Journal articles on the topic 'Competition – Government policy – Australia'
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1
Fan, Qiuyan. "The Impact of Australia’s Government Policy on Broadband Internet Access." Journal of Information Technology Research 6, no. 4 (October 2013): 18–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/jitr.2013100102.
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The Australian government has recognised the importance of broadband for their social and economic development. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of policy issues on broadband Internet access in Australia. This research has clearly indicated that the state of broadband Internet access is closely related to the Government’s policy and regulatory framework. The Government based its actions on market forces as a principal driver for broadband Internet connectivity. The research has indicated that the previous regulatory competition regime, by and large, has failed to address concerns of market dominance and market power in the Telecommunications sector as is evidenced by a relatively lower speed and value of broadband services in Australia. To rectify the situation, the Australian government has recently adopted a unique National Broadband Network (NBN) plan, which is linked to the national digital economy strategy. Australia is the first country in the world where a national broadband network infrastructure company, NBN Co, is regarded as a regulated national infrastructure provider rather than as a telecommunication company. The NBN Co builds and operates an open access, wholesale only and non-discrimination high-speed broadband network, the National Broadband Network (NBN). The Australian Government's goal for the NBN is to reform the telecommunications sector and ensure every home and business across the country has access to the NBN by 2020. This paper examines the policies underlying the NBN and discusses current practices and potential benefits of the NBN.
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Bulfone, Liliana. "High prices for generics in Australia — more competition might help." Australian Health Review 33, no. 2 (2009): 200. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah090200.
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It is commonly believed that dispensed prices of medicines in Australia are substantially lower than those in other developed countries, particularly the US. This article reports the results of an analysis comparing dispensed prices for the most commonly prescribed and the highest cost items in Australia with dispensed prices in the US. Although a large majority of items are less expensive in Australia than in the US, Australian prices are higher for a substantial number of products, particularly generic drugs. This article examines various policies affecting the pricing of generics in Australia. It is postulated that the main cause for higher prices for a substantial number of generic products is the lack of price competition. This results from government policy which ensures that a price reduction by one company is communicated immediately to all competitors in that market along with an invitation to match the reduced price. The dominant strategy for all suppliers is to only reduce their price in response to a reduction in price by a competitor. The result is a lack of differentiation in pricing across brands of a medicine on the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits. The government could improve the structure of the generics market and encourage greater competition by ceasing to disclose competitor firms? offers to other competitors. The government could conduct pricing reviews of each generic product relatively infrequently (eg, only once annually or every 18 months). At the time of the pricing review, the government would request confidential offers on price for a generic from all players in the market. Brands should then all be listed under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) at the offered price. Prices offered by the individual supplier would apply until the next pricing review. The PBS would continue to subsidise up to the price of the lowest priced brand, with brand premiums applying to all brands priced higher than the benchmark price. Such an approach would provide opportunity for players in the market to capture market share by being the lowest priced brand.
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Alston, Senator Richard. "Introducing Competition into Australian Telecommunications." Media International Australia 96, no. 1 (August 2000): 17–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1329878x0009600105.
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Australia's telecommunications regime has been developed over several years with the clear intention of facilitating robust competition, while also providing a raft of consumer safeguards. After introducing elements of competition in the 1980s, the government was able to gradually increase the level of competition, until the introduction of full competition in the Telecommunications Act 1997. Since then, the government has encouraged a stronger competitive environment by strengthening the powers of the ACCC. It has also improved consumer protection safeguards through the enactment of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Services Standards) Act 1999. Further refining of the regime will not end here. The government will continue to review competition and consumer policy and continue to promote liberalised trade in telecommunications markets.
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Onyx, Jenny, Liz Cham, and Bronwen Dalton. "Current Trends in Australian Nonprofit Policy." Nonprofit Policy Forum 7, no. 2 (June 1, 2016): 171–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/npf-2015-0023.
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AbstractThere has been a large growth in nonprofits in Australia over the past 30 years. This paper will chart some of the key current policy trends that have helped shape the sector. The huge investment in the nonprofit sector by government, particularly since the mid 1990s coincided with a strong ideological shift to a neoliberal economic agenda. There was a concerted effort to bring nonprofits under the control of government policy. This has lead to greater competition among nonprofits, the growth of large charities at the expense of small local organisations, and a greater emphasis on adopting business models. Those nonprofit organisations that provide a community development role have been particularly under threat. However while much of the nonprofit world in Australia is increasingly driven by neoliberal, business oriented demands, another alternative phenomenon is emerging, particularly among young people and largely out of the gaze of public scrutiny. As fast as the state finds a way of controlling the productive energy of the nonprofit sector, the sector itself finds a way of curtailing that control, or of creating new ways of operating that go beyond existing structures and rules of operating.
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Mansfield, Sarah J. "Generic drug prices and policy in Australia: room for improvement? A comparative analysis with England." Australian Health Review 38, no. 1 (2014): 6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah12009.
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Objective To assess the degree to which reimbursement prices in Australia and England differ for a range of generic drugs, and to analyse the supply- and demand-side factors that may contribute to these differences. Methods Australian and English reimbursement prices were compared for a range of generic drugs using pricing information obtained from government websites. Next, a literature review was conducted to identify supply- and demand-side factors that could affect generic prices in Australia and England. Various search topics were identified addressing potential supply-side (e.g. market approval, intellectual property protection of patented drugs, generic pricing policy, market size, generic supply chain and discounting practices) and demand-side (consumers, prescribers and pharmacists) factors. Related terms were searched in academic databases, official government websites, national statistical databases and internet search engines. Results Analysis of drug reimbursement prices for 15 generic molecules (representing 45 different drug presentations) demonstrated that Australian prices were on average over 7-fold higher than in England. Significant supply-side differences included aspects of pricing policy, the relative size of the generics markets and the use of clawback policies. Major differences in demand-side policies related to generic prescribing, pharmacist substitution and consumer incentives. Conclusions Despite recent reforms, the Australian Government continues to pay higher prices than its English counterpart for many generic medications. The results suggest that particular policy areas may benefit from review in Australia, including the length of the price-setting process, the frequency of subsequent price adjustments, the extent of price competition between originators and generics, medical professionals’ knowledge about generic medicines and incentives for generic prescribing. What is known about the topic? Prices of generic drugs have been the subject of much scrutiny over recent years. From 2005 to 2010 the Australian Government responded to observations that Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prices for many generics were higher than in numerous comparable countries by instituting several reforms aimed at reducing the prices of generics. Despite this, several studies have demonstrated that prices for generic statins (one class of cholesterol-lowering drug) are higher in Australia compared with England and many other developed countries, and prices of numerous other generics remain higher than in the USA and New Zealand. Recently there has been increasing interest in why these differences exist. What does this paper add? By including a much larger range of commonly used and costly generic drugs, this paper builds significantly on the limited previous investigations of generic drug prices in Australia and England. Additionally, this is the first comprehensive investigation of multiple supply- and, in particular, demand-side factors that may explain any price differences between these countries. What are the implications for practitioners? Practitioners may contribute to the higher prices of generic medications in Australia compared with England through relatively low rates of generic prescribing. There are also significant implications for health policy makers, as this paper demonstrates that if Australia achieved the same prices as England for many generic drugs there could be substantial savings for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
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Eason, Ros. "Universal Service and Telecommunications Competition." Media International Australia 96, no. 1 (August 2000): 95–102. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1329878x0009600112.
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In reforming the regulation of Australian telecommunications over the last decade, successive governments have stressed that traditional community service goals would not be sacrificed. One of the most critical has been the Universal Service Obligation, which aims to make basic services accessible throughout Australia. This article explores the tensions inherent in the marriage between an ostensibly egalitarian social policy and a competitive market model, and criticises the increasing politicisation of decisions about universal service. It examines the treatment of universal service in the report of the National Bandwidth Inquiry, which, the author argues, implies an unravelling of the national project represented by the current universal service regime. She questions the extent to which Australians are likely to tolerate such an outcome.
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Spinks, Jean, Gang Chen, and Lara Donovan. "Does generic entry lower the prices paid for pharmaceuticals in Australia? A comparison before and after the introduction of the mandatory price-reduction policy." Australian Health Review 37, no. 5 (2013): 675. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah13024.
