Author Archives: Gene Tunny

Queenslanders not meeting mortgage repayments

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Gene Tunny

In his speech on Recent Financial Developments, Ric Battellino, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), observed: Recently, it has been parts of Queensland and Western Australia that have shown a deterioration in loan arrears, albeit from low … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Macroeconomy | Leave a comment

Australia Institute on the future of retail – no more 142% mark ups

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The Australia Institute’s Executive Director Richard Denniss made some insightful comments on Australia’s retail trade sector today, recognising that a significant proportion of bricks-and-mortar retailers may no longer be economically viable (Retailers guilty of 142% mark ups: Report): According to … Continue reading →

Posted in Retail trade | 1 Comment

Queensland full of bolters

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Queensland is leading the country in the number of bolting regions – including SEQ, Hervey Bay, Townsville and Cairns – with only Mt Isa and Longreach lagging behind. Check out this table in the excellent new Grattan Institute report Investing … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Cairns, Retail trade, Townsville | Leave a comment

Climate Commission says SEQ floods-climate change link plausible, but not discernible

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The Climate Commission report (The Critical Decade) is a reasonably good and well-balanced summary of the science around climate change, clearly noting the uncertainties that exist – uncertainties which make climate change a diabolical policy problem. The Climate Commission’s summary … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate change | Leave a comment

Now they have a decent shopping centre, Ipswich residents are shopping locally

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Gene Tunny

For many years, dedicated Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale has pleaded with Ipswich residents to shop locally instead of driving into Brisbane to shop. Mr Pisasale would often cast Indooroopilly Shoppingtown as the villain, noting that Myer could probably justify opening … Continue reading →

Posted in Ipswich, Retail trade | Leave a comment

Copper refinery closure is bad news, but Townsville’s economic prospects are good

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Gene Tunny

One of my most vivid memories from my time at Kirwan High in Townsville is of the visit my grade 8 manual arts class made to the copper refinery. Proud refinery staff tried to explain in simple terms the science … Continue reading →

Posted in Townsville | Leave a comment

Mining boom is truly huge – $380 billion of planned investment

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The Deputy PM and Treasurer Wayne Swan gave another informative budget roadshow speech today (The story behind the Budget: An inclusive Budget). Highlights include: For the first time in our history we are situated in the right part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Mining | Leave a comment

Move public servants to regions only if cost-effective

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Gene Tunny

There is a major risk that Opposition Leader Campbell Newman’s decentralisation plan to move Queensland public servants out of Brisbane CBD and into the regions – particularly Cairns, Maryborough, and Gympie – would eventually result in an overweight and inefficient … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Cairns, Queensland Government | 4 Comments

$28 per week minimum wage increase would come at bad time

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Bundaberg business owners are rightly concerned about the $28 per week increase in the minimum wage sought by the ACTU. From the Bundaberg News Mail: BUNDABERG business owners fear a proposed minimum wage rise of $28 a week could be … Continue reading →

Posted in IR, Macroeconomy | Leave a comment

Australian soccer on government life support

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Gene Tunny

In its first Budget presented in May 2008, the Rudd Government wisely cancelled Commonwealth funding promised by the Howard Government for a Rugby League Hall of Fame and a National Rugby Academy. They were luxuries and hardly essentials for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget | Leave a comment