Governance & Social Commentary

After 32 years of providing remuneration advisory and associated governance services GNA has changed direction and now focuses on commentary on the major issues facing boards, CEOs, the Australian business sector, government and community organisations.

Good governance

across the globe is being challenged. Institutions which once formed the backbone of our democracies are being dismantled or rendered ineffective.

The world order is being reshaped in ways that is not always in Australia’s best interests.

The commentary on this website is designed to present some of the issues

in a non-political way. We believe in pro-active governance; taking action before a situation becomes a crisis, and key stakeholder engagement in policy development. The environment is at the forefront of our thinking.

 

An Independent Perspective

  • We provide commentary on governance issues such as:

    • Governance Practice

    • Executive Remuneration

    • Shareholder Primacy

    • Corporate Conduct

    • Risk Frameworks

  • We offer commentary on specific issues affecting Australia. Our commentary is based on the best available research, detailed analysis and an independent perspective. The issues we are confronting in 2025, and beyond, are of such magnitude that the very foundation of democracy is under threat. An environmental catastrophe seems just around the corner.

  • Sometimes it’s hard to find a path through the maze of regulation and stakeholder interests. Our Strategic Navigation approach provides business, governments and community organisations with a model to chart the future in a disrupted environment.

    We undertake in-depth research and analysis into specific issues. These could be governance or social issues. We share some of our research findings on this website, and the model we use for analysis. It is primarily targeted at community organisations.

  • Sometimes the structures and language that surround us inhibit creative thinking. Each of us have the potential to go beyond these limitations and tap into a rich wellspring of ideas. We just need to be present and let go of our preconceptions.

 

Disclaimer:  the comments and opinions expressed in this website are the personal views of the author, Geoff Nunn, and do not represent professional advice. 

Henly Beach South Australia Affordable Housing Development

The Housing Crisis in Australia: An Intractable Problem?

We’ve heard a lot about the housing crisis in Australia over the last few years.  It seems incredible that a nation with our wealth and advanced technological capability should be unable to provide appropriate housing for a significant percentage of the population.  The problem can be summarized in five basic and interrelated categories:

  1. The Federal Government’s National Housing Accord target of 1.2 million new dwellings by 2029 is commendable, but likely unachievable.  According to the Housing Industry Association there is a likely to be a shortfall of approximately 200,000 houses required to meet demand in the Australian housing market over the next five years.  This shortfall ensures that a significant number of people will continue to experience housing stress. 

  2.  The high cost of residential housing is a barrier to entry into the market for many people.  As of September 2025, the national median house price in Australia was $920,000.  $1,056,444 in capital cities and $709,000 in regional areas.  Even those who successfully find suitable housing may be required to spend up to 50% or more of their disposable income on mortgage repayments.

  3. The high cost of residential housing forces up rental payments for those in the rental market.  The number of people experiencing rental stress continues to grow and is related to deteriorating mental health for many.

  4. There is a wait list of approximately 170,000 for social housing.  This is a significant shortfall and highlights the fact that social housing across Australia has not kept pace with need.

  5. It is estimated that 135,000 people in Australia are experiencing homelessness in 2025, up from 122,000 at the 2021 census.  Homelessness is a multi-factored issue with many varied causes.  Crisis services are often stretched beyond breaking point to offer support.  The high cost of residential housing and rental accommodation are just two factors contribution to homelessness.

We’ve put together a “White Paper” to pursue the issues and canvas potential solutions. There have been numerous reports prepared by research organisations, think tanks, industry associations and various other bodies over the last few years. The solutions are known. It’s a 10-20 year strategy to resolve the problem with a few contentious policy decisions and reforms required. We’ve summarised the initiatives required here: The Housing Crisis in Australia: and you can view our White Paper by clicking on the box below.

View the White Paper Here

Areas of focus on the website:

  • Governance Issues

    Recent Inquiries have highlighted the tension between the need for directors to pursue financial returns for shareholders, and to consider the interests of other stakeholders. Shareholder primacy is a hot topic in governance circles. Unfortunately sometimes the interests of other stakeholder groups gets sidelined or elicits a tokenistic response. Our focus is on finding a sustainable balance.

    More Here

  • Social Issues

    Sometimes what you read in the newspaper, or see on television does not hit the mark. Social media news is fragmented and unreliable at best. We make use of a wide variety of sources to formulate a balanced view. Why do we do this. Because we can.

    We do not offer our commentary for commercial gain and have no political affiliations.

    More Here

  • Strategic Navigation

    Strategic Navigation usually has a business focus. It’s about charting the future and navigating all the obstacles and roadblocks that inevitably appear.

    The techniques we use are equally applicable to commercial, not-for-profits, government entities and community organisations. We offer an independent perspective with over 50 years of experience working with organisations of all types.

    More Here

  • Applied Intelligence

    Sometimes the most intractable of problems need a fresh perspective. You can look at the same situation many times and yet become imprisoned in your own reality. It’s hard to find a solution. Structures that seem solid and impermeable get in the way. Yet most of these structures are made by human beings. And if a human being can make them then a human being can change them. Dare to have a go.

    More Here

  • Tapping the Wellspring

    “We combine and recombine in different ways what we know, looking for a combination that clarifies something. We leave out pieces that previously seemed essential if they get in the way. We take risks, albeit calculated ones. We linger on the border of our knowledge. We familiarise ourselves with it, walking back and forth along its length, searching for a gap. We try out new combinations. New concepts.”

    Rovelli, Carlo. White Holes: Inside the Horizon. Alan Lane, London, 2023. P51

    More Here

Core purpose:

Our Core Purpose is to bring an independent perspective to issues confronting governments, organisations of all types, and communities. We provide informed commentary, strategic navigation and applied intelligence models to help chart the future.