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Objectives: The Australian government recently rescheduled psilocybin and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine for limited clinical uses. This change has raised various regulatory concerns and challenges for the field of psychedelic-assisted therapy. To provide clarity, we aimed to comprehensively catalogue the matters relating to psychedelic-assisted therapy that are or could be regulated. Methods: We conducted a desktop review of the literature and current regulatory sources, semi-structured interviews with professionals who had expertise in fields relating to psychedelic-assisted therapy and a framework analysis to generate a taxonomy of relevant regulatory matters. In relation to each matter, we further identified what type of regulation (if any) currently applies to that matter, any uncertainty as to how the matter should be addressed in clinical practice in the context of current regulation and whether there are conflicting views as to how the matter could or should be further regulated. Results: The taxonomy is structured into six main regulatory domains, three of which have a substantial proportion of matters with uncertainty or conflicting views: Service Establishment, Practitioner, and Treatment Delivery. Key examples of such matters include the location of services and facilities required, which professionals are eligible to become psychedelic therapists, and with what qualifications and experience. Matters in the remaining three domains, Patient Evaluation, Drug Supply and Service Oversight, appear by comparison relatively settled, with regulation either well-established or thought unnecessary. Conclusions: The taxonomy provides a roadmap for health services establishing and implementing a psychedelic-assisted therapy program, or for government and other policymakers when determining areas that may require further regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As people increasingly migrate to online shopping platforms, hard‐won improvements in requirements for consumer information provision at the point of sale are being eroded. An example is the alcohol pregnancy warning label for packaged alcoholic beverages that has been recently introduced in Australia and New Zealand. The aim of the present study was to assess the extent to which the pregnancy warning was visible at the online point of sale when the requirement became mandatory in August 2023. Methods: Data for alcohol products sold on the websites of the two largest alcohol retailers in Australia were web‐scraped from 1 to 3 August 2023. The captured data for 8343 alcoholic beverages were inspected to determine whether the pregnancy warning was visible. Results: Virtually no products (0.1%) had the mandatory warning visible on the main sales page, and only 7% enabled visibility of the warning via optional product image rotation functionality. Discussion and Conclusions: The almost complete absence of the mandatory pregnancy warnings on the main product pages of major alcohol retailers' websites highlights the regulatory problems posed by the emerging shift to online shopping. The very low prevalence of visible pregnancy warnings is likely to be an overestimate of the extent to which consumers would be exposed to warnings due to images being counted as being present regardless of their quality or readability. New regulation is needed to ensure that mandatory information requirements for harmful products are applied to online shopping contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Allied health has a valuable role in providing services to people living in residential aged care. The recent Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety included several important recommendations relating to the nursing, personal care, and allied health workforce and the care that they provide. The purpose of this paper is to review these recommendations and the Australian Government's policy responses and explore the emerging changes in allied health service provision in residential aged care. Methods: Data from the four available Quarterly Financial Reports from the 2022–2023 financial year were extracted and analysed in relation to staff costs and time per person per day across personal care, nursing, and allied health workers. Supplementary data sources including the 2020 Aged Care Workforce Census were accessed to provide contextual data relating to individual allied health professions, including occupational therapy. Results: The analysis shows a modest increase in median registered nurse minutes per person per day, and cost per person per day, from the first to second quarter, and again in the third and fourth. By contrast, median time and cost for allied health declined. From 5.6 minutes per person per day in the first quarter, reported allied health minutes fell to 4.6 minutes per person per day in the second quarter, an 18% decrease, and by the fourth quarter was 4.3 minutes per person per day. This is just over half the Australian average of 8 minutes reported to the RCACQS in 2019. Conclusion: Under recent residential aged care reforms, aged care providers have regulatory incentives to concentrate their financial resources on meeting the mandated care hours for registered nurses, enrolled nurses, personal care workers, and assistants in nursing. These same reforms do not mandate minutes of allied health services. Although providers of residential aged care in Australia continue to employ and value allied health, we argue that mandating care minutes for personal and nursing care without mandating the provision of allied health creates a perverse incentive whereby access to allied health services is unintentionally reduced. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Allied health has a valuable role in providing services to people living in residential aged care. The recent Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety included several important recommendations relating to the nursing, personal care, and allied health workforce and the care that they provide. In this paper, we argue that despite the positive intentions of some of the reforms following the Royal Commission, there have been unintended consequences that have reduced the spending on allied health in residential aged care and reduced the minutes residents receive of allied health. Consideration to mandating allied health care minutes in residential aged care should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a trending mobility choice, e-scooters have become popular in many cities. A number of authorities have initiated shared e-scooter trial schemes to assess the feasibility of the vehicles prior to enacting official legalisation. This paper aims to provide an evidence review of shared e-scooters and investigate how existing evidence may inform long-term policies. This carries significant relevance for jurisdictions that are in a conflicting position with e-scooters, such as New South Wales (NSW), Australia whose context motivates this study. The evidence review focuses on three themes derived from experience with shared e-scooters within the broader micromobility landscape, namely: safety; where shared e-scooters fit into the modal landscape; and the environmental impacts. Findings confirm that ensuring the safety of shared e-scooters requires complex solutions, which may include a clear regulatory framework for e-scooters, safety education and skill training, innovative data collection and analysis methods, and an approach to safety management that is user-based, location-based, and time-based. In terms of modal fit policymakers should encourage first and last-mile combinations with public transport, with consideration of user characteristics; while climate impact is strongly correlated to the mode replaced by e-scooter trips. The paper provides insights for policymakers on the regulation and positioning of shared e-scooters. • Many jurisdictions are struggling to determine policies for e-scooters. • Existing e-scooter evidence sheds light on possible long-term policies. • Safety management should consider different users, locations, and times. • First and last-mile combinations with public transport should be encouraged. • Climate impact is strongly correlated to the mode replaced by e-scooter trips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Assisted dying (AD) has been legalised in a small but growing number of jurisdictions globally, including Canada and Australia. Early research in both countries demonstrates that, in response to access barriers, patients and caregivers take action to influence their individual experience of AD, as well as AD systems more widely. This study analyses how patients and caregivers suggest other decision‐makers in AD systems should address identified issues. Methods: We conducted semistructured, qualitative interviews with patients and caregivers seeking AD in Victoria (Australia) and three Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia). Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and codebook template analysis. Results: Sixty interviews were conducted with 67 participants (65 caregivers, 2 patients). In Victoria, this involved 28 interviews with 33 participants (32 caregivers, 1 patient) about 28 patient experiences. In Canada, this involved 32 interviews with 34 participants (33 caregivers, 1 patient) about 33 patient experiences. We generated six themes, corresponding to six overarching suggestions by patients and caregivers to address identified system issues: (1) improved content and dissemination of information about AD; (2) proactively develop policies and procedures about AD provision; (3) address institutional objection via top‐down action; (4) proactively develop grief resources and peer support mechanisms; (5) amend laws to address legal barriers; and (6) engage with and act on patient and caregiver feedback about experiences. Conclusion: AD systems should monitor and respond to suggestions from patients and caregivers with firsthand experience of AD systems, who are uniquely placed to identify issues and suggestions for improvement. To date, Canada has responded comparatively well to address identified issues, whereas the Victorian government has signalled there are no plans to amend laws to address identified access barriers. This may result in patients and caregivers continuing to take on the burdens of acting to address identified issues. Patient or Public Contribution: Patients and caregivers are central to this research. We interviewed patients and caregivers about their experiences of AD, and the article focuses on their suggestions for addressing identified barriers within AD systems. Patient interest groups in Australia and Canada also supported our recruitment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, oral conditions remain the most prevalent of all non-communicable diseases. Among the broad range of target goals and recommendations for action by the World Health Organization's Global Oral Health Strategy, we call out three specific actions that provide an enabling environment to improve population oral health including: (i) enabling population oral health reform through leadership, (ii) enabling innovative oral health workforce models, (iii) enabling universal health coverage that includes oral health. The aim of the article is to outline how leadership, regulatory approaches and policy in Australia can strengthen health promotion practice and can inform global efforts to tackle the complex wicked problems associated with population oral health. Examples in Australia show that effective leadership, regulatory approaches and well-designed policies can address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases, and are made possible through public health advocacy, collaboration and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, there are only two publicly reported disciplinary cases against specialist medical administrators. In the most recent decision of Medical Board of Australia v Gruner, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal confirmed that specialist medical administrators owe patients and the public the same professional obligations as medical practitioners with direct patient contact. More controversially, the Tribunal also held that medical administrators have a professional obligation only to accept roles with clear position descriptions that afford them sufficient time and resources to ensure the safe delivery of health services. We argue that this imposes unrealistic expectations on medical administrators engaged by rural, regional, or private health services that already struggle to attract and retain specialist medical expertise. This may exacerbate existing health inequalities by disincentivising specialist medical administrators from seeking fractional appointments that assist under-funded areas of workforce shortage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, foodborne illness is a significant public health challenge. Food safety inspection plays a crucial role in the regulation of food businesses to prevent foodborne illnesses. To be an effective health protection measure, however, food safety inspections must facilitate the thorough evaluation of food safety risks. Our research examined how food safety inspectors from Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the U.S. assessed food contamination control during food premise inspections. Data were collected via an online survey of environmental health practitioners who routinely conduct food safety inspections. The findings indicated that inspectors are generally aware of food safety hazards that can be present at food businesses and have deployed a variety of relevant data-gathering methods to inform their examination of the extent of contamination control. The findings also indicated a prevailing methodological incongruence stemming from the absence of a robust inspection methodology. We propose that these shortcomings be addressed by solutions that are formulated based on established hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) principles and qualitative field research. The development of a clear and appropriate methodology will support food safety inspections to provide a robust and reliable means for evaluating food safety risk and ultimately reduce the incidence and burden of foodborne illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nursing homes struggle to meet the needs of their residents as they become older and frailer, live with more complex co‐morbidity, and are impacted by memory impairment and dementia. Moreover, the nursing home system is overwhelmed with significantly constraining organisational and regulatory demands that stand in the way of achieving resident‐focused outcomes. These issues are compounded by the perceptions of poor working environments, poor remuneration, and poor satisfaction amongst staff. The system is beyond the state of 'reform' and requires a fundamental redesign based on first organisational systems understandings: a clearly defined purpose and goal, shared values, and system‐wide agreed "simple (or operating) rules". A 'fit‐for‐purpose' future requires a complex adaptive nursing home system characterised by seamless 'bottom‐up and top‐down' information flows to ensure that the necessary 'work that needs to be done' is done, and a governance structure that focuses on quality improvement and holds the system accountable for the quality of care that is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2012, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners in Australia became nationally-registered allied health professionals in three categories: acupuncturist, Chinese herbal medicine practitioner, and Chinese herbal medicine dispenser. Australia was the first Western country to introduce national registration for Chinese medicine, followed by Portugal and, recently, New Zealand. The practice of TCM in Australia can be traced back to the beginning of Chinese immigration to Australia during the Victorian Gold Rush which began in the 1850s. The process which led to national registration commenced in the early 1970s with the establishment of the first acupuncture courses. Decades of gradual development of courses from unaccredited part-time diplomas to accredited bachelor degrees, and the development, by the profession, of national consensus on educational standards were essential elements in the process which led to registration. Professional associations, such as the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd. (AACMA), also developed a framework of professional selfregulation, including Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, ongoing professional development requirements and Infection Control Guidelines, and provided leadership in the development of the profession. After decades of tribalism and division within the TCM profession, the National Academic Standards Committee brought almost all stakeholders together to reach a consensus on the Australian Guidelines for Traditional Chinese Medicine Education which were published by AACMA in 2001. Professional associations also collaborated on joint submissions to the government in support of registration, which was introduced first in the state of Victoria in 2000, and subsequently became national in 2012. Despite national registration, some barriers still remain, and professional associations continue to lobby the federal government for inclusion in Medicare, chronic disease management scheme, and Veterans Affairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A healthy diet in young children is crucial for optimal growth and development. However, many toddlers (1-3 y) consume suboptimal diets, and as a result, are at a high risk of