Tag Archives: toowoomba

No wonder TSBE is mad – Toowoomba businesses missing out on generous payroll tax discounts

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Gene Tunny

Toowoomba & Surat Basin Enterprise, a chamber of commerce, has been annoyed by the Queensland Government’s decision to exclude Toowoomba from its 1% regional payroll tax discount, announced in the 2019-20 state budget. A recent email from TSBE, directing its contacts … Continue reading →

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

Inner Brisbane Cross River Rail CAPEX comparable to statewide education CAPEX

Posted on June 21, 2018 by Gene Tunny

Just before I appeared on 612 ABC Brisbane’s Breakfast program last week, one of the presenters Bec Levingston asked Deputy Premier Treasurer Jackie Trad what it would cost to air condition every classroom in Queensland, a question she obviously couldn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Infrastructure, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

With One Nation as likely power brokers, expect greater share of Qld Gov’t CAPEX in regions

Posted on September 17, 2017 by Gene Tunny

If I were the Managing Director of an engineering firm, I’d start investigating the availability of office space in Queensland’s regional centres, including Maroochydore, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, and Townsville. I would want the firm well-positioned to win new work from a … Continue reading →

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

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

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Gene Tunny

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

Lacklustre labour market gives added urgency to regulatory reforms

Posted on June 27, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Job vacancies data released by the ABS yesterday suggest the Queensland labour market will remain relatively weak over the next few months at least (see chart above). The data are also consistent with Queensland Treasury’s forecast in the Budget that … Continue reading →

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Road trip to Roma

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Gene Tunny

I returned to Brisbane this morning, after a road trip to Roma, and I’m much less worried about the Queensland economy than I was at the end of last week when I saw the Federal Treasury’s revised national forecasts in … Continue reading →

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Toowoomba very reliant on education sector – risk from higher ed reform

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Gene Tunny

An article in the Toowoomba Chronicle has reminded me just how significant the University of Southern Queensland has been to Toowoomba’s economic development and prosperity, and the USQ Vice-Chancellor is certainly right to be concerned about potential higher education policy … Continue reading →

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Commonwealth should give up student target – big savings possible from higher ed reform

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Gene Tunny

The Commonwealth is projected to spend over $10 billion on higher education by 2016-17 according to the 2013-14 Budget papers (see chart above). Hence it’s unsurprising the Government is looking at savings in this area, as reported in the Australian … Continue reading →

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Doubling of FIFO/DIDO workers in Surat Basin in 2012

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Gene Tunny

I just noticed that the Government Statistician/OESR released the 2012 Surat Basin Population Report yesterday and it shows a 97% increase in fly in-fly out (FIFO) and drive in-drive out (DIDO) workers in the Surat Basin between June 2011 and … Continue reading →

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