In 2015 the NSW Department of Planning and Environment commissioned The Australia Institute to assess the economic costs and benefits of policy changes to the State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) (Codes SEPP). One change was to expand the use of Complying Development Certificates (CDCs), which speed assessment processes for types of

Homeshare programs match older householders who live alone with younger homesharers. Homesharers live with householders rent free and in return keep the householders company and perform ten hours per week of basic chores. Homeshare helps homesharers find accommodation, but more importantly helps older householders live independently in their own homes. Australians overwhelmingly want to continue

In July 2015 The Australia Institute conducted a national opinion poll of 1408 people through Research Now. Respondents were selected to produce a representative sample based on gender, age and state. Questions relating to the performance, pay and position of the Vice Chancellors of Australia’s Universities are compiled in a polling brief available here. The

Regional media is viewed as an essential democratic institution by regional Australians, with   95 per cent accessing some type of local content each week. Regional media is an important source of news, weather, and emergency information. It also contributes to a sense of community and identity within a region. However, regional media is in decline

Details from a forthcoming Australia Institute Report  Since the EPBC Act commenced in July 2000, there have been approximately 5500 projects referred to the Minister under the environmental impact assessment provisions. Of the 5500 referred, around 1500 have been assessed as requiring formal assessment and approval. 12 projects have been refused approval. 9 projects have

This paper presents an overview of the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) in Australia and compares the current system with some reform alternatives and systems in other countries. When the GST was introduced in July 2000, wine products were given special tax status. While beer and spirits attract an excise based on the volume of alcohol

Housing affordability is a complex issue with many moving parts. While some parts of the problem are beyond the domain of the federal government, in particular the supply of land, the federal government can play an important role in helping make housing more affordable. Loans for residential rental property have expanded rapidly, increasing from 16

The Abbott Government, as part of its ‘budget repair’ efforts, wanted in the 2014 Budget to increase the pension age to 70 and to restrict pension indexation to the price index, meaning that the pension will fall relative to general community standards. It has now walked away from CPI indexation in the face of overwhelming

The government has claimed there are no alternatives to its budget vision and called on the senate crossbenchers to stop blocking its budget measures or find alternatives that stack up. This paper aims to do just that. In order to help the government out and shift debate back to good budgetary policy, The Australia Institute

While a large number of people take advantage of negative gearing for residential investment properties in Australia, the majority of the benefits are more narrowly focused. A previous paper by the Australia Institute looked at how the benefit of negative gearing was distributed by income and aged groups. It also looked at how negative gearing

A new research paper from The Australia Institute reveals that home ownership rates in Australia are falling across all age groups, most significantly for people in their 50’s. Middle income earners are experiencing the sharpest decline in ownership rates. Housing affordability issues have changed the makeup of the housing market over the last decade. Not

The new report from The Australia Institute, Population Growth in Australia, reveals: ·         Population growth rate has increased above historic trends, largely due to immigration. ·         The ABS predicts population will be around 40 million in 2061 and up to 70 million by 2101. ·         Almost all of these people will live in major cities.

Submission to Senate Inquiries on the Higher Education and Research Reform Bill 2014 The debate about how high fees could go under deregulation has largely missed a more important question. When students pay more, what will they be paying for? If the HELP system is a way to pay for a service, shouldn’t higher HELP

New research, released on the eve of International Women’s Day, finds that nine in ten Australian women have experienced street harassment and modify their behaviour in response. Actions women are taking for their personal safety include everything from crossing the street to avoid strangers, to pretending to have a conversation on their phone, to grasping

There were 30,775 prisoners in Australia at the end of June 2013 – an increase of five per cent on the 2012 census conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Almost six out of ten (58 per cent) prisoners had previously served a sentence as an adult. The cost of housing a prisoner in

Australia has some of the best conditions in the world for producing solar energy, and new research suggests it is also the nation’s preferred future energy option. This paper considers various advantages and disadvantages of harnessing energy from the sun.  It finds the health and environmental impacts of solar to be minimal in comparison to

Wind power is one of the least greenhouse gas intensive energy sources available and Australia has some of the best wind resources in the world. With the potential to produce up to 40 per cent of Australia’s energy need, wind power presents a great opportunity for reducing our national greenhouse gas emissions and heavy reliance

Successive governments have made large changes in taxation and spending measures that have disproportionately affected women. Men have benefitted most from tax cuts while the cuts to services have primarily impacted on women – a double disadvantage. Before the Global Financial Crisis, income tax cuts were a key feature of fiscal policy for successive Federal

Former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard described work/life balance as a “BBQ-stopper” in 2001. Since then, the term “work/life balance” has been part of the Australian lexicon, but just how well are Australians achieving it? National Go Home on Time Day was launched by The Australia Institute in 2009 as a light-hearted way to

The Australian government is currently willing to boost the retirement incomes of wealthy Australians by providing low cost ‘reverse mortgages’ through Centrelink. The Pension Loan Scheme (PLS) allows eligible Australians to receive payments equivalent to the full age pension paid into their bank account on a fortnightly basis, borrowed from the government and secured against

Property crime in Australia declined by more than half between 2001 and 2011 – affecting 2.9 per cent of households in 2012, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Although the proportion of victims has been falling steadily, recovery from these incidents remains an important policy issue for those unfortunate Australians who fall prey to

Inequality between those with the most and those with the least is rising in Australia. Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but there are many people in our society who are falling behind. The nature and extent of inequality is the choice of policy makers. We have the capacity to either reduce

In 2013 The Australia Institute released Trouble with childcare, which analysed the level of difficulties reported by families regarding the affordability of; access to; and quality of early childhood education and care services. The paper includes data and a number of findings relevant to the Inquiry into the delivery of quality and affordable early childhood

This paper is written in partnership with Australia21. Australia has a long and proud tradition of equality, but in recent decades the benefits of strong economic growth have flowed disproportionately to the rich. In the wake of a declining resources boom, there is a growing gulf between those in the top range and those in the lower ranges of wealth

As Australia’s population ages, government policies that assist retirement will become even more essential. Superannuation tax concessions and the age pension are the two key government policies that assist the ageing, but they are becoming increasingly expensive. Increasing costs have prompted the Treasurer, Mr Joe Hockey to suggest the pension age be increased to 70.

The Australia Institute’s submission addresses the effect of policies designed to encourage home ownership and residential property investment. More broadly this submission focuses on the theme of housing equality and examines the inequality that exists between generations and income groups. In doing so it considers the impact of not having a long-term, national affordable housing

The Australia Institute’s submission addressed the following points of the Inquiry’s terms of reference: the trend in out-of-pocket expenses; the impact of co-payments; key areas of expenditure including primary care visits, pharmaceuticals and diagnostic testing; the role of private health insurance; the effectiveness of safety nets; and other options to achieve savings for Australians and the

The Australia Institute conducted an online survey in November 2013. Respondents were sourced from a reputable independent online panel who earn reward points to participate. Results were post weighted (n = 1404) by age and gender based on the profile of the adult Australian population. Small variations in sample size can occur from rounding errors