Matt Mckenzie

Chinese company Citic has recorded a first-half loss at the Sino Iron magnetite mine in the Pilbara, while warning that the ongoing tussle with tenement holder, Clive Palmer’s Mineralogy, means production at the project could eventually be suspended.

An ambitious multi-billion dollar project to export solar power from the Pilbara into Indonesia would be technically viable, according to a pre-feasibility study released by the Pilbara Development Commission today.

MMA Offshore has posted a $378 million loss for the 2017 financial year on the back of a huge impairment and the halving of revenue from its oil and gas-focused vessel operations.

Profit at pastoral and winery business Heytesbury Holdings fell more than 57 per cent in the year to December 2016, to $11.7 million, on the back of lower revenue.

Education and tourism will be the focus for Mark McGowan’s first overseas mission, with an October trip to China, followed by a November trip to Japan, announced today.

Grattan Institute energy program director Tony Wood has said the state government should proceed, but move cautiously, toward full retail contestability in the local electricity market, speaking at the Energy in WA conference today.

Energy Minister Ben Wyatt hopes to introduce laws to ease network access rules for new electricity generators by mid 2018, while acknowledging concerns about Synergy's market power in an address today at the Energy in Western Australia Conference.

Sydney-based gas producer AWE plans to upgrade its resource estimate for the Waitsia gas field in the Perth Basin in coming months after a recent drilling campaign showed the field extends further eastward than initially thought.

Applecross-based Advanced Energy Resources will soon begin work to install 1.5 megawatts of wind farm capacity across agribusiness Westpork’s biggest farms as part of a $4 million move to renewables.

SPECIAL REPORT: More than $1.6 billion of renewable energy projects are proposed for the South West Interconnected System, but their success may hinge on how the government handles two regulatory issues.

A further 4 per cent rise in metropolitan water usage charges will be needed for the 2019 financial year to ensure pricing is cost reflective, according to a draft report by the Economic Regulation Authority.

SPECIAL REPORT: As WA households benefit from increased competition in gas retailing, the electricity sector wants to be able to compete with Synergy in providing to small customers, with some industry members calling for a reduction in the contestability threshold to 20 megawatt hours.

Western Australia recorded its lowest level of wages growth in the year to June since at least 1999, at 1.4 per cent, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Perth is the world’s seventh most liveable city for the second year running, according to The Economist’s Intelligence Unit, while Melbourne continues a winning streak as the world's number one, a position it has held since 2011.

Some of the North West Shelf Venture partners might either sell their stake in the operation or take an equity interest in potential projects such as Browse as one potential solution to find backfill liquids for Karratha gas plant in the next decade, according to a report by Wood Mackenzie.

The state’s first early stage venture capital limited partnership is one of three funds announced by Western Australian money managers this year, and one of two in a joint project by Cottesloe-based View Street Partners and Nedlands-based Mac Equity.

Chevron’s Gorgon project has shaken off last year’s teething issues to ship at an above-capacity run rate in July, exporting 1.4 million tonnes of LNG in the month, according to the latest data from consultancy Energy Quest.

THE 2016-17 financial year marked the start of a recovery for Western Australian merchandise exports, which were up 20 per cent to be worth nearly $121 billion in the year to June.

SPECIAL REPORT: The Monk Craft Brewery & Kitchen was among many businesses boosted by a local program to support entrepreneurs.

SPECIAL REPORT: There is a range of places for small businesses and startups to access support, but technological change means some are rethinking their approach. Click through for the updated BNIQ list of SME and startup business centres.

Corporate administrations in Western Australia fell for the 2016-17 financial year, down by 5.2 per cent on the previous period, although a poor result for the three months to June suggests it is too early to call a recovery.

The state government plans to prepare reforms to allow third-party access in the North West Interconnected System, the Pilbara’s electricity network, ready for a cabinet decision in March 2018, in a move that would end years of impasse.

Fremantle-based seafood producer Mareterram has examined more than 30 potential acquisition opportunities in the past couple of years as it seeks to grow into a larger diversified business focused on protein.

About 1,400 square metres of capacity will be added at the Flux co-working hub run by Spacecubed, with the organisation planning to broaden its offerings in agtech innovation and virtual reality, while taking on an investment from property developer Hawaiian.

Two of Western Australia’s biggest power stations have earned after-tax profits of around $37 million in the 12 months to March, despite one of the generators being out of action, according to the annual report of their part owner.

The state government will be seeking to pile pressure on the Commonwealth to secure more defence industry spending in the west, according to Minister for Defence Issues Paul Papalia, as he hit out at his federal counterpart over a perceived lack of naval shipbuilding cash flowing to local players.

Fortescue Metals Group claimed today that a new power station built by Canadian company TransAlta Corporation at South Hedland had failed to achieve commercial production, while the miner also announced it would buy back a second power station it sold to TransAlta in 2012.

Three local resources companies have announced successful raisings worth a total of $12 million today, with uranium hopeful Vimy Resources, gold focused Explaurum and gold explorer Catalyst Metals all raising capital.

West Perth-based miner Sandfire Resources has further lifted its interest in the Black Butte copper project in the US, taking its total share of project vehicle Tintina Resources to 78.1 per cent.

Two Western Australian businesses have been recognised for their achievements in the subsea engineering sector at the 2017 Subsea Energy Australia awards.

Commissioning has been completed today at a 150-megawatt gas power station in South Hedland built by Canadian energy company TransAlta, to power Horizon Power customers and Fortescue Metals Group’s operations.

Business needs to be unshackled from red tape to compete with technology, while lower tax would boost wages growth, Richard Goyder told today’s Success & Leadership breakfast.