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

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,

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

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

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 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

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]

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

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.

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

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.

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)

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,

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.  

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

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

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 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 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

As of 2 September 2018, there have been 100 major breakdowns at gas and coal plants in the National Energy Market – including every coal-fired power station bar one (Mt Piper). While old subcritical coal plants performed poorly, the newer supercritical plants (so-called “HELE” plants) were even more unreliable. There were also breakdowns at some

The Great Barrier Reef Foundation (the Foundation) does not have a policy to guidethe investment of its undisbursed funding. As part of the $443.3 million GrantAgreement with the Australian Government, the Foundation must design an “investment policy” – however the Grant Agreement is silent on whether the policyshould exclude investing in fossil fuel industries that

Most housing subsidies end up increasing landlord and developer profits rather than reducing costs for residents. However, Public Land Rent Schemes that provide discounted land access to owners, and private Community Land Trusts, are proven ways to ensure that subsidies reduce costs for homeowners. This report explores how to get cheap, secure, housing without inflating landlord profits.

Conservation SA commissioned economic think tank The Australia Institute to examine more closely the Federal Government’s claims of an economic windfall for the communities under consideration for a National Radioactive Waste Management Facility (NRWMF) – the Flinders Ranges and Kimba on the Eyre Peninsula. TAI examined the claimed economic benefits to regional communities associated with

The unprecedented insecurity of work in Australia’s economy – with the labour market buffeted by technology, globalisation, and new digital business models – has sparked big thinking about policies for addressing this insecurity and enhancing the incomes and well-being of working people. Two ideas which have generated much discussion and debate are proposals for a