• In August 2003, the Treasurer asked the Productivity Commission to conduct a public inquiry into the affordability of housing for first home buyers. • The backdrop: – since 1996, house prices had more than doubled; 80% up in real terms (half of which in previous 3 years) – longest and cumulatively largest price surge...

Governments are the custodians of the vast majority of the most significant heritage places in Australia, and also own a very large number of less significant places. Arrangements for their conservation are often deficient, according to this report, as are existing arrangements for privately-owned places. The report proposes a series of reforms to improve heritage...

This research paper analyses the financial performance of various GTEs, most of which are owned by state and territory governments. It finds that aggregate profitability increased in the electricity, water and urban transport sectors in 2004-05 compared with 2003-04, but declined in the railways, forestry and ports sectors.

Markets are already making a significant contribution to allocating rural water to higher value uses. But institutional arrangements for water need more reform, according to the commission. This discussion paper examines the feasibility of establishing market mechanisms to encourage economic efficiency of rural water-use, including managing environmental externalities

Around 3.3 million people were engaged in ‘non-traditional’ work in 2004, representing approximately one third of all employed people. Overall, this number had grown since 1998, but non-traditional work’s share of the total workforce remained largely unchanged. Non-traditional work is mostly a temporary or transitory experience, except for a few groups of casual employees, such...