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Objective We investigated the relationship between the number of generic medicines and pharmaceutical prices over time in Australia. Methods A dataset was utilised containing 76 items for 4 years (2003–2007) on the national subsidy scheme – the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) – for which a generic brand is available. The PBS price was used as the dependent variable, and the number of generics available the key explanatory variable. The ordinary least-squares estimator was adopted for estimation. In the robustness analysis, an instrumental-variables method was used to account for potential endogeneity. Results Results suggested that the effect of increased generic medicine sellers on reducing the prices paid for generics is marginal but statistically significant. Conclusions It is suggested that structural changes to the way generic prices are determined needs to be reconsidered by the Australian government if the policy aim of using increased ‘competition’ to lower prices is to be maximised. What is known about the topic? There is scant empirical evidence that supports the notion that increased generic availability for pharmaceuticals, in heavily price-regulated markets such as Australia, has a significant effect on lowering the prices paid over time. Despite this, Australia has adopted a policy that promotes increased generic ‘competition’ as a means of controlling prices, without establishing if this policy has, or is likely to be, successful in the longer term. What does this paper add? Using longitudinal data from Medicare Australia, this paper quantifies the relationship between the number of branded and generic items of a given drug molecule and formulation, and prices paid over time, controlling for other explanatory variables. What are the implications for practitioners? The results suggest that although increased generic entry may lower prices over time in the Australian context, the price reduction gained is likely to be very small. Therefore, whilst generic entry should be encouraged, it is important not to assume that this price-lowering effect is realised without question and that the magnitude of such an effect is comparable with other price-regulated countries.
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MOSOLOVA, Olga V. "AUSTRALIA: PLANS OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY AFTER THE EPIDEMIC." Southeast Asia: Actual Problems of Development, no. 1 (54) (2022): 234–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.31696/2072-8271-2022-1-1-54-234-244.
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Abatement of economy in Australia from epidemic was smaller than in the most other countries. The reason of this situation was, specifically, broad plan of financial aid which the government granted to the enterprises and households. At present the economy of the country is in recovery. In a whole the economy of Australia indicated a good stability at the time of epidemic. The government prepares the plan of structural reforms for supporting of economy in the future. The government has the opinion what the economic policy must be concentrate on the creation of opportunities for just one more period of strong and steady economic growth. The important factor which must facilitate preservation of high rates of economic growth is the improvement of the conditions for business activities. Competition strengthening can assist to development of innovations and the growth of the productivity of economy.
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Nicholls, Rob. "Reform in Australia: A Focus on Informed Consent." Global Privacy Law Review 3, Issue 3 (September 1, 2022): 177–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.54648/gplr2022018.
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This article analyses the Australian privacy framework in the context of both the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Digital Platforms Inquiry (DPI) and the Consumer Data Right (CDR). This analysis extends to informed consent and attitudes to unfairness and unconscionability. The article offers potential solutions to the current patchwork approach which go further than the Government response to the DPI. It argues that the Australian Government’s response is not an adequate response nor a set of suitable solutions to the problem. The article proposes a two-pronged approach that recognizes the urgency of the issue through the suggestion of a series of ‘quick policy wins’ that will result in more meaningful and effective protection for consumers and further systemic, long-term recommendations for change that can be achieved through policy development, further consultation and integration with other existing legislation. The quick policy wins centre on three specific changes, including definitional updates, content and structure of online standard form agreements and enforcement, penalties and sanctions, and long-term solutions. The long-term solutions are proposed to include regulation of website design, better integration of the laws, regulators and enforcement bodies, a faster, more consistent pace of policy review and recognition of the societal and human benefit of informed consent to online standard form agreements. Australia, Digital Platforms, Consumer Data Right, Informed Consent, Reform
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Shepherd, Graham. "Critique of the new NBN policy." Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy 2, no. 4 (May 24, 2020): 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v2n4.267.
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In December 2014 the Australian Minister for Communications released a policy destined to transform the NBN as conceived by the previous government. Its primary stated aims are to lower costs and introduce competition. The cost reductions are driven by significantly compromising the access speed and substantially but not entirely eliminating the lead-in cost. The policy also anticipates a competitive model, which risks creating islands of monopoly based upon the footprints of the proposed FTTN and HFC networks – although the fixed wireless and satellite technologies should be able to operate competitively, if not profitably. This paper addresses the limitations of the policy as currently stated and proposes some changes in approach which share the objectives of the policy but without compromising access speed. The changes will eliminate the lead-in cost entirely and will introduce infrastructure competition in the long-term interests of end-users. They will accelerate the NBN roll-out and ensure that the national infrastructure is responsive to future technologies, market demands and business opportunities.
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Barr, Trevor. "Broadband Bottleneck: History Revisited." Media International Australia 129, no. 1 (November 2008): 129–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1329878x0812900113.
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The vexed issues currently surrounding broadband policy in Australia remind us that the public sector has a great track record in building valuable telecommunications infrastructure. One lesson from the past 150 years is the constructive role played by the public sector by providing the vision and seeding capital for the creation of three major communications platforms: Australia's overland telegraph in the 1870s, communications satellites funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from the 1950s, and the early internet, funded by the US government from the 1960s to the 1990s. But times have changed and new policy models have emerged. Australia's telecommunications public policy decisions during the past decade have locked us into having few choices for broadband. The sad irony to date is that the introduction of the open competition model in July 1997, its associated regulatory framework and the full privatisation of Telstra have actually made us less efficient in investment and impeded the development of the broadband networks we need. We might just benefit from revisiting some lessons from history.
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Buttery, Alan, and Rick Tamaschke. "Marketing Decision Support Systems and Australian Businesses: A Queensland Case Study and Implications Towards 2000." Journal of Management & Organization 3, no. 1 (January 1997): 51–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s183336720000599x.
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AbstractLittle is known about the extent to which the Marketing Decision Support System (MDSS) technology is currently used in Australia, or about the scope for the technology in Australia towards the year 2000. This paper reports the results of recent survey research into MDSS in Queensland by industry sector (agriculture and mining, manufacturing, construction, and services). The results suggest that there is an urgent need to boost the pace of MDSS development in all industry sectors, and that this should be given a high priority in government policy initiatives to enhance Australia's competitive advantage. It is possible, otherwise, that the present gap in information usage between Australia and its competitors will widen, with consequent negative implications for the nation's current account deficit, foreign debt and unemployment.
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Buttery, Alan, and Rick Tamaschke. "Marketing Decision Support Systems and Australian Businesses: A Queensland Case Study and Implications Towards 2000." Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 3, no. 1 (January 1997): 51–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.5172/jmo.1997.3.1.51.
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AbstractLittle is known about the extent to which the Marketing Decision Support System (MDSS) technology is currently used in Australia, or about the scope for the technology in Australia towards the year 2000. This paper reports the results of recent survey research into MDSS in Queensland by industry sector (agriculture and mining, manufacturing, construction, and services). The results suggest that there is an urgent need to boost the pace of MDSS development in all industry sectors, and that this should be given a high priority in government policy initiatives to enhance Australia's competitive advantage. It is possible, otherwise, that the present gap in information usage between Australia and its competitors will widen, with consequent negative implications for the nation's current account deficit, foreign debt and unemployment.
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McLaren, Gary. "What Now for Australia's NBN?" Australian Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy 6, no. 4 (December 9, 2018): 31–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.18080/ajtde.v6n4.162.
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Australia, like other countries, embarked on deregulation and privatisation of its telecommunications market in the late 1980s. The success of infrastructure competition in the mobile communications sector in pushing Australia to being a world leader in that sector contrasts with the failure to achieve the same in fixed telecommunications. Australia’s politics, insular policies and categorisation of fixed telecommunications as a natural monopoly have made Australia a global laggard in the provision of broadband services. The return of government ownership of telecoms infrastructure in the form of the National Broadband Network and the continuing lack of investment in fibre infrastructure highlight the political and policy failures that have accumulated. A disaggregation of NBN Co into competing technology-based entities, along with the establishment of a regional telecommunications fund financed by a broad-based telecommunications levy, is recommended as the answer to fix these long-term problems.
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McLaren, Gary. "What Now for Australia's NBN?" Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy 6, no. 4 (December 9, 2018): 31–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v6n4.162.
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Australia, like other countries, embarked on deregulation and privatisation of its telecommunications market in the late 1980s. The success of infrastructure competition in the mobile communications sector in pushing Australia to being a world leader in that sector contrasts with the failure to achieve the same in fixed telecommunications. Australia’s politics, insular policies and categorisation of fixed telecommunications as a natural monopoly have made Australia a global laggard in the provision of broadband services. The return of government ownership of telecoms infrastructure in the form of the National Broadband Network and the continuing lack of investment in fibre infrastructure highlight the political and policy failures that have accumulated. A disaggregation of NBN Co into competing technology-based entities, along with the establishment of a regional telecommunications fund financed by a broad-based telecommunications levy, is recommended as the answer to fix these long-term problems.
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Hussain, Ejaz. "The Belt and Road Initiative and the Middle Corridor: Complementarity or Competition?" Insight Turkey 23, Summer 2021 (September 20, 2021): 233–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.25253/99.2021233.12.
