No abstract

No abstract

This paper analyses the diverse range of industry structures operating in the water and wastewater sectors of Australia's major state capital cities. In particular, it examines this structural diversity in the light of the research findings to date on water and wastewater industry structures, efficiency and productivity, and outlines the range of additional factors that have militated against greater consensus on structural reform in the water and wastewater sectors in major urban areas of Australia. The paper concludes by considering the merits of striving for greater consistency in industry structure given the highly localised nature of urban water supply systems, and by outlining potential areas of future research including the scope for and nature of urban water markets, the optimal separation of regulatory and commercial activities and the potential for private sector participation in the provision of water and wastewater services. Copyright (c) 2010 The Economic Society of Australia.

The global wine market has witnessed major changes in recent years. Some of these changes are structural in nature or trend-following, whereas others are cyclical. Recently, new market entrants have increased their exports not only to traditional European markets but to other importing regions as well, whereas Old World producers have experienced declining market shares. However, the evidence examined here suggests that market share data also contain strong cyclical components. Mixed results also occur when the wine export data are disaggregated into products. This paper employs econometric methods to analyse the recent major shifts in world wine market shares and explains whether these are more of a secular trend-setting nature or of a temporary cyclical nature.

No abstract