Special Reports

When a prepared site was converted into the 77-apartment Adara complex near Cockburn in just 11 days late last year, the ‘potential’ for modular construction techniques in Perth became a reality.

A Bentley-based energy consulting firm that purports to save between 10 and 26 per cent on electricity bills is getting more work in the UK and Europe than Australia because those countries have regulations mandating big business carry out energy audits.

Some enterprising WA companies are flying under the radar with clean technology business ideas. We highlight local innovations in several fields.

With the convention market in Perth showing no signs of slowing, the focus has turned to the city’s largest venues and their capacity to attract major national and international events.

A surge in the number of backdoor listings was one of the few positives on the stock market in 2014, and two new deals for technology companies show there is more to come.

We've analysed 450 WA takeovers and capital raisings worth $18 billion to rank the top advisers, brokers and lawyers.

Clifford Chance, Ashurst and Gilbert + Tobin have been ranked as the top law firms in the Business News 2014 corporate finance league table, but for very different reasons.

The international stage has helped this year’s local business and political leaders stand out from the pack – including our Person of the Year, Richard Goyder.

Craft brewers are maintaining WA’s reputation as the premier beer-making state in Australia, but the challenges they face are as diverse as the breweries themselves.

Five Western Australian companies have sought to manage costs by cutting either salaries or board positions during the past month.

There is very weak correlation between remuneration levels at WA’s major contractors and the performance of their underlying businesses.

The tougher business climate has prompted some WA companies to cut executive salaries, but most have held the line and some have even awarded pay rises.

Some of Perth’s top company directors and dealmakers, including Michael Smith, Ian Cochrane, Michael Ashforth and Tony Iannello have been recruited to help run prominent family companies.

Twenty years after Wesfarmers bought Bunnings in a contentious takeover, we reflect on the family that started one of Australia's biggest retail successes.

Business dynasties are relatively hard to find in youthful WA.

Our inaugural Business Dynasties feature analyses WA’s oldest family businesses, including some that have been running for more than 100 years, profiles Bob and Gavin Bunning 20 years after their family business was bought by Wesfarmers, and looks at the role of ‘outsiders’ like Neil Hamilton, Michael Smith and Ian Cochrane in some of WA’s most notable family enterprises. Also, see our new WA Business Dynasties list.

The completion of a $65 million infrastructure upgrade at Fremantle harbour is designed to boost the amount of freight carried on rail, but the key players are coy on how much difference the recent investment will make.

A unique partnership is slowly transforming life on the open road.

Regional communities are putting pressure on the WA government and Brookfield Rail to re-open the third tier of the freight network.

Not long after Melbourne-based Blue Tongue was launched in 2001 its founder, Tully Young, recognised that Western Australia had a transport industry skills shortage – so he moved himself and almost half his business to Perth.

When the HMAS Toowoomba leaves Cockburn Sound on deployments as far away as the Middle East, maritime logistics officer Kelly Haywood is in charge of making sure the vessel has everything it needs to make the journey and accomplish the mission.

Our annual Transport and Logistics feature discusses the role of a maritime logistics officer, how a business caters to a skills shortage in the transport industry, the tier 3 rail lines, training for truck drivers in the Pilbara, and the recent completion of the Fremantle harbour rail upgrade.

Companies are making a strong push to improve support for fly-in, fly-out employees.

The conversation around mental health in the workplace is focusing on employees, but what about their managers?

Not-for-profit groups are taking advantage of the increased focus on health and wellness.

Workplace injury rates in WA have fallen despite the heavy influx of workers to construction projects. In fact, mining is behind retail trade in terms of injuries.

Our annual Well@Work feature discusses the need for health and wellness programs for employees, the trend in injury rates in WA, mental health among FIFO employees and how not-for-profit groups have recognised the importance of workplace wellness.

Moral and economic factors have driven employers to take on the responsibility for a physically healthy workforce – tackling mental health in the workplace is their new challenge.

Only time will tell if the sector has reached a point where it is unstoppable.

Developers are tipping the next wave of demand for apartment projects to come from two very disparate demographics – baby boomers close to retirement and generation Ys looking to get on the first rung of the property ladder.

The state government has been praised for its commitment to planning reform, but local governments are being urged to get on board.

Sales and rentals of established apartments in Perth’s inner city are stalling as the rollout of new stock intensifies.