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Oil prices have fallen for a third day in a row as forecasts for rising US crude output and a gloomier outlook for global demand growth in a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Gold rose slightly on Tuesday, as a weakening US dollar and sluggish stock market helped pull the precious metal off a one-week low hit in early trade, while traders also said uncertainty over the fate of a US tax cut prompted some safe-haven buying of gold.

The Australian dollar is steady against the US dollar after an up and down night of trade that saw the currency peak near 76.50 US cents.

AWB Building Co principal Graeme Kennedy cites the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme as the key driver of his decision to set up his business three years ago.

Embattled sandalwood producer Quintis has been thrown a lifeline after entering into a high-interest debt facility for up to $US20 million ($15 million), while also announcing a net loss after tax of $416.8 million for the year to June 2017.

A $2.2 million expansion of the Murchison Widefield Array radio telescope has been completed, doubling the number of antenna stations at the facility, as design work on the planned Square Kilometre Array continues.

Royal Dutch Shell has sold its entire shareholding in Woodside Petroleum for $3.5 billion, after strong demand from institutional investors prompted the energy giant to upsize its previously announced sell-down.

The share market has taken its sharpest fall in seven weeks as profit-takers moved in, selling off across the market and dropping the benchmark index back under 6,000 points.

Shares in Subiaco-based Lustrum Minerals are due to start trading tomorrow after the company completed a $5 million initial public offering to allow the company to fund development of its coal projects in Queensland.

The University of Notre Dame Australia has entered into an agreement to purchase the heritage-listed Customs House building in Fremantle’s West End for an undisclosed sum.

Western Australia’s three largest dairy producers are now under foreign ownership, after Brownes was sold to a consortium of investors that includes Chinese dairy operator Shanghai Ground Food.

Fastbrick Robotics has announced it will build a second of its commercial prototype Hadrian X bricklaying robots in an effort to improve testing procedures.

OZ Minerals has progressed its joint venture with local explorer Cassini Resources at the West Musgrave nickel-copper project after positive results in a further scoping study.

Civil infrastructure work in WA is expected to stabilise at around $6.5 billion a year, underpinning renewed optimism in the sector, the Civil Contractors Federation WA has found.

A weak start to trading has sent the share market's leading index back below the 6,000-point level it broke last week.

Rinehart warns of collapse in investment

The Australian dollar has continued its slide against a steady US dollar, with little news to give it impetus.

Gold recouped some of the previous session's hefty losses on Monday as the US dollar steadied and uncertainty over a US tax reform plan stoked risk aversion, pulling equities from their recent record highs.

Oil prices have held steady in a tight range after briefly testing lower, with support from Middle East tensions and record long bets by fund managers balanced by rising US production.

The Marina, Mindarie was named Perth’s best hospitality venue at last night’s Western Australian Hospitality Awards for Excellence, joining the State Buildings and Print Hall as the most recent winners of the prestigious award.

SPECIAL REPORT: Activity in Western Australia’s graphite sector is continuing apace, with local hopefuls seeking to raise more than $70 million this quarter, an amount similar to that raised for the entire financial year just past.

SPECIAL REPORT: Financing opportunities have improved markedly from just two years ago for the state’s junior miners, amid growing demand for drill rigs and skilled workers.

Even those with only a passing interest in the resources sector would recognise there’s something unusual about an iron ore miner talking up a natural gas project and an oilman talking it down.

ASX-listed property group Stockland has invested $91 million in the purchase of more than 4,600 residential lots across three metropolitan corridors in Perth, comprising a total 385 hectares of land.

Fortescue Metals Group has terminated its agreement with TransAlta Corporation to purchase power from the recently completed South Headland power station after the miner raised performance concerns in August.

A newly established company led by a group of Perth oil and gas executives aims to become a major supplier to the domestic gas market after buying the offshore Equus gas fields from US company Hess Corporation.

Mustang Resources managing director Christiaan Jordaan has resigned two weeks after an auction for its rubies in Mauritius brought disappointing results.

Altura Mining has taken the next step to double capacity at its Pilgangoora project, approving a definitive feasibility study for expansion to 440,000 tonnes per annum of lithium concentrate, while confirming shipments from stage one of the mine are due in the second quarter of 2018.

The private investors in sandalwood business Santanol Group, led by Tony Jack and Bob Bunning, have gained backing from litigation funder IMF Bentham for their fight against private equity group KKR.

US-focused Alexium International Group has announced the appointment of two Australian non-executive directors, Claire Poll and Susan Thomas, while chairman Gavin Rezos will be retiring as of May 2018.

The Australian share market has closed slightly lower, dragged back by two of the big four banks - ANZ and Westpac - trading ex-dividend.

Mining and civil contractor MACA has announced a hit to earnings due to underperforming contracts in its Interquip and Victorian infrastructure divisions.