This Month
Australian rare earths miners join rush to Brazil
At least 13 small Australian miners are frantically trying their luck – and trying to raise money – to develop rare earths mines. But why are they choosing Brazilian projects rather than Australian?
Heydon, Porter headline constitutional law conference
The disgraced High Court judge and former attorney general are top billing for a Perth legal conference.
Mal Meninga named inaugural coach of the Perth Bears
The rugby league great will leave his role as head coach of the Kangaroos to lead the new West Australian club in the 2027 season
Live Nation spends $30m to stop tours skipping one city
Northbridge Music Hall promises to fill a gaping hole in the West Australian capital’s live performance ecosystem.
Albanese praises Western Australia’s gas reservation policy
The Albanese government will conduct a review energy policy including whether a portion of gas produced on the east coast should be reserved to avoid energy shortages.
Inside Perth’s booming broker scene (just don’t call them cowboys)
Making money in the mining capital differs from over east, with relationships forged on Rottnest Island’s white sand and deals discussed on crayfishing boats.
May
Kerry Stokes bought a Perth laneway. No one’s sure why
The billionaire has secured approval to close a public road bisecting his Perth office complex despite the concerns of independent experts.
Inheritocracy bad for nation; How Allan Myers rules; AI could kill WFH
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
Watt makes the only choice on Woodside
A new environment minister has finally granted a decades-long extension for operation of the vital North West Shelf project. But the fights over gas won’t stop.
He quit consulting. Now his AI start-up is worth $100m
Unleash Live, a 10-year-old artificial intelligence firm, has raised $17 million after signing up BHP, Alcoa and Chevron as clients.
Forrest, Rio spar on future of Pilbara iron ore in green steel era
The Fortescue chairman said the world’s biggest iron ore importer was looking at Brazil and Africa, and local mining giants were “going down”.
New MinRes chairman shows delulu is infectious
Mal Bundey was the highly anticipated choice after an “extensive international search”.
How V’landys got Stokes’ man
The NRL boss has been talking to Seven news chief Anthony De Ceglie for weeks ahead of becoming new CEO of the Perth Bears.
South32 poaches Anglo American executive to replace Kerr as CEO
The diversified miner has tapped copper expert Matthew Daley to replace inaugural boss Graham Kerr after more than a decade at the helm.
Bears fans back NRL club’s move to Perth – mostly
The North Sydney Bears will become the Perth Bears and ascend to the NRL from 2027 under a long-awaited deal. Die-hard fans say it’s better than nothing.
Labor polishes its secret weapons to win the west
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has two secret weapons in the key battleground state of Western Australia: its so-called “State Daddies”.
April
Sign here! MinRes succession goes to petition
One of Chris Ellison’s most loyal associates launched an unlikely way to keep him at the embattled miner.
In our newest seat, there’s a burning issue no leader is talking about
Labor surprised itself by winning four Perth seats at the last election. This time it has to convince a disparate range of residents in newly created Bullwinkel that it is worthy of their vote.
Labor confident of holding the four WA Liberal seats it snatched in 2022
Eighteen months following the Voice referendum loss, this appeared highly unlikely. But there’s a new belief within the party.
Labor’s efforts to link Dutton to Trump are proving effective
Like the rest of the world, WA politics has been upended by Donald Trump’s reckless tariff war, which has a sharp edge in a resources-dependent economy closely intertwined with China’s growth.