Trevor Grigg

The aim of this paper is to develop guidelines for greater participation of the private sector in the development of public works. In so doing it will be necessary to review the various forms of privatisation and to determine which areas best lend themselves to private participation. A number of forms of privatisation have had mixed success in the past, both in Australia and overseas. As far back as the depression years of the 1930s the private sector has participated in the development of public works. For example, the Hornibrook highway in Brisbane linking Redcliffe to Brighton was privately funded and was the first bridge for which a toll was collected in Queensland. A more recent example, the Gateway Bridge, is a case where the private sector has provided a facility that may not have been built for some time if left to the availability of public funds. The development of suitable guidelines for the greater participation of the private sector in the provision of public goods must consider the issues of asset ownership, competition, the role of regulation and social equity. Unless these issues are adequately addressed at the outset, it is likely that special interest groups will gain an advantage over others. Above all else, the elements of competition must prevail throughout. (Author/TRRL)

Abstract Australian public sector agencies at local, state and national levels have undergone a period of intense change as strategies to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, appropriateness and value for money of their services have been undertaken. In this light, ...

... By willingly accepting this role, higher education will help change the way the community regards intellectual achievement and will thus facilitate the drive to make the ... As Ashbey (1966) has pointed out, academic freedom and institutional autonomy are not the same thing. ...

Urban public transport has had broad political appeal and escalating financial support since the late 1960s. The preference has been for public ownership and operation of services with only limited private sector involvement in the provision of services in a highly regulated environment. The financial standing of public transport coupled with the likelihood of a sustained period of fiscal restraint, perhaps even a decline in available resources, has created an imperative for change. This paper argues that broad-based acknowledgment of the financial realities, clear definition of quantifiable objectives and increased authority and control for public transport management is required if public transport agencies are to meet the challenge. A new balance between service, ridership and revenue is required. Managing with declining resources will require a financial planning approach, separation of policy and planning from operations, removal of restrictions on user choice and operator competition and increased involvement of the private sector. Substantial changes in internal organization, procedures and structures and a cost-effectiveness orientation will be necessary.

Considers both the nature of the 'protection' provided by flood mitigation works and the floodplain occupants' perception of this 'protection', and seeks to explore the effectiveness of such works. It is concluded that in most cases the works will be ineffective as a longrun strategy unless appropriately coordinated (often in a subsidary role) with non-structural measures, i.e. land use control.-from Author

A common approach to modelling spatial choice is to apply the theory of constrained utility maximising behaviour by individual choice makers within a probabilistic framework. Decision making is assumed to be deterministic but utilities stochastic in the random utility version of the approach. For operational models, parametric distributions have to be specified for the stochastic component of the utility functions. It is commonly assumed in deriving spatial choice models that each of the choice alternatives are perceived by individuals as unique, independent opportunities. This paper considers the case where aggregations of choice alternatives are perceived similarly. The logit distribution (as an approximation to the gauss (normal) distribution) is chosen as the parametric stochastic utility distribution. The choice model is derived and its properties and potential application discussed. (Author/TRRL)

Department also publishes a continuing series of Bulletins. Lists of recently published titles in both of these series are provided inside the back cover of this report. Requests for copies of any of these documents should be addressed to the Departmental Secretary. The interpretations and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s). Considerable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the material presented. Nevertheless, responsibility for the use of this material rests with the user.

Grigg, TJ (Trevor James) and Queensland. Co-ordinator-General's Dept. A comprehensive evaluation of the proposed Wivenhoe Dam on the Brisbane River : an examination of the economic, financial, social and environmental effects : a report prepared for the Co-ordinator ...

Australian public sector agencies at local, state and national levels have undergone a period of intense change as strategies to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, appropriateness and value for money of their services have been undertaken. In this light, performance measurement systems and the development of performance indicators are now receiving attention from regulatory authorities, governments, and other stakeholders. However, academic input and associated debate has been limited. This paper considers the key dimensions of financial status and performance of local governments. It is argued that the general purpose financial reports prepared under AAS 27 do not provide all of the information necessary to evaluate the financial performance of local governments. In particular, it is argued that the treatment of capital contributions, and the notion of intergenerational equity are elements which have been neglected in the published literature. This research would be of interest...

Abstract Australian public sector agencies at local, state and national levels have undergone a period of intense change as strategies to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, appropriateness and value for money of their services have been undertaken. In this light, ...

Over the  period  2000  to  2006,  The  Atlantic Philanthropies  (AP)  funded  The University  of  Queensland’s Vietnam  Coursework  Masters and  Doctoral Development Scholarship  Programs  with  grants  totalling  AUD  17  million.  The  primary  objective  of  the  Programs was…  “to  contribute  to  the  sustainable development  of  Vietnam  through  education  and  training  initiatives that  enhanced  the knowledge,  competitiveness  and  skills of  talented  young  professionals.  The declared  expectation  was that…“on  returning  to  Vietnam  the  scholarship  recipients would  make  an  enhanced  contribution  to  the  economic and  social development  of the  nation.” In  total,  there were 205  CMSP  Scholarships,  including  28  in  the  field  of  public health, and  49  DDP Scholarships  awarded  to  young  Vietnamese  professionals and university  academics. Now,  some  10  to  15  years later,  it  is  an  appropriate  time  to  evaluate  the  beneficial impacts  of  the  programs on  the  lives and  careers of  the  program  participants,  on  the organisations within  which  they  now  are employed  or have  created,  and  on  their community  and  nation.  This is the  major  focus of  the  exercise.

... By willingly accepting this role, higher education will help change the way the community regards intellectual achievement and will thus facilitate the drive to make the ... As Ashbey (1966) has pointed out, academic freedom and institutional autonomy are not the same thing. ...