New research from The Australia Institute, released just weeks out from the Federal Election, shows that a majority of South Australian voters want the government to mobilise all of society, “like they mobilised everyone during the world wars”, to tackle global warming. The state-wide polling also found that a majority of South Australians support a

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 research from The Australia Institute shows that South Australians overwhelmingly want a Commonwealth Royal Commission into the Murray Darling Basin Plan (73%) and believe that irrigation businesses in the Darling Basin should not be allowed to draw water when mass fish kills and drinking water shortages are occurring downstream (84%). The research also reveals

New research from The Australia Institute shows that 60% of Australians are opposed to drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight, while the rate of opposition amongst South Australians is even higher at 68%. The first ever national poll on the issue found that only one in five Australians, and 16% of South Australians,

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 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

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

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

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 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 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

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

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.

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

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

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has failed to meet any global or local targets, according to new research from The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program. The release of The Australia Institute report coincides with today’s International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World Energy Outlook report which suggests there is still a role for CCS, continuing the

New research from The Australia Institute shows that, while treasurer, Scott Morrison rushed a $260 million deal with the Northern Territory Government through in a matter of days, at exactly the same time that the NT announced it would overturn its moratorium on fracking. The report shows that even under FOI the Government has blocked

Systematic mismanagement, cover up and maladministration has undermined the proper implementation of the Murray Darling Basin Plan, a Senior Water Researcher at The Australia Institute says. Richard Beasley, Senior Counsel to the Murray-Darling Basin Royal Commission, delivered the final submission to the Royal Commission today, which summarized the evidence provided throughout the hearings. “Mr Beasley’s

Offsetting fracking emissions identified by the Northern Territory Fracking Inquiry would reach $4.3 billion in costs per year if fracking in the NT is at full production by 2030 and $53 billion over the decade from 2030-40, finds new research from the Australia Institute. The new analysis released today uses Australian Government modelling of the

The repeated nature of the use of the Opera House sails to project night-time images that are potentially inconsistent with the design of the building or its values requires the matter to be referred to the Federal Environment Department under s68 of the EPBC Act, according to analysis by The Australia Institute. The Australia Institute

Community interests in the Lower Darling are being sacrificed for the profits of big corporations, according to new research by The Australia Institute. The report, Trickle Out Effect, shows the $13 billion dollar Murray Darling Basin Plan is facilitating the flow of money to powerful agribusiness at the expense of local communities, native title holders,graziers, downstream

A majority of Australians believe the Royal Commission into Banks and Financial Services has uncovered more wrong doing (70%) and is most important for Australians (65%) compared to the Royal Commission into Trade Unions, according to new polling from The Australia Institute.  Meanwhile, almost a third of Australians (31%) believe the Royal Commission into Trade

The Australia Institute commissioned ReachTEL to poll the federal seat of Hume (690 respondents) on the evening of 10 September. Key Findings: Liberal primary vote crashes to 39.7% (down from 53.83 at 2016 federal election) 47.8% think the National Energy Guarantee should include an emissions reduction target (39.3% No) 63.7% support a moratorium on building