about 2 days ago - 1 comment
We are disappointed to read the NSW Planning Assessment Commission’s (PAC) report on the Boggabri Coal project, giving the open-cut mine the green light. Last year we made several submissions relating to this project on behalf of the Maules Creek Community Council, pointing out the shortcomings of the economic assessment of the mine.
What’s disappointing
about 5 days ago - 1 comment
Two interesting articles in the Australian Financial Review this week show that neither industry nor politicians understand what’s wrong with the mining assessment process. The stories were focussed on Queensland, but they’re relevant nation-wide. Industry reps got their side in on Monday and the AFR covered Anna Bligh’s reply the next day. The positions taken
about 1 month ago - No comments
First day back in the Economists at Large office, so a good time to think about the year gone by and the year ahead. In 2011 the word “fracking”, was added to the Australian vernacular. My prediction is that 2012’s mineral-related new term will be “Dutch Disease”.
Dutch Disease refers to the adverse effects on
about 2 months ago - 2 comments
Finishing off a big year of looking at large, controversial coal projects, we reviewed the economic assessment of the Galilee/China First project on behalf of the landholders of the Bimblebox Nature Refuge in central Queensland. The assessment is couched in positive terms, but none of its key findings are unambiguous – impacts on labour demand
about 2 months ago - 2 comments
When was the last time you made a $3 billion dollar error? OK, how about a $200 million dollar error? Still no? Have you ever added up a bill and found it was $500 million out, only for the waiter to complain about your “stylised” methodology? These are just a few of the issues to
about 3 months ago - 1 comment
As promised in blog posts we have reviewed the Tourism Victoria and Ernst and Young Grand Prix economic assessment. We believe the Grand Prix does not provide a net benefit and in fact reduces the welfare of Victorians. Tourism Victoria’s claim that “Hosting the Formula One Australian Grand Prix brings significant benefits to Victoria” is not
about 3 months ago - 1 comment
Earlier this month we reviewed the economic assessment of the proposed Maules Creek Coal Mine. Our review of the economic assessment formed part of a submission to the NSW Department of Planning by the Maules Creek Community Council.
The good news – we had some fantastic input into our review from some new Economists at Large!
about 4 months ago - 1 comment
Tristan and I are winding up our work in Laos for WWF’s sustainable rattan project. As we’re getting ready to head back home, we looked at the Australian news and were disappointed to read about the Senate Select Committee on Scrutiny of New Taxes’ interim report (http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/carbon-tax-to-cost-1-trillion-committee-20111007-1lcpw.html).
It’s a Coalition dominated committee, so it being
about 6 months ago - No comments
Last week Mantle Mining withdrew an application to explore for brown coal in the Deans Marsh area southwest of Melbourne. We were interested due to our involvement with other coal projects that have been controversial with local communities such as the Boggabri Mine in NSW.
The local residents were opposed to any mining development and
about 6 months ago - 2 comments
The pen is truly mightier than the sword! In my recent BLOG POST I talked about my attempts to get hold of the economic assessment of the 2012 Australian Grand Prix (GP). The very next Monday I heard ABC Melbourne talking about it and I soon found a copy. Surely it was the crushing pressure
