The number of big businesses already moving towards 100% renewables and emissions reduction targets directly contradict Business Council of Australia claims that a 45% target would be “economy wrecking”, according to new research from The Australia Institute.  Key Findings At least 14 BCA members have committed to 100% renewables, including IT giants like Google and

New research from the Australia Institute finds that there are more guns in Australia now than there were before the Port Arthur massacre and introduction of strict gun controls.

New polling from The Australia Institute shows that more than two thirds of South Australian voters (69%) want to see the state transition to 100% renewable energy by the year 2030. A majority of voters for all parties listed, including the Coalition and One Nation, support the policy. “Renewable energy is extraordinarily popular in South

New research from the Australia Institute finds the Australian gun lobby is as large and spends as much on political campaigns per capita as the National Rifle Association does in the USA. The new Australia Institute report, commissioned by Gun Control Australia, also find that these pro-gun lobby groups are also utilising alternative political strategies

New polling from The Australia Institute shows South Australians overwhelmingly think increasing funding for public services is a far more effective policy for encouraging jobs and economic growth than the SA Government’s land tax cut for property investors. The government’s cuts to land tax, which take effect in 2020, will increase the tax-free threshold while

New research shows that rooftop solar continues to climb and is now generating over 4% of the total electricity however it can’t shield us from rising national emissions especially in the transport sector, which continues unfettered by any federal or state government limits. The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program has released the latest National

Dramatic increases in extreme heat days, combined with high humidity present an increasing threat to the health and wellbeing of Mackay residents. The Australia Institute’s HeatWatch initiative, which uses CSIRO–BoM modelling, shows that the number of extreme heat days (over 35C) experienced in Mackay could increase up to seventy times current levels and that virtually

Dramatic increases in the number extreme heat days (35°C+) present an increasing threat to the wellbeing of Whitsundays residents, and to key industries to the region such as agriculture and tourism. New research from the Australia Institute’s HeatWatch initiative, which uses CSIRO–BoM modelling, shows that the number of extreme heat days experienced in the Whitsundays

Dramatic increases in the number extreme heat days (35°C+) present an increasing threat to the health and wellbeing of Townsville residents. New research from the Australia Institute’s HeatWatch initiative, which uses CSIRO–BoM modelling, shows that the number of extreme heat days experienced in Townsville could increase up to thirty times above historic levels and that

The Australia Institute has reviewed economic modelling of climate policies released today by Brian Fisher of BAEconomics. The Institute’s review shows that BAEconomics’ modelling is based on flawed assumptions and its conclusions are not valid. Key problems with BAEconomics model: Does not incorporate rapidly declining costs of renewable energy, storage and electric vehicle. Minimal disclosure

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,536 Australians about government support to assist farmers to harvest solar energy and sell it directly to clients. Key Findings: Respondents were asked if they support allowing farmers who generate wind or solar power on their farms to sell it directly to other landholders. ·  Overwhelming

New research released today by The Australia Institute shows that around 2,000 gigalitres of water were used for cotton crops in the northern Murray Darling Basin in the last year, while less than 11 gigalitres made it downstream to Wilcannia where residents have no drinking water. Almost no water reached Menindee, the site of the

New analysis from The Australia Institute prepared by researcher Bill Browne shows the Coalition is in danger of missing out on a third Senator in each state, which has not happened since the Senate was expanded in 1987. The analysis is based on new Australia Institute national polling of 1536 people which shows Labor and

New research released today by The Australia Institute finds that a coal project proposed near Kingaroy, Queensland, should be rejected by policy makers on economic grounds. The report finds that the project is unlikely to be economically viable, faces huge barriers in getting coal to market and would adversely impact key local industries. “The Kingaroy

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,536 Australians about which current and recent Ministers they had heard of At the next federal election, the retirement of Bishop and Pyne leaves only two Ministers known by most of Australians: Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton. Two of the three most recognised female MPs are

After decades of uninterrupted economic growth, how is it that we all still feel so poor? It’s the question that leading Australian economist, Dr Richard Denniss, gets to the heart of in his newest book Dead Right: How neoliberalism ate itself and what comes next. In a national book tour, starting next week, Denniss will

NSW Water Minister Niall Blair has been urged to halt a controversial policy change in an open letter co-ordinated by The Australia Institute and signed by irrigators, graziers, Aboriginal nations, local governments, environment groups and the former Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. The broad alliance of signatories oppose the Minister’s plan to give away rights to

A new paper published by The Australia Institute explores the lessons Australia could learn from Nordic countries such as Norway in providing leadership for revenue raising options in Australia. The paper is the first piece of research released by the newly established Nordic Policy Centre at The Australia Institute in partnership with Deakin University. “The repeated claims

The number of extreme heat days over 35°c and 40°c will increase dramatically across the South East of South Australia unless more is done to tackle global warming, according to new research from The Australia Institute’s HeatWatch initiative which uses BoM and CSIRO climate projections. HeatWatch – Extreme Heat in South East SA shows that

The Federal Government is preparing to spend vast amounts of taxpayer funds on fossil fuel project overseas to generate business for increased fossil fuel exports out of Australia, new analysis by The Australia Institute warns. Key Points A new bill to Parliament that would expand funding and powers for Efic, Australia’s export finance agency, turning

The Australia Institute welcomes today’s publication of From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting, by Judith Brett from Latrobe University. New analysis released by The Australia Institute shows that Australian voter turnout for the last election was at a record low – the lowest level since compulsory voting was introduced. Meanwhile, the

The Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program has released the latest National Energy Emissions Audit for the electricity sector (The Audit*) covering the month of January 2019. The Audit shows that renewables now account for 20% of total generation in the National Energy Market (NEM) — a share that that is certain to continue growing

The Prime Minister’s announcement to channel $2 billion over ten years to the Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) falls drastically short of what is required to credibly tackle Australia’s emissions. “The Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) will not bring down emissions in the majority of our economy and cannot credibly be considered a centrepiece climate policy,” says

New analysis from the Australia Institute shows a small minority of individuals are spending big on tax accountants to take advantage of unfair tax loopholes, such that individuals with a gross income over $1 million can pay zero tax. Key Findings: Those with both a gross and taxable income over $1 million spent on average $7,476 on

A full page advertisement published today by The Australia Institute promotes new research showing the forgone revenue spent refunding excess franking credits to wealthy shareholders could be used to create jobs and fund services to the community instead.  The foregone revenue on cashing out excess franking credits could purchase: 50 new primary schools, 50 new

A new Environment Plan from international energy company Equinor, released today, shows that an oil spill in the Great Australian Bight could reach South Australian, Victorian and Tasmanian coastlines while also hitting Kangaroo Island. The modelling has been released after a leaked document from the same company on the same drilling site in November of

A new Environment Plan from international energy company, Equinor, released today, shows that a spill in the Great Australian Bight could totally envelop King Island. The modelling has been released after a leaked document from the same company on the same drilling site in November of last year showed the potential catastrophic impact of an

The NSW Government’s strategy to manage irrigators’ use of floodwaters has been slammed in a joint submission by researchers, irrigators, graziers and a Darling River community group. The diverse groups called on the NSW Government to withdraw its draft strategy as it fails to address the problem of massive volumes of water being diverted into

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

NSW suffered 27 major breakdowns at gas and coal fired power-plants in 2018 – more than one a fortnight – removing hundreds of megawatts of energy from the grid suddenly and without warning. The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program has today released its NSW Gas & Coal Watch analysis of 2018, which tracks unscheduled