Research
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Economics
- Banking & Finance
- Employment & Unemployment
- Future of Work
- Gender at Work
- Gig Economy
- Industry & Sector Policies
- Inequality
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- Macroeconomics
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- Retirement
- Science & Technology
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- Tax, Spending & the Budget
- Unions & Collective Bargaining
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November 2018
Who really benefits from negative gearing?
Key Findings: High-income households and Liberal held electorates are the biggest beneficiaries of negative gearing. Key Findings:Negative gearing primarily benefits high income households Young are the biggest losers from negative gearing Liberal held electorates the biggest winners fromnegative gearing [READ REPORT]
National Energy Emissions Audit – October 2018
The Australia Institute apologises for the delay in publishing the October National Energy Emissions Audit, which was due to internal considerations. The November National Energy Emissions Audit is currently being prepared and will be released on time. The Australia Institute Climate & Energy Program has released the latest National Energy Emissions Audit for the electricity
A Secret Weapon in the Fight Against Financial Misconduct
The Royal Commission into the financial services industry has heard tens of thousands of incidents of financial misconduct. The problem is clearly not just a “few bad apples”; the problem is clearly rooted in the core structure and practice of this industry.
Heatwatch: Extreme heat in the Gold Coast
The combination of the projected rise in extreme heat as a result of global warming and the high levels of humidity at the Gold Coast present a serious risk to the health and wellbeing of the region’s population. The Gold Coast has historically experienced a relatively pleasant climate with only around one day over 35
October 2018
Options for the implementation of Recommendation 9.8 of NT Fracking Inquiry
Extracting gas from the Northern Territory through hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is one of the largest potential sources of carbon pollution in the world. The Fracking Inquiry that reported earlier this year recommended that unconventional gas extraction should only be permitted if the all 135 recommendations are accepted and implemented. All recommendations were accepted by the
HeatWatch: Extreme heat on the Sunshine Coast
Increasing extreme heat will have profound effects on people, industries and ecosystems in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast region. CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology projections estimate that the average number of days over 35 in the region could increase up to tenfold without strong climate policies from a current average of three to 32 days by 2090.
HeatWatch: Extreme heat in Roma
The average number of days over 35 and 40 degrees in Roma has increased annually since the early 1990s. CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology projections estimate that, without climate action, days over 40 degrees could rise from five days per year to 58 days in 2070 and as many as 84 days by 2090. Half of the nights in summer are
Fishing for compliments: Fishing in the Tasmanian economy
Tasmania’s shellfish aquaculture and commercial wild-catch fisheries are responsible for 8,400 tonnes of production each year, with a gross value of $209 million. Between them, these sectors employ between 1,091 and 1,310 people across all four of Tasmania’s regions. The distribution of fishing and aquaculture jobs varies across Tasmania’s four regions. Offshore caged aquaculture (the
Revenue Summit 2018 – Speeches and Papers
The Revenue Summit is a special initiative of The Australia Institute that discussed the need to increase public spending to strengthen our economy and society, and how to raise public revenue efficiently and equitably. Tax is the price we pay to live in a civilised society, but in contemporary Australia, we rarely ask how much
Polling: Income Tax and Inequality
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,449 Australians about income inequality and income taxation. Overall most respondents agreed with principles of progressive taxation and disagreed that income tax in Australia should be made less progressive. Key Results: + 74% of respondents agreed that if the gap between high and low incomes grows,
Australia, we need to talk about revenue
Introduction The debate in Australia about the Federal Government’s Budget has too often focused on what spending will get cut to fund what tax cuts. Australia has also obsessed which Treasurer will deliver a budget surplus in which year. What has been lost in this simplistic debate is that tax is the price we pay
I’ll have what they’re having
This report is a step-by-step guide to valuing compensation in the Lower-Darling. Major changes to the management of the Lower Darling will affect the whole community. To date only one stakeholder, major agribusiness WebsterLtd, has been compensated by the Commonwealth. The region’s other businesses and property owners should assess how Webster’s compensation was calculated in
The Future of Transportation Work: Special Series, WA Transport
A special 6-part series of short articles from WA Transport Magazine: Researchers have identified the transportation industry as one of the sectors likely to be most affected by the coming implementation of new technologies: such as self-driving vehicles, artificial intelligence, and automated logistics systems. How will transportation workers fare as these technologies are rolled out, and
Gas and the Wide Bay Burnett Economy
Gas exploration is being undertaken in the Wide Bay Burnett region. Development of gasfields would present a risk to the region’s diverse services, tourism, agricultural, and manufacturing economy. Summary points include: Blue Energy is exploring for gas in the Wide Bay Burnett region, a region that features high-value horticulture and sugar cane crops and the
Trickle Out Effect
This report is the first in a series that highlights how the Murray–Darling Basin Plan has increased the flow of money and water to big agribusinesses and has increased the vulnerability of everyone else in the Basin– Aboriginal people, floodplain graziers, downstream communities and small irrigators. [READ FULL REPORT]
September 2018
Review of the rate of return guideline for energy
This submission responds to the call for submissions on the draft rate of return guidelines as set out by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). The consumer groups have complained that the regulated entities are very profitable and attribute that to flawed methodology on the part of the regulator. We want to support that and follow
Coalapse! The New South Wales winter “energy crisis”
How over 5 gigawatts of New South Wales gas and coal plants being simultaneously offline pushed the state’s power supply to the brink and drove high electricity prices.
