IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ajarec/v47y2003i3p389-414.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Economic policy for rural and regional Australia

Author

Listed:
  • John Freebairn

Abstract

The efficiency and equity effects of economic policies affecting the quarter of Australians who live in rural and regional Australia (RARA) are reviewed. For the most part it is argued that economy‐wide policies, rather than region or industry specific policies, are appropriate. Progressive income taxation, means‐tested social security payments and government funded education, health and other services directly and efficiently redistribute to support equity. Subsidies for particular industries in RARA, such as dairy, and input subsidies targeted at RARA, such as community service obligations, misallocate resources and are ineffective in meeting equity goals. Better property rights and procedures for allocating most natural resources, especially water, are necessary.

Suggested Citation

  • John Freebairn, 2003. "Economic policy for rural and regional Australia," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 47(3), pages 389-414, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ajarec:v:47:y:2003:i:3:p:389-414
    DOI: 10.1111/1467-8489.00220
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8489.00220
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1467-8489.00220?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Steven Kates, 2002. "A Critique of the Role, Powers and Activities of the ACCC: The Business View," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 35(4), pages 438-445, December.
    2. Kolsen, H.M., 1983. "Effective Rates Of Protection And Hidden Sectoral Transfers By Public Authorities," Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 27(2), pages 1-12, August.
    3. Rhonda L. Smith, 2002. "Possible Implications of the Dawson Inquiry for the ACCC," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 35(4), pages 446-454, December.
    4. Stephen P. King, 2002. "Reviewing the Trade Practices Act: The Dawson Committee Inquiry," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 35(4), pages 423-429, December.
    5. Alan Randall, 1981. "Property Entitlements And Pricing Policies For A Maturing Water Economy," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 25(3), pages 195-220, December.
    6. Brennan, Donna C. & Scoccimarro, Michelle, 1999. "Issues in defining property rights to improve Australian water markets," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 43(1), pages 1-21, March.
    7. Quiggin, John C., 2001. "Environmental economics and the Murray-Darling river system," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 45(1), pages 1-28.
    8. Unknown, 1999. "Impact of Competition Policy Reforms on Rural and Regional Australia," Inquiry Reports 31892, Productivity Commission.
    9. Geoff Edwards, 2003. "The story of deregulation in the dairy industry," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 47(1), pages 75-98, March.
    10. Alison Preston, 1997. "Where Are We Now With Human Capital Theory in Australia?," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 73(220), pages 51-78, March.
    11. Musgrave, Warren F., 1983. "Rural Communities: Some Social Issues," Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 27(2), pages 1-7, August.
    12. Randall, Alan, 1981. "Property Entitlements And Pricing Policies For A Maturing Water Economy," Australian Journal of Agricultural Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 25(3), pages 1-26, December.
    13. H. M. Kolsen, 1983. "Effective Rates Of Protection And Hidden Sectoral Transfers By Public Authorities," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 27(2), pages 104-115, August.
    14. Ann Harding & Neil Warren & Gillian Beer & Ben Phillips & Kwabena Osei, 2002. "The Distributional Impact of Selected Commonwealth Outlays and Taxes and Alternative Commonwealth Grant Allocation Mechanisms," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 35(3), pages 325-334, September.
    15. repec:bla:ecorec:v:77:y:2001:i:238:p:252-69 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Alan Morris, 2002. "The Commonwealth Grants Commission and Horizontal Fiscal Equalisation," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 35(3), pages 318-324, September.
    17. Warren F. Musgrave, 1983. "Rural Communities: Some Social Issues," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 27(2), pages 145-151, August.
    18. Ross Garnaut & Vince FitzGerald, 2002. "Issues in Commonwealth–State Funding," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 35(3), pages 290-300, September.
    19. Edwards, Geoff W., 2003. "The story of deregulation in the dairy industry," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 47(1), pages 1-24.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Phillip Hone & Iain Fraser, 2004. "Resource Management and Duty of Care," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 11(3), pages 195-209.
    2. Hicks, J. & Basu, P.K. & Latham, H. & Tyson, G. & Daniel, M. & Sappey, R.B., 2010. "Crossing the Great Divide: a Case Study of a Regional Nursing Labour Market in the Central West of New South Wales," Australian Bulletin of Labour, National Institute of Labour Studies, vol. 36(1), pages 84-102.
