Media Releases

August 2021

Reducing Floodplain Harvesting Could Boost Jobs in Murray Darling Basin: Australia Institute

New research from The Australia Institute has found that significantly reducing floodplain harvesting would have minimal economic impact and could actually increase overall employment across the Basin. The findings, contained in a submission to the NSW Parliamentary inquiry into floodplain harvesting, show that a reduction in the practice within the cotton-dominated northern basin could increase

Doherty Modelling Assumptions Don’t Adequately Account for Changed TTIQ Capabilities

While the effectiveness of ‘test, trace, isolate, quarantine’ (TTIQ) is dependent upon case numbers, new analysis from the Australia Institute shows the Doherty Modelling does not adequately take this into account. Key findings: While most discussion is around vaccine rates and COVID cases at the time of transition to Phase B (‘opening up’) a significant

EV Tax Delay to 2027 Welcomed but Small, Temporary Incentive Falls Short

The South Australian Government’s decision to delay its EV Tax until 2027 is welcome but the small, temporary EV incentive revealed today is insufficient to facilitate the rapid transition to zero emissions cars that our state needs, The Australia Institute says. Key points: As it stands, the 6000 one-off purchase incentives offered represent just 0.4%

Open Letter: Leading Energy Innovators United Against Proposed Subsidies to Coal Generators

Leading innovative energy companies have published an open letter, co-ordinated by the Australia Institute, to state and federal energy ministers and the Energy Security Board (ESB), opposing a key recommendation from the ESB to create a new market for ‘physical reliability’ that would subsidise loss-making coal power stations. The open letter signatories include Tesla Energy,

Party registration changes unfair to small parties, too restrictive

New electoral laws proposed by the Government will have unintended consequences and unfairly benefit incumbent political parties, warns the Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program. The Electoral Legislation Amendment (Party Registration Integrity) Bill would require political parties to have 1,500 unique members each within the next three months, up from 500, and prohibit new parties

Reforming work and livelihoods in remote Australia

A new discussion paper published by The Australia Institute makes a case for major reforms to how livelihood and work programs operate in remote Australia. The paper was developed by eight leading researchers with decades of research experience on remote Indigenous unemployment. “We welcome the Federal Government’s acknowledgement that the Abbott-era Community Development Program (CDP)

South Australians Want EVs but Gov’s New Tax Would Suppress Demand

New research from The Australia Institute shows that South Australians would be less likely to make the switch to an electric vehicle if the government proceeds with its plan to copy the Victorian Labor Government’s EV Tax. The Australia Institute’s survey of a representative sample of 599 South Australians also found there is strong support,

New analysis: Australia’s energy transition among worst in OECD

When it comes to a clean energy transition, Australia is lagging significantly behind other countries according to new research published today by the Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program. The research, authored by leading energy analyst Dr Hugh Saddler, shows that according to key indicators of decarbonisation and energy transition Australia ranks very poorly, and

Not All Taxes are Created Equal

New research released today by the Australia Institute outlines five sets of principles that will help evaluate the merits of different taxes. Taxation is the price we pay to live in a civilisation, however, with such a great number of tax possibilities, it is increasingly important to evaluate our taxation choices. The new report sets

July 2021

$226 million government subsidy to NT frackers while gas takes charge of information program to Aboriginal communities

The Commonwealth Government is pouring $226 million of public money into subsidies for the NT gas industry, says a submission by the Australia Institute to a Senate inquiry. These massive public subsidies confirm the findings of the NT Fracking Inquiry that large scale fracking in the NT is unlikely to be commercially viable and will

When the Show Cannot Go On: Rebooting Australia’s Arts & Entertainment Sector After COVID-19

New research from the Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work, written by Senior Economist Alison Pennington and Monash University’s Ben Eltham, reveals the ongoing, devastating impact of COVID-19 on Australia’s arts and entertainment sector and provides a series of recommendations to government that would reboot the creative sector following the crisis. Key Findings: The arts

New Analysis: The Critical Role of the States in COVID-19 and Beyond

Australia’s states and territories have taken the lead in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, representing a potential re-alignment of state-federal relations, according to new research by the Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program. Polling shows that the proportion of Australians who rate their state/territory government as doing a better job of handling the crisis has reached

Majority of Australians support UNESCO Great Barrier Reef ‘in danger’ listing

More than seven in ten (72%) Australians support UNESCO’s recommendation to add the Great Barrier Reef to the World Heritage ‘in danger’ list, just 11% oppose. Furthermore, Queenslanders are most likely (50%) to think that climate change is the largest threat to the Great Barrier Reef and least likely (4%) to think that the health of the Great Barrier Reef is not threatened.

