The Australia Institute welcomes the decision by Victorian State Minister for Planning Richard Wynne to reject the Fingerboards Mineral Sands project proposed by Kalbar Resources. Rod Campbell, Research Director at The Australia Institute, was an expert witness in the planning hearings that led to the rejection. He was called by community group Mine-Free Glenaladale. “We

The Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program welcomes the Victorian Electoral Matters Committee’s recommendation for Victoria to adopt truth in political advertising laws, with the Australia Institute’s submission to the inquiry cited extensively in the committee report published today. Key Facts: Since March 2020, the Victorian Parliament’s Electoral Matters Committee has looked into the impact

I’m a fifth-generation farmer. My family have run properties alongside the Darling/Baaka River for almost a century. We have watched as the once mighty river system that runs through the heart of our nation has suffered due to government mismanagement and over-extraction upstream. I’ve always said the red dirt of home runs through my veins,

Statement from The Australia Institute regarding Minister Pitt’s claims that the 1200 Bridges Too Far report by Kate McBride, Australia Institute fellow and fifth generation farmer, into the Murray Darling Basin Plan is ‘full of claims based on false assertions.’ “The Australia Institute stands by its 1200 Bridges Too Far report by Kate McBride, Australia

New research from The Australia Institute and Conservation SA shows that money previously earmarked to return 450 gigalitres (GL) of water to the environment in South Australia may be used to upgrade over 1200 bridges and increase water storage capacity in New South Wales irrigation districts. The report investigates the current project proposals under the

An unlikely group of 25 companies and organisations, including car manufacturers, auto groups, electrical infrastructure companies and environmental groups have come together to publish an open letter to the Victorian parliament calling on them to vote against Victoria’s regressive electric vehicles tax. The letter, which appears as a full-page advertisement in The Age, highlights that

Putting a new tax on electric vehicles without related concessions, as has been proposed in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, would likely face strong opposition and discourage Australians from purchasing zero and low emissions cars, a leaked intergovernmental document has shown. The analysis of potential models for state based Road User Charges for

The Australia Institute welcomes the Victorian Government’s Making Victoria a Renewable Energy Powerhouse plan, as announced in the Victorian Budget 2020/21. “This is one of the largest investments in clean energy by a state government and it should bring down prices, reduce emissions and improve the resilience of Victoria’s grid, by increasing innovation and competition,”

Australia’s electricity sector is being revolutionised by the rise of renewable energy and storage, but new analysis from the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program shows the current energy market framework is holding these technologies back. In 2018 the Federal and State/Territory Governments tasked the Energy Security Board with designing a new National Electricity Market

Richard Denniss [Originally published on the Guardian Australia, 01 October 2020] Thank you, Victorians. Your determination to crush the second wave of Covid-19 has delivered me, and the rest of Australia, enormous health, social and economic benefits. Your resolve, your patience and your sacrifice, means that the rest of Australia has been able to open

An Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) report on the Murray Darling Basin has found “information relating to value for money…was limited” for water purchases worth $190 million. The ANAO found that the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment (DAWE): Did not consistently apply approved policy, planning and guidance to the assessment of all limited tender

New research from The Australia Institute has found that more than three in four Australians (77%) support states closing their borders to interstate travel. The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,005 Australians about their view on state border closures on 27-28 May. Key Findings: More than three in four Australians (77%) support

Analysis by The Australia Institute shows that Victorian Government’s key report used to approve onshore gas mining appears to have underestimated the greenhouse gas emissions from new sites by up to 88%. The Victorian Gas Program Progress Report no.4 does not count emissions from the ultimate combustion of the gas, emissions from methane leakage or

The Australia Institute welcomes the Victorian Parliament passing Government legislation giving the Minister for Energy the power to fast-track the building of transmission infrastructure necessary to ensure reliability of supply. “Last night the Victorian Parliament gave the Energy Minister the power to lead where COAG Energy Council is too slow and quickly upgrade Victoria’s electricity

