Public Policy Analysis

Assignment
By

Madhusudhan Yeragudam
Student Id: 213339428

A Proposal Focused On Climate Change, Disaster

Management and Resilience Building

Letter of Transmittal
,
To Minister,
Mr. Michael Keenan,
Minister for Justice
May, 21st, 2015
Dear Mr. Michael Keenan,
Disaster management has been a major global concern and apparently has been a real
pain in the neck to the Australian economy as well (Pearce, 2003, p. 211- 228). That is why I,
Albert Jones, in my capacity as Australias Adelaide student and a citizen of this state wish to
write to the you being the Minister of Justice in regard to disaster management, climate change
and resilience building as the major points if focus in the following proposal that follows
herewith.
The constant holocausts caused partly by man and at other times by forces of nature that
are beyond mans control have adversely affected Australia. Has anyone ever thought of how
these cataclysms could be curbed? Many people have pioneered these efforts into making
Australia a better place to live in as well as managing to save so many lives. An example of this
is a joint venture in between University of Melbourne and IBM students who collaborated in
developing the Australian Disaster management program in which they use intensive information
technologies in formulation of step that could aid in solving the constantcalamities that befall

Australia as well as the world at large (Mansourian, Rajabifard & Zoej et al. 2006, p. 303 315).
This is quite commendable since for a very long period this issue has only been given so much
lip service, and little action has been put in place to solve the situation.
Nonetheless, I still wonder whether this plan is bound to succeed to maximum
completion. This stands as my main reason of writing this proposal to you as the Minister of
Justice who is within responsible for Emergency Management and Disaster Resilience docket.
Due to the nature if your work as I assume, little time has been directed to this docket since you
have had to first of all handle another prompt state of affairs such as law enforcement and
security in this state. In the following proposal, I have managed to cover this issue in quite a
broad scope and offered several concrete solutions that could be applied by the Australian society
as well as the government inremedying this situation (Abrahams, 2001).
Regards,
Madhusudhan Yeragudam
Summary
Climate change could be defined to be the modification of accumulated weather patterns
for a long period of time. This has been a major issue of concern to the whole world; Australia
being no exception. This is because of the basket of many negative effects that these changes
have had on the country. Nevertheless, climate change is highly to be blamed on the human
activities. Global warming has been such effect, which has resulted after the destruction of the
ozone layer that has led to the boiling of polar ice and the consequent flooding of our seas, water
bodies and the coastal areas. This has caused adverse problems to the coastal communities,
which have constantly been faced by floods after heavy down pours. Floods have also been as a

result of heavy rains, which come up after the distortion of weather patterns, and his has led to
the frequent downpours at considerably unexpected and unforeseeable amounts. What of
drought? After high amounts of rainfall are experienced, then the weather patterns now change,
and constant dry drought spells are a result of this. This has led to the death of many individuals,
aquatic life as well as animals. Food scarcity in both calamities has forced the country into
importing agricultural products; an act that has had a huge strain on the Australian economy
(Pearce, 2003).
A large amount of revenue could be saved each year if this problem were to be quickly
addressed. This is an approximate of a range in between $ 500 million to $ 2.4 billion. This is the
large sum, which could be directed to other beneficial sectors that could help build the countrys
economy (Abraham, 2001).
The numerous emissions released by our industries and motor vehicles could be reduced
in order to prevent further climate change. This could be done by fitting the vehicles with tar
filters that trap tar and smoke and ensure that the gases exhausted have no negative effect on the
environment such as the depletion of the ozone layer(Abraham, 2001).
Policy Problem Statement
The major problem of concern at hand is disaster management, which is brought about
partly by climate change. Several health-related epidemics occasionally frequent Australia. These
are the news that mange to do rounds across the globe regarding Australias situation. A good
example is when a whole community that lives next to an industry complains of a high number
of their population having suffered from lead poisoning which explains the costly medical bills
that they have to settle each month due to related diseases such as kidney failures, blood

poisoning and cardiac arrests among other ailments. In other cases, the sanitary conditions of
some areas are not up to the expected standards and nationals in these regions suffer from
cholera outbreaks. In other instances, earthquakes and whirlwinds that have massive negative
effects on Australia economy occur. Floods and drought are no exceptions, to mention just of the
few catastrophes that strike this land. More capital has, therefore, to be put into an investment so
as to ensure that there is adequate disaster preparedness for this country. Climate change is yet
another problem that claims influx if finances and handles the steering of so many other
problems in our state. Resilience building has been a constant practice in Australia with so many
finances been put into these functions, and this has claimed so much money from the tax
payers(Abraham, 2001).
This is just to back up Okun Leakey Bucket who proposed a theory to explain the
inadequacy of the taxes which are not enough to settle all the countrys bill despite the heavy
impact they have on the tax payers pocket. He proposes that, no matter how full the bucket of
(tax money) is, it will leak. These leakages are what anger the Australian citizens who have to
toil and moil to an extent of even working for day and night shifts in order to make ends met
only forthe taxes to claim a large part of their meager salaries with the excuse of offering
exemplary services to them; majority of which remain unsolved (Pirttil& Uusitalo, 2010).
It is also a matter of concern to note that the low income earners are indeed the ones who
have so much money deducted as tax from their earnings. I thought that this taxation system
should be based on a doctrine of direct proportionality in that the higher one earns, the more they
should be taxed instead of the vice-verse inverse proportionality of this taxation system (Pearce,
2003).

