UWA Public Policy Institute
Providing informed leadership by maximising the policy impact of UWA research in Western Australia, Australia and the Indian Ocean region
The UWA Public Policy Institute (UWA PPI) is a bridge between academic research and government, public and business needs.
It provides informed leadership by maximising the policy impact of UWA research in Western Australia, Australia and the Indian Ocean region.
What we do
- Run a dynamic public events program on a range of social, economic and political issues of the day.
- Produce and disseminate reports for government policymakers and business stakeholders.
- Provide UWA research expertise to policymakers.
- Organise private roundtable discussions for closer exploration with key decision-makers and advisers.
- Run training and workshops for UWA researchers on how to work with government, business and not-for-profits.
Hear the latest
Join our mailing list to receive event invitations and our triannual newsletter, The UWA Public Policy Lineup.
Recent publications
WA 2050: People, Place, Prosperity
What could Western Australia look like at mid-century and how do we get there? This report aims to stimulate progress, joining expertise from 50+ contributors across the state's sectors to expose future issues, their implications, the trade-offs involved, and the actions that can be taken now to drive positive change.
WA 2050: People, Place, Prosperity (PDF 12.5MB)
WA 2050: People, Place, Prosperity (RTF for screen readers 9MB)
Going Further, Faster –
A Policy Agenda for WA 2021
Upcoming events
Breakfast by the Bay: If Voting Wasn’t Compulsory, Would You? Civic Participation and Democracy
Wednesday 31 August, 7 – 9am
The University Club of Western Australia
$55.00 Members | $65.00 Non Members | $600.00 table of 10 (Breakfast included)
Read more and register
Australian democracy is under stress. Most Australians now think that government is run for a few big interest groups, rather than for all the people. Years of party infighting, together with long-standing inequities (e.g., the under-representation of women and Indigenous Australians) and mounting policy challenges (e.g., climate change, federal spending controls) have seen satisfaction with Australian democracy decline precipitously in recent times.
What has gone wrong? Is Australia democratically engaged in name only? What are the most promising reforms that can simultaneously reinvigorate Australians’ attachment to their democratic order, rebalance the lack of diverse representation in federal Parliament, and drive fresh policies to address emerging national policy challenges? Does compulsory voting improve our democracy? Are there trends afoot in the new 2022 federal Parliament that give cause for hope?
As the dust settles on the 2022 federal election, come to hear, and question this stellar panel of experts on the future of democracy:
- Kate Chaney, Federal Member for Curtin.
- Associate Professor Ullrich Ecker, UWA School of Psychological Science.
- Lenda Oshalem, Partner and Perth Office Head (Communications), SEC Newgate.
- Dr Lachlan Umbers, UWA School of Humanities.
Researcher training workshop: How to work with government
Wednesday 7 September, 12 – 2pm (lunch included)
UWA Crawley campus, TBC
For UWA staff and postgrad students
Read more and register
How can you, as a UWA researcher, shape evidence-based policymaking? During this interactive lunchtime workshop, we'll demystify how government collaborates with researchers, and ways that you can work closely with government officials and policymakers. This training workshop is particularly designed around the needs of busy academics, like yourself, who wish to engage with policymakers to ensure their research has leads to real-world impact and feeds into policy design and decision-making processes within government.
Speakers
- Dr Aurora Milroy, UWA Law School
- Dr Katrina Stratton MLA, Member for Nedlands; former researcher and lecturer at Curtin University and UWA
Expert commentary
Flooding and extreme weather events
With Queensland and New South Wales experiencing catastrophic floods, our researchers reflect on how climate change will increase the likelihood of extreme weather, and the importance of forward-thinking urban planning.
- Hackett Professor Kadambot H. M. Siddique, Director of the Institute of Agriculture, delineates the two types of floods in WA and how to minimise future catastrophe.
- Professor Shamit Saggar highlights three policy issues arising from the Queensland and NSW floods.
- Ecohydrologist Associate Professor Sally Thompson explains how political donations may present a challenge to imposing land development restrictions.
COP26
The 26th annual UN Climate Change Conference, or 'Conference of the Parties', brought together almost every country for a global climate summit in Glasgow. Here are some comments on Australia's role in this uniquely urgent world event.
- Professor Shamit Saggar sets the scene: do politicians have the courage to lead the change needed? Do we need a better way to think about how we value nature?
- Expert in rural development Professor Petra Tschakert explains how COP26 ought to deliver the 2030 target and climate finance to ensure assistance from high-income countries to developing countries.
- Environmental engineer and water expert Professor Anas Ghadouani hones in on water policy, its economic opportunities, and its absolute importance to our survival.
Our collaborators
Government, not-for-profit and industry bodies we work with include but are not limited to:
UWA and UWA-affiliated entities we work with include:
- The Centre for Human & Cultural Values
- Centre for Muslim States and Societies
- Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre
- The Institute for Agriculture
- The Migration, Mobilities and Belonging (MMoB) Research Cluster
- Not-for-Profits UWA
- Perth USAsia Centre
- UWA Africa Research & Engagement Centre (AfREC)
- UWA Centre for Social Impact
- UWA Business School
- UWA Social Care and Ageing Living Lab
