School of Social and Political Sciences - Research Publications
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ItemAustralia: where forward co-regulation?(NetAlert, 2002)Regulation of the online environment has become a common problem for many governments around the world. While the motivations for regulation are diverse, in their desire to censor Internet content, English-speaking countries have tended to focus on the moral implications of unfettered communication between computer users. Issues associated with intellectual property protection, harassment, and criminality following behind initial policy positions aimed, largely, at pornography and other morally-unacceptable forms of communication. In Australia, initial policy debates about Internet content focused almost exclusively on pornography and paedophilia, focusing on conflict between the protection of minors from offensive and morallydegrading material and the freedom of adults to communicate content of interest to them. In 1999, the Federal Government introduced the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act prohibiting the unrestricted distribution of material that would be classified 'R' or greater under the existing film and literature classification regime. In 2000, following public debate about the extent of gambling in the Australian community, the government introduced a moratorium on the expansion of online gambling services in Australia, followed in July 2001 by the Interactive Gambling Act to prohibit the operation of online casinos within Australia. While initial regulatory proposals countenanced the possibility of strict regulation, each law was curtailed to regulatory regimes that would minimise compliance costs for certain established commercial players. (From Introduction)
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ItemWho's in the joined-up government? Australian elected representatives adaptive responses to network technology(The University of Melbourne - Centre for Public Policy, 2002)
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Item'They're not like us': the de-amalgamation of Delatite Shire( 2002)The compulsory amalgamation of Victorian local governments under the Kennett government in the mid 1990s led to a major period of upheaval and reform across the entire sector. Forced into 'mega councils' with appointed administrators and cuts to rate income, all councils struggled to merge political and administrative systems and cultures, manage service delivery, and move to new public management principles of contract management and privatisation of council functions. While most municipalities grudgingly accepted the new centrally-determined boundaries, Delatite Shire in North-East Victoria saw ongoing resistance to the amalgamation from its southern community of Mansfield, bitterly opposed to the amalgamation with Benalla and the perceived loss of services and government staff from their region. From the formation of a locally-based residents' association, the first democratically-elected council of the new Shire was largely replaced by one comprised of pro-de-amalgamation representatives, who successfully lobbied the State government for the opportunity to present a case for splitting the Shire. Following ongoing community consultation, the Council has been given the opportunity to split, an administrative exercise that will increase rates and create a new Shire dependent on contracted services from surrounding municipalities. Examining the case, this paper explores the public debate and political strategies employed to advance and realise the de-amalgamation policy, examining the problems associated with forming a community of interest within the new Shire. Overall, the case presents an interesting comparison with other pro-autonomy movements, the theoretical analysis of which is generally confined to ethnic separatism. The paper concludes that, while practical limitations in effective public administration resulted from the ill-considered merger of Benalla and Mansfield, much of the political debate surrounding de-amalgamation were based on the essential premise that separation was the only solution for significant financial and structural problems within the council. Thus political arguments were constrained within this 'pre-framed' debate.
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ItemSubmission to the Review of the Operation of Schedule 5 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992( 2002-11)A submission made to the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts in reference to the operations of the Internet content regulation scheme (censorship) in Australia. Contains unpublished research.
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ItemSubmission to the Inquiry into Electronic Democracy( 2002-10)A submission made to the Victorian Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee pertaining to electronic democracy. Contains as yet unpublished research
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ItemAustralian Adult Industry Censorship Survey 2002 Summary of Findings(Centre for Public Policy, University of Melbourne, 2002-02)Thus summary document presents the findings of a survey of members of the Australian Adult Industry undertaken in the first quarter of 2002. The aims of the research project were to determine the impact of the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Online Services) Act 1999 on commercial operators of adult services and product sales in Australia.Overall, while the total response rate to the survey as was low, sixty respondents participated in the research project, comprised of companies from all parts of the Australian Adult Industry. The research found that, in relation to Internet censorship:* Awareness of the law was reasonably high* Limited action was taken in response to the law* The law had limited impact on the industryIn Addition, with regards to the use of new media by commercial operators: *Website growth rates remain steady *Advertising remains the primary function of adult industry websites*The ratio of eCommerce providers to non-providers continues to rise*Continued growth in eCommerce is anticipated.
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ItemAustralian Elected Representatives' Use of New Media Technologies 2002(Centre for Public Policy, University Of Melbourne, 2002-06)This document is based on a survey of Australian elected representatives undertaken during the first half of 2002. The aims of the research were to examine the use of, and interest in, new media technologies, such as the Internet, by Australia's elected officials across four levels of government: Commonwealth, State and Territory parliamentarians, Local Government councillors, and councillors of the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Commission.