At the request of the Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, the Assistant Treasurer asked the Commission to undertake a research study examining the performance of commercial buildings and analyse any impediments to better performance of such buildings and how to overcome them. The study...

Australian, state and territory regimes came under review for the Commission’s inquiry into native vegetation and biodiversity regulations. The Commission’s preliminary findings were released for public comment in December 2003. It found that the cost of farm regulations could be reduced if...

On 26 June 1998 the Treasurer referred the question of whether safeguard action is warranted against imports of meat of swine, frozen, falling within tariff sub-heading 0203.29 of the Australian Customs Tariff. The Productivity Commission is to report within 140 days (or earlier) and is to hold...

In 1999, the Commonwealth Government referred the scope for a post-2000 reduction in the general tariff to the Productivity Commission for inquiry and report within nine months. The general tariff covers only rates of 5 per cent or less, and excludes the PMV and TCF sectors. On balance, the...

Productivity at Australian container terminals has improved significantly in absolute terms since 1997 according to this international benchmarking study. For the sample of ship calls and terminals studied, productivity improved also in relative terms. The productivity improvement at Australian...

The commissioned study into the ageing of Australia’s population was released April 2005. The Commission found that one quarter of Australians will be aged 65 years or more by 2044-45, roughly double the present proportion. This gives rise to significant policy challenges. The Commission...

In this report commissioned by the Australian Government, the Commission found that claims management practices for public liability insurance should not prevent benefits from recent government policy changes being passed onto consumers. The Commission found that the market environment in which...

There is scope for Governments to take more account of social capital in policy development, according to this Commission study. This paper suggests that social capital generally brings social and economic benefits by reducing transaction costs, promoting cooperative behaviour, diffusing...

The Commonwealth Government asked the Productivity Commisison to review cost recovery arrangements across the Government's regulatory,administrative and information agencies,and to develop guidelines for the future application of cost recovery.

On 21 June 2000 the Commission received a reference from the Treasurer on telecommunications-specific competition regulation for inquiry and report within 12 months of receipt of the reference. In conducting the review, the Commission was to have regard to the state of competition in the...