The objective of this audit was to assess the effectiveness of the Australian government's management of international travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This investigation focused on the Victorian Department of Health’s decision-making processes and use of discretion under the Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions. It was relevant to consider the timeline leading to the designation of NSW and the ACT as an ‘extreme risk zone’ and more broadly, the authority to close Victoria’s border.

In partnership with Lifeline, this report explores the mental health impact of COVID-19 and how crisis lines supported Victorians during the pandemic.

This report illustrates how the extended lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, and the broader pandemic, have presented significant interruptions to the settlement process, with implications for young people’s longer-term participation and wellbeing.

In this paper, the author revisits the 1918-20 pandemic and ask whether it led to a reversal in the rise of trade and financial globalisation that preceded it.