Our projects
Under the leadership of Professor Tina Soliman Hunter, CENRIT involves a network of world leading researchers from across disciplines and countries, in working across projects in four clusters:
Mineral and energy resources
GASTECH and post-COVID Recovery in Australia
Gas will play a key role in Australia’s energy transition and industrial development post-COVID. This multi-year study explores the role of Australian gas in the energy transition and manufacturing renaissance governance. It explore the innovation and investment roadmap and the critical role of states and regulators.
AIEN, Implications Of ‘Net-Zero Emissions By 2050’ For The Hydrocarbon Industry: A Case Study Of Selected Mature Petroleum Jurisdictions
A consideration of the newly emerging areas for the energy transition, and an analysis of its impact on the oil and gas industry. This includes an examination of the impact in the UK, Norway, and Australia.
- Professor Tina Soliman Hunter
- Dr Madeline Taylor
- Jordie Pettit
ACOLA, Australian Energy Transition Research Plan
The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) has developed an Australian Energy Transition Research Plan (the Research Plan). The Research Plan has identified research priorities across three themes with underlying research questions that need to be addressed for Australia to successfully and rapidly transition to net zero emissions by 2050 (or earlier):
- energy system dynamics
- social engagement dynamics, and
- transition dynamics.
Professor Soliman Hunter and Dr Taylor are the authors of the Social Engagement Dynamics Research Briefing Paper. This research briefing paper focusses on theme 2, Social Engagement Dynamics, and examines the policy and regulatory settings that will be required for the transition, how energy users can be successfully engaged in the process, and how principles of equity, justice, and fairness throughout the course of the transition will be developed and applied.
The paper explores current research being undertaken, research gaps in Australia, and what opportunities can be provided if Australia pursues research in this area.
- Professor Tina Soliman Hunter
- Dr Madeline Taylor
UCLA, USA, JOLT Honorarium, 'Governing the interface between natural and formal language in smart contracts.'
Blockchain based smart contracts raise a variety of challenges for traditional contract law. Professor Joshua Fairfield, Washington & Lee University, USA, and Professor Niloufer Selvadurai analyse the legal challenges associated with blockchain based smart contracts and propose an innovative new model for meditating the interface between formal and natural language in smart contracts.
The research is applicable to the governance of supply chains in the energy and resources sector that are increasingly based on blockchain platforms.
- Professor Niloufer Selvadurai
Sydney Environment Institute, Unsettling Resources
The Unsettling Resources research project investigates the dependence of our energy use and systems on conventional energy and the global shift to renewables. It questions the political and economic viability, and the accountability and justice of current energy use and systems, and how this is being transformed through ‘smarter mining’ of critical minerals for renewable technology.
- Dr Madeline Taylor
Water and oceans
RUSSPLAS: Cleaning up micro-plastics in lakes and rivers
Micro-plastics in lakes and rivers are a major source of pollution and food contamination. This project seeks to inspire law reform related to the regulation and clean-up of micro-plastics in major continental water bodies and fishing grounds. A multidisciplinary project involving science researchers from Macquarie and Tomsk State University, it also contributes to the development of new technologies for the assessment and clean-up of micro-plastics.
The land
STOREREG: Sequestration and storage of CO2 in Australia
This project is a scoping study that considers the legal issues pertaining to the sequestration and storage of CO2 in both onshore and offshore reservoirs in Australia. It considers legal issues arising both above ground (surface) as well as below ground in reservoirs, as well as issues operating the accessing of reservoirs through the well.
It is expected that this initial scoping study will lead to collaborative projects with researchers and industry.
Governance, geopolitics, and international relations
DPEL: Decommissioning Planning and Execution of Learnings – A Global Perspective
A multi-jurisdictional study examining approaches to improved decommissioning outcomes, including an assessment of areas of key risk in decommissioning, jurisdictional experiences associated with full removal of infrastructure, and the instruments and evidence that supports decommissioning. This study also examines issues related to the recycling and disposal of removed structures, including meeting international law requirements.
Outcomes include conference presentations, publications and training of regulators.
Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre
The Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre (DFCRC) brings together stakeholders in fintech, industry, research, and regulation to develop opportunities arising from the next transformation of the financial markets. The DFCRC is funded by an investment of $122 million over a ten-year period (including $60 million from the Federal Government).
Professor Niloufer Selvadurai is an Academic Partner of the DFCRC and a member of its 'RegTech with Algorithmic Analysis Real-Time Enforcement' research team.
- Professor Niloufer Selvadurai
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Expanding Investment in Fintech between Australia and the Gulf Region
Together with the industry partners of the Qatar Fintech Hub and the Hatch Quarter, the project team of Professor Niloufer Selvadurai and A/Professor Andrew Dahdal are developing A Guide Fintech Regulation in Australia and the Gulf Region. The project is of relevance to the financing of energy and resources transactions.
- Professor Niloufer Selvadurai
Optus Macquarie Cyber Security Hub, The obligation of telecommunications service providers to provide ‘clean pipes.’
The project forms an interdisciplinary (law + computing) industry collaboration which examines the extent to which Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are liable for harmful user-generated content transmitted over their networks.
- Professor Niloufer Selvadurai