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Though the Chinese government has projected the BRI in economic terms, it has been viewed critically by Australia, Japan, and the U.S. Turkey has, as a geostrategic connector of Asia and Europe, registered its trade interest in the BRI along with projecting the Middle Corridor Initiative (MCI) as a means to realize regional market connectivity and commercial cooperation. In view of the aforesaid, this study aims to explain whether the BRI has factored into Turkey’s Asia policy and to what extent the MCI can complement the BRI. Moreover, the study analyzed the existing scale of China-Turkey trade and proposed a set of opportunities offered by both the BRI and the MCI. Nonetheless, the stated opportunities are beset with multiple challenges ranging from transregional instability to socio-economic upheavals. In order to accrue trade dividends in terms of inter-initiative cooperation and connectivity, both China and Turkey will have to play a leading role in developing policy coordination and establishing cultural linkages among the BRI/MCI community. Thus, operationally, Turkey would carry immense influence in Asian affairs economically and strategically.
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King, Demus. "2015 Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release." APPEA Journal 55, no. 1 (2015): 67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj14006.
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The oil and gas sector is a key contributor to the Australian economy, contributing $30.8 billion in commodity export earnings in 2013–14 (Department of Industry and Science, 2015). Underpinning future growth in the value of oil and gas to the Australian economy is the almost $200 billion of investment in seven LNG projects under construction. Australia relies on foreign capital to continue to explore for, and develop, its natural resources. New challenges and opportunities are arising for the sector. Increased international competition, advancing technology, and increasing risks and volatile costs associated with the development of fields are features of the current offshore operating environment. Australia’s legislative and policy settings must be sufficiently robust and flexible to support the continued development of Australia’s offshore resources into the future. To this end, the Australian Government is undertaking a high-level strategic review of the resource management framework for offshore petroleum resources in Commonwealth waters. The review will test the robustness of the policy, legal and regulatory regime to ensure the framework remains flexible enough to keep pace with the evolving environment and continues to attract investment. The annual Offshore Petroleum Exploration Acreage Release facilitates new investment in offshore petroleum exploration. The 2015 Acreage Release is accompanied by an updated exploration guideline. The guideline increases flexibility in permit management and clarifies competitive work program bidding expectations and good standing as well as providing more flexibility in the way good standing agreements may be discharged. This will enable industry to undertake exploration with increased autonomy and reduce the administrative burden. It accommodates changing technological capacity and encourages increased exploration in Australia’s offshore waters.
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Kumalasari, Galuh Wahyu. "LOCAL GOVERNMENT POLICY MODEL OF INDONESIA RATTAN HANDICRAFT CREATIVE INDUSTRY IN TRANGSAN VILLAGE." Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews 7, no. 3 (April 4, 2019): 87–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2019.7313.
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Purpose of Study: Creative industry is one of the economic sectors that important to get attention from the government. Absorption workers in the creative industry are very large considering the main capital in this industry is idea and creativity. An employee who works on large industry, often replaced by mechanical power by efficiency reason. This is different from the creative industry which had to take creativity owned by a human being to maintain its existence. The rattan industry in this area has been able to penetrate the export market in the Netherlands, Germany, The United States, and Australia. Although has penetrated the export market, a number of problems experienced by actors of the creative industry, such as difficulty in competition with other countries related to the design of products and the difficulties to participate in the event of the international exhibition.
Methodology: The methodology used in this research is nondoctrinal, its describe clearly on local government policy in the development of the rattan creative industry in Trangsan Village, Gatak, Sukoharjo, Central Java.
Results: This study found that one of an industry that relatively has been shown to be able to survive in the center of turbulence and national and global economic crisis is the rattan industry in Trangsan Village.
Implications/Applications: Looking at these problems, the local government should take an active role to provide support for rattan industries of Trangsan Village by facilitating ease licensing and integrated technical assistance in connection to promoting both through social media and facilitation to be fit for as well as in international events.
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Luck, David. "Revisiting the Future: Assessing the 1994 BTCE Communications Futures Project." Media International Australia 96, no. 1 (August 2000): 109–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1329878x0009600114.
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In 1994. the former Bureau of Transport and Communications Economics undertook a major study for the Australian government on likely developments in online services over the decade to 2005. At the time, there was a wide level of industry ‘hype’ about the imminent arrival of broadband services to the home. It was also a crrcial time for the Australian government in formulating a range of policies—to encourage competition in the newly opening telecommunications market, to help bring to birth the new pay TV industry and to set the scene for mobile telephony. The CFP provided an economic analysis of these new technologies and the directions in which they might be heading. This paper assesses the extent to which the government research body ‘got it right’ and analyses why it was successful and where it missed the mark. Some of the reasons for the successes and failures illustrate the potential for analytical research to guide governments in their policy formulation.
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Lim, David. "Jackson and the Overseas Students." Australian Journal of Education 33, no. 1 (April 1989): 3–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/000494418903300101.
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The underlying framework adopted by the Committee to Review the Australian Overseas Aid Program demands that Australian aid helps to promote the economic development of the recipient less developed countries. If it does not, then the humanitarian, political and economic arguments for giving aid lose much of their cogency. This approach is evident in the treatment of overseas students. The Report recommends a vastly expanded scholarship program because it recognises the central role played by education in economic development. It recommends a different geographical and academic composition for the scholarship scheme because it supports the developmental thrust of Australia's aid program. It recommends also the development of education as an export industry because it believes Australia is competitive in this lucrative trade. It sees no conflict in having Australian educational expertise being used for aid and trade purposes, and does not recommend that trade is more important than aid. It should thus be clear that the current government policy on overseas students is not based solely on the reports of either this Committee or the Committee of Review of Private Overseas Student Policy. It is a compromise between the two and, as with most compromises, suffers from a number of inconsistencies.
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Campbell, L. H., and J. R. Holmes. "Regulating Service Providers' Access to an FTTN Network." Media International Australia 127, no. 1 (May 2008): 21–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1329878x0812700106.
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To date, the major deployments of FTTN or its fibre-rich cousin, Fibre to the Premises, have been driven by clear government policy (Republic of Korea, Japan) or competitive pressure from cable television companies (US, Netherlands — planned). Without these pressures, the business case for deploying FTTN is uncertain. The additional revenues from higher-speed internet access are likely to be slight, and new revenues from pay television are uncertain and likely to develop only over the medium term. The business case for investing perhaps A$9 billion or more for an extensive FTTN deployment in Australia is therefore weak. National governments, however, see many benefits in widespread deployment of high internet access speeds and may provide incentives for FTTN deployments if competitive pressures are absent. This article explains some of these incentives in the Australian context, especially the steps taken so far to regulate access to the fibre networks proposed by Telstra and the so-called G9 consortium.
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Ghaderi, Hadi, Stephen Cahoon, and Hong-Oanh Nguyen. "Evaluation of impediments to the competitiveness of the rail sector in Australia." Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics 29, no. 5 (November 13, 2017): 1097–115. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/apjml-02-2017-0034.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to empirically evaluate the key impediments to the competitiveness of the rail sector in Australia; and second, to provide relevant transport management and policy recommendations for enhanced competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach This paper has adopted an empirical approach. A survey was developed and distributed among rail stakeholders in Australia. Accordingly, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to evaluate the key impeding areas. Findings This paper found four areas that are impeding rail development, these being infrastructure management, shortage of freight data and poor information sharing, service delivery and organisational and commercial interactions. Research limitations/implications The theoretical approach of this thesis can be applied to any freight market where competition exists between different transport modes. However, the specific strategies provided in this research in terms of transportation management, infrastructure planning and policy were made according to the specific market condition, infrastructure quality and regulation that exist in Australia. Practical implications The findings provide important implications for both industry and government in terms of making transport planning and policy decisions, but also useful insights by identifying the weak parts of the rail sector and directions to target them. Originality/value The notion of the rail stakeholder does not appear to have been previously defined in the literature. Therefore, this research takes a broader view of rail stakeholders to include various interest groups within the rail sector and its operational environment.
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Radcliffe, John C. "Policy issues impacting on crop production in water-limiting environments." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 56, no. 11 (2005): 1303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar05072.
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Policy issues have impacted on cropping since the earliest days of European colonial settlement. Following emigration to Australia, secure land titles were required, with the Torrens title system being progressively introduced from 1858. This provided the basis for landholders to be able to borrow to develop land. Closer settlement policies were adopted, underpinned by the development of transport infrastructure. The demand for education resulted in Agricultural Colleges in the colonies from the 1880s, with Departments of Agriculture soon afterwards. Federation of the colonies into the Commonwealth of Australia and the creation of the states resulted in a separation of powers, with the Commonwealth assuming responsibility for external powers including overseas marketing, import quarantine, health and quality standards of exports and credit and financial powers. Natural resource management matters and education were among those remaining with the states. Regular intergovernmental meetings were held to discuss research from 1927 and a broader range of agricultural issues from 1935. The Great Depression in the 1930s, poor commodity prices and serious land degradation led to government support for debt reconstruction and the introduction of soil conservation services. Realising the need for innovation to successfully compete on world markets, farmers, led by cereal growers, petitioned for the establishment of statutory research programs with joint grower/government funding from the 1950s. These have been remarkably successful, with the uptake of new technologies contributing to an average multifactor productivity growth of Australian grain farms by 3.3% per year between 1977–78 and 2001–02. With community and policy recognition of the need to conserve natural resources, the Commonwealth Government is playing an increasing role in this area. Farmers are required to meet standards for the use of agricultural chemicals and for occupational safety, welfare and environmental protection. The states have taken a conservative stand against the growing of genetically modified food crops in the name of protecting overseas markets. New water management regimes are coming into place with the separation of water titles from land. Market-based instruments are being introduced to encourage more sustainable production systems and saleable ecosystem services. Research and innovation along with complementary policy initiatives will continue to underpin farmers’ adaptive management skills to ensure dryland crop producers have sustainable production systems while remaining competitive in world markets.
