.......4 Implications for the economic outlook..................................................................................5 Macroeconomic overview ....................................................................................................6 Key impacts on low-income households............................................................................13 The social services sector..................................................................................................17 Services provided to individuals and families ....................................................................21 Capacity of the system to deliver .......................................................................................27 3. Australia’s economic outlook ...................................................................................... 6 3.1 3.2 4. Implications for social services................................................................................. 17 4.1 4.2 4.3 5. 6. Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 31...
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...Recommendations 13 What is a SMSF? 13 Three tiers of Non-Customers 13 Strategic Canvas – SMSF 14 3 Keys to Success: Tagline, Focus and Differentiation 14 Option 1 14 VRIO 15 Option 2 15 VRIO 15 Appendix 17 Industry Analysis Charts 17 Porters 5 Forces Analysis Detail 20 Westpac Strategic Priorities 22 Material issues 23 Executive Summary Westpac Bank is Australia’s first Bank, founded in 1817 and is currently one of the “big four” group of lending banks in Australia. Listed on the stock exchange in 1970, Westpac has a history of acquisitions, notably the recent (2008) purchase of St George, which contributes 19% of Westpac’s Cash Earnings. Westpac has a market capitalisation of $76.5 billion in an industry with an overall value of $208.6 billion, or roughly 10% of Australia’s GDP. The financial services industry in Australia is an Oligopoly, with the big four banks accounting for over 80% of the market. A mature market, players are converging, and the industry is forecast to grow at around 8% year on year to 2018. Competition in this industry is fierce, though there is also speculation that there may be significant price signaling amongst the “big four” in particular. Westpac’s strengths, shown in a McKinsey 7S analysis, lie in its ability to innovate, deliver superior technological solutions, its multi-brand strategy that also encompasses the Local Branch strategy, and its ability to provide bundled services that appeal to a wide customer base. From our analysis, we conclude...
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...The Australian Financial System in the 2000s: Dodging the Bullet Kevin Davis* Abstract The global financial crisis (GFC) occupied only a quarter of the decade of the 2000s but, because of its severity and implications for future financial sector development, dominates the decade. The Australian financial system coped relatively well with the GFC, raising the question of whether there was something special about its structure and prior evolution which explains that experience. This paper reviews Australian financial sector performance and development over the decade, then provides a more detailed overview of the Australian GFC experience and its implications, and considers explanations for the Australian financial sector resilience. 1. Introduction The Australian (and global) financial system entered the first decade of the millennium preparing for a systems crisis, in the form of the Y2K computer scare, which on 1 January 2000 passed without event. But towards the end of the decade, the financial sector was faced with, arguably, its most serious systemic crisis ever, which the Australian financial system and economy weathered relatively well compared with advanced nations in the northern hemisphere.1 While the GFC occupied only one-quarter of the past decade (from mid 2007), it prompts the questions which this review must seek to answer. Was there something about the structure and evolution of the Australian financial system which explained its resilience in the face...
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... 2 External Stability 5 3 Unemployment 7 4 Labour Markets 9 5 Financial Markets 11 6 Economic Growth 13 7 Ecologically Sustainable Development 15 8 Globalisation 17 9 Income Distribution 19 10 Developing Economies 21 Produced by “Plain English Economics Pty Ltd” PO Box 522 Jannali NSW 2226 Email: plain.english@bigpond.com Disclaimer: While every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this publication, no liability is held by the producers as a result of any use of the contents of this document. Topic one: Inflation Inflation (%pa) 5% Inflation remains within target 4% There has been some volatility in the actual official or “headline rate” of inflation over the past 3 years. There was a spike in inflation in mid 2011, when the CPI hit 3.5%.This primarily reflected higher food prices as floods around the country and the North Queensland cyclone in early 2011 caused supply shortages of several fruits and vegetables. Over the course of 2012 there was a reversal of this effect, as food supply levels normalised and prices fell as a result. The CPI hit a low of 1.2% in mid 2012. Since then, the headline CPI growth rate has generally been on an upward trend. At 2.9%, the March 2014 CPI is at the upper end of the Reserve Bank target range. Growth Rate % Consumer Price Index March 2014 Quarter Year to March 2014 Year to Mar 2013 ...
