Monthly Archives: February 2013

Potentially large economic and environmental benefits from improving pedestrian safety

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Gene Tunny

I’m pleased to see the Queensland Government will install flashing lights at schools with a view to improving pedestrian safety, as reported by the Sunshine Coast Daily earlier today: WALKING to and from school will be safer for children and … Continue reading →

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Qld Govt follows through on open data policy – now I know where all the E-Type Jaguars prowl

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Gene Tunny

A tweet by Possum Comitatus yesterday alerted me to the newly released data on car registrations in Queensland released under the Queensland Government’s new open data policy. This is an extensive database, including nearly every bit of relevant registration data … Continue reading →

Posted in Queensland Government | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sunnybank a major centre for diversity in Brisbane

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Gene Tunny

The Government Statistician and the Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs (DATSIMA) have released a great new publication Diversity Figures based on 2011 Census data. Check out this excellent map in the publication showing the … Continue reading →

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Very surprising employment numbers for Qld – ABS needs to investigate volatility

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Given the low levels of job vacancies toward the end of 2012 (see this previous post), I’m very surprised to see the strong rebound in employment in January (30,200 new jobs) and the unemployment rate dropping to 5.5% from 6.1% … Continue reading →

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Queensland’s inactive children will cost health system in the future

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Queensland ranks second lowest among States and Territories for the participation of children in organised physical activity (sport or dancing), according to new ABS data released today (see chart below). I am concerned about what this means for our future … Continue reading →

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Still waiting for building industry recovery

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Gene Tunny

New ABS building approvals data show building approvals (seasonally adjusted) in Queensland increased by nearly 8% in December 2012, but they remain at a low level: The national data aren’t encouraging. See, for example, coverage at MacroBusiness (Building approvals fall … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Gold Coast shouldn’t expect too much of an impact from big events

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Gene Tunny

After several years of poor economic conditions which are only now improving, it’s understandable the Gold Coast is excited about the economic potential of some upcoming big events, such as the 2013 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships. The Gold Coast … Continue reading →

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Compelling evidence of robust recovery in Far North Qld

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Cairns and the broader Far North Queensland (FNQ) economy appeared to be in a lot of trouble in the immediate post-financial crisis period, as a result of a large decline in tourism and an over-supply of housing and commercial property … Continue reading →

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Why is Qld’s participation rate higher than the rest of Australia’s?

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Queensland’s labour force participation rate is slightly higher than the national average (see chart below), and historically this has been cited as a reason for a higher unemployment rate than the national average, as I discussed in a post last … Continue reading →

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