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Main, Jonathon. "Playing in the Sandpit Together Alone." Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal 4, no. 1 (March 12, 2012): 26–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/ccs.v4i1.2345.
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The community services sector is the largest provider of non-profit human services in Australia. This sector has experienced considerable growth as a consequence of public policy and sector reforms introduced by successive governments over the past two decades. These reforms have seen the introduction of private sector managerialist agendas, outsourcing of government services and competitive tendering processes. As the community sector has grown governments have sought to consolidate program funding mechanisms, simplify contracting out arrangements and encourage collaboration and formal partnerships through national tender processes. In recent years there has been significant evidence of governments actively encouraging formal intrasectoral partnerships and consortia in program tenders. While there is a considerable body of overseas and national literature on partnerships and collaboration, the predominant focus is on intersectoral relationships such as public-private partnerships between government and the business sector or government contracted services to the community sector. This research responds to a call for more local research on partnerships and collaboration in the Australian community service sector. A case study approach was used to examine the key drivers of intrasectoral partnership and collaborative practice in the context of the literature within business, government and community sectors. The study found prior interactions between organisations significantly influenced whether these drivers were viewed as strong, weak or ambiguous. The findings contribute to the understanding of intrasectoral partnerships and collaboration in the community sector in that prior relationships understood as parallel (i.e. disengaged) or cooperative in nature, can be predictive of potential partnership relationships and outcomes.
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Asher, A. "NETWORK INDUSTRY REGULATION AND CONVERGENCE IN SERVICE DELIVERY: CHALLENGES FOR SUPPLIERS, USERS AND REGULATORS." APPEA Journal 38, no. 1 (1998): 799. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj97054.
Full textAbstract:
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has competition and fair-trading law responsibility for Australian industries. It has gained regulatory responsibilities for third-party access to telecommunications, soon will become the national regulator of gas pipeline access under a legislated code developed by the jurisdictions and industry working in a common forum, and will progressively become the national regulator of electricity transmission.This paper describes the ACCC's concept of the term 'efficient incentive regulation', gives examples of government decisions on network industry operations to which it is relevant and describes the general approach the ACCC will take in applying that concept, to encourage competition, innovation, economic investment and fair dealing by suppliers with users.The paper describes the relevance of the rise of national product markets and convergence in the delivery of telecommunications, electricity and gas services to the types of decisions the ACCC and State-based regulators will have to take and places those decisions in the context of common issues in regulatory reform internationally. Regulatory decisions taken for one network industry may have particular positive effects if the underlying principles flow on to others.A necessary part of dealing with national industries is the coordination of regulatory effort where Commonwealth and State/Territory regulators are involved. There is the risk in Australia that separation of regulatory powers between jurisdictional and national levels may cause welfare gains to business, customers and the wider community arising from the industry reform process to be lost if there are shortcomings in communications between regulators, duplication of effort or inconsistencies in approach. The paper describes the current division of responsibilities; the potential of the Utility Regulators' Forum to coordinate regulatory effort; and indicates the potential for losses of welfare and economic efficiency if COAG principles of a national approach to regulation are not fully embraced.The paper discusses the range of tools available to deal with challenges arising from privatisations, from the entry of multinational players to network industries and from the implementation of competition policy reforms, drawing on concerns about network industries raised with the ACCC, and on the ACCC's broader complaints experience. Finally, the paper outlines the reasons for policy-makers to pay particular attention to shaping and bringing light-handed but effective regulation to the areas of the converging network industries where market power remains unconstrained by competition, and for regulators to coordinate their administration of the regulated areas of network industries so that the policy objectives of incentive regulation are realised, resulting in the industry, users and the community sharing in the benefits.
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Quirk, Victor. "The light on the hill and the ‘right to work’." Economic and Labour Relations Review 29, no. 4 (December 2018): 459–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1035304618817413.
Full textAbstract:
In 1945 the Curtin Labor Government declared it had the capacity and responsibility to permanently eliminate the blight of unemployment from the lives of Australians in its White Paper ‘Full Employment in Australia’. This was the culmination of a century of struggle to establish the ‘right to work’, once a key objective of the 19th century labour movement. Deeply resented and long resisted by employer groups, the policy was abandoned in the mid-1970s, without an electoral mandate. Although the Australian Labor Party and union movement urged public vigilance to preserve full employment during 23 years of Liberal rule, after 1978 they quietly dropped the policy as the Australian Labor Party turned increasingly to corporate donors for the money they needed to stay electorally competitive. While few leading lights of today’s Labor movement care to discuss it, it is right that Australians celebrate this bold statement of our right to work, and the 30 years of full employment it heralded. JEL Codes: P16, P35, N37
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Dobbie, Phil. "The NBN is broken. Here’s the fix." Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy 3, no. 3 (September 28, 2015): 58–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v3n3.24.
Full textAbstract:
The approach to the NBN has been fated from the beginning. This paper explores how the original design was more to do with constraining Telstra’s monopolistic ambitions than developing a sensible broadband policy for Australia. The result is a solution that is expensive, constrains competition, is blighted by Telstra’s infrastructure – including the widespread use of asbestos – with a one-size fits all approach that satisfies few. The ambition of ubiquity is also examined. How can it be ubiquitous if many people choose not to subscribe?With the optimistic air of change that has come from a new Prime Minister, this is the time to look at a realistic option that accepts the approach will include government on-budget expenditure, establishes a future proof approach and provides the opportunity for those who want it to pay a realistic amount towards getting connected. The analogy is, governments build roads, not driveways. So why should we assume anyone building a national telecommunications network should worry about connecting right up to the front door, especially for those who don’t want it.
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Malik, Saleem, Mehmood Chadhar, Savanid Vatanasakdakul, and Madhu Chetty. "Factors Affecting the Organizational Adoption of Blockchain Technology: Extending the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) Framework in the Australian Context." Sustainability 13, no. 16 (August 21, 2021): 9404. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13169404.
Full textAbstract:
Blockchain technology (BCT) has been gaining popularity due to its benefits for almost every industry. However, despite its benefits, the organizational adoption of BCT is rather limited. This lack of uptake motivated us to identify the factors that influence the adoption of BCT from an organizational perspective. In doing this, we reviewed the BCT literature, interviewed BCT experts, and proposed a research model based on the TOE framework. Specifically, we theorized the role of technological (perceived benefits, compatibility, information transparency, and disintermediation), organizational (organization innovativeness, organizational learning capability, and top management support), and environmental (competition intensity, government support, trading partners readiness, and standards uncertainty) factors in the organizational adoption of BCT in Australia. We confirmed the model with a sample of adopters and potential adopter organizations in Australia. The results show a significant role of the proposed factors in the organizational adoption of BCT in Australia. Additionally, we found that the relationship between the influential factors and BCT adoption is moderated by “perceived risks”. The study extends the TOE framework by adding factors that were ignored in previous studies on BCT adoption, such as perceived information transparency, perceived disintermediation, organizational innovativeness, organizational learning capability, and standards uncertainty.
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Albury, Kath. "‘Recognition of competition’ versus Will to App: rethinking digital engagement in Australian youth sexual health promotion policy and practice." Media International Australia 171, no. 1 (May 2019): 38–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1329878x19850224.
Full textAbstract:
Recent Australian research has found that young people (broadly defined as 15–30-year-olds) express a strong preference for seeking out digital sexual health information that is produced by authoritative sources (e.g. government websites), but are more likely to share material that is funny and/or features intimate first-person narratives. This produces a tension for sexual health messaging that aims to flag credibility, but also ‘spreadability’ – and perhaps even ‘relatability’. This tension is not exclusive to health communication, but has much in common with challenges facing digital news publishers who have struggled in recent years to tread a line between authoritativeness and clickbait. Drawing on participant observation of Australian sexual health promotion policy and practice and studies of online news and activism, this article reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing Australian sexual health organisations seeking to work with young people in digital spaces. A range of brief case studies of models offered by successful digital publishers, such as Vice and Upworthy, are offered as alternatives to the ‘Will to App’.
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Austen, Dick. "Foreword to 'Producing and Processing Quality Beef from Australian Cattle Herds'." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, no. 7 (2001): I. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/eav41n7_fo.
