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April 2025
War gains: windfall profits on liquified natural gas exports, 2022-24
Companies exporting liquified natural gas from Australia have made windfall profits close to $100 billion since 2022, when energy prices spiked because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Most of these profits are based on royalty-free gas and no Petroleum Resource Rent Tax was paid. At best, $20 billion in company tax was paid on this
Big Gas is taking the piss: INPEX case study
Australians are being ripped off by gas export corporations.
March 2025
Red Imported Fire Ants and Australian electorates
Red Imported Fire Ants have the potential to cause significant environmental, social and economic damage.
Polling – Salmon farming and environment in Tasmania
The Australia Institute commissioned uComms, which surveyed 860 Australians living in Sydney between 17 and 18 March 2025 on environmental issues and salmon farming in Tasmania. Results show that: 61% support stopping salmon farming in areas where it is putting the endangered Maugean skate at risk of extinction; more than twice as many who oppose
Fossil fuel subsidies in Australia 2025
In 2024–25, Australian governments provided $14.9 billion worth of spending and tax breaks to assist fossil fuel producers and major users, a 3% increase on 2023–24. Subsidies in the forward estimates have increased from $65 billion to a record $67 billion, a sum 14.2 times larger than the nation’s $4.75 billion disaster response fund.
December 2024
Coal royalties in NSW
Coal royalties are a tiny part of NSW Government revenue. Over the last decade, they have averaged only 2.4% of NSW Government revenue. Coal royalties do little to fund regional communities, schools, hospitals, teachers, and nurses.
Polling – Christmas waste 2024
Giving and receiving gifts is one of the most cherished Christmas traditions. The polling conducted for this report shows that more than three in four Australians (77%) like buying gifts for people at Christmas. However, more than half (52%) would prefer it if people did not buy them gifts for them at Christmas. One quarter
Greenwashing coal in New South Wales
The organisations charged with overseeing regional transition away from coal mining in NSW have a budget of $5.2 million across four organisations. By contrast, $27 million of public money was spent in 2022-23 by Coal Innovation NSW conducting and promoting research that greenwashes the coal industry, while a publicly subsidised coal industry research fund worth
October 2024
Submission – Inquiry into the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsideration of Decisions) Bill 2024
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Amendment (Reconsideration of Decisions) Bill 2024 seeks to limit the time allowed to reconsider decisions, and on those who may seek reconsideration, to three years.
Gas in WA: Exports
If Western Australia was a country, it would be the world’s third largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Yet, despite the huge amounts of gas produced in WA annually, recent media reports claim the state is heading for a gas shortage. How can WA be running short of gas when it is a globally
Submission to Validation (State Coastal Policy) Bill
The Tasmanian Government’s draft legislation to fast-track changes to the State Coastal Policy through Tasmanian Parliament ignores legislated process and due diligence. The proposed changes have the potential to weaken the State Coastal Policy, erode protection to the natural and cultural values of Tasmania’s coast, and undermine statewide strategic planning.
September 2024
Impact of fire ants in Queensland electorates
Red imported fire ants are one of the world’s most invasive pest species and attempts to eradicate them from South East Queensland are currently under-resourced.
August 2024
What is the case for more gas?
The Future Gas Strategy, published in May 2024, sets out the Albanese Government’s plan for gas production and consumption in Australia between now and 2050.
Australia’s great gas giveaway
According to the Australian Government’s Future Gas Strategy, gas is “critical” to the nation’s economy. In view of this, many Australians might be surprised to learn that a large amount of the country’s gas reserves are essentially being given away for free.
How the North West Shelf Extension threatens WA’s domestic gas market
Woodside’s North West Shelf Extension has not identified sufficient gas supply for its export capacity. This is already resulting in applications to divert domestic gas to the export terminal. This will permanently destabilise WA’s domestic gas market.
July 2024
The oil and gas industry in South Australia
Oil and gas extraction in South Australia employs just 833 people, 0.1% of SA jobs. Petroleum royalties make up 0.4% of the state budget. On oil and gas production worth $1.7 billion in 2021-22, the industry paid at most $99 million in federal tax, of which Santos paid zero. Despite this, the industry has significant
June 2024
Gas industry claims debunked
War in Ukraine has seen oil and gas export revenue out of Australia increase from $40 billion in 2020-21 to $107 billion in 2022-23. Lobby group forecasts of $17 billion in 2023-24 payments to government should be considered in this context.
May 2024
Australia’s great gas giveaway
According to the Australian Government’s Future Gas Strategy, gas is “critical” to the nation’s economy.
Textiles waste in Australia
Every year, over 300,000 tonnes of clothing is either sent to landfill or exported from Australia. To respond to the growing textiles waste problem, the Commonwealth has proposed policies intended to create a ‘circular economy.’ However, a genuinely circular economy depends on drastically reducing the rate at which textiles are produced and consumed, banning the
Budget revenue from WA gas exports
Royalty revenue from WA gas exports has halved in the past two years and now makes up just 1.5% of budget revenue.
No delay, no excuses, no carbon offsets
The existing NSW Koala Strategy fails to recognise or address the immediate and systemic impacts of logging, fossil fuel production and climate change on koala populations.
Fossil fuel subsidies in Australia 2024
Australia’s subsidies to fossil fuel producers and major users from all governments totalled $14.5 billion in 2023–24, increase of 31% on the $11.1 billion recorded in 2022–23.
Australia’s Fuel Tax Credits and the debate over fossil fuel subsidies
The Fuel Tax Credits Scheme costs the Federal Budget nearly $10 billion per year and largely benefits iron ore and coal miners.
Gas in WA: the economy
WA is a globally significant gas exporter, but gas is insignificant in the WA economy.
April 2024
Submission on restart of Redbank Power Station
The Australia Institute made a submission to the NSW Department of Planning, Infrastructure and Housing on the proposal to convert the defunct Redbank coal-fired power station to run on woodchips and other biomass. Redbank is located in the Hunter Valley, NSW.
Red imported fire ants – the benefits of avoiding a national disaster
The Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) has the potential to become one of Australia’s most noxious invasive species and Australia’s national eradication program is not sufficiently resourced.
Submission – PRRT: Delivering fairer and bigger returns, always
Submission to Senate Standing Committees on Economics inquiry into the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Accountability and Fairness) Bill 2023 [Provisions].
Polling Research: Ending native forest logging across Australia
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,008 Australians about an end to native forest logging on public land.
March 2024
Submission: Glendell Mine Modification 5
A submission made by The Australia Institute to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure regarding the Glendell Mine Modification 5. The Modification should be rejected on both economic and environmental grounds. At the very least, it should be subject to a comprehensive economic assessment before a planning decision is reached. The Australia Institute
Polling – Tasmanian Election Issues
Australia Institute polling research shows a majority of Tasmanian voters support action on integrity in politics, salmon farming, forestry, and housing affordability.