News & Analysis // South Australia
June 2018
SA loses out on tax cut windfall
New analysis from the Australia Institute shows that South Australians are amongst those to benefit least from income tax cuts outlined in the 2018 federal budget, compared to the average Australian household. The figures represent the change in household disposable income (after tax income) as a percentage of change in the national average. Modelling also
Majority Support for World Heritage Protection for Great Australian Bight
New polling in Mayo shows majority support for World Heritage Protection for Great Australian Bight. Key results: An overwhelming majority of Mayo respondents (73.9%) supported World Heritage Protection for the Great Australian Bight. Majority support for World Heritage Protection for the Great Australian Bight was measured across supporters of all political parties: Centre Alliance (86.5%
May 2018
Coal town Mayor backs Liddell closure
Port Augusta Mayor Sam Johnson is visiting Canberra to call on politicians to stop undermining certainty with coal closures. Following Port Augusta’s own experience of coal closure and its rapid transition to a renewable energy hub, Mayor Sam Johnson welcomes AGL’s decision to reject Alinta’s offer to buy Liddell power station. In 2015 Alinta Energy
July 2017
Attacking the ABC could be One Nation’s least popular policy yet: Poll
As the Federal Government’s proposed legislation to relax restrictions on who can own and operate newspapers, TV and radio stations in Australia, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party has reportedly proposed that ABC funding should be cut as a condition of its support for the legislation. New polling released today shows a combined 74% of South
Cabinet Ministers’ electorates strongly oppose coal subsidies
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
South Australians split on bank levy as new report shows policy is less than 1/3 of IMF ‘safe maximum’
The combined SA and Federal bank levies are less than one-third of IMF ‘safe maximum’ A new report from The Australia Institute’s Senior Economist, Matt Grudnoff, reviews the economic impact of the South Australian government’s proposed bank levy. The research finds that the banks are not only very capable of paying the 0.0036% levy on
May 2017
Adani offers false hope to South Australia
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
September 2016
South Australians don’t believe the hype: Poll shows SA backs fracking ban
1,473 South Australians were asked if they supported a Victoria-style ban on gas fracking in their state. Twice as many (47%) support a ban than are opposed (23%). 30% were undecided. The polling was conducted on 30 August, as Victoria introduced its ban and in the weeks following the furore around energy prices in South
July 2016
Gas exports cook up electricity price spikes in South Australia
Extreme price spikes in the South Australian electricity market sees gas generators taking advantage of a market failure at the expense of businesses and households. The Australia Institute’s report from 2013, Cooking up a price rise, accurately predicted that export parity pricing would drive up domestic gas prices. Meanwhile, South Australia has one of the
April 2016
How could South Australia could ‘Finnish’ traffic fines
A new report models a progressive traffic fine system, based on the Finnish model, for South Australia. Progressive traffic fines, based on income, rather than flat fees, have been successfully implemented in Scandinavia. The Australia Institute has released a report looking specifically at how the policy could be adopted in South Australia. The report, From
South Australians remain opposed to nuclear waste dump: Poll
A ReachTEL poll of 1077 South Australian’s shows opposition to a nuclear waste dump at 48.5% and support at 37.2%. (Full results below) Final submissions to South Australia’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission closed on Friday. “A nuclear waste dump remains unpopular, despite some recent high profile support and renewed focus with the Royal Commission,”
March 2016
South Australian, Indi and New England voters oppose current asylum seeker policy, support resettlement of refugees
New state-wide ReachTEL polling in South Australia and in the seats of New England and Indi on refugee policy shows most voters do not support the current policy to send all boat arrivals to Nauru and Manus Island. The polling also shows majority support for the resettlement in Australia of those assessed as refugees who
SA Taxpayers asked to front $145 billion for nuclear dump gamble
The Australia Institute has today publicly released its report on the economics of an international nuclear waste dump in South Australia. — Press Conference and Public Forum details — The report is in response to the tentative findings of South Australia’s nuclear royal commission, which claimed a net benefit of $51 billion to South Australia.
New polling shows lack of support for income tax cuts
A ReachTEL poll of 1217 Queenslanders and 1077 South Australians shows respondents resoundingly rejected conventional political wisdom – that income tax cuts are even more popular than government investment in health, education and infrastructure. (See full results below) Just over half (53.0%) of voters in South Australia and half (49.2%) of Queenslanders would prefer to
February 2016
Free nuclear power is a fantasy: Report
A new report from The Australia Institute shows that a proposal to establish a global nuclear waste industry in South Australia would fail to secure 90% of the imported waste, leaving an expensive and risky legacy for the state. The report was commissioned by the Conservation Council of South Australia to analyse the submission to
September 2015
No taxpayer coal bank: Polls show Australians back subsidies switch
As new Resources and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg announces that the $5 billion Northern Australia fund could be used to subsidise coal projects, including the Adani mine in the Galilee, research shows support ranging from 65% to 78% for a policy shift. According to a series of polls, commissioned by The Australia Institute as part
August 2015
SA’s Strange Love of a Nuclear Pipe Dream
The Australia Institute has submitted a report to the inquiry into nuclear power in South Australia has found major flaws in both economic and technological assumptions underpinning the pro-nuclear push. “Nuclear power is not a practical option for South Australia,” Chief Economist at The Australia Institute, Richard Denniss said. “There are some very strange assumptions
July 2015
Voters in blue-ribbon Coalition seats back the ABC
Polling released today reveals strong opposition to Coalition cuts to the ABC. The ReachTEL poll was conducted in seats represented by Christopher Pyne, Malcolm Turnbull and Joe Hockey in late April. Results: Do you support or oppose the government’s decision to reduce funding to the ABC in last year’s budget? 59% of Joe Hockey’s constituents
May 2015
Australian taxpayers’ slice of $10 million per minute fossil fuel subsidies bill
The Guardian reported this morning International Monetary Fund calculations that world fossil fuel subsidies are running at $5.3 trillion dollars annually, or $10m per minute. In Australia, successive state and federal governments have given subsidies in the form of diesel fuel rebates, infrastructure funding and royalties discounts worth billions. TAI director of research, Rod Campbell,
September 2014
Facts about the NSW Minerals Council Debate
Richard debated Stephen Galilee, the head of the NSW Minerals Council on 7.30 NSW regarding their recent attack on our research into mining subsidies. This material sheds light both on our approach to our research and the disingenuous approach taken by the NSW Minerals Council.
MR: Australia Institute calls on the Minerals Council members to come clean and apologise
The Australian Institute says the Minerals Council members – the large, mostly foreign-owned, mining companies – should explain the attacks on The Australia Institute. The Minerals Council has claimed that The Australia Institute is being directed by a political party. This is untrue and defamatory. The Minerals Council should immediately desist from making such claims
July 2014
What to make of Palmer’s gambit – A message from Ben Oquist
Last week was another big week for The Australia Institute. You might have seen that we launched another major research report, Mining the Age of Entitlement, this time on the $17.6 billion worth of taxpayer support that State governments have given the mining industry. You might have seen Ben Oquist’s name mentioned in relation to
June 2014
Age of entitlement lives on: Report exposes billions in government handouts to mining
Age of entitlement lives on: Report exposes billions in government handouts to mining State governments are providing billions of dollars in subsidies to the minerals and fossil fuel industries, a new report by The Australia Institute (TAI) has revealed. The report exposes the massive scale of state government assistance, totalling $17.6 billion over a six-year
May 2013
Australians oppose gambling promotion more than alcohol advertising
Australians oppose gambling advertisements during live sport more than advertising for alcohol, a new survey by The Australia Institute reveals. The Australia Institute’s Executive Director Dr Richard Denniss said that nearly two-thirds of Australians oppose the advertising of gambling during sport, while around half oppose alcohol promotion. “It’s been obvious for a while that many
January 2011
Australians struggle to recognise State flags
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
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