Mark Beyer

A handful of key assumptions will define just how much room the state government has to lift spending or cut taxes in next week’s budget.

The backers of the James Price Point gas hub in the Kimberley face real challenges getting support where it is really needed.

RECORD investment in resources projects has shaped the federal government’s 2011-12 budget, which, as expected, has outlined new initiatives to bring skilled workers to regional Australia.

Nexus Energy has appointed engineering firms Fluor Australia and Wood Group to progress its planned development of the Crux liquids project off the Kimberley coast.

DATA centres are a long-established feature of the IT landscape, yet during the past year there has been unprecedented activity in this sector and the promise of more to come.

Dealing with red tape, taxes and regulation are constant sources of frustration for any business, big or small.

Managing wages growth is a critical business issue, and requires a raft of policy settings to be correct.

The emergence of cloud computing and the growth of data centres are the buzz topics in the IT sector, but what do these trends really mean?

TFS Corporation, one of the few surviving companies offering managed investment schemes in Australia, has received a product ruling from the Tax Office for its 2011 Indian sandalwood project.

The value of houses and units in Perth fell again in the March quarter, new data from Australian Property Monitors has found, but the group has predicted a market revival by year's end.

A joint venture between civil contractor NRW Holdings and indigenous contractor Eastern Guruma has been awarded a $160 million contract by Rio Tinto Iron Ore.

The near-terminal managed investment scheme sector took another blow last week when stock exchange-listed Arafura Pearls Holdings was placed into voluntary administration.

What is art, what is business, and who should pay for the state’s cultural infrastructure like sporting stadiums and museums?

Property developer Luke Saraceni and his business partner Hossean Pourzand have struck a funding deal with IMF (Australia) to support their legal action over the Raine Square development.

Health minister Kim Hames today announced details of extra staffing for St John Ambulance, following a review of the agency's performance as the outsourced provider of ambulance services in WA.

Equinox Minerals has recommended shareholders accept a C$7.3 billion (A$7.1 billion) takeover offer from Barrick Gold Corporation, which trumps an earlier offer from China's Minmetals Resources.

Rio Tinto has struck an agreement over its giant Simandou iron ore project in Africa that will see the company pay US$700 million to the government of Guinea and hand 15 per cent of the project to the government at no cost.

A Navitas-led consortium has signed a three-year federal government contract to provide English language courses in six regions in Sydney.

Among the many big policy issues facing government, workplace relations could have the largest impact on business.

Getting the right strategy, the right staff and the right funding options are critical for businesses aiming to sustain growth.

THE state government has achieved one win and suffered a loss in its long-running battle to encourage amalgamations among the state’s 150 local councils.

The issues surrounding the oil and gas industry in WA almost rival the scale and complexity of the sector itself.

INTERNET service provider Eftel has announced an acquisition deal under which majority ownership of the Perth business will pass to the shareholders of Melbourne-based Club Telco Pty Ltd.

The country’s biggest grain exporter, CBH Group, has awarded a United States-based corporation an $80 million contract to build a new locomotive fleet.

The state government is considering the establishment of its own not-for-profit housing company as part of the affordable housing strategy due for release in coming weeks.

Western Australia's newest wind farm has opened on a sheep property near Mt Barker, after gaining 50:50 government funding.

THE two commercial arms of the Churches of Christ, led by Neale Fong and Barry Honey, have split over the future of Claremont’s Bethesda Hospital.

The Barnett government has been criticised by one of its own advisers for failing to show commitment to the fields of science, technology and innovation.

The Bethanie Group Inc and Community First International provide powerful case studies on how smart not-for-profit groups can meet both commercial and social goals.

Many not-for-profit organisations are rethinking their business model as the lines between the public, private and charitable sectors become more opaque.

A review into the distribution of state grants is encouraging but it could end up like reviews of the mining tax and carbon tax.

BANKS don’t understand small business, accountants are too focused on the past and never leave the office, and lawyers’ fees always end up higher than first quoted.