    3. Bill Pritchard & Matthew Tonts, 2011. "Market Efficiency, Agriculture and Prosperity in Rural Australia," Chapters, in: Matthew Tonts & M. A.B. Siddique (ed.), Globalisation, Agriculture and Development, chapter 3, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Jeff Bennett & Martin Van Bueren & Stuart Whitten, 2004. "Estimating society's willingness to pay to maintain viable rural communities," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 48(3), pages 487-512, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ansink, Erik & Weikard, Hans-Peter, 2009. "Contested water rights," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 247-260, June.
    2. Ancev, Tiho, 2015. "The role of the commonwealth environmental water holder in annual water allocation markets," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 59(1), January.
    3. Alauddin, Mohammad & Quiggin, John, 2008. "Agricultural intensification, irrigation and the environment in South Asia: Issues and policy options," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 111-124, March.
    4. Stephen Bell & John Quiggin, "undated". "The Metagovernance of Markets: The Politics of Water Management in Australia," Murray-Darling Program Working Papers WP6M06, Risk and Sustainable Management Group, University of Queensland.
    5. John Quiggin, 2006. "Repurchase of renewal rights: a policy option for the National Water Initiative ," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 50(3), pages 425-435, September.
    6. Lisa Yu-Ting Lee & Tihomir Ancev, 2009. "Two Decades of Murray-Darling Water Management: A River of Funding, a Trickle of Achievement," Agenda - A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics, vol. 16(1), pages 5-24.
    7. Shi, Tian, 2006. "Simplifying complexity: Rationalising water entitlements in the Southern Connected River Murray System, Australia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 86(3), pages 229-239, December.
    8. Fleming, Euan & Villano, Renato & Williamson, Brendon, 2013. "Structuring Exotic Options Contracts on Water to Improve the Efficiency of Resource Allocation in the Australian Water Market," Papers 234295, University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Land and Environment.
    9. Carlos Mario Gómez Gómez & C. D. Pérez-Blanco & David Adamson & Adam Loch, 2018. "Managing Water Scarcity at a River Basin Scale with Economic Instruments," Water Economics and Policy (WEP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 4(01), pages 1-31, January.
    10. Iglesias, Eva & Garrido, Alberto & Gomez-Ramos, Almudena, 2007. "Economic drought management index to evaluate water institutions' performance under uncertainty," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 51(1), pages 1-22.
    11. repec:bla:canjag:v:58:y:2010:i:s1:p:531-554 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Mallawaarachchi, Thilak & Auricht, Christopher & Loch, Adam & Adamson, David & Quiggin, John, 2020. "Water allocation in Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin: Managing change under heightened uncertainty," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 345-369.
    13. Bolinches, Antonio & Blanco-Gutiérrez, Irene & Zubelzu, Sergio & Esteve, Paloma & Gómez-Ramos, Almudena, 2022. "A method for the prioritization of water reuse projects in agriculture irrigation," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    14. Kelvin Balcombe & Hristos Doucouliagos & Iain Fraser, 2007. "Input usage, output mix and industry deregulation: an analysis of the Australian dairy manufacturing industry ," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 51(2), pages 137-156, June.
    15. Carlos Gómez & C. Pérez-Blanco, 2014. "Simple Myths and Basic Maths About Greening Irrigation," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 28(12), pages 4035-4044, September.
    16. Brennan A. McLachlan & G. Cornelis van Kooten, 2022. "Reforming Canada's dairy supply management scheme and the consequences for international trade," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 70(1), pages 21-39, March.
    17. Harris, David N., 2004. "Producer adjustment to policy reform: A case study on the Australian dairy industry," 2004 Conference (48th), February 11-13, 2004, Melbourne, Australia 58456, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    18. Quiggin, John & Adamson, David & Chambers, Sarah & Schrobback, Peggy, 2009. "Climate change, mitigation and adaptation: the case of the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia," Risk and Sustainable Management Group Working Papers 149878, University of Queensland, School of Economics.
    19. Adam Loch & Henning Bjornlund & Ronald McIver, 2011. "Achieving Targeted Environmental Flows: Alternative Allocation and Trading Models under Scarce Supply—Lessons from the Australian Reform Process," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 29(4), pages 745-760, August.
    20. José A. Gómez-Limón & Yolanda Martínez Martínez, 2004. "Multicriteria Modelling of Irrigation Water Market at Basin Level," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2004/26, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.
    21. John G. Tisdell, 2011. "Water markets in Australia: an experimental analysis of alternative market mechanisms," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 55(4), pages 500-517, October.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:ajarec:v:47:y:2003:i:3:p:389-414. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aaresea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.