Full textAbstract:
Markets for Australian beef throughout the 20th century have been moulded by world wars, economic depressions, droughts, transport technology, cattle breeding, trade barriers, global competition, livestock disease eradication, human health risks, food safety, Australian Government policy, consumerism and beef quality. Major ‘shocks’ to beef marketing include the development of successful shipments of chilled carcases to Britain in the 1930s, the widespread trade disruption caused by World War II, expansion (early 1950s) and then a reduction in beef exports to Britain (1956), the introduction and then proliferation of Bos indicus derived cattle in northern Australia (1960s), licensing and upgrading of Australian abattoirs to export to USA and the consequential brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign leading to record export tonnages of Australian processing beef to USA (1960–70). In 1980, increased beef trade to Japan began, leading in the late 1980s to expansion of high-quality grain finished products into that market. By 1993, beef exports to Japan (280.5 kt) exceeded those to USA (274.4 kt), signalling the significant shift in beef exports to Asia. Commencing in about 1986, the USA recognised the value of beef exports to Asian markets pioneered by Australia. Australia’s share of the Japanese and South Korean markets has been under intense competition since that time. Another major influence on Australia’s beef market in the early 1990s was growth in live cattle exports to Asian markets in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Live exports accounted for 152000 heads in 1992 and 858000 heads in 1996. Improved management systems (e.g. fences) and consequent regulation of cattle supply even in the wet season, a by-product of the brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign, were indirect drivers of the growth in live exports. Throughout the period 1940–2000, domestic consumption of beef and veal declined from 68 to 33.3 kg/head.year, reflecting competition from other foods, perceptions of health risks, price of beef, periodic food safety scares, vegetarianism, changes in lifestyle and eating habits and lack of consistency of eating quality of beef. Despite this decline, the domestic Australian beef market still consumes a significant component (37%) of total Australian beef production. In 1984–85, the reform of the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation set in train a major directional change (‘New Direction’) of the beef sector in response to beef market trends. Under Dick Austen’s leadership, the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation changed the industry’s culture from being ‘production-driven’ to being ‘consumer-driven’. Market research began in Australia, Japan and Korea to establish consumer preferences and attitudes to price, beef appearance and eating quality. Definite consumer requirements were identified under headings of consistency and reliability. The AusMeat carcass descriptors were introduced and a decade later traits like tenderness, meat colour, fat colour, meat texture, taste, smell, and muscle size were addressed. These historical ‘shocks’ that shaped the Australian beef markets have all been accompanied by modification to production systems, breeding programs, herd structure, processing procedures, advertising and promotion, meat retailing and end-use. The increasing importance of the food service sector and the ‘Asian merge’ influence on beef cuts usage in restaurant meals and take-away products are the most recognisable changes in the Australian food landscape. The Cooperative Research Centre¿s research portfolio was built around the changing forces influencing beef markets in the early 1990s. Australia needed to better understand the genetic and non-genetic factors affecting beef quality. One example was the poor success rate of cattle being grain-fed for the Japanese premium markets. Another was the relative contribution of pre- and post-slaughter factors to ultimate eating quality of beef. The Meat Standards Australia scheme was launched in 1997 to address this problem in more detail. The Cooperative Research Centre contributed significantly to this initiative. In the year 2001, Australia, with only 2.5% of world cattle numbers retains the position of world number one beef trader. We trade to 110 countries worldwide. The Australian beef sector is worth A$6 billion annually. The diversity of Australian environments, cattle genotypes and production systems provides us with the ability to meet diverse specifications for beef products. A new set of market forces is now emerging. Strict accreditation rules apply to Australian producers seeking access to the lucrative European Union market. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies like bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie are a continuing food safety concern in Europe. This and the foot and mouth disease outbreak in Britain early in 2001 have potentially significant indirect effects on markets for Australian beef. And the sleeping giant, foot and mouth disease-free status of Latin American countries Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina continues to emerge as a major threat to Australian beef markets in Canada and Taiwan. As in the past, science and technology will play a significant role in Australia¿s response to these market forces.
31
Bindon, B. M., and N. M. Jones. "Cattle supply, production systems and markets for Australian beef." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, no. 7 (2001): 861. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea01052.
Full textAbstract:
Markets for Australian beef throughout the 20th century have been moulded by world wars, economic depressions, droughts, transport technology, cattle breeding, trade barriers, global competition, livestock disease eradication, human health risks, food safety, Australian Government policy, consumerism and beef quality. Major ‘shocks’ to beef marketing include the development of successful shipments of chilled carcases to Britain in the 1930s, the widespread trade disruption caused by World War II, expansion (early 1950s) and then a reduction in beef exports to Britain (1956), the introduction and then proliferation of Bos indicus derived cattle in northern Australia (1960s), licensing and upgrading of Australian abattoirs to export to USA and the consequential brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign leading to record export tonnages of Australian processing beef to USA (1960–70). In 1980, increased beef trade to Japan began, leading in the late 1980s to expansion of high-quality grain finished products into that market. By 1993, beef exports to Japan (280.5 kt) exceeded those to USA (274.4 kt), signalling the significant shift in beef exports to Asia. Commencing in about 1986, the USA recognised the value of beef exports to Asian markets pioneered by Australia. Australia’s share of the Japanese and South Korean markets has been under intense competition since that time. Another major influence on Australia’s beef market in the early 1990s was growth in live cattle exports to Asian markets in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Live exports accounted for 152000 heads in 1992 and 858000 heads in 1996. Improved management systems (e.g. fences) and consequent regulation of cattle supply even in the wet season, a by-product of the brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign, were indirect drivers of the growth in live exports. Throughout the period 1940–2000, domestic consumption of beef and veal declined from 68 to 33.3 kg/head.year, reflecting competition from other foods, perceptions of health risks, price of beef, periodic food safety scares, vegetarianism, changes in lifestyle and eating habits and lack of consistency of eating quality of beef. Despite this decline, the domestic Australian beef market still consumes a significant component (37%) of total Australian beef production. In 1984–85, the reform of the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation set in train a major directional change (‘New Direction’) of the beef sector in response to beef market trends. Under Dick Austen’s leadership, the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation changed the industry’s culture from being ‘production-driven’ to being ‘consumer-driven’. Market research began in Australia, Japan and Korea to establish consumer preferences and attitudes to price, beef appearance and eating quality. Definite consumer requirements were identified under headings of consistency and reliability. The AusMeat carcass descriptors were introduced and a decade later traits like tenderness, meat colour, fat colour, meat texture, taste, smell, and muscle size were addressed. These historical ‘shocks’ that shaped the Australian beef markets have all been accompanied by modification to production systems, breeding programs, herd structure, processing procedures, advertising and promotion, meat retailing and end-use. The increasing importance of the food service sector and the ‘Asian merge’ influence on beef cuts usage in restaurant meals and take-away products are the most recognisable changes in the Australian food landscape. The Cooperative Research Centre¿s research portfolio was built around the changing forces influencing beef markets in the early 1990s. Australia needed to better understand the genetic and non-genetic factors affecting beef quality. One example was the poor success rate of cattle being grain-fed for the Japanese premium markets. Another was the relative contribution of pre- and post-slaughter factors to ultimate eating quality of beef. The Meat Standards Australia scheme was launched in 1997 to address this problem in more detail. The Cooperative Research Centre contributed significantly to this initiative. In the year 2001, Australia, with only 2.5% of world cattle numbers retains the position of world number one beef trader. We trade to 110 countries worldwide. The Australian beef sector is worth A$6 billion annually. The diversity of Australian environments, cattle genotypes and production systems provides us with the ability to meet diverse specifications for beef products. A new set of market forces is now emerging. Strict accreditation rules apply to Australian producers seeking access to the lucrative European Union market. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies like bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie are a continuing food safety concern in Europe. This and the foot and mouth disease outbreak in Britain early in 2001 have potentially significant indirect effects on markets for Australian beef. And the sleeping giant, foot and mouth disease-free status of Latin American countries Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina continues to emerge as a major threat to Australian beef markets in Canada and Taiwan. As in the past, science and technology will play a significant role in Australia¿s response to these market forces.
32
Webber, M. "Enter the Dragon: Lessons for Australia from Northeast Asia?" Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 26, no. 1 (January 1994): 71–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1068/a260071.
Full textAbstract:
The 1980s saw a conscious restructuring of economic life in Australia. The direction of that restructuring was derived partly from prescriptions about the virtues of free trade and government deregulation. Another influence has been the view that the economic success of Japan and the Asian ‘dragons’ is because of their adoption of free trade and liberal market regimes. In this paper, evidence from Korea and Taiwan is used to show that this interpretation is seriously flawed. The growth of the dragons was not driven by comparative advantage. Rather, the industries of the dragons were set up independently of their competitiveness; some became competitive by exporting. Industrialisation in the newly industrialised countries (NICs) exemplifies a variety of forms of local initiative by a state: how does it have the will and power to create industrial policy? The development of state policy depends on local class structures and perceptions of the global political and economic environment that nullify attempts simply to copy policy into different social and economic circumstances. The lessons of the economic success of the Northeast Asian NICs are improperly drawn in two respects: these are dirigiste, not free market, economies; and even if that intervention has been for the good it does not follow that similar policies could be applied, much less be successful, in the different place that is Australia. This is the geographic lesson: places differ, and so, therefore, must policies.