An open letter signed by Australian and international forestry and climate experts, published by the Australia Institute today, has called for the immediate nationwide cessation of all native forest logging in response to the climate, fire, drought and biodiversity loss crises currently facing Australia. The letter, signed by scientists from countries including Australia, USA, Canada, New

As Murray Darling Basin Water Ministers meet today to discuss the future of the Basin management, new research by the Australia Institute shows that the Murray-Darling Basin’s new Inspector General, former AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty, has ignored key issues in his first annual report on the Northern Basin. The ministerial council is likely to work on

The state government’s bid to allow multi-year contracts for reserve power in Victoria would help improve reliability, lower the cost of electricity and encourage innovation in demand response. “Longer-term contracts give the right price signal to large industrial users such as gas producers, smelters, cement pulp and paper to offer demand response and other types

New research released today by The Australia Institute shows that the vast majority of Australians prioritise production of food for Australian consumption, and support for family farms in the Murray Darling Basin. When respondents were asked to rank agriculture and water policy goals: Top water policy priorities for the Murray-Darling Basin include: Three quarters of

New research from The Australia Institute has shown that more than 27,000 jobs in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania would be put at risk if drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight is allowed to go ahead and a catastrophic spill occurs. New polling has also revealed that a majority of Australians, while hopeful

The AEMO Energy Statement of Opportunities (ESOO) released today confirms Australia Institute Gas & Coal Watch analysis that shows that Victoria’s dependence on brown coal and gas is a serious risk to the state’s energy supply this summer. Key points from AEMO Energy Statement of Opportunities: Based on operational experience, AEMO’s modelling assumed There is

New research shows Victorian coal power is responsible for around 13% of the National Electricity Market’s gas and coal capacity, but 32% of its gas and coal breakdowns. The Australia Institute’s Gas & Coal Watch initiative finds that Victoria is home to the most unreliable gas and coal power stations in the country, largely due

New research from The Australia Institute highlights four steps governments can take to improve the management of the Murray Darling Basin: Emergency water allocation to the dairy industry Develop policies to ensure diversity in Basin agriculture A federal Royal Commission or federal ICAC investigation Pause the Basin Plan The Institute’s proposal has been backed by

The much-hyped ‘North/South divide’ on climate action is a political misconception, according to new research from The Australia Institute. The research shows that the majority of Australian voters across states and poltical allegiance are concerned by climate change, and want the Government to mobilise on the issue, “like they mobilised everyone during the world wars”. Key

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of Australians in 2018 and in 2019 about their views towards issues surrounding the health and management of the Murray Darling Basin (MDB). Key Findings: A majority of Australians (55%) now consider the health of the Murray Darling Basin poor or very poor, up 18 percentage points

New legal advice, sought by The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program, suggests the Underwriting New Generation Investment Program is unconstitutional and lacks the legislative basis to proceed. Key points · Legal advice received from Fiona McLeod SC and Lindy Barrett on 15 February 2019 finds that Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor does not have constitutional authority

E&OE TRANSCRIPT – PRESS CONFERENCE 31 January 2019, Parliament House, 2.30PM Rod Campbell, Research Director, The Australia Institute Maryanne Slattery, Senior Water Researcher, The Australia Institute Rod Campbell: Three things are clear from the Royal Commission’s report today. The first is that we need more water in the Murray-Darling Basin. Our rivers need more water.

New analysis from The Australia Institute has shown that the different designs of various anti-corruption bodies at a State level yield significantly different results and has reinforced the need for a proposed Federal body to have adequate resourcing and powers. A panel of former judges that make up The Australia Institute’s National Integrity Committee have

South Australia, Tasmania and Queensland all miss out on company tax cuts with only 11% of beneficiaries headquartered in those three states, analysis of Department of Finance data and ATO statistics reveals. The Australia Institute has today released new analysis of a list compiled by the Department of Finance and distributed to crossbench senators outlining

The Victorian Government is attempting to pass a bill through the Legislative Council that will further weaken Victoria’s corruption watchdog IBAC. A briefing paper released today by the Australia Institute outlines the flaws in IBAC’s design and summarises the impact the bill will have on IBAC’s ability to hold public hearings. IBAC is one of