GILLESPIE ECONOMICS
Environmental and Resource Economics
What's happening?
Article on Biodiversity Offsets Published
Robert Gillespie has written a book chapter on Mining Offsets in NSW, in Protecting the Environment, Privately, Ed. Bennett, J., (2016), World Scientific Publishing, Singapore.
The Chapter identifies how Governments can effectively trigger a demand for environmental protection from the private sector by imposing conditions on resource development projects. By requiring companies to 'offset' harm done to the environment as a result of developments, a demand for off-site environmental protection or restoration is created. The Chapter critically reviews the offsetting policy of the NSW Government. It acknowledges the offset mechanism as a means of rewarding private-sector land managers for their environmental management initiatives. However, it points to flaws in the design of the policy and suggests reforms that could be implemented to improve the interaction between environmental services supply and demand.
Principal of Gillespie Economics Awarded a PhD
In 2014, Rob Gillespie was awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) for his thesis - Valuing the Environmental, Social and Cultural Impacts of Coal Mining Projects in NSW Australia.
Article on BCA in the NSW Planning Approvals Process Published
Robert Gillespie and Jeff Bennett (Professor of Resources Environment and Development Program, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University) have written a journal paper on Challenges in Including BCA in Planning Approval Processes: Coal Mine Projects in New South Wales, Australia. This is published in the Journal of Benefit Cost Analysis (2015), Vol. 6(2).
Provision of Evidence at the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry
Robert Gillespie was called on to provide evidence the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry, on behalf of AGL Loy Yang, in relation to the economics of environmental rehabilitation bonds and their role in a risk management approach to the mine site rehabilitation.
Submission to the Draft Guidelines for the Economic Assessment of Mining and Coal Seam Gas Proposals
Gillespie Economics prepared a detailed submission to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment on its draft guideline for the economic assessment of mining proposals. The final guideline has now been released with many of the issues identfied by Gillespie Economics addressed and approaches the consideration of various mining externalities deferred to subsequent consideration.
Article on Economic Analysis of Rodent Eradication on Lord Howe Island Published
Gillespie, R. and Bennett, J. (2017) Costs and Benefits of Rodent Eradication on Lord Howe Island, Australia, Ecological Economics, 140, 215-224.
The analysis found that there are substantial potential net benefits from the proposed Rodent Eradication Plan for Lord Howe Island. The major drivers of the analysis are the potential benefits to tourism and the nonmarket values for species protection.