Archived Media Releases
Archived media releases to be added over time.
Hunter Economic Update October 2011
Newcastle Presentations and Hunter Economic Indicators publication
Media Release
Thursday, 20 October 2011
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Conditions mixed in Hunter economy
Economic conditions are currently mixed in the Hunter, with a strong labour market but signs of weakness in business and consumer sectors, according to the Hunter Valley Research Foundation’s latest Hunter Region Economic Indicators. Business conditions in the Region are moderate to weak, reflecting the impacts of the multi-speed economy and the overall economic uncertainty besetting the nation and the globe, according to HVRF Senior Research Fellow Caroline Veldhuizen.
Latest Upper Hunter Economic Update
August Breakfast Presentations and latest Economic Indicators publication
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact: Jenny Williams, Research Fellow, HVRF
Local economy mirrors factors playing out in the national context
Massive capital investment in resources and resource-related industry, a strong Australian dollar and tight labour market are reflected in both the national and Upper Hunter economies at the midpoint of 2011, according to the latest Hunter Valley Research Foundation’s Upper Hunter Region Economic Indicators, to be released at breakfast tomorrow morning.
New: Residential Market Outlook
Download the latest Hunter Region outlook
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
MEDIA RELEASE
Comments: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Principal Research Fellow HVRF
Gloomy outlook for renters, but hope for Region’s home builders
The outlook for the Hunter’s residential housing market remains largely beholden to an increasingly opaque interest rate outlook, according to the HVRF’s 2011 Hunter Region Residential Market Outlook (HRRMO).
HVRF Principal Research Fellow Simon Deeming said the Lower Hunter’s residential market remains benign but functional, with house prices stable and sales volumes solid. The Upper Hunter, where house price growth has over-performed in recent years, appears to have reached a plateau.
“Both areas are responding to the restoration of restrictive monetary policy, which returned housing affordability to unsupportive levels and weakened purchaser sentiment, particularly for First Home Buyers (FHB).”
Latest Hunter Economic Update
Thursday, 21 July 2011
MEDIA RELEASE
Comments: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Principal Research Fellow HVRF
Hunter economic activity shaped by resource boom
The Australian economy is the envy of most of the developed world and the Hunter economy is one of the sweet spots within this national picture, so why the gloom? The latest HVRF Hunter Economic Indicators provides some insight.
The Region’s economic activity continues to be sustained by high commodity prices and the related surge in investment, according to HVRF Principal Research Fellow Simon Deeming.
“Only another global crisis is likely to interrupt the momentum in resources and resource-related expenditure across the Region. However, for many other industries, this is a ‘Clayton’s’ boom – it does not feel like a boom. The latest data for consumer confidence in the regional outlook is soft, and retail and construction activity is weaker.”
Business Innovation Research
Hunter and Central Coast findings released
Download the latest Innovation in Hunter and Central Coast Businesses working paper
Monday, 6 June 2011
MEDIA RELEASE
Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Regional businesses innovative
The Hunter Valley Research Foundation (HVRF) has released its latest Innovation in Hunter and Central Coast Businesses report.
The report presents the results of questions asked in the HVRF Business Monitor surveys of the Hunter and Central Coast regions. The survey has been incrementally expanded and improved and innovation research is now part of the HVRF Research Plan.
HVRF Senior Research Fellow Caroline Veldhuizen said innovation is a key driver of economic growth, improves efficiency and productivity, opens new markets, including for exports, and creates quality jobs.
Central Coast Economic Breakfast
Latest Publication & presentations available
Thursday, 12 May 2011
MEDIA RELEASE
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, Public Relations Manager
Local economic activity softening
After strong signs of recovery from the Global Financial Crisis in late 2009 and early 2010, economic activity in the Central Coast was softening in the three quarters to March 2011, according to the latest findings by the Central Coast Research Foundation (CCRF).
New CCRF Research Fellow, Dr Johannes Pauser, will report on the condition of the Central Coast economy at the CCRF Economic Update Breakfast tomorrow morning. The breakfast is a Hunter Central Coast Innovation Festival event, supporting innovation and creativity in the Region.
“Expectations for consumer spending over the next three months remain weak and an obstacle to improvement in local economic conditions,” Dr Pauser said. “Currently low employment numbers and possible inflationary pressures may further weigh on consumers’ spending behaviour. However, increasing profitability and trading of local businesses suggest that the local labour market is likely to show signs of recovery after the marked weakness during the last year.”
Ends
Feb 2011 Hunter economic update
Presentations & Economic Indicators Publication Available
Thursday, 3 February 2011
MEDIA RELEASE
Comment: Dr Andrew Searles, HVRF Director of Research - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The ten-year path to prosperity
As the second decade of the new millennium begins, the Hunter economy is in robust shape, with a strong labour market and healthy business conditions. But 10 years ago the economic story was very different, with the HVRF’s household surveys revealing deep concerns about the effects of the BHP closure.
