Helping Central Banks Measure Unobserved Variables Using Real-time Forecasts. The project addresses structural measurement problems confronted routinely by central bankers. The techniques developed, and the estimates provided, will aid directly the Partner Organisations (the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Norges Bank) and other central banks in formulating monetary policy. The analysis will allow interest rates in Australia and elsewhere to be set with greater pre ....Helping Central Banks Measure Unobserved Variables Using Real-time Forecasts. The project addresses structural measurement problems confronted routinely by central bankers. The techniques developed, and the estimates provided, will aid directly the Partner Organisations (the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Norges Bank) and other central banks in formulating monetary policy. The analysis will allow interest rates in Australia and elsewhere to be set with greater precision. The techniques developed in this project will facilitate the understanding and communication of monetary policy within the central banks concerned, and enhance communication of monetary policy strategy to the public.Read moreRead less
International linkages between financial and real economy cycles. This project will develop empirical multivariate models of business cycles for different countries, and will study how they are linked via international financial markets. The significance of the project is that the models will integrate previous work done on financial-real economy links in single country settings, and it will explicitly study the effects of disequilibrium in international financial markets (such as overvaluation ....International linkages between financial and real economy cycles. This project will develop empirical multivariate models of business cycles for different countries, and will study how they are linked via international financial markets. The significance of the project is that the models will integrate previous work done on financial-real economy links in single country settings, and it will explicitly study the effects of disequilibrium in international financial markets (such as overvaluation of foreign currency) on individual economies. The project will determine the appropriate domestic monetary policy response to such shocks, and the potential for forecasting both the advent of such shocks and their impact on individual economies.Read moreRead less
Economic Growth and Real Exchange Rates. Exchange rate movements are important elements of Australia's economic environment. Protectionist interests in the US and Europe, constrained by WTO trade rules, accuse East Asian economies of deliberate undervaluation. While exchange rate movements are not readily predictable in the short run, long run changes in underlying real exchange rates are amenable to economic analysis using structural models. The clearer understanding of these forces, toward ....Economic Growth and Real Exchange Rates. Exchange rate movements are important elements of Australia's economic environment. Protectionist interests in the US and Europe, constrained by WTO trade rules, accuse East Asian economies of deliberate undervaluation. While exchange rate movements are not readily predictable in the short run, long run changes in underlying real exchange rates are amenable to economic analysis using structural models. The clearer understanding of these forces, toward which this project is directed, will better guide investment in the region, including in Australia, and more importantly, it will better inform future policy debates surrounding currency movements.Read moreRead less
Developing a responsive regulatory system for Australia's small corporations. Small corporations employ approximately 50% of Australia's 10.5 million employed persons (ABS: Nov 2007). Promoting and maintaining small corporations is vital to the health of the Australian economy and the well being of society. This research will strengthen Australia's social and economic fabric by identifying, in consultation with regulators, industry leaders, government, the ideal regulatory environment for Aust ....Developing a responsive regulatory system for Australia's small corporations. Small corporations employ approximately 50% of Australia's 10.5 million employed persons (ABS: Nov 2007). Promoting and maintaining small corporations is vital to the health of the Australian economy and the well being of society. This research will strengthen Australia's social and economic fabric by identifying, in consultation with regulators, industry leaders, government, the ideal regulatory environment for Australia's small corporations. A responsive regulatory framework will enable small corporations to conduct business more efficiently and profitably allowing for and creating structures and processes for encouraging and managing innovation creativity in this vital sector.Read moreRead less
Inventories and the Business Cycle in Australia and the U.S. The project looks at the contribution that inventories make to business cycles in Australia and the U.S. It uses recent research by the chief investigator on measuring business cycles in order to explain how the presence of inventories in an economic system might influence activity in that system. It then adapts an existing model in the literature to quantify the role of inventories in the Australian and U.S business cycles.. It seeks ....Inventories and the Business Cycle in Australia and the U.S. The project looks at the contribution that inventories make to business cycles in Australia and the U.S. It uses recent research by the chief investigator on measuring business cycles in order to explain how the presence of inventories in an economic system might influence activity in that system. It then adapts an existing model in the literature to quantify the role of inventories in the Australian and U.S business cycles.. It seeks to answer a number of questions that have arisen in recent years over whether the business cycle is becoming longer owing to improved methods of inventory controlRead moreRead less
