September 2021
Fracked: Gas in the Northern Territory
Extracting gas from the Northern Territory through hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is one of the largest potential sources of carbon pollution in the world. In this episode we explore the climate cost of a potential policy backflip on opening up the NT to fracking, as well as the community opposition and the economics of it all.
June 2021
Australia should look to the Nordics for policy tips
Not only are the Nordics among the world’s most prosperous nations, they have also dealt with many of the issues that Australia finds so difficult. As Australia starts to peek at a future beyond COVID-19, where should we look for inspiration on how to take our country, community and politics in a better direction? Scott Morrison’s
March 2021
Roderick Campbell writes: Recommending approval of a mine based on economic assessment that not only lost in court, but lost in court against you, is a new level of crazy
What would happen in your industry if a judge described someone’s methodology as “inflated”, “lacking evidentiary foundation” and “plainly wrong”? If your industry would stop using that methodology, then you probably are not an economist and you don’t work for coal companies. Exactly this happened in 2019 and, with no change and no reflection, the
October 2020
The Most Secretive Budget Ever
In this episode we explain what ‘not for publication’ (or ‘nfp’) means and why it appears so often in the Budget papers, with Australia Institute research director Rod Campbell.www.tai.org.auHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute // @ebony_bennettGuests:Rod Campbell // @R_o_d_CProducer: Jennifer MaceyTheme music is by Jonathan McFeat from Pulse and Thrum
August 2020
Backfire part 2: why a “gas fired recovery” would increase emissions and energy costs and squander Australia’s COVID-19 recovery spending
In this second of our two-part episode on gas, we explore the flaws in the cost benefit analysis of the Santos’ Narrabri gas project in NSW and why it doesn’t stack up economically, environmentally or to create jobs, with Rod Campbell, research director at the Australia Institute.www.tai.org.auHost: Ebony Bennett, deputy director of the Australia Institute
December 2019
November 2019
August 2019
What’s Going On With The Murray Darling Basin
First there were dead fish and towns running out of water, then #Watergate and now Four Corners have done an investigation into the Murray Darling Basin — again. Big picture…what’s going on? Host: Rod Campbell, research director at The Australia Institute // @R_o_d_C Contributors: Maryanne Slattery, senior water researcher at the Australia Institute // @MaryanneSlatte1 Producer: Jennifer Macey // @jennifermacey Title
January 2019
Transcript: Response to SA Murray Darling Royal Commission
E&OE TRANSCRIPT – PRESS CONFERENCE 31 January 2019, Parliament House, 2.30PM Rod Campbell, Research Director, The Australia Institute Maryanne Slattery, Senior Water Researcher, The Australia Institute Rod Campbell: Three things are clear from the Royal Commission’s report today. The first is that we need more water in the Murray-Darling Basin. Our rivers need more water.
May 2018
Request for audit: Supply measures projects – Murray Darling Basin Plan
4 May 2018 Dear Auditor-General, Supply measure projects We refer to the proposed amendment to the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. That amendment is based on 36 ‘supply measure’ projects. Supply measures aim to achieve the same environmental outcome as under the original Basin Plan, but using less water. The Commonwealth has committed $1.6 billion to implement these supply measures. The
May 2017
A House A House A Kingdom For A House
Housing Affordability is not only a massive policy failure, but is increasingly vying for the gold medal for the most spin and econobabble in Australian politics. Episode 18 of Follow The Money, takes on the vexed issue and tackles the latest bad idea that won’t help housing affordability – raiding your super to pay for a
December 2016
Pocket Money: The Adani Coal Mine
In a special mini-episode we’ve dubbed “Pocket Money” we take a look at the recent developments with Adani’s Carmichael coal mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin. It’s a straight discussion, without our usual bells and whistles so that we could respond quickly and if you like it, we’ll probably do more of these Pocket Money episodes
November 2016
Nuclear Dumps
How much is a hole in the ground worth? Australia has considered building a nuclear waste dump many times over the decades. Each time, the proposal has fallen through. This time, in South Australia, proponents are making $100 billion dollar claims. Richard and Rod take a look at those claims and the economics of building
Economic Models
Economic models are like a lot of things in life: What you get out of them depends on what you put in. But therein lies the problem. When reporting focuses on the ‘findings’ without looking at what assumptions underpin politically influential economic models, it leaves us vulnerable to what Richard calls the ‘peak-stupid of econobabble’.
September 2016
No New Coal Mines
Can Australia live without coal? Episode 7 of Follow the Money looks at the economics of coal and how a moratorium on new mines would help stop the boom and inevitable bust cycle, and instead create a smooth transition to a low carbon future. Contributors: Richard Denniss – @RDNS_TAI Rod Campbell – @R_o_d_C Ebony Bennett – @ebony_bennett. Produced by
January 2016
Mining Boom-tish
The first episode of The Australia Institute’s exciting new podcast series Follow The Money looks at the economics behind Australia’s mining boom. You can subscribe to Follow The Money on iTunes. Contributors: Richard Denniss Rod Campbell Francis Keaney Find us on Twitter/Facebook. In Follow The Money, The Australia Institute explains the economy in plain English. We’ll bust some economic
June 2015
Mine not yours: Minerals industry attacks environment groups
The mining industry is furious that if you make a donation to an environment group, your donation is tax deductible. You know the drill. You give someone in a koala suit anything over $2, they give you a receipt and go off to save an owl, hug a tree or, more likely, make a submission
April 2015
Coal industry writing the NSW Govt’s rules on economics
Imagine this. You’re a State Government minister. Your department and the most powerful industry it regulates are under fire for failing to comply with your government’s own guidelines. Courts, the media and community groups keep complaining that the industry breaks the guidelines and your department lets them get away with it. Even the consultants you
March 2015
Coal in the Southern Highlands – Fact Sheet
There are currently proposals to build one new coal mine and extend an existing coal mine in the southern highlands. With coal prices low and the future of the industry uncertain this flact sheet places these coal proposals into context. For more information read The Australia Institute’s full report on coal in the Southern Highlands http://www.tai.org.au/content/coal-southern-highlands-economy
November 2014
Coal companies talking rubbish on energy poverty
The term “energy poverty” refers to people who do not have access to electricity and clean cooking facilities. Globally, 1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity in their houses and 2.6 billion people cook by burning coal, wood and other solid fuels. This has major impacts on people’s health, safety and quality of
January 2014
Coal royalties a tiny part of state revenue
In the old Chinese proverb, the frog in the well thinks he knows everything about the world, based on the little patch of sky he can see. The view from the bottom of an open-cut coalmine might be a little wider than that of a well, but NSW Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee’s discussion of the role
Another way to look at the impact of coal
Mining industry lobby group the NSW Minerals Council this week released yet another report on mining’s importance to the NSW and regional economies. Not surprisingly, the report contains lots of big numbers. But this report, like many before it, is a case of ‘‘what’s true isn’t surprising and what’s surprising isn’t true’’. Let’s start
October 2013
Terminal 4 project claims don’t stack up
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Last week, Port Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) chief executive Hennie du Plooy said in the Newcastle Herald that the proposed Terminal 4 project (T4) would “inject $770million a year into the regional economy during construction and another $418million a year” when operating. I don’t
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