Research // Health
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December 2024
Vulnerability to extreme heat
Extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related illness and death in all parts of Australia, except Tasmania. Older, poorer, and sicker people are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. This report identifies the locations around Australia in which the greatest number of vulnerable people will be affected by extreme heat. Targeting these areas for support will ensure the greatest number of vulnerable people are helped during periods of extreme heat.
November 2024
Grow your own – 2024
Most Australians grow food, or are interested in doing so. Younger people are most likely to express interest in growing, but often lack the space or skills required. This demonstrates the need for gardening programs and investment in community gardens.
September 2024
Impact of fire ants in Queensland electorates
Red imported fire ants are one of the world’s most invasive pest species and attempts to eradicate them from South East Queensland are currently under-resourced.
March 2024
Democracy and accountability in the pandemic
The Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program made a submission to the COVID-19 Response Inquiry. The Australia Institute’s Democracy & Accountability Program carried out significant research into topics that might be of interest to the panel. This submission outlines how these research papers come under each of the Inquiry’s terms of reference.
December 2023
Ensuring equitable access to Voluntary Assisted Dying
The Australia Institute is grateful for the opportunity to make a submission to the review of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2023. The ACT Government and Minister for Human Rights Tara Cheyne should be commended for introducing this bill.
November 2023
Polling: Climate Change and Health
The Australia Institute surveyed a sample of 1,535 Australians about their concerns regarding the impacts on human health from fossil fuel projects.
September 2023
Going Backwards
The disability support workforce is central to the effectiveness and sustainability of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
February 2023
The Unlucky Country
Life expectancy in Far West NSW is almost six years lower than in Sydney, with the divide getting worse. Those in the Far West are twice as likely to die prematurely compared to those in Sydney, and ‘potentially avoidable’ deaths are two and a half times more likely. Suicide is twice as likely for residents
September 2022
Work, care and homeshare
Homeshare programs have the potential to make a significant contribution to improving Australia’s work and care systems, but are being held back by inter-agency issues, the transfer of disability and aged care to the Commonwealth and lack of resources.
August 2022
Polling – Advertising on TV
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,003 Australians about whether advertising of certain controversial products should be permitted on television. The results show that Australians agree that junk food, gambling, alcohol and tobacco advertising on TV should be banned, and more agree than disagree that ads promoting fossil fuels should be banned.
March 2022
Impacts of beer excise rate cut
Proposals to halve the beer excise would cost around a billion dollars over the next five years and undermine policies to reduce the abuse of alcohol.
February 2022
Polling – February 2022 – SA Borders and COVID
The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 602 South Australians about the State Government’s handling of COVID-19 and the opening of the state borders on November 23, 2021. The results show that: One in two South Australians (51%) disagree with the State Government’s decision to open the borders in November. Two in five (42%)
September 2021
Polling – SA Political Issues
In July 2021 The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 599 South Australians. Respondents were asked which issue they considered to be the most important in state politics right now and a series of questions on a range of political issues. Results show that the three issues most likely to be deemed important by
What the Doherty Modelling really tells us about opening up at 80 per cent vaccination
Rarely, if ever, has an Australian Prime Minister relied on statistical modelling as heavily as Scott Morrison. Modelling by the Doherty Institute is the sole piece of evidence on which the Prime Minister has formed the view that it is ‘safe’ to significantly reduce the social distancing measures that have helped Australia keep its death
August 2021
Doherty modelling – Assumptions of TTIQ and their impact on Phase 2 modelling
The effectiveness of TTIQ is likely to be dependent upon case numbers, but current modelling does not take this into account. As cases rise to unplanned levels, current TTIQ assumptions undermine Doherty modelling of Phase 2.
Submission to the inquiry into social isolation and loneliness in Queensland
The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Australians in May 2021 about their social and emotional states since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these questions were first asked in 2011 and again in April 2020. By providing these polling results, The Australia Institute hopes to assist the committee in
July 2021
Polling – NSW Voluntary Assisted Dying
The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 1,008 people in New South Wales about their views on voluntary assisted dying (VAD), also known as voluntary euthanasia. The results show high support for legalising voluntary assisted dying in NSW, and for treating the vote on VAD legislation as a matter of personal conscience rather than
May 2021
Polling: Voluntary assisted dying in South Australia
The Australia Institute surveyed a representative sample of 511 South Australians about voluntary assisted dying (VAD) in February of 2021.
December 2020
Polling – Assisted dying in NSW
The Australia Institute surveyed a sample of 1,038 New South Wales residents about their position on whether voluntary assisted dying (VAD) should be available to people with terminal illnesses who are experiencing unrelievable suffering and who ask to die.
Polling: National Political Issues
The Australia Institute surveyed nationally representative samples of over 1,000 Australians each month from August about what they think the most important national political issue is right now. In every month, more Australians identified the economy as the most important national political issue than any other issue (between 37% and 48%). Health was second-most likely
September 2020
Proposed amendments to the Poisons Standard
The Australia Institute and FearLess support the rescheduling of psilocybin and MDMA from Schedule 9 to Schedule 8 of the Poisons Standard. The potential risks from this change are small while the benefits are potentially large. Academic studies recognise the low level of harm caused by these substances. Despite researchers finding “easy to very easy”
May 2020
Global attitudes to COVID-19 pandemic and response
The Australia Institute’s International & Security Affairs Program surveyed nationally representative samples of people in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy and South Korea about the COVID-19 pandemic. The government and friends and family are the most trusted sources of advice about the COVID-19 pandemic, and the more trusted a government the higher
April 2020
Private eyes…, hips, etc
March 2020
Majority of Australians Want Coronavirus Boost to Newstart
New research from The Australia Institute has found that a majority of Australians (52%) want to see Newstart boosted to the rate of the Age Pension for the course of the Coronavirus crisis, while one in three Australians (34%) oppose the idea.
January 2020
Polling – Bushfire crisis and concern about climate change
New national survey research from The Australia Institute reveals most Australians have been personally impacted by the bushfires and smoke, including millions missing work or suffering health impacts.
December 2019
HeatWatch – Extreme heat in the Kimberley
Increases in extreme heat events in the Kimberley region will have severe impacts on the wellbeing of people in the region, particularly indigenous communities. It will also impact key industries, including tourism and agriculture, and damage natural ecosystems.
August 2019
Coffin it up: Submission to NEPM air quality review regarding cost benefit analysis
The Australia Institute made a submission to the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) regarding national ambient air quality standards for ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. The economic assessment of the proposed standards is not fit for purpose. The benefit-cost analysis underestimates the benefits of improved air quality while overstating the costs of improvements. In