The Merkin Group have been importing and distributing quality electric bikes since 2022  under the brand Noosa Downtown Fat e-bikes. Leveraging off our strong Asian connections and consumer experiences Merkin Advisory have, in a joint venture, established a  bespoke  pontoon and house boat import and distribution business under the brand...

There are several large quite expensive pieces of electronic equipment in my house and in most homes that are the site of a long overdue technological revolution. Despite being in the “Internet Age”, most of these large chunks of hardware do not connect to the internet. While evolving from...

In the lead up to the budget, the story of crisis has been hammered home, but there’s more to a country than its structural deficit. So how is Australia doing overall? In this special series, ten writers to take a broader look at the State of Australia; our health,...

In the lead up to the budget, the story of crisis has been hammered home, but there’s more to a country than its structural deficit. So how is Australia doing overall? In this special series, ten writers to take a broader look at the State of Australia; our health,...

In the lead-up to the budget, the story of crisis has been hammered home, but there’s more to a country than its structural deficit. So how is Australia doing overall? In this special series, ten writers take a broader look at the State of Australia; our health, wealth, education,...

Rumblings of discontent from leaders of emerging market economies around the middle of last year when it looked as though the US was about to commence tapering quantitative easing. These rumblings are likely to get a whole lot louder this time around though, as the impact of US policy...

On Knife’s Edge: Elections and Democracy in Thailand Gripped by a deadly crisis, with grenades exploding in the streets of Bangkok, the people and politicians of Thailand once again find themselves back in the global media headlines. Unfortunately, much of the coverage is sexed-up and superficial, which is normally what...

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR.   Year of the Horse. 2014 is the year of the Wood Horse. Unlike the year of the Water Snake in 2013 foretelling diplomacy and planning, the year of the Wood Horse is about decisive actions and fast victories. Be certain of your choice, as once...

The social side of e-commerce: lessons from rural China By Barney Tan, University of Sydney Every year, for the foreseeable future, another 30 million Chinese will go online to shop, according to a new Boston Consulting Group report. Pushed by a government-subsidised rollout of internet – and poor bricks-and-mortar...

Renting for life? Housing shift requires rethink of renters’ rights By Kate Shaw, University of Melbourne Australia is the world capital for property speculation. Australians play property like Monopoly: buying, selling, demolishing, rebuilding, extending, renovating, always with the promise of appreciation on resale. The contribution to GDP of real...