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Balaji, K. "Feature — Competitive Positioning Strategies for Australia Biotech Companies: A Road Map to Achieve Competitive Position in the Global Biotech Marketplace Part I." Asia-Pacific Biotech News 07, no. 12 (June 9, 2003): 704–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0219030303001368.
Full textAbstract:
Australia’s focus on biotechnology began in the 1990s, although this industry has been active in the country since the 1970s. Australia’s traditional strengths in medical and agricultural research have helped the country to move up the global biotech value-chain in a very short time. The Australian economy is relatively small compared to other biotech behemoths such as the United States and Japan and the government has realized the importance of innovation through industries such as biotechnology to boost the economy. This has translated into generous research funding and a favorable policy atmosphere for the industry, which in turn has grown steadily. The following White Paper builds a global, regional, and country perspective on the biotechnology industry and analyzes the competitive position of Australian biotech companies. The White Paper also elucidates key strategies for Australian biotech companies for achieving sustainable growth.
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Mohan, Sam Lee, and Andrew Taylor. "Collocated offshore wind-hydrogen." APPEA Journal 62, no. 2 (May 13, 2022): S44—S47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj21162.
Full textAbstract:
The hydrogen industry in Australia is in its infancy with most projects at this stage supported either by State Governments or through the funding arms of the Federal Government. The market is rapidly developing and interest in hydrogen has grown exponentially over the past few years. Governments in Australia and many countries around the world have set decarbonisation targets and it is expected that Hydrogen will play a major role in fulfilling these commitments. Largely driven by policy announcements and commitments, several hydrogen projects are currently in development in Australia and globally. Current forecast data indicates over 200 GW of electrolyser capacity are either planned for deployment or under construction. While industry moves forward with deployment-scale projects, incumbent fuels occupy a healthy competitive position. For example, in Western Australia natural gas prices are around $6/GJ and are set to remain stable into the foreseeable future, largely due to Western Australia’s domestic gas reservation policy. However, the impact of volatile oil prices on domestic natural gas remains to be seen. Although potential green hydrogen projects are mostly in early stages, increased opportunities for partnerships on the supply side or joint venture arrangements with energy producers and demand side off-takers, will accelerate these projects achieving feasibility. However, in achieving target hydrogen prices, the barriers remain significant. One such barrier, is the cost of renewable electricity and one such solution could be collocated offshore wind-hydrogen systems. By nature, offshore wind is an intermittent energy source. Hydrogen could be used as a means of storing renewable energy for electricity balancing, and as a dedicated source for large-scale hydrogen production. Hard-to-abate sectors remain a significant challenge as we transition to net-zero. Hydrogen may be used to de-carbonise hard-to-abate sectors as many stakeholders see offshore wind as the primary partner for hydrogen production. This paper discusses collocated wind-hydrogen systems as a potential pathway for offshore wind deployment and commercial hydrogen production.
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Gregory, Mark A. "Telecommunications Market Evolution." Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy 4, no. 4 (January 11, 2017): ii. http://dx.doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v4n4.80.
Full textAbstract:
It would be wrong to expect stability in any large and complex industry today. The Australian telecommunications industry is no exception and in the lead-up to 2017 there have been a number of government reviews and inquiries announced that are certain to add to the instability if the outcomes do not focus on the long-term interests of end users. Whilst stability may not be achievable in an industry that is dependent on rapidly changing technology, there are aspects of telecommunications competition policy that are broken and need to be fixed urgently. Now is not the time to take an axe to the telecommunications competition legislation, especially when the underlying causes of the instability are not being tackled. Mr Graham Shepherd, a leading member of the Telecommunications Association Board and the Journal Board for many years, has retired from the Telecommunications Association Board.
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Williamson, P. E., and C. B. Foster. "ACCESS TO AUSTRALIAN EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION DATA: A CRITICAL FACTOR IN ATTRACTING INVESTMENT." APPEA Journal 43, no. 1 (2003): 693. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj02040.
Full textAbstract:
During the past 10 years, Australia has maintained 65– 85% self-sufficiency in oil and better than 100% sufficiency in gas. This has generated significant societal benefits in terms of employment, balance of payments, and revenue. The decline of the super-giant Gippsland fields, discovery of smaller oil pools on the North West Shelf, and the increasing reliance on condensate to sustain our liquids supply, however, sharpens the focus on Australia’s need to increase exploration and discover more oil. Australia is competing in the global market place for exploration funds, but as it is relatively underexplored there is a need to simulate interest through access to pre-competitive data and information. Public access to exploration and production data is a key plank in Australian promotion of petroleum exploration acreage. Access results from legislation that initially subsidised exploration in return for lodgement and public availability of exploration and production (E&P) data. Today publicly available E&P data ranges from digital seismic tapes, to core and cuttings samples from wells, and access to relational databases, including organic geochemistry, biostratigraphy, and reservoir and shows information. Seismic information is being progressively consolidated to high density media. Under the Commonwealth Government’s Spatial Information and Data Access Policy, announced in 2001, company data are publicly available at the cost of transfer, after a relatively brief confidentiality period. In addition, pre-competitive regional studies relating to petroleum prospectivity, undertaken by Government, and databases and spatial information are free over the Internet, further reducing the cost of exploration. In cooperation with the Australian States and the Northern Territory, we are working towards jointly presenting Australian opportunities through the Geoscience Portal (http:// www.geoscience.gov.au) and a virtual one-stop data repository. The challenge now is to translate data availability to increased exploration uptake, through client information, and through ever-improving on-line access.
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Flynn, Christopher, and Emily Tsokos. "Energy security, moratoria and domestic gas: Australia, LNG and its gas policy catch-22." APPEA Journal 57, no. 1 (2017): 26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj16232.
Full textAbstract:
In a region undergoing rapid and profound geopolitical change, energy security will be more important than ever. As a key regional energy producer, Australia will play a fundamental role in the energy security of its major trading partners. However, ironically, it also faces energy security challenges of its own. Over the next 12months, as Australia becomes the world’s largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), its own domestic gas demand will also continue to grow. At the same time, one or more of our LNG facilities is expected to start to face significant upstream gas supply constraints. All of them will experience greater global competition. Yet, ever increasing pressure continues to be exerted on Australia’s governments to restrict, curb or even completely stop further exploration and development of hydrocarbons around the country. In New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory that pressure has effectively ended new gas exploration and development for the foreseeable future. Elsewhere, it has resulted in increased regulation and uncertainty. There is a natural tension between Australia’s domestic energy security, its economic and national security interests in remaining at the heart of regional energy security, and important environmental objectives. However, these concepts and priorities do not need to be mutually exclusive, but can be achieved in balance with the right policy settings. This paper will discuss the political impasse we have reached, and the main policy options available to thread the needle between securing an economic domestic supply of gas and allowing our gas explorers, producers and exporters to continue to grow. It will seek to provide a practical analysis against the backdrop of the rapidly changing regional economic and political environment, as well as seeking to inform and stimulate the broader debate.
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Chong, Joanne. "Climate-readiness, competition and sustainability: an analysis of the legal and regulatory frameworks for providing water services in Sydney." Water Policy 16, no. 1 (September 24, 2013): 1–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.2166/wp.2013.058.
Full textAbstract:
This paper examines whether key legislative and regulatory frameworks for the provision of water services in Sydney, Australia, successfully support the complex task of planning and managing urban water systems to balance water security, cost and sustainability considerations. The challenges of managing urban water systems under a changing and uncertain climate became starkly apparent during Australia's ‘Millennium Drought’, a decade-long period of extremely dry conditions throughout the 2000s. As the drought progressed, several state and territory governments assumed control of planning and approvals processes in order to implement large water-supply infrastructure projects with great urgency. However, at the end of the decade La Niña rains saturated catchments, spilled over dam walls and devastated several communities with flooding. Analysis of the frameworks for third-party access, private-sector participation, planning, and water-conservation initiatives reveals that the rules, roles and responsibilities of the many actors are interlinked but not always effectively integrated. The introduction and expansion of competition in the urban water industry are an ongoing experiment with great influence on the governance of the sector and the ways in which water services are planned for and provided.
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Segal, Leonie, Ron Donato, Jeffrey Richardson, and Stuart Peacock. "Strengths and limitations of competitive versus non-competitive models of integrated capitated fundholding." Journal of Health Services Research & Policy 7, no. 1_suppl (July 2002): 56–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/135581902320176485.
