Mark Beyer

Popular wisdom holds that Perth has become a ‘branch office’ economy, but the reality isn’t that simple. Mark Beyer reports.

State Government grants have helped to kick-start private investment in Western Australia’s timber industry, with $23 million being spent on two new projects at Collie and Greenbushes.

Small business will be exempt from unfair dismissal laws and redundancy payments and find it easier to use individual workplace agreements if the re-elected Howard Government proceeds with its industrial relations reforms.

HBH Consultants has been awarded its largest international contract in South Africa, adding to the amount of work Perth-based engineering consultants are winning in the African mining industry.

Pharmaceutical company Chemeq has joined gold producer Siberia Mining and technology company ERG as prominent Western Australian companies to suffer a major shortfall on their capital raising plans.

Five weeks after administrators took control of Sons of Gwalia, many people are still mystified by the sudden collapse of one of Australia’s best known mining companies. Mark Beyer reports.

On the eve of the Federal election, Mark Beyer spoke to senior Labor MP Stephen Smith and Liberal Senator Ian Campbell about their policies for business in Western Australia.

Perth-based heavy equipment supplier Emeco International has finalised a $170 million banking package as speculation mounts that its majority US shareholder is looking to sell its stake.

Western Australia’s largest non-bank financier, Police & Nurses Credit Society, has attributed a rare drop in profit to planned investment in its expansion.

The backers of the James Point port at Kwinana have vowed to press ahead with their plans despite long running planning delays and legal disputes with the State Government.

Even though Labor has not released its industrial relations policy, rumours are rife among employers that Australian Workplace Agreements will be abolished. Mark Beyer and Julie-anne Sprague investigate.

Austin Engineering and ai Limited are the sort of small industrial companies that slip under the radar of many investors but recent news from both companies could warrant closer attention.

Western Power has expressed confidence that a package of measures adopted in recent months have put it in a substantially better position to meet demand this summer compared to last summer when it was forced to introduce power restrictions.

The State Government’s three big business enterprises – Water Corporation, Western Power and LandCorp – played a significant part in last year’s bumper budget surplus, with higher profits leading to increased dividends and “tax equivalent” payments.

Heavy equipment supplier Emeco International, one of Western Australia’s largest unlisted companies, is assessing capital-raising options to support planned expansion.

Increased shipping activity associated with Rio Tinto’s HIsmelt pig iron plant and BGC’s new cement plant has brought industry concern about port infrastructure at Kwinana to a head.

Coogee Chemicals chairman Gordon Martin has the rare distinction of building a large Australian manufacturing business that is internationally competitive. Mark Beyer reports.

Iron ore producer Mount Gibson Iron has scrapped plans for a pellet plant near Geraldton after concluding it would cost more than three times as much to build the plant in Australia compared to China.

The Richards family, owner of the Richgro garden products business, has expanded its operations by acquiring Amazon Soils and Landscaping Supplies.

One of Western Australia’s top public servants has raised the possibility that private funding, including direct charging of motorists, will be needed to help pay for the State’s road network.

Bill Wyllie’s Wyllie Group has backed capital raisings worth $9 million for oil producer Amadeus Energy and aspiring gold miner Crescent Gold.

Private company Coogee Chemicals is close to finalising its biggest deal, the $250 million development of the Montara oil field in the Timor Sea.

Industry criticism of the Australian Tax Office’s hard-nosed approach to GST audits has failed to sway the Federal Government.

A nickel processing plant built in Africa by Osborne Park company Western Minerals Technology has won the top prize at Engineers Australia’s annual engineering excellence awards.

A new report has called on the State and Federal governments to work together more effectively on infrastructure provision for major investment projects.

Western Australian companies have attracted just 5 per cent of national venture capital investments over the past six years and the trend is declining, a new report has found.

Perth-based agribusiness cooperative CBH Group has ventured into the South Australian market through a marketing venture with agribusiness company Elders.