New Research

Housing supply bonds - a suitable instrument to channel investment towards affordable housing in Australia?

23 May 2012The aim of this study is to develop a special purpose financial instrument, identified in this report as Housing Supply Bonds, to finance the supply of affordable rental housing in Australia.

Commonwealth Budget 2012

09 May 2012The Federal Budget of 2012-13 has managed a modest surplus of 1.5 billion dollars. For detailed breakdown of this year's budget this link includes all budget documents - including the budget speech, budgets papers, mid-year economic and fiscal outlook and ministerial statements.

Homelessness research conference 2012 papers

09 May 2012The report, conference papers and audio files from the April 2012 Homelessness Research Conference co-hosted by AHURI and RMIT University are available to download.

People and the planet

01 May 2012The 21 st century is a critical period for people and the planet. The global population reached 7 billion during 2011 and the United Nations projections indicate that it will reach between 8 and 11 billion by 2050.

Sustaining home ownership in the 21st century: emerging policy concerns

Sustaining home ownership in the 21st century: emerging policy concerns

26 April 2012Australian home buyers are exposed to higher levels of credit risk for longer periods of their lives and Australia urgently needs new safety valves to ease market pressures, according to this essay.

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Climate change

Regulation, economic instruments and sustainable energy

24 May 2012Exploring the roles of a range of policy instruments that might be introduced by governments to facilitate a transition to a low carbon economy, this paper focuses on the energy sector (as distinct from transportation or deforestation).

Regional cooperation towards green Asia: trade in low carbon goods and services

22 May 2012It is logical to argue that low carbon goods and services (LCGS) led growth is an imperative for the Asia Pacific countries, particularly for the emerging Asian economies, which are heavily dependent on imported energy and resources.

Costing global trade barriers, 1900 to 2050

22 May 2012This paper addresses that question by first reviewing evidence on the changing extent of global trade restrictions since 1900, particularly for agricultural and manufactured goods.

Urban planning

Legal and governance models for shared services in local government

24 May 2012Investigating models of shared services delivery, this report considers some varying legal options and models in use across Australia and provides a summary of those options, illustrated by five case studies.

Commentary

Failing to plan, is planning to fail

24 May 2012Australia need to get back in the game of picking winners says AWU National Secretary, Paul Howe, to the National Press Club

Generation rental

30 April 2012Benjamin Law in VCOSS's lastest issue of Insight deals with the ideals of his generation and how the notion of one day owning your own home may just be slipping away for most young people.

Urban romance

28 February 2012Fifty years after the publication of Jane Jacobs’s landmark book, we’re still trying to find our way around the city, writes Richard Johnstone in Inside Story

More...

Topic Guides

Climate change science 'top ten' sources to build your personal knowledge

  • Stefanie Pillora
  • Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government

07 November 2011Acknowledging the importance of drawing from credible sources, this guide provides advice on ten reliable and easily accessible sources of research written for non-specialist readers.

The clean energy plan

  • Clean Energy Future

11 July 2011Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan, and Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Greg Combet announced the Australian Government’s comprehensive plan for tackling climate change, ‘Securing a clean energy future’.

Guideline on the application of the premises standards - 2011

  • Australian Human Rights Commission

04 April 2011This guide has been issued to help designers, architects, builders and clients to better understand the Disability (Access to Premises - buildings) Standards 2010  which will commence on 1 May 2011.

Audio

Life on 'Struggle Street'

Listen to audio
02 May 2012This discussion looks at the characteristics of Australians in households with both relatively low income and relatively low wealth.

Dr Rhonda Galbally, disability advocate

Listen to audio
30 April 2012Dr Rhonda Galbally is a key adviser to the federal government on the new National Disability Insurance Scheme. A scheme that, Galbally says, will radically improve the lives of the disabled and their families.

Sustainability

Cost and security of electricity generated by high altitude winds

22 May 2012This paper describes a new form of automated, tethered, quad-rotor craft, which can operate gyroplane-style, while simultaneously generating electricity.

Video

The block: lives, plans and futures

Listen to audio
16 October 2009More than any other urban area in Australia, the Block in Sydney's inner-city suburb of Redfern, has become a meeting place and, some say, spiritual home for city-dwelling   

Reshaping global economic geography

Listen to audio
24 August 2009Truman Packard presents the findings of the 2009 World Bank Development Report which he co-authored. Speaking at Sydney University, he looks at the geography of economic development and how spatial factors affect development potential.

Housing

Websites

'Just staying at a mates', a series about couch surfing

15 May 2012Yfoundations, the NSW peak body on youth homelessness is running a blog series presenting different perspectives on the phenomenon known as couch surfing within youth homelessness.

Census of Population and Housing

04 August 2011This is the official website for matters concerning the 9 August 2011 Census of Population and Housing in Australia.

Australian Social Policy Association (ASPA)

18 July 2011Established to promote debate and to increase understanding of social policy in Australia, the ASPA enables productive collaborations between those working and researching in social policy locally, across the Asia-Pacific region and internationally.

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Books

Designing for zero waste

Designing for zero waste

  • Steffen Lehmann, Robert Crocker
  • Routledge
Designing for Zero Waste is a timely, topical and necessary publication. Materials and resources are being depleted at an accelerating speed and rising consumption trends across the globe have placed material efficiency, waste reduction and recycling at the centre of many government policy agendas, giving them an unprecedented urgency.
Cold light

Cold light

  • Frank Moorhouse
  • Random House Australia
Cold Light is about power, secrecy, the mortal struggle between capitalism and communism, – and urban planning. This compelling story is set in the still largely empty spaces of Canberra, a mere 23 years after its founding.

Noticeboard

Topic Guides

Climate change science 'top ten' sources to build your personal knowledge

  • Stefanie Pillora
  • Australian Centre of Excellence for Local Government

07 November 2011Acknowledging the importance of drawing from credible sources, this guide provides advice on ten reliable and easily accessible sources of research written for non-specialist readers.

Topics

APO