Policy Life Cycle Analysis of Three Australian State-Level Public
Article Journal of Development Policy Life Cycle Policy and Practice 6(1) 9–35, 2021 Analysis of Three © 2021 Aequitas Consulting Pvt. Ltd. and SAGE Australian State-level Reprints and permissions: in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india Public Policies: DOI: 10.1177/2455133321998805 Exploring the journals.sagepub.com/home/jdp Political Dimension of Sustainable Development Kuntal Goswami1,2 and Rolf Gerritsen1 Abstract This article analyses the life cycle of three Australian public policies (Tasmania Together [TT], South Australia’s Strategic Plan [SASP,] and Western Australia’s State Sustainability Strategy [WA’s SSS]). These policies were formulated at the state level and were structured around sustainable development concepts (the environmental, economic, and social dimensions). This study highlights contexts that led to the making of these public policies, as well as factors that led to their discontinuation. The case studies are based on analysis of parliamentary debates, state governments’ budget reports, public agencies’ annual reports, government media releases, and stakeholders’ feedback. The empirical findings highlight the importance of understanding the political dimension of sustainable development. This fact highlights the need to look beyond the traditional three-dimensional view of sustainability when assessing the success (or lack thereof) of sustainable development policies. Equally important, the analysis indicates that despite these policies’ limited success (and even one of these policies not being implemented at all), sustainability policies can have a legacy beyond their life cycle. Hence, the evaluation of these policies is likely to provide insight into the process of policymaking. 1 Charles Darwin University (CDU), Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia. 2 Australian Centre for Sustainable Development Research & Innovation (ACSDRI), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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