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...0200 Australia Fax +61 2 6125 8796 E-mail: pierre.vandereng@anu.edu.au Working Paper No: 489 ISBN: 0 86831 489 7 January 2008 JEL codes: D14, E21, E51, G23, N27 Keywords: Consumer Credit, Finance, Household Expenditure, History, Australia Consumer credit in Australia during the 20th century Pierre van der Eng1 School of Management, Marketing and International Business, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Abstract This article surveys the growth of consumer credit in Australia during the 20th century, particularly after World War II. Until the 1970s, the regulation of Australia’s financial market caused formal consumer credit to be provided mainly by finance companies under hire-purchase contracts, largely for the purchase of cars and household durables. Deregulation of the financial market since the 1960s allowed banks to gain a dominant share in the market for personal loans. Quantification of long-term trends is difficult, but broad estimates suggest sustained growth in per capita indebtedness during 19452007. JEL classifications: D14, E21, E51, G23, N27 Key words: consumer credit, finance, household expenditure, history, Australia Introduction Living standards improved considerably in Australia during the 20th century. Households were increasingly able to overcome liquidity constraints and purchase an ever greater number and range of consumer durables, including furniture, refrigerators, washing machines, radios, televisions and cars. These were...
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...Sharat Nath Pace University, Lubin School of Business Kn31474n@pace.edu ------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 1. Abstract 2. Introduction 3. The Real Estate Bubble and Great Recession 4. Signs that point towards a Global Economic Downturn 5. Conclusion: Consequences of a recession in 2016 6. Work Citied ------------------------------------------------- Abstract This research paper aims to briefly recap the events that led to the real estate bubble and global financial crisis of 2008, collect data that could indicate a financial downturn that could lead to a recession that is sparked in 2016 and understand the implications that a recession in 2016 would have upon the Global Financial System. The recession that ensued in 2008/2009 was the worst widespread downturn witnessed since the Great Depression of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Since the peak of the downturn the S&P has almost doubled and unemployment has dropped by nearly half. But at present many vital indicators that monitor US growth and economic activity are displaying so very troubling signs. With the majority of this growth over the last decade being enabled by central bank support and cheap money, expansion is not sustainable. Eventually the fundamentals of the economy must be at par with the artificially created stimulus to in order to produce real growth, or else the case for another global recession is likely. ------------------------------------------------- ...
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...Chapter 3 Influences in the Business Environment Personal use only Businesses operate in a dynamic, often turbulent, environment. The business environment refers to anything that affects the operation of a business. Farmers have understood the impact of the environment for centuries. The farmer has no control over aspects of the environment The business such as drought. However, the farmer can prepare for possible adversity in the environment and environment refers to quickly adapt to those changes. Effective managers are constantly monitoring the business environment to pick up any change that may impact on their business. If they pick up a change quickly and respond before their competitors, it may lead to a significant advantage to their business. This is what happened when Woolworths’ managers picked up the trend to the healthy life style before the managers of Coles. The Woolworths’ managers immediately responded by developing a focus on fresh produce, delicatessens, bakeries and dairy. Customers responded by leaving Coles and shopping at Woolworths. Now that Wesfarmers Limited has purchased Coles its managers are quickly implementing strategies to regain their competitive advantage. anything that affects the operation of the business 55 HomeThink Draw the Woolworths’ logo. What does it represent? Is it effective? 3.1 External influences The external influences from the business environment are those outside the control of a business’s managers. The...
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...AUGUST 2011 REGIONAL PLAN FOR SYDNEY Regional Development Australia-Sydney brings together people and information to promote collaborative decision making for the sustainable and just economic development of Sydney, with a focus on employment growth. REGIONAL PLAN FOR SYDNEY © Regional Development Australia-Sydney Inc. This work is copyright. The Copyright Act 1968 permits fair dealing for study, research, news reporting, criticism or review. Selected passages, tables or diagrams may be reproduced for such purposes provided acknowledgement of the source(s) is included. Permission for any more extensive reproduction must be obtained from Regional Development Australia-Sydney Inc. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the data and other content in this document is correct at the time of printing, Regional Development Australia-Sydney Inc. its committee and employees, disclaim any and all liability to any person in respect of anything or the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done in reliance or upon the whole or any part of this document. The Regional Plan includes inputs from stakeholder consultations and draws information from 87 other existing plans and reports published by the Australian, NSW & Local Governments and other key agencies. It does not represent the ‘only’ information on Sydney however it provides a unique ‘overview’ of the entire Sydney Region. RDA-Sydney cannot guarantee the currency of the statistical data; therefore...
