Risk and Australian public policy. This project will develop fundamentally new approaches to the theory of risk and uncertainty and their role in the design and management of complex projects and policy initiatives. The results will be applied to the central economic policy choices facing Australia; those connected with globalisation and microeconomic reform. This project will show how the latest advances in economic theory can help to illuminate the major issues in the Australian public debate, ....Risk and Australian public policy. This project will develop fundamentally new approaches to the theory of risk and uncertainty and their role in the design and management of complex projects and policy initiatives. The results will be applied to the central economic policy choices facing Australia; those connected with globalisation and microeconomic reform. This project will show how the latest advances in economic theory can help to illuminate the major issues in the Australian public debate, from the role of government and the market to the assessment of standards of living. The project will also help to bridge the gap between economics and other social sciences.Read moreRead less
Heterogeneity, Wage Inequality, Unemployment, and Economic Growth. This project would provide the first internally consistent theory of wage inequality, unemployment and economic growth - and the roles that government policy variables play in determining them. It would use and extend frontier developments in theory, and identify the settings of policy variables (unemployment insurance, tax structures, education policies) that maximise social welfare, given that governments must satisfy their bud ....Heterogeneity, Wage Inequality, Unemployment, and Economic Growth. This project would provide the first internally consistent theory of wage inequality, unemployment and economic growth - and the roles that government policy variables play in determining them. It would use and extend frontier developments in theory, and identify the settings of policy variables (unemployment insurance, tax structures, education policies) that maximise social welfare, given that governments must satisfy their budget constraints. It also aims to uncover the relationship between the innate abilities of workers and their education choices - and the consequences for macro economies and public policy.Read moreRead less
Identifying and testing the decision-making factors related to 'smart industries' choice of location. Australia is moving towards becoming the smart country. As a result industry restructuring, realignment and relocation become central concerns. This research is directed towards industry relocation with a focus on the newly emerging 'smart industries' with a test case examination of the Brisbane City Council economic region. The research will investigate, identify and test the quantitative an ....Identifying and testing the decision-making factors related to 'smart industries' choice of location. Australia is moving towards becoming the smart country. As a result industry restructuring, realignment and relocation become central concerns. This research is directed towards industry relocation with a focus on the newly emerging 'smart industries' with a test case examination of the Brisbane City Council economic region. The research will investigate, identify and test the quantitative and qualitative criteria used by 'smart industry' companies in their location decision making. Outcomes will include a Masters of Philosophy thesis, a tested and validated test instrument for industry practitioners, three seminars, a conference paper and a number of international journal articles.Read moreRead less
An econometric investigation of technical analysis as a portfolio selection strategy in Australia. This project will provide an in-depth analysis of the returns of portfolios of Australian equities formed by using technical trading rules. The research will determine whether or not any abnormal returns earned by these means are attributable to firm-specific or market-wide factors. This project represents the first attempt to interpret technical analysis in a portfolio framework and will provide v ....An econometric investigation of technical analysis as a portfolio selection strategy in Australia. This project will provide an in-depth analysis of the returns of portfolios of Australian equities formed by using technical trading rules. The research will determine whether or not any abnormal returns earned by these means are attributable to firm-specific or market-wide factors. This project represents the first attempt to interpret technical analysis in a portfolio framework and will provide valuable information on the informational efficiency of Australian capital markets. As there is currently no single definitive study of technical analysis in Australia, this project will fill a significant void in the current academic literature and provide evidence of great practical relevance to Australian investment practitioners.Read moreRead less
Productivity, growth and unemployment in economies with frictions. This project aims to examine decisions driving productivity, growth, and unemployment in macroeconomies with frictions. It examines how government (fiscal, monetary, and education) policies determine these decisions, and identifies the best configurations of these policies. It will construct dynamic general equilibrium models of economies to analyse the causal structure behind productivity changes, growth and unemployment. It wil ....Productivity, growth and unemployment in economies with frictions. This project aims to examine decisions driving productivity, growth, and unemployment in macroeconomies with frictions. It examines how government (fiscal, monetary, and education) policies determine these decisions, and identifies the best configurations of these policies. It will construct dynamic general equilibrium models of economies to analyse the causal structure behind productivity changes, growth and unemployment. It will conduct quantitative experiments using simulations, to estimate optimal government policy design settings. This project expects to identify policies that promote productivity, growth and employment.Read moreRead less
