This is the second Report in a series that has been prepared at the request of the Council of Australian Governments. It aims to provide indicators of Indigenous disadvantage ‘that are of relevance to all governments and Indigenous stakeholders, and that can demonstrate the impact of programme and policy interventions'.

In this e-brief Janet Phillips and Adrienne Millbank summarise recent developments and key issues in the debate about mandatory detention in Australia. They provide links to web sites and material covering detention policy and practice in Australia, and detention and removal policies and practices in the UK and other comparable countries.

This report examines some of the key trends in Australia's agriculture sector over the last 20 years or so. While continuing to grow in absolute terms, the size and importance of agriculture has declined relative to the rest of the economy. Within the sector, there have been marked changes in the number and size of...

This report considers the implications of the federal government's proposed changes to funding arrangements for targeted assistance in Indigenous education, as contained in the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Amendment Bill 2004.

Stem rust is an occasional, but devastating disease of wheat. Epidemics occur when there is a carry over of stem rust from the previous season, susceptible varieties of wheat are grown, and warm humid conditions in the spring encourage disease development.