-
Economics
- Banking & Finance
- Employment & Unemployment
- Future of Work
- Gender at Work
- Gig Economy
- Industry & Sector Policies
- Inequality
- Infrastructure & Construction
- Insecure & Precarious Work
- Labour Standards & Workers' Rights
- Macroeconomics
- Population & Migration
- Public Sector, Procurement & Privatisation
- Retirement
- Science & Technology
- Social Security & Welfare
- Tax, Spending & the Budget
- Unions & Collective Bargaining
- Wages & Entitlements
- Young Workers
- Climate & Energy
- Democracy & Accountability
- Environment
- International & Security Affairs
- Law, Society & Culture
August 2014
Warkworth Continuation Project
The Mount Thorley-Warkworth mine complex is a large open cut coal mine operation near Singleton, in the Hunter Valley, NSW, owned by multinational mining giant, Rio Tinto. The mine achieved notoriety in April 2013 when the NSW Land and Environment Court ruled that it should not be approved as the benefits of the project did
Inquiry into Galilee Basin State Development Area
The Queensland Government is conducting an inquiry into a proposal to declare an official “State Development Area” over prospective coal projects in the Galilee Basin of Central Queensland and across the area between the Galilee Basin and proposed coal export terminals at the port of Abbot Point. The effect of the Galilee Basin State Development
June 2014
Mining the age of entitlement
State governments are more usually associated with the provision of health, education and law enforcement than industry assistance. So it might surprise taxpayers to learn that state government assistance for the mineral and fossil fuel industries consumes significant amounts of their money. Each state provides millions of dollars’ worth of assistance to mining industries every
SUBMISSION: Dewhurst and Bibblewindi gas
The key points of this submission are that: Economic assessment of the projects does not comply with Director General’s Requirements (DGRs); That the justification of the project is based on incorrect information about the Australian East Coast gas market, and that the Department’s EAR is incorrect in relation to the implications of the project for
Seeing through the dust: Coal in the Hunter Valley economy
The Hunter Valley produces and exports large volumes of coal. Supporters of the industry portray it as a ‘vital economic engine room’ and ‘the bedrock of the Hunter’s economy’. In contrast to coal proponents’ claims, however, economic profiles of the region emphasise that the Hunter has a diversified, modern economy, without any one dominant sector,
Report on proposed Watermark Coal Project
The proposed Watermark Coal Project is for the construction of an open-cut mine into agricultural land and native forest, in the Liverpool Plains region, 25km south south-east of the township of Gunnedah and to the immediate west of the village of Breeza, within the Gunnedah Local Government Area. The proposal is for a 30-year open
Bulga Optimisation Project
The Bulga Optimisation Project is a proposal to extend the Bulga open cut coal mine near Singleton, in the Hunter Valley, NSW. The Australia Institute made a submission on the economic assessment done as part of the response to submissions on the original Environmental Impact Statement. The revised assessment by Deloitte Access Economics is a
May 2014
Coalpac – Invincible and Cullen Valley Mine proposal
The Coalpac project is a proposal to expand two coal mines owned by Coalpac, near Lithgow, NSW. In May 2014, The Australia Institute made a submission to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process, focussing on the economic assessment of the project. Key points: The coal price used in the EIS is either inaccurate or assumes
Angus Place Colliery Extension Proposal
Angus Place is an underground coal mines near Lithgow, NSW. It is owned and operated by Centennial Coal, a subsidiary of Thai energy company, Banpu. The mine is located in environmentally sensitive areas, adjacent to several state forests and near the Gardens of Stone National Park. The Australia Institute made submissions on the Environmental Impact
Springvale Colliery Extension Proposal
Springvale Colliery is an underground coal mine near Lithgow, NSW. It is owned and operated by Centennial Coal, a subsidiary of Thai energy company, Banpu. The mine is located in environmentally sensitive areas, adjacent to several state forests and near the Gardens of Stone National Park. The Australia Institute made submissions on the Environmental Impact
SUBMISSION: Inquiry into environmental offsets
