Tag Archives: queensland

Pollies should be careful with jobs promises

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Former Premier Peter Beattie was fortunate that the mining boom came along and helped bring Queensland’s unemployment rate below the 5% he promised, but his successor Anna Bligh wasn’t so fortunate – the Queensland economy still hasn’t generated the 100,000 … Continue reading →

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Insurance Council admits ignorance on strata insurance hikes and funds JCU research

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Gene Tunny

In a post last month, I observed that the Australian Government Actuary found insurers were struggling to understand the risks they face from natural disasters such as cyclones, and hence it is possible that huge increases in insurance premiums for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cairns, Cyclones, North Queensland | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

40,000 jobs from Caloundra South development?

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Gene Tunny

The report in the Courier-Mail this morning Caloundra South Estate to bring 40,000 jobs to Sunshine Coast appears so over-the-top you know something must be wrong with it. Based on the public environment report Urbis has prepared for Stockland (the … Continue reading →

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Brisbane hearing of inquiry into two pillars (ag and resources) today

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Gene Tunny

The public hearing for the Inquiry into Queensland’s Agriculture and Resource Industries in Brisbane today looks very interesting, and I will try to get along to one or two of the sessions, particularly the sessions with the Resources Council and … Continue reading →

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Cost of schooling will keep increasing under current model

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Gene Tunny

It’s no surprise to see another report on escalating private school fees (Queensland private schools announce fee hikes of up to 7 per cent for 2013), given that, under the traditional schooling model, the potential for productivity gains in schools … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Qld should look to Victoria for tips on tourism promotion

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Tourism Queensland released its handy Overseas Arrivals and Australian Departures Data Sheet yesterday (basically a repackaging of ABS data), and it highlighted to me that Queensland’s tourism promotion is failing and that we can learn something from the quirky, interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in Tourism | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Large decline in rate of homelessness in Qld over last decade

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Gene Tunny

I have no idea whether this is due to good luck or good management, but ABS Census data released today show Queensland’s rate of homelessness has fallen over the last decade to be comparable with rates in NSW and Victoria:

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White gold and white meat

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Cotton can be a very profitable crop for farmers and is often referred to as white gold. Hence it was good to see the report in the Toowoomba Chronicle today that Darling Downs gins smash cotton record: Queensland Cotton regional … Continue reading →

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Temporary weakness due to public sector restraint continues

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Gene Tunny

Today’s ABS labour force data weren’t encouraging for Queensland, with the unemployment rate remaining significantly higher than the national average, as shown in this chart from OESR’s labour force brief: I remain of the view that Queensland’s higher unemployment rate … Continue reading →

Posted in Labour market | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

OBPR recommends fast-tracked review of trading hours restrictions

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Gene Tunny

The Queensland Government’s new Office of Best Practice Regulation – Queensland’s mini Productivity Commission – released its interim report on Reducing the Burden of Regulation today, and I was very pleased to see it has recommended fast-tracking a review of … Continue reading →

Posted in Retail trade | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment