A summary of the status of the national Better and Fairer Schools Agreement. This paper presents what's on the table, the status of the bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth and state and territory governments, and where to from here. It finds that until agreements are finalised, full details about the funding increase will remain unknown.

This paper examines New Zealand's housing policy reforms since 2011, which focused on streamlining planning processes and increasing density. Preliminary analysis show the success of the measures and suggest that Australia could rapidly improve housing supply and affordability by taking New Zealand's lead.

The Colvin Review was commissioned to improve disaster funding arrangements. A total of 47 recommendations were made under the themes of: Commonwealth role and coordination, a National Natural Disaster Outcomes Policy, an evidence-informed, risk-based approach, program reforms, non-government and community sector.

The inquiry's final report provides the foundation for the establishment of a comprehensive national framework resourcing, financing and legislating climate adaptation at the local and central government levels. The report makes extensive recommendations towards a framework that is cost-effective, measurable and evidence-based. It calls for the establishment of a lead agency on climate adaptation and...

This report reveals local councils across New Zealand want more power to make decisions for their communities, rather than having rules set by the central government in Wellington. New Zealand's mayors, councillors, and council chief executives were surveyed and the results show a strong desire for what is known as "localism" – the idea that...