December 2024
Housing bubble or housing trouble? Australians wary of increasing property prices in future
The Australia Institute surveyed 1,009 Australians between 13 and 15 November 2024 about their attitudes to future property prices. The margin of error is ±3%. Key findings: About as many Australians want property prices to decrease in the future (36%) as want them to increase (33%). One in five (18%) want them to stay the
Rate cut already overdue: RBA should meet in January
The Australia Institute is calling on the Reserve Bank of Australia to meet in January, before its next scheduled meeting on February 17-18, 2025.
Coal royalties a tiny part of NSW Budget
Coal royalties do little to fund schools, hospitals, teachers or nurses, despite frequent claims to the contrary from politicians and the mining industry, new research from The Australia Institute has found.
RBA fails households and fails the nation – again
The Reserve Bank of Australia had a great opportunity to give Australians – and the nation’s sluggish economy – something both desperately needed before Christmas. But, once again, the RBA has failed. By leaving interest rates on hold at 4.35%, the Reserve Bank has failed to do what is right for Australians. It has failed
Australians urged to support Minister to keep her promise on “no more extinctions”
The Australia Institute has launched a petition encouraging Australians to support Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to keep her promise of no more animal extinctions under her watch.
Left behind: South Australian public servants go backwards while the SA economy surges forward
South Australian public servants are 10% worse off now than they were five years ago, despite the state’s booming economy, according to new research by The Australia Institute.
Never used, never worn: the billion-dollar Christmas waste
More than a quarter (27%) of Australians will this year get a Christmas present they’ll never use or wear.
Another day, another bumper catch of misinformation from the salmon industry
Just 24 hours after The Australia Institute exposed the salmon lobby’s lies in the debate over fish farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, more misinformation has been spread by those with a vested interest.
NSW government now spending more public money on coal boosting than coal transition
The NSW Government is currently spending significantly more public money promoting coal than helping regional communities’ transition away from it, according to new research by the Australia Institute.
Tasmania’s great skate debate – cutting through lies and misinformation
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek vowed that there would be no more extinctions under her watch. But the Australian Workers Union has vowed that no species is more important than a single job.
Extreme heat fans flames of inequality
New research from The Australia Institute shows that older, sicker and lower-income Australians are at greater risk during heatwaves (days over 35° Celsius).
November 2024
Millions of Australians plant a seed for a healthy life and a healthy planet
From the humble backyard vegetable patch to herb gardens on the kitchen windowsill – 9 million Australians are now growing their own food, according to new research from The Australia Institute, in partnership with Grow It Local.
Visa rules risk modern slavery for Pacific workers
Over 30,000 people from Pacific Island nations and Timor Leste work in Australia on temporary visas as part of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) visa scheme, which a new report calls “a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery”.
Go Home on Time Day 2024: Exposing the $91 billion rip-off smashing exhausted Aussie workers
Despite new Right to Disconnect laws coming into force earlier this year, new research reveals Australians are still working an average five weeks’ unpaid overtime each year.
No way to treat family: Pacific Labourers overtaxed and exploited
Fruit pickers and meat workers who fill chronic labour shortages in Australia are being overtaxed and exploited, new research from The Australia Institute has found.
Albanese government rewards foreign company for driving endangered species towards extinction
The Albanese government has today announced it will spend more than $21 million of taxpayers’ money directly on propping up the salmon industry, which does not appear to have paid any corporate tax since 2019-20.
How much does Westpac contribute to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter? Much less than you might think.
Westpac may have recorded a 7-billion-dollar profit in its latest financial accounts, released yesterday, but its contribution to the iconic rescue helicopter which bears its name and logo is much less than most people think.
The crushing cost of a university education: Hungry, sleep-deprived students loaded with debt
A new report shines a light on the skyrocketing cost of a university education in Australia, with students skipping meals, living in poverty and forced to work full time while also studying full time.
October 2024
Our broken super and pension systems condemn retirees to poverty
Australia’s “broken” superannuation and pension systems are condemning a growing number of retirees to financial misery in their sunset years. More than one in five Australians live in poverty when they retire. And that number is growing. With housing affordability at an all-time low, many Australians now face the brutal double whammy of going through
Minister shows lack of leadership again, as endangered species faces extinction
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has, once again, delayed making an important decision to save the endangered Maugean skate in Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area.
On your bike. Policies to increase rates of active transport
A new report by The Australia Institute shows that less than 1% of federal road funding goes towards infrastructure for active transport like bikes and scooters.
Experts warn WA Government of gas price threat from Woodside’s export extension
New Australia Institute analysis shows that Woodside’s North West Shelf (NWS) Extension proposal represents a major threat to WA’s domestic gas market. The proposal is seeking approval from WA Environment and Energy Minister Reece Whitby. Today The Australia Institute is joined by two former WA premiers, Carmen Lawrence and Peter Dowding, and oil and gas
Australia can make speeding fines fair with proportional model: Report
Making traffic fines proportional to drivers’ incomes, as is done in Finland, is a fairer system according to a new report from The Australia Institute, supported by Uniting Vic Tas and Financial Counselling Victoria.
IMF confirms — tax concessions distorting Australia’s housing market
Findings released today from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) align with existing research from the Australia Institute that tax concessions are distorting Australia’s housing market. The IMF noted that “tax breaks, including from capital gains tax discount and superannuation concessions, could be phased out to generate a more equitable and efficient tax system”. Supporting the
Big Super is still investing in nuclear weapons
A new report has found that despite claiming not to invest in ‘controversial weapons’ 13 of the top 14 Australian super funds are still investing in nuclear weapons companies, in some cases even in an option described as ‘responsible’, new research from The Australia Institute and Quit Nukes has found. Key results At least $3.4
Negative gearing and capital gains tax discount driving up house prices
Restricting negative gearing and scrapping the capital gains tax discount would make housing more affordable and increase home ownership rates, the Australia Institute has said in a recent submission. Key Findings: A major cause of rising house prices has been increased demand from investors. Restricting negative gearing to newly built housing and scrapping the capital
September 2024
Report: Fire ants to kill 6 Queenslanders and cost households $188 million annually if not eradicated
As fire ant numbers surge across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, new research shows Queensland households could be hit with an annual bill of $188 million, if they are not eradicated. The report, released by the Australia Institute, estimates that, if fire ants are allowed to spread, every year they could cause six deaths, trigger 116,000 medical visits and
Coles, Woolies’ Secret Pricing Deal Undercuts Inflation Claims
Coles and Woolworths seem to take turns offering items on sale, showing that they are more concerned with protecting their market power than competing against each other, Australia Institute research has revealed. The ACCC this week launched legal action against Coles and Woolworths for misleading consumers through discount pricing claims on hundreds of products at
Open Letter Calls on Government to Set Timeline for End of New Fossil Fuel Projects
A group of Australia’s leading climate and environment organisations have signed an open letter, coordinated by the Australia Institute and published today in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times, calling on the federal government to tell Australians when it will stop approving new coal, oil and gas projects. The open letter
ACCC Suing Supermarkets as Price Gouging Drives Inflation, Rate Hikes
The ACCC launching legal action against Coles and Woolworths today for misleading consumers reinforces the findings of Australia Institute and Centre for Future Work research, that showed inflation is higher because of big businesses price gouging. Key Points: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has launched legal action against Coles and Woolworths for misleading
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