Conceptualizing and Measuring Regional Endogenous Growth: A Collaborative International Comparative Investigation. Policy for regional economic development in Australia is placing more emphasis on facilitating regional self-help. For the first time this project will provide an actual measure of regional endogenous performance. It identifies those features of regional economies and local populations are most important in explaining differences in the performance of regions, and it shows how inst ....Conceptualizing and Measuring Regional Endogenous Growth: A Collaborative International Comparative Investigation. Policy for regional economic development in Australia is placing more emphasis on facilitating regional self-help. For the first time this project will provide an actual measure of regional endogenous performance. It identifies those features of regional economies and local populations are most important in explaining differences in the performance of regions, and it shows how institutional arrangements and leadership can enhance or detract from regional development performance. This will help public agencies formulate better policies and mechanisms to help regions maximise their capacities to achieve enhanced endogenous growth. International comparative studies provide wider significance for policy formulation in regional development.Read moreRead less
The economics of happiness, public policy, and national success indicators. The project will provide a sound analysis of happiness, taking account of traditional welfare economics and recent advances in happiness studies, including making the analysis more relevant for policy formulation, making happiness measures more comparable interpersonally, intertemporally, and interculturally. A new and more appropriate national success indicator will be devised that takes positive account of some appropr ....The economics of happiness, public policy, and national success indicators. The project will provide a sound analysis of happiness, taking account of traditional welfare economics and recent advances in happiness studies, including making the analysis more relevant for policy formulation, making happiness measures more comparable interpersonally, intertemporally, and interculturally. A new and more appropriate national success indicator will be devised that takes positive account of some appropriate measure of happiness (adjusted happy life-years) and negative account of some measure of per capita external costs. This will encourage people, organizations, and governments to focus on factors that have a more direct bearing on people's happiness.Read moreRead less
The Future of Australian Mineral Exports. Australia is among the world's largest exporters of steelmaking raw materials, specifically iron ore, coking coal and manganese. This project will develop an integrated econometric model of the global steel industry to forecast future trends in global steel production and the associated demand for raw materials. The results of this research will not only assist Australian mineral exporters in achieving better outcomes in annual pricing negotiations by im ....The Future of Australian Mineral Exports. Australia is among the world's largest exporters of steelmaking raw materials, specifically iron ore, coking coal and manganese. This project will develop an integrated econometric model of the global steel industry to forecast future trends in global steel production and the associated demand for raw materials. The results of this research will not only assist Australian mineral exporters in achieving better outcomes in annual pricing negotiations by improving market knowledge, but also help focus their longer term marketing strategies. The extensive global mine database to be assembled as part of the network flow component of this model will also allow Australian mineral exporters to assess their competitive position relative to foreign producers.Read moreRead less
Private Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Distribution, and Social Welfare Reform in Urban China. During the 1990s, when the Chinese urban labour market and social security reforms accelerated, average urban household wealth increased more than three fold and the distribution of wealth widened. We will document this significant change and examine its relationship to past and future social welfare reform. This project will:
· Be the first study of wealth accumulation and distribution in China over th ....Private Wealth Accumulation, Wealth Distribution, and Social Welfare Reform in Urban China. During the 1990s, when the Chinese urban labour market and social security reforms accelerated, average urban household wealth increased more than three fold and the distribution of wealth widened. We will document this significant change and examine its relationship to past and future social welfare reform. This project will:
· Be the first study of wealth accumulation and distribution in China over the 1990s.
· Add to our knowledge of the interrelationship between wealth accumulation, distribution and political power during economic transition.
· Contribute to a better design of a new social welfare system.
· Develop lessons and policy implications that will be broadly applicable to most transitional and developing economies.
The project will produce at least seven journal articles and one book.
