Under prevailing economic circumstances, our political leaders are in great need of accomplished and resolute infrastructure reform advice – especially in transport, which dominates spending. The new Federal Treasury Secretary’s advice to the Senate this week was refreshing. It argued that further big infrastructure project spending was not the economic magic bullet so many think […]
The Grattan Institute has just published a report on road congestion charging. It argues that congestion charging is a better way to manage busy urban roads. It is right but Ministers rejected the idea immediately. We waste far more money on pointless roads than we do on welfare. But the dollars we waste on roads
This is a monthly digest of interesting articles, research reports, policy announcements and other material relevant to housing stress/affordability and homelessness – with hypertext links to the relevant source. AHURI final report calls for additional 730,000 social housing dwellings AHURI’s significant “Final Inquiry Report” (26 June) into social housing as infrastructure finds Australia’s social housing system
Australia’s current approach to road spending will soon generate up to $20 billion every year in new public sector debt – making it impossible for any new Commonwealth government to benefit from much-needed tax reform and revenue increases. This also cooks the goose of the road freight sector which Australia’s economy relies upon, while
LUKE FRASER. The roads that ate the Australian economy Part 2 of 2 Read More »
Australia’s current approach to road spending will soon generate up to $20 billion every year in new public sector debt – making it impossible for any new Commonwealth government to benefit from much-needed tax reform and revenue increases. This also cooks the goose of the road freight sector which Australia’s economy relies upon, while the
LUKE FRASER. The roads that ate the Australian economy – Part 1 of 2 Read More »
Botched State road projects, toll road fee hikes and congestion grab big headlines and make good sport for critics of State governments. Canberra escapes criticism by arguing it allocates funds to States, who execute poorly. Yet Canberra deserves particular opprobrium in all things roads. It is crying out for reform. Most of all it needs
Botched State road projects, toll road fee hikes and congestion grab big headlines and make good sport for critics of State governments. Canberra escapes criticism by arguing it allocates funds to States, who execute poorly. Yet Canberra deserves particular opprobrium in all things roads. It is crying out for reform. Most of all it needs
LUKE FRASER. Canberra has abandoned roads to inflationary spending and policy chaos Read More »
A recent report on freight and supply chains leads Governments astray. This is the last of three articles seeking to put them back on course. My previous freight articles considered: the proposal to expand bureaucracies in order for freight to be taken more seriously https://johnmenadue.com/john-austen-australian-freight-policy-where-is-my-chainsaw-part-1-of-2/; what freight policy should be about – the public interest;
JOHN AUSTEN. Australian freight policy: after the chainsaw? Part 3 Read More »
A recent report on freight and supply chains leads governments astray. This the first of two articles challenging its view that more bureaucracy and data is needed to deal with a supposedly ubiquitous task. Recently I promised to comment on the freight and supply chains review report – a subject of a post by Luke
JOHN AUSTEN. Australian freight policy: where is my chainsaw? Part 1 of 2. Read More »
Infrastructure Australia should be made a Commission and do its work in public. Earlier this year there was controversy about infrastructure club ‘revolving doors’ – movement of Ministers and officials between the public sector and organisations whose members can benefit from Government spending. https://johnmenadue.com/george-rennie-the-revolving-door-at-the-infrastructure-club/ John Menadue also identified senior public servants sitting on the (advisory)
JOHN AUSTEN. Revolving doors at the infrastructure club Read More »