Environment minister Sussan Ley refused outright 39 freedom of information requests in the last financial year, while granting just one in full and three in part, new analysis by the Australian Conservation Foundation has found.
Before the recession we were on a collision course with environmental disaster. The recovery provides a rare opportunity to do things differently; to rebuild a better economy that can support living standards without irretrievably damaging the environment. The closer we get to irreversible climate change, the harder that will become. Doughnut economics, a concept principally […]
The end of coal-fired generation in Australia is inevitable. Zero marginal cost, zero emissions energy is now a reality. Wind and solar are cheaper sources of new electricity than coal in most cases, putting significant pressure on the profitability of the inflexible, ageing coal generators. The only questions are when coal-fired power stations will close […]
For many of us, one of the upsides of 2020 was being freed from the grind of the daily commute. For the 40% of the workforce able to “telecommute”, COVID-19 social distancing measures saved us an average of about an hour a day – and much more for those of us living in the outer […]
A collaborative craft malting facility for brewers, distillers and bakers and the development of new bio and geothermal renewable energy sources are just a few of the new pilot projects about to get underway in Gippsland, as the region charts a new path beyond coal-fired power generation. Located in the east of the Australian state […]
Australia’s COVID vaccine rollout will now begin in mid- to late February. Vaccination will commence with workers dealing with international arrivals or quarantine facilities, frontline health workers and those living in aged care or with a disability. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government “optimistically” aims to vaccinate 80,000 Australians a week, and four million […]
Incredibly, a whole year has passed since the first emergence of COVID-19. What looked like a temporary inconvenience at first is turning into a permanent fixture that might forever change life as we knew it before 2020. But how long will people continue to comply with the measures necessary to overcome the virus as complacency […]
A new year, a slew of new books, and after the nightmare of 2020 you can believe there are roughly a million on the pandemic alone. Below, organised by subject, are some of the most important new releases for Australian public servants. COVID-19 Reset: Restoring Australia after the Pandemic Recession, Ross Gaurnaut (February, La Trobe): […]
In our final feature for 2020, The Mandarin explores how APS leaders are reflecting on the most extraordinary and taxiing year for public administrators in a generation, and what priorities those leaders are already setting for what is shaping up to be an immensely consequential 2021.
Consultants reflect on the year that was in 2020 and speculate on the 'snakes and ladders' recovery ahead in 2021.
The torrid year that has been 2020 is drawing to a close, but as anyone who works in the public service knows, next year is just around the corner and for some may as well already be here. After the rolling crises of the last twelve months, touch wood 2021 will not be so extreme. […]
As bilateral trade with China worsens, officials are warned the incoming Biden administration is unlikely to shift on multilateral deals.
Four years ago Canberra’s relationship with Beijing was on much less complicated footing; outbound trade with the people’s republic was rebounding to a five-year high, the government-owned postie was talking up the market ad nausea, and public officials were attending all manner of ceremonial signings. It was at one of these memorandum ceremonies—routine in China’s […]
With federal leadership on a net zero 2050 target missing, state and territory governments are tackling the the climate crisis themselves.
The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown myriad challenges at the public service. Neil Scales reflects on what he's learned about ethical leadership.
