Connecting Government to Community: A study of social and political connectivity at the municipal level. Facilitating community strengthening by making public institutions more responsive to the needs of citizens is a central policy challenge in the global era. This project will advance theoretical, methodological and practical understandings of this issue by using comparative measures of personal ties and organizational connectedness in four municipalities to explicate the networks linking poli ....Connecting Government to Community: A study of social and political connectivity at the municipal level. Facilitating community strengthening by making public institutions more responsive to the needs of citizens is a central policy challenge in the global era. This project will advance theoretical, methodological and practical understandings of this issue by using comparative measures of personal ties and organizational connectedness in four municipalities to explicate the networks linking politicians, bureaucrats, civic leaders and ordinary citizens. The study will generate new measures of which kinds of connections count most, which ties bring more isolated groups closer to engagement, and which community strengthening strategies are likely to make improved governance outcomes feasible.Read moreRead less
Planning for Socially Sustainable Urban Renewal in Suburban Sydney. This project will address the emerging issue of socially sustainable higher density residential renewal in suburban areas of Australian cities, with a specific focus on the post-war middle and western suburbs of Sydney. Within the context of new state strategic planning proposals, the research will explore the process of urban renewal in these areas, establish their capacity to deliver higher residential densities and assess th ....Planning for Socially Sustainable Urban Renewal in Suburban Sydney. This project will address the emerging issue of socially sustainable higher density residential renewal in suburban areas of Australian cities, with a specific focus on the post-war middle and western suburbs of Sydney. Within the context of new state strategic planning proposals, the research will explore the process of urban renewal in these areas, establish their capacity to deliver higher residential densities and assess the likely social and urban design outcomes. It will then develop new urban planing policy options that are likely to optimise socially sustainable outcomes at the local scale, working closely with local Council officers and the NSW Department of Housing in a number of study areas.Read moreRead less
Support services for people with intellectual disability: the cost of meeting and not meeting the need. Presently, governments in Australia operate in the absence of rigorous empirical data on the real cost of providing and not providing the support that people with intellectual disability need in order to participate in the life of our community. This research will provide unique information which will be of value to governments as they assess policy frameworks and budget priorities associate ....Support services for people with intellectual disability: the cost of meeting and not meeting the need. Presently, governments in Australia operate in the absence of rigorous empirical data on the real cost of providing and not providing the support that people with intellectual disability need in order to participate in the life of our community. This research will provide unique information which will be of value to governments as they assess policy frameworks and budget priorities associated with the provision of support services that people with intellectual disability and their families need. The contribution this research will make to government decision making will ultimately benefit all people with intellectual disability, their families and our community.Read moreRead less
The Costs of Foster Care in Australia. The aim of the study is to determine adequate and appropriate levels of reimbursement for carers by undertaking empirical research on the economic and social costs associated with fostering. For the first time in Australia the indirect costs to carers will be examined and a model developed for reimbursing foster carers similar to other paid carers in the community. In collaboration with the Industry Partner it will explore the feasibility of using budget st ....The Costs of Foster Care in Australia. The aim of the study is to determine adequate and appropriate levels of reimbursement for carers by undertaking empirical research on the economic and social costs associated with fostering. For the first time in Australia the indirect costs to carers will be examined and a model developed for reimbursing foster carers similar to other paid carers in the community. In collaboration with the Industry Partner it will explore the feasibility of using budget standards methodology to estimate the direct costs of care of children by refining and adapting budgets to reflect costs specific to different types of foster care.Read moreRead less
Growing Sustainable Regions: Developing a Rural Statistical Sustainability Framework. Given the challenges facing rural and regional Australia, it is essential that communities and decision-makers have the information and resources to make informed and sustainable decisions. While there is a plethora of data that can provide this evidence-base, it is often complex, disorganised and inaccessible to those who need it. Hence, to facilitate smart information use, this research develops and implement ....Growing Sustainable Regions: Developing a Rural Statistical Sustainability Framework. Given the challenges facing rural and regional Australia, it is essential that communities and decision-makers have the information and resources to make informed and sustainable decisions. While there is a plethora of data that can provide this evidence-base, it is often complex, disorganised and inaccessible to those who need it. Hence, to facilitate smart information use, this research develops and implements a Rural Statistical Sustainability Framework and decision support modelling tool that integrates environmental, economic and social data into a single user-friendly source. This will provide a platform for evidence-based decision-making that will lead to a sustainable future for rural and regional Australia.Read moreRead less
