Research
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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
June 2014
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
SUBMISSION: Renewable Energy Target (RET)
The Renewable Energy Target (RET) has been a very successful policy at reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by increasing renewable energy generation. This submission from The Australia Institute recommends that the RET be strengthened to take advantage of the imminent retirement of gas fired electricity generation from the NEM. This submission will focus on three
SUBMISSION: Tax Laws Amendment Bill 2014
The Australia Institute made a submission to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee on the Tax Laws Amendment (Temporary Budget Repair Levy) Bill 2014 and related bills. This levy has the effect of increasing the marginal tax rate from 45 to 47 per cent on incomes over $180,000. Inclusive of the Medicare Levy and the DisabilityCare
SUBMISSION: Senate inquiry into the Trade and Foreign Investment (Protecting the Public Interest) Act 2014
The Australia Institute recently made a submission to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee on the Trade and Foreign Investment (Protecting the Public Interest) Act 2014 which seeks to protect Australian laws by banning investor-state dispute settlement provisions. This submission looks not only at ISDS but also other elements of trade agreements which impact
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
Auditing the auditors: The People’s Commission of Audit
Governments are not like businesses. They provide services because the citizens demand them, not because delivering them is profitable. They collect taxes from citizens, not charge prices from customers. While a business has a legal responsibility to maximise the dividends it pays its shareholders, it makes no sense for a government to generate a surplus
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
Sustaining us all in retirement
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.
SUBMISSION: Financial services review
The Australia Institute has published a number of papers on the finance industry. This submission examines various aspects of the financial services industry including banking, superannuation, cooperatives, the budget and consumer issues.
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
SUBMISSION: Senate inquiry into affordable housing
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
SUBMISSION: Senate inquiry into out-of-pocket costs in healthcare
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
March 2014
Grow your own
Australia’s high rate of urbanisation means that most people experience a significant disconnect between their food production and consumption. Over several decades, suburban gardens have ceased to be major sites of food production and Australians reportedly have a declining understanding and appreciation of how their food is grown. Recent years have seen a renewed interest
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
Fracking the future
The purpose of this paper is to bust the gas industry’s myths about coal seam gas (CSG). The gas industry has been prolific in putting out exaggerated claims about CSG’s economic benefits while at the same time staying almost completely silent on the health and environmental risks. This paper will look at both the economic
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
Climate Proofing Your Investments: Moving Funds out of Fossil Fuels
Investments in coal, oil, and gas increase financial risk without increasing returns, according to the new report Climate proofing your investments: Moving funds out of fossil fuels published by The Australia Institute. To meet the internationally-agreed two degree global warming limit, fossil fuel businesses must leave in the ground two-thirds of the reserves currently on their books.
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: Emissions Reduction Fund Green Paper
Competitive grant schemes can be effectively used to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions but they are not sufficient to produce large scale abatement at a low cost. Competitive grant schemes are best used in conjunction with other policies including a broad based carbon price. The carbon price is able to achieve large scale abatement at
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
A democracy deficit?
The results of the survey of the Australia Institute reveal that even though only 11 per cent of respondents were aware of the TPP, the majority, once informed of it, supported greater transparency and accountability in the negotiation process and had strong views on what should and should not be included. Australians hold serious concerns
SUBMISSION: Senate Standing Committee on Direct Action Plan
The political class in Australia needs to overcome its tendency for picking individual climate change policies. Instead we need to take a broader approach to climate change that includes a range of policies if we hope to do our fair share in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid dangerous climate change.
SURVEY: Australians want new WA Senate Election
Most Australians think that WA should go back to the polls. The result this time could be very different. To read the results of our most recent survey click on the link below:
January 2014
Public Infrastructure Financing – Submission to the Productivity Commission
The provision of infrastructure by government, financed by the issue of debt, is likely to be far superior to other options. Where private interests are in a position to offer a similar service, it’s likely that their costs will be much higher and that society will pay a higher price either through taxation or user