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...Annual Report 2008-09 Productivity Commission Annual Report Series © COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA 2009 ISSN ISBN 978-1-74037-286-2 1035-5243 This work is subject to copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, the work may be reproduced in whole or in part for study or training purposes, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgment of the source. Reproduction for commercial use or sale requires prior written permission from the Attorney-General’s Department. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Commonwealth Copyright Administration, Attorney-General’s Department, Robert Garran Offices, National Circuit, Canberra ACT 2600. This publication is available in hard copy or PDF format from the Productivity Commission website at www.pc.gov.au. If you require part or all of this publication in a different format, please contact Media and Publications (see below). Publications Inquiries: Media and Publications Productivity Commission Locked Bag 2 Collins Street East Melbourne VIC 8003 Tel: Fax: Email: (03) 9653 2244 (03) 9653 2303 maps@pc.gov.au General Inquiries: Tel: (03) 9653 2100 or (02) 6240 3200 An appropriate citation for this paper is: Productivity Commission 2009, Annual Report 2008-09, Annual Report Series, Productivity Commission, Canberra JEL code: D The Productivity Commission The Productivity Commission, is the Australian Government’s independent research and advisory body on a range...
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...MacroPlan Australia Setting New Standards MacroPlan Australia Setting New Standards Student Accommodation Study October 2006 PREPARED FOR CITY OF WHITEHORSE City of Whitehorse MACROPLAN AUSTRALIA PTY LTD SYDNEY |MELBOURNE Page 1 of 60 MacroPlan Australia Setting New Standards + Contact Information PROJECT DIRECTOR Con Tsotsoros (Director, Spatial Planning) MELBOURNE SYDNEY Fairfax House Level 5, 19-31 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW. 2000 t. 02 9252 1199 f. 02 9241 6002 REPORT CONTACT Jason Black (Associate Director, Spatial Planning) MELBOURNE MELBOURNE Level 4, 107-109 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic. 3000 t. 03 9663 6826 f. 03 9663 2896 e. info@macroplan.com.au w. www.macroplan.com.au Signed+ …………………………………….……. Dated: 26 October 2006 + This document has been reviewed by the Director of the Spatial Planning Group, MacroPlan Australia. This document is for discussion purposes only unless signed and dated by the person(s) identified. Disclaimer © MacroPlan Australia Pty Ltd All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form by any means without the written permission of MacroPlan Australia Pty Ltd. Intellectual Property Rights All Rights Reserved. All methods, processes, commercial proposals and other contents described in this document are the confidential intellectual property of MacroPlan Australia Pty Ltd and may not be used or...
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...Advancing Australia’s ‘Human Capital Agenda’( Gary Banks Chairman, Productivity Commission Introduction It is a privilege to have been invited to give the fourth Lecture in this annual series in honour of Ian Little. Ian was a passionate advocate for good public policy and for reform — within his own state and nationally. This was grounded in an equally strong attachment to good analysis and evidence in support of policy decisions. As Secretary of the Victorian Treasury, he championed the use of quantitative analysis, including the development of an input/output based model of the Victorian economy, to gain a better understanding of the effects of policy changes on different industries and on the State’s overall economic performance. It was under his and John Brumby’s stewardship of the Treasury portfolio that the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission was established, to provide rigorous arms-length analysis and advice on key policy issues affecting the welfare of Victorians (akin to the role of the Productivity Commission at the national level). Victoria’s more systematic attention to good analysis and policy innovation commenced in the 1990s. It has yielded considerable benefits for Victoria’s citizens since then, not only in the comparative economic performance of this State, but also in its achievements in the social and environmental domains. Victoria was a first mover in the ‘second wave’ of economic reforms in the 90s — reforms that...
