Tag Archives: construction

Heavy construction decline has been greater in Qld than in WA

As I have discussed previously, relatively weak economic conditions in several Queensland regions, including Townsville and the outback, have been partly due to the mining downturn (see my post from last Saturday). At the same time as capital expenditure on … Continue reading

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Qld employment growth is great news, but it is still not strong from historical perspective

Wisely, Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt did not get too excited over yesterday’s employment numbers, which were surprisingly strong at a national level, with the Treasurer noting, regarding the State unemployment rate, “While it’s welcome news that the seasonally adjusted unemployment … Continue reading

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Residential property a “bright spot” in Qld economy

The Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt correctly noted yesterday that “The property sector is a real bright spot in the Queensland economy and it’s making a positive contribution to jobs and growth.” This is confirmed by data and casual observation. Regarding … Continue reading

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Interstate migration to Qld remains low, and we’re still losing people to Victoria

For over a year now, I’ve been commenting on the reversal of the long-term pattern of Queensland gaining people from Victoria through interstate migration (e.g. see this post from June). This reversal has contributed to a large decline in interstate … Continue reading

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Curtis Island LNG projects more-or-less doubled heavy construction activity in peak period

About the great American mountain-man Jim Bridger, Johnny Horton sang “That he was making history never once occurred to him.” I wonder if the men and women who have worked on the Curtis Island LNG plants have realised that they … Continue reading

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End of the mining boom – speech notes and slides

In Brisbane today, in the theatre of Morgans Financial Limited, along with Griffith’s Tony Makin and Morgans’ Michael Knox, I spoke on “The end of the mining boom”, at an event organised by Griffith’s APEC Study Centre. My slides are … Continue reading

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Residential building will help economy adjust to end of mining boom

March quarter building approvals figures released by the ABS today show that the residential building industry, no doubt encouraged by very low interest rates,  will help the economy adjust to the end of the mining boom (see the Queensland data … Continue reading

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Feedback between interstate migration and employment growth

Queensland has, in recent years, experienced relatively low employment growth and low net interstate migration (see chart above). In previous posts (e.g. Victoria continues to lure Queenslanders), I have noted how fewer employment opportunities in Queensland may have reduced the … Continue reading

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Cafe culture prevents employment slump

I recall Alan Kohler observing a while ago that everyone is eating out for breakfast on the weekends nowadays. It’s a good thing that people are, from an employment perspective, given that employment growth in cafes, restaurants and hotels has … Continue reading

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Upcoming event on drivers of Qld economy – presentation by James Keating from QCA

The French-Australian Chamber of Commerce has organised an interesting event for Wednesday evening, 1 April in Brisbane CBD, featuring a presentation by James Keating from the Queensland Competition Authority: Which industries are currently driving the Queensland economy? I’m very interested … Continue reading

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