experiencing negative health outcomes. Moreover, minimal progress has been made to improve the healthiness of retail food environments for toddlers to date despite the potential and advocacy for the issue. Objectives: To gain insight into stakeholder perceptions and opinions on the healthiness of Australian retail food environments for toddlers, as well as perspectives on the options and barriers to improve their healthiness. Methods: Qualitative, online study utilizing semi-structured individual interviews with 27 key stakeholders from food industry, academia, nongovernment organizations, public health, and government in Australia. Results: Most stakeholders agreed that retail food environments for toddlers were not health promoting. Stakeholders identified that a multifaceted approach including nutrition education and strong government mandated regulation were essential to improve the healthiness of retail food environments for toddlers. Interviews also highlighted the main perceived barriers to progress, and reasons for policy inaction in this area are the food industry and government support. Many stakeholders were concerned that child health is being undermined due to the government favoring business needs over public health. Conclusions: Stakeholders in this study overwhelmingly agreed that there is more that can and should be done to create health promoting retail food environments for toddlers in Australia. Stakeholders identified a range of strategies that can be used to improve the healthiness of toddler food environments, but advocacy efforts are being undermined due to government inaction. Stakeholders believed that strong governance is required to create equitable, sustainable healthy retail food environments for young children. Improving the healthiness of retail food environments for young children will not only reduce diet related disease across the lifespan but will help to address financial and societal costs of a poor diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rents in the Australian private rental sector (PRS) have long been determined by the market, but during the public health and economic crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic, state and territory governments implemented emergency measures to prevent evictions and regulate rents. This article reviews the rent measures implemented and their outcomes, using survey data and other quantitative evidence, and interviews with PRS stakeholders. We find the rent measures, which relied on negotiations between individual landlords and tenants, had a modest effect – just 8–16% of tenants got a rent variation – and tenants, landlords and agents struggled in unfamiliar roles. The emergency period holds lessons and prompts questions about future directions in policy-making for rental affordability and PRS relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluate a novel regulation designed to address ongoing risk management failures: Australia's Banking Executive Accountability Regime (BEAR). This mixed methods study draws on a survey and 41 interviews with accountable persons and their reports across 15 organisations. Consistent with theory and previous experimental research, the study demonstrates the benefits of enhanced accountability for promoting more diligent 'system 2' behaviour. We provide evidence that BEAR promotes greater felt accountability among senior executives which in turn stimulates more proactive and diligent risk management behaviour. This behaviour has the potential to attenuate many of the behavioural biases associated with risk management failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternative proteins, including plant-based and cell-based meat and dairy analogues, are discursively positioned as a new form of meat and dairy and as a solution to the myriad of issues associated with conventional animal agriculture. Animal agricultural industries across various nations have resisted this positioning in regulatory spaces by advocating for laws that restrict the use of meat and dairy terms on the labels of alternative proteins products. Underlying this contestation are differing understandings of, and vested interests in, desirable futures for animal agriculture. In Australia, this broader contestation led to a national-level inquiry by a Senate parliamentary committee entitled Definitions of meat and other animal products (the Inquiry). This paper reports findings from a study of the problematizations developed through the Inquiry using a framework for policy discourse analysis referred to as Bacchi's 'What's the Problem Represented to be' methodology. It shows how the dominant discourse throughout the Inquiry moved away from the initial problematization of alternative proteins as a threat to animal agriculture. Instead, both industries were ultimately positioned as not in competition and only labelling laws were problematized with the solution being amendments to ensure 'consumer clarity'. This outcome ignored a range of alternative problematizations related to the ethical, environmental, health, social and economic issues raised by animal agriculture and by alternative proteins. This lack of scrutiny benefits both industries, by closing off the policy discourse to consideration of a range of alternative interests, voices, and potential solutions, such as stricter health and welfare regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal institutions worldwide construct theories about gender's ontology—i.e., theories about what gender is—and use those constructions to govern. In this article, I analyse how the Family Court of Australia constructed ontologies of gender to govern young people's gender-affirming hormone use. By analysing the 'reasons for judgment' published about cases where minors applied for the Court's authorisation to use hormones, I show that the Court constructed two theories about the ontology of gender concurrently—one essentialist and the other performative—which it leveraged to arbitrate the legitimacy of hormone use. By critically examining the Court's ontological assertions, I argue that both theories advanced anti-queer directives that tethered the legitimacy of hormone use to its promise to produce normatively gendered subjects. This analysis highlights that legal regimes concerned with controlling gender-affirming practices have much more at stake than access to those practices alone. By governing mechanisms of gender's production, these regimes do not merely shape how gender can be expressed but also the possible forms of gender itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common performance limiting arrhythmia in racehorses. High dose exercise and airway disease promote AF in humans. Few studies have investigated epidemiological factors associated with AF in horses. Objectives: Explore variables relating to performance, exercise volume and postrace endoscopic findings in horses with AF. Animals: A total of 164 horses with poor race performance and postrace AF were compared to 321 horses with poor performance without AF (PP) and 314 horses performing to expectation (TE). Methods: Horse‐level and race‐level variables for horses racing in Australia and Hong Kong from 2009 to 2021 were compared using univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Postrace endoscopic exercise‐induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) and tracheal mucus accumulation (TMA) grades for AF and PP horses were compared using chi‐squared analysis. Results: Variables that were significant in the multivariable model of AF compared to TE were distance (lengths) behind the winner, (odds ratio [OR]; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.41 [1.32‐1.51], P <.0001), cumulative prize money per start before the event (OR [95% CI] 1.02 [1.01‐1.03], P =.01) and age (OR [95% CI] 0.72 [0.55‐0.92], P =.01). More AF horses had EIPH grade ≥3 (23/109; 21.1%) than PP horses (7/213; 3.3%; OR [95%CI] 7.9 [3.3‐20.2], P <.0001). