Rethinking the public inquiry on science, technology and environmental change. The project aims to strengthen public inquiry as a policy tool in governance transitions about controversial science and technology. The adequacy of public inquiry in Australia as an authoritative ‘advisory mechanism’ on the promising benefits and (socio-) environmental effects of ‘big’ science and technology is a growing public policy problem. The project will review whether the public inquiry is too decoupled from g ....Rethinking the public inquiry on science, technology and environmental change. The project aims to strengthen public inquiry as a policy tool in governance transitions about controversial science and technology. The adequacy of public inquiry in Australia as an authoritative ‘advisory mechanism’ on the promising benefits and (socio-) environmental effects of ‘big’ science and technology is a growing public policy problem. The project will review whether the public inquiry is too decoupled from governance and environmental change. Through transdisciplinary participatory conduits, a deeper inquiry capacity is expected to address important national challenges of sustainability, economic and social prosperity, energy security, climate change and international competitiveness.Read moreRead less
The Kids in Communities Study: national investigation of community level effects on children's developmental outcomes. This project (a cross-disciplinary collaboration) will investigate community level factors influencing early childhood developmental outcomes using a mixed methods approach in up to 10 communities across Australia. This will result in a potential set of measures or indicators that reflect communities that are good for children.
Social Capital and Sustainable Development: An International Study. A collaborative international study of social capital and sustainability in local communities will address the following objectives: 1. to characterize the properties of networks that generate social capital and of network formation; and 2. to analyze the mechanisms by which social capital contributes to sustainable development. The project will involve intensive comparative case studies of five communities, three in Canada and ....Social Capital and Sustainable Development: An International Study. A collaborative international study of social capital and sustainability in local communities will address the following objectives: 1. to characterize the properties of networks that generate social capital and of network formation; and 2. to analyze the mechanisms by which social capital contributes to sustainable development. The project will involve intensive comparative case studies of five communities, three in Canada and two in Australia. Within each case community, an intensive qualitative and quantitative analysis will be conducted of the theorized mechanisms for the development of social capital and its mobilization for reconciliation of the ecological, economic and social imperatives required for sustainable development.
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Australia and the OECD: A Neglected Arena in Multi-level Governance. Issues such as trade liberalisation and the development of international agreements are of considerable importance for domestic policy within Australia. Development of such ideas and policies often serve as the basis for subsequent agreements in the multilateral system through policy transfer or the strategy of ?forum shopping?. Australia's interests as a middle power lie in a rules-based system, and thus its ability to maximiz ....Australia and the OECD: A Neglected Arena in Multi-level Governance. Issues such as trade liberalisation and the development of international agreements are of considerable importance for domestic policy within Australia. Development of such ideas and policies often serve as the basis for subsequent agreements in the multilateral system through policy transfer or the strategy of ?forum shopping?. Australia's interests as a middle power lie in a rules-based system, and thus its ability to maximize its effectiveness in shaping those rules is of paramount importance. This project will contribute knowledge which will serve directly this goal, by enhancing our understanding of the OECD as an arena of multilevel governance and Australia's participation within it.Read moreRead less
Climate change and energy policy: elements of a robust policy mix. The national benefits of the project lie directly in assisting Australia achieve significant emissions reductions (at least 60% by 2050) as part of the global effort to avoid dangerous climate change. This needs to be done in an effective, efficient and equitable manner that takes into account other national policy goals including those of the energy sector. There are clear benefits in developing a framework that can assist in cr ....Climate change and energy policy: elements of a robust policy mix. The national benefits of the project lie directly in assisting Australia achieve significant emissions reductions (at least 60% by 2050) as part of the global effort to avoid dangerous climate change. This needs to be done in an effective, efficient and equitable manner that takes into account other national policy goals including those of the energy sector. There are clear benefits in developing a framework that can assist in creating a policy mix that explicitly deals with the complementarities and trade-offs that arise in the interaction of the various policy instruments employed to achieve these multiple goals.Read moreRead less
Federalism and International Risk Management. The introduction of new quarantine disciplines with the World Trade Organisation agreements has given rise to tensions within the Australian Federation over the relationship between state and national quarantine measures. This project will review critically these developments in order to better understand and improve the process of risk assessment which is increasingly important after the Salmon case. The project will train a graduate student in ri ....Federalism and International Risk Management. The introduction of new quarantine disciplines with the World Trade Organisation agreements has given rise to tensions within the Australian Federation over the relationship between state and national quarantine measures. This project will review critically these developments in order to better understand and improve the process of risk assessment which is increasingly important after the Salmon case. The project will train a graduate student in risk assessment policy, produce several scholarly outputs and contribute to improved policy in an area of vital national importance.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
Climate change: adaptation and resilience in the face of uncertainty. Climate change poses a wide range of challenges to Australia's agricultural sector and for the management of natural ecosystems. These challenges are recognised in the National Research Priorities 1, An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, and 4, Safeguarding Australia. The potential economic costs of climate change to vital national assets such as the Murray-Darling Basin and the Great Barrier Reef, amount to billions of do ....Climate change: adaptation and resilience in the face of uncertainty. Climate change poses a wide range of challenges to Australia's agricultural sector and for the management of natural ecosystems. These challenges are recognised in the National Research Priorities 1, An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, and 4, Safeguarding Australia. The potential economic costs of climate change to vital national assets such as the Murray-Darling Basin and the Great Barrier Reef, amount to billions of dollars per year, and ecological costs are even more significant. Uncertainty about the rate at which climate change will take place and about effects in different regions is central to the problem. This project will explore adaptive management strategies that promote resilience in the face of uncertainty.
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Developing demand-side strategies for sustainable futures at the business and consumer levels. Australia is facing a world in which the material demands of developing nations are putting pressure on global resources, at the same time as effects of economic activity on the earth's climate are leading to questions about the planet's sustainability. Efforts to mandate changes in consumption patterns are likely to be politically unpopular and lead to a loss of social welfare. This research will in ....Developing demand-side strategies for sustainable futures at the business and consumer levels. Australia is facing a world in which the material demands of developing nations are putting pressure on global resources, at the same time as effects of economic activity on the earth's climate are leading to questions about the planet's sustainability. Efforts to mandate changes in consumption patterns are likely to be politically unpopular and lead to a loss of social welfare. This research will investigate ways in which choices between current and future consumption can be framed to maximize voluntary consumer choices for sustainable futures. It will allow the demand side of negative environmental trends to be addressed, reducing the pressure on the supply side without the loss of consumer sovereignty.Read moreRead less
Sustaining Places: Public Space Design in a time of loss. Public space currently experiences various forms of loss: environmental, symbolic and spiritual. As it is an index of democratic health, this represents a diminished capacity to sustain ourselves politically and culturally. The project aims to reverse this decline through an innovative approach to public space design. It redefines public space to include ?soft-edge? environments. It identifies ephemeral and performative heritages that len ....Sustaining Places: Public Space Design in a time of loss. Public space currently experiences various forms of loss: environmental, symbolic and spiritual. As it is an index of democratic health, this represents a diminished capacity to sustain ourselves politically and culturally. The project aims to reverse this decline through an innovative approach to public space design. It redefines public space to include ?soft-edge? environments. It identifies ephemeral and performative heritages that lend places their sustaining character. Through global case studies, and an in-depth account of current Australian public space commissioning processes, it identifies obstacles to the creation of sustaining places, and defines an integrated theory and practice to produce them.
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