Wholesale gas and electricity prices have tripled in Western Australia since 2020, when the WA government first permitted exports of domestic gas, linking the domestic and international markets. Approval for the Woodside’s proposed North West Shelf Extension will lock in this link for the long term, leading to increased costs for West Australian households and

Extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related illness and death in all parts of Australia, except Tasmania. Older, poorer, and sicker people are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. This report identifies the locations around Australia in which the greatest number of vulnerable people will be affected by extreme heat. Targeting these areas for support will ensure the greatest number of vulnerable people are helped during periods of extreme heat.

The Australia Institute’s annual Climate of the Nation report provides an insight into Australians’ understanding of, and attitudes towards, climate change and Australia’s current and proposed climate policies. Climate of the Nation 2024 shows that Australians are not only concerned about the climate crisis, they feel negative about the future in the context of climate

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,009 Australians between 13 and 15 November 2024 about stopping fish farming in Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast where it put the endangered Maugean skate, an endangered stingray-like marine species, at risk of extinction.

In June 2024, Premier Peter Malinauskas proposed the Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Bill. He says it meets his election promise to ban political donations in South Australian elections. In November, a revised version of the bill was introduced to Parliament.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,005 Australians about the role of protest and protest protection in Australia.

Most Australians grow food, or are interested in doing so. Younger people are most likely to express interest in growing, but often lack the space or skills required. This demonstrates the need for gardening programs and investment in community gardens.

This year marks the sixteenth annual Go Home on Time Day (GHOTD), an initiative of the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute, that shines a spotlight on the maldistribution of working hours and the scale of unpaid overtime worked by Australians. The Australian labour market has remained relatively strong over 2024 although interest

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,009 Australians about parliamentary scrutiny of major changes to electoral laws.

The Pacific-Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is often presented as being beneficial to all parties—Australia, Pacific workers, and those workers’ home countries. In reality, the benefits are weighted in favour of Australia.

For NSW to meet its emissions reduction targets it will need a broader range of policies to encourage the uptake of EVs. New policies should help reduce the upfront cost of EVs, encourage the purchase of EVs as fleet vehicles, and require anyone who sells an EV to provide a ‘state-of-health’ report on the car’s

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.

The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 800 NSW residents to test their knowledge about how much Westpac contributes to the running cost of the Northern NSW Rescue Helicopter, also known as the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Although Westpac is the naming rights sponsor of the rescue helicopter, Westpac provides less than 10% of its

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

In less than 20 years, the average HECS/HELP debt for people in their 20s has more than doubled.

Australia has a much higher poverty rate among people aged over 65 than Sweden and Norway. Unlike Australia, Sweden and Norway’s robust public pension systems ensure retirement security. Australia could reduce levels of poverty in retirement by increasing spending on the Age Pension. This could be funded by reducing the inequitable tax concessions on superannuation given to high income earners.

The big four banks make $200,880 in profit on the average 30-year home loan for owner-occupiers.

Emissions from the transport sector are growing, which means it is set to be the largest contributor to Australian emissions by 2030. Ambitious policy change is urgently needed in this area. Under current government policy, transport sector emissions will remain above the 2005 baseline through to 2030.

Key results The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 1,041 Queensland residents about whether they support 12 policies introduced by the Queensland Labor Government. The results show that: • Each of the 12 policies is supported by most Queenslanders. • The net effect of each of the 12 policies is to make Queenslanders more

As Australia’s cities continue to grow, policies that incentivise more people to walk, cycle, and ride electric ‘micro-mobility’ devices could help reduce congestion. However, less than 1% of federal road funding is spent on active transportation. Unless funding is increased, Australia will continue to lack the infrastructure needed to reduce car dependency.

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.

Over 20 years ago the Australia Institute recommended creating a rewards system for whistleblowers. In the decades since, rolling corporate scandals have revealed white-collar crime is pervasive while American rewards systems have proven highly successful. By instituting a whistleblower rewards system Australia can more effectively uncover, combat, and deter these crimes, promote ethical business behaviour, and broadly benefit societal wellbeing.

This report documents the results of a recent survey of Australian adults regarding their experience of the cost of living crisis. Australian workers are doing it tough. Costs are increasing faster than wages and incomes. Those with less are doing it the toughest.

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

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,005 Australians about the circumstances under which the National Anti-Corruption Commission should be allowed to hold public hearings. 67% of Australians say that public hearings should be held under either unlimited circumstances or when a public hearing would be in the public interest, more frequently than

Australia could create more than 4300 quality direct jobs by making its own wind towers instead of importing them, according to new research by the Centre for Future Work. At present, all wind towers installed in Australia are imported from overseas with most coming from China.

Traffic fines in Australia hit low-income earners disproportionally hard. One potential solution to this problem is traffic fines that are proportional to the income of the offender. This discussion paper outlines one way of applying this model – drawn from Finland –to Australia, including a breakdown for states.

The Commonwealth government’s current offer to fund public schools to just 22.5% of the agreed Schooling Resource Standard would leave much of the current school funding shortfall unrepaired. This would squander many of the economic benefits that would otherwise result from full public school funding. Based on disaggregation of previous estimates of the economic benefits generated by stronger school funding and hence scholastic outcomes, we estimate the failure to fulfil the 25% Commonwealth contribution required for full SRS funding would ultimately forego GDP gains of $3.5 to $5 billion per year, and impose net fiscal costs on government (all levels) of $0.6 to $1.5 billion per year.

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.

A submission to the inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system, summarising an earlier Australia Institute report.