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

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.

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

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

New analysis from The Australia Institute has shown that the different designs of various anti-corruption bodies at a State level yield significantly different results and has reinforced the need for a proposed Federal body to have adequate resourcing and powers. A panel of former judges that make up The Australia Institute’s National Integrity Committee have

Dramatic increases in extreme heat days, combined with high humidity and the urban heat island effect present an increasing threat to the health and wellbeing of Gold Coast residents. The Australia Institute’s new HeatWatch initiative, which uses CSIRO–BoM modelling, shows that the number of extreme heat days (over 35C) experienced on the Gold Coast could

Households, businesses, power generators, and public infrastructure on the Sunshine Coast are under increased threat caused by a continuing increase in extreme heat temperatures, finds new research from The Australia Institute. The Australia Institute’s new HeatWatch initiative, which uses CSIRO–BoM modelling, shows that the number of extreme heat days (over 35C) experienced on the Sunshine

The number of days over 40 degrees could increase almost tenfold in the Roma region by 2050 in the absence of strong policy response to climate change, according to new research from The Australia Institute. The analysis is based on Bureau of Meteorology data and CSIRO climate projections. The Australia Institute’s HeatWatch initiative shows that

New Australia Institute research shows that extremely hot days (over 35 degrees) could triple in Gladstone by 2070. The number of extreme heat days in Gladstone has already increased from 2.6 days per year in the 1960s to 6.5 days per year this century. This increase has now exceeded extreme heat projections for the year

The number of days over 35 degrees has nearly doubled in Rockhampton over recent years, and is forecast to triple again in the absence of strong policy response to climate change, according to new research from The Australia Institute. The Australia Institute’s Heat Watch initiative shows Rockhampton is expected to endure 29 days over 35

A majority of voters in Longman and Mayo oppose privatisation of the ABC. The Australia Institute commissioned a poll of 727 Longman and 736 Mayo residents conducted by ReachTEL on June 21st. Results:+ A majority of respondents in Mayo (74%) and Longman (58.7%) oppose selling off the ABC in Australia’s capital cities+ Opposition to privatisation

The best way to protect coal jobs in existing mines is to stop the construction of new, highly automated coal mines in the Galilee Basin according to new research by The Australia Institute. The Institute’s report estimates that development of the Galilee Basin would reduce coal mining jobs by 9,000 in the Hunter Valley (NSW),

The Australia Institute commissioned ReachTEL to poll the federal seats of Mayo (736 respondents) and Longman (727 respondents) on the evening of Thursday June 21.  Key Findings: 50/50 TPP in Longman 62/38 TPP favouring Centre Alliance candidate Rebekah Sharkie in Mayo Mayo: 24.9% support for cutting company tax rate for large business (71% want tax

A research report released today by The Australia Institute shows job claims of the Acland mine on the Darling Downs have been grossly exaggerated by owners New Hope and other coal lobbyists. The new report shows: 1. New Acland Coal and the Queensland Resource Council (QRC) are using inflated job figures up to triple what

New analysis from the Australia Institute shows that Queenslanders would receive below average benefits compared to the average Australian household from income tax cuts, outlined in the 2018 federal budget.  The figures represent the change in household disposable income (after tax income) as a percentage of change in the national average. Modelling also took into

A report released today by The Australia Institute reveals New Hope Coal’s spending on advertising and astroturfing for its controversial New Acland mine expansion. The mine in Queensland’s Darling Downs agricultural region has been fought by local farmers for a decade due to concerns over water and social impacts. The local community won an epic

The Auditor-General has received correspondence from Senators Patrick, Griff, Hanson-Young and Bernardi, Ms Rebekha Sharkie MP and the Hon. Tony Burke MP dated 24 April 2018, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine the purchases of water for environmental flows in the Murray-Darling Basin. This request is under consideration and the response will

Wentworth poll shows just 27.3% support for cutting rate on profits of large companies. Poll of Brisbane shows low support for cuts to taxes and services. Polling released today by The Australia Institute of Malcolm Turnbull’s affluent federal seat shows about the same number of voters want the company tax rate increased (26%) as want

Polling released today by The Australia Institute shows strong support for reviewing the environmental approval for the Adani mine in the Prime Minister’s seat, as well as the seat of Brisbane. On the evening of 5th March ReachTEL surveyed 676 voters in Wentworth and a 747 voters in the electorate of Brisbane, with a series

A new ReachTEL poll of over 2,181 Queenslanders, commissioned by The Australia Institute, has found strong support for Queensland parties choosing to veto a federal subsidised loan for the Adani coal project. To accompany the polling (full results in PDF below), The Australia Institute has also released new research on the economic case for the

Few electorates will be clear winners if the Adani coal mine goes ahead, new research from The Australia Institute reveals. A limited export market means that Galilee Basin coal projects like the Adani coal mine could come at the expense of Bowen and Surat Basin coal projects. A report released today by The Australia Institute

The Palaszczuk Government risks a voter backlash as it breaks a clear election promise which ruled out subsidising the Adani coal project, according to a new report from The Australia Institute. First, the Queensland government is ultimately responsible for a $1bn subsidised loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF). Secondly, the Queensland government has

New polling of seven electorates belonging to senior Cabinet Ministers, including the Prime Minister, reveals strong opposition to a federal subsidised loan for Adani’s coal project, and support for instituting a moratorium on new coal mines. The Australia Institute commissioned ReachTEL to conduct surveys of 4,712 Australian residents across the electorates of Wentworth (Turnbull), Cook

The Palaszczuk government has reportedly made a deal to give away $320 million dollars-worth of the state’s coal, for free, to an Indian mining giant.  The Adani project and government assistance: $320 million dollars in free coal in the form of a reported ‘royalty holiday’ deal. $900 million dollar subsidised loan to build a coal-only

Following media report that the Queensland Government and Adani are negotiating a discount on the royalties the company would pay to extract the state/s coal resources, The Australia Institute has calculated the potential cost of a ‘roylaty holiday’ to the taxpayer. The Courier Mail reported that the government and Adani working on this deal: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk

Steel order of 56,000 tonnes would be less than 1% of Whyalla steelworks capacity. Today’s announcement that the Adani coal project would ‘throw a lifeline’ to South Australian steel producer Arrium is the latest piece of deception from a company renowned for breaking its big economic promises. Canberra-based think tank The Australia Institute, which has

Polling of the marginal seat of Dickson, the seat held by Peter Dutton, shows strong opposition to two Coalition policies before the current parliamentary sitting – welfare cuts, and cutting the company tax rate. The survey, conducted by ReachTEL for Canberra-based think tank The Australia Institute, asked respondents if the government should cut, keep the

ReachTEL polling for The Australia Institute of Dickson, the seat held by Peter Dutton, has shown strong support for Labor’s renewable energy target and opposition to government backing of the Adani coal mine.   Polling of the marginal Queensland electorate showed very strong opposition to subsidies going to the Adani Carmichael mine project. [FULL RESULTS IN

New polling of Dawson, the seat held by George Christensen, conducted by ReachTEL, commissioned by The Australia Institute, shows support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party at level pegging with the LNP at 30% of the primary vote. Issue-based questions in the same poll revealed strong support in Dawson for an increase to the renewable

The Australia Institute have today published an open letter to the Prime Minister outlining the unasked and unanswered economic questions regarding the Adani Carmichael mine proposal and its potential public subsidisation of $1 billion. The letter appears as a full-page advertisement in the Australian Financial Review. The questions put: 1 –  Will the Adani mine