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Enhancing regional resource synergies through the application of industrial ecology strategies for sustainable development in the Kwinana Industrial Area. The project will investigate the potential contribution of industrial ecology strategies for sustainable development at the regional level in heavy industrial areas, in particular the Kwinana Industrial Area (WA). Industrial ecology mimics natural processes in industrial production and consumption to achieve better environmental, economic and ....Enhancing regional resource synergies through the application of industrial ecology strategies for sustainable development in the Kwinana Industrial Area. The project will investigate the potential contribution of industrial ecology strategies for sustainable development at the regional level in heavy industrial areas, in particular the Kwinana Industrial Area (WA). Industrial ecology mimics natural processes in industrial production and consumption to achieve better environmental, economic and social outcomes. Despite its compelling logic, industrial ecology faces a number of barriers. This research will investigate such barriers and develop and pilot test innovative ways for overcoming those, in particular through the provision of facilitating structures, operational arrangements and evaluation tools.Read moreRead less
Understanding cycles in mineral commodity price, a market model with uncertainty. Mining accounts for more than 8% of Australia's GDP, and almost 50% of Australia's total merchandise exports. Understanding phenomenological mechanisms for price fluctuations and using our dynamic price model can help determine better timing of investments in mining infrastructure. This knowledge will help Australia benefit from the upside of commodity 'cycles', super or not. The market model that will be develope ....Understanding cycles in mineral commodity price, a market model with uncertainty. Mining accounts for more than 8% of Australia's GDP, and almost 50% of Australia's total merchandise exports. Understanding phenomenological mechanisms for price fluctuations and using our dynamic price model can help determine better timing of investments in mining infrastructure. This knowledge will help Australia benefit from the upside of commodity 'cycles', super or not. The market model that will be developed in this project can be used to assist in better planning for commodity cycle upside, improving the overall efficiency of capital utilisation in the long term.Read moreRead less
Regional development of audiovisual industries in the digital era: Prospects for the Northern Rivers region of NSW. This project explores drivers and impediments within audiovisualindustries in the global digital era that impact on the industry's develoment in non-metropolitan regions. The project uses the Northern Rivers region of NSW as the major case study. It will evaluate opportunities arising from technological, economic and societal changes associated with the digital media era and iden ....Regional development of audiovisual industries in the digital era: Prospects for the Northern Rivers region of NSW. This project explores drivers and impediments within audiovisualindustries in the global digital era that impact on the industry's develoment in non-metropolitan regions. The project uses the Northern Rivers region of NSW as the major case study. It will evaluate opportunities arising from technological, economic and societal changes associated with the digital media era and identify relevant public policy influences. It will facilitate the development of tools and strategies for regional development practitioners and entrepreneurs in the 'Creative Industries' sector. It will highlight policy instruments for governments wanting to take advantage of benefits from the 'new' services and knowledge-based economies.Read moreRead less
Indian agriculture in the 21st century: The political economy of market reforms. India has emerged to be a key player in the 21st century global economy, with the fortunes of its agricultural sector central to its economic and social transformations. These issues have great relevance beyond India itself, and are of vital interest to Australia. India's prominent role in WTO agricultural negotiations means that its stance on market agriculture will shape the future global politics of food. Using c ....Indian agriculture in the 21st century: The political economy of market reforms. India has emerged to be a key player in the 21st century global economy, with the fortunes of its agricultural sector central to its economic and social transformations. These issues have great relevance beyond India itself, and are of vital interest to Australia. India's prominent role in WTO agricultural negotiations means that its stance on market agriculture will shape the future global politics of food. Using case studies of strategic sites of market reforms, this project will analyse their social and economic outcomes, with the aim to generate an internationally significant assessment of the political economy of Indian agrarian reform.Read moreRead less
Demand and Supply of Creative Arts in Rural and Regional Areas. The arts industry has experienced substantial growth over the last thirty years, providing significant economic and social benefits nationally. While growth in this sector is represented on both the demand and supply sides, it has not been evenly distributed geographically. There is significant difference between the health of the arts industry in the city centres and that of rural and regional areas. This project will investigat ....Demand and Supply of Creative Arts in Rural and Regional Areas. The arts industry has experienced substantial growth over the last thirty years, providing significant economic and social benefits nationally. While growth in this sector is represented on both the demand and supply sides, it has not been evenly distributed geographically. There is significant difference between the health of the arts industry in the city centres and that of rural and regional areas. This project will investigate entrepreneurial capacity of the arts in regional Victoria and develop best practice business models that promote sustainability in small to medium sized arts enterprises which will in turn aid in the regeneration of regional areas.Read moreRead less
South Asian and East Asian economic integration and Australia: strategies for Asian regional cooperation. Australia has a vital interest in India's rise, its impact on South Asia's development and its integration with South and East Asia. The limited knowledge and the thinness of the intellectual base and institutional connections that would allow us to manage our interests in this event effectively mean that Australia is not yet well positioned to influence the forces and the thinking that will ....South Asian and East Asian economic integration and Australia: strategies for Asian regional cooperation. Australia has a vital interest in India's rise, its impact on South Asia's development and its integration with South and East Asia. The limited knowledge and the thinness of the intellectual base and institutional connections that would allow us to manage our interests in this event effectively mean that Australia is not yet well positioned to influence the forces and the thinking that will drive the process. Moving to explore the phenomenon of South Asia's development and aspirations in Asia and globally, is now a priority for Australia as other economies move to take up the opportunities that are unfolding from this development. This is a ground-breaking project that will address these deficiencies.Read moreRead less