This first report of a national research program has been released to explore the unprecedented events of 2019-2020 created by the bushfires and the global pandemic, and their associated challenges on Australia’s health, economic and social systems.

COVID-19 has started an economic tsunami that threatens to overwhelm progress towards reducing disadvantage across New South Wales. This report provides estimates based on international, Australian and original research on the impact of rising unemployment on disadvantage across NSW’s regions.

CEO of the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), Cassandra Goldie, claimed that people unemployed for more than a year are roughly half as likely to ever find another job, and that this was the experience after the 2008-09 global financial crisis. Dr Goldie’s claim is a fair call.

This analysis, produced before the COVID-19 pandemic, explores the social care needs of adults aged 18–64. The debate about social care reform is often focused on issues facing older people, but younger adults are a large and growing part of the adult social care system, often with very different needs and experiences to older people...

The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of bilateral agreement arrangements between Services Australia and other entities.