Full textAbstract:
Integrated budget-holding (fundholding) based on risk-adjusted capitation is commonly proposed as a central element of health system reform. Two contrasting models have been developed: the competitive model where fundholders or health plans compete for enrollees; and the non-competitive model, where plan membership is determined according to an objective attribute such as place of residence. Under the competitive model, efficiency is sought through consumer choice of plan. A range of regulatory elements may also be introduced to moderate undesirable elements of competition. Under the non-competitive model, efficiency is achieved through government regulation and the fact that the fundholder has continuing responsibility for the health of a defined population, supported by micro-management tools (such as quality assurance and selective payment arrangements). In theory, the non-competitive model encourages population-based health services planning. While both models assume risk-adjusted capitated funding, the requirements of any formula are more stringent under the competitive model. Economic theory, as well as documented health system experience, can help identify the relative strengths and limitations of each model. Concerns with the competitive model relate primarily to the capacity to develop robust risk adjusters for capitation sufficient to reduce the incentives for patient risk selection. Possible reductions in the quality of care are also a concern, compounded by difficulties for consumers in discriminating between plans. Efficiency under the non-competitive model requires a strong and appropriate regulatory/policy framework and effective use of micro-management tools. Funding equity objectives can be met through either model by the adoption of income-related contributions, but under the competitive model this may be compromised by incentives for the fundholders to select low-risk patients. Evidence drawn from regional fundholding in New South Wales (NSW, Australia), the US Veterans Health Agency and the literature on managed care in the USA illustrate these concerns. The problem of risk selection in the competitive model is a major theoretical concern, confirmed by the empirical evidence. This, together with concerns regarding other aspects of performance, suggests that the non-competitive model may be preferable, at least as an interim step in reform in public or mixed systems. Future research on this issue is clearly required.
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Byrne, Philip. "Evolution of the east coast gas market." APPEA Journal 58, no. 2 (2018): 513. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj17236.
Full textAbstract:
This extended abstract reviews how the east coast gas market is managing the major transition from being a ring-fenced domestic market to being part of an interconnected global trading market, and what still needs to be done to rebalance after half a decade of disruption. The east coast gas market has a great future ahead of it, but only if Australia acts quickly to open up access to new gas supply sources as existing gas fields mature and decline. The presence of a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply market on the east coast now provides an incentive for gas producers to invest in new provinces and new plays at a scale the domestic gas market could not have supported on its own. This can only be good for competition in the east coast gas market over the medium to long term, and potentially open up enormous supplies for the growth of Australian industry, akin to the US shale gas revolution. To make the most of the resources and infrastructure we now have on the eastern seaboard, there is a role for governments to play in ensuring access to resources and providing stable, coordinated, robust energy policy and regulatory frameworks that attract investment in further growth in the gas sector, the benefits of which will flow on to Australian industry more generally.
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van Holstein, Ellen. "Strategies of self-organising communities in a gentrifying city." Urban Studies 57, no. 6 (April 4, 2019): 1284–300. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0042098019832468.
Full textAbstract:
While commonly pitched as potential spaces for the empowerment of marginalised minority groups, self-organised projects such as community gardens are also susceptible to neoliberal discourses and governance mechanisms. While relationships between community gardening and gentrification are now well established, less is known about the grassroots strategies of garden groups in the context of such conditions and the ways in which gentrification changes the community gardening movement itself. This paper combines conceptual approaches to community gardens as shaping citizen-subjectivities and as projects positioned in networks to offer detailed insight into strategic responses of community gardeners to a gentrifying environment. The paper highlights how demographic change, neighbourhood densification and changes in the attitude of local government shape three community gardens in Sydney, Australia. The paper reveals that, more than government policy, changes that gardeners observe in the neighbourhood and their perceptions of local government’s attitude towards different community gardens in the vicinity, shape how they manage community gardens. Interactions and responses of garden groups to perceived threats, as well as changes in the projects’ social composition, can lead to the emergence of conflict and competition. As it becomes increasingly clear that inequalities in the surrounding urban environment manifest as part of the social fabric of community spaces, the paper demonstrates that communities are differently positioned to articulate strategies in response to perceived precarity and that these strategies can amplify unequal opportunities for distinct garden groups to persist into the future.
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McQuilten, Grace, Deborah Warr, Kim Humphery, and Amy Spiers. "Ambivalent entrepreneurs: arts-based social enterprise in a neoliberal world." Social Enterprise Journal 16, no. 2 (March 30, 2020): 121–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/sej-03-2019-0015.
Full textAbstract:
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the social turn in contemporary capitalism and contemporary art through the lens of art-based social enterprises (ASEs) that aim to create positive social benefits for young people experiencing forms of marginalisation, and which trade creative products or services to help fulfil that mission. A growth in ASEs demonstrates a growing interest in how the arts can support social and economic development, and the ways new economic models can generate employment for individuals excluded from the labour market; extend opportunities for more people to participate in art markets; and challenge dominant market models of cultural production and consumption. Design/methodology/approach This paper considers a number of challenges and complexities faced by ASEs that embrace a co-dependence of three goals, which are often in tension and competition – artistic practice, social purpose and economic activity. It does so by analysing interviews from staff working with 12 ASE organisation’s across Australia. Findings While the external forces that shape ASEs – including government policy, markets, investors and philanthropy – are interested in the “self-sufficient” economic potential of ASEs, those working in ASEs tend to prioritise social values and ethical business over large financial returns and are often ambivalent about their roles as entrepreneurs. This ambivalence is symptomatic of a position that is simultaneously critical and affirmative, of the conditions of contemporary capitalism and neoliberalism. Originality/value This paper addresses a gap in social enterprise literature presenting empirical research focussing on the lived experience of those managing and leading ASEs in Australia.
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Rouco, Carlos, Grant Norbury, and Dave Ramsay. "Kill rates by rabbit hunters before and 16 years after introduction of rabbit haemorrhagic disease in the southern South Island, New Zealand." Wildlife Research 41, no. 2 (2014): 136. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr13223.
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Context European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are serious economic and environmental pests in Australia and New Zealand. Since the illegal introduction of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) in New Zealand in 1997, the disease has persisted in most rabbit populations, with major epizootics occurring usually each autumn. Aims We evaluated the efficacy of the virus as a biological control agent in the southern South Island. Methods We used an index of rabbit abundance (kills per hunter) based on a region-wide annual rabbit-hunting competition to evaluate rabbit population trends 7 years before and 16 years after the first outbreak of RHD. We also evaluated the influence of rainfall and temperature in the preceding year on post-RHD trends in the index. Key results Kill rates declined by 60% following the initial epizootic. They remained low for the following 3 years and then increased steadily to intermediate levels punctuated by occasional declines. The instantaneous rate of increase in kill rates during the increase phase was low, but above zero (0.04 per year). No relationship between kill rates and rainfall was apparent, but there was a negative relationship between kill rates and winter temperature in the preceding season. Conclusions The kill-rate data obtained from this hunting competition suggest that RHD still appears to be killing rabbits. Every 2–3 years over the past decade, kill rates have been as low as they were when government rabbit-control programs were in place before RHD arrived, but the efficacy of RHD as a biological control agent is waning compared with the first outbreaks of the disease. This concurs with findings based on spotlight counts. Implications The data collected from this hunting competition are a good example of how ‘citizen science’ can be used to capture large volumes of pest-monitoring data from a wide geographic region for very little cost. The information is a valuable addition to understanding the effects of a major wildlife disease.
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Low, David, Angus Rodger, Benjamin Gallagher, and Prakash Sharma. "Is hydrogen Asia's new energy commodity? Opportunities and challenges for Australia." APPEA Journal 60, no. 2 (2020): 468. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj19168.
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Can hydrogen really be the next big energy disruptor? The technological challenges are significant and have suppressed its presence in the energy transition story thus far, but this is changing fast. The hydrogen market faces a chicken-and-egg conundrum. Demand growth remains limited, hindered by uncertainty over supply and cost. But investment in hydrogen supply is restricted by ambiguity over its role in the future energy mix. Nonetheless, government policy and funding in Japan, China and Korea is creating new demand centres. Will the breakthrough be in power generation, transportation or energy storage? The costs associated with hydrogen production and transportation are its biggest hurdles. But new technologies around liquid organic hydrogen carriers and ammonia are emerging. How is this hydrogen+ philosophy evolving, and could it be a future competitive advantage? Over the past decade, we have already seen how new technology has rapidly reduced other renewable energy costs. We outline our view on whether the same could happen with hydrogen. So, where does Australia fit into this picture, and what is its competitive advantage? Australia is well endowed with natural resources, many of which can reliably generate renewable energy. And with numerous ongoing hydrogen pilot programs, it is uniquely positioned to innovate and export green hydrogen know-how. Can Australia become the global laboratory for hydrogen supply-chain technology? Local upstream companies could be catalysts for change, given their existing producer–supplier relationships across north-eastern Asia. What role could hydrogen play in the future upstream portfolio?
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Salem, Saber. "Chinese Foreign Aid to Fiji: Threat or Opportunity." China Report 56, no. 2 (April 29, 2020): 242–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0009445520916875.
