Building communities: managing public assets to provide social value. Local government facilities have a social value for the community beyond the immediate provision of service or amenity. However, this aspect is not generally considered in the formal planning and management of public facilities, which concentrate on economic considerations and community service needs. This project explores the links between public assets, their social value and community well-being. The research will provide a ....Building communities: managing public assets to provide social value. Local government facilities have a social value for the community beyond the immediate provision of service or amenity. However, this aspect is not generally considered in the formal planning and management of public facilities, which concentrate on economic considerations and community service needs. This project explores the links between public assets, their social value and community well-being. The research will provide a rationale, model, and set of indicators to assess social value for facilities, assisting local government decision-making, including regional and rural communities, and contribute to the development of meaningful long-term infrastructure and community plans.Read moreRead less
Science, Litigation and the Public Accountability of Vertically Integrated Expertise. The impetus for this research derives from concerns with tort law reform; the loss of public trust in science and legal process when expertise is perceived to be biased; the opportunity cost of inappropriate regulation from misunderstood expertise in litigation; and issues of social justice when regulators and courts disregard plaintiffs' legitimate claims because of a refusal to consider various forms of exper ....Science, Litigation and the Public Accountability of Vertically Integrated Expertise. The impetus for this research derives from concerns with tort law reform; the loss of public trust in science and legal process when expertise is perceived to be biased; the opportunity cost of inappropriate regulation from misunderstood expertise in litigation; and issues of social justice when regulators and courts disregard plaintiffs' legitimate claims because of a refusal to consider various forms of expertise. By offering a conceptually fresh look at science/law relations, the project will enrich public understanding of the management of controversial scientific issues by the legal system, and assist in the clearer framing of law reform and science policy.Read moreRead less