Publications

Explore our independent insights and news.

Insights

Government, Housing

Fear mongering over property taxes helps nobody: developers and the community can both win when we share the windfalls
The new windfall gains tax has attracted special ire from the property lobby, but this fear mongering helps nobody. Both developers and the community can win.

Insights

Government

Windfall tax backlash misunderstands property rights
The Victorian Government’s decision to introduce a 50 per cent tax on rezoning windfalls, announced in its 2021-22 Budget, made many peak industry bodies froth at the mouth. But criticism of the windf...

Insights

 

Co-operative and Mutual Enterprises (CMEs) contribute billions to the Australian economy and play a vital and quantifiable role locally and internationally, shows new report
In 2019-20, co-operative and mutual enterprises (CMEs) contributed a whopping $90 billion towards Australian incomes, $20 billion towards Australia’s GDP and 180,000 full-time equivalent jobs reveals ...

Insights

Employment

Employment precincts have a greater economic value than you probably think, and they will play an essential role in Australia’s post-COVID economy
As Australia's economy starts to recover from a COVID-19 recession, voices calling to cut red tape and increase flexibility in employment zones are getting louder. Two recurrent myths often espoused t...

Insights

Housing

The affordable housing beacon we sailed past
Australia has an excellent example of an inclusionary zoning scheme that delivered affordable housing for 25 years, but we've missed opportunities to replicate it.

Insights

Employment, Government

New report: economic recovery not yet complete, uneven growth across Australia
The new SGS report Australia’s Economic Wellbeing reveals that Australia’s economy is on the mend, but GDP growth is uneven across the nation. As Australia’s economy continues to recover, we need to r...

Insights

Employment

COVID-19: Divide between the ‘haves and have-nots’ may escalate when major fiscal support programs end
A new analysis by Senior Consultant James Atkinson shows the end of major fiscal support programs may widen the divide between workers in the richest and poorest suburbs in Melbourne, Sydney and Adela...

Insights

Retail

South Melbourne Market COVID-19 impacts and recovery
New anonymised mobility insights data shows the number of visitors and how they access the South Melbourne Market changed significantly during the COVID-19 lockdown. Some of these trends are yet to re...

Insights

Employment

What does population density mean for gender equality at work?
This International Women’s Day, new research shows that workforce gender segregation is greater in Australia's suburbs and regions, while inner cities have a much more integrated workforce. This insig...

Insights

 

Victoria's economy and many social norms were upended in 2020, so what does this mean for the future?
What is the future of Victoria's economy and settlement patterns? This article summarises a presentation given by SGS Principal and Partner Julian Szafraniec at the Victorian Planning & Environmen...

Insights

Housing

New report shows JobSeeker recipients continue to face severe rental stress; Hobart remains least affordable city
The JobSeeker supplement has improved rental affordability for Newstart households across the country, but recipients are still facing moderate to extreme rental stress nationwide according to the lat...