Mark Beyer

The government body that operates the wholesale energy market in WA has applied for a 76 per cent increase in capital spending after underestimating the complexity of market reforms.

A surprise ASX announcement from a national fertiliser company has revealed that private Perth company Perdaman has secured funding for its giant $6.4 billion urea project in the Pilbara.

The federal government has announced grants to three big timber processing companies in WA in another sign the industry’s future rests with softwood plantation timber.

Rio Tinto has reported record first-quarter iron ore shipments as it continues to benefit from strong commodity prices, while China’s iron ore imports are at record levels.

Perth-based investment bank Azure Capital has substantially boosted its Sydney office, with former managing partner Adrian Arundell moving east and a new director recruited from Gresham.

Genesis Minerals is understood to have locked in a new deal to buy St Barbara’s Leonora assets for $600 million while removing risks tied to its earlier merger plan.

WA’s new Aboriginal heritage laws have been broadly welcomed but raised concerns about the capacity of Indigenous corporations to deliver on their new responsibilities.

Perth’s largest accounting firm has selected Tim Richards to succeed Michael McNulty, who has overseen rapid growth during his 10 years as office managing partner.

Perth’s new Women and Babies Hospital will be shifted from Nedlands to the southern suburbs, in part because of planning issues highlighted one year ago by Business News.