Catherine Birch

3 weeks ago | anz.com.au | Catherine Birch |Richard Yetsenga

Australia’s major project pipeline – underscored by Queensland’s electricity and hospital spending boost – is expected to peak at $80.3 billion in the 2026 financial year. “Queensland is the standout; the state’s potential pipeline over the next five years is more than double that of the past five years.”The pipeline rose by almost $11 billion to hit $64.9 billion in the 2024 financial year (FY).

2 months ago | fijitimes.com.fj | Kishti Sen |Catherine Birch |Tom Kenny

Aligning investment in transport (roads, ports and jetties, airports and bridges), utilities (electricity generation, water supply) and health infrastructure to growth in the economy and broader population is a challenge many governments, including Fiji face. The public sector drives most of the work, but the government with competing priorities and a set pool of resources available to them cannot fund all the necessary expenditures.

May 14, 2024 | anz.com | Richard Yetsenga |Adam Boyton |Catherine Birch |Madeline Dunk

There is no change to ANZ Research’s growth, inflation, or monetary policy forecasts as a result of the 2024-25 Australian federal budget. The fiscal environment is, though, the most contested it has been in some years, suggesting whatever was handed down in this budget was likely to generate plenty of commentary. There is broad recognition excess demand is part of the reason inflation is proving to be sticky. But both inflation and monetary policy impact indiscriminately.

May 2, 2024 | bluenotes.anz.com | Catherine Birch

But the risks around this have skewed towards a later start, particularly given the ongoing strength in inflation for non-tradables (goods and services that face little foreign competition) and services. "Non-tradables and services inflation will likely need to slow materially from the second quarter for rate cuts to begin at the November meeting.”Non-tradables include rent, hairdressing, restaurant meals, domestic holidays, medical services, education, child care and insurance.