Inference in partially non-stationary time series models. Economic theories typically specify the long-run relationship between economic variables. However, researchers usually examine the long-run features of the data by fitting a restrictive class of models using criteria that have only proven useful for short-term forecasting. In this project we consider alternative models and modelling strategies that are appropriate for the study of the long-run. We also develop computer intensive (bootstra ....Inference in partially non-stationary time series models. Economic theories typically specify the long-run relationship between economic variables. However, researchers usually examine the long-run features of the data by fitting a restrictive class of models using criteria that have only proven useful for short-term forecasting. In this project we consider alternative models and modelling strategies that are appropriate for the study of the long-run. We also develop computer intensive (bootstrap) methods, which will provide a much-needed improvement over the existing (asymptotic) methods for making inference about the long-run. Our research will lead to more reliable models for long-term planning in business, industry and government.Read moreRead less
Vector ARMA Models and Macroeconomic Modelling: Some New Methodology and Algorithms. Economic variables are strongly related to each other, as well as being strongly related to their recent history. As a result, good dynamic multivariate models are crucial for effective policy making and forecasting in areas of vital national importance such as monetary and fiscal policy, environmental policy and tourism. Our project advances the frontiers of knowledge in multivariate time series modelling. The ....Vector ARMA Models and Macroeconomic Modelling: Some New Methodology and Algorithms. Economic variables are strongly related to each other, as well as being strongly related to their recent history. As a result, good dynamic multivariate models are crucial for effective policy making and forecasting in areas of vital national importance such as monetary and fiscal policy, environmental policy and tourism. Our project advances the frontiers of knowledge in multivariate time series modelling. The outcome of this project will be immediately useful for macroeconomic policy makers such as the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Treasury, and for industry bodies such as Tourism Australia. Read moreRead less
Assessing the Social and Fiscal Policy Implications of an Ageing Population. The 2002 Treasury Inter-Generational Report predicted major social and fiscal challenges during the next 40 years as a result of population ageing. Unlike Europe, the US and Canada, Australia has not yet developed the modelling tools to help it assess the current and future distributional consequences of the required forthcoming changes in social and fiscal policy. This project will develop the necessary modelling infra ....Assessing the Social and Fiscal Policy Implications of an Ageing Population. The 2002 Treasury Inter-Generational Report predicted major social and fiscal challenges during the next 40 years as a result of population ageing. Unlike Europe, the US and Canada, Australia has not yet developed the modelling tools to help it assess the current and future distributional consequences of the required forthcoming changes in social and fiscal policy. This project will develop the necessary modelling infrastructure for the Commonwealth and for Australia. It will create a sophisticated decision support capacity that can be used to assess the long-term impact of policy change and the likely future retirement incomes and other characteristics of Australians.Read moreRead less
IMPROVING THE THEORETICAL COHERENCE OF DATA-DRIVEN VAR MODELS. The project seeks to improve the tradeoff between theoretical and empirical coherence that is often present in empirical macroeconomic models. Using existing Australian models the project examines appropriate means of imposing theoretical restrictions on empirically coherent Vector Autoregression (VAR) models. Building on work by the authors, an improved VAR model of the Australian economy will be developed. This model will be used t ....IMPROVING THE THEORETICAL COHERENCE OF DATA-DRIVEN VAR MODELS. The project seeks to improve the tradeoff between theoretical and empirical coherence that is often present in empirical macroeconomic models. Using existing Australian models the project examines appropriate means of imposing theoretical restrictions on empirically coherent Vector Autoregression (VAR) models. Building on work by the authors, an improved VAR model of the Australian economy will be developed. This model will be used to assess particularly the impact of asset prices on inflation and economic performance over the past two decades. Further attention will be paid to assessing the role of monetary policy in the Australian economy.Read moreRead less
Economic consequences for Australia of global demographic change. In addition to addressing the economic implications of declining fertility and mortality in Australia this study will analyse major changes in demographic behaviour in regions on which Australia's economic health depends and the consequent changes in the flow of migrants into Australia. A new mathematical model of global population change will be integrated into the standard GTAP-dynamic model of global economic performance to pr ....Economic consequences for Australia of global demographic change. In addition to addressing the economic implications of declining fertility and mortality in Australia this study will analyse major changes in demographic behaviour in regions on which Australia's economic health depends and the consequent changes in the flow of migrants into Australia. A new mathematical model of global population change will be integrated into the standard GTAP-dynamic model of global economic performance to provide a useful tool for future analysis of Australia's population and economic policies. The analysis will contribute to policy development and the models will be widely available to policy institutions for their use.Read moreRead less