Two men who have been quietly working away on an iron ore explorer in Western Australia’s Mid West must have some empathy for tech sector businesses seeking to raise money.
With Western Australia’s new housing market continuing to boom and cashed-up consumers upgrading to better fridges and lounge suites, the state’s bulky goods retailing sector is basking in the state’s prosperity.
Retail property owners and developers may be keen to build new shopping centres and expand existing assets amid WA's booming population and prosperity, but they face a number of planning challenges at a state and local level to achieve their goals.
With hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on the development of new shopping centres in Western Australia, the design of the centre can make or break it.
Their stores occupy some of the most exclusive real estate in the world, but with retail spending at an all-time high in Western Australia, luxury brands such as Versace, Tiffany & Co, Chanel and La Perla are suddenly taking notice of Perth.
Beldon Shopping Centre may appear to be an unremarkable neighbourhood shopping centre in the northern suburbs, but a major refurbishment during the next 12 months aims to transform it into one of Australia’s first six-star Green Star centres.
Retailers may be enjoying some of the strongest market conditions on record in Western Australia, but their landlords are making sure the good times are shared around.
The state government posted another record budget surplus in 2006-07, of $2.3 billion, fuelled by strong growth in mining royalties and taxation revenues.
The Western Australian grain industry had its worst season since the 2002-03 drought, with poor conditions in most parts of the state forcing harvest receivals down.
WA Business News’ third annual State Economic Review comes during a continuing period of prosperity for Western Australia, courtesy to a large extent of China’s accelerating economic growth.
The skills shortage continues to affect the Western Australian workforce, with an all-time low unemployment rate and strong wage growth recorded for the past year.
Global economic growth, particularly from China, resulted in price rises for many mineral commodities and continued historical highs for others in 2007, a trend that will continue into 2008, according to ABARE.
Housing markets are providing a timely reminder that the gravitational pull of cycles can be hard to avoid, even in a booming state such as Western Australia.
Strong growth in interstate and overseas migration helped lift Western Australia’s population by 2.1 per cent to 2,094,549 in the year to March 2007, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Western Australia’s tourism market picked up strongly in 2006 with an overall increase in visitors numbers and a combined spending surge of $5 billion breaking the all-time record.
The state’s buoyant economic conditions have resulted in increases in consumer spending, with low unemployment and rising personal incomes leading to strong consumer confidence.
Several Perth entrepreneurs are nervous about the impact a change of federal government next month could have on the Australian economy in three to five years’ time.
Lowering the expectations of first homebuyers is something that has to happen in a climate where the cost of property is climbing, according to AHS Hospitality managing director Stephen Lauder.
Navigating a business through Western Australia’s economic boom presents enormous challenges for business, according to several leading WA business executives.
Western Australian agribusiness exporters experienced mixed fortunes this season, with drought conditions putting pressure on the grains sector, while other sectors, such as meat, livestock and forestry experience a growth in revenues.
While Western Australia’s mining industry is well-represented on the list of the state’s top exporters, a number of manufacturing and technology companies are also creating significant export revenue.
In Western Australia’s turbo-charged economy, the property sector has been a standout performer, across the board – but the huge rises in values are not always good news.
The ‘seachange’ phenomenon and unprecedented growth in recreational boat registrations in Western Australia are being met with increased marina development activity up and down the coast.
