In August 2002, the Commission was asked to look at the economic and social importance of the different industries in the Great Barrier Reef and its catchment. The Commission also would evaluate the costs and benefits of actions to address declining water quality which currently threatens the...

'Constraints on Private Conservation of Biodiversity' was released on 18 July 2001. Conserving biodiversity is essential to maintain ecosystems to support life. It is also important for a range of economic, social and cultural reasons. However, biodiversity is under threat from a range of...

"Creating Markets for Biodiversity: A Case Study of Earth Sanctuaries Ltd" by Barbara Aretino, Paula Holland, Deborah Peterson and Michael Schuele was released on 4 September 2001. The study was carried out at the invitation of Environment Australia and the OECD. This paper examines the...

"Cost Sharing for Biodiversity Conservation: A Conceptual Framework" by Barbara Aretino, Paula Holland, Anna Matysek and Deborah Peterson was released on 11 May 2001, similtaneously with the consultancy report A Duty of Care for the Protection of Biodiversity on Land. The paper discusses the...

The Productivity Commission's inquiry report into The Private Cost Effectiveness of Improving Energy Efficiency, was released on 21 October 2005. The Commission was asked to report on the economic and environmental potential offered by energy efficiency improvements. The Commission found that...

The Productivity Commission's inquiry report into the "Conservation of Australia's Historic Heritage Places," was released on 21 July 2006. The Commission was asked to examine the policy framework and incentives for the conservation of Australia's historic built heritage places. Some key...

The Productivity Commission released its final research report into "Rural Water Use and the Environment: The Role of Market Mechanisms" in August 2006. The report indicates that there is scope for markets to play a greater role in improving the efficient use of water, including for...

The commission research paper, Water Rights Arrangements in Australia and Overseas, was released on 3 October 2003. The paper compares the legal, organisational and regulatory arrangements for managing water rights, against accepted best practice principles. It reveals significant differences...

'Harnessing Private Sector Conservation of Biodiversity' was released on 4 December 2001. This paper provides an economic perspective on the role the private sector can play in conservation of biodiversity. It focuses on opportunities for governments to facilitate biodiversity conservation by...

The conference paper, 'Integrating rural and urban water markets in south east Australia: Preliminary analysis' by Gavan Dwyer, Paul Loke, David Appels, Susan Stone and Deborah Peterson, was presented to the OECD Workshop on Agriculture and Water: Sustainability, Markets and Policies Adelaide,...