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The Western Australian government is touting for school cleaners, gardeners and tourism workers amid chronic worker shortages in the booming state.

The Perth International Arts Festival is the oldest annual international multi-arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere.

With many investors in Western Australia's fledgling technology sector having been burned by lossmaking companies such as Chemeq, Clinical Cell Culture and ERG, it has been difficult for new companies emerging in their wake to attract support.

After a couple of failed attempts earlier this decade, Western Australia is edging closer towards connection to its first new international subsea cable in almost 10 years.

Commercial Property Conference The Property Council of Australia is hosting a conference on commercial property, February 29 at the Hyatt Regency.

While Western Australia's mining stocks and their investors enjoy a bull run, emerging technology companies with new ideas are finding it harder to attract investor attention.

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.

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.

Henderson-based Nomad building Solutions Ltd has announced today the $40 million acquisition of the construction, property management and modular building business units of Rapley Wilkinson.

Farm budget bonus firms hope of bumper grain crop; Shakeout turns MFS into a target; Credit crunch cuts super returns; Debt funding boosts Windimurra; Iron ore prices ready to roar