Mark Beyer

Rio Tinto's iron ore shipments have fallen 12 per cent during the March quarter, a period when it was largely blamed for oversupplying and pushing down the price of Australia's top export.

China has become WA’s biggest wine export destination, but finding the best way to market is still a learning experience for local producers.

Treasurer Mike Nahan said today Western Australia might get an extra $660 million from Canberra to make up for the shortfall in GST grants but conceded the amount, timing and use of the funds, were all yet to be decided.

Junior manganese miner Kaboko Mining has been placed into receivership, nine months after a falling out with its major funding partner, Noble Resources.

Premier Colin Barnett was left angry and disappointed after today's meeting of the nation's leaders failed to resolve the dispute over Western Australia's share of GST funds.

Hartleys has lifted funds under management above $1 billion for the first time, a milestone that new chairman Ian Parker believes will help the stockbroking firm weather the current downturn in resources.

Woodside Petroleum chairman Michael Chaney has set himself an ambitious goal, telling shareholders he wants to more than double the number of women on the company’s board over the next two years.

Sydney company ACFS Port Logistics has outlined development plans for an industrial site at Rous Head, after announcing a joint venture with Asciano subsidiary Patrick Port Logistics.

Education services company Navitas has extended its reach into Sydney’s western suburbs, after signing a 50:50 joint venture agreement with the University of Western Sydney to establish a pathway college for international students.

Social Ventures Australia has launched its first state-based venture philanthropy fund, with the new fund designed to invest in a portfolio of high-impact not-for-profit ventures in Western Australia.

The Water Corporation is cutting 10 per cent of its workforce, with about 300 full-time jobs to go, as it reduces the amount of capital investment.in new infrastructure.

Fortescue Metals Group has restructured rosters for mine workers at its operations in the Pilbara, in its latest move to cope with plunging iron ore prices.

Shareholders in Tanami Gold have overwhelmingly supported a tie-up with Northern Star Resources, despite the threat of legal action from rival miner and would-be partner Metals X.

Toll Group is anticipating a sizeable increase in the volume of freight it handles at Fremantle, after commencing operations at a $26 million container handling facility it is developing at Rous He

The Perth Freight Link road project could extend the capacity of Fremantle harbour and lead to a rethink on long-term planning for a second container port at Kwinana.

The private sector is developing light rail projects on the Gold Coast and in Sydney, and there is no shortage of investors, builders and operators able to do the same in Perth.

Atlas Iron has announced it will halt all production at its three Pilbara iron ore mines over the next month, a move that is likely to result in the loss of more than 500 jobs.

A new supply deal struck this week by Western Australia’s largest buyer of domestic gas, Alcoa of Australia, has confirmed the availability of gas for customers prepared to pay the going price.

Perth will play host to chief executives from seven of the world’s biggest energy and engineering companies during the LNG18 conference, to be held in April next year.

Only four out of Western Australia's top 20 companies currently meet a gender target set by the Australian Institute of Company Directors, which wants women to fill 30 per cent of board positions on S&P/ASX 200 companies within three years.

Macquarie Capital and Brookfield Asset Management have agreed to buy Apache Corporation's Australian oil and gas operations for $US2.1 billion ($A2.7 billion), with the deal underpinned by a long-term gas sale agreement with Alcoa.

Select Exploration has brought in a new broking firm to support a $5 million capital raising, ahead of its planned reverse takeover of rent.com.au, after Bailleau Holst backed out of its appointment as joint lead manager.

The growing number of backdoor listings in WA has highlighted the best, and worst, of the capital markets.

The March quarter was a quiet period for M&A transactions in WA, although the deals that were announced attracted their fair share of controversy. Click through to see details on 78 WA deals worth $2.4 billion.

Woodside Petroleum has completed the purchase of Apache Corporation’s interests in the Wheatstone and Balnaves projects, as speculation continues over the ownership of Apache’s remaining Australian assets.

Patent attorney and software developer Thomas Haines has struck a deal with Sydney company IPH to sell his data analysis businesses for $8 million, but plans to continue running the operation from Perth.

One of the state’s largest Aboriginal contractors is seeking to establish a joint venture with the Republic of Guinea, to work on Rio Tinto’s Pilbara iron ore mines and its planned Simandou mine.

Emeco Holdings has postponed the $75 million purchase of truck rental business Rentco, as it seeks to address criticism of the deal from some of its biggest shareholders.

US energy giant Chevron is narrowing its Australian focus onto its Gorgon and Wheatstone gas projects, by selling its $5 billion stake in Caltex Australia and exiting an onshore gas project wh

Greater scrutiny by corporate regulators of backdoor listings on the ASX is not slowing the flow of new transactions, with six Western Australian companies announcing transformational deals in the past fortnight.

Intense competition among the state’s three major brick manufacturers means prices are lower now than they were six years ago, despite record levels of building activity.

Perth entrepreneur Zhenya Tsvetnenko has announced plans for a backdoor listing of his online advertising business Mpire Media, two months after an earlier, more generous deal was terminated.