How do you feel when the earth is unbearably hot? Thus has been as a result of the
depletion of the ozone layer due to the myriad of mans activities. Sadly, enough, no regulation
has been instituted in order to ensure that this does not go on. The government is afraid that these
regulations would chase away and even discourage foreign and local investors who are indeed
the backbone of the proper running of so many sectors. Therefore, at the expense of
environmental degradation, they let these investors carry on with their functions without thinking
of what impact this would have on future generations. This previous of the citizens livelihood at
the expense of investment and high economic influx is a matter that the government needs to
rethink and even scrap off. This is the case, since as a long termeffect; more revenue will be
required to remedy the situation that has negligently been made by grave acts or omissions by
these investors as well as the governments(Pearce, 2003).
Policy Analysis
Excellent speecheshave has frequently been made to the affected parties once a holocaust
strikes their region. So many promises, as well as set recommendations, have been informed and
even strategized to the public, only for this to remain just as a dream that has really taken so
much time to mature into a reality. So much money is always invested in paying monies to the
victims as well as giving shelter to those that are displaced owing to the destruction of their
homes. However, these are problems ought to only have occurred once but served as a lesson to
the authorities into them formulating proposals and implementing them so as to prevent any
future foreseeable occurrences of these tragedies. The proposals are widely discussed in the
paragraphs that follow (OBrien, OKeefe & Rose et al. 2006).

In most cases, the government has always relied on its own knowhow in making of
previous decisions in a bid to institute emergency and disaster management. Their plans have not
been successful as expected since they lack the moral backing of the society to whom the plans
are meant to help. This means that a turn of events could work for the better in future
circumstances (OBrienet al. 2006).
An open forum should be provided so as to ensure the public participation on the making
of decisions and formulation of plans that could help prevent these occurrences. This has started
off by the formation of the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience and Safer
communities that was formed earlier in December, 2012. This forum has been open for joining
by any Australian national. This has helped to condense the ideas of most of the Australians on
how they would remedy the situation that has claimed so many lives and finances in the past.
This is a step that ought to be taken by other members of the society. The government should
offer them their undivided support in ensuring the feasibility of such organizations, the inclusion
and implementation of their recommendations. This will at least ensure efficiently and openness
in disaster management, control and prevention of further climatic changes and resilience
building (Farazmand, 2001).
An actual comeback of the way Australia was in the past when it was able to manage all
its functions smoothly without the interruption by any calamities is quite necessary. This is very
paramount since such resilience is bound to steer the country to more heights of economic
excellence. Proper organization and management of financial resources and inputs that are
necessary for the provision of humanitarian assistance should be adequately provided. The
government needs to support the Australian Red Cross, Optus Group and other agencies whose
actions prove that they have it in their hearts the solving of this situation (Farazmand, 2001).

Transparency and utmost availability should be enhanced so as to enhance an easy

retrieving of data and researches that were initially restricted only to access by the authorized
persons. This should be so in a bid to ensure that every interested member of the public gets to
know how the countrys situations are and in what way they would help eliminate this turmoil
(OBrienet al. 2006).
Several statutes should be formulated so as to deal with individuals that are given state
powers and responsibilities to be in control of these dockets but fail to effectively to do so due to
other factors that are not in any case thatare of force majeure (Farazmand, 2001).
Foreign help, as well as theUnited Nations interventions, should be allowed in a bid to
curb this situation since it is currently uncontrollable by the state. This could be done by the
ratification of the United Nations Statues that deal with disaster and environmental management
into being codified to be included as Australian law. This would help to govern further this
situation as per the accepted standards of the United Nations, which is the aglobal entity that
governs the world in unison (OBrien et al. 2006).
These proposals sadly enough possess another face of having negative effects on
Australia if not regulated about their implementation. The allowing of foreign entities to govern
this situation would soon mean an indirect form of neo colonization since these foreign dockets
would want to get hold of power and control on Australias economy. Therefore, this intrusion
should be allowed with utmost moderation and care. The democratic participation of the
community in the decision making process would only ensure that much time would be taken up
before the final decision is made, and this would even be realized already when another
catastrophe strikes the land. Again, optimum moderation should be instituted so as to ensure the