Depoliticising the ABC Board
The ABC Board carries the ultimate responsibility for the independence and integrity of the national broadcaster. In previous eras both sides of politics made inappropriate partisan appointments to the ABC board. Despite the ‘arm’s length, merit based’ reforms made in 2013, the appointment process has once again become deeply politicised. Basic governance standards are being
Implementation Plan for a National Integrity Commission
This Implementation Plan has been prepared by the National Integrity Committee, to provide policy advice on the implementation of the National Integrity Commission design outlined in the committee’s Design Principles and the Design Blueprint.
Stay on Target: Australia set to miss Paris Target
Australia is off-track and looks set to miss its Paris emission reduction target. National emissions are rising and the government seems unwilling or unable to agree on credible policies to reduce emissions. The Commonwealth Government has shelved its centrepiece new climate and energy policy, the National Energy Guarantee (NEG). The Large-Scale Renewable Energy Target (RET)
Heatwatch: Extreme heat in Gladstone
The annual average number of days over 35 degrees Celsius in Gladstone has more than doubled since the mid-20th century. CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology project further increases, with the number of extreme heat days to triple by 2070 – and these projections appear optimistic. Extreme heat will have profound effects on human health,
Heatwatch: Extreme heat in Rockhampton
At temperatures above 35 degrees the human body’s ability to cool itself reduces, making it a common benchmark temperature for occupational health and safety experts, academic and government researchers. Combined with 70% humidity, conditions over 35 degrees are considered ‘extremely dangerous’ by government agencies such as the US Government National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
National Energy Emissions Audit Electricity Update – September 2018
Welcome to the September 2018 issue of the NEEA Electricity Update, with data updated to the end of August 2018. Electricity Update is the companion publication to the quarterly National Energy Emissions Audit Report, the next issue which is being published alongside the Electricity Update. The Electricity Update presents data on electricity demand, electricity supply, and
National Energy Emissions Audit – September 2018
Key points Australia’s energy emissions were almost unchanged between March and June 2018 During the second quarter of 2018, continuing gradual reductions in electricity generation emissions were almost precisely offset by continuing growth in emissions from use of petroleum fuels. Meeting the Paris emissions target will need much larger than pro rata reductions in electricity
National Energy Emissions Audit – September Electricity Update
Welcome to the September 2018 issue of the NEEA Electricity Update, with data updated to the end of August 2018. The Electricity Update is the companion publication to the quarterly National Energy Emissions Audit Report, the next issue which is being published alongside the Electricity Update. The Electricity Update presents data on electricity demand, electricity
Climate of the Nation 2018
Climate change is happening and Australians are concerned about the impacts More Australians accept the reality of climate change than at almost any time since Climate of the Nation began in 2007. Three quarters (76%, up from 71% 2017) of Australians accept that climate change is occurring, 11% do not think that climate change is
GISERA and conflict of interest
GISERA and conflict of interest A fundamental conflict of interest underlies the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Alliance (GISERA), making it an inappropriate organisation to undertake research to evaluate the social and environmental impacts of unconventional gas development. What is GISERA? The Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA) is an alliance agreement between