Lessons from 5 years of GISERA economic research
Thomas G. Measham A C , Raymundo Marcos-Martinez B , Lavinia Poruschi A and David Fleming-Muñoz AA CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.
B CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: Tom.Measham@csiro.au
The APPEA Journal 60(1) 34-40 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ19226
Submitted: 12 January 2020 Accepted: 13 February 2020 Published: 15 May 2020
Abstract
Scientifically robust analysis of trade-offs for onshore gas activity can inform the design of strategies for socially acceptable and efficient use of energy resources. Here, we present lessons from a portfolio of research spanning three States and different industry stages conducted as part of the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA). Considering the effects of onshore gas development on regional economies, an important lesson is to look at net changes, considering decreases as well as increases in economic activity. In Queensland, where competing claims about employment effects were raised in public debates, measuring reduced agricultural employment in addition to increases to the number of jobs in other sectors were crucial to providing a balanced analysis. Another lesson is to take a broad view of economic dimensions beyond employment and income. Our research shifted the public debate when we demonstrated that the construction phase in Queensland improved youth retention, gender balance and skill levels. Another lesson is that economic effects of gas development (positive or negative) can occur before stakeholders expect them. In New South Wales, we observed that the exploration phase had a significant positive effect on income (but not employment). A further lesson is that effects differ between domestic and export markets. Research from South Australia has demonstrated that the potential regional benefits of gas development substantially depend on meeting the energy needs of other local industries such as manufacturing. These lessons can inform public debate and policy settings and help balance different priorities such as energy needs, regional development and environmental sustainability.
Keywords: economic-impact assessment, employment, gas, income, resource economics.
Dr Thomas Measham is a Principal Research Scientist focused on how regional communities and economies are affected by and engage with the social and economic opportunities and challenges that face them. With a background in human geography and social science, Tom has over 20 years of experience spanning diverse industries and communities throughout regional Australia. He is the author of over 100 publications, including more than 40 scholarly articles and two books. He has contributed as an expert adviser to several national and international committees and serves as Associate Editor for two international academic journals. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Australian National University where he continues to perform the role of Adjunct Associate Professor in the Fenner School of Environment and Society. He also holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Science from James Cook University and a Bachelors Degree in Social History from the University of Sydney. |
Raymundo Marcos-Martinez is an expert on agricultural and land-use economics with more than 12 years of experience working in projects in Mexico, Australia, China, and the USA. He combines state-of-the-art economics and spatial data science methods to analyse policy-relevant issues related to the sustainable management of natural resources in rural and urban areas, and from local to global scales. His research contributes to providing scientific information to support policy and decision makers in decoupling resource needs from economic growth, societal progress and sustainability. Ray’s work has been published in top, policy-oriented scientific journals. He is actively engaged in the delivery of research, reports and industry insights to Australian Federal and State Governments, international ONGs, and industry partners. Ray holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Science in Environmental Sciences with concentration in Environmental and Natural Resources Economics and Policy from the University of California, Riverside, USA. |
Dr Lavinia Poruschi is an economist and econometric modeller working with CSIRO Land and Water. Her work includes National Energy Analytics Research (NEAR), the former Energy Use Data Model (EUDM) and economic analysis for GISERA. She has a Doctor of Philosophy from Griffith University. She also holds a Master of Environmental Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts focusing on International Development Economics from the University of Tsukuba. She is a reviewer for journals including Energy Economics, Environmental Science and Policy and Resources Policy. She is a member of the Economic Society of Australia and the International Association for Impact Assessment. She is also an active contributor to the Australian Early Career Urban Researchers Network (AECURN). |
David Fleming-Muñoz is a senior economist with work experience in Chile, the United States, New Zealand and Australia. Most of his work has been published in different economics and multidisciplinary journals. He is currently the co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Resources Policy, the most important international journal of minerals policy and economics. Over the years, he has accumulated a diverse pool of research on different discipline areas and topics. These include such as Resource Economics, Regional Economics, Agricultural Economics, Development and Behavioural Economics and Global Analysis including shale-gas reservoirs and the impact of fossil-fuel extraction on welfare. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy and Masters in Applied Economics from Penn State University (USA) and a Bachelor of Arts in Agricultural Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Catolica (Chile). |
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