Category Archives: Cairns

Don’t expect Cape York coal mining any time soon

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Cairns-based economics/finance commentator KS has a great post questioning the Cape York coal rush reported in the Australian today. KS notes: Many in the Far North may not be aware that there are coal deposits on Cape York mostly in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Mining, North Queensland | Leave a comment

Far North labour market steadily improving, Wide Bay-Burnett getting worse

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Here’s a chart of the 12 month moving averages of unemployment rates in the Queensland regions that are most under pressure due to the high exchange rate: This is based on today’s detailed labour force data release from the ABS.

Posted in Cairns, Labour market, Wide Bay-Burnett | Leave a comment

Gold Coast and Cairns becoming FIFO hubs

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Possibly in response to slowdowns in their local building industries, and a need for construction workers to look elsewhere for work, the Gold Coast and Cairns are emerging as hubs for fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) mine workers: Terminal deal cut for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Gold Coast, Mining | Leave a comment

Fitch’s negative outlook for Qld is bizarre

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Fitch Ratings’s negative outlook for the Queensland economy would only make sense if the US really does have an economic armageddon following the possible (though unlikely) failure to lift the US Government’s debt ceiling and this depresses the global economy. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Gold Coast, Macroeconomy, Mining | 4 Comments

Carbon tax impacts on tourism and construction sectors

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Gene Tunny

Queensland Tourism boss Daniel Gschwind is worried about the impact of the carbon tax on the State’s tourism industry, as reported in the Gold Coast Bulletin this morning: THE carbon tax is another challenge for the Gold Coast tourism industry … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Climate change, Gold Coast, Mining, North Queensland, Tourism | 1 Comment

No mass relocation of public servants to NQ

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Gene Tunny

North Queensland community and business leaders were disappointed yesterday when the Treasurer Andrew Fraser and Deputy Premier Paul Lucas both shattered expectations of a mass migration of public servants to the region: Push to relocate services stymied Queensland State Government … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, North Queensland, Queensland Government, Townsville | Leave a comment

Cairns pushing for expanded naval base

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Gene Tunny

With the Cairns economy sluggish at the moment due to a slowdown in tourism and the construction sector, Cairns community leaders are lobbying hard for an expansion of the HMAS Cairns naval base, as reported in yesterday’s Cairns Post. An expansion … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Tourism, Townsville | Leave a comment

Cairns hoping for reconstruction boost

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Gene Tunny

There is still no good news for Cairns and the Far North from the ABS, as reported by the Cairns Post (Far North Queensland’s unemployment rate tops Australia): THE Far North’s jobless rate is again the highest in Australia after … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Macroeconomy | 1 Comment

Tourism regions responsible for Queensland’s higher than national average unemployment rate

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Gene Tunny

The downturn in Queensland’s tourism sector is largely responsible for Queensland’s higher than national average unemployment rate. This is reasonably clear from the following chart I prepared based on the ABS Labour Force data released last month. According to my … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Macroeconomy | 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