Discusses a range of factors that Solomon Islands villagers face when deciding whether or not to allow access to minerals buried in land over which they hold customary tenure. Introduction Now that Solomon Islands' timber resources are depleted there is a renewed focus on exploiting the nation's mineral resources. With the country's only mine, at...

Overview: Queensland spends less on social services than the rest of Australia in per capita terms, despite being a large state with a growing population. In the major areas of health and education, Queensland spends less per person than any other state except NSW and Victoria – both of which benefit from large populations in...

The mining lobby’s concern for the taxpayer comes at a time when tax avoidance by mining companies has been attracting headlines and featuring in other parliamentary inquiries, argues this report. Overview Donations to environment organisations in Australia are tax deductible as long as the organisation in question is listed on the Commonwealth Register of Environmental...

The Papua New Guinea economy will record the highest GDP growth rate in the world in 2015 but will also formally fail to meet any of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals in their deadline year. Overview This paper represents conclusions reached by thirty participants at a Roundtable meeting, Papua New Guinea in 2015 –...

Summary: Mining plays a small role in the economy of the Southern Highlands. The major employing industries are service industries, manufacturing and construction. While tourism is not separately counted in most statistical publications, the strong employment numbers in retail, accommodation, food and transport industry categories suggest it plays a strong role. Agriculture is a relatively...