Edited announcement

Woodside Petroleum has awarded a $120 million contract to Kwinana engineering and fabrication company AusGroup to provide construction support services for the Pluto liquefied natural gas project.

The Masters Builders Association says house prices and the costs of commercial construction will rise following amendments to redundancy provisions in the sector.

Centamin Egypt has entered into an agreement with Macquarie Bank for a $US25 million ($A35 million) loan facility for the development of its Sukari gold project.

Ausdrill says it has entered into a non-binding $US150 million ($A213 million) agreement with AngloGold Ashanti for drilling and blasting services at its Geita gold mine in Tanzania.

The Labor Party has called on the state government to explain why it needs a further $1.2 billion to meet new spending decisions after debate was gagged in Parliament for the third time this week.

Black Swan State Theatre Company has appointed Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief Sam Walsh as its new chairman while University of Western Australia vice-chancellor Alan Robson has joined its board.

Shares in Avita Medical have jumped after sales for its asthma products jumped 72 per cent to nearly $2 million.

Shipbuilder Austal has entered an unconditional $114 million contract to build the largest catamaran ferry in the company's history.

Struggling iron ore miner Territory Resources has entered a standstill agreement with, and provided additional security to, its financiers as it seeks to restructure or refinance its foreign exchange hedging and loan arrangements.

A construction forecasting body says Australia-wide activity in the sector is expected to slump by $12 billion over the next two years while construction in the mining industry is expected to plummet 60 per cent.

The state's Pastoralists and Graziers' Association has welcomed the prospect of private, long-term investment in regional infrastructure projects by Palisade Investment Partners, which is headed by former Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile.

VDM Group announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Wylie & Skene Pty Ltd, has been awarded a $17 million contract by China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) to install an additional 700 man camp at Cape Preston.

Western Australian company CI Resources will increase its stake in phosphate miner Phosphate Resources by 2.97 per cent.

Rebel Sport has been announced naming rights sponsor for this year's City to Surf, to be held on August 30.

Western Australian mineral and petroleum sales increased 35 per cent in 2008 to be worth $71.8billion, according to figures released this week.

The Federal Court has imposed a five year injunction on a former SeNevens International director for knowingly engaging in misleading conduct.

Engine technology company Orbital Corporation has restructured the ownership of its Synerject joint venture by agreeing to sell an eight per cent stake to its US partner Continental Corporation.

The occupancy rate in Perth's major hotels reached 82.4 per cent during 2008, ranking Perth at the top of a global survey of hotel occupancy rates.

Neptune Marine Services has secured new and extended contracts valued at some $45 million, including work on the North West Shelf.

Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore met senior BHP Billiton executives today to discuss the company's response to recent fatalities at its iron ore operations in the Pilbara.

West Perth company Galaxy Resources has raised $1.8 million by a book build to sophisticated investors.

Oil and gas explorer Golden State Resources is headed for court after it rejected a counter settlement offer from its services provider in the United States.

Miner Kagara says production has restarted at its Mt Garnet polymetallic plant following heavy rainfall in Queensland.

Property developer Peet plans to raise $81.5 million through a rights issue, with around two-thirds of the raising underwritten by company directors and UBS.

West Perth company Continental Capital has appointed Petrus Snyders as chief executive officer of subsidiary Continental Coal and has topped its planned $20 million financing target.

Investor confidence has fallen to the worst level in more than four years due to the global financial crisis, a new quarterly survey shows.

Falcon Minerals has settled a sale with Iluka Resources subsidiary Basin Minerals Holdings for its 10 per cent equity in the Echo Minerals Sands Project, located in the Murray Basin in Victoria.

Apache's Australian managing director Tim Wall will move to head the group's operations in Canada, with his deputy, John Bedingfield, replacing him as the local chief.

Energy Minister Peter Collier visited Karratha earlier today to mark the start of construction of the most efficient gas-fired power station on the Pilbara’s North West Interconnected System (NWIS).

Shadow Treasurer Ben Wyatt has today expressed concerns that the abolition of the State Supply Commission will have an adverse effect on small businesses.

The WA Local Government Association has urged its members to press ahead with reform plans, after the state government said it would not legislate to force mergers of local councils.

Federal Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr has officially launched a new centre to give Western Australia's manufacturing companies practical help in improving day to day business.