The mining boom continues to drive international tourists away from Cairns and Far North Queensland on the back of the high Australian dollar, according to a new analysis by The Australia Institute, a Canberra-based think tank. The analysis shows that in Far North Queensland international tourism numbers have slumped from 868,303 to 648,959 over the

Everyone has heard how good the mining industry is for Queensland but is this actually the case for industries other than mining? There currently is a huge and unprecedented expansion of coal and coal seam gas mining under way across Queensland . There is no doubt that this will destroy existing jobs in tourism and

Everyone has heard how good the mining industry is for Queensland but is this actually the case for areas like Cairns and the Far North? The world’s largest coal mine is being developed 400km inland from Cairns, with a proposal to ship coal through the Whitsundays. There is no doubt that it will destroy existing

The alleged benefits to NSW communities from Santos’ plans to develop coal seam gas (CSG) reserves in the north west of the state should be questioned in the light of inconsistencies and flaws in the economic modelling used to support the project, according to The Australia Institute. Santos recently commissioned the Allen Consulting Group to

Industry claims that poker machine reform will cost $5 billion can only be described as fanciful, with a new analysis by The Australia Institute showing that the cost is likely to be between $171 million and $342 million. The Institute’s Executive Director Dr Richard Denniss said the $5 billion estimate is an exaggeration based on

The China First mine proposed for Queensland is so large that even the economic impact statement prepared by the mine’s proponents finds that it will drive more than $1.2 billion worth of manufacturing offshore, cause 3,000 job losses and result in higher housing costs and a less equal distribution of income. Dr Richard Denniss, Executive

The announcement today of a $20 billion dollar hole in the budget is a storm in a teacup and only proves that the government’s pursuit of a surplus has more to do with politics than economics, according to The Australia Institute’s Executive Director Dr Richard Denniss. “Australia’s GDP is more than $1,400 billion per year,

The history of takeovers in Australia suggests that the undertakings SABMiller PLC gave to retain Foster’s iconic Australian identity are likely to be worthless, according to The Australia Institute. SABMiller PLC, the foreign buyer, has undertaken that: •Operations will remain in Australia •Production facilities will not be moved offshore •Foster’s iconic brand portfolio will be

Many workers who are given mobile phones and laptops by their employer feel obliged to work overtime, new research by The Australia Institute reveals. The research on the increasingly blurry boundary between work and life was conducted for this year’s national Go Home On Time Day, which will be held on Wednesday November 30. Now

Australians are paying more than $1 billion each year in out-of-pocket expenses for GP visits, pharmaceuticals, pathology and diagnostic testing despite Medicare’s pledge to provide ‘fair and affordable’ health care, a new study by The Australia Institute reveals. The study also confirmed that many Australians are forgoing treatment, with almost a quarter of survey respondents

Public perceptions of the size and significance of the mining industry to the Australian economy are radically different to the facts, a new survey by The Australia Institute reveals. When asked what percentage of workers they believe were employed in the mining industry, the average response was around 16 per cent, when according to the

Two thirds of Australians are in favour of the government taking action to ensure competition on the internet, new research by The Australia Institute reveals. Despite this, and the boom in online retail being fuelled by consumers’ desire for choice, a surprising number of people are less concerned about a lack of diversity online than

The Australia Institute today called on Opposition Treasury spokesman Joe Hockey to outline how many public servants they will require to administer their ‘direct action’ climate change plan, in light of his comments about disbanding the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency. Mr Hockey has said that the Coalition is considering disbanding the Department

I’ll start with a confession. I would like to confirm that like my esteemed colleague I am not, and have never been, a climate scientist. I am an economist who has watched the way we develop policy for many years. And I am also a citizen, an employer, and a father who on a regular

The Coalition’s proposed Direct Action Plan to combat climate change is likely to cost $11 billion per year, require hundreds of new, highly-trained public servants to administer it and would still be unlikely to achieve any meaningful abatement, a new analysis by The Australia Institute reveals. The Direct Action Plan is a form of competitive

The mining industry, not Australian workers, should be shouldering the blame for Australia’s flagging productivity growth, according to a new analysis by The Australia Institute. In a speech last night Dr Martin Parkinson, the new head of Treasury, quoted figures showing that Australia’s annual productivity growth slipped from 2.1 per cent in the 1990s to

The online retail boom is overwhelmingly being driven by people wanting to save money despite concerns it hurts local jobs, a new paper by The Australia Institute reveals. The rise and rise of online retail confirms many of the assumptions made about consumer attitudes and behaviour in relation to online shopping. 85 per cent of

The threat by big tobacco companies to slash cigarette prices if the Government presses ahead with its plan to legislate for plain packaging is proof that smokers in Australia are being ripped off to the tune of $500 million per year, according to analysis conducted by The Australia Institute. “The tobacco companies are saying that

The bipartisan obsession with returning the federal budget to surplus has provided a convenient distraction from the genuine debate which is needed in Australia about when we will invest in infrastructure and social welfare, according to a new paper by The Australia Institute released today. Surplus fetish: The political economy of the surplus, deficit and

The Senate Economics Committee report into the banking sector, released today, is a disappointing missed opportunity to initiate much-needed reform to rein in the power of Australia’s big four banks which exploit their market power at the expense of consumers and small businesses, according to The Australia Institute. Senior Research Fellow David Richardson said the

In October 2009 the Australia Institute conducted an online survey of 1,807 main grocery buyers in Australia and New Zealand. Respondents were asked about the food they throw out and their attitudes and behaviour in relation to food waste.

The announcement today that the Gillard Government and the Greens have agreed on the broad architecture of a carbon price mechanism for Australia is a welcome sign of progress on what has been a long march towards a comprehensive approach to tackling climate change in Australia, according to The Australia Institute. The Australia Institute’s Executive

Australian consumers are still spending more than $750 million per year on ATM fees despite attempts by the Reserve Bank to reform the ATM system, a new paper by The Australia Institute reveals. The price of disloyalty: Why competition has failed to lower ATM fees finds that while an overwhelming majority (82%) of Australians believe

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s half year report released today shows that interest expenses have increased but by substantially less than official interest rates, an analysis by The Australia Institute has found. This is in contrast to evidence the bank provided to the Senate Economics Committee in December that their interest expenses were increasing by

Confirmation today that Treasury has considered a banking super profits tax is further evidence of the need to discuss such a proposal at the Tax Summit to be held later this year, according to The Australia Institute. Recent polling by the Institute found 81 per cent of Australians want the idea of a bank super

Nearly one in two Australian adults cannot identify their State or Territory flag, according to new survey results released by The Australia Institute. The Australia Institute’s Deputy Director Josh Fear said the survey results add an extra dimension to the recent push by Former Australians of the Year to change the national flag. While 52

In October 2010 the Australia Institute conducted an online survey of 1294 Australians. Survey respondents were asked questions about a range of social issues, including their views on the labelling of products made in Australia. A media release commenting on these findings is also available.

Three in four Australians are confused about the meaning of the term ‘Made in Australia’, despite a new advertising campaign to encourage people to buy locally-produced goods. Survey results released by The Australia Institute show that people’s desire to buy Australian made is often not matched by their understanding of how to do so.

In November 2010 the Australia Institute conducted an online survey of 1,294 Australians. Survey respondents were asked questions about a range of social issues, including their views on voluntary euthanasia.

The Australia Institute today welcomed the Government’s shake up of the superannuation system. “Common sense has finally prevailed,” said the Institute’s Deputy Director Josh Fear. “The overwhelming majority of super fund members want more simplicity not more choice. Since the Howard Government introduced Choice of Fund in 2005, many people have been forced to make