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China’s political, economic and cultural influence is steadily rising in Fiji and the Pacific region as a whole. The Sino–Fiji cooperation deepened at multiple levels after the Fijian military assumed power through a coup d’état and removed the civilian government from power in late 2006. This ‘undemocratic behaviour’ infuriated the two regional powers—Australia and New Zealand who then applied sanctions on Fiji, particularly the military brass, and encouraged their counterparts as well as multilateral aid organisations to ‘punish’ Fiji’s military ‘regime’. The military government in order to derail the impact of sanctions from its traditional donors adopted the ‘Look North Policy’, which was opening cooperation with China and attracting Chinese investment in Fiji. China welcomed the friendship gesture and furnished Fiji with financial assistance. This Chinese friendship was also due to Taiwanese involvement in the region, which was providing aid for diplomatic recognition and support at the UN. The ‘microstates’ hold about 7 per cent of UN votes. Both China and Taiwan need their votes at multilateral organisations and given that these microstates are mostly aid-dependent economies, initiated an era of Chequebook diplomacy, which is basically money for diplomatic recognition in the case of Taiwan or acceptance of One China Policy in the case of China. The microstates have time and again switched between China and Taiwan and played one against the other to get more aid money out of their diplomatic rivalry. The Sino–Taiwan aid competition in the Pacific forced US to make a strong comeback and ensure that China under the pretext of denying Taiwan space in the region actually spies on the US activities in the region. As a result, the US and its regional allies have significantly increased their foreign aid to the island nations in order to coax them to diminish their level of financial dependence on China. So far, they have not been successful enough and China’s aid package has gone far beyond the level US is giving. Today, China is the second largest donor to the region and largest financier to Fiji. Fiji has become the ace in this game as it is the regional hub of the Pacific Island states. Bearing the current high level of aid competition between traditional and emerging donors in mind, it is too early to judge whether Chinese aid will cause more harm to Fiji than benefit or vice versa. It also entirely depends on the Fijian government as to how much it relies on Chinese aid and how clean Chinese are with their soft loans. China has been blamed for not being clear and specific about the terms and conditions of its concessional loans. This vagueness and secrecy that is associated with Chinese aid been a cause for concern, especially among traditional donors.
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Montolalu, Reynaldo Rudy Kristian. "U.S. INDO–PACIFIC STRATEGY: THE UTILIZATION OF THE U.S.– AUSTRALIA MILITARY ALLIANCE AS PART OF THE U.S. BALANCE OF POWER STRATEGY TO RESPOND TO CHINA INFLUENCE IN INDO–PACIFIC REGION." Jurnal Pertahanan: Media Informasi ttg Kajian & Strategi Pertahanan yang Mengedepankan Identity, Nasionalism & Integrity 8, no. 2 (August 31, 2022): 222. http://dx.doi.org/10.33172/jp.v8i2.1659.
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<p>One of the U.S. intentions in Indo–Pacific is to counter a new rising giant of China. The U.S. government has recognized China as a competitive actor. An effort to promote U.S. security interests in the Indo–Pacific region serves as an option to safeguard their national interest. The U.S. alliance network is considered one of the most lasting and successful parts of U.S. Foreign Policy since World War II. The member of its alliance has adapted to several changes in international events, including in the post-Cold War era, the rivalry tended to be centered between two major powers. Australia is not the exception. Several bilateral and multilateral approaches to implementing its Mutual Defense Treaty have been integrated and enhanced. This study aims to elaborate on the U.S.–Australia Military Alliance as part of the U.S. Balance of Power Strategy to respond to China's Influence in Indo-Pacific Region. The study will use an explanatory research method by explaining rather than describing the studied phenomena that depart from the qualitative approach. In the end, the study concludes that the U.S. is actively involved with Australia as its military alliance through ANZUS, the Quad, and AUKUS; those all considered the effort encountered by the U.S. to respond to China's Influence in the Indo–Pacific Region</p>
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Gallet, Wilma. "Marketized employment services." International Journal of Public Sector Management 29, no. 5 (July 11, 2016): 426–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijpsm-02-2016-0033.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the challenges confronting Christian-based organisations operating in the employment services quasi-market in Australia. It focuses on the tensions that arise for these organisations as they endeavour to deliver services that reflect their distinctive mission and values, while remaining competitive in an environment characterised by the typical market values of commercialism, competition and compliance. Design/methodology/approach – The data on which this paper is based has been derived from 48 semi-structured interviews with church leaders, senior managers and frontline staff in four Christian-based organisations. Findings – The paper demonstrates that the Christian-based organisations under consideration are constrained in their ability to deliver a distinctive and holistic mission. The pressure to survive has resulted in these organisations emulating the business practices of others considered to be more successful in the field. Research limitations/implications – This paper draws attention to the commercialisation that has occurred within Christian-based organisations delivering privatised employment services. As markets are formed in other welfare areas, further research opportunities will present to examine how Christian-based organisations respond to the pressures that arise in these fields. Practical implications – The findings from this study raise significant questions for Christian-based organisations. The particular dilemma being whether they should accept government funding in circumstances where their mission is likely to be compromised. Originality/value – This paper serves to highlight, that despite their intentions to deliver a distinctive mission, Christian-based organisations are indistinguishable from other organisations delivering privatised employment services.
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Roeder, Norbert, Bernhard Rohell, and Don Hindle. "Per case payment in Germany: all in a mess." Australian Health Review 25, no. 6 (2002): 206. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah020206.
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In 2000,the German government legislated a change to per case payment by DRG, and devolved the responsibility for design to an industry group of hospitals and insurance companies. In June 2002,the industry group formally announced that agreement could not be reached, and the Ministry of Health has consequently taken direct control. We argue that important decisions are consequently being made in haste (with significant risk of errors) and that sole-sourcing of some preparatory tasks (for reasons of time pressure) has disturbing aspects.We suggest three factors that might have contributed to this unfortunate state of affairs. First, Germany did not establish a largely independent research and development program of the style applied in Australia. Second, there was a failure to recognise at an early stage that the industry group was unlikely to reach the consensus required by its terms of reference, if only because of the significant competitive aspects of most elements of the design. Finally, too little was done to address the pervasive culture of mistrust between and among hospitals and insurers. We suggest that there needs to be talk about the process of talking if design work is to be more successful in future.
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Weerawardena, Jay. "Innovation in Queensland Firms: Implications for the Smart State." Queensland Review 10, no. 1 (May 2003): 89–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1321816600002543.
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The challenges in the business environment are forcing Australian firms to be innovative in all their efforts to serve customers. Reflecting this need there have been several innovation policy statements both at Federal and State government level aimed at encouraging innovation in Australian industry. In particular, the innovation policy statement launched by the Queensland government in the year 2000 primarily intends building a Smart State through innovation. During the last few decades the Australian government policy on innovation has emphasized support for industry R&D. However industry stakeholders demand a more firm-focused policy of innovation. Government efforts in this direction have been hindered by a lack of a consistent body of knowledge on innovation at the firm level. In particular the Australian literature focusing on firm level antecedents of innovation is limited and fragmented. This study examines the role of learning capabilities in innovation and competitive advantage. Based on a survey of manufacturing firms in Queensland the study finds that both technological and non-technological innovations lead to competitive advantage. The findings contribute to the theory competitive advantage and firm level antecedents of innovation. Implications for firm level innovation strategies and behaviour are discussed. In addition, the findings have important implications for Queensland government's current initiatives to build a Smart State through innovation.
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A. Adams, Carol, Stephen Muir, and Zahirul Hoque. "Measurement of sustainability performance in the public sector." Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal 5, no. 1 (February 11, 2014): 46–67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/sampj-04-2012-0018.
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Purpose – This article identifies current performance measurement practice within state, territory and federal government departments in Australia with a particular emphasis on the importance of sustainability performance measures. Whilst voluntary sustainability reporting by private sector organisations aligned, for the most part, with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines is growing, there is little sustainability reporting by organisations in the public sector. This raises questions as to the extent to which public sector sustainability performance is managed. This research aims to assess the use of sustainability performance measures for supporting organisational performance improvement. Design/methodology/approach – A mail out survey approach has been adopted within government departments. Findings – The performance measures utilised by organisations to a great extent were in the areas of cost efficiency and quality measures and those utilised to least extent were for learning and growth measures and to satisfy legislative requirements and manage programs. Sustainability, environmental or social responsibility measures are the least used performance measures, and those utilised are mainly measures of employee diversity and non-financial economic aspects that are identified. Practical implications – The public sector is unlikely to adopt comprehensive sustainability performance measures while they remain voluntary and while there is no perceived need to be competitive in these areas. Either mandatory reporting is required or some form of competitive process based on performance measures implemented. Originality/value – The findings make a contribution to the academic literature on sustainability performance measures in public sector organisations and point to policy measures that may lead to improvements in practice.