Fraser Beattie

Perth based hydrocarbon production firm Antares Energy has announced it intends to place 9.75 million convertible notes at an issue price of $2.00 per note to raise $19.5 million.

Perth innovation and design company Orbital Corporation has reached a settlement with AAI Corporation over a dispute relating to past contracts that resulted in AAI withholding payment on outstanding invoices.

Perth gold exploration firm Enterprise Metals has completed a capital raising of $1.2 million, which was achieved through the placement of 24 million shares valued at 5 cents per share.

Perth-based Safety Medical Products is focusing its activities back in the medical sphere, signing an agreement to acquire an unlisted 3D printing company six months after backing out of a deal to purchase a gold exploration project in Brazil.

Regional Development Minister Terry Redman has appointed Paul Whyte to the position of acting director general at the Department of Regional Development.

Property services and engineering company UGL has clarified that it intends to return surplus net proceeds from the sale of DTZ to shareholders following completion of the transaction and after the pay down of debt.

Perth gold company Resolute Mining has announced a new 1.28 million ounce gold resource for its Buck Reef West deposit near the Ravenswood processing facility in Queensland.

Perth civil engineering firm Macmahon Holdings has mobilised the world’s most powerful raise drilling machine after securing a $5 million contract at BHP Billiton's Olympic Dam mine in mine in South Australia.

Western Australian CEOs have raised over $1.2 million in the St Vincent de Paul Society’s CEO Sleepout this week.

Andrew Forrest has purchased 1.75 million shares in iron ore giant Fortescue Metals Group for about $7 million.

GDF Suez and Santos have moved away from developing their Bonaparte joint venture project as a floating liquefied natural gas project, saying they will now consider other options, including helping expand Inpex’s Icthys LNG project.

Rail operator Asciano will cut back about 500 jobs in order to reduce costs by $90 million.

Western Australia has maintained the country's fastest annual population growth rate of 2.9 per cent, however the rate of growth has slowed compared with last year’s figures.

Perth gold company Resolute Mining is set to become the owner of the Bibiani gold project in Ghana from Noble Mineral Resources.

Australia’s largest water heater and appliance manufacturer Rheem has announced redundancies and the closure of its Welshpool factory, while investing $60 million to upgrade its east coast manufacturing operations over the next two years.

Perth exploration company Black Range Minerals intends to raise $2.1 million in capital through a placement and share purchase plan to fund its offshore projects.

The establishment of a Southern Ports Authority has been postponed after the state government confirmed that three new regional port authorities will commence operations from July 1.

Perth based Subsea Engineering Associates has secured a $1.3 million contract to deliver its services to the Baltic Gas project in the Polish sector of the Baltic Sea.

Perth exploration firm Excelsior Gold has executed a binding term sheet that will provide a guaranteed long-term milling allocation at Norton Gold Fields’ Paddington Mill.

The Western Australian government has released a master plan for the Anketell port project, which is a critical piece of infrastructure in Aquila Resources' proposed $7 billion West Pilbara iron ore project.

Law Central, a subsidiary of ASX-listed ILH Group, has formed a joint venture with PantherCorp for the provision of online legal services.

Baosteel and Aurizon look set to gain control of Aquila Resources after the iron ore hopeful rejected a takeover proposal from Mineral Resources, and instead recommended its shareholders accept the current $3.40 per share offer.

Nedlands-based explorer Bullabulling Gold has advised its shareholders to reject Norton Gold Fields’ increased takeover offer of 8 cents per share to obtain a 30 per cent interest in the company.

Perth exploration company Bauxite Resources has announced a return of about $9.3 million to shareholders, which has jumped the company’s share price by 12 per cent.

Blackham Resources has received commitments for $2.2 million through a placement of 10.5 million shares at 21 cents to sophisticated and professional investors.

SAE Institute Group, a subsidiary of Perth-based education services provider Navitas, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of California-based creative media school Ex’pression College for US$13 million.

Perth mining services company Viento Group has foreshadowed strong growth in revenue and underlying earnings in the current financial year following a series of acquisitions.

Fortescue Metals Group has signed a contract with a Chinese shipyard for the construction of four iron ore carriers that are even larger than the Cape size vessels currently in use in the industry.

Perth-based City Farmers has been sold for $205 million, just nine months after managing director Clayton Hollingsworth struck a deal for Quadrant Private Equity to pay $93 million for a major stake in the pet care retailer.

Gold producer Alkane Resources has raised $10.4 million through a placement of 40 million shares to institutional and sophisticated investors.

Perth civil and construction company Whittens has signed a $25 million contract with NRW for concrete works at the Roy Hill mine site in WA’s Pilbara region.

Metals X has been forced to increase the price it is paying for Reed Resources' Meekatharra gold project to $9.9 million after administrators announced a surprise competing bid had been lodged just before a creditors meeting on Thursday.