Master of Public Policy Student Presentations

Join us and support our Master of Public Policy students as they give their final presentations. Recordings will only be available for student reference and are not available to the public.

Thursday 14 May

‘Free Prior and Informed Consent’ in Gas Projects in the Northern Territory presented by Rochelle Dennis

9:00 am - 10:00 am ACST

Abstract:

This research examines how Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is represented and governed in policy discourse relating to gas projects in the Northern Territory. Applying Carol Bacchi’s “What is the Problem Represented to be?” (WPR) methodology, it analyses two parliamentary inquiries into the Beetaloo Basin and Middle Arm developments. The research identifies competing and nested problem representations of FPIC and explores their underlying assumptions and effects. It demonstrates how dominant legal‑administrative rationalities shape Indigenous subjectivities and constrain how consent is understood and governed in practice.

Bio:

Rochelle lives and works on Larrakia Country in Darwin. She is a public servant with the National Indigenous Australians Agency, where she works in land rights policy. Her broader policy interests include employment and housing outcomes for remote communities, and the ways government policy can better support self-determination and sustainable development. Rochelle has been studying a Master of Public Policy at Charles Darwin University since 2020, enrolling to critically explore policy issues that inform her professional practice. Through her thesis and presentation, she aims to contribute relevant insights into how rights and interests are governed and administered in the Northern Territory.

In-person: RSVP here

Online Registration : Register here

Friday 15 May

Workforce Instability in Remote NT Service Systems: Impacts on Continuity, Trust and Equity presented by Jami-Lee Saxon

10:00 am - 11:00 am ACST

Abstract:

This research examines workforce instability in remote Northern Territory service systems and its implications for service delivery. Using a qualitative, integrative analysis of academic literature, policy documents, and program evaluations, the study explores how workforce conditions shape continuity of service provision and community trust across interconnected service systems. The analysis indicates that high turnover and reliance on short-term staff disrupt continuity, weaken trust, and contribute to inequitable service delivery outcomes. The findings position workforce stability as a structural factor shaping how services are delivered and experienced, and the extent to which policy objectives are realised in practice.

Bio:

Jami-Lee is a Social Worker with Services Australia and is currently completing a Master of Public Policy at Charles Darwin University. With over a decade of experience in the Australian Public Service, her work focuses on complex service delivery, policy implementation, and supporting vulnerable individuals and families. Her academic interests centre on how policy is experienced in practice, particularly in regional and remote contexts. Her current research examines how workforce instability shapes service delivery, with a focus on continuity, trust, and equity in remote Northern Territory service systems.

This event is online only

Online registration : Register here

Getting there:

Room 3.08, Level 3, 
CDU Danala Education and Community Precinct, 
54 Cavenaugh Street, 
Darwin. 

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This location is for the presentation by Rochelle Dennis only