confirmed that it is fighting a court injunction brought about by major shareholder Power United Ltd, which is seeking to block the acquisition of a stake in an African project.

South Perth-based Nomad Building Solutions Ltd has secured nearly $50 million worth of contracts for work at Rio Tinto's Brockman 4 iron project and Woodside Petroleum's Pluto operation.