Featured article
31 October 2024
Building on international initiatives, a Future Generations Commissioner in Australia could put long-term interests front of mind for today’s policymakers.
Taylor Hawkins
Latest articles
23 January 2025
Food insecurity is a growing problem for Australians – but we need better data and evidence to understand it. Here’s how government can implement more robust and comprehensive data collection to inform policymaking on food security.
Sue Kleve, Katherine Kent and Rebecca Lindberg
17 January 2025
Prevention, early intervention, harm reduction and education should be prioritised in the NSW Government’s new Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Strategy.
Jack Wilson, Kate Ross and Steph Kershaw
18 December 2024
We published more articles and authors than ever before in 2024, as The Policymaker continued to grow as a leading platform for public policy analysis and ideas. Here are our five most popular articles from this year.
Hugh Piper
News
Explore policy solutions for some of Australia’s biggest challenges
Listen to The Policymaker Podcast

Delivering pragmatic and smart policy solutions that will have far-reaching benefits for the people of NSW and beyond.
Explore recent articles
18 November 2024
Better coordinated approaches that prioritise preventative health could help stem diabetes prevalence in Australia.
Cristy Brooks and Freya MacMillan
13 November 2024
Effective city-level planning is essential for Australia to meet its Net Zero targets. Australia can learn from leading global cities to improve policy coordination, employ targeted finance and harness research to develop more effective local climate policy.
Ehsan Noroozinejad Farsangi and Greg Morrison
12 November 2024
This episode focuses on the energy transition with university experts, those leading the charge in the non-profit sector and government policymakers to the importance of collaboration to build Australia’s Net Zero future.
The Policymaker Podcast
Can national time banks strengthen wellbeing economies?
Jo-An Occhipinti2024-09-17T09:19:05+11:0016 September 2024|
As the challenges to maintaining economic resilience, social cohesion, and mental wellbeing grow, national time banks could mobilise social production and safeguard prosperity.
Diversifying Australians’ investment choices by boosting confidence in our superannuation system
Reza Tajaddini2024-12-13T13:08:15+11:0013 September 2024|
Despite having a robust and mature retirement savings system, many Australians are choosing property as their preferred retirement investment. By addressing underlying trust issues in the superannuation system, government can alleviate this added pressure on the property market and encourage a more balanced approach to retirement planning.
Better budgeting: measuring the real long-term costs and benefits of policy
Cressida Gaukroger2024-12-13T13:14:31+11:002 September 2024|
By measuring outcomes beyond immediate upfront costs, governments can develop a more holistic understanding of the downstream effects of their decisions. Here’s where to start.
Using the past to inform sustainable policies for the future
Phlippa Higgins2024-12-16T11:55:19+11:0027 August 2024|
Innovative analysis of paleoclimate data from the last thousand years is informing better environmental management. What more can governments do to harness this valuable natural record to improve policymaking?
Turning waste into wealth: the future of manufacturing with waste feedstock
Veena Sahajwalla2024-08-20T19:57:51+11:0020 August 2024|
Local microfactories have the potential to sustainably supply the metals and critical materials needed for Australia’s green transition. But what are the right policy settings to support the reprocessing of waste for manufacturing?
A more equitable future for Australians, starting with families
Sarah Duffy2024-12-13T13:17:13+11:0015 August 2024|
Recent changes to Australia’s Paid Parental Leave scheme are a positive development. However, government can do more to value care work as a social good, including by encouraging fathers to take paternity leave and integrating parental leave with childcare and education policies.
Bridging gaps: the role of academic policy engagement to overcome regional divides in the UK
Liz Shutt2024-08-15T12:58:28+11:0012 August 2024|
Regional inequality is driving an increased demand for greater engagement between researchers and policymakers in the UK. What lessons can Australia’s knowledge brokering community learn from its British counterpart?
“Growth, growth, growth” or cost of living – how can policymakers empower all Australians?
Daniel Tracey2024-12-16T15:12:53+11:005 August 2024|
For Australia to better empower low-income households, we should focus on affordability. Here’s how governments and the private sector can work together to achieve this.
Boosting housing supply: towards a policy framework for prefabricated homes
Parisa Ziaesaeidi2024-08-05T13:59:40+11:0031 July 2024|
Australians should embrace prefabricated homes as an efficient and sustainable way to boost supply and lower prices. Government should lead the way with a supportive policy framework.
Unlocking the potential of residential battery storage in NSW
Jack Isherwood2024-07-31T14:43:44+11:0026 July 2024|
While the environmental and energy impetus for residential battery storage is well established, adopting a “mission” approach could help governments deliver on broader social, economic and sustainability objectives.