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...crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s.[1] It resulted in the collapse of large financial institutions, the bailout of banks by national governments and downturns in stock markets around the world. In many areas, the housing market also suffered, resulting in numerous evictions, foreclosures and prolonged unemployment. It contributed to the failure of key businesses, declines in consumer wealth estimated in trillions of US dollars, and a significant decline in economic activity, leading to a severeglobal economic recession in 2008.[2] The financial crisis was triggered by a complex interplay of valuation and liquidity problems in the United States banking system in 2008.[3][4] The bursting of the U.S. housing bubble, which peaked in 2007, caused the values of securities tied to U.S. real estate pricing to plummet, damaging financial institutions globally.[5][6] Questions regarding bank solvency, declines in credit availability and damaged investor confidence had an impact on global stock markets, where securities suffered large losses during 2008 and early 2009. Economies worldwide slowed during this period, as credit tightened and international trade declined.[7] Governments and central banks responded with unprecedented fiscal stimulus, monetary policy expansion and institutional bailouts. Although there have been aftershocks, the financial crisis itself ended sometime between late-2008 and mid-2009.[8][9][10] In the U.S. the government responded by a stimulus package and avoided...
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...Parliament of Australia Department of Parliamentary Services Parliamentary Library Information, analysis and advice for the Parliament RESEARCH PAPER www.aph.gov.au/library 26 May 2010, no. 17, 2009–10, ISSN 1834-9854 Budget Review 2010–11 Last year’s Budget was framed amid a sharply deteriorating world economy which was considered the most challenging global economic conditions since the Great Depression. In 2009, the global economy contracted for the first time in the post-war era. In contrast, Australia grew by almost 1.5 per cent supported by monetary and fiscal policy stimulus, a well-functioning banking system, and strong growth in a number of East Asian economies. The third Rudd Government Budget, presented on 11 May 2010, was developed within an improving but still uncertain outlook, with events in Greece and other European Union countries reminding us of the risks to the global economic recovery. Strong economic growth in China and India is expected to continue to flow throughout the region and, despite a slower pace, the US is leading the recovery among our advanced economy major trading partners. Global economic growth is in the early stages of recovery but we should remain cognisant of the precarious economic environment which is continuing to challenge government policy makers around the globe. Once again the Parliamentary Library has produced the annual Budget Review that examines the key features of a selection of crucial measures contained...
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...Introduction: In economics, inflation is a sustained increase in the general price level of goods and srvices in an economy over a period of time. When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. Consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of money – a loss of real value in the medium of exchange and unit of account within the economy. The difference between inflation and a change in price of a particular good or service is that inflation reflects a general and overall increase in price across the whole economy In general, Inflation is caused by some combination of four factors. Those four factors are: Supply goes up or Supply of goods and services goes down or Demand for money goes down or Demand for goods and service goes up Inflation affects an economy in various ways, both positive and negative. Negative effects of inflation include an increase in the opportunity cost of holding money, uncertainty over future inflation which may discourage investment and savings, and if inflation were rapid enough, shortages of goods as consumers begin hoarding out of concern that prices will increase in the future. Inflation also has positive effects: * Fundamentally, inflation gives everyone an incentive to spend and invest, because if they don't, their money will be worth less in the future. This increase in spending and investment can benefit the economy. However it may also lead to sub-optimal use of resources...
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...KRUGMAN WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS THE RETURN OF DEPRESSION E C O N O M CS AND T H E C R I S I S OF I 2 0 0 8 ISBN 9 7 8 - 0 - 3 9 3 - 0 7 1 0 1 - 6 W USA $24.95 CAN. $27.50 hat better guide could we have to the 2008 financial crisis and its resolution than our newest Nobel Laureate in Economics, the prolific columnist and author Paul Krugman? In his prescient 1999 classic, The Return of Depression Economics, Krugman surveyed the economic crises that had swept across Asia and Latin America and pointed out that they were a warning for all of us: like diseases that have become resistant to antibiotics, the economic maladies that caused the Great Depression were making a comeback. In the years that followed, as Wall Street boomed and financial wheeler-dealers made vast profits, the international crises of the 1990s faded from memory. But now depression economics has come to America. When the great housing bubble of the mid-2000s burst, the U.S. financial system proved as vulnerable as those of developing countries caught up in earlier crises—and a replay of the 1930s seems all too possible. In this new, greatly updated edition of The Return of Depression Economics, Krugman shows how the failure of regulation to keep pace with an increasingly out-of-control financial system set the United States and the world up for the greatest financial crisis since the 1930s. He also lays out the steps that must be taken to...
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