Overview: The issue of alcohol-related violence, and in particular violence occurring in and around licensed premises, has been at the forefront of debate in NSW for several years. A range of measures have been introduced to tackle this problem, including those announced by Premier O’Farrell on 21 January 2014. Restrictions imposed on licensed premises under...

Overview: Sydney Harbour is a paradox: one of the most beautiful harbours in the world, yet few other estuaries are as modified and polluted. Many sites in the Harbour don’t meet water quality guidelines for contaminants such as nutrients and faecal bacteria. Water quality is worst in places like Silverwater Bridge, Parramatta Weir, Lane Cove...

Repeat offenders are responsible for a large proportion of crime in NSW; and those returning to prison make up more than half of the prison population. The costs of reoffending to society and the criminal justice system are therefore clear. Focusing on adult reoffending, this paper seeks to address these four key questions: (1) Are...

This paper finds that while the NSW economy is currently in a relatively strong headline position, largely off the back of the housing market, other areas of the State economy need to perform over the longer run if economic growth is to be sustained once the housing sector slows. Introduction The NSW economy has again...

Not everyone is going to be better off at the back end of the current oil price cycle. Introduction The fall in oil prices in the second half of 2014 was both dramatic and unexpected, bringing to an end a four-year period of relative stability. As recently as October 2014, the World Bank forecast crude...