The WEN Queensland and Deloitte would like to invite you to a breakfast event on the economic value of the Great Barrier Reef.

It’s renowned as the world’s largest living thing… but of Australia’s celebrated natural assets, the Great Barrier Reef is also the biggest contributor to our national economy and our international brand.

Putting a price on it might seem impossible, given the Reef’s irreplaceable beauty and biodiversity. Of course, it is invaluable on so many levels, but identifying its value can help an appreciation of its importance, and shape thinking and policy around its future.

In a world first, Deloitte Access Economics, for the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (with support from National Australia Bank and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority) calculates the total economic, social and icon asset value of the Reef. And the number is $56 billion.

The event will include a presentation from the Authors of the Deloitte report “At what price? The economic, social and icon value of the Great Barrier Reef” followed by a panel discussion with the Authors and QUT Associate Professor Louisa Coglan on the important role of economics in decisions regarding our environment.

Deloitte has kindly offered to sponsor this event and breakfast will be served. There are only limited places available and for this reason registration will be necessary. We are looking forward to welcoming you all at our WEN Qld breakfast event.

About the speakers: 

Kelly Heaton, the Project Director of the report, is passionate about place-based approaches to economic development and growth. Her research interests lie at the nexus of economic policy, econometrics and human geography and she has a particular focus on the spatial spillovers of economic and employment growth. For the past decade Kelly has worked at Access Economics (now Deloitte Access Economics) assisting clients across government, industry and not-for-profits with complex economic and policy challenges. She has a Masters in Economic and Regional Development from the University of New England and First Class Honours in Econometrics from the University of Queensland.

Claire Atkinson, the lead author of the report, is an economist and Manager in the Economic Analysis and Policy team at Deloitte Access Economics. Claire specialises in microeconomic analysis and is passionate about the application of it to address some of the most complex public policy and economic problems confronting society.  Prior to joining Deloitte Access Economics, Claire worked in the Queensland public sector at the Queensland Treasury Corporation. She has a Bachelor in Economics (QUT), Cert. in Political Economy Public Policy (London School of Economics) and a Masters in International Relations (Political Economy) (Macquarie University).

Mai Nguyen joined Deloitte Access Economics as an Analyst in 2016. She is responsible for analysing industry trends to provide evidence-based answers to client’s questions. Mai also provides technical support to the development of Deloitte Access Economics in-house models, including the Tourism Forecasting Model and the Regional Input-Output Model. Mai obtained an Honour degree in Economics from the University of Queensland in 2015. 

Emily Hayward,the lead economists on the non-market valuation component of the report, is an economist in the Economic Analysis and Policy team at Deloitte Access Economics. Emily specialises in non-market valuation and microeconomic analysis, which she has applied to a number of policy contexts while at Deloitte Access Economics.

Louisa Coglan is Associate Professor at QUT. She is an applied economist with over 27 years of experience. Prior to joining QUT, Louisa worked at the University of Portsmouth, UK. Much of Louisa’s research experience has been in the area health care, fisheries and coastal management. Her work has informed both health policy and contributed to improving the sustainable economic performance of fisheries and related industries through enhancing fisheries management and improving fisheries policy. Louisa also has an extensive record of excellence in teaching design, delivery and innovation in higher and professional education. During her tenure at QUT she has led the delivery of economics on the undergraduate business degree ensuring that over 15 000 students are competent in basic economic literacy and have a better understanding of the importance of the role of economics in decision-making.

Event Details:

Date: 21st March 2019

Time: 7:15am- 9:00am (event will start at 7:30 am)
Location: Deloitte, Level 23 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane 
Cost: FREE 

Registrations close on  14^th March, 2019  Please confirm your attendance at this link.

Men and women can join WEN Qld by becoming members of ESA Qld and opting into WEN Qld at the moment of registration. If already an ESA Qld member, you can join WEN Qld changing your membership preferences from your ESA Qld member profile.

Both men and women are welcome to our events. Where specific initiatives and events are exclusive to women this will be clearly specified in the invitation and registration links