Dan Wilkie

Builders could soon face tougher penalties for not paying subcontractors on time, but the Master Builders Association has warned several reforms proposed to solve recurring payment issues could increase construction costs and result in more company collapses.

Boutique developer Norup + Wilson is headed to the State Administrative Tribunal to appeal the rejection of its latest proposal, a $39 million, 16-level apartment building near Canning Bridge.

Disruption, a demerger and divestments are shaping Wesfarmers’ long-term approach to growth, managing director Rob Scott told last week’s Success & Leadership breakfast.

Saracen Properties will reassess plans for a redevelopment of the historic Royal George Hotel in East Fremantle, after Planning Minister Rita Saffioti backed a proposal to limit building height on the site to seven storeys.

Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott says while decisions to sell out of Bunnings’ loss-making operations in the UK and Ireland, and to demerge supermarkets giant Coles, were easy in a commercial sense, the Bunnings move in particular proved taxing on an emotional level.

SPECIAL REPORT: Asset sales and M&A action were the highlights of a busy year for WA's wealthiest.

A crackdown on lending by Australian banking regulators has placed further pressure on Western Australian homebuilders, with a decline in housing finance in the state extending to a sixth consecutive year.

Building a bread empire was not part of the plan when Sarah Thomas and her husband, Trevor, took over a Beaufort Street bakery in 2003; their goal was to reinvigorate the struggling business.

Change is sweeping through front bars and suburban watering holes across the city, with publicans of some of the city’s most recognisable pubs spending up big in efforts to stay relevant in Perth’s rapidly diversifying hospitality sector.