The Australia Institute has made a submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications, References Committee Inquiry into environmental offsets. We argue that while offsets are often imperfect and need to be well managed, they have a place in environmental management. Our submission relates to the economics of environmental offsets and our experience
SUBMISSION: Streamlining environmental regulation, ‘green tape’ and one stop shops
The Australia Institute has made a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment inquiry, Streamlining environmental regulation, ‘green tape’, and one stop shops. Our submission draws on earlier TAI research conducted jointly with the Minerals Council of Australia, which found that there is considerable room for improvement in environmental regulation. A
April 2014
SUBMISSION: Cobbora coal project
The Cobbora proposal is to develop an open cut coal mine near the towns of Gulgong and Dunedoo, east of Dubbo, NSW. The mine would extract up to 20 million tonnes per annum of run of mine coal. The mine is proposed by the NSW government-owned Cobbora Holding Company. Our submission focuses mainly on the
March 2014
SUBMISSION: Wallarah 2 coal project
The proposal is to develop an underground coal mine near Wyong, situated between Newcastle and Sydney, NSW. The mine would extract up to 5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) of coal which would require little further processing to reach saleable quality. The mine has attracted controversy due to its potential impacts on the local environment,
Briefing Note: Debunking Solving for ‘x’ – The NSW Gas Supply Cliff
This week energy company AGL released a research paper entitled Solving for ‘x’ – the New South Wales Gas Supply Cliff. The paper contains plenty of economic terms and algebra, but these merely serve to provide camouflage for another reiteration of the gas industry’s claims – that NSW is running low on gas and the
SUBMISSION: Terminal 4 Project
The Australia Institute’s submission on the Newcastle T4 project focuses on the economic assessment and highlights a number of flaws in the economic modelling. The assessment included the use of export growth rates up to 12 times greater than through the mining boom, estimates of coal exports out to 2083, and inflated estimates of coal
SUBMISSION: New Acland Coal Mine Environmental Impact Statement
The New Acland coal mine is applying to expand its operations in one of Australia’s most productive agricultural regions, the Darling Downs. The mine has been controversial since it began, in its impact on the agricultural economy, and in clearing out the town of Acland where now only one resident remains. The New Acland Mine
February 2014
SUBMISSION: North Galilee Basin Rail Project
The North Galilee Basin Rail Project is a proposal to build and operate a standard gauge rail line from the northern Galilee Basin to the port of Abbot Point, some 300 kilometres away. The project would have the capacity to move 100 million tonnes per annum of thermal coal, largely sourced from mines proposed by
Stratford Extension Project
The Stratford Extension Project proposes to extend an existing coal mine in the Gloucester Valley, NSW. The Australia Institute made a submission on the economic assessment of the project to the NSW Planning and Assessment Commission in February 2014. Key points: · Economic assessment is based on extremely optimistic coal prices of AUD$178
January 2014
Warkworth Coal Project Consent Modification 6: DPI addendum report
In November 2013 The Australia Institute made a submission on the application to modify the consent conditions of Rio Tinto’s Warkworth mine, near Singleton in the Hunter Valley, NSW. This modification allows the mine to expand into areas that the Land and Environment Court had disallowed, as the economic benefits of doing so did not
December 2013
Biting the land that feeds you
The New Acland coal mine is a controversial project 157km west of Brisbane, Queensland. It is located next to the township of Acland and 10km from the larger centre of Oakey. The mine is controversial because of its location in an agricultural area and the impacts it has on the local community, farms and health.
Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project Submission
The Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Project is a proposal to mine up to 60 million tonnes per year of thermal coal from the Galilee Basin in Queensland, for export via associated rail and port infrastructure. As the project will have a major impact on the local and potentially global environment, an environmental impact statement,
September 2012
Out for a Duck
An analysis of the economics of duckhunting in Victoria.