The Costs of Doing Business in WA: Pressures and barriers to industry performance

The Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre invites you to the launch of the next report in the Focus on Western Australia report series, The Costs of Doing Business in WA: Pressures and barriers to industry performance.

Our research will explore a number of key questions relating to the business cost burdens faced by West Australian companies. What are the key cost components for companies in WA, and how have these costs varied over time, across sector and by firm size? Are there specific cost factors that affect WA companies to a greater extent than in the rest of Australia? Are there regional differences in the costs of doing business in WA?

Information included in the report has been sourced from a range of databases, including numerous Australian Bureau of Statistics products, the Property Council of Australia, FuelWatch, specialised commercial sales price data sourced from Landgate and information from the Department of Regional Developments Regional Price Indices.

The report casts light on the main barriers to business activities and performance cited by companies in different industry sectors – including skills shortages and labour costs, input costs, and burdens of regulation or compliance – and looks at those barriers that particularly affect the activities, growth or survival of small businesses in the State. These findings provide an important evidence base to inform business policies at Federal and state level.

At this breakfast, assisted by commentary from an outstanding panel of experts: Anne Nolan, Director General, Department of Finance; Greg Watkinson, Chief Executive Officer, Economic Regulation Authority WA; Bronwyn Barnes, Executive Chair, Windward Resources Ltd, we hope to generate discussion among our audience on strategies and steps that can be taken to improve on the current situation.

Registrations have now closed for this event.