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?

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.

A childcare system that responds to the actual needs of families and local communities will improve equity and increase productivity. Here’s what a flexible, place-based approach might look like.

Government has emerged as a decisive strategic investor in Australia, helping shape markets to address complex policy challenges. How did it get here and what can it do next?

Appointing some ministers from outside parliament could help boost representation and improve policymaking.

Australians have proven themselves resilient in the face of housing pressures – but structural reform to boost supply and dampen rising costs is desperately needed.

While the political and policy focus has rightly been on regulating artificial intelligence, we also need to plan now to harness AI’s power as a policymaking tool – especially, its capacity to model outcomes in complex systems.

Simple quantitative metrics don’t do justice to the breadth and complexity of human experience. Researchers and policymakers can benefit from frameworks implementing a nested relationship between data and lived experiences, metrics and relational processes.

Australia’s superannuation funds can anchor long-term investments that are essential for the development of new industries, especially manufacturing, and the transition to a low emissions economy.

In its second year, The Policymaker has grown to become a leading platform for public policy analysis and ideas informed by research expertise and experience – here are our five most popular articles in 2023.