Litigation and Liability as Regulation to Reduce Tobacco Related Harm. The new National Tobacco Strategy, signed in November 2004 by all Australian Governments, explains that successful tobacco control interventions bring major social and economic returns, including healthy and independent ageing, sustainable health care systems, a stronger economy, stronger communities, stronger families, improved indigenous health, and less harm from illicit drugs. The NTS acknowledges that regulation is a key ....Litigation and Liability as Regulation to Reduce Tobacco Related Harm. The new National Tobacco Strategy, signed in November 2004 by all Australian Governments, explains that successful tobacco control interventions bring major social and economic returns, including healthy and independent ageing, sustainable health care systems, a stronger economy, stronger communities, stronger families, improved indigenous health, and less harm from illicit drugs. The NTS acknowledges that regulation is a key tobacco control intervention. The research will explore and make recommendations about new regulatory approaches that have the capacity to substantially reduce the harm caused by tobacco, and to maximise the social and economic returns of tobacco control to the community. Read moreRead less
National and Regional Patent Administration in Small to Medium-Sized States in the Global Economy. Patents and patent administration are key to the rules of the game in the knowledge economy. The study will analyse how a group of smaller national patent offices including Australia?s, are responding to the agenda of patent harmonization that is being led by the US, European and Japanese patent offices. What is the impact of this agenda on Australia's interests? Should Australia take the lead in ....National and Regional Patent Administration in Small to Medium-Sized States in the Global Economy. Patents and patent administration are key to the rules of the game in the knowledge economy. The study will analyse how a group of smaller national patent offices including Australia?s, are responding to the agenda of patent harmonization that is being led by the US, European and Japanese patent offices. What is the impact of this agenda on Australia's interests? Should Australia take the lead in pushing for a regional patent organization? Using sociolegal techniques, the study will answer these and other key questions facing Australian policy makers. The work of patent offices within APEC, ASEAN and the Pacific Island Forum (for example, NZ, Fiji, and China)will be the subject of in-depth fieldwork and analysis.Read moreRead less
The Human Rights Responsibilities of Multinational Corporations. Human rights abuses are perpetrated by multinational corporations, yet they are subject to few laws protecting human rights. Given the global power of these bodies, it is imperative and inevitable that greater legal accountability mechanisms will be developed. Working with a consortium of major industry partners, this project will identify current legal obligations on corporations to protect human rights, their means of enforcemen ....The Human Rights Responsibilities of Multinational Corporations. Human rights abuses are perpetrated by multinational corporations, yet they are subject to few laws protecting human rights. Given the global power of these bodies, it is imperative and inevitable that greater legal accountability mechanisms will be developed. Working with a consortium of major industry partners, this project will identify current legal obligations on corporations to protect human rights, their means of enforcement and investigate their likely future extension in Australia and internationally. Best practice models for corporate compliance with these laws will be constructed and all results will be widely disseminated and accessible in a variety of formats.Read moreRead less
Developing a responsive regulatory system for Australia's small corporations. Small corporations employ approximately 50% of Australia's 10.5 million employed persons (ABS: Nov 2007). Promoting and maintaining small corporations is vital to the health of the Australian economy and the well being of society. This research will strengthen Australia's social and economic fabric by identifying, in consultation with regulators, industry leaders, government, the ideal regulatory environment for Aust ....Developing a responsive regulatory system for Australia's small corporations. Small corporations employ approximately 50% of Australia's 10.5 million employed persons (ABS: Nov 2007). Promoting and maintaining small corporations is vital to the health of the Australian economy and the well being of society. This research will strengthen Australia's social and economic fabric by identifying, in consultation with regulators, industry leaders, government, the ideal regulatory environment for Australia's small corporations. A responsive regulatory framework will enable small corporations to conduct business more efficiently and profitably allowing for and creating structures and processes for encouraging and managing innovation creativity in this vital sector.Read moreRead less
Non-urban water regulation: next generation compliance & enforcement . This project aims to develop the next generation of regulatory technology in non-urban water compliance and enforcement. Effective technologies are needed to make government regulation more efficient, reduce regulatory burdens and improve compliance with complex laws. This project delivers new ways to optimise regulatory technologies that drive innovation, reduce costs and enhance sustainable water use. Expected outcomes incl ....Non-urban water regulation: next generation compliance & enforcement . This project aims to develop the next generation of regulatory technology in non-urban water compliance and enforcement. Effective technologies are needed to make government regulation more efficient, reduce regulatory burdens and improve compliance with complex laws. This project delivers new ways to optimise regulatory technologies that drive innovation, reduce costs and enhance sustainable water use. Expected outcomes include regulatory guidance strategies and training, advances in applied regulatory theory, and innovative technology tools capturing the complexity of water regulation and supporting decision-making. This will provide public resource savings and ensure fairness and effectiveness of water compliance and enforcement.Read moreRead less
