consulting practice
Bull & Bear Economics is a specialist economics consulting practice providing insight driven advice to all levels of government, the private sector and non-government organisations.
Our team have extensive experience in providing economics consulting services to across the economy and a range of contexts. Regardless of where we are in the economic cycle Bull & Bear Economics can identify opportunities for economic development. Our understanding of economics and experience in working with other disciplines allows us to translate the dimensions of policy and projects into the language of economics.
Bull & Bear Economics offers a range of economic advisory services based on our diverse experience in considering and appraising policies and projects and skills in insight driven data analysis.
We can work directly with you or your advisors to tailor economic advice to your specific needs and circumstances.
Economic Planning and Property Economics
Bull & Bear Economics has experience in providing economic planning advice to local and state government planning authorities, developers and non-government organisations. Our team have extensive experience in providing strategic economic planning advice to local and state planning authorities in relation:
- Activity Centres
- Industrial and Enterprise Areas
- Knowledge and Technology Precincts
- Residential and Housing
The Bull & Bear Economics team has also led the way in working with planning authorities to better understand the consequences of changes in planning controls on development feasibility.
The Bull & Bear Economics Team has experience in working with developers and stakeholders on specific development projects in metropolitan, regional and remote contexts. This includes providing market and needs assessment advice in relation to retail, commercial, industrial, community (health and education), hospitality and tourism developments. We can provide these services either as market research to support decision making or in the form of economic need and impact assessments to support development applications.
Project and Policy Appraisal
Economics is a key decision making tool in the assessment of new policy or projects. Bull & Bear Economics has experience is assessing projects and policies through both cost benefit analysis and economic impact assessment. Understanding which tool is relevant for the assessment is vital. Cost benefit analysis focusses on assessing changes in economic wellbeing, with key outputs being Net Present Value (NPV), Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) and Internal rate of Return (IRR). Cost benefit analysis is used to determine whether or not a project or policy change is economically worthwhile.
Economic Impact Assessment can be used to understand the direct and indirect consequences of a project, action or policy change. It measures the changes in economic activity, income, employment and value as a result of a particular project, action or policy change.
Economic Contribution Analysis assesses the economic contribution of an existing or proposed activity.
In recent years, economics has become increasingly used to communicate the benefits of non-market goods and services, such as valuing ecosystem services provided by habitat, urban design or active transport projects. Bull & Bear Economics Team members have led the way in this area having worked extensively with other disciplines, including architects, urban designers, social planners, environmental scientists and health professionals to understand the economic benefits of socially and environmentally oriented projects.
Industry and Economic Development Strategy
Understanding how regions and industries operate is vital to the economic and industrial development. Bull & Bear Economics has extensive experience in regional supply chain analyses and analysis of regional economic drivers. Bull & Bear Economics starts with data and delivers insights and strategy. Our team draws on decades of experience in the preparation of industry and economic development strategy for a variety of stakeholder groups, including local government, investment attraction agencies, industry groups, and regional development organisations.
Our strategy experience includes helping regions and industries leverage off their existing strengths, address supply chain gaps as well as facilitating economic transition and diversification.
Expert Witness Services
Bull & Bear Economics provides expert economics witness services in relation to matters in the Planning and Environment Court and Land Court. We provide independent advice to parties engaged in planning and land court appeals, in relation to economic and community need, across a wide variety of urban developments. We pride ourselves on providing independent and consistent advice to a wide variety of legal jurisdictions.
Data Analysis and Modelling
We understand that not all challenges and opportunities are universal and can provide tailored and specific analysis to your situation and circumstance. We have experience in working across both public and private datasets across many contexts and sectors.
Meet the faces of Bull & Bear Economics.
Marcus Brown
B Econ (Hons) MBA
Director
Marcus is a Director of Bull & Bear Economics and has over 20 years professional experience as an applied economist. While Marcus has an extensive background in economics consulting he has also held corporate, academic and board roles. Marcus is a highly sought after advisor in the areas of economic planning, project and policy appraisal, industry and economic strategy and analysis. For the past 15 years, Marcus has also acted as an expert economic and need expert in the Planning and Environment Court, Land Court and Supreme Court.
Marcus spent most of his early career in project and policy appraisal, providing Marcus with his foundation interest in using economics to support decision making and policy formulation. Marcus built on this by developing professional relationships with other disciplines to assist them in using economics to communicate the importance and value of other discipline areas. Today, Marcus works with all levels of government, the private sector and non-government organisations to deliver insight driven solutions based on robust economic analysis.
Marcus is also a member of several government and industry advisory boards and is regularly asked to present to government and industry forums and events.
Shelley McCormack
B Econ (Hons) B Science (Maths & Stats)
Director
Shelley is a Director of Bull & Bear Economics and has over 15 years professional consulting experience. Shelley has a keen interest in data and how the application of data and economic analysis techniques can deliver meaningful insights to decision making and policy formulation. Shelley draws on a diverse experience based across the full spectrum of economic sectors and locational contexts. Shelley has provided economic planning advice in relation to large scale mixed use developments within metropolitan areas to small scale residential subdivisions in rural and remote areas. Working across this range of contexts, Shelley has both depth and breadth of understanding of economic planning and property market issues.
Shelley regularly applies her background in mathematics and statistics to analyse trends in a wide variety of public and private data sets. In addition to her data analysis and modelling skills, Shelley has led numerous major economics consulting projects for government and major corporates in the form of major project evaluations, economic impact assessments, strategic needs analysis and industry and economic strategy. Shelley also maintains a keen interest in social issues and analysis and brings a robust analytical approach to the assessment of community and social projects and policies.
Contact us
Postal Address:
GPO Box 3285 Brisbane Qld 4001
Contact Marcus:
Email: mrbrown@bbeconomics.com.au
Phone: 0418 567 762
Contact Shelley:
Email: slmccormack@bbeconomics.com.au
Phone: 0421 559 179
Contact Accounts:
Email: accounts@bbeconomics.com.au