Reasons to be cheerful about ageing
Latest HVRF newsletter lead article examines wellbeing and ageing in the Hunter
Hunter residents are relatively positive about their lives, with the latest average score for the Region’s level of wellbeing 73 out of 100, findings from the latest Hunter Valley Research Foundation (HVRF) Wellbeing of Hunter residents’ survey have shown.
HVRF Director of Research, Dr Andrew Searles, released some of the key findings from the third HVRF wellbeing survey, conducted in 2009, at the Foundation’s Hunter Region Economic Update breakfast in Newcastle last Friday.
“Measures of wellbeing are increasingly being used to compliment standard economic indicators as they capture aspects of the community’s quality of life,” Andrew said. “Wellbeing scores around the level of the Hunter’s – 73/100 – reflect individuals who answered each factor in the wellbeing index in a relatively positive way.”
The wellbeing score of 73 is an index constructed using answers to questions on:
- overall level of happiness with life;
- the level of satisfaction with achievements;
- standard of living;
- health;
- personal relationships;
- satisfaction with the local community;
- future financial security;
- life overall;
- the extent to which participants felt valued; and
- how optimistic they felt about the future.
“Wellbeing scores for Hunter residents deviate from the average when the conditions they face cause their levels of wellbeing to decline,” Andrew said. “For example, people who live in financially challenging circumstances and people who are unemployed tend to have low wellbeing scores.”
The standard and availability of housing also affected wellbeing levels, with Hunter people who felt that housing in their area was not affordable or who believed that they had a less than reasonable standard of accommodation tended to have low wellbeing scores.
For more information contact Dr Andrew Searles.
Further information and articles on other topic areas within our Wellbeing research program are available free to download.
Download the latest HVRF News - No.1 2011
Geography Competition winners
Merewether High student Georgia Austin takes out prize
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Comment: Maree Campbell - Ph: 02 4969 4566
2010 School Geography Competition winners
Merewether High School Year 11 student Georgia Austin has been awarded this year’s Hunter Valley Research Foundation School Geography Competition.
New health research economist
HVRF collaborates in a Hunter first
29 November, 2010
MEDIA RELEASE
Health Research Economist Announced
The Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Valley Research Foundation (HVRF) today announced the appointment of HMRI Health Research Economist, Professor Chris Doran.
Working in collaboration with HVRF, Professor Doran will make economic evaluations of health interventions, which have arisen from health research. He will also evaluate the economic outcomes of HMRI-affiliated research projects.
New economist joins team
Dr Johannes Pauser boosts HVRF expertise
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
MEDIA RELEASE
The Hunter Valley Research Foundation (HVRF) has appointed a new research fellow, Dr Johannes Pauser, following an international recruitment process to appoint an economist.
Central Coast Economic Update
Thursday, 28 October 2010
MEDIA RELEASE
Positive annual change in Central Coast economy
In September 2010 many indicators of consumer and business activity in the Region showed positive annual change, according to the latest findings by the Central Coast Research Foundation (CCRF).
Hunter economic update Oct 2010
Speaker's Presentations + publication available free to download
Thursday, 21 October 2010
MEDIA RELEASE
Sent by: Jane Hanlon, Marketing Coordinator
The implications of managing regional economic growth
The regional economy has been a picture of strength of late, with strong employment, strong investment, rising household consumption and buoyant dwelling investment, according to the Hunter Valley Research Foundation’s latest Hunter Region Economic Indicators.
New Health Economist Position
HVRF and HMRI agreement will see a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organisations.
The agreement between the Hunter Valley Research Foundation (HVRF) and Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) will create a new role, HMRI Health Research Economist, which will add valuable expertise to both organisations and the Hunter Region. HMRI Director, Professor Maree Gleeson, and HVRF CEO, Dr Wej Paradice AM, have confirmed arrangements for the HMRI Health Research Economist, who will be employed by HMRI and be accommodated at the HVRF research centre at Maryville.
Hunter Economic Update May 2010
Speaker Presentations + publications available to download
Regional economic indicators mixed
While the Hunter Regional economy came through the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) with limited impacts, the latest HVRF Hunter Region Economic Indicators (HREI) are mixed, according to HVRF Director of Research Dr Andrew Searles.
“The Region’s labour force remains robust and selected indicators of consumer and business activity are strong, while indicators of consumer and business confidence have weakened,” Dr Searles said. “Despite reports of continued economic uncertainty overseas, International Monetary Fund forecasts for Australia, and our trading partners in both the developed and developing world, are generally optimistic.”
Hunter housing market outlook
Interest rates stall residential upturn
Monday, 26 July 2010
MEDIA RELEASE
Comment: Simon Deeming, HVRF Research Fellow
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Interest rate rises stall residential market upturn
The Reserve Bank’s shift of interest rates to ‘neutral’ levels has led to a return of poor housing affordability and put the brakes on the upturn in the Hunter Region’s residential housing market, according to the HVRF’s second Hunter Region Residential Market Outlook (HRRMO).