Regulatory design for water quality management in urban catchments. This project aims, through empirical research (i) to evaluate the effectiveness of current regulatory, quasi-regulatory and other policy strategies for water quality management in urban catchments (including total/integrated catchment management); (ii) to provide practical policy prescriptions concerning how through judicious regulatory and institutional design, those problems may be best addressed for the future; and (iii) adva ....Regulatory design for water quality management in urban catchments. This project aims, through empirical research (i) to evaluate the effectiveness of current regulatory, quasi-regulatory and other policy strategies for water quality management in urban catchments (including total/integrated catchment management); (ii) to provide practical policy prescriptions concerning how through judicious regulatory and institutional design, those problems may be best addressed for the future; and (iii) advance regulatory theory by developing a framework for understanding the relative effectiveness of different regulatory regimes in the context of urban catchment management. Its empirical focus is on the Swan-Canning river in Western Australia.Read moreRead less
Local Capacity Regulation: Facilitating Participatory Environmental Policy. This project aims to develop a participatory strategy capable of substantially improving the environmental performance of small and medium sized enterprises. Its outcome will be to show how local knowledge and capacity can be mobilized to fulfill regulatory and other environmental goals. Its significance will be (i) to develop principles for, and a broader model of local capacity regulation that is robust, sustainable an ....Local Capacity Regulation: Facilitating Participatory Environmental Policy. This project aims to develop a participatory strategy capable of substantially improving the environmental performance of small and medium sized enterprises. Its outcome will be to show how local knowledge and capacity can be mobilized to fulfill regulatory and other environmental goals. Its significance will be (i) to develop principles for, and a broader model of local capacity regulation that is robust, sustainable and easily reproduced, and capable of being applied to a wide range of other environmental and regulatory contexts and (ii) to develop an institutional framework that can facilitate effective community intervention in other domains of governance.Read moreRead less
Analysis of legislation and policies affecting the development of Indigenous wildlife-based enterprises. Entrepreneurial enterprise development by Indigenous people in remote regions is being encouraged as part of government policy to move people off welfare and into work. Indigenous knowledge of wildlife makes it a logical source of wealth generation but a range of legal and policy constraints add to substantial existing social and logistical problems. An understanding of the legal processes in ....Analysis of legislation and policies affecting the development of Indigenous wildlife-based enterprises. Entrepreneurial enterprise development by Indigenous people in remote regions is being encouraged as part of government policy to move people off welfare and into work. Indigenous knowledge of wildlife makes it a logical source of wealth generation but a range of legal and policy constraints add to substantial existing social and logistical problems. An understanding of the legal processes involved in establishing and maintaining sustainable and ongoing wildlife-based enterprises will improve their chances of success, and will also offer the opportunity to change regulatory frameworks to ensure consistency, remove contradictions and encourage workforce participation. The research will have national and international implications.Read moreRead less
Internal Regulation: Overcoming the Disconnect between Corporate Objectives and Health, Safety, Environmental and Community Performance. This research will enable corporations to identify the points of greatest leverage over corporate and facility level health, safety, environmental and community (HSEC) performance and to develop strategies that successfully achieve their HSEC objectives. It will provide broader national benefits in (i) reducing workplace injury and environmental degradation at ....Internal Regulation: Overcoming the Disconnect between Corporate Objectives and Health, Safety, Environmental and Community Performance. This research will enable corporations to identify the points of greatest leverage over corporate and facility level health, safety, environmental and community (HSEC) performance and to develop strategies that successfully achieve their HSEC objectives. It will provide broader national benefits in (i) reducing workplace injury and environmental degradation at multiple facilities across Australia and (ii) increasing productivity and economic benefits (by doing so at reduced cost to companies). The study will also benefit the Australian and regional communities by identifying strategies that facilitate better community-company relations. Read moreRead less
Beyond Compliance - Safety, Health and Environmental Regulation in the Mining Sector, An Empirical Analysis. Through empirical research on the mining sector, this study will enrich our understanding of the motivators of corporate safety, health and environmental performance. It will explain how regulation, social licence pressures, economic constraints and internal management style, affect outcomes and cause some, but not others, to go 'beyond compliance'. Its significance will be to explain and ....Beyond Compliance - Safety, Health and Environmental Regulation in the Mining Sector, An Empirical Analysis. Through empirical research on the mining sector, this study will enrich our understanding of the motivators of corporate safety, health and environmental performance. It will explain how regulation, social licence pressures, economic constraints and internal management style, affect outcomes and cause some, but not others, to go 'beyond compliance'. Its significance will be to explain and model the pathways to better corporate safety, health and environmental performance and thereby advance regulatory theory and contribute to effective policy design. By facilitating and rewarding industry for going beyond compliance it will enable better policy outcomes at less cost.Read moreRead less