Tackling the Tough Problems in Productivity Measurement: Infrastructure, Services and R&D. Productivity is seen as a main driver of economic growth and welfare improvements. Productivity indexes are used in a variety of policy contexts, in particular in determining the effectiveness (or otherwise) of government policies. Most industrialized countries have productivity accounts, but measurement problems persist and may even be more problematic in the future given an expansion in new goods and ser ....Tackling the Tough Problems in Productivity Measurement: Infrastructure, Services and R&D. Productivity is seen as a main driver of economic growth and welfare improvements. Productivity indexes are used in a variety of policy contexts, in particular in determining the effectiveness (or otherwise) of government policies. Most industrialized countries have productivity accounts, but measurement problems persist and may even be more problematic in the future given an expansion in new goods and services. Improved productivity measurement and an improved understanding of its sources can inform aggregate and regional policy. The project includes collaboration with the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Productivity Commission, with the participation of the Reserve Bank of Australia.Read moreRead less
A Review of Work for the Dole as a Labour Market Program. The project will review the Work for the Dole program in terms of its first formal objective (to install work habits in young people)and in the wider context of giving young unemployed people the skills and confidence that will increase their chances of finding employment. The principal research tools used will be sample surveys and in-depth interviews. An independent substantial review will give a firm basis for discussions of the progr ....A Review of Work for the Dole as a Labour Market Program. The project will review the Work for the Dole program in terms of its first formal objective (to install work habits in young people)and in the wider context of giving young unemployed people the skills and confidence that will increase their chances of finding employment. The principal research tools used will be sample surveys and in-depth interviews. An independent substantial review will give a firm basis for discussions of the program, including how it can be improved and whether or not, given the political imperatives to retain it,it is desirable to increase expenditure on it.Read moreRead less
Determinants of Variations in Productivity Growth across the States of Australia: Aggregate and Sectoral Analyses. This research project will investigate factors which account for differences in economic and productivity growth performance across the states of Australia. This is a topic of considerable significance to academic researchers, policy-makers, and the public at large. The proposed project will be at the forefront of international research in two sub-areas, namely analysis of inters ....Determinants of Variations in Productivity Growth across the States of Australia: Aggregate and Sectoral Analyses. This research project will investigate factors which account for differences in economic and productivity growth performance across the states of Australia. This is a topic of considerable significance to academic researchers, policy-makers, and the public at large. The proposed project will be at the forefront of international research in two sub-areas, namely analysis of interstate productivity growth at a sectoral level, and measurement of productivity growth in services industries. It will break new ground in Australian research in two respects, namely estimation of state capital stocks, and analysis of total factor productivity on an interstate basis.
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Designing Weather Derivatives and Yield Index Contracts for Rural Australia. This project addresses the security of communities in rural areas. Successful risk management based on weather derivatives and yield index contracts will stabilise the income of rural industries and improve the financial viability of rural communities. It will allow systemic risks from climate change to be reinsured with financial institutions, maintain some of Australia's most important export industries and help maint ....Designing Weather Derivatives and Yield Index Contracts for Rural Australia. This project addresses the security of communities in rural areas. Successful risk management based on weather derivatives and yield index contracts will stabilise the income of rural industries and improve the financial viability of rural communities. It will allow systemic risks from climate change to be reinsured with financial institutions, maintain some of Australia's most important export industries and help maintain leadership in climate risk research. It will use state of the art methods to derive and estimate nonlinear yield indexes, and develop new option pricing methods to value the premium that farmers should pay for a yield index contract. Finally it will evaluate the likely adoption by farmers using nonlinear portfolio theory.Read moreRead less
Adding value to natural advantage through business clustering:Winners and losers along the Murray River. In terms of river-based business activity, the success of cities located on the Murray River, such as Albury/Wodonga, Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura varies. We shall identify how some towns along the river have added value to the natural advantage of the river through business clustering while others have not. Processes by which successful communities have gained and retain advantage will be ....Adding value to natural advantage through business clustering:Winners and losers along the Murray River. In terms of river-based business activity, the success of cities located on the Murray River, such as Albury/Wodonga, Echuca, Swan Hill and Mildura varies. We shall identify how some towns along the river have added value to the natural advantage of the river through business clustering while others have not. Processes by which successful communities have gained and retain advantage will be compared with strategies applied by less successful towns. The concept of business clustering not only permits regional diversity to be more readily understood, but points to future initiatives for less successful regions.Read moreRead less
Optimising the design and implementation of public transport priority initiatives. This project strengthens national approaches to a pervasive Australian problem, growing traffic congestion deteriorating liveability, environmental health & economic performance of the cities where most Australians live. Public transport can address these issues but most is provided by buses which are caught up in traffic congestion. This project improves approaches for traffic priority design to improve the eff ....Optimising the design and implementation of public transport priority initiatives. This project strengthens national approaches to a pervasive Australian problem, growing traffic congestion deteriorating liveability, environmental health & economic performance of the cities where most Australians live. Public transport can address these issues but most is provided by buses which are caught up in traffic congestion. This project improves approaches for traffic priority design to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of on-road public transport. It optimises the design of individual and groups of priority treatments and will generate diagnostic tools to better target priority treatments. Findings will better focus Australia's approach to increasingly challenging transport futures.Read moreRead less