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Acute race performance was substantially impaired by AF but career earnings before the event were not inferior. Exercise volume did not promote AF. Higher grades of EIPH found in AF horses suggests a mechanistic relationship between these conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the global north, immigration detention has become an increasingly common punishment for 'illegal' movement between borders. The punitive nature of Australia's border protection laws is enhanced by a privatised and offshored model of operation, drawing in corporations and neighbouring territories to sustain a policy of indefinite, offshore detention. Reading these arrangements as resulting in actions that might be described as state-corporate crime, this article considers how such punitive regimes are sustained by the institutional actors who operationalise them. It analyses documents tabled before the Australian Senate in 2019 which detail the contractual relationship between the Department of Home Affairs and private security provider Paladin. Communications materials in particular, including emails and meeting minutes, reveal a compromised framework of accountability that failed to apprehend underlying forms of harm in offshore detention, therefore sustaining its capacity to punish. The results also suggest a shared interest between government and Paladin in maintaining this compromised framework, and an absence of voices which might challenge it. Noting that public-private contracts are commonplace in contemporary punitive regimes, the article concludes by interrogating the place for human rights compliance within these regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Since 2018, Australian paramedics have been regulated under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) for health practitioners. Established professions have been regulated in Australia for some time, so there is limited knowledge of their entry to regulation. However, as paramedicine has not been previously centrally regulated, this provides a unique case study to explore the transition to regulated practice. Design/methodology/approach: Australian paramedics undertook two surveys: pre- and post-introduction of registration. The first survey was in the month leading up to the commencement of registration (N = 419), and the second survey took place 31 months after registration (N = 407). This paper presents the results of statistical analyses of the post-registration survey including comparisons to the pre-registration survey. Findings: Although support for regulation has increased over time, there remains strong dissent consistent with 2018 levels. After 31 months of regulation, respondents reported increasing knowledge of the scheme and greater ease of navigation. The impacts of regulation are more nuanced and less polarised than in the first survey. Identity is again canvassed, and results suggest a shift from employment status and qualifications as key elements of identity to a community of practice and registration. Originality/value: Paramedics' experiences and understanding of the rationale for registration are developing. Further support is needed to assist with the emerging professional identity and behaviours. Regulation is one of many occupational factors influencing professional identity and professionalism. Exploring the experience of regulation potentially assists regulators in better supporting practitioners and helps better understand professional evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the compatibility of Australia's marketised National Disability Insurance Scheme and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The author recognises that market-based disability support is largely compatible with Australia's human rights commitments but resists the idea that it is capable of serving the interests of all Australians with disabilities. Markets can and do fail, and market stewardship, the government's proposed antidote, is only a partial solution. As such, we should embrace a pluralist disability support system that sees non-market mechanisms – like block funding – as playing an important role in disability support systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taken at face value the introduction in 2021 of Australia's News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code ("the Code") may appear "world leading," innovative, and, in general, a productive and strategic intervention to reverse the decline of public interest journalism. It is claimed that in the Australian news industry context, an annual transfer of around $200 million between two platform companies – Google and Meta – and news businesses has now been put in place (Sims, 2022). All major news media companies in Australia, if not smaller more independent ones, have greatly benefitted from the new Code, and anecdotally it appears that the funding has resulted in the creation of significant numbers of new journalists being hired. Yet the exact investment destination and ultimate beneficiaries of the funding are not known beyond the corporate walls of the recipients. The article points to the transparency and sustainability problems inherent to the new Code, arguing that an alternative approach to funding public interest journalism might be a levy funded by the platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Australia, rates of suicide and poor mental health among construction workers were high before the COVID-19 pandemic. "Lock downs", "restrictions", "social distancing" and legislative changes responding to the pandemic have likely exacerbated the working conditions that foster poor mental health. This study analyses the way in which workplace health and safety (WHS) is regulated in Australia against the backdrop of existing research relating to the development of Australia's WHS laws, and the state of mental health of those working in Australia's construction industry. This study was conducted using a doctrinal research methodology and utilising legal theory. This study assesses the capacity of the Australian WHS regulatory system to protect construction workers' mental health by examining and interpreting key provisions in Australia's WHS laws. It then uses a regulatory theory, responsive regulation, to explain the inconsistency between the capacity of those laws to safeguard mental health and the very poor state of mental health of Australia's construction workers. The conclusion reached is that there is scope to improve current WHS laws to better protect construction workers' mental health. A recommendation is made, that current WHS laws are changed to prescribe minimum standards of worker mental health, and mandate control measures to minimise and/or eliminate psychosocial risks. It is submitted that these changes in the law will contribute to a changed culture in Australia's construction sector, which is supportive of mentally healthy workplaces and workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines two recent scandals of abuse and neglect of people with disabilities, namely the death of Ann Marie Smith in Australia and the Whorlton Hall scandal in Britain. The facts of both cases have been established from the formal reports and records of legislators and regulators about the scandals, supplemented by publicly-available court documents and media reports. Using high-level thematic analysis, institutional responses to the two cases are compared by examining the conclusions and recommendations of the resulting formal inquiries. The article identifies lessons from the two cases for improving the safeguarding of people with disabilities, namely for: improved information flows and coordination; strengthened legislation; processes for identifying people at risk; improved outputs of quality audits; enhanced resourcing of advocacy; and the extension of community visitor schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

In Australia, nicotine vaping products are regulated as prescription‐only medicines which can only be sold from a pharmacy, with the aim of preventing youth access and allowing use by adult smokers with a doctor's support. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has acknowledged that this policy has not achieved its goals. Instead, a thriving black market has developed which sells unregulated vape products to children and adults. Very few adult vapers use the legal prescription pathway. Regulation should find the optimal balance between facilitating legal access for adult smokers while restricting access by youth. The preferred approach is a tightly regulated consumer model with nicotine vaping products sold by licenced retail outlets with strict age‐of‐sale verification. Regulations should be proportionate to risk and reflect the lower harms of vaping relative to smoking. A consumer model would bring Australia into line with other Western countries and improve population health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to examine how the health and safety of platform workers can be protected through legal regulation, in the context of the significant regulatory challenges posed by critical connections between subcontracting, low pay, unregulated hours, and work health and safety (WHS). The article applies a legal analysis of the contemporary Australian approach to WHS regulation to platform work, and examines regulatory initiatives to protect the WHS of food deliverers. It finds critical deficiencies in the application of WHS laws to this sector, and identifies the need for a broader refashioning of labor regulation to such highly articulated and geographically diffuse work arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of genetic and genomic testing in clinical practice and research, and the growing market for direct-to-consumer genomic testing has led to increased awareness about the impact of this form of testing on insurance. Genetic or genomic information can be requested by providers of mutually rated insurance products, who may then use it when setting premiums or determining eligibility for cover under a particular product. Australian insurers are subject to relevant legislation and an industry led standard that was updated in 2019 to introduce a moratorium on the use of genetic test results in life insurance underwriting for policies

