Marsden Jacob has recently conducted an impact evaluation for the Victorian Department of Business and Innovation (DBI) on the India Super Trade Mission. This evaluation has focused on identifying the preliminary economic and strategic outcomes of the Super Trade Mission. As part of this project, Marsden Jacob interviewed a sample of participating firms to ascertain both the quantitative and qualitative impacts of the Super Trade Mission. A number of direct economic impacts have been estimated through the application of adjustment coefficients. Indirect impacts were also estimated based on Input-Output modelling. Marsden Jacob also provided DBI with advice on how to improve…
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Marsden Jacob to undertake comprehensive review of research on regional communities for RAI
Marsden Jacob has been commissioned by the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) to undertake a comprehensive review of all the research undertaken on regional communities in the 21st Century. The project will cover key regional issues, key regional industries, natural resources, infrastructure, land use, land availability, population, workforce and the environment. Topics covered by the review will include, for example, water use, land use (Coal Seam Gas industry), service delivery (faster broadband), fly-in-fly-out, drive-in-drive-out, downsizing industries (Illawarra and Hunter Valley), or rapid growth (Pilbara and Bowen Basin). Marsden Jacob will also analyse gaps in the current stock of regional research, both nationally…
^ back to topMarsden Jacob assisted two TAFEs with Commonwealth Funding Applications
Marsden Jacob recently assisted two Queensland TAFE institutes with their Stage 2 Applications for funding from the Commonwealth Education Investment Fund (EIF), Regional Priorities Round. The two TAFE institutes were the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE (SQIT) and the Central Queensland Institute of TAFE (CQIT). MJA prepared feasibility studies, including cost-benefit analyses, to support the TAFEs’ funding applications. Previously, Marsden Jacob assisted the two TAFEs with their Expressions of Interest (EoIs) for Stage 1 of the EIF Regional Priorities Round. Both of these EoIs were successful at progressing through to Stage 2 of applications. The results of the Stage 2…
^ back to topSocio-Economic Impact Analysis – Healthy HeadWaters Round 2
Marsden Jacob is undertaking a socio-economic impact analysis of proposed water use efficiency projects in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin under Round 2 of the Healthy HeadWaters program. Marsden Jacob’s client is the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management, which administers the program. Please contact (03) 9882 1600 for further information.
^ back to topMarsden Jacob assists ACCC in finalising telecommunications Fixed Line Services Model
The ACCC finalised its pricing model for access to existing fixed line services. This building block model provides the framework for setting prices for the next three years. Marsden Jacob was engaged to audit the model for efficacy, redundancy and consistency. The ACCC's access determination, the model and its manual can be found on the ACCC website. Please contact Phil Jones in our Melbourne office for more information on (03) 9882 1600.
^ back to topSocio-economic report on the Basin Plan Guide released
The Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) report Community impacts of the Guide to the proposed Murray-Darling Basin Plan has been released and is available on the MDBA website. The project was undertaken by a consortium lead by Dr Mark Fenton of Environment Behaviour Consultants (EBC). Marsden Jacob worked with EBC, RMCG, Econsearch, Geoff McLeod, Tim Cummins, Guy Roth, David Cornish and special advisor Chris Miller (Flinders University) to deliver the project. The report is an in-depth retrospective about how the proposals in last year's Guide would have affected communities in the Basin. It analyses the socio-economic vulnerability of communities based on…
^ back to topVulnerability and adaptive capacity assessment in NSW Basin communities
The NSW Government has engaged Marsden Jacob and The Nous Group to assess the potential medium and long term implications of the proposed Basin Plan for government service delivery in rural and regional NSW. The engagement will evaluate the likely impact of the employment and population changes attributable to the Basin Plan on: the vulnerability of selected communities (human, financial, social, physical and natural) and their capacity to cope with these changes; likely pressures on government services (including welfare, health, education, social services, justice and police, emergency services, infrastructure); and, likely implications for future service delivery by NSW State and…
^ back to topMarsden Jacob assisting the ERA with inquiry into the shared services in the WA public sector
Marsden Jacob is providing financial and economic modelling expertise to the Economic Regulation Authority (ERA) of Western Australia as part of the Inquiry into the Benefits and Costs Associated with the Provision of Shared Corporate Services within the Public Sector. As part of the inquiry, the ERA is considering the effectiveness and efficiency of the Office of Shared Services at its current level of operations, and the costs and benefits of a number of alternative corporate service arrangements. The services provided by Marsden Jacob will assist the ERA in quantifying the financial impact and risks of alternative corporate service arrangements…
^ back to topMarsden Jacob reviews TravelSmart Local Government and Workplace programs for the WA Department of Transport
Marsden Jacob is reviewing the effectiveness of the WA Department of Transport’s TravelSmart Local Government and Workplace programs, which are designed to encourage cycling, walking and public transport use. The review requires the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks for the programs and the estimation of net benefits from the programs due to reductions in car use. Marsden Jacob will consult extensively with program managers and participants in the course of the review. For more information, please contact Alex Marsden in our Perth office on (08) 9324 1785.
