The terms of reference for the inquiry on First Home Ownership asked the Commission to evaluate the affordability and availability of housing for first home buyers.The Commission's preliminary findings were released for public comment in December.In its final assessment, the Commission...

This paper presents the findings of a new survey by the Commission on what motivates Australian firms to operate or relocate their headquarters offshore, and the implications for Australia. The Commission found that the establishment by Australian firms of operations overseas typically...

The Commission’s submission to the Review of Pricing Arrangements for Residential Aged Care draws on earlier work, including its inquiry into Nursing Home Subsidies and a major conference on Policy Implications of the Ageing of Australia’s Population. The submission provides an assessment of...

On 21 March 2002 the Treasurer referred the post-2005 assistance arrangements for the automotive manufacturing sector to the Commission for inquiry and report. The Commission identified three options for the reduction of tariffs, with the Government accepting the Commission’s preference for...

With the expiry of the Pharmaceutical Industry Investment Program (PIIP) in 2004, the Commission was asked to conduct an evaluation of the program’s rationale, effectiveness and efficiency. The study commenced in August 2002. The Commission found that this assistance scheme had significant...

The Productivity Commission inquiry report, released 8 August 2011, recommends a major overhaul of Australia’s aged care system to improve the wellbeing of older Australians and meet the challenges of an ageing population.<p> Over one million older Australians receive aged care services. The...</p>

The Productivity Commission inquiry report — Disability Care and Support — was released on 10 August 2011. Current disability support arrangements are inequitable, underfunded, fragmented, and inefficient and give people with a disability little choice. They provide no certainty that people...

The Productivity Commission’s inquiry report — Australia’s Urban Water Sector — was released in October 2011. In recent times, the urban water sector has faced drought, growing populations and ageing assets. Governments have largely responded with prolonged and severe water restrictions...

Through the Rural Research and Development Corporations (RDCs), rural industries and the Australian Government together invest some $490 million a year in R&D. This co-investment model has important strengths, including: helping to ensure that public money is not spent on research of little...

In 2008, the Australian Government deregulated the marketing of bulk wheat exports by removing the ‘single desk’ operated by AWB (International) Limited. Wheat Exports Australia (WEA) was established under the Wheat Export Marketing Act 2008 (WEMA) to administer an accreditation scheme for...