Matt Mckenzie

State governments have approved more detailed design work on the National Energy Guarantee to proceed at a Council of Australian Governments energy ministers meeting today, although Labor state leaders still have objections.

The cost to Western Australian farmers of a ban on live sheep exports could be more than 10 times previous estimates, as much as $150 million, according to a report released today.

A Dutch company will soon begin work on a nearly $10 million large-scale mercury waste treatment facility in Kwinana, as increased LNG exports lead to higher volumes of the toxic metal.

Woodside Petroleum chairman Michael Chaney has said there’s a risk that major energy players may be dissuaded from investing into Western Australia if company tax reform is stalled, as the business closes in on a tolling deal for gas from the Browse field.

The costliest and most wasteful parts of the healthcare system are often the most frustrating for customers, according to Sustainable Healthcare Review chair Robyn Kruk, so they should be the top targets for future reform.

Perth venues The London Court Cafe and Black Tie Co have closed their doors in recent weeks, as the holding company controlling the two brands enters liquidation following a dispute with the Australian Taxation Office.

A move by the Northern Territory government to allow fracking by next year will increase pressure on the McGowan government, after a series of scientific and political inquiries gave the drilling technique the tick of approval.

Chevron’s decision to build stage two of the Gorgon LNG project, announced on the weekend, takes the total value of petroleum industry investment committed or under construction in Western Australia to around $55 billion, according to state government data.

A new utility-scale battery launched in the Pilbara by Alinta Energy today will be Australia’s second biggest, behind Elon Musk’s Tesla battery in South Australia.

Treasurer Ben Wyatt's ambition for increased private participation in the electricity sector remains, despite a slow start, touting it as part of a microeconomic reform program designed to lift productivity.

PODCAST: In this Business News podcast Mark Beyer, Matt Mckenzie, and Tori Wilson discuss Synergy and renewable energy, the Atlas Iron takeover, live sheep exports, Bill Shorten’s Perth visit, a new report on Kwinana, and the debate over training and apprenticeships.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten today pledged $241 million to extend the Armadale suburban rail line to Byford, bringing federal Labor’s infrastructure commitments in the state to $1.2 billion.

At a time when debate about a potential outer harbour project south of Perth is building momentum, a look at the history of development in Kwinana’s industrial zone provides an illustration of the impact of government intervention in the state’s economy, for better or worse.

Former defence minister and senator for Western Australia David Johnston has been appointed Australia’s first defence export advocate, after the federal government committed to spend an additional $20 million every year to support the sector.

A new regulatory system for heavy haulage movements on the east coast is costing the Western Australian economy millions, according to local trucking players, who are warning that the introduction of a similar model here would cause major problems.

Western Australia’s economic upturn is gathering momentum, according to the latest report from Deloitte, with business investment beginning to recover and exports continuing to perform.

The state government’s parlous budget position received a small boost today, with Western Australia in line to receive $225 million more in GST revenue next financial year than had previously been estimated.

SPECIAL REPORT: Western Australia’s five biggest agribusinesses are earning about $5.5 billion in revenue annually, according to the latest BNiQ Search Engine data, down from $5.8 billion when the list was last published 18 months ago.

SPECIAL REPORT: Increasing energy costs and ongoing reliability issues are two major challenges for farmers with moves afoot to provide relief on both fronts.

SPECIAL REPORT: The increased use of technology in one family-owned WA agribusiness is an example of many changes happening in the industry more broadly.

Employment in WA's resources sector hit a record level in 2017, while revenue lifted 16 per cent to $108 billion, according to the latest data from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.

The market for modest fashion in South-East Asia is attracting attention as a potential export destination for a range of local designers, with dramatic growth expected in the next decade.

A rail line to Yanchep and freeway expansions in Perth's north are the two highest priority initiatives for Western Australia, according to Infrastructure Australia’s latest project update, which has indicated a third runway at Perth Airport will likely be needed before a new harbour development.

CFC Group subsidiary Cape has won three new jobs worth a combined $20 million, focused on gold mining, lithium and electricity infrastructure.

John Rothwell remembers some of the most significant deals made in the early days of shipbuilder Austal, in the latest instalment in our series to celebrate Business News' 25th anniversary.

SPECIAL REPORT: Our annual analysis of the state's movers and shakers shows that sometimes the best examples of influence are demonstrated not by what change an influencer starts, but rather what they can stop.

More than $140 million was spent on the cancelled Perth Freight Link project, the state government has revealed.

Western Australian unemployment was up 0.2 per cent in February to be 6 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, while Australia-wide employment grew by a record amount.

Iron ore prices will fall more than 10 per cent to be about $US60 per tonne next year, partly driven by increased scrap metal availability, according to Citigroup Asia commodities strategist Tracy Liao.

Plans to use the Barossa gas field in the Timor Sea as backfill for the Darwin LNG plant received a boost today, with the project getting a tick of approval from the National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority.

Two new business groups plan to strengthen Western Australia’s economic links with innovative overseas economies, with the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce and WA Singapore Business Connect opening Perth chapters.

Cost pressures are starting to return to the mining sector, according to BHP Billiton WA Iron Ore boss Edgar Basto, as the company continues preliminary work with potential contractors ahead of a decision on the South Flank development in the next few months.