The ecosystem services concept has been slow to integrate into written law and policy in Australia. We sought to examine whether the concept has permeated deeper into practice, focusing on the coastal wetland protection, management and restoration context. We conducted a Delphi study involving 16 key informants. Over two rounds of interviews we found confirmation that the ecosystem services concept is not a central part of practice, and a strong consensus support for integrating and mainstreaming ecosystem services into law and policy through law reform. Our informants also provided additional new insights on how reform should proceed: (1) integration may occur through consolidated or interconnected law and policy instruments, (2) decision-maker discretion should be retained but subject to constraints, especially regarding (3) trade-offs between different ecosystem services and ecosystem services and other land uses. Our informants also called for (4) more effective and targeted policy to facilitate restoration projects, (5) incentivised protection and restoration across land tenure types, especially on privately-owned land and (6) caution in dealing with trade-offs and financial valuations of ecosystem services. The insights provided through this Delphi study will be instructive for law and policy reform in Australia and other jurisdictions grappling with fragmented management, protection and restoration of coastal wetlands. • Practice shows that the ecosystem services concept is not central to law, policy or decision-making about coastal wetlands. • There is strong consensus support for incorporating the ecosystem services concept into law and policy. • However care should be taken when dealing with trade-offs and financial valuations of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Australian National Dust Disease Taskforce was established to address the re-emergence of occupational lung disease, in particular silicosis. Exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) occurs in various industries in Australia. We asked occupational hygienists about their practical experiences and perspectives on RCS exposure and regulatory action. A total of 105 members of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists completed an anonymous questionnaire, which addressed individual characteristics, experience, perceived level of employer awareness, effectiveness of current regulation, and recommendations for improvement, across three main industrial sectors. Based on professional experience, 71% were concerned about the potential for RCS over-exposure. Barriers to adequate exposure control included lack of management commitment and financial resources. The employment of specialist occupational hygiene inspectors was considered to be the most effective regulatory strategy. Given the large number of exposed workers in the construction industry, with only a moderate awareness, there is the potential for significant cost shifting of the burden of occupational lung disease from employers on to individuals and the public health system. A nationally consistent approach to RCS exposure control across all industrial sectors is now recommended, with an increased focus on measuring and controlling exposure. [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]

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists' (RANZCP) 2018 position statement supports increased, regulated availability of e-cigarettes (ECs) as a harm-reduction measure and recommends further research into their use. Aligned with this recommendation, we aimed to critically evaluate the RANZCP's stance on this issue through a literature review focused on the areas identified in the position statement as requiring further investigation: (1) the adverse health effects attributable to ECs; (2) use of ECs for smoking cessation (particularly for people living with severe mental illness); and (3) EC-associated risks for nicotine naïve young people. We identified and summarised evidence of harm attributable to ECs that is particularly relevant to young people through direct adverse health sequelae, onset of nicotine dependence and increased risk of combustible cigarette (CC) use. A small number of studies suggest ECs can be used for harm-reduction purposes in people diagnosed with nicotine dependence and severe mental illness. However, these results must be considered alongside robust evidence supporting the effectiveness of existing pharmacological interventions for smoking cessation in people with severe mental illness. The position statement is in urgent need of review in line with the available evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although recent deaths of multiple couriers on the road have raised awareness of the dangers of on‐demand food delivery, there remains limited government regulation of the industry in many jurisdictions. In this article, we argue that the labour conditions of platform couriers in Australia constitute a case of necrocapitalism (Banerjee), a contemporary form of accumulation through which organisational structures harness the power of debilitation and death for economic gain. After contextualising food delivery within the Australian gig economy, our analysis underscores how necropower operates through courier labour. We illustrate three dimensions: how this form of labour entails corporeal risks and harms; how these harms are heightened by platform infrastructures; and how strategic regulatory inaction maintains necropolitical orders. The article concludes with a reflection on how this contemporary example of necrocapitalism illuminates intersecting vectors of domination underpinning the logics and practices of platform governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines regulatory policy transfer into a transitioning economy and explores the impact of corruption and weak state institutions on the resulting regulatory design and implementation. The study looks at an accreditation programme aimed at lifting the safety performance, compliance and business efficiency of truck operators in South Africa. In this case study a heavily state directed programme operating in Australia undergoes significant modification and redesign to achieve similar regulatory effect in the South African context. The case highlights how in transitioning settings the requirement to deal with local cultural and contextual issues such as corruption and weak state institutions, results in innovative regulatory design and delivery frameworks. While highlighting adaptation progressed through transfer, this study points to the important role industry can play independent of government in delivering the regulatory effect. The findings demonstrate the value transfer studies can bring to the analysis and understanding of policy and regulatory practice. This is a qualitative study drawing on interviews and participant observation with industry and government officials involved in the South African trucking industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research provides critical, comparative insights into Australia and New Zealand's public communication approaches associated with the initial rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, hailed as a crucial element of both countries' recovery and reconnection to the rest of the world. Although Australia and New Zealand share similar socio-political contexts, the two countries approached the rollout very differently. Applying the circuit of culture model, this study explores the second year of the global COVID-19 pandemic through an Oceania lens, providing critical insights into the unique opportunities afforded to the island nations, as well as their exposure to global challenges. This paper aims to provide insights and learnings that may shape future responses to global (health) emergencies, including a call to rethink the notion of time-bound (public) communication campaigns in complex, ever-changing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human milk is in increasing demand. The health benefits of human milk for infants are well known. A limited number of formal Australian milk banks provide human milk to premature and sick infants. However, growing numbers of adults and parents from non-traditional families of healthy infants are buying and sharing it from the internet and social media sites for consumption. In Australia, human milk is not legally defined as a tissue or a food. Its donation, exchange, or sale is also unregulated. This is a precarious situation, as unscreened and potentially unsafe human milk is being provided to the most vulnerable members of society – infants. This article calls for human milk to be legally defined, and the current regulatory vacuum to be addressed. We recommend a consistent and uniform network of human milk banking and sharing where the safety of donors and recipients is protected. We argue that this might be achieved by defining human milk as a tissue, undergoing screening and storing practices similar to those currently used for blood donation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We draw on mostly unpublished ABS data to address three related questions: (1) How can we approximate the number of genuinely flexible casual employees? (2) What are the characteristics of work where employees are, or are not, likely to be genuinely flexible casuals? and (3) How many employees are compensated for the disutility of casual employment? Only 6 per cent of leave-deprived workers (1.4% of all employees) are 'narrowly-defined casuals'. The majority of leave-deprived workers have been with their employer for over a year. The majority expect to be with the same employer over a year into the future. Around half have stable hours from one week to the next and are not on standby. The characteristics of leave-deprived employees do not appear to be those of flexible, casual employment relationships. The common feature appears to be low power. Employers may have the ability to deploy them in all sorts of flexible ways, but often do not need to utilise that flexibility. The popular term 'permanent casual' is more accurately phrased as 'permanently insecure'. The high rate of 'casual' employment enables Australia to have an internationally low level of leave coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines health regulation under conditions of geographical constraint in two strikingly different settings, one on a remote island in Bangladesh and the other in an impoverished rural region in Australia. Both suffer from an absence of medically qualified professionals, which means that in the resultant vacuum, patients access alternative healthcare. The concept of regulation (or lack of regulation) is explored in terms of unconventional new responses to rural health deficits. The two cases show unexpected commonality, with policymakers facing shared challenges beyond physical remoteness. The difference in the degree of enforcement of regulation offers the greatest point of difference. This comparative study revealed a weak health regulatory system in the remote Bangladesh area of Bhola Island where 'alternatives' to formal clinical approaches have become the default choice. Brazen stop‐gap servicing is commonplace on Bhola Island, but in The Gemfields such practices only occur in the shadows or as a last resort. Each isolated location, one in a developing country and the other in a developed setting, exemplifies how geographical remoteness can present an opportunity for innovations in supply to emerge. Surprisingly, it is the developing world case that better leverages a regulatory void to respond to local healthcare needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nearly six years after the term 'fake news' rose to public prominence, concerns persist about its meaning, its impact and responses to it. Concerns include leaks by a Meta whistle-blower who alleged that the world's most popular social media site, Facebook, was hardwired to spread online falsehoods; meanwhile numerous Commissions and reports have aired fears about fake news' consequences for democratic health, both in Australia and globally. Australia has responded by adopting a self-regulatory Code of Conduct into misinformation and disinformation for digital platforms in 2021; while some neighbouring counties such as Singapore and Indonesia have introduced tough anti-fake news laws. This symposium of five articles aims to shed light on the latest global debates and findings about the relationship between fake news and democracy with a focus on how it is best defined, its impacts on the public, and responses to it in Australia and the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of health care safety is undertaken in the name of the public and is motivated and justified by their protection. This regulatory action generates debate concerning the proper limits of responsibility attribution and enforcement, while the actions and opinion -- both imagined and real -- of the public loom large in this field. However, there exists limited knowledge of public opinion on key aspects of health care safety enforcement and responsibility attribution following iatrogenic harm. This article reports on the results of a survey-administered experimental study to determine how the Australian general public attributes responsibility, moral censure and enforcement actions in the event of health care safety failures in hospital and outpatient settings. The study provide evidence that the general public are sensitive to corporate and individual sources of error; attribute responsibility in a pluralistic manner; differentiate between recklessness and negligence; and will attempt both formal and social enforcement actions in response to harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines recent reforms to the regulatory framework for biologicals contained in the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (Cth) in the context of the "New Frontier" of reform envisioned in a report completed by the Commonwealth Government in 2021. It compares Australia's proposed reform of the approval processes for biologicals to similar reforms that have been made over the last three decades in the United States and the European Union. It places the Australian reforms in the context of the commercialisation of regenerative medicine and identifies several potential shortcomings of the proposed reforms and reports on the current lack of data on the processes of expedited approvals in Australia more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The hearing health sector is an example of a health sector that is experiencing a period of rapid innovation driven by digital technologies. These innovations will impact the types of interventions and services available to support the communication of deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. This study explored the perceptions of informed participants on the topic of innovation and regulation within hearing healthcare in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK)., Methods: Participants (N = 29, Australia [n = 16], UK [n = 13]) were purposively sampled and joined one of two online workshops. Participants included adults with hearing loss and family members, hearing health professionals, academics/researchers, representatives of hearing device manufacturers, regulators and policymakers. Workshop data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis., Results: Participants conceptualised the hearing health sector as a network of organisations and individuals with different roles, knowledge and interests, in a state of flux driven by innovation and regulation. Innovation and regulation were perceived as mechanisms to ensure quality and mitigate risk within a holistic approach to care. Innovations encompassed technological as well as non-technological innovations of potential benefit to consumers. Participants agreed it was essential for innovation and regulation to be congruent with societal values. Critical to ethical congruence was the involvement of consumers throughout both innovation and regulation stages, and the use of innovation and regulation to tackle stigma and reduce health disparities. Participants expressed the desire for accessible and inclusive innovation in the context of fair, transparent and trustworthy commercial practices., Conclusions: This study explored how stakeholders within the hearing health sector understand and make sense of innovation and the role of regulation. Overall, and despite reservations relating to health care professionals' changing roles and responsibilities, innovation and regulation were conceptualised as beneficial when situated in the context of holistic, whole-person, models of care. The results of this study will inform considerations to support the development and implementation of innovations and regulation within the hearing sector and across other health sectors influenced by technological advances., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Complementary medicine (CM) use is a ubiquitous aspect of an increasingly consumer-driven model of healthcare delivery and plays an increasingly prominent role in the Australian health sector. Yet there is limited empirical research investigating the quality and integrity of protections for consumers in Australia. The aim of this study is to help address this gap in knowledge by exploring how members of the public engage with protection mechanisms related to CM use. Methods: This study utilised a cross-sectional online survey to recruit a sample of 1132 Australian adults aged 18 and over. Purposive convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from an existing database of Australian adults who had expressed interest in participating in research. Results: The majority of the participants (64.0%) had visited a CM practitioner in their lifetime. However, a minority of participants (36.9%) indicated they would feel confident in knowing where to complain if something went wrong with the treatment they received from a CM practitioner. Most participants (74.7%) had used a CM product in their lifetime. Specifically, 32.3% had ‘ever’ used an herbal product and 69.9% had ‘ever’ used a nutritional supplement. However, a minority of participants (32.7%) indicated they would feel confident knowing where to complain if something went wrong with a herbal or nutritional supplement they used. Most participants indicated a lack of knowledge about how CM practitioners and CM products are regulated in Australia. Conclusion: The findings of this study clearly highlight a concerning lack of knowledge by CM patients and consumers regarding the regulation of CM in Australia. From a policy perspective, it is necessary to seek proactive approaches that target complaint-related knowledge of the CM patients and consumers through education and advocacy efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the historical staffing patterns and organisational characteristics of Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs) against the new minimum staffing standards recommended by the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (RCACQS). Method: Retrospective data analysis was used to compare the staffing levels and characteristics of 1705 RACFs (for 4 years, 2016–19) with the three new mandatory staffing requirements. De-identified datasets were provided by the RCACQS, obtained under its legal authority. Results: Only 3.8% of RACFs have staffing levels at or above all three requirements. Although many (79.7%) already meet the requirement to have a registered nurse (RN) on-site for morning and afternoon shifts, few have staffing levels above requirements for total direct care per resident per day (10.4%) or care provided by an RN per resident per day (11.1%). Historical levels of on-site RNs, total direct care, and RN care vary significantly across facilities of different size, location and provider scale. Conclusion: The new staffing standards, to be mandatory by 2023, prescribe minimum requirements significantly higher than existing levels, particularly in care per resident per day. Each of the three requirements will likely have a differential effect for different types of RACFs. What is known about the topic?: International evidence suggests that introducing mandatory minimum staffing standards tends to increase the amount of care provided by staff in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). However, the impact of staffing standards is influenced by the stringency of the minimum threshold relative to existing staffing levels, the capacity of organisations to increase their staffing levels, and the specific way the regulation is formulated. What does this paper add?: This paper explores the potential implications of the three national minimum staffing standards, to be in force by October 2023, specifying total direct care, care received by a registered nurse (RN), and an RN on-site. By examining the existing staffing levels of Australian RACFs, it identifies the extent to which facilities already meet the new standards and the characteristics of facilities with staffing levels above and below the three requirements (individually and in combination). What are the implications for practitioners?: The study informs both policy and practice in relation to the likely effects of implementing the national minimum staffing standards for residential aged care in Australia. It demonstrates that the new minimum thresholds are likely to require substantial increases in staffing across the sector, both in terms of all direct care workers and RNs. It also shows that the three requirements are likely to have a differential effect for RACFs of different size, location and chain affiliation, thereby guiding policy about the future needs for Australia's aged care workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital transformation has become a pressing concern for the Australian government in the wake of COVID-19. While a thriving construction industry is key to Australia's economic recovery, the promised land of Industry 4.0 continues to elude the sector. Unlike the mining industry, which has obtained government funding to future-proof its workforce, the building industry remains at risk of being left behind because it has failed to prosecute the case for its own planned Fourth Industrial Revolution. A consistent approach to both sectors is needed to mitigate against asymmetries in the workforce and assist those transitioning from sectors devastated by COVID-19 by providing them with the high-tech skills which fortify the link between wages and employment. SMEs given their limited resources are also vulnerable, and the sector has been rocked by waves of insolvencies in recent times. Achieving Industry 4.0 success has long been a goal among industry academics yet hardly any attention is paid to the institution or its failures. This study subjected 59 authoritative articles to bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review and identified a dearth of research on how best to regulate Industry 4.0 and deliver the standards on which construction and mining businesses will depend when making the choice to commit to Industry 4.0. Nevertheless, there are valuable lessons to be learnt when it comes to supporting SMEs and workers embarking the risky business of Digital Transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Could changes in transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signalling during foetal ovary development alter the expression of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) candidate genes leading to a predisposition to PCOS?Summary Answer: TGFβ signalling molecules are dynamically expressed during foetal ovary development and TGFβ1 inhibits expression of the androgen receptor (AR) and 7 (INSR, C8H9orf3, RAD50, ERBB3, NEIL2, IRF1 and ZBTB16) of the 25 PCOS candidate genes in foetal ovarian fibroblasts in vitro, whilst increasing expression of the AR cofactor TGFβ-induced transcript 1 (TGFB1I1 or Hic5).What Is Known Already: The ovarian stroma arises from the mesonephros during foetal ovary development. Changes in the morphology of the ovarian stroma are cardinal features of PCOS. The ovary is more fibrous and has more tunica and cortical and subcortical stroma. It is not known why this is and when this arises. PCOS has a foetal origin and perhaps ovarian stroma development is altered during foetal life to determine the formation of a polycystic ovary later in life. PCOS also has a genetic origin with 19 loci containing 25 PCOS candidate genes. In many adult tissues, TGFβ is known to stimulate fibroblast replication and collagen deposition in stroma, though it has the opposite effect in the non-scaring foetal tissues. Our previous studies showed that TGFβ signalling molecules [TGFβs and their receptors, latent TGFβ binding proteins (LTBPs) and fibrillins, which are extracellular matrix proteins that bind LTBPs] are expressed in foetal ovaries. Also, we previously showed that TGFβ1 inhibited expression of AR and 3 PCOS candidate genes (INSR, C8H9orf3 and RAD50) and stimulated expression of TGFB1I1 in cultured foetal ovarian fibroblasts.Study Design, Size, Duration: We used Bos taurus for this study as we can ethically collect foetal ovaries from across the full 9-month gestational period. Foetal ovaries (62-276 days, n = 19) from across gestation were collected from pregnant B. taurus cows for RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses. Foetal ovaries from B. taurus cows were collected (160-198 days, n = 6) for culture of ovarian fibroblasts.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: RNA-seq transcriptome profiling was performed on foetal ovaries and the data on genes involved in TGFβ signalling were extracted. Cells were dispersed from foetal ovaries and fibroblasts cultured and treated with TGFβ1. The effects of TGFβ regulation on the remaining eight PCOS candidate genes not previously studied (ERBB3, MAPRE1, FDFT1, NEIL2, ARL14EP, PLGRKT, IRF1 and ZBTB16) were examined.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: Many TGFβ signalling molecules are expressed in the foetal ovary, and for most, their expression levels increased accross gestation (LTBP1/2/3/4, FBN1, TGFB2/3, TGFBR2/3 and TGFB1I1), while a few decreased (FBN3, TGFBR3L, TGFBI and TGFB1) and others remained relatively constant (TGFBRAP1, TGFBR1 and FBN2). TGFβ1 significantly decreased expression of PCOS candidate genes ERBB3, NEIL2, IRF1 and ZBTB16 in cultured foetal ovarian fibroblasts.Large Scale Data: The FASTQ files, normalized data and experimental information have been deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) accessible by accession number GSE178450.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: Regulation of PCOS candidate genes by TGFβ was carried out in vitro and further studies in vivo are required. This study was carried out in bovine where foetal ovaries from across all of the 9-month gestational period were available, unlike in the human where it is not ethically possible to obtain ovaries from the second half of gestation.Wider Implications Of the Findings: From our current and previous results we speculate that inhibition of TGFβ signalling in the foetal ovary is likely to (i) increase androgen sensitivity by enhancing expression of AR, (ii) increase stromal activity by stimulating expression of COL1A1 and COL3A1 and (iii) increase the expression of 7 of the 25 PCOS candidate genes. Thus inhibition of TGFβ signalling could be part of the aetiology of PCOS or at least the aetiology of polycystic ovaries.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): Funding was received from Adelaide University China Fee Scholarship (M.L.), Australian Research Training Program (R.A.) and the Faculty of Health and Medical Science Divisional Scholarship (R.A.), Adelaide Graduate Research Scholarships (R.A. and N.A.B.), Australia Awards Scholarship (M.D.H.), Robinson Research Institute Career Development Fellowship (K.H.) and Building On Ideas Grant (K.H.), National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Centre for Research Excellence in the Evaluation, Management and Health Care Needs of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (N.A.B., M.D.H. and R.J.R.; GTN1078444) and the Centre for Research Excellence on Women's Health in Reproductive life (R.A., R.J.R. and K.H.; GTN1171592) and the UK Medical Research Council (R.A.A.; grant no. G1100357). The funders did not play any role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. The authors of this manuscript have nothing to declare and no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the legal and policy regulatory frameworks in Australia relevant to two of the key areas identified as central to managing and preventing obesity, namely, food labelling and junk food advertising. It does so against the backdrop of a global pandemic which resulted in a perfect storm: a global virus colliding with an obesity epidemic. The aetiology of the COVID-19 virus, and the isolation and shut down restrictions associated with combatting it, mean that introducing reforms in these key areas is, more than ever, a public health priority. This article provides important practical recommendations to modify legal and regulatory policy frameworks in the two key areas to address the obesity epidemic in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the nature and level of misconduct occurring in the alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment sector in Australia between 2015 and 2020. Data were drawn from disciplinary decisions of statutory compliance bodies, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority, Consumer Law and coronial findings in all Australian jurisdictions. The data indicate that the current regulatory framework for unregistered health practitioners is unsuitable to protect the public from future acts of misconduct. The response to misconduct varies between registered and unregistered health practitioners. This suggests that unregistered health practitioners pose a greater risk of harm to the public than registered health practitioners, yet the former are subject to the least rigorous regulation. Further, systemic issues within organisations related to poor adherence or lack of sound policies and procedures were found to contribute to the misconduct and the risk of harm within the AOD treatment sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

News media businesses compete with search engines and social media networks for advertising revenue but at the same time depend on the latter to reach and interact with audiences. The Digital Platforms Inquiry (DPI) completed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found that media businesses' dependency on digital platforms gives companies like Google and Facebook substantial bargaining power over Australian news media businesses. This development over the past decade has caused negative repercussions for the choice and quality of news available to Australians. In response to thegse findings, Australia's News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code 2021 extends the application of competition law into digital news and advertising markets. The reform is intended to address the impact of digital platforms on the commercial viability of Australian news companies. In this article, we assess the application of competition law to the relationship between news media and digital platforms, including the strength of the DPI findings and the appropriateness of the resulting reforms. We argue that after decades of deregulation of the media sector in Australia the News Media Bargaining Code is a hybrid legislation, which introduces news media industry regulations under the guise of competition law. While we see a continued role for competition law in digital platform markets, this article indicates the challenges posed by digital platforms on media pluralism and the limitations of a market-driven approach to news media policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally, food regulations are centred on human health and safety to prevent health crises. In Australia, regulatory control over the health and safety of humans is sound, however from a criminological perspective, control over fraudulent activities within food supply chains lack. Food fraud knows no geographical boundaries and has endless reach, therefore should be prioritised by policymakers, regulators and law enforcement. Australia's reputation for high-quality food is important domestically, but also for establishing and maintaining trust in international food trade relationships, therefore lack of enforcement over food could damage 'Brand Australia'. Given the food industry's vested interest in maintaining this reputation, it must also play a role to protect it. This research reviews regulatory landscape against food fraud in Australia and then, questions whether coupling informal controls to support existing formal regulatory controls may be the most appropriate and holistic way forward to protect the industry and consumers. It tests a regulatory pluralism framework to determine whether it can logically organize informal, innovative responses to contribute cohesively alongside formal controls at various points along the supply chain to prevent food fraud. Finally, it considers available informal, innovative technologies to: enhance testing regimes; prevent product and label tampering; and trace food supply chains adopted internationally show positive progress in responding to increasingly sophisticated and organized global food fraud. The research concludes adopting a regulatory pluralism framework, coupling existing regulatory controls and innovative technology could enhance and strengthen Australia's regulatory response to fraud within its food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working from home expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This Controversy examines how working from home was framed and regulated pre-pandemic. We contrast this with the changes made to Australia's industrial award system during the pandemic to increase flexibilities around working from home, in response to a collective need for a responsive safety net. We argue that the conception and regulation of working from home is shifting from an individual flexibility, to a 'collective flexibility' available to a wide array of workers, collectively negotiated and governed by increased regulation. While industrial instruments were varied to accommodate public health requirements and the need of organisations and employees to work from home, these shifts were temporary. We argue that working from home provisions should rightly be regulated as a collective entitlement. We therefore consider possible ways forward in regulating this form of working, drawing from international developments. We raise these issues to extend debates around how working from home can be regulated to benefit employers and employees as we move towards COVID-normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]