New research shows that gas and coal power plants broke down 135 times in 2018, breaking down at a rate of once every 2.7 days. While this could be expected of an aging coal fleet, the new analysis shows that Australia’s newest coal power plants (so-called “HELE” plants) are faring just as poorly. The Australia Institute

Most Australians want the State and Federal Governments to implement policies that would encourage more electric vehicles on Australian roads, according to new research from The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program. Key findings: An overwhelming majority of Australians (79%) support the Government building a network of charging stations across the country for electric vehicles.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison claims that the pace of job creation under the Coalition Government – 1.1 million net new jobs in 5 years – is an achievement, however, the actual amount of new work added in the economy has not even kept up with population growth.

New research from The Australia Institute estimates the cost of online harassment and cyberhate to have cost Australians an estimated total of $3.7 billion dollars in health costs and lost income. Key findings: More than one in three of all internet users have experienced some form of online harassment or abuse. The most common were

Australia’s newest coal plants, including ‘supercritical’ or so-called ‘High Efficiency, Low Emissions’ generators, have higher breakdown rates per gigawatt than older power stations, according to new research from The Australia Institute’ Climate & Energy Program. “Australia already has supercritical coal plants. They break down even more often, gigawatt for gigawatt, than our old clunker coal

New research by the Australia Institute shows that the Darling River fish kill was due to the mismanagement of the Menindee Lakes in southwest New South Wales. Key findings: The Lakes were drained in 2016-17 at a time when downstream areas did not need water – South Australia was experiencing flooding and all Murray irrigation

The wasteful structure of private competition in the electricity sector is costing every Australian household over $200 per year, according to new research from The Australia Institute. As heatwaves across Australia heighten concern for high electricity prices as households try and stay cool, new research shows the problem in electricity pricing is structural and the

Adelaide could experience nearly three times as many extreme heat days over 35 degrees by 2090, as well as 600% more days over 40 degrees, unless comprehensive action is undertaken to tackle global warming, according to new analysis from The Australia Institute’s HeatWatch initiative. The report, from The Australia Institute’s Climate & Energy Program, uses

The Australia Institute welcomes the Labor Party proposal to hold a Commission of Inquiry into the mass fish kill at Menindee Lakes last week.  “The blame game for the mass fish deaths is well and truly on. The Prime Minister blames the drought, the NSW Water Minister blames the Commonwealth, upstream blames downstream, and downstream

New analysis from The Australia Institute has found that nearly one in five Liberal voters in Boothby are now less likely to vote for the party after Malcolm Turnbull was dumped as Prime Minister. Furthermore, the majority of Boothby voters support increased spending on health and education over tax cuts and register overwhelming support for

A new report from The Australia Institute’s Climate and Energy Program has shown the Senate crossbench’s role in preventing the Coalition Government from abolishing three renewable energy policies (The Clean Energy Finance Corporation, ARENA and the Renewable Energy Target) resulted in $23.4 billion worth of investment in renewable energy, from 2013–2018. The ‘Saved by the

New research from The Australia Institute shows that South Australians strongly support electric vehicles and want governments at all levels to implement a range of policies that would encourage more electric vehicles onto our state’s roads. “We South Australians are well and truly ready for more electric vehicles on our roads and it’s high time

Newly released documents show the Commonwealth faces “unique fraud risks” in relation to the management of environmental water in the Murray Darling Basin. An audit written by Ernst and Young (EY) found the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, and the near $3.2 billion worth of water it controls, was at risk of being defrauded by state

Despite some improvement in electricity sector emissions, new research from The Australia Institute shows there is no doubt that national greenhouse gas emissions are in fact climbing, confirming a 26% emissions reduction target for the electricity sector is not high enough. The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program has released the December National Energy Emissions

A majority of Australians (63%) think our society has become more unequal over the last ten years while even more (79%) believe that governments should be doing more to reduce inequality. The new survey data has been released along with a landmark report from Australia21 and The Australia Institute, outlining a path to a more

