Overview NSW has a pressing need for additional infrastructure. Projects such as WestConnex, NorthConnex, the light rail and Sydney Metro are being constructed to meet that need. In the process, they have become focal points of compulsory acquisition.

Government policy to address illegal drug use and possession is an ongoing topic of debate both in Australia and internationally. One part of the debate surrounding illegal drug use and possession involves the question of whether or not recreational drug use should be decriminalised, as has occurred in overseas jurisdictions such as Portugal. Another, and...

This paper sets out the recent history of firearms offences, including the origins of the Firearms Act 1996 (NSW) in the aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre. It then outlines the distinction between non-strictly indictable and strictly indictable firearms offences, and considers the significance of that distinction on the sentencing of firearms offences. The role...

Overview Every year the taking of NAPLAN examinations and the dissemination of NAPLAN results generates considerable media coverage and community discussion about schools and school education outcomes. This paper discusses the origins, objectives and main features of NAPLAN, and sets out its position within the national education policy framework. It also considers the extensive criticisms...

Introduction In recent years the farming community has been concerned about the increasing use by animal welfare activists of covert surveillance of farm properties. Several incidents have allegedly involved unauthorised entry and installation of hidden cameras; in one case, Animal Liberation used a drone (otherwise known as an “unmanned aerial vehicle”). Farmers complain that this...