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Dam failures that cause significant adverse downstream impacts continue to occur globally. Hence, effective, adequately resourced dam safety regulation is critical for the safety of dams and downstream communities. This paper explores options for regulatory funding and resourcing according to a selected set of relevant key factors along a continuum of dam safety assurance. An international comparative analysis of 15 jurisdictional case studies against the key factors identifies trends representing indicative precedents. A procedure is developed to help identify increasingly relevant precedents for guiding target jurisdictions on potentially suitable options. Illustrative application to a real case in Australia is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research provides critical, comparative insights into the public communication responses employed by Australia and New Zealand during the first twelve months following the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic. The two nations share a similar socio-political and cultural context, but despite being highlighted by the international media as early success stories, their public communication responses to the pandemic showed noteworthy differences. Borrowing from cultural studies, this paper applies the circuit of culture model and offers a snapshot in time that reinforces the importance of socio-cultural awareness when communicating intricate and challenging information. It supports the idea that a range of effective solutions to complex communication challenges are possible and may result in a similar outcome, including strengthened identities and national pride during uncertain times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet access is determined by a combination of a widely available telecommunication infrastructure and affordability of Internet services, which are closely related to government policies (IT Group. (1999). Like other countries, both Australia and China have considered the Internet a powerful tool for national development economically and socially. As Internet growth becomes more and more significant, it becomes important to address the extent to which the underlying communication policies influence current growth rates. This paper provides a comparative review of policy approaches to regulating the Internet in both China and Australia. This study aims to identify the regulatory factors affecting Internet access in terms of availability and affordability, especially those factors which encourage the creation of a policy and regulatory environment favourable to the development of Internet infrastructure and access. This paper examines the linkages between regulatory regimes, market environments and Internet access in both China and Australia. The preliminary result suggests that government policies governing the telecommunications service market and promoting information infrastructure have a significant impact on the affordability and availability of Internet access. The most significant factor is the level of competition permitted in the telecommunication sector. It has become clear that further regulatory initiatives such as deregulatory mechanisms and interconnection regimes are needed to establish a more competitive environment for Internet access in both countries, and more particularly in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the rapid progression of Internet gambling, governments internationally are struggling to create and enact appropriate and effective regulations. A situation of inter-jurisdictional inconsistency exists and regulatory frameworks are constantly changing, with international policies of prohibition, legalization or partial legalization, or imprecise legal limbo. The ambiguity of the current situation and questionable effectiveness of policies in place makes it difficult for gambling operators, treatment providers, players and other stakeholders to formulate appropriate responses to online gambling. This article aims to bring some clarity and offer guidance for the effective implementation of gambling policy by examining the comparative evolution of Internet gambling in Australia and Canada, and the respective social, legal, economic and political responses. The differences in the development of online gambling highlight the unique paths possible, yet the similarities between these jurisdictions provide key examples of how policymakers, gambling operators, researchers and consumers can respond to this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]