Monthly Archives: July 2012

Good signs for building industry recovery

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Gene Tunny

I was very pleased to see the ABS building approvals data for Queensland today (see chart below), which confirmed in my mind that the building industry is set to recover (see my previous post HIA calls for Government action as … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing | Leave a comment

Productivity Commission should go back to giving frank and fearless advice

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Productivity Commission Chairman Gary Banks gave a great speech in Brisbane last week on competition policy (Competition Policy’s regulatory innovations: quo vadis?), which, as usual with the Chairman’s speeches, documents the failure of recent Governments to prosecute much needed reforms. … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy | Leave a comment

QTC inadvertently stumbles into Cairns vs Townsville debate

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Gene Tunny

KS at Loose Change has a good eye for the amusing and ironic, and has spotted that Queensland Treasury Corporation’s investment guide includes a map identifying Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Cairns, but not Townsville: Townsville wiped off map! I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Townsville | 2 Comments

Does tourism promotion on a Statewide basis make sense?

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Gene Tunny

A report in the Courier-Mail that the Government is considering a cut to Tourism Queensland’s funding reminded me of a comment by Simon Anholt, an international advisor on national branding, in the latest Monocle (p. 93, Issue 55) regarding the … Continue reading →

Posted in Tourism | 1 Comment

Opening Brunswick St Mall to traffic is a great idea

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Gene Tunny

I fully support the Lord Mayor’s exploration of options to improve the Brunswick St Mall in the Valley, as reported at the Brisbane Times this morning: Recreating Brunswick Street Mall as a two-lane road is one of the proposals being … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Transport | 3 Comments

HIA calls for Government action as building industry poised to recover

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Gene Tunny

While I think the Housing Industry Association (HIA) has some top-notch economists, the Industry Roundtable Communique it issued today is overly pessimistic: It was agreed that the housing industry is currently facing the worst conditions in decades and a lack … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Tax | 1 Comment

Bright outlook for Qld economy

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Gene Tunny

I agree with Access Economics’s assessment of the Queensland economic outlook reported in the Courier-Mail this morning: THE future for Queensland is bright, with the state back in control of its mojo. That’s the upbeat view of Deloitte Access Economics, … Continue reading →

Posted in Macroeconomy, Mining | Leave a comment

Council amalgamations may not have gone far enough

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Even after the forced amalgamations of many regional councils in 2008, Queensland still has a significant number of councils with very small populations. The median population of Queensland local government areas is 4,910 – far below the median for most … Continue reading →

Posted in Population | Leave a comment

Dump Ford before it dumps us

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Gene Tunny

While having lunch at the Jam Corner cafe on Palmer St, South Townsville on Sunday, I found my gaze constantly drawn over to Dean St when I heard the distinctive sounds of large V8 engines in big Aussie cars coming … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy | Leave a comment

Why does the Qld Government even have a nursery business?

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Gene Tunny

As a great believer in government transparency and FOI, I find it hard to be too concerned about the Party official going in to review the Government businesses GoPrint and GoPlant, as reported in the Courier-Mail. Of course, it appears … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy, Queensland Government | Leave a comment