Water report provides the ‘systemic fix’ but damage to the public service lingers by Stephen Easton | 0 comments Water management failures have damaged the reputation of the New South Wales public service and exposed a culture of expediency. A "systemic fix" has been proposed but it is harder to rebuild trust than to lose it.
Verona Burgess: decentralisation spin lands in the long grass by Verona Burgess | 0 comments Just when you might think deputy PM Barnaby Joyce would pull in his head while the High Court resolves the dual-citizenship crisis, he has, characteristically, done the opposite.
Murray-Darling Basin review to examine water rules and compliance by David Donaldson | 0 comments A review led by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority will examine the adequacy of state water regulations and whether they're being complied with, the PM has announced. It's the latest response to allegations of water theft and bureaucratic impropriety aired last week.
Public service decentralisation: the APVMA is no Sydney Opera House by David Donaldson | 0 comments Barnaby Joyce is right — not everything should come down to a cost-benefit analysis. So where's the intangible benefit in moving public servants to the countryside that will offset the expense and loss of output?
Tom Burton: time to get government out of the city by Tom Burton | 2 comments The arguments for the continued location of government agencies in the major cities no longer stack up. There is a need for a well-articulated medium-term plan to rethink the location of government.
Barnaby’s bush bureaucracy: industry alarmed by APVMA’s plunging KPIs by Stephen Easton | 0 comments Industry stakeholders have voiced serious concerns about the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority's latest KPIs, blaming its forced relocation to Armidale. The deputy PM plans to spam a Senate inquiry examining the issue.
Robbing Canberra to pay Armidale: cost analysis doesn’t support ‘national interest’ by David Donaldson | 0 comments Barnaby Joyce and his own electorate will be the only winners out of his election promise to move the APVMA to Armidale. Industry and taxpayers will shoulder the cost of replacing 85% of staff and undermined capacity, a cost-benefit analysis found.
Decentralisation: ‘ideologically driven Canberra bashing’ by Stephen Easton | 0 comments When Victoria tried public sector decentralisation, it hit a snag. The federal government is moving ahead anyway with agencies preparing to depart Canberra. But will their experience be any different?
Queensland pushes public service regionalisation agenda by Stephen Easton | 0 comments Governments increasingly see their public services as economic chess pieces to be moved around their jurisdiction and stimulate growth outside major centres of population. Queensland is following suit.
New MDBA chief has the experience to bridge troubled waters by Stephen Easton | 0 comments Balancing environmental protection versus our industry need for natural resources has become the quintessential Australian policy challenge. The new boss of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority has been helping governments do just that for almost 30 years.
New agriculture commissioner to sit within ACCC by David Donaldson | 0 comments The ACCC is getting a beefed up expansion of its role to address anti-competitive behaviour in agricultural markets, and it comes with extra resources for a new commissioner and field work as officials bring innovation to the farm.
New appointments, from outer space to the Pacific by Stephen Easton | 0 comments A round-up of some recent appointments to senior positions in the public sector: A coup for the ANU; new ACARA board; experienced diplomat on island time; the nation's wine supply secured; turnover in transport safety governance; and solid legal advice for Victorian agencies.
