Tag Archives: infrastructure

Targeting infrastructure spending as a % of GSP won’t work – Guest post by Joe Branigan

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Gene Tunny

Again, I am delighted to publish a guest post from my good friend and former Treasury colleague Joe Branigan. The usual disclaimer applies, that the views expressed in this article are Joe’s and should not necessarily be attributed to me. … Continue reading →

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“Responsible economic management & fiscal restraint”-really?

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Gene Tunny

The 2016-17 Budget is very disappointing, but economists and former Treasury officials were always going to be disappointed in an election year. It is also a Budget that is particularly disappointing to the Queensland Government, due to a lack of … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Exciting week for economy watchers: State of the States, a possible rate cut, and the Budget

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Gene Tunny

CommSec’s latest State of the States Report is out today, and, while I think its placement of Queensland in around the middle of Australia’s States and Territories (5th out of 8) is reasonable, I have some sympathy for Queensland Treasurer … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Housing, Infrastructure, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Guest post from Joe Branigan: A quick refresher course in how to create jobs

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Gene Tunny

I am delighted to publish this guest post from my friend and former Treasury colleague Joe Branigan, who is also attending today’s Jobs Growth Summit at Parliament House, Brisbane (see my previous post Jobs Growth Summit a great opportunity to … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure, IR, Labour market, Macroeconomy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Value capture can be desirable, but won’t make bad projects stack up

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Gene Tunny

There was an odd statement about value capture on the front page of Monday’s Australian, in the story about the PM’s grand plan for high speed rail. The statement was that value capture, by which a private consortium would get … Continue reading →

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

Extra GST revenue welcome, but Qld still faces big fiscal challenges

Posted on April 10, 2016 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland Government must be pleased the Commonwealth Grants Commission (CGC) has recommended it receive an additional $520 million above what it might have expected from the GST revenue carve up for 2016-17 (see 2016 Update Report). The gain to … Continue reading →

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On Cross River Rail, Government appears confused over meaning of “business case”

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Gene Tunny

In today’s media release on the Brisbane Cross River Rail project, The Queensland Government appears confused about the meaning of the term “business case.” It risks committing the same error that governments (present and past) across Australia have committed when … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Transparency essential in Building Qld cost-benefit studies of infrastructure projects

Posted on March 20, 2016 by Gene Tunny

Last Thursday morning I attended an excellent breakfast seminar on infrastructure organised by the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FACCI) and hosted by Holding Redlich Lawyers in their Queen St, Brisbane CBD offices. The seminar featured highly informative and … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Infrastructure, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Challenging conditions outside SEQ

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Gene Tunny

In his recent commentary regarding strong growth in the retail sector, National Retail Association CEO Trevor Evans noted: “South East Queensland is performing strongly but performance in Queensland is being held back by issues in some areas…Some areas are living … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Infrastructure, Labour market, Mackay, Macroeconomy, Mining, North Queensland, Queensland Government, Townsville, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Courier-Mail story on Qld Govt’s fiscal challenges

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Gene Tunny

I was quoted by John McCarthy in an article in today’s Courier-Mail (see image above) regarding the Queensland Government’s fiscal challenges. I’ve previously commented on the big challenge the Government has of sticking to its fiscal strategy announced at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Infrastructure, Queensland Government | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment