Links

Australian National Parks www.atn.com.au/parks/

Greenpeace International Another important resource when learning about Environmental Sustainability. Greenpeace activists have been working to make the world a cleaner place since 1971. www.greenpeace.org/

Clean Up Not only will this site give you some valuable information about the annual Clean Up Australia event, it will also tell you exactly how your school can get involved. A great way to make Economics more visible in your school. www.cleanup.org.au/

workplace.gov.au This site will tell you almost everything that you need to know about working in Australia. From where to find work, to the way in which wages and conditions are managed in this country, it can all be found here. www.workplace.gov.au

Saving Money in Australia: Cheap goods, bargains and budgets If you studied the Savings and Investment topic, and you felt inspired to find ways in which you can save more money, this site might have some information that you will find valuable.... www.simplesavings.com.au/

Australian Securities Exchange - Stock Market Information, Stock Quotes - ASX If you are going to start investing some money, a visit to the Stock Exchange website is very important! This link will take you there. If you visit often enough you will be able to see the way in which supply and demand factors cause changes in the price of the shares which are on offer. www.asx.com.au/

API Magazine For those of you who decide that you want to start investing in property, this site is certainly a good place to start. It is the home page of the Australian Property Investor magazine. www.apimagazine.com.au/

AusAID: The Australian Government's overseas aid program Full details of Australia’s extensive foreign aid program can be accessed through this site. Here you will find out how much money is allocated each year, what the goals of the programs are, and which countries are the major beneficiaries of the aid that we provide. www.ausaid.gov.au/

World Vision Australia This fascinating site will show you how globalisation has affected some people in developing countries, and also the way in which Australian foreign aid is used to try and target some of the problems which occur in our region. www.worldvision.com.au/

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs plays an important role in this region. Through this site, you will be able to read a range of articles about the impact that we have on other countries, and the way in which they influence us. www.foreignminister.gov.au/

Australian Government, The Treasury Lots of people struggle to understand the details involved in calculating Australia’s current account deficit. This page will tell you about the people who actually have to do that for real. There is also a lot more information about trends and likely future directions. www.treasury.gov.au/

Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Homepage This is the site for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. From here you will be able to find out about transactions between Australia and all of our trading partners. You will also find a wealth of information about each of these countries, and a list of our major imports and exports. An important resource when you are learning about External Stability. (It is also the best place to visit to find out the latest information about Australian trade policy.) www.dfat.gov.au/

workplace.gov.au This site will tell you almost everything that you need to know about working in Australia. From where to find work, to the way in which wages and conditions are managed in this country, it can all be found here. Very important when you are learning about Full Employment. www.workplace.gov.au/

Reserve Bank of Australia When you are studying Unit 4, you will visit this site more frequently. For now, you should know that all of the most up to date information about Australia’s rate of inflation (and the factors which are causing it) can be found here. www.rba.gov.au/

Reserve Bank of Australia The official web site of the Reserve Bank of Australia. You can sign up to receive free updates, and there is always a great deal of interesting information to find. This site is particularly useful when studying Monetary Policy during Unit 4. (In particular, check out www.rba.gov.au/education/). www.rba.gov.au/

Australian Government, 2007-08 Commonwealth Budget Another great resource for Unit 4. This site will allow you to explore the current budget and several previous budgets in some depth. www.budget.gov.au/

Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority This is the home page of the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority. When you are learning about the financial sector in Unit 4, you will need to know about the organisation that is in charge of making sure that all of the players are following the rules. www.apra.gov.au/

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission This is the home of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. You will study this organization in Unit 4, as it is a vital component of the Australian economy. You can find out all about it here! www.accc.gov.au/

Productivity Commission This site is slightly more difficult to follow, but when analyzing the impact of microeconomic reforms it can help to check in with the Productivity Commission. www.pc.gov.au/

Workplace Authority The Workplace Authority was previously known as the Employment Advocate. They are in charge of providing assistance to both employers and employees when setting workplace agreements. They also administer the “Fairness Test”. www.workplaceauthority.gov.au/

workchoices.gov.au These laws were introduced into Parliament in 2005, and they became law in Australia in early 2006. Although there have been changes, it is important for you to understand the gradual deregulation of the Australian labour market, and this site can help. www.workchoices.gov.au/

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), Australia The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority – don’t even think about going in to the end of year exam without visiting this site. You MUST read the examiner’s reports from past years, and there are also sample papers for this year, past exams and much more. And it is VITAL that you read the Study Design, as that will tell you exactly what to expect for the entire year! Don’t wait for your teacher to tell you – find out on your own!! www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/

Victorian Commercial Teachers Association The home page for the Victorian Commerce Teacher’s Association. This site has very regular updates, including a range of new activities for all of the commerce subjects and some GREAT advice as you approach the end of year exam. www.vcta.asn.au/

Economist.com This is a very influential international magazine for economists. You will find new articles are posted very regularly, and many of them discuss the economic implications of current world events. A fantastic resource. www.economist.com/

Australian Bureau of Statistics Some statistics you have to pay for, but it is amazing what you will find at no cost. The most comprehensive source of statistics about the Australian economy. www.abs.gov.au/

The Age - World News, Finance News & Breaking News The best source of up to date articles about what is happening in the Australian economy. Every student of Economics should aim to read The Age website at least a couple of times every week. www.theage.com.au/

The Australian Financial Review This is the home page of the Australian Financial Review. This site is slightly more challenging to follow than The Age website, but for those of you who are aiming to get very high marks in Economics it is an indispensable resource. www.afr.com/

The Stock Market Game™ This is a US based site, but it will allow you to set up an account and role model investing $100,000 in the stock market. A great way to see the way in which the forces of supply and demand can affect the market! www.smgww.org/

The perfectcompetition.net Business Game Have you ever wondered what it would be like to manage a large company? This site might be able to provide you with some answers! Make big decisions and see how they affect the performance of your team. www.perfectcompetition.net/

Virtual Worlds This site is used extensively in the United Kingdom. Here you will have the chance try and implement economic policies, and then see how the choice you make will affect the country. There are lots of options here, including the opportunity to try and make a difference in a developing country. www.bized.co.uk/virtual/home.htm

Escape From Knab - The Adventure An old favourite, this site will allow you to explore the basics of financial decision making. Can you earn and save enough money to escape from the planet Knab? It will require you to make good choices, and understand the importance of opportunity cost. www.escapefromknab.com/

The Cost of Life What do you think is important – health, wealth, or happiness? And does your opinion affect the decisions that you make every day? This fun online game will give you a chance to find out how the pursuit of one thing might affect your ability to have one of the others.... www.costlife.org/