Fraser Beattie

Sadleirs Logistics, a subsidiary of Western Australia’s oldest family-owned business, has won a contract to supply mainland transport services to Chevron’s operations in the Pilbara for an undisclosed sum.

The state government has announced plans to construct 15 new passing lanes along the Great Eastern Highway, with the project to cost $48 million.

Oil and gas explorer New Standard Energy has freed itself of debt after selling its Cooper Basin and US assets to Sundance Energy in a deal valued at $24 million.

Plans by Emeco Holdings to diversify and accelerate its growth through M&A deals have come to naught, after the mining equipment supplier announced today its agreed takeover of Perth company RentCo and its merger discussions with Queensland competitor Orionstone had both been terminated.

The state government has deferred the introduction of any cost-recovery fees for processing mining, exploration and prospecting applications.

Former Gindalbie Metals managing director Tim Netscher is set to take the helm of gold miner St Barbara, when Colin Wise retires from the role as non-executive chairman next month.

Private equity group Auctus Chillagoe’s proposed takeover of Mungana Goldmines looks set to be defeated, with Mungana’s major shareholders announcing their intention not to accept the offer.

Altona Mining has signed a joint venture agreement with a Chinese construction group for its Cloncurry copper-gold project in Queensland, with the partner to contribute $US214.5 million ($A278.1m) towards the project.

Perth Glory has appointed Peter Filopoulos as its new chief executive, following Jason Brewer’s resignation in April.

More than 94 per cent of Atlas Iron shareholders have voted in favour of the company's proposed $180 million capital raising, which is designed to ensure its longer-term viability.

Auditor-general Colin Murphy has found that state government ministers Kim Hames, John Day and Dean Nalder acted unreasonably and inappropriately when they withheld information from parliament.

The state government has announced an expansion of its Mobile Black Spot program, with plans for 130 new or upgraded mobile phone towers across regional and remote areas of Western Australia.

MMA Offshore has won a contract to supply its marine logistics and supply base services for Chevron’s operations in the north-west, in a deal worth $100 million.

Macmahon Holdings has sold its Mongolian operations to a private company for $US65 million ($A84m), following a long-standing payment dispute with its client at the project.

The state government plans to invite the private sector to bid for state-owned properties that aren’t listed for sale under a proposed unsolicited bids process, while also announcing the listing of 40 extra assets in the second wave of its land sales program.

The corporate watchdog has begun civil penalty proceedings against Padbury Mining and two of its directors over statements made last year claiming the company had lined up $6 billion in equity to fund construction of a port and rail network at Oakajee north of Geraldton.

Perth IT company Empired has upgraded its revenue guidance for the financial year by $10 million, on the back of numerous recent contract wins totalling $65 million, and has more than doubled its staff since the start of the financial year.

Programmed Maintenance Services’ six-month pursuit of its larger competitor, Skilled Group, has paid off, with the Melbourne-based company backing a $424 million takeover offer.

The state government expects to reap inabout $1 billion in revenue after signing a development agreement with the Woodside Petroleum-led Browse consortium to supply 800 perajoules of gas to the domestic market.

The state government has provided a further $4.6 million for drilling and prospecting activities at 44 projects in Western Australia, including Fortescue Metals Group’s Trifecta base metals project.

The average home price dropped 0.3 per cent, to $545,000, in Perth in the 12 months to March, against a national average gain of 6.9 per cent, to $576,100.

Online property rental company rent.com.au has commenced its first day of trading on the ASX, after being acquired by Select Exploration in a backdoor listing.

The first sod has been turned at the Sarich Neuroscience Research Institute in Nedlands, with Cockram Construction set to begin work under a $30.3 million contract.

Federal Labor has agreed to back what it once labelled Tony Abbott's bowser bandit tax by reversing its opposition to indexation of the fuel excise.

Phoenix Gold has taken a planned vote on an alliance with Evolution Mining off the agenda of its general meeting, being held today, after Zijin Mining Group made a play to take ownership of the company in a cash deal worth $47 million.

The tussle for control of Phoenix Gold intensified today after Zijin Mining Group struck a pre-sales agreement with one of the miner's largest shareholders, boosting its interest to 17.9 per cent ahead of announcing a cash takeover bid that values the business at $47 million.

Perth-based Programmed Maintenance Services is set to strike a long-awaited takeover deal with labour hire company Skilled Group, with both companies entering into trading halts this morning ahead of a formal announcement.

Troubled Perth company Macmahon Holdings has flagged an impairment of up to $125 million in its full-year financial result after losing contracts with some of its biggest clients during the past six months, including Fortescue Metals Group.

Rutila Resources and Lemur Resources have both received ticks of approval by independent experts for their respective off-market takeover offers by foreign bidders.

Stonehenge Metals has entered into an agreement with Yanchep Beach joint venture for collaboration on the development of a wave farm off the state’s coast to potentially supply energy to the Two Rocks community.

Metals explorer TNG has signed a deal with a local renewable energy group for the supply and installation of a solar power system at its flagship Mount Peake vanadium project in the Northern Territory.

Local miner Western Areas has expanded its operations portfolio with the acquisition of Glencore Xstrata’s mothballed Cosmos nickel project in the Agnew Wiluna belt, for $24.5 million.