Mark Beyer

Engineering and construction contractor Monadelphous Group is continuing to look overseas for growth opportunities, after reporting a drop in interim profit and foreshadowing a substantial slide in full-year revenue.

The Wirrpanda Foundation, which is one of nine Western Australian groups pioneering a new indigenous training and employment program in the state, has put contractors who over promise and under deliver on notice.

Facing a slowdown in mining-related construction work, indigenous contractors are diversifying into new fields, establishing joint ventures and highlighting their Aboriginal credentials. Click through to also see our BNiQ list of 25 major indigenous contractors in WA.

Chile-focused gold miner Lachlan Star has been placed into administration after it was unable to complete negotiations for the sale of its major subsidiary.

A planned backdoor listing by Perth technology business Cloud Lands Digital Fortress, which was established by prominent company promoter Ross Smith, has been cancelled.

Astron Environmental Services has merged with its smaller, associated business, Astron Soil and Water, as the Perth group adapts to a tougher market and tighter margins.

Specialist oil and gas services company 3B Survey has bucked the gloomy mood in the sector by shifting its Australian head office to Perth to pursue growth opportunities.

Accounting firm KPMG is launching a business ‘accelerator’ that is designed to assist early-stage technology ventures and bring them together with major companies in the energy and resources sector.

The Gorgon gas project, which is due to be completed this year, is continuing to deliver work opportunities for local contractor AusGroup.

The number of people working on the Gorgon gas project on Barrow Island has jumped to 8,000, as project operator Chevron strives to meet its targeted start-up around the middle of this year.

The strong rise in the Australian dollar gold price has encouraged gold companies to press ahead with low-cost mine developments, despite uncertainty over royalties.

Internet service provider iiNet has recruited Officeworks chief financial officer Michael Howard to fill one gap in its executive team, as it seeks a replacement for another senior executive role.

Perth company Atlantic, which is in the midst of rebuilding its Windimurra vanadium plant after a fire last year, has received a big cash boost this month in the form of further insurance payments

Perth company WPM Group anticipates revenue growth of more than 35 per cent this year after securing three major contracts in its specialist niche of print management.

The Water Corporation has announced plans to sell its in-house engineering and construction services team, which has 152 permanent employees.

Metals X is aiming to become one of Western Australia’s biggest gold miners after announcing updated plans to develop its Central Murchison project, with mining to set to commence in July this year.

Gindalbie Metals has commenced a review of its strategy and investment options, after reporting that the Karara iron ore project is still not cash flow positive despite achieving a solid lift in production volumes.

Gold miner Silver Lake Resources has cut its production guidance for the current financial year and reported higher costs, triggering a 23 per cent dive in its share price.

Galvin Engineering is hoping a recent acquisition will provide a welcome boost to business.

Perth-raised Naomi Brockwell has carved out a most unusual career in the US, combining her twin passions for the arts and free-market economics.

Mining entrepreneur Nik Zuks has put four Perth properties up for sale as he deals with the sharp slump in the iron ore market, which has slashed the value of his flagship company Bellzone Mining plc.

The break-up of once-prominent law firm Rockwell Olivier is expected to result in the opening of three ‘new’ firms in Perth, with the Civic Legal brand being revived, Taylor Olivier being launched, and Melbourne-based Mills Oakley Lawyers coming to town.

BHP Billiton will reduce its drilling activity in US shale by 40 per cent to try and release cash flow in response to the plunging oil price.

Western Australia's biggest iron ore producer, Rio Tinto, has reported record sales for 2014, on the same day that its major customer, China, announced its slowest rate of economic growth in 24 years.

A surge in the number of backdoor listings was one of the few positives on the stock market in 2014, and two new deals for technology companies show there is more to come.

We've analysed 450 WA takeovers and capital raisings worth $18 billion to rank the top advisers, brokers and lawyers.

Clifford Chance, Ashurst and Gilbert + Tobin have been ranked as the top law firms in the Business News 2014 corporate finance league table, but for very different reasons.

Atlantic is using a big insurance payout to rebuild the Windimurra vanadium plant nearly a year after a fire forced the project to shut down, but the company still faces major operational and financial challenges.

Lithex Resources has scrapped its planned purchase of internet marketing business Mpire Media, which was the second business Perth entrepreneur Zhenya Tsvetnenko was seeking to list on the stock market.

Liberty Resources is set to proceed with its move into the IT sector, through the acquisition of Cirrus Networks, after taking the extraordinary step of having a board spill to hasten the removal of two directors.

The consumer watchdog is probing Woodside Petroleum's $US2.75 billion purchase of oil and gas assets from US energy company Apache, over concerns the deal could affect the supply of wholesale gas in the Western Australian market and lead to higher gas prices.

Medical marijuana company Phytotech Medical is set to be the year’s first listing in Western Australia, after taking special steps to deal with last-minute legal concerns by the ASX and keen demand from investors.