Tag Archives: queensland

Mining employment in Qld continues to grow, but at slower rate

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Employment in the Queensland mining sector still appears to be growing, although at a slower rate, according to the detailed quarterly data released today (see chart below). This suggests the concerns raised earlier in the year by some commentators over … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market, Mining | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

New Government should reject car industry begging

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Since the late 1940s, Australia has bought itself a car industry, first through very high tariff protection that rose to around 57% by the 1980s, and then through financial assistance that, in part, replaced the benefits of tariff protection to … Continue reading →

Posted in Industry policy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Effective population numbers much higher than usual residents in central and western Qld (and Cairns)

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Some interesting data were released by the ABS today comparing the number of people counted in each local government area (LGA) on Census night compared with the number of usual residents (see chart below). The chart shows the ratio of … Continue reading →

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Qld labour market stable, not worsening

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland labour market appears stable based on yesterday’s ABS labour force data (see chart below), confirming my skepticism about the bleak forecast for the Queensland economy reported by the Brisbane Times earlier in the week (Outlook for Qld economy … Continue reading →

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Domestic tourism to Gold Coast recovering while other Qld regions struggle

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Domestic tourism figures for 2012-13 reported yesterday by Tourism and Events Queensland show that, while the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) are recovering, some other regions, such as the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Coast, Townsville and Whitsundays are … Continue reading →

Posted in Tourism | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Govt should explore transport demand management options before committing to costly infrastructure

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Gene Tunny

While it’s good news the Government has found a much cheaper alternative to Cross-River Rail, before committing billions of dollars to an underground rail and bus network (see this morning’s Courier-Mail report), the Government should ensure it has fully considered … Continue reading →

Posted in Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Very little real growth in retail trade since financial crisis

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Yesterday’s retail trade data for July from the ABS were disappointing and continue to show consumers are reluctant to spend. Indeed, in real terms (i.e. adjusting for inflation), there has been practically no growth in retail turnover since the financial … Continue reading →

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Housing outlook improving

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Yesterday’s building approvals data from the ABS should be encouraging for the Queensland building industry because they signal a recovery in housing construction, just as approvals of new apartment stock are declining. Approvals of private houses are trending upwards (first … Continue reading →

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Resources sector investment hasn’t and won’t fall off cliff

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Yesterday’s ABS capital expenditure data show just how significant resources sector investment has been to the Queensland economy over the last few years, and how the manufacturing sector has been affected by the high exchange rate (see chart below). While … Continue reading →

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Townsville vs Cairns again

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Gene Tunny

Having grown up in Townsville I’m very aware of the intense rivalry between Townsville and Cairns, which is partly a battle over which city should win the meaningless title of capital of North Queensland (see Is Townsville or Cairns the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Townsville | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments