Regional Public Transport in Australia: Economic Regulation and Assistance Measures
Regional public transport plays an important role in meeting the needs of Australians living in regional and remote areas for access to essential services and for mobility. This paper provides information on Commonwealth, State and Territory government regulatory arrangements and assistance measures relating to regional public transport in 2001–02.
A companion paper, Regional public transport in Australia: Long-distance services, trends and projections (Working Paper 51), provides information on long-distance regional public transport services in Australia, and includes a snapshot of all such services across Australia in 2000–01 and the level of demand and characteristics of regional passenger travel.
- Regional Public Transport in Australia: Economic Regulation and Assistance Measures
Government Interventions in Pursuit of Regional Development: Learning from Experience
The questions of why regions grow or fail to grow, and what, if anything, governments can do about it have attracted considerable interest and debate for many years. This report provides a select review of previous government intervention approaches and experiences in pursuit of regional development. The review provides useful insights into the purpose and outcomes of various government-sponsored interventions in Australia, and in a number of other comparable countries.
- Government Interventions in Pursuit of Regional Development: Learning from Experience
State Spending on Roads
Over the last few years, the Commonwealth has devoted considerable resources to the task of helping local government authorities maintain and upgrade their road systems. The major initiative was an extra $1.2 billion in road funding paid directly to councils through the Roads to Recovery programme but federal authorities have also been directed to work with their local government counterparts to improve road policies and practices. The Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics' main contribution to this initiative has been to carry out two research projects. A regional analysis of council road finances was published last year in BTRE Working Paper 44, Spending on Local Roads, and this report presents a complementary study of State and Territory spending on roads including the assistance they provide to local government. It also identifies the roads for which State and council authorities are respectively responsible in each jurisdiction. The BTRE would like to thank State, Territory and Local Government organisations that assisted in the preparation of this report by providing information or advice on road finances. The data presented in this report is based on the responses provided by the States and Territories to the BTRE's Survey of State Government Spending on Roads. The BTRE has made every effort to ensure the figures are internally consistent and has relied on the State and Territories to ensure the accuracy of the data.
- State Spending on Roads
Focus on regions No. 1: Industry Structure
Australia, like many other developed countries, has experienced a decline in the importance of the manufacturing and agriculture sectors over recent decades, and strong growth in the services sector. In particular, Business services accounts for a large and growing share of national value added and employment. Between 1991 and 2001, the Business services industry was the single largest source of employment growth in all States and Territories.
- Focus on regions No. 1: Industry Structure
- Industry Structure Database 2003
Traffic Growth in Australian Cities: Causes, Prevention and Cure
Paper presented by David Gargett, Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics & John Gafney, VicRoads Melbourne.
- Traffic Growth in Australian Cities: Causes, Prevention and Cure
Focus on Regions No. 2: Education, Skills and Qualifications
This report analyses trends in educational attainment and occupational status in Australia. It investigates the spatial distribution of skills, qualifications, selected professionals and skilled tradespeople across Australia's regions in the period 1991 to 2001.
- Focus on Regions No. 2: Education, Skills and Qualifications
- Human capital education database
- Human capital occupation database
Focus on Regions No 3: Taxable Income
The paper and associated database directly tackle the issue of quantifying economic growth in regions. BTRE derived regional economic activity indices for every Local Government Area in Australia from 1980–81 to 2004–05. The figures are based on Australian Taxation Office individual income data which have been reworked to allow easy comparisons between standard regions and over time.
- Focus on Regions No 3: Taxable Income
- Taxable Income Database [updated 23 Jan 2008]
Focus on Regions No 4: Social Capital
Social capital theory proposes that social networks and norms have a role to play in influencing a community's development. This paper presents and analyses statistical information relating to social capital in Australia and its regions, using a set of 33 social capital indicators for 2001–02. It also explores the relationship between social capital and the economic and social wellbeing of Australia's regions. The paper is accompanied by the BTRE's Social Capital Indicators Database.
- Focus on Regions No 4: Social Capital
- Social capital indicators
About Australia's Regions 2003–06
Back issues of About Australia's Regions from 2003–06
- About Australia's Regions 2006
- About Australia's Regions 2005
- About Australia's Regions 2004
- About Australia's Regions 2003
Skill Shortages in Australia's Regions
Skill shortages are a well documented issue both in Australia and overseas, but the problem itself is not well defined. Most of the previously published work has been conducted on a national or industry wide scale. The BTRE approach focused on the relationship between skill shortages and location, using local skill audits, commissioned reports and industry focused studies.
- Skill Shortages in Australia's Regions