New Research

Juvenile detention population in Australia 2011

09 February 2012This report presents information on the number of young people in detention in 2011 and describes recent trends in the detention population.

Past and present adoptions in Australia

09 February 2012This Facts Sheet provides a summary of the ways in which adoption currently operates, past adoption practices, and the potential impacts adoption has on those involved.

BDO not-for-profit fraud survey 2012

09 February 2012Funds lost through online fraud in the not-for-profit sector is at an all-time high, with fraudulent online transactions resulting in almost 40 per cent of the total value of sector fraud reported.

State Trustees Limited: management of represented persons

08 February 2012This audit found that State Trustees is not able to clearly demonstrate that it is fulfilling its obligations to represented persons.

Early childhood, education and training; justice; emergency management

08 February 2012Volume one of the report focuses on early childhood, education and training as well as justice and emergency management sectors.

Family violence and Commonwealth laws - improving legal frameworks: final report

08 February 2012This report contains 102 recommendations for law reform to address family violence.

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Families & households

Social inclusion

Teaching with social media in classroom settings: Top ten practices from teachers around Europe

05 February 2012The “Teachers’ competition for social media use in formal language learning contexts” was created within the framework of the EU-funded network “Language learning and social media: 6 key dialogues”.

Service costs in modern residential aged care facilities

31 January 2012This paper presents the results of a national study of the cost of delivering residential aged care services in modern and efficient facilities.

Commentary

Damned lies and economic modelling

06 February 2012Ross Gittins of the National Times main aim this year is to prevent lobbyists from creating dodgy economic models.

Australia lags world's best practice in alcohol consumption

05 February 2012New figures throw fresh light on how much Australians really do drink, writes Tom Conley at Big P Political Economy

A wealthy amateur who wants respect

02 February 2012Gina Rinehart has the money but struggles to wield national influence. That may change, now she has a bigger stake in Fairfax, writes Ben Eltham of the New Matilda.

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Topic Guides

NBN: Guide for Consumers

  • Australian Communications Consumer Action Network & Internet Society Australia

09 June 2011The Internet Society of Australia (ISOC-AU) and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), have developed NBN: A Guide for Consumers, designed to offer all Australians information about the National Broadband Network.

Homelessness

  • Public Policy Institute - Australian Catholic University

12 December 2011Despite numerous reports, reviews and initiatives over many years, homelessness remains a policy issue in search of a solution.

Equity and education

  • Public Policy Institute - Australian Catholic University

12 December 2011In the international testing stakes, Australian school students are mostly high achievers. However, there is a significant equity problem in education.

Audio

Reaping what we sow: agriculture's role in climate change

Listen to audio
03 February 2012Richard Eckard examines how modern agriculture contributes to global warming and discusses ways of mitigating the problem. Presented by Dr Dyani Lewis.

Communication, access and equality

Listen to audio
08 December 2011This program looks at number of projects aiming to improve access to communication - be it the use of telephones in East Timor or Internet access in the remote interior of Australia.

Immigration & refugees

Inclusive education for students with refugee experience: whole school reform in a South Australian primary school

25 January 2012In recent years, there has been an increase in students with refugee experience in the UK, the US, Europe and Australia.

Immigration detention in Australia

23 January 2012The policy of mandatory detention in Australia (that is the legal requirement to detain all non-citizens without a valid visa) was introduced by the Keating (Labor) Government in 1992 in response to a wave of Indochinese boat arrivals.

Australian Government spending on irregular maritime arrivals and counter-people smuggling activity

23 January 2012There has been much discussion in both the media and political debate in recent times about the substantial and rising costs to the Australian Government of intercepting, detaining and processing asylum seekers arriving by boat.

Video

Trends and recent developments in income inequality in Australia

Listen to audio
07 February 2012The 2011 Fay Gale Lecture will be presented by Associate Professor Denise Doiron on the theme Trends and Recent Developments in Income Inequality in Australia.

Social entrepreneurship - the revolution matures

Listen to audio
09 December 2011The discourse around social entrepreneurship continues at a pace: more international conferences, research interest, journals and university courses are some of the identifiers.

Youth

Websites

Development Policy Blog

03 January 2012Providing a platform for the best in aid and development analysis, The Development Policy blog focuses on Australia, the Pacific and Asia.

iTaNGO

14 November 2011iTaNGO is a project designed to help give Victorian community sector organisations the knowledge and resources to get the most out of their information communication technology (ICT) setup.

The International Clearinghouse on Children, Youth and Media

21 October 2011The Clearinghouse collects and documents research and other information on children, youth and media across the world.

Most viewed: This week

1
Teaching with social media in classroom settings: Top ten practices from teachers around Europe
2
The experience of education: The impacts of high stakes testing on school students and their families
3
Juvenile detention population in Australia 2011
4
Can nations measure well-being?
5
Past and present adoptions in Australia

Books

Speechwriting for government in Australia

Speechwriting for government in Australia

  • James Groves
  • James Groves & Associates
"...an indispensible book...excellent practical guide to the art of effective oral communication" from the Foreword by Malcolm Hazell CVO AM, former Official Secretary to the Governor-General
Digital futures for cultural and media studies

Digital futures for cultural and media studies

  • John Hartley
  • Wiley-Blackwell
As they play with their digital devices and online games, children may unknowingly be making up the kind of democracy we will have tomorrow.

Noticeboard

Default Superannuation Funds in Modern Awards: new inquiry
07 February 2012
The Productivity Commission has been asked to report within 8 months on Default Superannuation Funds in Modern Awards. The inquiry covers the design of criteria for the selection and ongoing assessment of superannuation funds for nomination as default funds in modern awards.
Review of the Australia Council for the Arts
20 December 2011

Arts Minister Simon Crean has announced an independent review of the Australia Council for the Arts ahead of the development of the nation's first National Cultural Policy in almost 20 years.

Access and equity inquiry
20 December 2011

On 18 November 2011, Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, announced the establishment of an independent panel of eminent community leaders to conduct an inquiry into Australian Government services to ensure they are responsive to the needs of Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Topic Guides

NBN: Guide for Consumers

  • Australian Communications Consumer Action Network & Internet Society Australia

09 June 2011The Internet Society of Australia (ISOC-AU) and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), have developed NBN: A Guide for Consumers, designed to offer all Australians information about the National Broadband Network.

Topics

APO