The prime minister has announced that the cabinet will consider a royal commission into aspects of the ongoing fire disaster once the bushfires are under control. Some form of national review seems inevitable, given the …
Articles by: "Paul Barnes"
Now that Prime Minister Scott Morrison has finalised his advisory team, he’s apparently planning a series of ‘sleeves up’ sessions on policy development. There are a few topics that he should have his advisers working …
In the past decade, the concept of urban resilience has become integral to the development and design strategies of city planners and decision-makers around the world. As cities have grown larger, there’s been a concerted …
Australia’s climate is projected to become harsher, putting more stress on our living conditions. Arguably, we need to adapt the design, use and maintenance of infrastructure and building stocks in response to a changing climate …
It’s hard to argue against the importance of a modern coastal city in Australia’s Top End to geopolitics, the economy and the nation’s security. Darwin’s long history as a military post attests to that. Populations …
The $3.9 billion emergency response fund announced in the Morrison government’s pre-election budget will resonate with the tens of thousands of Australians who, over recent months, have suffered terribly from record-setting droughts, floods and bushfires. …
A recent article in Nature concludes that the climate is changing faster than previously realised, placing the aspirational Paris Agreement limit of 1.5°C of warming at risk of being surpassed in a little over a …
Over the past 200 years, the world has become demonstrably more connected. Rising prosperity and innovation have aligned with cycles of industrial and technological development. But along with the obvious benefits of such innovation have …
For a risk manager, few metaphors resonate more than that of a ‘black swan’ event. Equally interesting is the historical link between this term denoting low likelihood but extremely significant disruptive events and Australia. Europeans …
Australia may no longer ride on the sheep’s back, but our economic and cultural links with the land and agriculture remain strong. Arguably, Australia’s economy remains intrinsically linked to agricultural production. Deliberate or accidental biosecurity …
Food contamination has been a regular feature in news headlines over the past fortnight. The discovery of needles in strawberries and other fruit has been the main cause of concern, with incidents spreading across the …
The 2002 science fiction thriller 28 Days Later, depicting the effects of an outbreak of a virulent genetically engineered plague, was described as the first great apocalyptic movie of the new millennium. The film’s narrative …