The commercial sex industry in NSW continues to attract media attention as communities throughout the state grapple with the vexed issue of where to locate legal brothels. This report reviews the regulatory environment in other states. In NSW, brothels need town planning permission only. Somewhat ironically, critics of the 'lax' regulatory environment in NSW make...

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has projected the nation's population to 2101, with the mid-case scenario indicating a population of 25.3 million in 2051, a peak of 25.5 million in 2063 and then a gradual declines. Population predictions for Sydney forecast it to grow from a population of currently 3.5 million to six million by...

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The agricultural sector is relatively small but contains certain well-performing areas (pp.1-12,23-24). In recent years, there have been substantial changes in the organisation of the sector (pp.14-16,17,20). Large-scale overseas companies are assuming a greater presence in Australian agriculture as the sector is transformed into agribusiness (pp.17-18). Certain problems, occurring within this transition, remain...

The Partnership Against Homelessness was a network of NSW Government agencies which aims to improve services for homeless men and women. The Partnership oversaw a rolling program of reforms to existing services and introduced new projects to increase access to crisis, temporary and long-term accommodation.

Drought in Australia is a natural occurrence, and there are a wide range of perceptions in the community about the nature and significance of drought. However, severe drought can have a debilitating effect on rural and regional communities and represent a major cost to the wider community. This paper discusses: the causes of drought; policy...