Are senior Australians being squeezed by the cost of living?

The cost of living remains a major political and social issue for older Australians. The rising cost of health care in particular is a concern for an ageing population, says Dr Tim Adair from National Seniors Australia.

Spanish economy in crisis

Some claim that the average Spaniard holds more wealth than a German. But after the property bubble imploded in 2008, Spain is still suffering from a weak economy and soaring unemployment rates, says Spanish journalist Marta Conejo Sobrino.

Investing in Australia’s future

Discussing Universities Australia’s A Smarter Australia policy statement, University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis explains why higher education is key to the nation’s economic future.

Pensioners need more support

As moving into age-appropriate accommodation becomes a reality for a growing number of Australians, Australian Unity Retirement Living CEO, Derek McMillan, explains why pensioners need further financial support.

Are you the retiring type?

As we launch our Productive Ageing featured forum, Age Discrimination Commissioner, the Hon. Susan Ryan, explains why aged workers are vital to Australia's economy.

Australia’s housing affordability crisis

Property Expert and Managing Director of Buyer Solutions, Janet Spencer, reflects on Australia’s ever-changing real-estate market and shares her thoughts on what the future holds for prospective home-buyers.

Strata and Community Title laws review update

As the review into NSW strata and community title laws continues, NSW Fair Trading Minister, the Hon. Anthony Roberts MP shares an update on his focus for the future and necessary law reform. 

New organisation to redefine measurements of progress and wellbeing

Traditional measurements of wellbeing and progress are losing their relevance in today's world. Following a taskforce on progress in society, Global Access Partners (GAP) has established the Australian Society for Progress and Wellbeing. Andrew Gale launched the Society on 13 September.

Community Housing regulation: Have your say

Housing Ministers across Australia agreed to a blueprint for a National Regulatory System for community housing providers.

The proposed system seeks to introduce nationally consistent regulatory arrangements to promote the growth of the community housing sector nationally.

The new system will aim to improve tenant outcomes and protect vulnerable tenants, protect government funding and equity in the sector, and enhance investor and partner confidence.

Please make a public submission or comment on the system design or learn more about the system, which is expected to begin in 2013, at www.nrsch.gov.au.

 

Sharing information online builds a healthy community

Personal information is shared by millions of internet users daily. But what motivates people to share sometimes intimate and detailed information with a world of strangers? Darryl Jackson from Healthshare looks at this phenomena.

The New York Times Customer Insight Group recently conducted a three-phase study, titled "The Psychology of Sharing," to determine what motivates people to share information online.  Understanding the factors that spur the sharing of content on the web is valuable to social media experts, not-for-profits, marketers and business people in general.  

The first phase of the study involved in-person interviews in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.  The second phase of the study was a one-week sharing panel. The final phase included a survey of 2,500 online sharers and the identification and classification of sharers.

Measuring our quality of life — why is the world looking beyond GDP?

When the term Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was developed in the 1930s the market value of all goods and services produced within a country was considered to be the best indicator of a country’s standard of living. Now it’s widely recognised that other factors have to be taken into account when looking at a country’s success as a happy, safe place to live. Prof Stephen Bartos, advocates exploring how the ‘economics of happiness’ can be used to inform national policy.

Gross domestic product per capita is a useful, measure of national well-being from an economic perspective.

The severity of the 1930s Great Depression highlighted the need for a tool to assist policy makers to understand the state of their economies, and most importantly whether the policies they had in place were effective.

Measuring Australia’s economic and social progress

Australian measures of life satisfaction have declined in recent years, despite solid growth in GDP.  The Global Access Partners Task Force on Progress in Society, established following the 2010 National Economic Review Summit, has been exploring how the ‘economics of happiness’ could be used to inform national policy.

Since last year, a group of senior public sector, private sector and academic thinkers, brought together under the auspices of Sydney-based public policy think tank Global Access Partners (GAP), has been addressing the issue of measures of progress.