Media Releases
One in two Australians believe autonomous cars will reduce crashes
— National survey shows men are more likely to embrace autonomous vehicles — — Three in four see greater mobility benefits for elderly and those with disabilities — About half of Australians believe autonomous vehicles will reduce crashes, emissions and... Read article

Small changes could make WA more ‘China-ready’ for tourists
— Limited trading hours, internet access and language the biggest barriers — — Chinese tourists in WA generally younger, have more money to spend — Western Australia’s biggest spending tourism market – Chinese visitors – frequently suggested that extending retail... Read article

Precarious employment rising rapidly among men: research
— Women fare better than men in employment opportunities — — Australians require new skills to thrive in workplaces of the future — Precarious employment over the last nine years has increased for both men and women, but more rapidly... Read article

Negative gearing reforms can save $1.7 billion, new research shows
— Negative gearing reforms can work without hurting ‘mum and dad’ investors– — Existing discounts are skewed towards the more affluent – Reforming negative gearing can save the Australian Government more than $1.7 billion each year without hurting ‘mum and... Read article

Pay gaps close when leaders see the numbers
More Australian employers taking action to close gender pay gaps Action three times more effective when data reported to executive or board Australian employers that measure their gender pay gaps are making positive progress in closing gaps between women’s and... Read article

Innovative jobs can help overcome disability and poverty link: report
Australians with disabilities have the highest poverty risk of all OECD countries Families are the drivers of emerging employment models that are having success Adults with intellectual disabilities and high support needs are commonly denied access to employment but their... Read article

Cost of living pressures easing in Perth, but not for all
— Sydney the most expensive capital in Australia, Perth comes in fifth — — Single parents spending less on health and more on housing — — Wages in WA keeping pace with cost of living — The average West Australian... Read article

Over half of WA’s skilled migrants are working in lesser jobs: survey
— Mental health and wellbeing impacted by under-employment of skilled migrants — — Changes recommended to help new migrants settle in Australia — More than half of surveyed skilled migrants are working in lower-skilled jobs in Western Australia than before... Read article

Tackling ‘NIMBY’ fears key to WA’s innovative housing future
— Infill housing development is on the rise, but still below target — — Numerous examples of good design and sustainability practice exist across Perth — Addressing the ‘Not In My Back Yard’ concerns of neighbours early in the development... Read article

Substantial growth in Airbnb supply and demand in WA: new report
— Airbnb hotspots in riverside and seaside Perth suburbs and South-West region — — Tourism stakeholders see opportunity and potential threat in Airbnb phenomenon — The number of West Australians listing accommodation on Airbnb has increased by more than 50... Read article

Benefits of footy go beyond physical health: new research
— Indigenous adult AFL players are twice as likely to rate their health as excellent — — Socio-economic status not a factor for children playing AFL — — Number of women’s football teams has doubled since AFL Women’s League introduced... Read article

Single parents hit hard by energy costs, a quarter in energy poverty
— 7.1% of WA’s total electricity consumption sourced from renewables — — 1 in 4 suitable houses in WA have roof-top solar — — Landlords needs incentives to kick-start next phase of solar revolution — Families who earn the least... Read article

Big divide between haves and have-nots in Australian education
— Most disadvantaged children half as likely to be attending pre-school — — Indigenous students still under-represented in Australian universities — — School funding well-targeted to need — The most disadvantaged 10 per cent of children in the Australian Capital... Read article

Payment delays impacting on vitality of WA small businesses
— Small business second largest contributor to WA economy at $40bn — — Fewer than one in ten small businesses in WA export to international markets — The Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre’s (BCEC) new Small Business Survey 2017 reveals that... Read article

Housing supply not matching population growth in some capital cities
New research from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) and the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), reveals that increases in housing stock in Sydney and Perth have failed to match population growth in these capitals. Housing supply responsiveness... Read article

Job itself not pay the key to happiness at work
— Job satisfaction highest for older workers — — Tasmanians more likely to report higher job satisfaction — — Small businesses happier than big — New research conducted by Curtin University, in collaboration with Making Work Absolutely Human (mwah.), reveals... Read article

Gender balance in leadership drives reduced gender pay gaps
Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), in collaboration with the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) today released a report revealing top tier female managers in Australian organisations earn on average $93,000, or 26.5 per cent, less per year compared to their... Read article

Huge gap still exists between the rich and poor post-WA resources boom
Despite the tailing off of the resources boom, there is still a huge gap between the rich and poor in Western Australia, according to findings in a new Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) report. Back to the Future is the... Read article

WA agriculture to reap benefits from rising food demand in Asia
Western Australia’s beef export industry into Asia could grow to $1 billion by 2030 and beyond, according a new report by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC). From Paddock to Plate: WA’s potential in agriculture and agribusiness is the first... Read article

Indigenous wellbeing best measured from the ground up
The Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre in collaboration with The Australian National University (ANU) Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research, the Kimberley Institute and the Yawuru community, today released a report that demonstrates the importance of measuring Indigenous wellbeing from the... Read article

Increasing women on Boards linked to lower incidence of company fraud
New research from the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) demonstrates that increasing women’s representation on corporate boards can lower the incidence of company fraud. Dr Astghik Mavisakalyan, Senior Research Fellow at BCEC, conducted the comprehensive study of 128 publicly listed... Read article

Low income families fail to benefit from low-carbon dividends
A new report released by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) has shown that low income households in Western Australia (WA) are spending around 12 per cent of their income on utility bills and fuel each week, compared with 2.9... Read article

Housing supply in Australia not living up to market demand
Australia’s housing stock is not meeting the demands of current and future markets, according to findings in a new Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre report. Keeping a Roof Over our Heads: BCEC Housing Affordability Report 2016 is the Centre’s second Housing... Read article

Housing stress in WA persists despite market softening
Housing affordability has improved for Western Australian households, however many still remain vulnerable to housing stress and pressures, according to a new report by the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC). Keeping a Roof Over our Heads is the second housing... Read article
