Category Archives: Uncategorized

Health care business numbers up 17%, while retail, mining & farm business counts fall 8-9% over 2012 to 2016

The structural change the Australian economy has experienced in recent years, including the decline in manufacturing and the decline of small retailers, at the same time as health care and other service sectors are booming, reveals itself in the latest … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Health, Mining, Retail trade, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Qld sugar dispute highlights constraints on minority government

The current commercial dispute between Wilmar and Queensland Sugar Limited has highlighted the constraints on the Queensland Government’s ability to prosecute sound economic policy from its position as a minority government. Wilmar is the Singaporean-based company that bought CSR Sugar … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Comments in Courier-Mail on Qld regional economies and structural change

Today, the Courier-Mail is re-launching its GoQld campaign, this time with a focus on regional economies. It has rightly identified the large divergence in employment growth between SEQ and the rest of Queensland, and it is reporting a loss of … Continue reading

Posted in Labour market, Macroeconomy, Mining, North Queensland, Townsville, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

HSBC’s Paul Bloxham on the economic outlook and President Trump

Last Thursday, Paul Bloxham, HSBC Chief Economist for Australia and NZ, gave an excellent briefing on the economic outlook at a lunchtime event organised by the French Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FACCI), and hosted by Clayton Utz at … Continue reading

Posted in China, Mining, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Coal and LNG push Qld commodity exports up to $1 billion per week

The surge in coal prices in the second half of 2016 and increased exports of LNG from Gladstone’s Curtis Island have pushed Queensland’s commodity exports to over $52 billion in 2016, or $1 billion per week, up from around $49 … Continue reading

Posted in Macroeconomy, Mining, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Property market shows parents are willing to pay for high-performing State Schools

There is a report from Domain today about the impact of school catchment areas on house prices (House prices in some Queensland state school zones rise by up to 40 per cent): “With the new school year just underway, the … Continue reading

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Brisbane unit values fell nearly 3% on average over 12 months to end of January

The huge supply increase in Brisbane apartments has resulted in a fall in unit values of 2.7% in the 12 months to 31 January, according to new CoreLogic estimates published yesterday (see Chart 1, based on data available in the … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized, Brisbane, Housing, Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Valley the victim of retail trends

A report in last Thursday’s Courier-Mail highlighted the decline of Fortitude Valley as a retail hub: ‘Boarded-up shops and “for lease” signs are regular sights in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley as retailers abandon the once-bustling area… …Chairman of the CBD’s Economic … Continue reading

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The economics of President Trump – upcoming ESA Qld event

As Secretary of the Economic Society of Australia (QLD) I am pleased to announce our upcoming event on “The economics of President Trump”, on the evening of Wednesday 22 February at the Ship Inn, in its upstairs function room, at … Continue reading

Posted in Trade, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

CommSec highlights importance of residential construction to Qld economy

The latest State of the States report from CommSec highlights the current importance of residential construction to the health of the Queensland economy. As reported by John McCarthy in today’s Courier-Mail: QUEENSLAND’S economy is starting to emerge from the mining … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, Macroeconomy, Mining, Tourism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment