Mark Beyer

Mining software provider Gemcom Software International has decided to maintain all of its existing products following the acquisition earlier this year of Perth competitor Surpac Minex but has noted that its products will “come together” over time.

Three current but very different issues throw up some challenging questions about how much trust Western Australians place in markets.

Just a couple of years ago, the closing of a big manufacturing plant would have caused much political anguish.

The shortage of skilled labour is the biggest issue facing many Western Australian businesses. WA Business News reports on some of the innovative responses to the skills crisis.

Residential care provider Brightwater Care Group has joined a small group of businesses that have managed to overturn tax rulings by the state government’s Office of State Revenue.

Manufactured accommodation supplier Nomad Building Solutions is planning to use the proceeds from its $78 million public share offer to acquire Wangara company McGrath Homes and continue its growth in the Queensland and park homes markets.

Western Australian employers have responded to the skills shortage by making staff recruitment a continuous process.

The boom in Western Australia’s iron ore industry has flowed on to the railcar manufacturing industry, which has enjoyed rapid growth in recent years, but two developments have cast a cloud over the sector’s prospects.

Perth financial services company, Plan B, has substantially expanded its presence in New Zealand with the acquisition of a wealth management firm and a financial planning firm.

The state government’s liquor licensing reforms will include detailed regulations designed to stop restaurants trading as de facto bars.

The gloves have been taken off in the battle over Sirtex Medical, with former Perth scientist Bruce Gray fighting to regain control of the Sydney company.

South Fremantle company, Nomad Modular Building, one of Australia’s biggest manufacturers of portable accommodation for the mining sector, is planning a stockmarket float to take advantage of the current boom conditions.

The legal storm swirling around Perth scientist Dr Bruce Gray and listed company Sirtex Medical has become more intense, with law firm Freehills forced to step aside from the case and Perth accountant Grant Boyce's directorship threatened.

Major Stadia Taskforce chairman John Langoulant has warned that access to Subiaco Oval would be disrupted for up to three years if the state government opted for a major redevelopment of the existing stadium.

Nanotechnology company pSivida has reported a loss of $31.4 million for the year to June 2006, nearly double its loss in the previous financial year.

Listed wine company Australian Wine Holdings has sold Margaret River winery Hay Shed Hill to an undisclosed Western Australian buyer.

Cement factories and high technology are not concepts that ordinarily sit together, but BGC’s newly completed cement factory employs modern technology to create a highly automated operation.

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry stands to become the most significant part of the resources sector if projects proposed for waters off the coast of Western Australia come to fruition.

While the iron ore and oil and gas sectors dominate the outlook for project investment, Western Australia is in line to host a diverse range of projects in other sectors worth more than $5 billion.

BHP Billiton’s Ravensthorpe nickel project is in line for the invidious honour of having the biggest cost blow-out of all the major projects in Western Australia in recent years.

The oil and gas and iron ore sectors are leading WA’s investment boom, WA Business News’ third annual survey of major projects has found.

Increased private sector involvement in infrastructure development is one option for the state government as it seeks to manage rising costs and rising demand for new infrastructure.

BGC boss Len Buckeridge has predicted a price war in Western Australia’s cement market after commissioning a $44 million factory in Kwinana.

Sharp increases in project costs have done nothing to deter the growing number of companies aspiring to become iron ore miners in Western Australia.

Western Australia’s strong economic growth has spurred the development of new power generating capacity, with five power stations collectively worth $1.4 billion currently under construction in the South West.

The Gorgon LNG project has provided a $1 billion boost to the Western Australian economy, and it hasn’t even started yet.

The Takeovers Panel has ordered that Alinta Ltd divest a 10.25 per cent holding in the Australian Pipeline Trust, after declaring the acquisition unacceptable on Sunday.

If ever research and innovation were going to boost Western Australia’s economic prospects, now is the time.

Police & Nurses Credit Society has upped the ante in its takeover defence against Home Building Society by announcing a valuation of at least $420 million, or $6,000 per member.

Woodside chief executive Don Voelte has warned Australians not to take the resources boom for granted or assume the resources sector would easily cope with all of the challenges facing it.

Premier Alan Carpenter and federal Resources Minister Ian Macfarlane don’t seem to agree on very much, but there is one issue on which they share a similar outlook.

Freehills partner Bob Baxt has warned company directors that they need to focus more seriously on compliance with their legal obligations.