Mark Beyer

Woodside chief executive Don Voelte has warned bluntly that emerging challenges for new LNG projects could be company-breakers.

Federal resources minister Ian Macfarlane has claimed that two major gas projects planned for Western Australia will be scrapped if the state government forces producers to reserve a portion of their output for the domestic market.

Oil and gas producer Chevron Corporation has announced plans to open an energy technology centre in Perth next year, employing about 100 professional staff.

Wesfarmers managing director Richard Goyder has seized an opportunity to fine-tune the conglomerate’s management team while continuing to build up its investment and acquisition focus.

The commercial and legal sagas surrounding former Perth scientist Bruce Gray has taken a new twist with his decision to step down as chairman of listed Sydney company, Sirtex Medical.

Iluka’s new managing director, David Robb, has been given the challenge of efficiently implementing the minerals sands miner’s company-making growth projects on the east coast.

Three Western Australian biofuels companies are moving ahead with capital raisings collectively worth more than $150 million despite the sector being hit with several setbacks.

Uranium company Paladin Resources was the top performing Western Australian stock for the three years to June by a wide margin, with an average annual total shareholder return of 618 per cent.

Over the past 18 months, Western Australian companies Anvil Mining, Equinox Minerals, Moto Goldmines and Paladin Resources collectively raised about $450 million from North American investors to fund big mining projects in Africa.

Kwinana manufacturing company Ausclad Group has reported its biggest profit and completed its second acquisition in a year after taking the unusual step of listing on Singapore’s SESDAQ stock exchange.

Winemaker Evans & Tate, internet services provider iiNet, pharmaceutical manufacturer Chemeq and ticketing technology company ERG are some of the high-profile Western Australian companies that are laggards in the latest total shareholder return survey.

The booming resources sector has underpinned strong returns by listed Western Australian companies in WA Business News’ fifth annual survey of total shareholder returns.

Industrial services company United Group has formed a joint venture with engineering and fabrication firm Ausclad Group to bid for work on major projects, starting with the planned Gorgon gas project.

Perth-based financial advisory group Western Pacific Financial Group has merged with listed Sydney company Snowball Group in a $50 million deal.

Investors in listed Western Australian companies are usually focused on the potential for capital gains, but in a minority of cases there is potential to earn a tidy income from dividends.

The Jidi Jidi Aboriginal Corporation, which represents the first traditional owners in Western Australia to have native title recognised by the Federal Court, has become mired in a dispute with the state government and explorers over the terms of its agre

It took five years and several million dollars, but Mindarie Regional Council has broken new ground in Western Australia by being the first local authority to negotiate a fully-fledged public private partnership contract.

The revolving door outside the boardroom of budding aquaculture producer Marine Produce Australia, which has been spinning fast for the past year, hit top speed this month.

Futuris subsidiary Integrated Tree Cropping has outlined plans to regain market share in the managed investments sector after a poor sales performance last financial year.

Home Building Society has flagged the possibility of legal action against merger target Police & Nurses Credit Society over changes to the latter’s constitution.

Early last year BGC boss Len Buckeridge reportedly said, in a moment of frustration, that he would sell up and move overseas because of frustration over environmental and planning hurdles standing in the way of three major projects.

Perth was the first stopping point in Australia when the director of IBM’s newly established Australian development laboratory toured his operations.

Sydney investment fund Hawkesbridge Private Equity has gained control of loss-making pharmaceutical wholesaler Advance Healthcare Group in extraordinary circumstances.

Recently appointed chief executive of GRD, Cliff Lawrenson, has flagged some major moves ahead for the engineering and development group, including new acquisitions and a possible float of its Global Renewables business on London’s AIM market.

Western Australia’s prominence in mining and energy research was boosted last week with the opening of BHP Billiton’s global technology centre in Bentley.

CEO Don Voelte has made big changes to the executive team structure at WA's biggest company, increasing the number of direct reports after some operational setbacks.

A group of young executives with a background in engineering and finance has teamed up to buy businesses in Western Australia, starting with established Wangara firm, Electro Acoustic Co.

Law firms Minter Ellison and Clayton Utz are experiencing big changes at the partner level, with planning experts Neil Douglas and Andrew Roberts leaving Minter and corporate lawyer Will Moncrieff leaving Clayton Utz.

In February this year, the Department of Industry and Resources released a discussion paper that canvassed options for reserving some of Western Australia’s gas reserves for the state’s domestic market.

A mini boom in New Zealand’s small oil and gas industry has been remarkably fruitful for engineering and construction companies in Western Australia, with Clough being the third local company to sign a major contract across the Tasman.

BankWest parent HBOS Australia has announced a solid increase in pre-tax profit to $316 million for the half-year to June 2006.

Western Australia's major energy suppliers including Alinta and Synergy have effectively come out in support of the state goverment proposal to reserve a portion of the State's gas reserves for domestic use.