AQ: Australian Quarterly 92.3 Jul-Sept 2021

The majority of people don’t take an active interest in the mechanistic processes of our democracy. At large, we rely on journalists, content experts and policy wonks to pick through the impenetrable wall of reports and reviews that are churned out by the cogs of our institutions. We rely on them to assess if something is wrong, to identify the gaps between politics and the public good, or to sound the alarm if the machine itself is beginning to break down… This edition of AQ, has a particularly procedural flavour to it, but please don’t let that put you off. From the high-profile revelations of a Royal Commission through to the oft forgot Senate Committee processes, it is good to be reminded that our democracy is more than just triennial…

Once in each decade, Australia’s national environmental law, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is subject to comprehensive independent review. Although commissioned by government, these reviews are required by law, which can leave the government, and certainly the current government, as something of a reluctant ‘client’. As the EPBC Act is 20 years old, there have been two such reviews. The first review, by former Defence Department head Dr Allan Hawke, was received with enthusiasm by environment Minister Peter Garrett in 2009, but later drowned in the turbulent waters of the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd years and sank almost without trace. The second review, by Professor Graeme Samuel, a lawyer, business person and former competition regulator, was handed to the Morrison government in October 2020 and earlier this year…

• Australia’s natural environment and iconic places are in an overall state of decline and under increasing threat. The environment is not sufficiently resilient to withstand threats and the current trajectory is unsustainable. • The EPBC Act and its operations, require fundamental reform. The Act does not clearly outline its intended outcomes, and the environment has suffered from two decades of failing to improve the law and its implementation. • Business has also suffered. The Act is complex and cumbersome and duplicates State development approval processes. This adds costs to business, with little environmental benefit. • New, legally enforceable National Environmental Standards are the centrepiece of the recommended reforms. The Standards should focus on outcomes and on fundamental processes for decision-making, and provide transparency and strong oversight to build trust…

IDENTIFY FOR PROTECTION (WHETHER BY LIST, DECLARATION OR CATALOGUE) List Matters of National Environmental Significance Declare Commonwealth Reserves (Includes Conservation Zones and Australian Whale Sanctuary) List marine species List Critical Habitat List Biosphere Reserves (for conservation only) List Cth & Overseas Heritage PLAN FOR CONSERVATION (INCLUDES CONSERVATION ADVICE & AGREEMENTS) Bioregional Plans Protected Area Management Plans Threatened Species & Ecological Communities: • Conservation Advice • Recovery Plans Threat Abatement Plans Wildlife Conservation Plans Identify & monitor biodiversity (cooperate & assist) Conservation Agreements ASSESS & APPROVE FOR ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE USE IN DEVELOPMENT OR TRADE Environmental Impact Assessment Strategic Environmental Assessment (incl. fisheries) Take native species (Cth area only) Wildlife Trade: • Internationally-listed endangered species • Import of exotics • Export of natives…

Few things hit closer to home than the best way to care for our ageing population. 1.3 million Australians access aged care services each year, which means that millions of others are indirectly affected by the care that these services provide to ageing parents, family members or loved ones. If you are middle aged, like us, it is likely that you often think about how you will care for your ageing parents. Or, if you are lucky enough to have grandparents still around, you are also concerned about their current care: Are they taking their medications correctly? Is their house clean? Are they lonely? Who is caring for them and are those people qualified? Am I doing enough to help? And unfortunately, how am I going to pay for all…

The authors of this article are part of the Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA) team, based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. The ROSA team is dedicated to developing evidence that supports the improvement of the aged care sector. Several of their reports, including the system developed to monitor quality and safety in aged care in Australia, were used by the Royal Commission on several aspects of their investigations. The authors were also involved in other aspects of the Royal Commission investigations, including providing expert testimony on quality and safety monitoring, data access, innovation, research organisation models and support. Established in 2017, the ROSA has linked information from the aged care and health care sectors to understand the complete pathway of ageing for older Australians that have…