The Australia Institute commissioned ReachTEL to poll the federal seat of Boothby (722 respondents) on the evening of 11 December 2018. Key Findings: 51/49 TPP favouring Liberal Party MP Nicolle Flint 83.6% of Boothby resident support giving the Great Australian Bight World Heritage Protection, with more than half (54.2%) of Boothby residents strongly supporting the

A new report released today by The Australia Institute explores how Fossil Fuel Free Zones (FFFZs) could contribute to action on climate change. Written by Fergus Green of the London School of Economics and Political Science, the paper draws on the history of Nuclear Weapon Free Zones that helped limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“Today’s announcement by the Prime Minister is a welcome acknowledgement that the Government sees tackling corruption is important for the health of our democracy and we need new structures to address the problem,” said Ben Oquist, Executive Director of The Australia Institute. “However, while the problem of corruption has been acknowledged, only half the solution

Collective bargaining in private sector workplaces could be almost extinct by 2030 under current rules, new research from the Centre for Future Work shows.

The Queensland Government is offering major financial subsidies to Adani’s coal project, including a secret deal on royalties worth hundreds of millions and a free access road worth $100 million, shows a new report from The Australia Institute. The report estimates the royalty deal will lend Adani between $215 million to $385 million, on terms

A joint statement by 41 of Australia’s top scientist and experts, published today by The Australia Institute, has “strongly rejected” the WA Fracking Inquiry’s analysis of potential greenhouse gas emissions that the Government relied on to lift the fracking moratorium. Signatories to the joint statement include many of Australia’s leading climate scientists, unlike the Fracking

The viability of a proposal to reconfigure and manage the Menindee Lakes put forward by Kevin Humphries, the outgoing member for Barwon, has been called into question in a report released today by The Australia Institute. Recent backlash by Lower Darling communities against the Basin Plan’s proposed Menindee Lakes Water Savings project prompted the proposal

Australia is firmly at the bottom of a new index of major greenhouse gas emitters, ranking 55 out of 60, putting it in the same group as President Trump’s USA, and Saudi Arabia when it comes to rising emissions and poor climate policies. The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program has contributed to the 2018

For the third consecutive quarter, the share of Australian GDP paid out in wages, salaries and superannuation contributions to workers has shrunk.  Data for the September quarter of 2018, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, shows that labour compensation accounted for just 46.85% of total economic output – one of the lowest on record.

New government data released today shows Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are still on the rise and Australia is still not on track to meet our Paris target. New Australia Institute analysis shows emissions are at their highest since June 2011 (before the introduction of the carbon price). “Over the last five years this Government has

Fracking in Western Australia would bring few jobs, little revenue and could increase gasprices, according to a new report by Canberra-based think-tank The Australia Institute. The report comes after WA Premier Mark McGowan announced on Tuesday that the statewould open up roughly five million hectares of the state to fracking. The report authors were to

A majority of Australians want the ABC’s independence protected from political interference, and agree the ABC must do more to defend its political independence new research from The Australia Institute shows. Key points: Vast majority of Australians (73%) agree the ABC’s independence should be protected from political interference 61% agree the ABC must do more

Renewable generation in the National Energy Market (NEM) has reached a new record high, with all new energy generation over the last two months due to eight new solar farms coming online in the NEM, latest findings from the National Energy Emissions Audit show. The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program has released the November

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,459 Australians about which current and former Ministers they had heard of. In the November 2018 poll, despite no longer a Minister, more Australians still recognise Julie Bishop (82%) than current Prime Minister Scott Morrison (75%). “The Australia Institute has been polling ministerial recognition since 2016

Extreme heat days over 35 degrees are projected to increase five-fold in Western Sydney, from 11 days per year to up to a staggering 52 days per year by 2090, according to new analysis from The Australia Institute’s HeatWatch initiative. This landmark Western Sydney HeatWatch report from The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program serves