Managing an ageing population for income adequacy and fiscal sustainability. This project aims to improve understanding of the impacts of existing key reforms intended to ease fiscal pressures associated with population ageing. The right mix of retirement income policies is vital to Australia's fiscal sustainability, however the effectiveness of existing policies is unknown. The project expects to identify impacts of key reforms on employment, re-training, income, savings and future retirement i ....Managing an ageing population for income adequacy and fiscal sustainability. This project aims to improve understanding of the impacts of existing key reforms intended to ease fiscal pressures associated with population ageing. The right mix of retirement income policies is vital to Australia's fiscal sustainability, however the effectiveness of existing policies is unknown. The project expects to identify impacts of key reforms on employment, re-training, income, savings and future retirement income and public pension receipt. The project will develop a new tax records-based dataset to facilitate future research on tax and welfare systems.Read moreRead less
Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. This project aims to improve compliance and payment in the Australian tax system. It aims to tackle debts of individuals and businesses, the most challenging aspect of tax systems, by applying behavioural insights to design innovative payment interventions and conducting rigorous randomised controlled trials to evaluate their effects. An empirical analysis will account for ....Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. Applying behavioural insights to the tax system in Australia. This project aims to improve compliance and payment in the Australian tax system. It aims to tackle debts of individuals and businesses, the most challenging aspect of tax systems, by applying behavioural insights to design innovative payment interventions and conducting rigorous randomised controlled trials to evaluate their effects. An empirical analysis will account for heterogeneity in treatment responses, and the findings will be combined with a study of regulatory and administrative processes to support the ultimate goal of a legitimate, fair, cost-effective and responsive tax system.Read moreRead less
Testing co-evolutionary processes driving venom diversity in tiger snakes. Testing co-evolutionary processes driving venom diversity in tiger snakes. This project aims to examine the geographic variation amongst tiger snakes in anatomy, ecology, and life history traits, and the relationship of these factors to venom toxins and production; and to evaluate the true pharmacological potential of tiger snake venom. This project will investigate the role of venom adaptation in long-term animal evoluti ....Testing co-evolutionary processes driving venom diversity in tiger snakes. Testing co-evolutionary processes driving venom diversity in tiger snakes. This project aims to examine the geographic variation amongst tiger snakes in anatomy, ecology, and life history traits, and the relationship of these factors to venom toxins and production; and to evaluate the true pharmacological potential of tiger snake venom. This project will investigate the role of venom adaptation in long-term animal evolution, by identifying rare venom transcripts involved in providing evolutionary potential for adaptation to environmental change. This is essential as continuing climatic and human-induced alteration of our environment affects southern Australia where many people live, work and interact with native wildlife. Anticipated outcomes are maximizing venom harvests and enhanced snakebite treatment capacity.Read moreRead less
Towards systemic reform of the Australian personal income tax: developing a sustainable model for the future. The personal income tax (PIT) is a vital component of the Australian tax system, largely untouched by recent (primarily business and indirect) tax reform. It currently faces major problems. Solutions need to be found to a variety of defects relating to the tax base, tax rates and tax administration.
The project aims to explore alternative PIT models that can sustain the high revenue a ....Towards systemic reform of the Australian personal income tax: developing a sustainable model for the future. The personal income tax (PIT) is a vital component of the Australian tax system, largely untouched by recent (primarily business and indirect) tax reform. It currently faces major problems. Solutions need to be found to a variety of defects relating to the tax base, tax rates and tax administration.
The project aims to explore alternative PIT models that can sustain the high revenue and other expectations imposed upon it, and yet deliver enhanced equity, efficiency and simplicity. By testing these models against world best practice and taxpayer, tax practitioner and tax administrator resistance, the project aims to develop and deliver a model that can attract community support alongside the achievement of traditional tax policy goals.Read moreRead less
Integrating past ice sheet dynamics with palaeoclimate in the Weddell Sea sector to evaluate current and future change in Antarctica. This project will extend historical records of change and understand the complex linkages between Antarctic climate and ice sheet dynamics, thereby assisting in: (i) identifying the mechanisms of past and future ice sheet stability, and (ii) communicating the research outputs to the general public, helping scientific understanding.