^ back to topMarsden Jacob presents at a technical workshop on socio-economic effects of Murray-Darling Basin water reform
On 14 December 2010, Dr Jeremy Cheesman presented a session on the community level effects of water reform at a technical workshop on the socioeconomic effects of water reform in the Murray-Darling Basin. The technical workshop was sponsored by the Department of Sustainability, Water, Environment, Population and Communities and the Centre for Water Economics, Environment and Policy (CWEEP) at the Australian National University. The workshop included presentations on water reform in the Murray-Darling Basin by some of Australia's leading researchers and presentations by social scientists engaged with economic modelling, structural adjustment and community engagement processes within the Basin. The workshop…
^ back to topMarsden Jacob undertakes historic heritage review of the National Trust Partnership Plan
Following a number of studies into the economics of historic heritage, Marsden Jacob is undertaking a high level review of the NTPP for the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. The review explores the current framework for the program as well as recent changes, recommending a number of changes to facilitate efficiency and transparency. For more information contact our Melbourne office on (03) 9882 1600.
^ back to topMarsden Jacob provides advice on alcohol policy to NZ Law Commission
Marsden Jacob has provided advice on the costs, benefits and taxation of alcohol to the New Zealand Law Commission inquiry into alcohol regulation. The inquiry is being conducted by Law Commission President Sir Geoffrey Palmer. Marsden Jacob's report was published as an appendix to the Commission’s final report in April 2010. For more information, please contact Dr John Marsden in our Melbourne office on (03) 9882 1600.
^ back to topMarsden Jacob engaged to investigate economic impacts of declining trends in natural resource condition in SEQ
Marsden Jacob has been engaged by South East Queensland (SEQ) Catchments to scope and assess the potential economic impacts of the expected decline in natural resource condition in SEQ over the next 20 years. The study examines potential impacts on key sectors (e.g. nature-based tourism) and government service provision as well as establishing economic estimates of losses in environmental condition (e.g. loss of biodiversity and declining waterway health). Please contact our Melbourne office on (03) 9882 1600 for more information.
^ back to topDevelopment of an evaluation framework for assessing the benefits and costs of the National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability
Marsden Jacob has been engaged to work with DEWHA to develop an evaluation framework for assessing the benefits and costs of the National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability. Living Sustainably: the Austrlian Government's National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability was launched in April 2009 (see http://www.environment.gov.au/education/index.html). The National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability (EfS NAP) aims to equip all Australians with the knowledge and skills required to live sustainably . As part of the EfS NAP, the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts has commissioned Marsden Jacob Associates to evaluate the feasibility of placing…
^ back to topMarsden Jacob undertaking an Economic Feasibility Study of Active Transport
Marsden Jacob is undertaking an Economic Feasibility Study of Active Transport for Queensland Transport. Recently, there has been increasing interest by various levels of government in Australia in reducing the heavy reliance on private vehicle transport, and promoting a modal shift towards active transport, which describes travelling between destinations by walking and cycling. The Economic Feasibility Study will involve a cost-benefit analysis of a proposed Active Transport Policy to increase the attractiveness of cycling and walking in Queensland. Marsden Jacob will quantify the costs associated with providing active transport infrastructure, including: Construction and maintenance of bikeways and pedestrian pathways; Construction…
^ back to topMarsden Jacob advises South Australia on Impact Assessment
Kym Whiteoak, a Senior Consultant at Marsden Jacob, has been requested to prepare and deliver training modules to the South Australian public service on behalf of the Department of Trade and Economic Development. The training focuses on the preparation of Regional Impact Assessment Statements (specifically socio-economic impact assessment) and Business Impact Assessments. For more information on training courses offered by Marsden Jacob please contact Alex Marsden in our Perth office on (08) 9324 1785.
^ back to topMarsden Jacob provides expert advice on design of public auction
Marsden Jacob has been engaged by a State Government Department to assist with the estimation of reserve prices and market demand functions in a forthcoming public auction of rights to operate. Reserve prices and market demand functions for the entitlements are being estimated with a panel data econometric model, and historical records of asset class profits. While the entitlement being auctioned is homogenous, the profitability of the asset that the entitlement licenses the holder to operate changes depending upon numerous site specific factors. The panel model has been designed to parse out how profitability changes as a function of these…
^ back to topACCC Draft Decision on Telstra’s Unconditioned Local Loop Service released
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released its draft decision to reject Telstra’s undertaking relating to matters of pricing for its Unconditioned Local Loop Service (or ULLS). A key element of the undertaking was the cost of access to its network which was estimated using the Telstra Efficient Access (TEA) model. Marsden Jacob Associates (MJA) examined this model on behalf of the Competitive Carriers Coalition (CCC) and our report formed the basis of a CCC submission to the review. MJA overall found the TEA model was not an appropriate total long-run incremental cost (or TSLRIC) model to use…
^ back to topMarsden Jacob advises Commonwealth on benefits of historic heritage
Marsden Jacob is advising the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts on the benefits associated with historic heritage sites. While complicated to separate and quantify, much work has been undertaken in recent years, both in heritage valuation and natural heritage, to estimate a full range of associated social benefits and costs. Developing a detailed understanding of these benefits can inform decision-makers on the extent to which Australian society values historic heritage, what attributes are particularly valued, as well as inform the development of policy tools to better preserve sites for the future. For further information, please contact…
^ back to topGambling Licences Review in Victoria
Marsden Jacob has been engaged by the Department of Justice in Victoria to assist in providing information that will assist the Gambling Licences Review Steering Committee in its considerations of the post-2012 licence and funding arrangements. In particular, Marsden Jacob has been commissioned to do three studies: Analysis of Gambling Expenditure in Victoria - This project will provide a comprehensive and in-depth statistical analysis of gambling expenditure in Victoria that is focused on the trends and patterns of gaming machine, wagering and club keno expenditure Responsible Gambling and Regulatory Frameworks - This project will consider the issue of responsible gambling…
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