Hydrogen fuel cell buses are expensive, require more infrastructure, and do not deliver real-world reductions in emissions. Electrifying Australia’s buses should be a priority for state governments for air quality and climate reasons.

Around the world, climate change is increasing the costs of insurance and Australia is no exception.

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

Australia has long-running challenges in relation to liquid fuel security and transport emissions. In response to the “energy security emergency” arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the International Energy Agency published a 10-point plan to improve fuel security by cutting oil use by 6% within four months. Two years later, Australian governments have implemented none of the IEA’s recommendations.

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.

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.

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.

The Australian Government claims that green hydrogen is part of its vision for becoming a renewable energy ‘superpower’, but budget documents show this is not the case. Current industrial hydrogen use in Australia is 500,000 tonnes per year. The Commonwealth Government is budgeting for green hydrogen production of around 500,000 tonnes per year into the

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

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.

According to the Australian Government’s Future Gas Strategy, gas is “critical” to the nation’s economy.

Royalty revenue from WA gas exports has halved in the past two years and now makes up just 1.5% of budget revenue.

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.

The Fuel Tax Credits Scheme costs the Federal Budget nearly $10 billion per year and largely benefits iron ore and coal miners.

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.

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 to Senate Standing Committees on Economics inquiry into the Treasury Laws Amendment (Tax Accountability and Fairness) Bill 2023 [Provisions].

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

The Australia Institute made a submission to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the NSW Planning system and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities.

Forestry represents just 1% of Tasmanian jobs and Tasmanian forestry production is largely based on plantation timber rather than native forest logging.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data suggests that salmon farming in Tasmania provides between 1,100 and 1,700 jobs, less than 1% of the state’s employment.

Despite the claims to the contrary by the Northern Territory government, development of the Beetaloo Basin’s gas resources will be of little benefit to Territorians. Modelling used by the NT government itself shows that the development of the Beetaloo Basin will not diversify the NT economy, aid the transition to net zero emissions, provide cheap

The Bill is unlikely to facilitate actions that would result in genuine emissions reductions in NSW, including elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, a moratorium on coal and gas development and decarbonisation of industry and transport. While the goals of the Bill are laudable, fiscal responsibility is a subjective guiding principle and open to creative interpretation

Australia wastes 7.6m tonnes of food each year, costing households $19.3 billion.

The problems attached to over-use of consultants are becoming clearer. The experience in New South Wales accords with the national experience: dependency on consultants hollows out public sector capacity and leads to bad government decisions.

The Australia Institute welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the Syngas and Power Generation, Stage 1 Commercial Development, NeuRizer Urea Project, which is currently open for public comment under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act Public Portal.

The Australia Institute made a submission to the Northern Territory Government’s Consultation for designing an ad valorem mineral royalty scheme. In our view, It is unclear that there is a need to change the NT mining royalty system. Following reforms in 2018, royalty revenue has increased substantially, and mining exploration investment is at a 10-year

This Bill appears primarily aimed at facilitating the Santos Barossa Project, its related Bayu-Undan carbon capture and storage (CCS) project and other fossil fuel projects off Australia’s northern shores. CCS is a technology that has failed for decades, a fact omitted by public agency submissions relating to this Bill.

This is the Australia Institute’s response to the Climate Change Authority’s (CCA) Issues Paper Setting tracking and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets. We are concerned that both the potential of this review and the quality of advice the CCA provides to government in general are undermined by two fundamental problems:

Native bird hunting benefits few South Australians and imposes costs on many. Only 5% have ever shot ducks or quail, and of those people, just 40% intend to do so again. 76% of South Australians support a ban, including 48% who “strongly” support the idea. The economic impact of ending native bird hunting would be