The Australian economy is unusual, in both what it produces and its policy settings. Policymakers cannot borrow blindly from overseas. Researchers need to do their part by providing careful analysis of Australian circumstances. In that vein, this report sketches five unusual features of Australia’s economic structure.

This review of the Workers’ Compensation (Dust Diseases) Scheme focused on support for younger workers within the scheme and the risk factors and safety measures related to dust exposure in the tunnelling and quarrying industries in New South Wales.

The construction industry is vital to Australia's productivity. However, this report identifies a range of contributing factors to its underperformance, including tax settings, regulation, lack of technology adoption, lack of innovation, unpredictable pipelines of work, poor collaboration, a fragmented sector and small firm size. It calls for policies to lift productivity in construction.

The building industry has been the subject of negative commentary for some time. With the establishment of a new Building and Plumbing Commission, this independently commissioned report examines seven of the Victorian Building Authority's most complex and challenging consumer cases, some of which span more than 10 years.

The Breakthrough Agenda assesses progress on international collaboration in six major emitting sectors – power, hydrogen, road transport, steel, cement and buildings. This report provides an assessment of progress on clean energy and updates recommendations for what more needs to be done.