Latest Headlines

The Fremantle business community has sought to rescue Peter Briggs’ motor museum from closure, putting forward an alternative plan to move it to a building used by the nearby Western Australian Maritime Museum.

Technology companies typically emerge from universities and other research institutions, but one WA success story that evolved away from the limelight was ThinkSmart.

With very little fanfare last month, Northern Iron Ltd managed to successfully conduct the year’s biggest mining float, raising $140 million to fund the development of an iron ore mine in Norway.

Finding the right people to manage Western Australia’s technology companies is like finding a needle in a haystack, according to Titan Bioventures managing director and Phylogica non-executive director Harry Karelis.

Already home to mining giants Rio Tinto, Xstrata and Anglo Gold Ashanti, Argentina is considered to be Latin America’s next worldclass mining region, after Chile and Brazil, with its relatively underexplored but highly prospective gold and silver resourc

National rail freight operator, Pacific National, has signed a longterm lease agreement with the state government to secure an additional 38 hectares of land adjoining its Kewdale site.

Perth-based Patersons Securities Ltd is set to launch a resources-focused fund, the second product for the fledgling asset management business launched late last year.

A light rail network connecting East Perth and Subiaco is the subject of a report released this month by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure.

The Australian cricket team has been a wonderful example of professional sport at its best and worst in recent years.

The Perth industrial property market may have enjoyed significant growth in 2007, but property analysts say this year is unlikely to deliver the same returns, despite supply remaining fairly tight.

The median Perth house price rose 1.1 per cent to a record $466,000 in the December quarter, slightly higher than the previous peak recorded in the March quarter last year.

After a 20-year career with Ernst & Young, Lui Giuliani has left the accounting group to establish a private equity firm with ex- KordaMentha executive Oren Zohar, Monadelphous chairman John Rubino, ex-Water Corporation chairman Tim Ungar and the director

Many of Alan Bond’s supporters reckon one of his flaws was being too far ahead of the pack.

Westnet joint owners and directors Barry Mitchell and Peter Brown have sold their Geraldton IT services company, Mitchell and Brown Corporate, to marketing and web development agency Market Creations Pty Ltd.

Wictoria Park-based building company, Westwide Developments Pty Ltd, is making headway with its move into land development, preparing to develop 110 hectares of land in Baldivis over the next few years

WESTERN Australia’s biggest independent assay group, Kalgoorlie-based Kalassay Group, was sold this week to a company controlled by UK company Inspicio Group for $26.5 million.

West Perth-based Transit Holdings Ltd has completed a placement to raise $2 million to sophisticated investors for exploration for haematite mineralisation and working capital.

Rio Tinto Ltd has reported record annual output for key commodities in its fourth quarter 2007 operations review, including a 9 per cent increase in its attributable iron ore output to 145 million tonnes in the calendar year.

Large employers are finding it increasingly tough to find suitable workers in the tight labour market, and in some cases are being forced to retrain staff, a survey has found.

Wesfarmers Premier Coal Ltd and Blackham Resources Ltd have ended their dispute over the Scaddan Energy Project tenements near Esperance, by signing a joint venture agreement to develop the project.

Perth-based Montezuma Mining Company Ltd is seeking to raise up to $3 million to fund an accelerated exploration program at its Peak Hill gold mine near Meekatharra.

VDM Group Ltd subsidiary, Wylie & Skene Pty Ltd, has won new contracts with Rio Tinto Ltd and Fortescue Metals Group Ltd in the Pilbara totalling $14.5 million.

The volume of owner occupier home loans in Western Australia jumped by 4 per cent in November, despite coinciding with the Reserve Bank of Australia's most recent interest rate hike.

Centro Property debts may blow out; Steely determination: Rio vows to export iron ore from India; Labor warns energy exporters to put Australia first; Coles retains hopes of pharmacies in stores; Qantas buffeted as downgrade, $62m fine bite

Perth-based gold exploration company Scotgold Resources Ltd has made a positive debut on the Australian stock exchange today, after sucessfully raising $4.9 million via its November public offer.

Fremantle-based McRobert Aquaculture Group Ltd is seeking $2 million from investors to develop its fish farming business.

Osborne Park-based Joyce Corporation Ltd has sold a five hectare property it owns in South Australia for $4.2 million.

Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd was granted access approval at Gladstone LNG - Fisherman's Landing project site by the Central Queensland Port Authority.

Sydney-based property giant Mirvac Ltd is to take on development of the Binningup townsite north of Bunbury, entering a deal with Binningup Nominees Pty Ltd, the long-running proponent of Lakewood Shores.

Inspectorate International Ltd, a division of UK-based Inspicio Group, has bought Kalassay Group for $25.6 million, continuing the growing acquisition activity of the major geochemical assaying laboratories in WA.

Cooper Energy Ltd has been formally advised by the Tunisian Department of Energy that the Bargou prospecting permit has been converted to an exploration licence for a five year term.

VDM Group Ltd subsidiary Civmec Construction & Engineering Pty Ltd together with its joint venture partner UK-based Laing O'Rourke have been awarded a $146 million project by Argyle Diamonds.