Australian Government Agencies Research Articles

Buying Back and Caring for Country: Institutional Arrangements and Possibilities for Indigenous Lands Management in Australia

This article reports on research conducted for an Australian government agency concerned with the acquisition and management of lands for indigenous peoples. Using the theoretical and empirical literature on planning, this article considers institutional arrangements and processes to support the management of indigenous lands by their indigenous owners. The article examines recent calls for policy decentralization and community-based planning as a response to contemporary environmental management issues. The utility of three institutional models--(1) centralized institutional regulatory, (2) community-based planning, and (3) reticulist (facilitated process) approaches--are interrogated. The article develops a hybrid approach that integrates the positive features of different approaches. The hybridized model provides institutional arrangements that enable collaborative planning between indigenous peoples and state institutions. It overcomes the deficiencies of community-based approaches by retaining an active, albeit limited, role for state agencies.

A Virtual Organisation Model for E-Government

This paper looks at the implementation of a new customer value alliance model in e-govemment. Firstly we review the issues of e-govemment and the drive towards customer centric organisations in the context of multiple government agencies. A model of e-Government is introduced and examined within the context of a virtual organisation model which can be applied along the customer value chain across multiple service agencies. A case study is used to demonstrate how this concept of a virtual organisation as a customer value-alliance model can effect a successful transition to e-Govemment from a traditional Government model. Finally, we examine how the Aboriginal Affairs Department, a Western Australian Government agency is implementing this model for improved customer service and the implications of this model for the management of change in a developing e-community.

On-site wastewater technologies in Australia

Domestic wastewater reuse is currently not permitted anywhere in Australia but is widely supported by the community, promoted by researchers, and improvised by up to 20% of householders. Its widespread implementation will make an enormous contribution to the sustainability of water resources. Integrated with other strategies in the outdoor living environment of settlements in arid lands, great benefit will be derived. This paper describes six options for wastewater reuse under research by the Remote Area Developments Group (RADG) at Murdoch University and case studies are given where productive use is being made for revegetation and food production strategies at household and community scales. Pollution control techniques, public health precautions and maintenance requirements are described. The special case of remote Aboriginal communities is explained where prototype systems have been installed by RADG to generate windbreaks and orchards. New Australian design standards and draft guidelines for domestic greywater reuse produced by the Western Australian State government agencies for mainstream communities are evaluated. It is recommended that dry composting toilets be coupled with domestic greywater reuse and the various types available in Australia are described. For situations where only the flushing toilet will suffice the unique 'wet composting' system can be used and this also is described. A vision for household and community-scale on-site application is presented.

Policy development and the environment

Following on from a quantitative (questionnaire- based) study into policy-making procedures and the consideration of environmental concerns therein within Australian government agencies, a further qualitative study was undertaken to identify opportunities for modifying and improving existing approaches and methodologies for strategic environmental assessment (SEA). Based on semi-structured interviews of senior public servants, an investigation of existing policy-making procedures, methods of incorporating environmental concerns into these procedures, and measures to improve the policy process to account better for environmental concerns was carried out. The results show that the variation in both agency policy-making procedures and the degree to which environmental concerns are incorporated into policy-making compel the selective application of existing and proposed SEA approaches to suit the required circumstances.

Australian Commonwealth Government Statistical Clearing House: Vehicle for Reducing Response Load and Improving Survey Quality

SummaryThe recently constituted Commonwealth Government Statistical Clearing House was set up in response to a small business task force recommendation. It is operated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) as part of that agency's coordination role. Its primary goal is to ensure that surveys impose minimum load on business respondents and that the data collected are fit for their intended uses. Surveys affecting 50 or more businesses conducted by or on behalf of Australian Government departments or agencies, including the ABS itself, are subject to a clearance process. Those that are not approved are not permitted to start or continue. Statistical Clearing House review procedures not only aim to reduce respondent load and promote good design, they also ensure good documentation and facilitate data sharing. Metadata descriptions of all the surveys subject to review are recorded in the Commonwealth Register of Surveys of Businesses, publicly accessible via the Internet.This paper augments and updates previously published material. It outlines the objectives, development and operation of the Statistical Clearing House from the perspective of its contribution to reduction in respondent load and improvement in survey quality. It describes the review criteria and the survey metadata that are required to support the clearance process. It briefly compares and contrasts similar programs at other statistical agencies. Finally, it summarises the first year of operations. The tentative conclusion is that the benefits brought by the program in terms of increased survey taker awareness of respondent load and quality issues outweigh the additional work required by survey managers to comply with the program and the costs of administering it.

Performance Appraisal or Performance Development? a Tale of Two Schemes

After reviewing some of the literature on performance appraisal, this evaluation presents a case study of the introduction of two related schemes in a single Australian government agency. The reasons one was successful and the other less so included the ownership by the agency of the successful scheme; its rapid implementation; and its focus on development rather than appraisal

The contribution of applied general equilibrium analysis to policy reform in Australia

Applied general equilibrium (GE) modelling is widely used by Australian federal government agencies involved in policy making. With the possible exception of Norway, this situation seems to be unique to Australia. The present paper traces the history of the IMPACT Project, an initiative of the Australian Industry (formerly Industries Assistance) Commission in association with a number of Australian universities, which has been instrumental in securing the widespread acceptance of the GE method in applied policy economics. We note, inter alia, that the largest loser from Australia's manufacturing protectionism, namely her export-oriented farm sector, has adopted the GE approach in pressing its case to government. We ask the question: 'To what extent has applied GE modelling been influential in achieving the turn around in Australia's stance to commercial policy?' We present the relevant evidence in abbreviated form, but leave the answer to the reader. (This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Prevalence of intellectual handicap in Western Australia: a community study

To produce comprehensive community based data on individuals with intellectual handicap, the level of retardation, associated handicaps and demographic data. Multiple sources of ascertainment were used to identify all children in birth cohorts, 1967-1976 inclusive, who had an IQ less than 70. The majority of cases were ascertained through Western Australian government agencies that provide services for the intellectually handicapped. Other sources included the support branch of the education department, private schools and the children's hospital. In all, 1602 children, aged between 6 and 16 years, fitted the study criteria. The prevalence of intellectual handicap was found to be 8.9 per 1000 live male births and 6.3 per 1000 live female births with an overall rate of 7.6. The figures for mild, moderate, severe and profound retardation were 3.0, 2.4, 1.0 and 0.6 per 1000, respectively, with 0.8 per 1000 with an unknown IQ. Cerebral palsy occurred in 20% and epilepsy in 13% in addition to intellectual handicap. There was a significantly higher rate among those from rural compared with urban areas: 9.9 v. 6.5 per 1000 live births, respectively. This comprehensive epidemiological data on intellectual handicap in Western Australia will be of value in the planning of services, including screening and genetic counselling, and for the evaluation of care. The rural preponderance, in particular, is worthy of further evaluation.

Australiana

Australiana