White Spot Disease (WSD) is a viral infection caused by Whispovirus that causes death in up to 80% of affected farmed prawns. Australia was considered free of WSD until an outbreak in December 2016 but it has had an almost constant presence in biosecurity policy, the aquaculture industry and research since the 2000s.

Introduction On the 10th of November the Australian Government ratified the Paris Agreement to significant media coverage. At the same time the Government also ratified the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, which states Australia’s intention to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions between 2013 and 2020. Climate change and the Kyoto Protocol Current climate change...

This paper presents a record of Australian climate change policies. Key international developments are also included to provide global context. Introduction Climate change is a long-term, global problem. Long-term problems generally require stable but flexible policy implementation over time. However, Australia’s commitment to climate action over the past three decades could be seen as inconsistent...

The National Water Commission (NWC) is to be dissolved, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann confirmed on Monday. Established during the millennium drought, the NWC is an independent statutory authority designed to monitor the progress of national water reform, but its role changed and expanded over the years. What has the NWC been doing? Origins and functions...

This short paper explains Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs), which are payments for electricity fed into the supply grid from a renewable energy source. FiTs can be mandated by the government or offered voluntarily by an electricity retailer. The primary aim of FiTs is to encourage the adoption of renewable energy. FiTs make the installation of renewable...