Business News

Screen funding and development agency ScreenWest has announced plans to amalgamate the Film & Television Institute WA.

Veski opens Perth outpost

A new Perth-based gold and copper exploration company has closed flat on its first day of trading on the ASX, after completing a $4 million initial public offering.

AusCann Group Holdings has confirmed a $12 million capital raising to fund the development and manufacture of medical cannabis products in Australia.

South African mining giant Gold Fields has spent $64.3 million to increase its stake in Perth-based Gold Road Resources to 10 per cent, as the two companies jointly develop the Gruyere project.

Decimal Software has appointed Pauline Vamos as non-executive director.

An Auckland-based industrial services provider has won a contract with Woodside Petroleum to build a treatment plant in Karratha to process waste from the energy giant’s oil and gas operations, for an undisclosed sum.

Indigenous group Pindari has won a multi-million dollar contract to provide cleaning, grounds maintenance and associated services at nine of Rio Tinto’s mine sites in the Pilbara.

A new survey has shed some light on the impact that the mining downturn has had on households in Perth and Peel, with nearly half of those surveyed saying they don’t expect their quality of life to improve anytime soon.

The owner of the $6 billion Balla Balla iron ore project in the Pilbara has entered into an option agreement to acquire the nearby Weelumurra asset from Mineral Resources for an undisclosed sum.

Panorama Synergy has appointed Peter Lewis AM as chief executive.

A slight improvement in economic conditions helped regional Western Australia’s regional median house price improve in the previous quarter, Real Estate Institute of Western Australia president Hayden Groves says.

Aspiring potash producer Danakali has tapped investors for $12.3 million as it moves ahead with development of its Colluli project in Africa.

Wellard, Australia’s largest cattle exporter, has appointed Chinese businessman Kanda Lu as executive director. Mr  Lu replaces Greg Wheeler who has retired from the board.

The state government has introduced priority legislation that would give the auditor general new powers to audit local government councils, in order to raise the standard of accountability in the sector.

Professional services organisation KPMG hopes to better assist companies affected by changes to foreign worker laws after acquiring the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA’s migration services division for an undisclosed sum.

Perth-based Musgrave Minerals has tapped investors for $3 million to fund exploration work at its Cue gold project in the Murchison region.

Galaxy Resources has appointed Xi Xi as non-executive director.

Shares in sandalwood company Quintis have gone into a trading halt, after horrific losses last week including a nearly 36 per cent fall on Friday.

Perth-based director Andrew Chapman has survived a leadership reshuffle at tech company 1-Page after shareholders voted to keep him on the board but remove co-founder Joanna Riley as a director.

Former Google executive Lee Hunter has been named chief executive of advertising technology company Tech Mpire, succeeding Luke Taylor who will remain with the business in another role.

Engineering and construction contractor Decmil Group has sold its Osborne Park headquarters to Primewest Funds for $27.5 million.

Roby Zomer, founder of MGC Pharmaceuticals, has been appointed chief executive officer. Mr  Zomer was its executive director and chief technical officer prior to this appointment.

Rox Resources and Marindi Metals will head to trial to resolve a dispute over the Reward zinc joint venture in the Northern Territory.

Premier Mark McGowan will seek to freeze the wages of all politicians, public service heads, judges, magistrates, the WA governor, and local council chief executives for the next four years, while offering a $1,000 increase to all public sector employees.

West Perth-based Australian Potash has completed native title work for its Lake Wells project in the Goldfields, and is expected to commence work on a feasibility study in coming months.

Gold hopeful Impact Minerals is aiming to raise $4 million through a share purchase plan to fund exploration at is Commonwealth gold-silver-base metals project in NSW.

West Perth-based gold miner Beadell Resources has started work on a $US28 million plant upgrade project at its Tucano gold mine in Brazil, with commissioning to get under way in the middle of 2018.

The state government has confirmed that Perth Stadium will not be ready to host the Ashes cricket Test in December this year, saying the first confirmed event was an Ed Sheeran concert on March 3 2018.

Australian Potash has appointed Rhett Brans and Brett Lambert as non-executive directors. Brenton Siggs and Dean Goodwin have resigned from the board.

Local law firms make moves

Hexagon Resources has announced several changes to its board and management. Current non-executive director, Charles Whitfield, has been appointed chair.