Category Archives: Brisbane

G20 had only minor impact on Brisbane’s profile worldwide, suggests Google Trends

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I was pretty skeptical about the long-term impacts of the G20 on tourism to Brisbane (e.g. see Link to ABC radio interview on G20 and Expo 88) and Google Trends suggests my skepticism was correct. While there was a small … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Brisbane City Council’s 15 minutes free parking policy is economically dubious

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Economists usually worry when something is provided free, because the price of $0 typically doesn’t reflect the cost of providing the good or service, and demand will increase to inefficient levels – i.e. levels where the value people place on … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Link to ABC radio interview on G20 and Expo 88

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I expanded on the points I made in my post from early this morning (G20-Expo comparison is weird) in an interview on 612 ABC Brisbane by Steve Austin later in the morning, which you can listen to at this link: … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

G20-Expo comparison is weird – Expo was a positive economic shock, G20 is a negative one for Brisbane

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Science and Technology Minister’s comparison of G20 to Expo is weird (see the Brisbane Times report G20 will give Brisbane an Expo 88 boost – Minister). I won’t deny there might be some long-term benefits from connections made and … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Croquet club blunder another reason to shut down Brisbane City Council’s future fund

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Brisbane ratepayers are not well served by having their Council involved in property development through the City of Brisbane Investment Corporation (CBIC), with its latest proposed development at East Brisbane suggesting it isn’t meeting important economic or social objectives (see … Continue reading →

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Reflections on Gough Whitlam

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I recall with great sentiment now, after news of the death of former PM Gough Whitlam today, that Gough gave an excellent after dinner speech at the UQ Law Ball at the Hilton Hotel in Brisbane in 1996. The former … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Transport | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The problem with economic development agencies such as Townsville Enterprise & Brisbane Marketing

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Gene Tunny

It can be very stressful to be responsible for outcomes over which you have very little control. This is the predicament faced by economic development agencies such as Townsville Enterprise and Brisbane Marketing. This predicament was highlighted by the sacking … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Townsville | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Time for Qld Govt to reconsider $5bn BaT Tunnel – my submission to the EIS process

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Gene Tunny

It’s now time for the Queensland Government to consider public submissions on the underground Bus and Train (BaT) tunnel project, after the consultation period on the Environmental Impact Statement closed today. I took the opportunity to make a submission, extending … Continue reading →

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HIA appears worried RBA will move to rein in housing market

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) released an informative (though possibly naively optimistic) note yesterday titled A Portrait of Australian Home Prices, available at the HIA website, which is basically a message to the RBA that “There’s nothing to see here.” … Continue reading →

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Vehicle sales affected by weak consumer confidence & Gen Y habits

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Gene Tunny

New motor vehicle sales in Queensland in August were almost 9% lower than in August 2013, according to ABS data released yesterday. There are at least three contributing factors: persistently weak consumer confidence (see Consumer sentiment slumps as budget worries … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Housing, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments