Monthly Archives: November 2012

Government commits to much needed reform of training system

Posted on November 30, 2012 by

I’m very pleased the Newman Government has embraced the recommendations of the Skills and Training Taskforce to rationalise the TAFE system and introduce much greater contestability of funding (Government response to Skills and Training Taskforce final report): The Government response … Continue reading →

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Holden chief’s weird call for independent review of car industry

Posted on November 27, 2012 by

I was stunned when I read that Holden boss Mike Devereux has called for an independent review of the car industry, presumably in relation to Government assistance (see ‘Deadline looms’ for car industry). The Australian car industry should be extremely … Continue reading →

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Pollies should be careful with jobs promises

Posted on November 27, 2012 by

Former Premier Peter Beattie was fortunate that the mining boom came along and helped bring Queensland’s unemployment rate below the 5% he promised, but his successor Anna Bligh wasn’t so fortunate – the Queensland economy still hasn’t generated the 100,000 … Continue reading →

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Insurance Council admits ignorance on strata insurance hikes and funds JCU research

Posted on November 25, 2012 by

In a post last month, I observed that the Australian Government Actuary found insurers were struggling to understand the risks they face from natural disasters such as cyclones, and hence it is possible that huge increases in insurance premiums for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Cyclones, North Queensland | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

40,000 jobs from Caloundra South development?

Posted on November 21, 2012 by

The report in the Courier-Mail this morning Caloundra South Estate to bring 40,000 jobs to Sunshine Coast appears so over-the-top you know something must be wrong with it. Based on the public environment report Urbis has prepared for Stockland (the … Continue reading →

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Top ten occupations in sport and recreation

Posted on November 20, 2012 by

The ABS released (or repackaged) some interesting 2011 Census data yesterday on employment in sport and recreation, showing the dominance of gyms and the significance of the heavily subsidised racing industry as an employer. John Quiggin wrote a great post … Continue reading →

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Storms and floods reveal need for public education campaign on disasters

Posted on November 19, 2012 by

After South-East Queensland’s wild weekend of storms, the Queensland Government should consider a public education campaign on how to stay safe during storms and floods, as the Bureau of Meteorology obviously doesn’t see that as its role. While the Bureau … Continue reading →

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Brisbane hearing of inquiry into two pillars (ag and resources) today

Posted on November 16, 2012 by

The public hearing for the Inquiry into Queensland’s Agriculture and Resource Industries in Brisbane today looks very interesting, and I will try to get along to one or two of the sessions, particularly the sessions with the Resources Council and … Continue reading →

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Cost of schooling will keep increasing under current model

Posted on November 15, 2012 by

It’s no surprise to see another report on escalating private school fees (Queensland private schools announce fee hikes of up to 7 per cent for 2013), given that, under the traditional schooling model, the potential for productivity gains in schools … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Qld should look to Victoria for tips on tourism promotion

Posted on November 14, 2012 by

Tourism Queensland released its handy Overseas Arrivals and Australian Departures Data Sheet yesterday (basically a repackaging of ABS data), and it highlighted to me that Queensland’s tourism promotion is failing and that we can learn something from the quirky, interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in Tourism | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments