This research paper provides an overview of the system of laws, regulations and bodies designed to protect Victoria’s historic buildings, landscapes, and culturally significant places. Maps of local government areas showing the concentration of heritage overlays within each LGA are also included.

The Criminal Organisations Control Amendment Bill 2024 contains a number of measures seeking to increase the effectiveness of Victoria’s principal Act for curtailing organised crime. The paper looks into the history of unlawful association laws and outlaw motorcycle gangs, as well as detailing the Victorian developments leading up to the current Bill.

The Youth Justice Bill 2024 aims to replace the current youth justice legislative framework with a new standalone Youth Justice Act. It proposes significant amendments and changes at each stage of the youth justice process, including frontline response, diversions, sentencing, custodial settings, parole and post-release. Some of the most notable reforms include: raising the minimum...

The Parliamentary Workplace Standards and Integrity Bill 2024 aims to reform the way allegations of bullying and harassment against Members of the Victorian Parliament are handled. This Bill Brief outlines the context that led to the changes proposed by the Bill and provides an overview of key sections of the Bill. It also outlines some...

Parliaments and other representative institutions confront significant challenges in engaging with the public. While this is also true of their engagement with younger people, there is evidence that this demographic has developed ways of engaging in issues of public policy that tend to eschew traditional institutions and practices. This paper adds to the discussion of...