necessary democracy in these processes. The above-proposed recommendations all met up to the
expected standards of ensuring economic and social effectiveness as well as political feasibility
(OBrien et al. 2006).
Proposed Public Consultation
The members of the public should also be afforded several opportunities so as to ensure
that they approve of any decisions before they get implemented by the minister and other related
leaders. This could be done by the institution of deliberative democracy. This could be carried
out in some ways. First and foremost, for matters that hold so much gravity but the society holds
divergent views on them, these could be solved by the formulation of a referendum where the
public could vote and define their standards in regard to the recommendations that have been
facing warring debates. In such an event, the majority decision carries the day, and the majority
has their say in this since this would be termed to be general majority feeling of the public. In
other cases, frequent opinion polls should be carried out so as to get to know of the public views.
In most countries, this is what is used for the authorities to understand the general opinions of the
public. On the other hand, it could also be necessary to include the chipping in of the member
representatives leaders that are elected into power by the citizens. It is assumed that they
represent the peoples interests and, therefore, all their views, opinions and decisions would all
be a representation of what their citizens wish for (OBrien et al. 2006).
This democracy could also be extended to learning institutions since these percentages
are in most cases cut off from the decision-making processes of such crucial aspects. It is
noteworthy to remember that these are still fresh brains and the inclusion of these people would

be quite commendable since they would be a great asset to the state through the provision of
ideas as well as the partaking if functions in support of these decisions (Farazmand, 2001).
Implementation
The above proposals could only serve to remedy the situation if they were implemented
in accordance with the laws of Australia. These laws should however not work in conflict with
each other but with utmost collaboration. This should be the case since Australia is governed in
four main ways. First and foremost, it is headed as a federation as per Section 51 of the
Australian constitution. This institutes it to be governed under Queen Elizabeth II who
apparently serves to be their head if state for the Commonwealth of Australia which is a
composition of six states which despite this merge, they still manage to be under the leadership
of their own laws. Australia is also governed by a federal government and a state/ territory
government. Govern ship is also implemented at the local level so as to ensure the efficient
governing of the grassroots (Weller, 2007)
All the above propose recommendations should be applied in tandem with the laws of the
Australian government inclusive of all the statutory provisions that could be formulated in the
process. This is quite necessary so as to ensure that the government does not apply decisions that
in any case conflict with law. All their actions should be in tandem with the law since nobody or
state authority is above the law. Utmost ethics and integrity should be enhanced in the
implementation of these functions so as to ensure that they are run smoothly so as to avoid the
creation of yet another problem in the course of trying to solve another. In this case, double
jeopardy of the situations is avoided (Weller, 2007)
Evaluation and Specific Recommendation

Constant evaluation if the above recommendations are working towards the expected
direction should constantly be analyzed. This is necessary so as to do away with decisions that do
not yield any tangible and desirable results to the general public in solving this menace. In all
circumstances, the welfare of the public is quite paramount and any action that injures them
either directly or indirectly should be done away with no matter how feasible and desirable that it
may appear to be (OBrien et al. 2006)
This could also be applied in instances where a set of recommendations have been put
under a test and scrutiny so as to eliminate those that do not work towards the solving of this
situation. Think of a case whereby the intervention of other foreign entities into solving the
situation is implemented but even though it yields successfully, it jeopardizes other dockets. In
such an eventuality the process should be duly done away with as soon as possible. No
unnecessary foregoing should be put in place in such a case. The proposal should be tenable
without having to cause any further hitches in the course of its implementation (OBrien et al.
2006, p. 64 80).
After such an exercise the narrowing down of workable recommendations should be
done, after which all the energy and appropriate finances should be directed to this course. With
this, Australia is going to be free from these frequent occurrences (Farazmand, 2001).
Policy Reflection Addendum
The policies discussed above are ones that reflect much potential after a careful and
intensive research that has been conducted even on other countries in which Australia looks up to
as her idol. The United States of America is one such country that has employed the above
policies and has had no regrets in regard to this. Canadas case is no different and it had to ape

Americas example in ironing out this menace that they have struggled with for previous decades
on end (Wilson & Oyola-Yemaiel, 2001).
Conclusion
To sum it up, Australias situation is not irreparable. However, this would be an
eventuality if apt and prompt measures are not put into place as soon as possible. It should take
advantage of its vast funds in trying to remedy this situation before it is too late since if more
time is wasted then its economy could be eaten up by this situation. Conversely, it is pretty
encouraging to not how the members of the public have not waited for thegovernment to take up
specific steps into curbing this menace. Therefore, Mr. Minister, it is quite important for you and
your government to take it up to your own selves to settle this once and for all (Farazmand,
2001).

References
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