Australia had a long and illustrious association with 'space science'. The first Australians used the patterns of the stars to guide them to seasonal food sources. Captain Cook arrived here on the way home from a voyage to chart the transit of Venus, with the goal of improving navigational technology. When Governor Phillip founded the...

Special Disability Trusts (SDTs) were introduced in September 2006 to assist parents and immediate family members wishing to make private financial provision for the current or future accommodation and care of a family member with a severe disability. SDTs were designed to enable families to make these provisions without reducing the person's entitlement to disability...

This report makes recommendations aimed at setting a clearer future for mental health in Australia, providing greater accountability, improving the programs and services that already exist and addressing some of the remaining gaps and shortfalls. The committee considers that further investment, leadership and cooperation are required to achieve an adequate community-based, recovery-focused mental health care...

A number of broad issues relating to the impact of taxation incentives for the establishment carbon sink forests were examined during the committee's consideration of this legislation.

This interim report addresses two parts of the Inquiry's terms of reference. Chapter 2 of the report outlines the scientific evidence available on the likely future climate of Australia's key agricultural production zones. Chapter 3 of the report discusses the adequacy of existing drought assistance and exceptional circumstances programs to cope with long-term climatic changes.