Monthly Archives: June 2012

Two-speed economy shows up in job vacancies data

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Gene Tunny

The economies of the non-resources States are not looking healthy, if today’s ABS job vacancies data are any indication: MacroBusiness has good coverage of the national data (ABS job vacancies fall), with Houses and Holes observing: It appears that growth … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Mining | 1 Comment

Mining not the only job generator in two-speed economy

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Matt Grudnoff of the Australia Institute has a provocative piece in the Courier-Mail this morning (Newman is digging in wrong hole) in which he calls for the Government to slow down the resources boom due to its adverse impacts on … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Mining | Leave a comment

Decentralisation much harder than it sounds

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Gene Tunny

The Newman Government faces a challenge in fulfilling its commitment to relocate public servants to regional centres such as Townsville, if the experience of Queensland Rail’s passenger business is instructive. The Queensland Times reports this morning (Cancelled: QRS move to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ipswich, Queensland Government, Townsville | 1 Comment

2011 Census data shows Qld population previously over-estimated – implications for GST carve up

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Queensland Treasury bean counters wouldn’t have been happy when they saw the new ABS population estimates, which incorporate 2011 census data, and which contain a downward revision in Queensland’s estimated population (by 106,000 people) and share of Australia’s total population … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Population | Leave a comment

Resources boom impacts on volunteering

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Gene Tunny

As a gesture of goodwill to the local community, the LNG companies moving into Gladstone may wish to consider investing in training their workers in emergency services and rescue work, because the local State Emergency Services (SES) group is struggling … Continue reading →

Posted in Gladstone, Mining | Leave a comment

Mining riches should help pay off debt, not fund dubious regional development projects

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Just as it is odd to call for a sovereign wealth fund to save the benefits of the resources boom, so it is also odd to call for those benefits to be diverted to funding regional development projects. The Cairns … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Cairns | 2 Comments

Will Qld have problems rolling over its debt?

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland Commission of Audit report released yesterday contains a solid analysis of the risks facing the budget, some of which are highly probable (e.g. a blowout in the cost of the Commonwealth Games), and some of which are remote. … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget | Leave a comment

No surprises in Commission of Audit findings

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Gene Tunny

I’m unimpressed by the Commission of Audit’s findings that have been reported this morning, prior to the formal launch of its report later today. The Brisbane Times reports Debt paid Labor’s bills, which isn’t a revelation and wasn’t covered up … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget | Leave a comment

Unemployment remains high in Far North & Wide Bay-Burnett

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Gene Tunny

OESR’s information brief on the latest ABS regional unemployment data shows that unemployment remains stubbornly high in the tourism-dependent regions of Far North Queensland and Wide Bay-Burnett: These high unemployment rates are no doubt due in part to declines in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Labour market, Tourism, Wide Bay-Burnett | Leave a comment

Qld tourism recovers from natural disasters, but still below pre-GFC peak

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Tourism Queensland released its Domestic Tourism Snapshot for the Year ended March 2012 today, and it shows Australians are increasingly holidaying in Queensland and domestic tourism is out of the slump caused by the natural disasters in 2010-11. However, domestic … Continue reading →

Posted in Tourism | Leave a comment