Reducing skeletal malformations in cultured marine fish using gene expression, improved nutrition and advanced system operation. Reducing malformations in farmed fish will benefit the Australian economy and society by providing greater quantities of cheaper, higher quality fish. Increased farmed fish production, currently worth ~$300 million p.a., will increase exports and decrease imports (currently ~50% of all Australian consumed fish). To benefit are the important regional farming operations ....Reducing skeletal malformations in cultured marine fish using gene expression, improved nutrition and advanced system operation. Reducing malformations in farmed fish will benefit the Australian economy and society by providing greater quantities of cheaper, higher quality fish. Increased farmed fish production, currently worth ~$300 million p.a., will increase exports and decrease imports (currently ~50% of all Australian consumed fish). To benefit are the important regional farming operations in QLD, NSW, SA, NT, TAS and WA. In particular, the largest industry in Tasmania will profit by having a viable new species to farm (striped trumpeter) reducing risk due to climate change and global oversupply of salmon. Another important benefactor will be the rapidly expanding yellowtail kingfish industry. Read moreRead less
The link between environmental stress and disease onset in prawn aquaculture. The federal government has set a target for prawn aquaculture production to increase fourfold by 2010. A major barrier is disease: losses of 20% of production to viral diseases are not uncommon. To be internationally competitive, Australia needs to develop high health production systems. Most prawn stock carry chronic viral infections, but only exhibit disease symptoms following environmental stress. This project will ....The link between environmental stress and disease onset in prawn aquaculture. The federal government has set a target for prawn aquaculture production to increase fourfold by 2010. A major barrier is disease: losses of 20% of production to viral diseases are not uncommon. To be internationally competitive, Australia needs to develop high health production systems. Most prawn stock carry chronic viral infections, but only exhibit disease symptoms following environmental stress. This project will identify environmental stressors that activate viral disease in Penaeus monodon. Outcomes will be incorporated into on-farm managerial regimes to minimize risk of crop loss to disease. Development of biomarkers as indicators of stress related risks may be commercialized.Read moreRead less
Toward novel approaches for the control of parasitic nematodes via genomics/phenomics. The control of economically important parasitic worms of livestock relies heavily on the use of chemical compounds (anthelmintics). Their excessive and uncontrolled use has led to serious anthelmintic resistance problems in parasites, so that many treatments are no longer effective, and also to residue problems in meat, milk and the environment. We will use 'cutting edge' technologies to provide unique insight ....Toward novel approaches for the control of parasitic nematodes via genomics/phenomics. The control of economically important parasitic worms of livestock relies heavily on the use of chemical compounds (anthelmintics). Their excessive and uncontrolled use has led to serious anthelmintic resistance problems in parasites, so that many treatments are no longer effective, and also to residue problems in meat, milk and the environment. We will use 'cutting edge' technologies to provide unique insights into the molecular processes of parasite growth and reproduction, to develop safe and sustainable intervention strategies for parasites. The project will provide a unique technology platform and a skills base in parasite genomics and will generate significant intellectual property.Read moreRead less
Venture capital (VC) and tax expenditure programs - an international comparative analysis of legal structures and benefits. VC investment is an important catalyst for economic growth. Many governments, including the Australian government, have designed schemes to encourage VC investment. This project compares VC schemes that exist in OECD and ASEAN countries. It will focus on "tax expenditure programs" and will analyse their legal structures and benefits. The results will be used to benchmark Au ....Venture capital (VC) and tax expenditure programs - an international comparative analysis of legal structures and benefits. VC investment is an important catalyst for economic growth. Many governments, including the Australian government, have designed schemes to encourage VC investment. This project compares VC schemes that exist in OECD and ASEAN countries. It will focus on "tax expenditure programs" and will analyse their legal structures and benefits. The results will be used to benchmark Australia's main VC schemes - the "PDF program" and "VCLP scheme". The research is designed to discover insights into alternative ways of stimulating VC investment as well as suggest areas for potential law reform and structural change. Findings will be published in refereed journal articles and an independent report provided to the Australian Government.Read moreRead less
An Integrated Approach to the Timing of Retirement: Life Cycle, Labour Force Heterogeneity, Financial Status and Public Support. This project will generate new knowledge on household decision making over retirement timing. National benefits will be generated through improved institutional design and policy formulation, which in turn will promote a labour market conducive to increased mature-age participation. The project involves collaboration across several institutions and will contribute to t ....An Integrated Approach to the Timing of Retirement: Life Cycle, Labour Force Heterogeneity, Financial Status and Public Support. This project will generate new knowledge on household decision making over retirement timing. National benefits will be generated through improved institutional design and policy formulation, which in turn will promote a labour market conducive to increased mature-age participation. The project involves collaboration across several institutions and will contribute to the development of research expertise through the training of PhDs and research assistants, creating a critical threshold of integrated research into ageing. This will facilitate a world-class presence in this important domain, thus contributing directly to the National Research Priority of Ageing Well, Ageing Productively.Read moreRead less