The Theory and Practice of International Tourism Demand Modelling. The volatility inherent in tourism flows and limited data availability are crucial issues in estimating and testing tourism demand models, and providing accurate predictions of international tourism. This project analyses critically the theoretical and finite sample properties of alternative techniques for evaluating the empirical performance of international tourism demand models. The significance of the project is the developm ....The Theory and Practice of International Tourism Demand Modelling. The volatility inherent in tourism flows and limited data availability are crucial issues in estimating and testing tourism demand models, and providing accurate predictions of international tourism. This project analyses critically the theoretical and finite sample properties of alternative techniques for evaluating the empirical performance of international tourism demand models. The significance of the project is the development of an optimal method for estimating and testing tourism demand and volatility, an evaluation of alternative statistical techniques using extensive Monte Carlo simulation experiments, and the dissemination of research findings regarding sensible econometric practice to policy-makers in the private and public sectors. Read moreRead less
Regional Economic Development and Performance: Roles of Leadership and Institutional Factors in Endogenous Growth. Contemporary regional economic development theory emphasises endogenous factors as key determinants of difference in regional economic performance. Leadership and institutional issues require special attention for analysis and in strategy formulation and implementation of regional development plans. This project develops model frameworks for analysing the impact of those endogenous ....Regional Economic Development and Performance: Roles of Leadership and Institutional Factors in Endogenous Growth. Contemporary regional economic development theory emphasises endogenous factors as key determinants of difference in regional economic performance. Leadership and institutional issues require special attention for analysis and in strategy formulation and implementation of regional development plans. This project develops model frameworks for analysing the impact of those endogenous factors on regional economic performance and develops methodologies for their incorporation into regional development strategy, using illustrative case studies. A major book on this topic will result. The collaboration is between researchers at the University of Queensland and George Mason University.Read moreRead less
Cretaceous marine reptiles from the Eromanga Sea - a research project focussing on the fossils of Outback Queensland. The Eromanga Sea covered large tracts of north and central Australia between 140 and 95 million years ago. Major faunal components of this inland-sea were marine reptiles, such as plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs and sea turtles. North Qld has extensive marine fossil deposits remaining to be systematically explored. Many world-significant specimens from these strata are housed in the Au ....Cretaceous marine reptiles from the Eromanga Sea - a research project focussing on the fossils of Outback Queensland. The Eromanga Sea covered large tracts of north and central Australia between 140 and 95 million years ago. Major faunal components of this inland-sea were marine reptiles, such as plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs and sea turtles. North Qld has extensive marine fossil deposits remaining to be systematically explored. Many world-significant specimens from these strata are housed in the Australian, Queensland and Richmond Marine Fossil museums. This project intends to resolve fundamental questions concerning the evolution, environment, lifestyle and distribution of Cretaceous marine reptiles by improving their fossil record and analysing newly discovered Australian specimens, including the world's first plesiosaur embryo.Read moreRead less
Determinants, Motives and Channels of Pacific Island Workers' Remittances from Australia. This research will inform current policy debate on the benefits to migrant-sending communities of expanding migration opportunities for migrants from the Pacific islands through targeted worker schemes. Australian industry and agricultural employers are experiencing acute labour shortages while Pacific island governments are urging Australia and New Zealand to open their labour markets to low-skilled worker ....Determinants, Motives and Channels of Pacific Island Workers' Remittances from Australia. This research will inform current policy debate on the benefits to migrant-sending communities of expanding migration opportunities for migrants from the Pacific islands through targeted worker schemes. Australian industry and agricultural employers are experiencing acute labour shortages while Pacific island governments are urging Australia and New Zealand to open their labour markets to low-skilled workers in the face of growing unemployment and political instability. The findings will also provide Australian foreign aid organisations with a better understanding of the way in which migrants' remittances are determined and migrant's interaction with money transfer agencies.Read moreRead less
Conceptualizing and Measuring Regional Endogenous Growth: A Collaborative International Comparative Investigation. Policy for regional economic development in Australia is placing more emphasis on facilitating regional self-help. For the first time this project will provide an actual measure of regional endogenous performance. It identifies those features of regional economies and local populations are most important in explaining differences in the performance of regions, and it shows how inst ....Conceptualizing and Measuring Regional Endogenous Growth: A Collaborative International Comparative Investigation. Policy for regional economic development in Australia is placing more emphasis on facilitating regional self-help. For the first time this project will provide an actual measure of regional endogenous performance. It identifies those features of regional economies and local populations are most important in explaining differences in the performance of regions, and it shows how institutional arrangements and leadership can enhance or detract from regional development performance. This will help public agencies formulate better policies and mechanisms to help regions maximise their capacities to achieve enhanced endogenous growth. International comparative studies provide wider significance for policy formulation in regional development.Read moreRead less