01509pab a2200157 454500008004000000100002000040245007700060260000900137300001400146362000800160520106600168650001801234650002801252700002301280773004801303180718b2009   xxu||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d  aHezri, Adnan A.  aAustralia's indicator-based sustainability assessments and public policy  c2009  ap.303-18.  aSep  aOperationalising sustainability has proven difficult because the concept is ambiguous and fraught with contradictions. In response, sustainability indicator systems to characterise and measure sustainable development have been developed globally. The focus of this article is on how indicators function as an instrument of policy to enhance achievement of environmental and sustainability policy in Australia at national scale. In theory, by integrating information from the environmental, social and economic domains and then feeding knowledge to a wide range of policy sectors, sustainability indicator systems may facilitate cross-agency and portfolio connectivity. Key characteristics of the various sustainability indicator systems developed to inform policy at the national level are described, noting the diverse approaches to indicator development in Australia. The structural relevance of indicator systems to the mechanisms of policy and institutions in Australia is discussed, and corresponding issues of institutional fit are analysed. - Reproduced.  aPublic policy  aSustainable development  aDovers, Stephen R.  aAustralian Journal of Public Administration