Coalition Policies Will Not Improve Productivity According to Treasury

New analysis of the Intergenerational Report reveals Treasury does not believe that any of the policies introduced by the Coalition Government in the last six years will have any measurable impact on Australia’s productivity growth in the coming decades. Key Findings: The latest Intergenerational Report (IGR 2021) reveals that the Treasury Department is more pessimistic

Anti-China Rhetoric Leaves Australia Fearful of Attack but Opposed to War: Polling

New research by the Australia Institute’s International & Security Affairs Program has revealed that a similar number of Australians think China will attack Australia soon or sometime (42%) as Taiwanese think that China will attack Taiwan (51%)—a result that may have been stimulated by recent strong-arm tactics by the Government of China, and anti-China rhetoric

Vast Majority of Australians Prefer Funds for War Memorial Expansion to be Spent Elsewhere

New research from the Australia Institute finds that one in two Australians would prefer the funds budgeted for the expansion of the Australian War Memorial to be spent on services such as health and education, a further one quarter (26%) of Australians would prefer the money to be spent on veterans’ support services. Just 13% of Australians prefer the funds to be spent on the redevelopment of the Australian War Memorial.

June 2021

SA Treasurer Imports Victoria’s ‘World’s Worst’ EV Tax

The South Australian Treasurer’s plan to import Victoria’s electric vehicle tax will cause the state to fall behind other jurisdictions with better EV policies, such as New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, The Australia Institute has said. “The Treasurer may say he’s not in the business of importing taxes from Victoria, but that’s

Open Letter: 59 Eminent Australians & Legal Fraternity call on PM to Fulfil Election Promise and Legislate National Integrity Commission

59 eminent Australians, former Judges and members of the legal fraternity have penned an open letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, calling for the urgent establishment of a National Integrity Commission, citing the Government’s election promise to have such a body legislated within 12 months of taking office. Signatories to the open letter include The

The Great Gas Gouge: ACCC, AER Investigation Welcomed by Energy Retailers, Australia Institute

Electricity retailers and the Australia Institute have welcomed confirmation that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) are investigating a series of “high-price events” in May where it seems that withholding of supply in the National Electricity Market (NEM) led to massive increases in the wholesale price. Key points:

Australia Institute Welcomes NSW Nation Leading EV Strategy

The Australia Institute has welcomed the New South Wales Coalition Government’s Electric Vehicle Strategy released today. The NSW Government electric vehicle strategy includes: $3,000 rebates on the purchase of 25,000 new EVs under $68,750, Exemption from stamp duty for EVs below $78,000 from September 2021 and all EVs from 2027, A deferral of their EV

Pressure on SA as NSW Reveals Nation Leading EV Strategy

The Australia Institute has welcomed the New South Wales Coalition Government’s Electric Vehicle Strategy released today and called on the South Australian Government to show similar leadership in their State Budget on Tuesday. Key points: Today the NSW Coalition Government announced an electric vehicle strategy that includes: $3,000 rebates on the purchase of 25,000 new

Australian Manufacturing at Risk from Morrison Resistance to Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism at G7 Summit

New analysis by the Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program shows that the use of carbon border adjustment mechanisms, to be under discussion at the G7 Summit this week, will put Australian industry and manufacturing processes – mainly steel, aluminium and alumina, at risk if Australia continues its recalcitrant role on the global stage. At

Majority of Australians Support Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine for Aged Care Workers

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,001 Australians about their attitudes towards making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for workers in contact with vulnerable demographics. Key Findings: More than three-quarters of Australians (77%) agree with making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for workers in contact with vulnerable demographics, such as aged care workers. Only

Groups in Australia and Japan join forces to highlight damage caused by their nations’ coal trade / 日本とオーストラリア団体、石炭が及ぼす影響を強調

日本語は以下 ↓ Civil society groups in Australia and Japan have teamed up to release a new report that examines the damage caused by coal mining in Australia and coal consumption in Japan, shining a light on the costs of Japan’s reliance on Australian coal. The report by the Australian Conservation Foundation, the Australia Institute and

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