Auditing the Victorian Charter: Australian and international perspectives on applied human rights. This project is a detailed legal, government and policy case study of the most important human rights initiative in recent Australian history. It will provide research and new knowledge in key areas of human rights: the operation of human rights Bills, links between human rights and social disadvantage, education and community attitudes, and strategic government implementation. The project will d ....Auditing the Victorian Charter: Australian and international perspectives on applied human rights. This project is a detailed legal, government and policy case study of the most important human rights initiative in recent Australian history. It will provide research and new knowledge in key areas of human rights: the operation of human rights Bills, links between human rights and social disadvantage, education and community attitudes, and strategic government implementation. The project will develop a new policy tool (a national Audit) to monitor, plan and strengthen human rights in government and the community, and contribute to better social wellbeing and stronger democracy in Australia.Read moreRead less
Community consultation and the hard to reach. Local government, social profiling and civic infrastructure. This study offers conceptual insights into reasons for non-participation in local government consultation, drawing on critical policy analysis and debates on governance and democratic capacity. The collaboration of 7 local councils and the VLGA enable the development of a transferable, generally viable framework linking: (i) sophisticated demographic profiles (ii) types of communication me ....Community consultation and the hard to reach. Local government, social profiling and civic infrastructure. This study offers conceptual insights into reasons for non-participation in local government consultation, drawing on critical policy analysis and debates on governance and democratic capacity. The collaboration of 7 local councils and the VLGA enable the development of a transferable, generally viable framework linking: (i) sophisticated demographic profiles (ii) types of communication media on a continuum of intensity (face to face, telephone/mail survey, email/Internet); (iii) issues on which residents wish to be consulted; and (iv) implications for civic infrastructure. Outcomes will benefit councils and Victorian citizens by providing an innovative, practically applicable framework for policy implementation using consultative processes.Read moreRead less
Place Management Programs as a Basis of Renewal for Regional Communities. Many regional communities are suffering from economic and social deprivation as well as population and infrastructure decline. Place management systems attempt to develop a management process to facilitate local communities to develop and implement their own renewal strategies. This project critically reviews place management strategies and compares and contrasts different place management approaches. The project selects o ....Place Management Programs as a Basis of Renewal for Regional Communities. Many regional communities are suffering from economic and social deprivation as well as population and infrastructure decline. Place management systems attempt to develop a management process to facilitate local communities to develop and implement their own renewal strategies. This project critically reviews place management strategies and compares and contrasts different place management approaches. The project selects one rural community case study to assess the capabilities and limitations of regional communities to develop and sustain a place management entrepreneurship program. The project will extend the understanding of place management systems as a means of addressing local community renewal and development.Read moreRead less
Resettling Visible Migrants & Refugees in Regional and Rural Victoria. Increasing numbers of visible migrants and refugees are settling in rural and regional Australia. Critical knowledge of how this is working is of national significance as it can improve cohesiveness, sustainability and quality of diverse communities and intergovernmental policies. By working directly with our industry partners in local and state government in Victoria, this project will provide concrete examples of good pract ....Resettling Visible Migrants & Refugees in Regional and Rural Victoria. Increasing numbers of visible migrants and refugees are settling in rural and regional Australia. Critical knowledge of how this is working is of national significance as it can improve cohesiveness, sustainability and quality of diverse communities and intergovernmental policies. By working directly with our industry partners in local and state government in Victoria, this project will provide concrete examples of good practice which will also be of benefit nationally. The project findings will have far-reaching implications for our understanding of migrant and refugee resettlement in Australia; and will consolidate Australia as an important site of international expertise.Read moreRead less
A model to investigate the relationships between social capital, social inclusion and industrial development. This study will develop a new model for investigating the relationships between social capital, social inclusion and industry development in a designated area under the Commonwealth Government Initiative in Regional Australia. The project will address whether high levels of social capital reduce social exclusion and the likely impacts of the ?dark side? of social capital upon communiti ....A model to investigate the relationships between social capital, social inclusion and industrial development. This study will develop a new model for investigating the relationships between social capital, social inclusion and industry development in a designated area under the Commonwealth Government Initiative in Regional Australia. The project will address whether high levels of social capital reduce social exclusion and the likely impacts of the ?dark side? of social capital upon communities. The study will draw on relevant contemporary theory, survey analysis, interviews and discussion forums to develop new explanations that will help build community capacities and inform the development of social policy, employment and industrial development.Read moreRead less