Many mainstream non-government organisations committed to enhancing the wellbeing of Australians want to more positively engage with Indigenous Australians. But 'good intentions' do not guarantee that, at the very least, no damage is done through such engagement. This paper explores some of the principles and practices which underpin positive engagement. It shares some of the...

This report, prepared for the New South Wales Cabinet Office, presents empirical evidence of the use of coordinated and integrated approaches to human service delivery in Australia, particularly in New South Wales, and overseas. Michael Fine, Kuru Pancharatnam and Cathy Thomson focus on the evidence of successful integration initiatives involving community-based projects and those that...

Sustainability is becoming more important to the general policy discourse on protecting the environment. But despite government adopting a National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development some twelve years ago, Australia's performance on crucial items such as emissions of carbon dioxide equivalents remains poor. Arguably, say Kate Norris and Roger Patulny, not only must people's attitudes...

Using census data Peter Siminski, Jenny Chalmers and Marilyn McHugh find that foster carers are most likely to be women aged 35-54 years who are not in the labour force. Of the various family types (adjusted for age), couples with birth children are least likely to foster. Couples with birth children account for two-fifths of...

Lyn Craig compares the impact of children on adult time-use in four countries (Australia, Italy, Norway and Germany) with different approaches to economic, social and family organisation. Of the sample, 'familialistic' Italy has the most inequitable division of labour for childless men and women, and it is 'liberal' Australia in which the changes in time...