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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.

Construction will start on Sirona Capital’s $270 million Kings Square Fremantle revitalisation project in August, with national construction contractor Probuild signed to carry out the works.

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.

The share market has closed higher as gains by miners outweighed falls from two major banks that were sold off as they traded ex-dividend.

Defence Issues Minister Paul Papalia says Western Australia has been dudded in the federal government’s $89 billion naval shipbuilding plan, of which WA will receive just over $3 billion of work, while the prime minister has lauded it as “unashamedly nationalistic”.

Fremantle-based livestock exporter Wellard has appointed Chinese businessman Kanda Lu as an executive director in an effort to boost the company's expansion into China's beef cattle market. 

Federal Labor is having a bet each way on the government's new billion-dollar bank levy, backing its introduction but supporting a banker's call for a public inquiry.

ANALYSIS: The fortunes of an iconic residential property developer are a pointer to the health of WA’s economy.

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

Embattled Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi will have to wait until at least June to learn her penalty for seriously breaching local government laws. 

Mining explosives maker Orica has held on to its cautious full-year outlook after spending cuts and business improvement initiatives helped it offset higher costs in the first half of the year.

The Australian market has started strongly after the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq hit record highs in the US, powered by rising oil prices and advancing technology stocks.

Gold rose as U.S. political turmoil, a missile test by North Korea and a worldwide cyber attack fuelled demand for safe-haven assets, while weaker-than-expected U.S. data pushed the dollar lower, making gold cheaper for holders of other currencies.

Oil jumped 2 per cent to its highest in more than three weeks on Monday, topping $US52 a barrel after Saudi Arabia and Russia said that supply cuts need to last into 2018, a step towards extending an OPEC-led deal to support prices for longer than first agreed.

Henry’s bank tax assaultThe federal budget’s bank tax has taken tax policy back to the 1980s, disrupted the governance of the financial system, and perpetuated a dishon

Western Australian farmers are among the most optimistic in the nation, according to the annual Commonwealth Bank of Australia Agi Insights report to be released today, with 39 per cent likely to be investing in their businesses in the year ahead.

The Australian dollar has been unable to sustain gains against the US dollar, despite a jump in crude oil futures and metals getting a boost.

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.

SPECIAL REPORT: Paul Holmes a Court plans for Margaret River’s oldest winery may not come to fruition in his lifetime.

SPECIAL REPORT: Fogarty Wine Group has built its brand over two decades to top the list of WA’s major producers.

SPECIAL REPORT: After a gruelling decade, even a desultory 2016-17 summer could not dampen the growing enthusiasm among WA winemakers.

Poultry producer Ingham’s Chicken will invest more than $70 million to build a new feed mill near Muchea as part of a plan to grow production volumes in Western Australia.

The share market has closed steady after softer-than-expected Chinese figures weighed on the major miners and gains from the banks eased.

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.

Perth businessman John Langoulant has been appointed to lead the state government’s commission of inquiry into the Barnett government’s spending on 26 projects over the past eight years.

OPINION: Iron ore miners Andrew Forrest and Gina Rinehart, Western Australia’s two richest people, are taking a different approach to growing their other major business interest – beef production.

Southern Cross Electrical Engineering’s recently acquired Sydney-based subsidiary, Heyday5, has been awarded more than $50 million of new contracts to carry out electrical services work on a number of major development projects.

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.

A set of stained glass panels that depicts historical scenes of Perth city has provided a fundraising window of opportunity for its current owner, the Film and Television Institute of WA. 

Good summer crop conditions and record livestock and wool prices have helped agribusiness Elders lift its first-half profit by 56 per cent and flag the resumption of dividend payments this year.

JAK is an app that connects customers with qualified tradespeople. JAK ensures that every supplier is qualified, police cleared and insurance checked. Customers rate the service on completion of the job, and can track the arrival time of and see base rates before they post a job.

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