Jack McGinn

Western Australia’s domestic gas policy settings require serious government intervention to protect industry, according to the interim report from the state’s inquiry into the matter.

Shipbuilders Austal and Luerssen have responded to yesterday’s $11 billion Naval fleet announcement, which will have significant implications for ongoing works at Henderson.

Administrators have been appointed to privately owned battery metals play EVM Nickel, which holds nickel rights on a series of tenements near Meekatharra.

Ministerial intervention has led the Australian Federation of Air Pilots to call off strike action planned at Network Aviation later this week as a storm risk builds in the state’s north.

The first Indonesia-built modules for a second LNG production train at Woodside Energy’s Pluto plant have arrived at Karratha, in a milestone for the company’s Scarborough project.

Oil and gas producer Santos recorded a 42 per cent fall in underlying profit in 2023 off a 24 per cent reduction in sales revenue, reflecting lower received prices and less production volume.

Shares in Strike Energy plummeted a further 25 per cent today as the company updated on well testing at its South Erregulla gas project in the Perth Basin.

Perth contractor Mader Group reported a revenue record in the first half of the financial year, delivering a 34 per cent increase to $374.4 million off significant US business growth.

Qantas subsidiary Network Aviation is working through contingency plans, after the Australian Federation of Air Pilots opted to extend ongoing strike action at the airline by a further four days.

Treasury data has revealed primary school teachers, nurses and truck drivers will be among those best off under the government’s contentiously revised stage-three tax cuts.

BHP says it could be several months before deciding the fate of its nickel division as the federal and state governments weigh additional support to keep the embattled sector alive.

Western Australia will be a significant beneficiary of an $11 billion investment to double the size of the nation’s Navy surface combatant fleet, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Tom Zaunmayr and Jack McGinn discuss the growth of the smallgoods sector in Western Australia.

The state and federal governments aim to achieve production from a long-mooted Pilbara hydrogen hub by 2028, having formalised a $140 million funding agreement.

The state’s nickel miners will receive a 50 per cent royalty rebate over 18 months, as the government looks to mitigate the disastrous impact of the metal’s recent price collapse.

Concerns over the delivery of infrastructure to accommodate nuclear submarines in Rockingham have re-emerged as the deadline for delivery draws nearer.

US chemicals giant Albemarle has warned that low lithium prices could stifle investment decision-making but has faith in the long-term vision of the business.

Mark Beyer and Jack McGinn discuss the career progression of newly appointed Pilbara Minerals chairman Kathleen Conlon.

Woodside Energy has flagged $US1.5 billion ($2.3 billion) worth of non-cash impairments for the 2023 calendar year, including a write-down on its share of output from the Wheatstone project.

Premier Roger Cook will continue talks with federal government around nickel royalty relief today, after the revelation that BHP was considering placing its Nickel West assets on care and maintenance.

BHP has written down the value of its Western Australian nickel operations by US$3.5 billion ($5.4 billion) pre-tax as a result of depressed market conditions for the battery metal.

Jack McGinn and Tom Zaunmayr discuss the major changes in private businesses operating in Western Australia.

The latest round of Liberal Party WA preselection nominations closed today, with a number of prominent candidates raising their hands to contest the state and federal upper houses.

City of Perth Lord Mayor and WA Liberal preselection candidate Basil Zempilas has labelled the state government ‘arrogant and out of touch’ after the closure of a Northbridge hotel.

The pathways to access power supply on new residential subdivisions will be simplified by the WA government, in a move designed to accelerate project delivery and shorten a growing waitlist.

Union-affiliated Network Aviation pilots will double their strike action from three days to six, as their dispute with parent company Qantas over an enterprise agreement escalates.

The strong performance of Seven Group Holdings’ industrial segment outweighed a substantial fall in media business earnings and asset write-downs at Beach Energy in the first half of FY24.

Jack McGinn and Isabel Vieira discuss the jobs lost in battery and materials processing in WA in January.

Project scale-backs and mine closures have put jobs in the spotlight but the headline figures only tell part of the story.

Roger Cook has backed business in and reiterated the need for environmental approvals overhaul in his speech to open the first sitting of parliament in 2024.

A Rio Tinto autonomous train has derailed in the Pilbara this week, with the incident currently under investigation by the iron ore miner.

Premier Roger Cook has urged Qantas and the union representing pilots at its WA subsidiary, Network Aviation, to resolve their differences ahead of planned strike action later this week.